Spectacular Seven

by Albi

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Other, Romance, Thriller, Drama, Equestria Girls, Moondancer, Sunset Shimmer, Main 7 (EqG)
Length: 613271

As graduation draws near, magic begins to awaken in the human world, drawing out old rivals and opening the doors to new adventures. It's up to Sunset and her friends to keep Canterlot safe, all while dealing with their looming futures.

It is a new year for Sunset Shimmer; a fresh chance at real happiness with her five best friends and her girlfriend. But Sunset is constantly troubled by her uncertain future, and haunted by the consequences of her past.

For her battle against Princess Twilight has drawn forth ancient forces with eyes on the last bastion of magic: Canterlot City.

As darkness closes in, Sunset must find her light and guide her friends to defend their world against old rivals and legends best left forgotten, all while dealing with their ever-looming futures.

But when graduation comes, what will Sunset Shimmer do? For she is still a stranger in this world, with or without her friends, and the road before her guarantees nothing.

Of course, with the universe conspiring against her, it'll be a miracle if she even makes it that far...

Story plot edited by HenryAnthonyCourtler
Pre-read by DrakeyC
Wonderful cover art designed by HanasakiYunarin!
Text added by Amber Spark!
The page of Spectacular Tropes!
Presenting the French translation!

Published 2016-09-25 20:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2025-02-01 19:13:30 UTC

2. Moondancer

Twilight sat at her usual table, hunched over with her nose in a book. The silence of the library gave her optimal comfort for her reading.

At least, it would have if that girl would stop staring at her.

Twilight tried her best to ignore her, but this was the third time this week she had followed Twilight into the library and sat at the table across from her, pretending to read a book.

It was normally easy for Twilight to get lost in her literature. But every time the girl looked at her, Twilight could feel it. She had half a mind to go find somewhere else to sit and read, but the lunch hall and the quad were far too noisy for her liking.

Glancing over her book again, Twilight saw the girl quickly look away. Twilight slowly retreated behind her book again, twisting her face into a scowl. What does she want? She’s ruining my concentration! Twilight tried to read again, but found herself staring at the same line over and over. She made a tiny growl and snapped the book shut. Maybe reading something else would get her reinvested.

She adjusted her glasses and selected A History of Shakespeare from the pile of books next to her. It didn’t take long for her to get sucked in; she couldn’t even feel the girl staring at her anymore.

“Shakespearean history. Quite a pristine choice of reading,” a light and regal voice said.

Twilight jumped in her seat and jerked her head. The mysterious girl stood over her shoulder. Skin pearly as the full moon with nary a blemish, long red hair which curled and turned purple at the ends and decorated with a blue bow, and curious violet eyes that gazed at Twilight.

“My apologies, did I startle you?”

“Yes, you did,” Twilight snapped. “I’m trying to read in peace.”

The girl dipped her head once. “Forgive me, I was merely interested in your book of choice. It’s not everyday I see someone trying to read up on the great Shakespeare.”

Twilight was about to ask her to leave, but froze, her interest piqued. “You read Shakespeare?”

The girl held one hand against her breast and held the other up high. “‘By heaven, methinks it were an easy leap to pluck bright honour from the pale-faced moon, or dive into the bottom of the deep, where fathom-line could never touch the ground, and pluck up drowned honour by the locks.’” She smiled at a speechless Twilight.

“That… that was amazing. You quoted Henry IV perfectly!”

“Well, any thespian, Broadway or otherwise, should be well-versed in their Shakespeare. Not only was he the greatest playwright of all time, but he was a philosopher of the spoken and written word.” Her eyes twinkled in admiration.

Twilight nodded her head so fervently, her glasses almost fell off. “That’s what I think too! But the way the students around here react when we have to read Romeo and Juliet, you’d think they were being punished.”

“Plebeians, the whole lot of them. They have no taste for the finer arts of life.” She flashed another radiant smile. “But not you. I can tell you are quite cultured.”

Twilight blushed. “Well, I do like to read a lot.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was about to do. She had thought herself above friend making; the only ones she needed were her brother and Cadence. She had come to school to learn, not socialize. Yet here was someone who shared her love of Shakespeare. Maybe, just maybe…

She pointed to the seat next to her. “Would you, uh… I mean, if you want to keep talking…”

The girl dropped into the seat and scooted closer. “I’d be absolutely delighted.”

Twilight smiled, then sputtered, “Oh, w-what’s your name?”

“Hmmhmmhmm.” The girl held a hand over her mouth as she giggled. “You may call me Moondancer.”

*******

Sunset’s alarm went off at 6:45 A.M., ringing three times before she slapped it off. She turned over and nestled deeper into her warm bed.

Something wet tickled her cheek. She tried to push it away, but the slimy appendage just kept coming back. “Okay, okay, I get it, time for school.” She pushed herself into a sitting position, finding Spot looking up at her with eyes that were impossible to be mad at. She scratched him under the chin before rolling out of bed.

She selected some warm clothes for the day, then went to the bathroom. Unfortunately, she opened her door the same time Trixie came from her bedroom. They locked eyes for a moment, then both ran to the bathroom between their rooms.

Their shoulders shoved into each other as they tried to fit through the door.

“I saw it first, Trixie.”

“Well, Trixie was here first!”

“No, I was!”

“Trixie meant in this house!”

“Oh… well you got it first last time!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Girls!” Artemis’ voice rang out from down the hall. “It’s too early for this! Get dressed and go to school!”

During that brief distraction, Trixie shoved Sunset back and claimed the bathroom. “Victory for Trixie!” she said behind the door.

Sunset grumbled a few choice words then retreated to her room to wait. She sat on her bed, rubbing Spot’s belly to pass the time.

Her eyes wandered over to her bedside table. With her free hand, she reached over and scooped up the necklace sitting by her photo. A shining red and gold sun with eight rays hung from a silver chain: Sunset’s old cutie mark. Trixie had given it as a Christmas gift—a small gesture that told Sunset while they might not get along, Trixie accepted her in the house.

I guess she can have the bathroom this time.

*******

Twenty-five minutes later, Sunset was out the door and heading down the road. Canterlot High being in comfortable walking distance was another perk that came from living with the Lulamoons. She didn’t need to ride her motorcycle unless she absolutely wanted to.

The streets were sleek and shiny from the melted snow, and younger children splashed in the leftover puddles on the sidewalk. Small pockets of snow hid in ditches or shaded areas, too stubborn to melt overnight. The clouds had begun to break apart, returning sunlight and warmth to Canterlot. Sunset pulled her new leather jacket tighter around her. Another Christmas gift, this one from Twilight and now one of her most treasured possessions. She admired the spiked cuffs on her long sleeves, and traced a finger along the embroidered S on the left breast pocket before hiding her hands away from the cold.

Trixie drove past her in her blue buggy, honking as she went. She had offered Sunset a ride, but Sunset had preferred to walk today. Besides, it was only an extra ten minutes by foot.

She saw a few students on her way to school. None of them waved to her, but they didn’t look at her with contempt like they had before she organized the Winter Ball and formally apologized for her past actions.

I suppose I’m just neutral now. Sunset smiled. She was perfectly okay with that.

Like everywhere else, the lawn of Canterlot High School sat brown and limp. Students milled about, catching up with some of the friends they hadn’t seen over the break. As she approached the front entrance, Sunset stopped and looked at the statue of the Wondercolt horse atop the marble base.

Sunset rested a hand against the cold stone, her thoughts turning to Equestria hidden away on the other side. Just two years to go, she thought humorlessly. She faced the brightly painted school. Well, I’ve got plenty of things to do in the meantime. So stop with homesick shtick. You’re getting on my nerves.

Students overflowed in the central rotunda, laughing, swapping stories, and trading pictures on their phones. Little banners were posted on the walls that read, “Welcome back, Wondercolts!” Below it was a list of all the upcoming activities: soccer matches, the school musical showcase, an orchestra recital, and the Spring Fling.

“Hey, Sunset!”

Sunset turned around and saw Flash Sentry slip through the door, his guitar case in hand. “Morning, Flash.” She and Flash had been on much more amicable terms after Sunset had heartfeltly apologized to him.

Flash ran a hand through his spiky hair and smiled. “So, how was your break?”

“It was pretty good.” Sunset tugged at her jacket. “Got this for Christmas. Hung out with my friends and Twilight. Couldn’t ask for much more.”

“That’s cool.” Flash sighed. “I asked for a new guitar for Christmas, but my dad keeps saying ‘music isn’t a career, it’s just a hobby. Knuckle down and do something productive.’” Flash’s mouth rose into a grin again. “He won’t be singing the same tune after my band wins the showcase.”

Sunset had a mind to poke a hole in his dream, but thought against it. She gave him a thumbs up instead. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

They said goodbye and went down opposite ends of the hall. Sunset packed her bag away in her locker before traveling a bit further and finding Twilight, folding up her thick jacket and stuffing it away. Sunset leaned next to the locker and crossed her arms. “Morning, Sparky,” she said with a grin.

Twilight gave her jacket one final shove and slammed the locker shut. She gave an exhausted sigh before acknowledging Sunset. “Morning. How are—mmmph!” Twilight was cut off by a surprise kiss. When Sunset pulled away, Twilight’s cheeks were bright red. “S-Sunset, are you… sure about, you know…” She looked up and down the hall.

Sunset’s smile slid off her face. “Why, are you not comfortable with this?”

Twilight quickly shook her head. “No, no, it’s not that! It’s just, well… I mean, I think the school just stopped harassing you and—”

“Hey, it’s one thing if they hate me for making their lives miserable.” Sunset raised a fist. “If anyone wants to say something about me dating another girl, I’ll gladly knock their teeth out.”

Twilight gave her a critical look, one that Sunset had become very familiar with.

Sunset lowered her fist. “I mean, sit down and have a nice talk with them.” She made minimum effort to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Before Twilight could respond, a loud voice sang from across hall, “Twily!”

Looking over Twilight’s shoulder, Sunset saw her first. She wore a long white winter gown that traveled down to her ankles, and had large open sleeves where slim, fingerless gloves stuck out. A blue bow sat in her red and purple hair. But what struck Sunset the most, what struck everyone else in the halls as they turned to look at her, was her face.

Flawless skin the color of fresh milk, a slim nose, thin painted lips, long eyelashes and round purple eyes. Sunset loathed to admit it, but upon first sight, this girl was beautiful. And not just in appearance, the way she sauntered down the hall, even at a hurried pace, displayed extravagant elegance.

Twilight turned around and let out a shriek of delighted surprise. “Moony!” She ran and met the girl halfway. They clutched hands and jumped up and down before wrapping each other in a warm embrace.

It was a harmless, friendly act, but Sunset couldn’t help but snort like a bull, quickly regaining her composure as the two came back. As ‘Moony’ drew close, Sunset couldn’t help but feel there was something familiar about her.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Twilight gushed. “I missed you so much! I got all your letters! Oh wait, I mean, obviously since I wrote you back, but still! Oh, I missed you so, so much, Moony!”

The girl cupped Twilight’s face, gazing lovingly into Twilight’s eyes. “And I missed you, my little star! It was as if my heart had been rent asunder when we were separated! But lo! Here we are again!”

Sunset briefly narrowed her eyes to dangerously thin lines. She cleared her throat as loud as she could. “So, Sparky, who is this?” This time, she put maximum effort to hide her annoyance.

“Oh!” Twilight grinned sheepishly, gesturing between the two of them. “Sunset, this is Moondancer, Moony, this is Sunset Shimmer… my girlfriend.”

Moondancer’s eyes twinkled, but Sunset saw a muscle twitch when she smiled. “Ah yes, Twily has told me a lot about you.”

“Funny, she’s never said anything about you.” Sunset met Moondancer’s smile with her own shark version.

Twilight’s eyes dilated. “What? No-no-no, that’s not true! I’m sure I’ve said something—”

Moondancer placed a finger on Twilight’s lips, instantly silencing her while Sunset watched, her stomach filling with molten tar. “Shh, my little star, it’s all right. In fact, I’m almost delighted.”

“You are?”

Moondancer moved her finger away and said, “Yes. After all, one cannot adequately describe my being.” She placed a hand over her breast. “One must see it—no!” She raised her hand to the ceiling. “One must experience it—no!” She clenched her hand into a fist and brought it back down, bowing her head. “One must live it for themselves—the full majesty that is I!”

Sunset stared blankly at her, the molten tar cooling in her stomach and being replaced by… a bumpy and confusing road. “What?”

Moondancer looked up, her eyes sparkling with what Sunset believed was pure narcissism. “Allow me to properly introduce myself!” She jumped back and spun in a circle with her arms spread wide, her large sleeves billowing in the breeze. She stopped and posed, one hand raised above her head with the other across her mouth. “I am the girl with many faces.” She moved her arms in slow, wide circles and swayed her body to an invisible song. “I am the goddess of dance.” She held her arms perpendicular to her body and placed one foot in front of the other. Her body subtly leaned forward, then she sprang up into the air with a backflip and landed again on her feet. “I am she who walks on stardust.” She crossed one leg in front of the other and gave a deep bow.

“I am Moondancer.”

The onlooking students broke into tremendous applause and whistles of affection, of which, Moondancer soaked in with a triumphant smile.

Sunset just continued her blank stare, unsure whether to burst into hysterics or throw up. The girl gave Artemis a serious run for his money in terms of sheer hamminess. Sunset was going to make a smart remark to Twilight, only to find her clapping along with everyone else.

“I see you’ve been working on your introduction.”

Moondancer stepped closer, brushing her hair back. “Of course. I aim to capture my audience and leave them speechless.

Sunset crossed her arms. “Oh, I’m speechless all right.”

“As you should be,” Moondancer said. “My dream is to perform on every stage of the world, enamoring audiences from every culture until all come to revere my brilliance!”

And Twilight thinks I’m narcissistic? Well, this explains why she put up with me.

Twilight put a hand on Moondancer’s arm. “Okay, Moony, I think you can tone it down a little.”

“Ahem, of course. You know how I can get sometimes.”

“I know.” Twilight smiled. “It’s so great to see you again, but what are you doing here?”

Moondancer took Twilight’s hands and clasped them together. “I’m here to enroll of course!”

“You are?” Twilight asked excitedly.

“You are?” Sunset groaned.

“I am!” Moondancer draped a hand across her forehead. “When you left, Twilight, my entire world became dim. So close we were, you and I. Closer than sisters. The world was so less radiant without you in it, for how can the moon properly shine without the stars?”

“Well, technically—” Sunset was cut off by Moondancer’s continued ranting.

“Though you were still in the same city, you seemed a galaxy away, and I shuddered to think what the Fates had in store for you without me by your side.” She moved her hands over her heart and closed her eyes. “And fate would tear us further apart, for how could I say no to an opportunity to model abroad? Thus, I was forced to embark to France, opening the maw between us even further.” She let out a dramatic sigh. “Twas only your letters that sustained me. I held onto the dream that we would be united again someday.”

She opened her eyes and twirled around before taking Twilight’s hands again. “And the first thing I did upon my return was beg father to let me transfer. So voila! Here I am—here we are! Together again!”

Sunset was now certain she wanted to throw up. There was also an urge to strangle Moondancer with her bow. Not even for the excessive touching of Twilight (though that was a large part of it) just to get her to shut up.

Twilight wiped a tear from her eye. “Wow, Moony, I can’t believe you did that for me. I know how much you loved the academy.”

A dreamy sigh escaped Moondancer’s lips. “Yes, I shall dearly miss the hallowed halls of that palace of enlightenment. But you are more important than any of that, my little star!” She threw her arms out wide. “Besides, it is high time I descend from my place in the heavens. Mingle with the commoners, see how the lower half lives.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes, a sight that gave Sunset much satisfaction. “Moony, you’re doing it again.”

“Am I? My apologies.”

“And really, the suburbs aren’t that different from the Upper Villa. There are plenty of smart and sophisticated people here.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, snickering, “here comes one right now.”

Rainbow walked down the hall, laughing and wiping her eyes. “You guys missed it! Snips just finished belching to two-hundred off of one can of soda! Then, he totally heaved! It was awesome, disgusting, but awesome!”

Sunset looked back to Moondancer. Her face remained neutral, but her eyes beheld disgust and horror. Oh, Rainbow, you never disappoint.

Rainbow looked from Sunset, to Twilight, to Moondancer. “So, who’s the new girl?”

Moondancer curtsied. “I am Moondancer. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. And how shall I address you, good sir?”

Sunset bit down on her lip.

Rainbow slowly furrowed her brow while her cheeks matched the red in her hair. “I’m a girl, you dingus!” She stomped her foot.

Moondancer’s eyes wandered to Rainbow’s chest, and her mouth formed an O which she quickly covered. “My sincere apologies! I thought, ahem, well, I shouldn’t have assumed… at any rate, I apologize.”

“Yeah, whatever. Name’s Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow stalked away before Moondancer could follow up.

“Hmm. Well, that could have gone a lot better.” Moondancer brushed her hair back. “Such is life I suppose. Not every encounter is a positive one.”

Twilight tried to smile. “I’m sure she’ll come around.”

Sunset turned her head to allow herself a victorious smirk. That had gone better than she could have ever planned. When she turned back, her fleeting victory was spoiled by Moondancer swooping around Twilight, closely examining her.

“Little star…” Moondancer tapped the rim of Twilight’s glasses. “Why do you hide your radiant face with these lenses? I thought you liked contacts?”

Twilight pushed her glasses up. “Well… um…” Her eyes flickered to Sunset. “I just wanted to change things up a little. I think they make me… stand out more.”

“I think she looks great,” Sunset said, crossing her arms.

Moondancer leaned back and hummed. “Well, I do like this look for your hair,” she said, playing with one of Twilight’s tresses. “I must admit, this look does reflect your inner you: the sparkling genius I know you are!” She raised her hands above her head. “Look at my little flower, blossoming into her own!”

Twilight blushed. “Thanks, Moony.”

Moondancer held a hand over her mouth and giggled. “I’ll spare every compliment for you.” She pointed down the hall. “Now, I must adjourn to see the principal for my class schedule. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me, my dear Twilight?”

“I’d love to!” She looked to Sunset. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh no, of course not,” Sunset said, her voice an octave higher than usual, and a smile stuck on her face. “Go and catch up, have a good time!”

Twilight leaned up and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you at lunch. Come on, Moony.”

Moondancer crossed and arm over her chest and bowed. “It was lovely to meet you, Sunset Shimmer. I can’t wait to learn more about your character.” She rose and draped an arm around Twilight, leading her away to Celestia’s office.

Sunset continued to stand there, staring after them, still painfully smiling. She didn’t stop until Fluttershy tiptoed up and tapped her shoulder.

“Sunset, are you okay?”

“Yep! Totally fine! Peachy!” Her voice was still an octave too high.

Fluttershy took a half-step back. “Are you sure?”

Sunset’s shoulders dropped and she uncrossed her arms. “No. But, I’m just being, you know, me. Twilight hasn’t seen her friend in months, I should be happy for her. Instead, I’m…”

“Jealous?”

“I am not jealous!” She saw Fluttershy flinch back, and cupped a hand over her eyes. “Sorry. I’m not jealous, I’m just… annoyed. And… and... “ Sunset stomped her foot. “I mean, did you see her? You can’t deny she’s beautiful!”

“I wasn’t going to,” Fluttershy mumbled, her cheeks reddening.

Sunset released an aggravated sigh. “It’s okay, I’ll get over it. Is it a little suspicious that she transferred from some private school to here, just to see Twilight? Yes. But, I’m going to be reasonable and responsible, and trust Twilight.”

Fluttershy smiled. “That’s good.”

“And if this Moondancer tries anything, I’ll snap her like the twig she is.”

Fluttershy frowned.

*******

The new semester began with no fanfare or excitement other than the murmurings of Moondancer’s acrobatic feat earlier. Vice Principal Luna greeted the students and read off the morning announcements, repeating much of what had been on the posters.

Sunset took her seat in the front of her history class next to Rarity, who flashed a radiant smile. Before they could exchange a proper greeting, Mr. Noteworthy cleared his throat, ceasing all side chatter.

“I hope you all had a good break,” he said, scratching chalk against the blackboard. “Now, just because you’ve turned in your college applications, doesn’t mean you can slack off. I won’t tolerate ‘senioritis’ in my class. Now then…”

Sunset began taking notes, her mood made more sour by the mention of ‘college applications.’ She filed it away under ‘bridges to cross when she got there.’ Unfortunately, that just left her filled with images of Moondancer backflipping in the hallway. Had Sunset still been the iron-fisted hate monger she had once been known as, she’d already be conspiring to find ways to drag Moondancer through the mud, figuratively, and if she got the chance, literally.

All right, reel it back, girl. You’re not a vindictive megalomaniac anymore. As fun as it would be to entertain the thought, she hasn’t even done anything yet. ‘Yet’ being the key word.

And besides, what could Moondancer actually do? Sure she was an overdramatic ham like Artemis, and could backflip while wearing pumps, but that didn’t make her a threat. Yet.

And furthermore, Twilight had picked her, Sunset, right? She had known Moondancer years before, and apparently nothing had come of it. Heck, maybe Moondancer really was just Twilight’s best friend and Sunset was reading too much into it.

‘Hi, Sunset. Moondancer just confessed her love to me and I realized, I’ve felt the same way and didn’t notice until now. So, I’m leaving you for her. Bye!’

There was a tiny crick as Sunset gripped her pencil a little too tightly. Okay, you’re being stupid. You know Twilight isn’t like that. Don’t turn this into the stupid dramas Rarity’s into. Just relax. If Twilight picked you after learning how terrible you were before, there must be a reason.

As the period progressed, Sunset relaxed to her usual indifferent contentment. History remained her least favorite subject and the only one of her classes that wasn’t advance placement. Having Rarity as a work partner was the only thing that made it bearable now.

“So, tell me about this Moondancer character everyone is whispering about,” Rarity asked when the class broke into group work.

Sunset tapped her cracked pencil on the desk. “You know how you have some of your ‘drama moments’ from time to time?”

“Yes?” Rarity said, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s her. Set to eleven. It’s like, she thinks we’re in a play or something.”

“I see. Interesting.” Rarity looked through her textbook and wrote an answer on their assignment paper. “So, what was she wearing?”

Sunset pushed the eraser against her forehead. “Rarity, I’m honestly trying not to think about her right now.”

Rarity gave her a cat-like smile. “Sunset Shimmer, you’re not jealous are you?”

“No, I am not jealous!” Sunset said in a raised voice, getting half the class to look at her. Her cheeks burned, and she said in a quieter voice, “I’m not jealous. Sure, she’s pretty, but I know Twilight isn’t going to run off with her at first sight.”

“Good.” Rarity nodded sagely. “Although, you shouldn’t discredit your own beauty, Sunset. You’re a very attractive young woman.”

Sunset looked down at her paper, blushing. She didn’t know why. She knew she was sexy! Still, it was nice to hear it from her friends.

Rarity closed her book and dug through her bag to find her nail file. “And personally, I think a smidge of jealousy is healthy for a relationship. It lets your partner know you care about them. Just a smidge, mind you.”

“I know, I know.” Sunset waved her free hand as she she finished her paper. “Don’t turn this into some friendship lesson. Jealousy is bad, leads to anger, blah, blah, blah, she-demon.”

Rarity paused her filing to give Sunset a concerned stare. “Well, I wasn’t going to go there, but… as long as you understand.” When Sunset kept her head down, Rarity asked, “Is something else bothering you, darling?”

“No.”

“Sunset…” Rarity pursed her lips and tapped a newly manicured nail against the desk.

Sunset sighed. Next to Twilight, Rarity could read her best. Not that Sunset was making the best effort to hide her emotions. Honestly, there were a plethora of things bothering her. Still, Rarity had proven time and again to be a good shoulder to lean on. She looked up and met Rarity’s eyes.

“You know at New Years, I said I wanted to be a good friend?”

Rarity nodded.

“Well…” Sunset inwardly kicked herself. She felt like a five year-old. An insecure five year--old learning how to ride a bike without training wheels. “I’m just worried about how long I can go without messing something up. You know how I can get sometimes: snippy, abrasive, angry. What if I do take this jealousy thing—which I’m totally not by the way—too far and do something stupid? I don’t want to go back to being mean, but sometimes, it feels so easy.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Rarity laid a hand over Sunset’s. “That’s why you have us. We’re not going to abandon you over one little mistake you might make. Yes, you can be quite sarcastic and a little rough around the edges, but so is Rainbow, and we tolerate her.” That got a chuckle out of Sunset. “I’ve seen your growth, Sunset. I’m not concerned in the slightest about you turning back to the proverbial dark side. None of us would let you.”

Geez, we did turn this into a sappy friendship lesson. Though, Sunset supposed it was these moments that kept her from, as Rarity said, ‘turning to the dark side.’ Of course, now she just felt stupid for feeling worried in the first place. You’re just all over the place, aren’t you?

Outwardly, she nodded and smiled. “Thanks, Rarity. I don’t know why I get so worked up. I guess between having actual friends and dating Twilight and everything I did before and…” Sunset slapped a hand over her eyes. “Ugh, I sound so pathetic right now.”

“Darling, it’s okay to be worried. Your life has changed rather dramatically in only a few months. But, I’ll be here for you, every step of the way.”

Mr. Noteworthy walked over, more papers clutched tightly in his hand. “If you girls have time to yammer on for ten minutes, then you have time to do extra work.” He slapped the papers onto their desks. “Less talking, more learning.”

Sunset groaned at the new set of short answer questions. She looked over to Rarity, who gave an encouraging smile. At least she didn’t have to do this alone either.

*******

Noisy chaos: the cafeteria’s usual state. Complimented by reheated pizza, veggie burgers, and open milk cartons melding together to create a pungent smell that could only be produced in public high schools.

Sunset sat down at the regular table, Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie already seated. It wasn’t long before everyone else gathered, including Moondancer. Sunset was glad to see she wasn’t the only one perturbed by this, if Rainbow’s scowl meant anything.

“It’s a delight to meet you all!” Moondancer said sweetly. She sat on Twilight’s other side, leaning too close for Sunset’s liking. “Thank you so much for taking care of my little star while I was gone. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Are you kidding?” Pinkie said, leaning out of her seat. “She’s one of our bestest friends now! And besides, she always follows the rules! I don’t think she’s broken a single one!” Pinkie tapped a finger against her chin and looked at the ceiling. “Well, except for the time we all snuck into detention to throw Sunset a party. But is that breaking any rules? I don’t think there’s a rule saying you get in trouble if you break into detention…”

Applejack picked up the conversation while Pinkie dove into her own ramblings. “What she means is, we love havin’ Twi around, and any friend of hers is a friend of ours.”

Moondancer held a hand over her heart. “You’re all very sweet. I simply must repay this favor somehow.”

Rarity waved a hand. “Please, darling, it really was no trouble. You don’t have to do anything.”

“Oh, but I insist! ‘Twould be most ungracious of me to not show my appreciation.”

Rainbow looked between Moondancer and Rarity, a look of revulsion on her face. “Oh, God, they’re multiplying.”

Moondancer snapped her fingers. “I know!” She traced a hand through the air. “You are all cordially invited to my home this Saturday for afternoon tea. Does that sound enjoyable to all?”

Rarity bobbed her head. “A tea day sounds lovely! I can’t wait!”

“Moondancer!” an incoming voice shouted.

“Oh, God, here comes another one!” Rainbow said, looking at Trixie as she ran over.

Moondancer stood up and held her arms out. “Trixie, sweetie!” She kissed Trixie on both cheeks and gave her a squeeze. “My dear, it’s been so long! How are you?”

“Trixie is doing fantastic! She sees you’re looking just as good as ever.”

Twilight tilted her head. “You two know each other?”

Moondancer put a hand over her mouth. “That’s right, I never got a chance to introduce you to most of my family. Yes, Trixie here is my cousin.”

Sunset’s eyes widened in realization. She had seen Moondancer before, the first day she had walked into the Lulamoons’ house and saw their vast collection of pictures on their living room wall. Moondancer had been there, a little girl being measured next to Trixie, and jumping with her on a trampoline.

The idea settled over her like a cold fog: Moondancer hadn’t stepped into her life.

She had stepped into Moondancer’s.

Author's Note

Moondancer, you finally get a chance in the spotlight!

She was created alongside Long Road to Friendship with the intention of actually showing up in the story, but it came to an end before she could debut. I never thought she'd show up in canon.

She takes inspiration from her depiction in 2013 annual comic, and her toy description from Gen 1. I waited three years to use her. I'm not going to let a silly little thing like 'canon' stop me.

3. The Upper Villa

Tuesday brought Sunset much more cheer than her first day back to school. Twilight shared her new AP Economics class. And, due to budget cuts, the two AP Chemistry classes had to be combined into one, not that they were very big separately to begin with. Combined with their final period of AP Trigonometry, Sunset and Twilight had a whole day of classes together.

The best part? Moondancer wasn’t in any of them.

She may be pretty, but I bet her head’s mostly full of hot air. Even as she thought it, Sunset knew it wasn’t true. Moondancer may not have been her and Twilight’s level of smart, but she was far from dumb. Still, petty insults were how Sunset relieved her frustrations. That and enjoying her quality alone time with Twilight.

They leaned over their high-powered microscope, examining the chemical reaction to their isotope. Though only one of them could look into the lense at a time, they kept their cheeks pressed against each other. As Sunset pulled away to fill in their chart, Twilight cleared her throat.

“So, uhh, Sunset… do you like science?”

“Obviously, Sparky, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Because I have my ion you.”

“What?” Sunset looked up at her, finding Twilight's face red. She twisted a finger through a tress and stared at the floor.

“Get it?” she asked meekly. “Because… ion… eye on… I...umm…”

Sunset pressed her lips together, trying not to burst into hysterical laughter. “Twilight, are you trying to flirt with me again?”

Twilight looked up. “Is it working?” There was a hopeful gleam in her eye.

“No, sweetie, it’s not. You’re still terrible at it.”

Twilight slumped her shoulders and groaned.

Sunset reached for Twilight’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. “But the fact that you’re trying is adorable as hell.” She leaned to give Twilight’s blushing face a kiss, but remembered that public displays of affection were frowned upon in the classroom setting. The fact that they were at the front of the class where everyone could see them didn’t help either. So she settled for pushing her cheek against Twilight’s while she looked into the microscope again.

Twilight’s pout continued even when the period came to an end. She and Sunset headed for their lockers to put their books away before heading to the cafeteria. “I don’t get it. Cadence makes flirting look so easy.”

“It’s all about timing and delivery, Sparky,” Sunset said, pushing her book into her locker. “And honestly, asking me if I liked science? You should have known you were going to get a snarky answer.”

Applejack came over, sack lunch in hand. “Howdy, girls. How was class?”

“It was fun,” Twilight said, perking up. “We studied isotopes and their reactions to certain chemicals and other stimuli.”

Sunset wrapped an arm around Twilight’s waist and whispered into her ear, “You must have eleven protons, ‘cause your butt is sodium fine.”

Twilight locked up, her face turning red again. “S-Sunset!”

She laughed and kissed Twilight on the cheek. “Consider that a lesson.” She let go and sauntered away, smirking at Applejack’s confused head tilt.

“That’s not fair!” Twilight shouted.

*******

At home, dinner had been a relatively calm affair. After Sunset had helped clean up the dishes, she retreated toward her room, pausing in the living room to look at the picture of Moondancer. With her was a woman who looked like, simply put, a female version of Artemis. She had longer hair and lacked a goatee, but they shared a childlike smile.

Sunset made another detour to her room, stopping at Trixie’s and knocking on her open door. Trixie looked up from the magazine she was reading and took off her headphones. “What do you want?” It wasn’t said unkindly. Trixie’s natural tone just made everything she said come out as snappish.

“How are you and Moondancer related?” Sunset knew the answer but wanted to make sure she was right.

Trixie rolled herself into a sitting position. “She’s my first cousin, the daughter of my father’s sister. Why?”

Sunset leaned against the door frame. “Just curious, really. Artemis never talks about his sister.”

“Well…” Trixie looked away, a grim shadow over her face. “She… she isn’t around anymore.”

The shadow from her face spread over her words as well. Sunset decided to leave it alone. Whatever the story behind it, it wasn’t her place to know. “So, what’s Moondancer like?”

Trixie rose her head to the light and shrugged. “We used to play together a lot when we were little. Honestly, Trixie thinks she was a little full of herself.”

No one in this family understands irony.

“She loves the stage, like every Lulamoon before her. She’s a pretty good actress and can dance very well.” Trixie sat up straight and stuck her chest out. “Unfortunately for her, she did not inherit the amazing, mind-blowing magic our family is capable of! So, it’s up to The Great and Powerful Trixie to continue on the legacy of magical feats of wonder and amazement!”

By now, Sunset had turned her back and retreated to her room, ignoring Trixie’s indignant shout of, “Hey!” She closed the door and greeted Spot who had taken up residence on her bed.

“I thought you weren’t going to collect information on her to prepare a diabolical plot?” Princess Twilight squeaked.

“I’m not,” Sunset said defiantly. “I still want to know more about her. Apparently, I’m going to be spending an… unfortunate amount of time with her.”

“You could always use more friends in your life.”

“I’m happy with the amount I have, thank you very much.” Sunset may have accepted love and friendship, but she was no social butterfly. Besides, something about Moondancer irked her.

“You’re just jealous.”

“I am not!”

*******

Saturday arrived, much to Sunset’s displeasure. She wasn’t sure which was worse: going to Moondancer’s house for tea, or going there with Trixie. She and Trixie didn't dislike each other anymore, but any time they were in the car, an odd silence hung over them that Sunset could never quite hurdle over.

She followed Trixie out the door, hands in her pockets. The air was chilly, but the sun was out and shining, occasionally covered up by a puffy cloud. Sunset kept her leather jacket zipped up, thankful for the thermal interior.

Artemis walked the girls to Trixie’s little blue buggy. “Give Moondancer all of our love. I’ve tried to go over there, but they always seem to be away. Lord knows how busy her father is.”

Sunset waved goodbye as they pulled away and took off down the road. The drive to the Upper Villa would take an hour and a half with good traffic. She had never been to that side of Canterlot, but according to the stories, it was supposed to be their version of Beverly Hills.

Trixie turned the radio on the break the silence. As usual, it was set to Cadence’s radio station. Sunset made a small noise in the back of her throat but said nothing. It didn’t bother her as much as it used to.

When the song came to an end, Cadence popped on. “And that was Ambrosia’s ‘Midnight Love’ one of my new favorites! Now, I’ve been getting a lot of requests recently to play songs from the Dazzlings. Guys, you should know better,” she said in a fake scolding voice, “I only play love songs, so when they write one, I’ll play one.”

Trixie shook her head. “Trixie doesn’t understand what people see in them. They’re okay at best. She can’t figure out why half the country is going gaga over them.”

Sunset shrugged. “I’ve never even heard of them.”

“They’re just the next girl pop band. In a year, no one will even remember who they are.”

They fell back into silence, though Sunset got some satisfaction that they had held a conversation, however short. She watched the suburban scenery fly by before they got onto the freeway heading north. Moondancer had offered to pick Twilight up herself, and in a limo no less. To Sunset’s unspoken chagrin, Twilight had said yes.

Sunset resisted the urge to smash her forehead against the window. Who wouldn’t say yes to riding in a limousine? And what could Sunset say: no, Twilight couldn’t go and spend time with her best friend? Although Sunset was sure Moondancer was doing it to prove some point, she had no counter for it.

Well, nothing legal at least. She shook her head. She was past that stage in her life. The easy and grown-up thing to do was sit down and have a calm talk with Moondancer. Or punch her in the face, but Sunset was sure Twilight would resent that action.

The hour ticked by, filled with love songs accompanied by Trixie’s humming, and Cadence giving love advice on the air. Sunset found that desperate lovestruck idiots asking for help on live radio was more entertaining than she would have thought.

“...And he always makes it up to me with expensive gifts, but I don’t know if I can handle coming home to find him in bed with someone else again,” a forlorn woman told Cadence, sounding close to tears.

“Sweetheart, once is a mistake, twice is counselling. He’s done this to you seven times. You should have dumped him a long time ago.”

There was a loud sniffle. “You’re right. Should I give back the puppy then?”

“Oh no, keep the puppy. Dogs are more loyal than men anyway. Love you, Shiny!” she quickly added. “But… you might want to leave the knife sharpener.”

Sunset scoffed. “Should keep the knife sharpener.”

The road elevated and began to zigzag and curve up the mountain side. Sunset could see the pricey homes and luxurious condos sitting on the cliffs, surrounded by the limbs of dead trees. Still, these mansions were beautiful to behold, and Sunset could only imagine how much they cost.

Trixie pulled up to the community gate, where a bored looking security officer sat in his booth, playing his radio. Sunset could hear a trio of voices singing.

“We’re here to see Moondancer,” Trixie said.

The guard simply nodded, barely looking away from the radio. He pressed a button, and the gate creaked open. “Very top, you literally can’t miss it.”

As they drove on, Sunset made out some of the lyrics to the song.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh,

You didn't know that you fell.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh—

They continued to drive upwards, passing mansion after mansion, fountain after fountain, sculpture after sculpture. The community parks even had play structures painted ivory and gold. It reminded Sunset of Equestria’s Canterlot.

A three story manor sat at the top of the Upper Villa, with its own open gate and a marble wall surrounding the property. Trixie pulled into the roundabout driveway and stopped.

Stepping out of the car, Sunset had to tilt her head back to see the top of Moondancer’s mansion. There were four pointed spires at the corners of the arched roof, giving it a castle like appearance. Large windows decorated the front, and four stone columns flanked the entrance. Another fountain sat in the middle of the rotunda, this one painted gold and with three cherubs spitting water.

Sunset turned around and looked at the view of the city. She could see everything, even the Everfree Forest miles off on the other side. She crossed her arms and looked away. “All right fine, I’m jealous.”

Trixie let out a longing sigh. “Trixie wishes she had enough money to buy a house like this. I always loved it when we got to come over.”

A tall man with salt and pepper hair and an expensive looking suit stepped out from the oak front doors. “Ah, Miss Lulamoon, how nice to see you again.”

“Hello, Mr. Porter, it’s nice to see you too.”

Mr. Porter turned to Sunset. “And you must be Miss Shimmer. Lady Moondancer is awaiting you both in the back garden; please, allow me to escort you.”

She even has a butler, Sunset thought bitterly. In essence, Moondancer had everything Sunset did before she ran through the mirror. She’s like Princess Twilight… Sunset stopped at the threshold, eyes wide with smoldering fury. They narrowed to dangerous slits. Congrats, Princess. You have competition.

Upon entering the manor, Sunset looked down at the polished floor only to stare at herself in an immaculate reflection. Above her reflection’s head hung an enormous chandelier with hundreds of mini crystals dangling off its arms. Caught in the light, they shone in a spectrum of colors.

Porter led them past the grand staircase, with its rich red velvet carpeting and bronze handrails. Instead, they went down a large corridor, passing the kitchen, where a maid was setting out porcelain tea cups, and the dining room, with a black table large enough to sit twenty people comfortably. They finally reached the back door and exited into the garden.

It was impossibly full of life! Roses, lavender, honeysuckle, snapdragons. Azaleas and orchids and firebird dahlias—flowers of every type were in full bloom, releasing heavenly fragrances that numbed Sunset’s brain upon first contact. Hummingbirds and bumblebees lazily drifted from flower to flower, taking in the sweet nectar of the floral paradise. Perfectly trimmed green hedges ran along the garden walls, where ivy hung in abundance. A stream ran through the garden, splitting it in half and wrapping around the gazebo in the center where Twilight and Moondancer waited.

Sunset approached, keeping her arms crossed. “How on earth are you keeping this garden alive in the middle of winter?”

Moondancer spun in place and stuck her thumb out. “I’ve got a green thumb!” She paused, then shrugged. “A professional gardener doesn’t hurt either.”

A loud shriek of delight made all four of them jump. Fluttershy stood with Rainbow at the front of the garden, the former covering her mouth with her hands, her cheeks as pink as her hair. “Sorry… I just… I got excited.” Fluttershy took her time down the path, stopping several times to smell the flowers are watch the hummingbirds.

Rainbow cut straight for the gazebo and took a seat at the glass table. “Nice garden, Moonprancer.”

“Um, it’s Moondancer,” she said, “and thank you.”

Fluttershy took a seat next to Rainbow. “Oh yes, it’s absolutely lovely! I can’t believe it’s flourishing like this in the winter time! You even have honeybees! My mother keeps a garden in our backyard, but it’s nothing like this!”

Moondancer flicked her wrist. “Oh, Fluttershy, you have such kind words, you’re embarrassing me. But do go on.” Twilight pinched her shoulder and she giggled. “I jest, of course.”

Rainbow leaned over to Sunset and whispered, “Seriously, who uses the word ‘jest’?”

Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack were the last to arrive, each marveling at the miniature Eden. “Whooweee,” Applejack said, “that’s a lot of flowers. Ah tip mah hat to whoever keeps this place lookin’ perty.”

Everyone gathered at the table, and Moondancer’s maid Lemon Fresh brought out the tea, served in a silver teapot, and an assortment of cookies on a silver plate. Pinkie quickly snatched three cookies and shoved them into her mouth. “Manks fer the cookes, Moomrancer.”

Moondancer grimaced. “You’re welcome, love.”

Rarity tutted. “Pinkie, do not talk with your mouth full. You know better.”

Pinkie made a loud swallow. “Sorry, they just looked so tasty!” She reached for another one, but Rarity smacked her hand.

“Let everyone else have one first.” Rarity relaxed herself, taking a careful sip of her tea. When she finished, she pressed her hands to her face and squealed. “I can’t believe it! I’m having tea in the Upper Villa, the height of Canterlot high society!”

Moondancer waved a hand. “Oh, it’s not that special. We just have a nice view.”

“And a giant house,” Rainbow said, eyeing her tea with a scrunched nose.

Moondancer brushed her bangs over her shoulder. “Well, that is a bonus.” She raised her cup to her lips, keeping her pinky out as she took a dainty sip.

Sunset took a sip of her own tea, surprised to find it a rich cinnamon flavor. It was so well-blended, Sunset didn’t feel the need to add milk or sugar. All right… that’s one point for her.

“So, Moondancer, Twilight told us you did some modeling in France,” Rarity said, leaning forward excitedly. “You must tell us how that went.”

“Well, there isn’t much of a story to tell really,” Moondancer said with an airy laugh. “I originally went there for some cosmetic and hair care products.” She gave her hair a light fluff. “Then, they were so enraptured by my natural talent, that they wanted me to model a few dresses, so I stayed a bit longer than I thought I would. In between shoots, I got to tour the country—it’s beyond lovely, you should really see it for yourself.”

“Did you see Paris? What was Paris like?” Rarity bounced in her seat.

Moondancer raised a hand to the sky. “Absolutely stunning! There are no adequate words to describe the sheer beauty of the City of Lights!” She turned and cupped Twilight’s cheeks. “I promise, I’ll take you there myself someday, my little star.”

“That’s really sweet of you, Moony,” Twilight said between her squished cheeks.

Sunset gripped her cup extra tight, wondering if she could break it with enough force. If that didn’t work, she could always try beating it over Moondancer’s thick head.

Composure, Sunset. She took another sip of her tea. She’s lucky it tastes so good.

Applejack spoke up. “So, Moondancer, got any hobbies or pastimes?”

“Well, theater is my pride and joy. Gymnastics, ballet, piano,” she said, counting off her fingers.

“Don’t you play any sports?” Rainbow asked. She had pushed her tea away and focused squarely on the cookies.

“I just said gymnastics.”

“Pfft, barely counts,” Rainbow muttered, leaning back in her chair.

Pinkie waved her hand. “Ooh, ooh, do you have any embarrassing stories about Twilight?”

Twilight bolted upright. “No!” She looked at Moondancer. “Of course you don’t!” She looked back at Pinkie. “Why would you even ask that?”

Sunset brushed against Twilight’s arm. “Your strong denial tells us otherwise, Sparky.”

“You stay out of this!”

Moondancer wrapped her arms around Twilight and pulled her into a hug, eliciting a mental hiss from Sunset. “Oh, I would never dream of embarrassing you, Twilly.” Her lips curled upwards. “Buuuuuuut… there was this one time in tenth grade—”

Twilight struggled against Moondancer’s grip, raising her hands to try and cover her mouth. “Moony,” she whined.

“—I convinced Twilight to try out for the school play with me. I thought it might help her come out of her shell and shine like the pearl she is! Naturally, she landed a role—”

Twilight struggled harder now, but it appeared Moondancer was stronger than she looked. Then again, Sunset thought, caught between amused and thoroughly annoyed, Twilight isn’t very strong to begin with.

“—So, being the adorable, studious bookworm she is, Twilight memorizes the entire script. She’d make any true thespian proud. Come—mmmph! Peh…” Twilight had finally gotten a hand near Moondancer’s mouth, but still couldn’t silence her. “Come opening night, Twilight gets up on stage for her first speaking line and—mmmhmmph! Poor dear was so nervous, she accidently says the other actor’s entire speech before realizing her mistake.”

Twilight went limp and pressed her face into the table. She let out a loud muffled groan. “It was so embarrassing. The other kid didn’t know what to say, so we were both just standing there while the audience stared at us. I had to start all over again, and I was even more nervous then. I tripped over every word.”

Sunset pet Twilight’s hair bun. “Come on, Sparky, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

“Indeed,” Moondancer said. “I found it comically delightful. Besides, not everyone starts off a master of the stage. Many great actors have terrible first experiences.” She brushed her hair back again. “Except for me; my debut was perfect. But that’s beside the point.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. She leaned over and whispered into Twilight’s ear, “So between that and fondling me, which was worse?”

Twilight shot up, her cheeks Sunset’s favorite shade of red. “I didn’t fondle you!”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “You fondled Sunset? Is this before or after you starting dating?”

“I didn’t fondle her!”

Rainbow whistled. “Wow, Twilight, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

Twilight pulled at her bangs and let out a pained whine.

“Tell the story, tell the story!” Pinkie said, hopping in her seat.

Sunset smirked, catching Moondancer’s eye as she began. “Well, Twilight and I went to the mall a little before Halloween last year. She bought me a strawberry milkshake, and while we were sitting down, she knocked it all over my chest and tried to clean—Mmmmph!”

Twilight shoved a cookie into Sunset’s mouth. “Sunset cuddles and makes baby noises at the puppies in the animal shelter!”

Sunset nearly spat her cookie out. She forcefully swallowed the part she had bit off and dropped the rest into her lap. “How do you know that?” she asked over her friends' loud snickers.

“Fluttershy told me.”

Sunset tried to lock eyes with Fluttershy, but she had already retreated behind her wall of pink hair. My justice shall be swift and merciless, Fluttershy.

Pinkie snorted. “Come on, Sunset, that’s not that embarrassing. Not like the time you turned in—”

Wham!

Clank!

Pinkie pressed her face into the table while she held her shin underneath. Sunset sat up straight, trying her hardest to play off her lightning quick kick. She took a bite of her cookie and asked, “You okay, Pinks?”

“Uh-huh,” she said in a higher pitched voice. “I meant to say the time you turned your paper in late. Ha… ha.”

Moondancer tilted her head. “Is she going to be all right?”

Sunset nodded. “Yep, she’s just being Pinkie.”

“Well then…” Moondancer crossed her fingertips. “That was certainly more entertaining than I thought it would be.” Lemon Fresh came out and restocked their tea and cookies while everyone waited for someone to start the next part of the conversation.

Surprisingly, it was Rainbow who spoke, looking a little more relaxed than when she had first came in. “All right, I gotta know, how the heck are you so rich?”

“Rainbow!” Rarity chided.

“What? We’re all thinking it.”

Moondancer just made a throaty chuckle. “It really isn’t anything too glamorous. No rags to riches story. My father already came from a well off family. He just took their fortune and made it even larger. He now owns a multi-million dollar conglomerate. Simple, really.” She pointed off the mountain. “The headquarters is actually downtown. You’ve seen Canterlot Tower, yes?”

Applejack whistled. “That’s the tallest building in the city.”

“Again, we just like the view.”

Sunset quietly sighed through her nose. While this wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, she had grown quite bored, and her leg was starting to cramp up. “Where’s your bathroom?” she asked, standing from the table.

“Down the hall, across the foyer—” Moondancer stopped and hummed. “You know, it might be easier if I show you.”

Sunset fought to keep her face straight. “You really don’t have to.”

“Oh it’s no trouble, really.” Moondancer got up. “You girls talk amongst yourselves, we’ll be right back.” She led Sunset back into the house and across the entrance hall. They crossed through a large sitting room with shelves stacked with books and atlases, and a fireplace. Moondancer pointed to the door on the other side. “There’s the bathroom. But you don’t actually have to use it, do you?” The pleasantness never left her voice.

With a small harrumph, Sunset said, “So I just wanted to stretch my legs. That’s not a problem is it?”

Moondancer just continued to smile at her, but it was the intelligent kind of smile Sunset knew all too well. She had given it to her opponents whenever she knew more than they did, which was most of the time. “Sunset, as an actor, I’ve learned to read people quite well, and I have the distinct feeling you don’t like me.”

Sunset looked away. She supposed she hadn’t been doing a very good job to hide that fact, though Moondancer didn’t seem torn up about it. Sunset shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. “Don’t take it personally, I don’t like a lot of people.”

“Oh, it’s quite all right. I have reservations about you as well.”

Sunset looked back at her with a smirk. “Is it because I stole your best friend?”

For the first time, Moondancer’s smile fell to a thin line. “That’s a vast proportion of it, yes.” She walked over to the window and stared out at the front lawn. “Twilight Sparkle is one of the few true friends I have. She’s pure and honest and sweet.” Moondancer let out a dreamy sigh. “And her eyes…. Simply cosmic!”

“Ahem.”

Moondancer looked over her shoulder. “Right. My point being, I was enticed by her very aura the moment I saw her. But she was an introverted and shy soul. I could never force myself upon her. So, I made myself content to just be near her, making her happy whenever I could, cultivating and tending to her like a delicate flower.” She fully turned to Sunset. “And the moment I leave, she blossoms for someone else. Do you know how that makes me feel, Sunset?”

With her voice neutral the entire time, Sunset found it hard to tell. “I’m gonna go with furious.”

“Beyond all measure,” Moondancer said in clipped tones. “However…” She took a step forward. “As I understand it, you saved her from a fate most vile. You were there for her when I could not be, and she speaks of you in such a high regard.”

Sunset’s cheeks heated up. “She does?”

“Of course she does!” Moondancer threw her hands up. “She looks at you the way I wish she had looked at me for four years!” She took a deep breath and brought her hands down. “But… it is not to be. I am angry… and jealous. And I hate having these dark emotions outside of my acting roles.” She took another step forward. “But, I am also thankful. Without you, my beautiful flower would have been sullied, and I would have to tear the world asunder in retribution.” She crossed an arm over her chest and bowed. “So, Sunset Shimmer, you have my deepest thanks.”

“Err, you’re welcome.”

Moondancer straightened up. “However…” She pointed a well-manicured finger at Sunset. “I find your character dubious at best. Twilight deserves only the finest, and I will always be there to make sure she has it.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes. This was honestly the sort of conversation she expected to have with Twilight’s parents. “Are you sure you’re her best friend and not her mother?”

“I’m whatever she needs me to be. Above all, I am her guardian angel, and I shall be watching you, Sunset.” Her smile returned. “In the meantime, I will endeavor to further our… acquaintanceship.”

Sunset smirked again. “What’s the matter, Moondancer? Don’t want to be friends with me?”

“No.”

Sunset paused. Then threw her head back and laughed. “Huh, maybe you’re not as bad as I thought. Too bad the feeling’s mutual.” She crossed her arms. “But sure, I’ll play along with our ‘acquaintanceship’ for Twilight’s sake, on the condition that there are ground rules.”

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

“One: stop touching her face.”

Moondancer pouted for a second, sticking her bottom lip out, then perked up like nothing happened. “Fine, no touching—”

“Or the rest of her body.”

She pouted again.

Sunset raised a finger. “You get her arms and her shoulders. Touch her anywhere else, and I might be forced to hit you.”

“Brute.”

“Rule two,” Sunset continued, “no trying to sabotage our relationship.”

Moondancer smiled and closed her eyes. “Oh, I won’t have to. You’ll screw it up eventually. And when you do, I’ll be waiting for my little star with open arms.”

Sunset growled. “We’ll see about that.” She struck her hand out. “So, do we have a deal?”

“Very well.” Moondancer gripped Sunset’s hand. “I find your accords acceptable.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Moondancer had a very strong handshake. Sunset increased her own pressure, and Moondancer responded in turn, trying to crush Sunset’s hand.

Both girls continued to smile at each other with false pleasantness.

4. Rockin' Rainbow

The blustery wind carried rhapsodic cheers expelled by the stadium crowd. Thick clouds hung over Canterlot on this dreary Monday morning. But the gloomy weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Wondercolts.

School had concluded, but students, parents, and teachers filled the entire stadium, cheering for their soccer team. Today was the first league match against the Appaloosa Settlers.

“Woohoo! Go, Dashie!” Pinkie cheered, shaking a pair of pink pom-poms. “You can do it, Wondercolts, Whooo!” Her upbeat cheers were almost drowned out by—

“Come on, Dash!” Sunset screamed, leaning on the guard rail. “Don’t let her push you around like that! Yeah, that’s it, show her who’s boss!” However, Sunset’s encouraging cheers paled in comparison to—

“Let’s go, Rainbow Dash! Make those Settlers settle for second place!” Fluttershy bellowed the loudest of all, having scared Sunset out of her skin when the game first began. It was the loudest Sunset had ever heard the girl, compounded with the fiercest look she had ever donned. “What? Ref, are you blind? That was a foul!”

Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack sat in the bleachers behind the screaming trio. “They’re certainly passionate, aren’t they?” Twilight asked.

Applejack grinned in satisfaction. “Yep. That’s the spirit of competition for ya.” She jumped up and twirled her hat, cheering with everyone else as Rainbow brought home another goal, turning the score to 5-1 in the Wondercolts’ favor.

Sunset took a seat next to Twilight. “I’m glad we’re winning, but this is a pretty one-sided game.”

“Agreed. I feel bad for the other team.”

“As do I,” Rarity said. “I mean, brown uniforms? What on earth is their coach thinking?”

Twilight adjusted her glasses. “That’s not quite what I meant.”

Rarity clicked her tongue. “You’d be surprised at how much an outfit can help or hinder your performance.”

“I just wish they’d put up more of a fight,” Sunset said. “They’re letting us walk all over them.” The crowd erupted in cheers once more, as Cloud Kicker scored another goal. “Dear Maker, now they’re just giving up.”

“That’s right, Settlers! You don’t have anything on us! Go, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy screamed, jumping up and down, her hair a wild mess.

Twilight looked in her direction. “Is that normal?”

Sunset raised her shoulders. “I don’t know, this is new for me too.”

“Likewise,” Rarity said.

Applejack stretched her arms behind her head and leaned back. “It’s nice to see her come out her shell once in awhile.”

They watched Pinkie and Fluttershy cheer Rainbow and the team on as they dominated the match. When it was over, the Wondercolts had won 8-2. The girls waited outside the locker room along with other parents and friends eager to congratulate the soccer team on their first victory.

Rainbow emerged first, looking like a triumphant hero coming home from war. Her bangs still stuck to her sweaty forehead, and she had a towel draped over her shoulders. She met the rest of the Spectacular Seven, giving Applejack a high-five, and Sunset a fistbump.

“Four goals scored in one game,” Applejack said. “Someone was on fire today.”

Rainbow grinned. “Yeah, I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I? Too bad they weren’t more of a challenge. But hey, if we keep playing like this, no one can beat us!”

“All right there, champ,” a deep, jovial voice said. Out of the crowd came Rainbow’s dad. He was tall and toned without being overly muscular. Sunset could see where Rainbow had gotten her hair from, as her dad also had messy multi-chromatic hair. “Don’t get overconfident just because you beat one team.”

“I know, I know. Still, did you see me out there?”

Rainbow Blaze ruffled her hair. “Yeah I did. You brought your A game like always.” He smiled at the girls. “I also saw all of you cheering for her. Especially you, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy blushed and brushed her boot against the sidewalk. “I just…” She winced at the gravelines in her throat, cleared it, and tried again. “I just wanted to show my support.” She was still a little hoarse.

Rainbow pulled her into a half-armed, sweaty hug, making Fluttershy blush harder. “You’re the best, ‘Shy.”

The girls gave Rainbow another round of congratulations before going their separate ways. Night had nearly settled upon them, allowing the brighter stars to twinkle in the violet sky. Twilight followed Sunset to the parking lot, where Sunset’s black motorcycle sat. It carried a few pink scuff marks and scratches from the time it had been vandalised, but it remained Sunset’s pride and joy.

Lifting the seat up, Sunset pulled out her red helmet and Twilight’s purple one. They hopped on, Twilight scooting as close to Sunset as she could, locking her arms around Sunset’s waist.

“Good to go, Sparky?” Sunset said from underneath her helmet.

“Uh-huh,” Twilight responded, her voice shaking. Her grip around Sunset tightened when the motorcycle lurched forward, letting out proud roar as it rolled onto the street. Twilight always said she liked riding Sunset’s bike, yet acted like she was going to die every time she got on it. Sunset supposed it was how she got her adrenaline rush.

Unfortunately for Sunset, suburban speeding laws kept her from burning rubber and giving Twilight a real rush. Thirty mph was probably enough for her anyway. Sunset enjoyed the peace-shattering din her bike produced, the rumble she felt each time she turn the throttle. To the houses she sped past, it was a noise-complaint waiting to happen, to her, it was sweet music.

The ten minute ride to Twilight’s house flew by. Both girls disembarked, stowing their helmets back under the seat. Sunset could already hear Spike barking at the door. He had learned that the rumble of a motorcycle meant his master had come home.

Twilight opened the door and there he was, jumping at her leg. She picked him up and carried him inside, scratching his belly all the while. “I’m home!”

Mrs. Velvet came out from the dining room, still dressed in her nurse scrubs. “Hi, sweetheart, hi, Sunset. How was the game?”

“We pulverized them,” Sunset said, taking off her boots. “A bit of a let down, really.”

“Rainbow made four goals though,” Twilight added.

A whistle came from the living room couch. Sunset looked over to find Shining lounging across it, reading a comic book. “Four goals in soccer? Either she’s really good, or they’re really, really bad.”

“A little of both,” Sunset said.

“So, what are you two up to tonight?” Velvet asked.

“We’re going upstairs to practice violin and do some homework,” Twilight said.

Shining looked up from his comic. “Why can’t you do that down here?”

Sunset gave him a toothy grin. “Because then, we can’t make out.” She grabbed Twilight by the wrist and ran upstairs before Shining could retort.

“Leave the door open!” Velvet called.

Twilight’s room sat at the end of the hall, square with violet walls and lavender carpet. What wasn’t taken up by the bed, desk, dresser, and closet was used as space for bookshelves. All of them were completely full, leaving some books to be stacked in neat piles on the floor. From the ceiling hung a model of the solar system. On Twilight’s desk was her laptop and a picture of her and Moondancer. Sunset tried not to let her eyes linger on it too long.

They sat on Twilight’s bed, and she pulled out her violin case from beneath. Sunset held her breath in anticipation, watching as Twilight delicately took her instrument out and tuned it. She tucked the maple brown body under her chin and gave the strings a few test strokes with her bow.

The moment she began playing in earnest was the moment Sunset breathed again, closing her eyes in bliss. Every note, perfect, every stroke, wholeheartedly delivered, even her occasional mistake added to the heavenly delivery of Twilight’s performance.

Twilight would never admit it, but she was a master of the violin. If Twilight asked, Sunset would gladly give up her day plans to listen to her play.

The piece was short and left Sunset wanting more. Twilight giggled at the euphoric look stuck on Sunset’s face. “I’m guessing you liked it?”

“‘Like’ would be a severe understatement.”

She giggled again and scooted closer, handing off the violin. Sunset gently gripped it, letting Twilight make all the necessary adjustments. Ever since they had started dating, Twilight had been giving Sunset violin lessons. Like her old guitar lessons with Flash, Sunset didn’t think she was making any progress, despite Twilight’s reassurances. Sunset just liked to have an excuse to sit close to her.

She had one arm around Sunset’s shoulder, fixing the curl of her fingers around the bow. “There, how’s that?” she asked, her voice dancing in Sunset’s ear.

Sunset nodded. “That’s good.” Her mouth was dry. She played a few notes, creating a scratchy wail that made them both cringe before she made the instrument produce something closer to music. She practiced her scales as per Twilight’s instructions, then played ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’. She got some of the notes mixed up, but she had prevented it from making anymore wails.

“You’ve gotten a lot better,” Twilight said, still hovering over Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset tilted her head toward her. “I have a really good teacher.” Their eyes met, and Twilight leaned in, pressing her lips against Sunset’s.

Like always, it started out gentle. They broke away, smiling and giggling before coming back. Sunset carefully set aside Twilight’s violin and brought a hand up to cup her face, running a thumb across her cheek. Something warm pressed against Sunset’s teeth, and she parted them to let Twilight’s tongue explore the inside of her mouth. Sunset moaned in delight, playfully pushing back, and twisting her whole body toward Twilight.

Twilight ran her fingers through Sunset’s hair and leaned forward, showing a surprising amount of force. It wasn’t anything Sunset couldn’t match though. She leaned against Twilight, pressing their breasts together.

“I’m not hearing violin!” Shining shouted from downstairs.

It was enough to make both of them jump back, but whereas Twilight fell back against her bed, Sunset fell onto the floor with a thud.

“Sunset, are you okay?” Twilight asked, leaning over the edge.

“Yep,” Sunset said tonelessly. “Peachy.”

*******

‘Holy crap, guys! You’re not gonna believe this! You have to come to the music room at lunch! It’s gonna blow your minds! Twilight, don’t bring Moonlancer.’

Sunset looked over the group text Rainbow had sent them, keeping a straight face at Rainbow’s typo as she walked with Twilight to the music room. They had all gotten it just before school started, and Sunset would be lying if she said it hadn’t kept her curious all day.

“Do you think Rainbow is still mad about Moondancer calling her a boy?” Twilight asked.

“Probably. She knows how to hold a grudge.”

Canterlot High’s music room was one of the school’s more up to date features, and thus, quite popular for the creative students. Trying to book time for it proved to be a hassle on occasion. Treble clefs and half notes hung on the beige walls, and three soundproof windows in the back gave the room excellent lighting. A grand piano sat against one of the walls with a small bandstand set up across from it. Next to it was the storage room that contained rental instruments, of which the school had a generous amount.

Rainbow stood at the top of the bandstand, a blue, electric guitar in her hands. She bounced with excitement, making a very good impersonation of Pinkie. “Oh my gosh, guys! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you are not going to believe this!” she said when everyone had gathered. “Rarity, close the curtains.”

Rarity exchanged questioning looks with the others, but complied to Rainbow’s wish. She closed all three curtains, leaving the room lit only by the florescent lights.

“Okay, okay!” Rainbow took a controlled breath. “No one bother sitting down, ‘cause you’re all just gonna jump right up when you see this.” She tested the chords on her guitar, then began passionately strumming and breaking into song.

“Awesome as I wanna be!

“First you see me riding on a sonic boom,

“Got my guitar shreddin’ up my latest tune!

“There is nothin’ you can do to beat me,

“I’m so good that you can’t defeat me!”

The girls stared in shock and awe, with Sunset giving into the urge to facepalm. Had Rainbow really dragged them here so they could hear her brag about herself?

“Mah God,” Applejack said, “Ah can feel her ego in this.”

“I can taste her ego in this!” Sunset said.

“I’m awesome, take caution!

“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be!

“I’m awesome, take caution!

“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be!”

Rainbow broke into, what Sunset guessed would have been a guitar solo if Rainbow had a full ensemble. She bounced up and down on her toes and began performing tricks like flipping her guitar in the air and playing it behind her back.

“Is there a point to all this?” Applejack shouted over the echoing acoustics.

“Wait for it!” Rainbow said, grinning ear-to-ear. Sure enough, after several more seconds of guitar shredding, a blue aura appeared around Rainbow, growing more intense as she continued to play. She rose into the air, and in a flash of light, blue wings sprouted from her back, her ears elongated into equine shaped ones, and her hair extended into a ponytail.

She played one last chord, then looked down at her friends. “So, what do you think?”

Stunned silence and open mouths were the general consensus. Sunset gaped like a fish, her brain replaying the transformation in her head several times, then locking onto Rainbow floating near the ceiling. “I… how… what… why?”

Twilight had a similar response, only with additional finger pointing and hyperventilating. “She—she—how—that—music—floating—wings—magic!” She started laughing hysterically. “That’s magic! She has wings! Wings that came out of nowhere! That’s not scientifically possible! Hahahaha! You’re not scientifically possible!”

Sunset grabbed Twilight’s shoulders. “Sparky, breathe. Nice and easy.”

Twilight nodded and took in large gasps of air, bringing her hand in toward her chest and back out with every inhale and exhale. “Okay,” she said after a full minute. “Okay, I think I’m good.”

Sunset let go of her shoulders. “Good, because I’m not.” She turned back to Rainbow. “What in Celestia's left teat is going on?” she shouted.

“What?” Twilight said quietly.

Rainbow floated over, giving her wings a gentle flap. “Okay, so last night, after I got home and took a shower, I was still feeling pretty pumped about our awesome win at the game! So I decided to practice my guitar and get ready for the showcase.” She played a few chords. “I don’t know what happened, but one second, I’m on the ground, and the next, I’m floating in the air with these babies on my back again! It’s so awesome!”

Pinkie squealed. “Yeah it is! I want to be a pony magical girl again, too! It was so much fun floating around and shooting a giant friendship rainbow to stop Sunset’s demon form.” She blinked and looked over to Sunset. “No offense.”

“Offense taken.”

“I don’t understand,” Rarity said, “I thought Princess Twilight took all the magic back with her to Equestria.”

Applejack lifted her hat and scratched her head. “Apparently not. Question is, why is Rainbow… ponying up now?” Hers and five other pairs of eyes looked toward Sunset.

Sunset shifted uncomfortably. “What?”

“You’re the one from magic land,” Rainbow said. “Don’t you have some idea of how this happened?”

“Not really, hence my outburst from earlier.” Sunset put a hand to her chin and paced the floor. She didn’t have a theory yet, but her mind already raced to find one. Rarity was right, when Princess Twilight took the crown back through the portal, the magic should have gone with it.

Then again, that’s not necessarily true, she reasoned. The magic released could have just as easily stayed to fill the vacuum of this world having such a low amount of magic. But, did we really release enough to create any lasting effects? She stopped pacing, aware all her friends were watching her.

“Okay, well, my first theory is some of the magic lingered because this world has almost none of its own. As for why Dash ‘ponied up’...” she paused and thought for another moment. “You five did come in contact with the Elements of Harmony, one of the most powerful forces from my world. It’s possible that that magic just stuck with you. You do represent five of the virtues that make it up.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Rarity said thoughtfully. “But why only Rainbow? And why music?”

“Yeah, for that, I have no idea.”

Twilight gasped and squeed, holding her hands under her chin while she bounced from one foot to the other. “We should run some experiments! Test out why and how this phenomenon is occurring!”

Fluttershy stepped back. “You aren’t going to cut us open, are you?”

“Of course not! We’ll start with basic tests, like seeing if the same reaction happens to the others with the same stimuli! Then we can change up the catalyst and see if the effects are different! We can monitor brain waves and heart patterns, and—”

“Glad to see you’re taking this in stride, Sparky,” Sunset said.

Some of the excitement left Twilight’s face. “It’s how I cope with the fact that one of my friends has wings and pony ears and is floating over my head!”

“Fair enough.”

Rainbow finally came down to the floor. “Well, as long as she doesn’t go Area 51 on us, I’m for it.” She fluttered her wings. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if we got superpowers from this?”

Sunset crossed her arms. “I’m pretty sure the only ‘superpower’ you guys get is that stupid rainbow cannon.”

“Well, it proved pretty effective at the Fall Formal,” Rarity said. “Er, no offense, dear.”

Sunset bit her tongue and growled. She didn’t want to use vulgar language on Rarity.

Twilight clapped her hands. “So it’s decided then! We’ll study magic for the sake of science! This is going to be so exciting! Groundbreaking!” She flashed her hopeful eyes at Sunset. “You’re going to help, right?”

“Umm…” Sunset shifted her weight between legs. “I will… help you take notes from a good distance away.”

Twilight frowned. “Why, what’s wrong?”

Sunset sighed and looked at the ground. Guess it’s time to pull this cat out of the bag. “I’m… scared.”

“Scared of what?”

Sunset clenched her fists. “Scared of magic, scared of myself.” She loosened her hands and let her shoulders fall. “As you all kindly keep reminding me, the last time I messed with higher powers didn’t end well for me. So I’d like to avoid coming in contact with anything magically related if I can. Especially anything with the Elements of Harmony.”

Warm fingers curled around Sunset’s hand, and Twilight smiled reassuringly at her. “Don’t worry then. You can be my number one assistant.”

Rainbow held a finger to her open mouth and pretended to gag.

“Thanks, Twilight,” Sunset said, thoroughly ignoring Rainbow. She looked to the others. “Well, first things first, you’re all going to need an instrument to play.”

Rarity put her hand on the piano. “Well, I’m a little rusty, but I can play this after a few practices.”

Pinkie waved her hand in the air. “I can play just about anything!” She hummed in thought. “Maybe I’ll try the sousaphone? Or the electric triangle! Oh, oh, I’ll play the theremin!”

“How about the drums?” Twilight offered.

Pinkie smacked herself in the head. “Duh! I rock at the drums!”

“Ah can play the banjo,” Applejack said.

Sunset gave her a half-lidded stare.

“What? ...What?”

Turning to Fluttershy, Sunset asked, “What about you, ‘Shy? Do you play anything?”

Fluttershy wrung her hands. “Um, no, not really.”

“Well, can you sing?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror. “S-sing? In front of all of you? I-I…”

Rainbow put a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Relax, Fluttershy, it’s just us.”

“Uh-uh.” Fluttershy resolutely shook her head. “I’ll… I’ll find an instrument to play, but I’m not singing.”

Twilight wrote down everyone’s names and instruments on a piece of paper. “Okay then. Fluttershy, think about what you’re going to play. Everyone else, start practicing with yours. Tomorrow after school, we’ll meet in here and start experimenting!”

While Rarity sat down at the piano, and Pinkie and Fluttershy dug through the rental equipment, Sunset stood in the corner. What would happen if all five of them ponied up? Would they form another rainbow beam? And would it home in on Sunset in an attempt to eradicate the evilest force it could find?

Sunset shook her head. You’re being paranoid. Besides, they need all six parts of the Elements of Harmony to launch the rainbow. Right? An uneasy tingle crawled down Sunset’s spine. She, once the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, was now surrounded by magic wielders while she could do none herself. She looked down at her hands. Not without turning into a monster again, or some other dark repercussions.

She couldn’t feel her demonic claws hiding beneath her skin, but she knew they were there. She had pushed her dark half down, deep down beneath her newfound love and acceptance of friendship, and refused to give it any chance to resurface. She refused to give the Elements any reason to hit her again. If the price to pay was no more magic, then so be it.

“I’m not going back,” Sunset whispered. She balled her hands into fists. “I’m never going back.”

Author's Note

I'll say it now: any parallels drawn between the story and the Legend of Everfree are purely coincidental unless I specifically say it isn't.

Stay awesome, guys. :rainbowdetermined2:

5. The Science of Magic

The first test was simple, and consisted only of seeing whether or not the other girls could, as they now officially dubbed it, ‘pony up’ like Rainbow. Wednesday after school, the Spectacular Seven occupied the music room with all of their instruments. Fluttershy had decided on playing the tambourine, though Sunset and Twilight doubted it would produce any satisfactory results.

Twilight had with her a clipboard and a spectrometer to measure any energy readings. Sunset had tried to tell her that it wouldn’t be able to pick up the thaumetic energy Rainbow released, but Twilight was obstinate in trying anyway. Sunset let her be, since she had already told Twilight any data collected here was strictly confidential and would not be shared with anyone.

That caveat had put a major damper on Twilight’s mood during the day, but as everyone got set up, she bounced back to her peppy, sciency self. “Even if I can’t share it with the scientific community, at least I get to learn something,” she told Sunset.

With sound checks out of the way, they began with Rainbow. “Just play like you did yesterday,” Twilight instructed.

“Easy-peasy,” Rainbow said. She launched into her song, appropriately named ‘Awesome As I Wanna Be.’ She got past the chorus and started her set of wild guitar moves, getting more into the song as time passed. The blue glow returned and in a few seconds, Rainbow’s pony features burst into existence with a flash of light. She finished with one last power cord and slid across the bandstand on her knees.

“Show off,” Applejack muttered.

Twilight ran over, stethoscope around her neck and a mini flashlight in her gloved hand. “Sunset, did you start the timer?”

Sunset sat atop the piano. “Yep.” She shook the stopwatch being used to measure how long Rainbow’s form lasted.

Twilight first ran a hand through the aura surrounding Rainbow. “Note: magical aura can be felt. It’s warm and kinda tingly.” It faded away, but Rainbow kept her pony enhancements. Twilight checked the spectrometer, frowning and knitting her brow. “It tried to pick up on something, but now it’s just giving me an error sign.” She set it down with a disappointed sigh, and held out the cold silver disk of the stethoscope to Rainbow. “Could you, um, put this over your heart for me?”

Rainbow smirked as she took it and slid it down her shirt. “Pretty sure doctors don’t have their patients measure their own heartbeat.”

“You’re not a patient, you’re a test subject,” Sunset said.

“Okay, quiet, I’m trying to listen.” Twilight put the plugs in her ears and hummed. “It seems to have accelerated, but that could just be adrenaline.” She had Rainbow hand the stethoscope back, then shone the flashlight in her eye. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” she murmured. “How do you feel?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Magical, I guess? A little warm, but like, the happy, sappy kind of warm on the inside, you know? Plus, I can feel the wings on my back, and these cool ears.”

Twilight moved up to the ears next, gently pulling and pushing them. “Fascinating. Has your hearing improved?”

“Not that I can tell.”

“Write that down, Sunset.”

Sunset complied, jotting notes down on the clipboard Twilight had provided.

Twilight moved to Rainbow’s wings, running her fingers through the primary feathers. “I can’t believe it. They’re really real.” She ran her finger along the carpal joint.

Rainbow shuddered, taking in a deep breath, then swatted Twilight’s hand away. “Don’t do that.”

“Wings are sensitive to touch,” Twilight said, barely fazed by Rainbow’s quick attack. “Write that down, Sunset.”

Sunset paused mid-sentence and pursed her lips. Why does this seem familiar?

Twilight quickly tugged off a feather, making Rainbow jump. “Oi! Be careful!” But Twilight was already on the other side of the room, stowing the feather in a ziplock bag.

“I’ll have to examine that more closely when I get home.” She turned toward Pinkie, Rainbow’s glare going completely unnoticed. “Okay, that’s it for Rainbow’s preliminary test. Now let’s see if we can reproduce these effects with the rest of you. You first, Pinkie.”

“Yes!” Pinkie punched a hand to the air. “Canterlot High, are you ready to rock? Because Pinkamena Diane Pie is in the house!” She tapped her drumsticks together three times before banging them against the drums in a furious rhythm. It was loud and fast, but managed to carry a good beat. Twenty seconds in, Pinkie glowed pink and floated out of her seat. Her poofy hair produced a ponytail, and she grew a set of ears to match Rainbow’s. She dropped back into her chair and threw her arms up. “Woohoo, look at me! I’m magicy!”

Twilight frowned. “Why doesn’t she have wings though?”

Sunset tapped the pen against her lip. “My guess would be because her pony counterpart is an earth-pony, while Rainbow’s is a pegasus.”

“Acceptable explanation. Though, now I want to know just how deep this link is between us and our pony counterparts. Questions for later.” Twilight took to work looking over Pinkie. “So, how do you feel?”

“Hyper and bubbly, super happy, a little hungry—”

“Anything new?”

“Oh, well, I feel all warm and tingly like Dashie.”

Sunset continued to scribe, watching Twilight flex Pinkie’s arm. Going off just Rainbow and Pinkie’s data, if Sunset had to hazard a guess, she’d say that the warm and tingly sensation was friendship magic. Since it originated in Equestria, it gave them Equestrian characteristics.

Still, why music? Does anything else trigger it? Sunset made sure to keep a record of her personal thoughts for Twilight.

Rarity’s turn came next, and Sunset moved to the other side of the room, getting cozy in the corner. When she sat down, Rainbow’s magic timed out, and she returned to normal. Sunset stopped the timer and called, “Five forty-three.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said. “All right, Rarity, your turn.”

Rarity flexed her fingers. “I hope I can do this right. One day’s practice certainly didn’t clear all the cobwebs.” She ran her fingers over the keys, lightly tapping each one. She faltered in a few spots, but never quit. Soon, she closed her eyes and the melody came much smoother and refined than at the start. After a minute, Rarity took on a purple hue and underwent the same transformation Pinkie and Rainbow had.

Her hair extended into a ponytail and gained a lustrous shine. Instead of gaining wings, a white horn appeared on her forehead.

“Huh, so Rarity’s a unicorn,” Sunset said. “Not surprising when I think about it.”

Twilight immediately began poking it and running her finger along the grooves. “Interesting, it has the same texture as your nails but is the color of your skin.”

Rarity smacked Twilight’s hand away. “Twilight, I know this is for research, but you need to ask before you violate my personal space.”

“Hehe, sorry,” Twilight said, sheepishly.

Rarity opened her compact and examined her horn in the mirror. “Hmm. I wonder if I can make accessories for this?”

“Rarity, you ain’t supposed to be walkin’ around school with a horn on your head,” Applejack said. “Students would flip.”

“Well, they took Sunset turning into a demon and the princess with wings pretty well.” Rarity’s cheeks turned pink as she looked at Sunset. “No offense, dear.”

Sunset gripped the clipboard, using all her will to not break it in half. “All right, new rule,” she said through gritted teeth. “The next person to mention the Fall Formal, and then follow up with ‘no offense’, gets a fist to the face.”

There was an awkward murmur of agreement before the testing continued.

Rarity tried to use magic with her new horn, but even with Sunset’s instructions, she failed basic levitation, leaving them to wonder if the horn was just for show. They moved onto Applejack and her banjo. Sunset had to keep her face pressed into the back of the clipboard to stop from saying anything. After five minutes of torturous country strumming, Applejack ponied up. It didn’t come as a shock that she was an earth pony.

Finally, it was Fluttershy’s turn. Rainbow helped by giving her a rhythm to shake her tambourine to. Fluttershy’s took the longest, but with some encouragement from the girls, her wings and ponytail appeared in a slow flash instead of a burst like the others.

“Hmm,” Twilight pondered aloud. “Perhaps cheering from comfort sources can serve as a substitute for musical passion or ability in relation to the transformation.”

Pinkie scratched her head with a drumstick. “Wha?”

“She said friendship might trigger the pony ups instead of just how well you play,” Sunset said, writing Twilight’s version.

Twilight remembered to be gentle when looking over Fluttershy. Unlike with Rainbow, Twilight gently wiggled one of Fluttershy’s feathers loose before stowing it in another ziplock bag. She checked Fluttershy’s pulse, flexibility, and coordination, making sure Sunset took down every note.

“All right, that concludes our preliminary tests,” Twilight said, clapping her hands.

“You mean there’s more?” Rainbow whined.

“Of course! There’s not nearly sufficient enough data with just this, especially with the spectrometer acting on the fritz.”

“I tried to tell you,” Sunset said.

Twilight ignored her and pulled a list from her pocket. “Next, I want to see what happens when you all play as a group. You all seem to emit some sort of energy when you play individually, so what would happen if you coordinated your music?”

Rainbow perked up. “Play together? Like, as a band? That sounds awesome!”

“A rather odd sort of instruments though,” Rarity said, looking from her piano, to Applejack’s banjo, to Fluttershy’s tambourine. “Can we really play a song and have it sound good?”

Sunset shrugged. “Aside from A.J.’s banjo—”

“Hey!”

“—as long as you guys are in time with each other, any arrangement should sound all right.”

“We can try playing ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be,” Rainbow said with an eager smile.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Or, we could play somethin’ that doesn’t revolve around your ego.”

Fluttershy gave her tambourine a little shake. “What about ‘Shine Like Rainbows’?”

Sunset gave her an encouraging nod. “That could work. Fluttershy did write the original composition. I’m sure she could think of an arrangement for you guys.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow said. “But the only time we actually heard the song was at the Winter Ball.”

“And the only time we heard your song was yesterday,” Sunset argued.

“Yeah, so it should be fresh in your minds.”

“All right then,” Applejack said, “let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of playin’ ‘Shine Like Rainbows’, say I.”

“I!” six voices cheered.

“The I’s have it.”

Rainbow threw her arms up. “You didn’t even ask if anyone wanted to play my song.”

Applejack sighed. “Anybody want to play ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be?” She let the silence speak for itself before smirking at Rainbow. “Happy now?”

Rainbow just grumbled and started tuning her guitar. The corner of Fluttershy’s lips turned upwards, but Rainbow’s sour attitude seemed to keep her from enjoying her moment. Fluttershy gave the basic composition for the song, giving details to Rainbow and Pinkie, but letting everyone else, herself included, improvise.

“It doesn’t need to sound perfect,” Twilight said, “just enough to make magic.” She giggled with a hint of hysteria. “I’m studying magic. Yep, that’s still a thing that’s happening.”

Sunset tucked herself back into the corner since the others scattered themselves around the room with their instruments. She knew she was probably being paranoid at this point, but it paid to be prepared.

The girls waited until they had all powered down before playing again. It was a shaky first attempt with Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy trying to find their place in the song. While rough, Sunset could still feel the emotion put into it.

“Once… upon a time,” Applejack sang, “you came into my world and made the stars align.”

Rarity followed. “Now, I can see the signs.

“You pick me up when I get down so I can shine.”

Everyone joined in on the chorus. “Shine like rainbows, ohohoh.

“We shine like rainbows, ohohoh.”

All at once, the five of them glowed, their separate colors coming together to form a brilliant white light. Their pony features popped back into existence, and with them, a light shockwave that expanded across the room.

Sunset watched it rush toward her, mouth open in a silent scream. She clenched her eyes shut and raised the clipboard as a feeble shield. The light wave washed over her, and a scream echoed somewhere in her mind.

Sunset raised an arm at the six girls floating before her, bathed in heavenly light. It burned and blinded her, even with the distance between them. How could this be happening? She had the Element of Harmony—the only source of magic in this world! How did Princess Twilight continue to defy her?

A lavender beam shot from Twilight’s forehead and connected with the crown atop Sunset. Another force began clawing its way into her mind. She was already in enough pain! She didn’t need anymore!

“The crown may be upon your head, Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight said, her voice strong and fearless, “but you cannot wield it, because you do not possess the most powerful magic of all: the magic of friendship!” The beam between them broke, but in its place, a rainbow rose up from the six girls, poised to strike Sunset.

Sunset screamed, raising her hands to defend herself, but it proved absolutely powerless against this magic. The rainbow spun around her, locking her in. “No! What is happening?” The vortex grew closer and closer, burning her skin, trying to burn away the darkness in her soul. Sunset’s scream rose to a roar of agony.

Then, she floated in a white void.

“Sunset?”

Sunset snapped her eyes open, seeing the checkered tiles of the floor. Her arms were thrown over her head, and something wet snaked down her cheeks. Several shadows loomed over her, and she turned up to find all her friends staring with concern, Twilight at the forefront.

“Sunset, what happened?” Twilight put a hand on her shoulder.

“Nothing,” Sunset said quickly, wiping her tears away.

Applejack straightened up and crossed her arms. “That wasn’t nothin’, sugarcube. Ya squealed like a pig, then tucked yourself into that corner.”

“It’s like you were having a nightmare,” Fluttershy said. “You were shaking like a leaf.”

Sunset stood up and dusted her jacket off. “I’m fine, okay?” she said tersely. “I overreacted, that’s it.” Even as she said it, she could still feel her core trembling. No one said anything, they just kept looking at Sunset with pleading eyes. She turned her back to them and let out an irritable sigh. “I told you, it’s nothing. I just… I just had a flashback, okay? Of when I got hit by the rainbow.” Her voice softened and she bowed her head. “It burned. It burned everywhere. And then, I was just floating in a void. I thought I was dead. And I was still angry. After all of that, I was only mad that I had lost.”

She held a hand over her face. “I just freaked out for a second, okay? I thought maybe the Elements changed their mind and thought I hadn’t learned my lesson yet. It’s stupid.”

Her friends didn’t say anything. Instead, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Sunset made a noncommittal grunt at Twilight’s hug. Twilight wasn’t alone, however. Five more arms wrapped around Sunset, followed by their respective bodies.

Sunset squirmed, her face turning red. “What are you doing? Who said you all could hug me?”

“This is what friends do, duh,” Rainbow said.

“You know I hate this!”

“No,” Rarity said, winking at her, “we know you pretend to hate this. We’re showing you our support, darling. You’ve got nothing to fear.”

Sunset relaxed her arms and surrendered to the hug. “Thanks, girls.”

Pinkie beamed at her. “See? I knew you liked group hugs!”

“I never said that.” She wiggled her arms until her friends got the hint and let go. “I know the Elements aren’t out to get me. It’s just…” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

Twilight took her hand, gently running her finger against Sunset’s palm. “We can stop if you’re uncomfortable.”

Sunset shook her head. “I’m not going to let my stupid paranoia ruin your fun.”

“It’s not stupid—”

“The point is, I’ll be fine.” She took a slow relaxing breath, then gave everyone her most convincing smile. “See? I’m good.”

Twilight picked up the clipboard forgotten on the ground. “Well, either way, I think that’s enough for today. I’ve got plenty of data to analyze, and I need to prepare the next round of tests.”

“Which are…?” Rainbow asked.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be anything too intrusive. I just want to take a closer look at any biological effects this magic has on you, and try converting your magical output into readable data..”

Rainbow laid her guitar in its case. “Well, like I said, as long as you don’t go mad scientist on us, I’m down for whatever.”

The Seven tidied up and headed out, the school hallways completely desolate. They could hear the basketball team practicing in the gym, the only signs of life on campus. Outside, puffy clouds filled the orange sky, pushed by a frigid wind.

They parted ways, with Sunset and Twilight heading for the parking lot. “Guess we should work on our chemistry homework, huh?” Twilight asked. “Unless you want to call it a day.”

Sunset gave her a sideways look. “I know you want to look at your samples the second you get home.”

Twilight twiddled her fingers. “I mean, yeah, but not if it makes you uncomfortable.”

They stopped in front of Sunset’s motorcycle. “Twilight, I told you, I’m fine. It was just a little leftover anxiety. I’ll get over it.” She pulled their helmets out and tossed Twilight hers.

“Are you sure? We can talk about this, you know?”

“Oh, so you’re a scientist and a therapist now?”

Twilight puffed her cheeks. “I’m trying to help you.”

Sunset placed a hand under Twilight’s chin. “I know, and I appreciate it completely.” She gave her a kiss. “But I’ve already told you everything. I just have to get over it.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes, trying her best to be intimidating. Some of the effect was lost with her having to look up at Sunset. Eventually, she gave up and said, “Fine, if you say so.” Her eyes softened. “But you know you can talk to me—to any of us, right?”

“Don’t worry, that’s been firmly established.” Sunset mounted her bike and patted the seat behind her. I just don’t want to talk about it.

*******

Unfortunately for Twilight, the samples she had gotten from Rainbow and Fluttershy had vanished by the time she got home. Come lunch on Thursday, she was still put out, moodily eating her sandwich.

“Twily, tell me what’s wrong?” Moondancer cooed, leaning on Twilight’s shoulder. “I can’t stand to see your precious face so glum.”

“It’s nothing. Just a science experiment that didn’t go so well.”

While Sunset took no pleasure in seeing her girlfriend upset, she had to fight to keep the smirk off her face. She quickly shoved some salad into her mouth and smiled with her eyes. I know something you don’t know! I know something you don’t know! she mentally taunted Moondancer. This is incredibly childish but I don’t care!

Moondancer stroked Twilight’s hair. “There’s no reason to be blue. Being the genius that you are, I know you’ll be able to figure it out.”

Sunset sense of superiority faded, and she gave Moondancer a searing glare. Touching clause!

Moondancer met her eyes, gave Twilight one last long stroke, then moved her hands away. “Why don’t I take you to get something sweet after school? Just like old times?”

Twilight smiled but didn’t meet Moondancer’s eyes. “I’d love to, but, uhhh, I s-still have more of my science experiment to work on today. How about tomorrow?” She looked in Sunset’s direction.

Sunset rolled her eyes and gave a subtle nod. She saw the cheshire grin Moondancer flashed, and went back to chanting, I know something you don’t know!

Lunch came and went, pushing Sunset into her Advanced Trigonometry class with Twilight. Like usual, they had finished their class work early, leaving Twilight to fiddle with her notes. She had drawn up diagrams and charts, though they held many blank spaces.

“Sunset, how does magic work in your world?” Twilight whispered, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was paying attention to them.

“Well, there’s different schools of magic, like thaumaturgy, abjuration, transfiguration, etcetera, and each of them have their own principles, rules, and theories.” She saw Twilight’s starry-eyed interest and continued. “So, thaumaturgy is the manipulation of elemental energy, like fire or water or wind. It’s the basis for most combat magic and was one of my specialties,” Sunset said, letting a hint of pride ooze out.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, but the best way to think about it is like the transformation of energy in this world, only with shortcuts.” Sunset tapped her fingers together. “Like, if I wanted to make fire, I essentially just generate enough friction in the molecules in front of me until they ignite.”

“Fascinating,” Twilight breathed. “So, you wrote down that you think this is ‘friendship magic’?” She gestured to the rather poor sketch she made of Rainbow’s pony form and the notes Sunset had made.

“That’s my first guess.”

“How does it work?”

Sunset gave Twilight a deadpan stare. “You’re asking me how friendship magic works?”

Twilight looked down at her paper. “Sorry.”

Sunset leaned back in her chair, kicking her boots up onto the desk and stretching her arms behind her head. “Right now, your notes are all we have to go on.” Ms. Vector glared at Sunset from her desk. Sunset just smiled and pointed to her completed work.

“Do you think the princess knows how it works?” Twilight asked, her head still bowed.

“Well…” Sunset chose her words carefully. “Even if she did, she’s not here, so it’s up to us to figure it out. More importantly, it’s up to you.” She ruffled Twilight’s bun. “And you’re smarter than she is, so you’ll figure it out no problem.”

With a blush and a giggle, Twilight said, “Thanks.”

*******

“Twilight… I think this falls under ‘mad scientist.”

Rainbow stared wide-eyed with the other girls as they joined Twilight in one of the science labs where a large machine was set up. A helmet with wires and a dial connected to its side. Twilight finished plugging the machine in and whirled around, a white lab coat draped over her shoulders.

“This isn’t ‘mad science’, this is perfectly normal science.” She gestured to the machine. “It’s just a bigger spectrometer. I’m going to measure any energy output you release from your music and record it. As well as any deeper readings in your biochemistry.”

“Ah didn't even know we had a machine like this,” Applejack said. “What do they normally use this for?”

Sunset shrugged. Like Twilight, she was also adorned in a white lab coat. “Who knows?” She lifted the helmet up. “So, who wants to go first?”

Everyone save for Fluttershy took a step back.

“Fluttershy, thank you for volunteering!” Twilight said.

Fluttershy looked behind her, realizing she had been sold down the river. She made a whimper and clutched her tambourine to her chest.

Sunset fitted the helmet onto Fluttershy’s head. It looked more like an upside down colander than a scientific device. “It’s not going to hurt, ‘Shy,” Sunset said, putting a hand on Fluttershy’s shaking shoulder. “Just play like you did yesterday.”

With some help from Rainbow, Fluttershy found a rhythm to shake her tambourine to. It didn’t take as long for her to pony up. Sunset watched the monitor over Twilight’s shoulder, observing the wavelengths change from flowing lines… into butterflies.

Twilight cocked her head. “What?” The ceiling lights flickered for a moment before becoming stable again. Twilight and Sunset turned back to Fluttershy, who had stopped playing and was looking at a pink butterfly fluttering around her.

“Where did that come from?” Sunset asked.

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said, her eyes and voice full of whimsical wonder. “It just appeared when I was playing.”

Twilight stalked toward it, hunched forward with her hands outstretched. She made a lunge for it, but the butterfly floated higher, leaving Twilight to trip and fall face first onto the floor. It then floated over and landed on Sunset’s nose, where it lingered for a moment, then vanished in a puff of pink wisps.

Sunset blinked. “Okay, so that was weird.”

“Write it down!” Twilight said from her place on the floor.

They repeated the process with Applejack, Sunset strapping the helmet over her head while Twilight prepared the monitor. Applejack strummed her banjo, producing noise that made Sunset want to break the unholy instrument in half. After a minute of playing, Applejack ponied up in a yellow light, and looking at the monitor, Sunset saw the wavelengths now looked like an apple.

Twilight threw her hands up. “These readings don’t make any sense!”

“Maybe—” Something hard collided with her skull, and the next thing Sunset knew, she was looking up at the ceiling. “What happened?”

Applejack leaned into her view. “Sorry, Sunset! My banjo just shot out an apple.”

“... What?”

Applejack pulled her to her feet and pointed to Twilight. “See?” Twilight held a glowing apple in her hand, examining it from all sides and holding it up to the light.

“Thanks for the help, babe,” Sunset said, rubbing a small welt on her head.

“Sorry, Sunset.” It sounded genuine, but Twilight still had her eyes on the apple. “I’m just trying to make sense of this apple. It was produced from thin air! It’s not a hologram! I think it’s a real apple just conjured up by magic.”

Sunset walked over, snatched the apple, much to Twilight’s objection, and continued on to a table. She pulled out one of the dissection knives and cut the apple in half, showing the insides to the others. Both halves consisted of only a white void.

“Arcanus’ Second Law of Transfigurative Properties: ‘food cannot be created or conjured from nothing.’” Sunset watched the apple disappear the same way Fluttershy’s butterfly had. “Glad to see at least that makes sense here.”

Applejack chuckled disappointedly. “There goes mah idea of ending world hunger.”

They planned to move onto Rarity next, but ran into a large complication upon realizing the grand piano could not be moved from the music room. Rarity examined the doorway with a determined squint.

“Maybe if we turned it on its side…”

“Rarity, it ain’t gonna fit,” Applejack said. “Plus, we don’t have the muscle to move it.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to play?”

Rainbow came out of the storage room, a retro looking device in her hands. It looked like a guitar, only it had piano keys instead of strings. “Here, play this.”

Rarity cringed and held her arms up, like Rainbow had offered her a snake. “Please, Rainbow, that’s so…. synthetic pop.”

“Pssh, like you don’t listen to synthpop.”

“As a matter of fact—”

Applejack groaned. “Rares, just play the dang keytar so we can get this over with.”

Rarity wrinkled her nose, but reached for the keytar, gingerly taking the instrument like it might bite her at any moment. “But I don’t even know how to play this.”

Sunset waved a hand. “So? Fluttershy’s never played a tambourine before. Besides, it’s just like a piano, only portable, right?”

Rarity mumbled something about the tambourine not being hard to learn as they headed back to the science room. Twilight lit up upon their return.

“Oh good, you found a substitute! This’ll be a good time to see if the magic effects are only specific to the first instrument you play. I really hope they aren’t, otherwise, this’ll make even less sense, and I don’t know if I can handle that.” She untangled a bunch of wires with suction cups on the ends. “Also, I found these!”

Looking slightly paler than usual, Rarity asked, “What are those, exactly?”

Twilight walked over and stuck one on Rarity’s forehead. “Don’t worry, they’re just going to help get a better reading on your biochemistry.” She stuck several more on Rarity’s arms and legs.

“I feel violated.” Shoulders hunched, she tested out her new keytar, pressing the keys and fiddling with the knobs. While it sounded very little like a piano, the sound it produced was not unpleasant. It was enough to make Rarity smile again. “Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.”

She started playing in earnest, letting the notes and chords come naturally. Her smile turned into a giggle, which then moved up into inspired laughter. Her purple aura blazed, and she floated into the air, horn, ears, and ponytail bursting forth.

“Oh goodness!” she said, taking a break. “I didn’t think this could be so much fun! I’m feeling so inspired now! Perhaps it’s time for an 80’s comeback!”

A purple aura appeared around Sunset as she took notes and slowly lifted her off the ground. The weightlessness settled over her, knocking her off balance. Sunset fell back, only to flip around in Rarity’s magical grip. “Rarity?”

“I’m thinking big, bold colors! Something attention grabbing, but not obnoxiously loud,” Rarity continued, throwing her arms out.

Sunset jerked to the side. “Umm, Rarity?”

“Oooh, I can see sequence working well into some of my designs! Maybe rine encrusted boots. And pleats! Hmm, maybe not pleats. Then again—”

“Rarity!” the entire room shouted.

“What?” She clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh my… Sunset, am I doing that?”

Sunset glared at her from her upside-down position, arms crossed. “Yes. Now, would you kindly put me down?”

Rarity tugged at her collar. “Ahaha… err, sure thing. Just a second.” She squeezed her eyes shut and produced a few sparks from her horn.

The magic around Sunset wavered, then shot Sunset up toward the ceiling before dispelling. With a loud, “Eeep!” Sunset dropped back to the ground, landing on her stomach.

This time, Twilight ran to her aid. “Sunset! Are you okay?”

Sunset coughed and rolled over. “I forgot how much magic hurts.” They took a quick break to ensure none of Sunset’s ribs were broken, with Rarity apologizing profusely the entire time.

When Pinkie’s turn came up, Sunset made sure to stand on the other side of the room, though she was pretty sure Pinkie wouldn’t produce anything harmful, or be able to telekinetically lift things.

“Pinkie Pie, second encore!” Pinkie shouted before banging away on her drums. She was the fastest to pony up, and continued to play after her transformation finished. She and her drumset lit up the room, and a light humming noise joined her percussion.

Balloons exploded out from her drums and rocketed forth on a direct collision course with Sunset. She had no time to acknowledge, let alone move out of their way, and in a few scant seconds, found herself sticking to the wall. Her hair was a frazzled mess with leftover balloons sticking to it, and residual discharge danced across her body.

“Sorry, Sunset!” Pinkie shouted.

Sunset merely sighed. “This is karma for something. I’m just not sure what.”

*******

Rainbow was last, and to ensure that nothing bad would happen, Sunset chose to observe the last test from the safety of the monitoring booth. It was convenient since Rainbow’s guitar could be plugged into the recording devices inside. Sunset gave a thumbs up while keeping an eye on the music guages. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but if something magic popped up, she’d know it when she saw it.

Outside, Rainbow started shredding on her guitar. She forewent singing her new theme song, opting to just play. Once she was into it, her wings appeared, and she started performing tricks in the air. Unnoticed to both Rainbow and Sunset, a rainbow snaked its way down the connection cord and into the booth.

Sunset stared at the readings on the computer screen. “Huh, it’s picking up some sort of energy reading. Maybe it thinks it’s joules? Or volts.” The readings climbed higher, and electricity crackled across the screen. Sunset leaned back. “That can’t be good.”

Boom!

Splat!

Fury, revulsion, sadistic mirth, and sadness all raced through Sunset in one moment. Mostly revulsion. She brought a hand over her eyes, wiping up some of the rainbow goop that had somehow exploded out from the monitor and covered her face.

Someone tapped frantically on the glass. “Sunset, are you okay?”

Sunset spit out some of the rainbow clinging to her lips. She walked over to the door, and pulled it open, hearing her friends gasp as one when she stepped out. She opened her eyes and glared at them.

“One word from any of you… and I will murder you in your sleep,” she said, voice drained of emotion.

Rarity eased a finger into the air. “But, Sunset—”

“In your sleep!”

*******

Twilight and Sunset sat in Sunset’s room, after she had thoroughly cleaned herself of Rainbow’s rainbow residue. She had come dangerously close to choking Rainbow after the latter had burst into gales of laughter. Thankfully, Applejack was strong enough to hold Sunset back.

Between Sunset and Twilight sat pages and pages of notes, hypothesis, observations, and wild guesses. Sunset had explained thaums, the unit of magical measurement, but they had a hard time figuring out a conversion between thaums and an earth equivalent to remeasure the collected data.

Sunset flopped back on her bed, prompting Spot to settle on her stomach. “I don’t know why you’re focused on the ‘how.’ You should be focused on the ‘why.’ Why do they have magic again? And why music?”

Twilight sat up from her place on the floor, leaving her calculations alone. She rolled out a crick in her neck. “I’m getting to that. I want to know the ‘how’ first. How does magic work in this world? How do they get all those ears and tails and wings? How do I explain this with science?” she shouted.

Sunset reached over and patted her head. “There are some things you can’t explain with science. Maybe this is one of them.”

“Impossible.” Twilight wildly shook her head. “You even said there’s rules and laws to magic. There has to be some reason behind this, and I’m going to find it!” She held a determined fist in the air, then went rigid. “Sunset… isn’t Artemis supposed to be a magician?”

“Yeah.”

Twilight flipped over, gripping the side of Sunset’s bed. “Why don’t we ask him for help? He has to know how magic in this world works! Maybe he’s the link we need!”

Sunset ran her hand across Spot’s back. “Huh, yeah, we could ask him,” she said casually.

There was an impatient pause. “So?” Twilight asked, bobbing up and down.

“I really don’t want to feed his ego.”

“Sunset!”

“All right, fine, geez.” She picked Spot up and set him down on her pillow. “But if he goes off on a tangent about his wild adventures, don’t blame me.”

6. Of Myths and Monsters

Artemis’ study took up the tower added on to the back of the house. It was a circular room lined with shelves featuring an assortment of oddities, trinkets, and books. It looked like a smaller, more personal version of the emporium he ran in town. Artemis sat in a carved armchair behind a mahogany desk in the back. He fiddled with a half finished ship in a bottle.

“So, what can I do for the adorable little couple?” he asked, keeping his eyes trained on the back mast he attempted to set up.

Sunset and Twilight stood side-by-side, Twilight clutching some of her papers. Sunset cleared her throat. “So, remember when I told you about… you know… how I messed with some dark magic and six girls stood up to me and hit me with a rainbow friendship laser?”

Artemis snickered. “Yes. That’s also when you told me you’re a pony from another dimension. I still get a kick out of that. I’m playing host to a magical pony girl. Life is just full of wonders!” he said jovially. He looked up at the puckered expression Sunset gave him. “Ahem, but you were saying something?”

“Yeah, see, recently it seems five of those girls have kinda gotten some magic back.”

Artemis set the bottle down and gave them his full attention. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “We’ve been trying to research it and figure out why based on Sunset’s knowledge of her homeworld’s magic. We were wondering if you could help us in any way?”

“Ha ha!” Artemis vaulted over his desk and landed with his arms spread wide. “My dear Miss Sparkle, I’ll help anyone with an interest in the mystical arts!” He slipped his black and white wand from his pocket and gave it a whirl. “Lulamoon!”

Beanbags appeared behind each of them, and a force of gravity compelled Sunset to collapse into hers. To her annoyance, it was pink.

Twilight sat comfortably and had a pen out for her notes. “First question: how did you do that?”

“First answer,” Artemis said, tipping his moon and star decorated hat down over his eyes. “A good magician never reveals his secrets.”

“But… I thought…”

Artemis laughed and wiggled his fingers, shooting off a few sparks. “Sorry, natural response. I can’t go giving my secrets out to everyone.” He tugged at his goatee. “Though that might be a moot point since you have to have magic to do magic. Regardless, that was a simple materialization spell. Beanbags are quite easy to make.”

Twilight scribbled on her notepad, her brow furrowed. Before she could ask her next question, Artemis said, “Now, tell me about these magical friends of yours.”

Sunset tried to get comfortable, but the beanbag kept trying to swallow her whole. “Well, erf, the thing is—” She punched the beanbag a few times before settling down. “The thing is, their magic only pops up when they play music.”

“Is that all that’s stumping you?” Artemis put his hands up. “And I thought you were a genius, Sunset.”

She growled.

“All right, all right, no need to get testy. Sunset, music is magic! It’s one of the oldest magics in the world! It soothes the savage beast, it tames the wild heart, it makes entire stadiums sing together in unison!” Artemis finished, dramatically lifting his hand into the air.

Sunset put a hand to her chin. “Huh, when you put it like that… In Equestria, we do have a tendency to break out into song. Things seem to get done faster when we do that.” Sunset shuddered. “It’s one of the few things I don’t miss.”

Artemis nodded. “See? Music is magic.”

Twilight paused from her furious scribbling. “But that doesn’t really explain why they’re transforming. Or how.”

“Transforming?”

The beanbag pulled Sunset deeper into it. “Yeah, the magic that they get gives them pony features. Ears, wings or horns, and a ponytail. We call it ‘ponying up.’”

Artemis let out a bark of laughter. “‘Ponying up! How cute! I love it!” He twirled a finger around his goatee. “Well, if I had to hazard a guess… You said that they first gained magic when a princess from your world joined with them, yes?”

Sunset pursed her lips. “Yes.”

“Well then…” Artemis sat up and lifted his wand. “Lulamoon!” A clear screen popped up between him and the girls. Artemis held his wand like a pencil and drew on it, starting with a straight line. He then made a girl in a simple dress. “I’d say, when you and your princess crossed over to our world, you brought some magic with you.” He made squiggles flowing from one side of the screen to the other. “Sadly, there isn’t too much magic in our world these days, and the magic that you originally brought was probably barely recognizable.”

He added five more simple stick figures with long hair. “However, when she and your friends made that ‘rainbow friendship laser’, I’m guessing that released a substantial amount of magic.” Artemis paused and scratched his head. “I wonder how I didn’t feel that?” He looked at Sunset. “Does this sound right so far?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, that’s where my theory started. The Elements of Harmony are pretty powerful, enough to leave a lasting impression.”

“Good.” Artemis drew music notes around the girls. “Now, when your friends were exposed to magic from your world, I’m guessing they managed to retain it if these Elements are as strong as you say they are.” He tapped his wand against his chin. “Magic has a tendency to attract more magic. But, since there’s so little magic in this world, that’s probably why nothing has happened since then.”

“Until this week when Rainbow started playing music really passionately,” Sunset said.

“Ah.” Artemis drew more squiggles flowing directly to the girls. “My hypothesis is that your strong pony magic has resonated with some of the last magic on earth—one of the most ancient ones.”

“Music?” Twilight guessed.

“Music!” Artemis threw his hands up. “Their residual magic has mingled with music and drawn out the effects of this Equestrian magic now floating through the world.” He tapped the screen, making it vanish. “That’s quite some deduction if I do say so myself. I amaze even me sometimes.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. Narcissism aside, Artemis had pushed more than one of Sunset’s hypotheses into theory. If her friends had residual magic from the Elements of Harmony, then Sunset was positive she had some of its corruption as well. And if they ponied up from crossing their magic with earth’s, Sunset shuddered to think what would happen if she did the same.

She kept her somber thoughts to herself. The solution was simple: just don’t do anything that would trigger her magic. Though, as the events of the day had shown, magic seemed determined to chase after her. Was she a walking danger to her friends? They couldn’t perform the whole rainbow, could they? They managed to release a small shock wave, but would it be enough to put her down if she lost control?

Sunset raised her arms to hug herself, playing it off like she was tightening her jacket. Twilight didn’t notice. Her rapt attention was on Artemis.

“Okay, that explains the why. What about the how?” Twilight asked. “How are they transforming? Does it change their body structure? Where does it go when they’re normal? Are there any side-effects to this? How does magic even work in this world?”

Artemis reached over and tapped her nose with his wand. “You ask a lot of questions; it’ll get you far in life.” He leaned back. “But, you’re asking questions I can’t give an answer to. I only know simple transfiguration, and this sounds like it’s leaning further to your Equestrian magic. Magic in the human world works because you believe it will.” He wiggled his fingers again. “And you have wizard blood in you.”

Twilight scrunched her nose, and Sunset could see a muscle tightening in her jaw. “That’s all you can tell me? Even supernatural forces have to work off of some sort of laws and principles!”

“Well, there’s a certain amount of work and concentration that goes into it. And there are certainly laws even magicians have to abide by.” A thoughtful frown dragged down his normally cheery face. “But I’m afraid, Twilight, you’re looking for answers I can’t give you. If you asked me how I pulled a rabbit out of my hat, I’d tell you it’s because I have a small pocket dimension stored in there and because I believed I had the power to pull it out. Then you’d ask me how I created a pocket dimension, and I’d tell you I made a sealed space and condensed it until it could fit in my hat. Then you’d ask me how again, and I’d tell you ‘magic.’” He turned his eyes to the ceiling. “Very few magicians ever asked ‘how’. ‘What’ and ‘why’ certainly, and even the fundamental ‘hows’.” He looked back at Twilight with respect and pity in his eyes. “You’re looking for the root ‘how’, and I think that’s an answer that doesn’t want, and possibly can’t, be found.”

Twilight made a frustrated sigh and pressed her papers to her head. After some incoherent muttering, she said, “Thank you for your time, Mr. Lulamoon.”

Artemis stood up and walked back to his desk. “Please, I told you to just call me Artemis. Mr. Lulamoon just makes me sound old. At any rate, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you all the answers you wanted.” He sat down and started playing with his ship in a bottle. “But sometimes, you don’t need a complicated answer for a complicated problem.”

Sunset helped Twilight up from the beanbag after struggling to free herself from its spongy clutches. Twilight kept her head bowed until they reached Sunset’s room, where Spot laid on the bed and chewed the Princess plushie.

Good boy, Sunset thought. She moved a hand to Twilight’s waist, wincing at the disgruntled aura pulsing off of her. “Listen, Sparky—”

Twilight snapped her head up, a determined fire in her eyes. “I want you to teach me everything about Equestrian magic.”

Sunset took a step back. Twilight rarely ever demanded anything. “Woah there, Twi. That’s a lot of information, half of which I can’t remember off the top of my head.”

“Then teach me the things you do remember. If you can tell me that, maybe I can figure out how magic in this world works.”

“Okay, hold on.” Sunset rested her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “Twilight, take a few deep breaths and calm down.”

She did as she was told, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Sunset could feel the tension in her shoulders ebbing away. A shadow of a smile crossed Twilight’s face. “Usually I’m the one telling you to calm down.”

“Guess we’re rubbing off on each other.” Sunset guided Twilight over to the bed and sat her down. “Sparky, you’re brilliant, the smartest girl I’ve ever met… besides me, of course.” Twilight gave her a playful shove, and Sunset continued. “I get you want to figure this out. You like understanding things—that’s how you work. But maybe Artemis is right, maybe we’re looking too deep into this. We know why the girls pony up; do we really need to know how?”

Twilight hunched over. “I’d like to.”

“And what would you do with that information anyway?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her head hung in defeat. “It’s like you said, I just like knowing.”

Sunset ran her fingers through Twilight’s hair. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ll tell you everything I can about Equestrian magic if you think it’ll help you figure this out.” She turned Twilight’s head toward her. “Just promise me you’ll take this magical studies thing easy and won’t obsess over it. If something doesn’t make sense, it’s because magic isn’t supposed to make sense.” She kissed her on the nose. “Okay?”

The cheerful light returned to Twilight’s eyes, and she rested her head against Sunset’s chest. “I guess that’s fair. And you’re right, I have enough to be studying without adding magic to the list.” She nuzzled closer and lifted her head to Sunset. “Still, I’m excited to learn more about your home.”

Sunset smiled, hoping it didn’t look too pained. “Always happy to talk about it.” She supposed it gave her some closure. Talking about Equestria was the next best thing to being there.

Her thoughts became muddled by Twilight’s lips pressing on hers. For a brief moment, Sunset forgot what she had been worried about.

“Eegh, at least close the door. Trixie doesn’t need to see that,” Trixie said, walking past Sunset’s room.

Sunset pulled away with an annoyed grunt. “Now I know why so many people make out under the bleachers.”

*******

“So, the magic we got from Equestria and Princess Twilight is being triggered by the magic from this world, and that’s what’s makin’ us pony up?” Applejack summarized in a low voice.

“More or less,” Sunset said.

“Neat!” Pinkie said. “Twilight must be happy.”

Sunset wiggled her hand. “Eh… she’s still wants to learn how, but she’s content for the time being.” She walked with her friends through the rotunda and out onto the campus lawn at the end of their Friday school session. Twilight had already departed with Moondancer.

“So, no more experiments, right?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, I think were done for now.”

Rarity tossed her scarf around her neck. “It’s too bad. I was starting to enjoy playing that keytar. Oh well, I got plenty of fashion ideas out of it.” She looked at Sunset. “Though, remind me why we kept this all hush hush from Moondancer?”

Sunset shoved her hands into her pockets. “Because I don’t want to tell her anything.” She flinched at the withering glare Rarity cast. “I’m joking… kinda. I mean, do you want everyone knowing you have magic?”

“I suppose not. But Moondancer is Trixie’s cousin. Don’t you think she’d be able to handle that information?”

From Sunset’s other side, Rainbow spoke up. “I’m with Sunset. What Lunedancer doesn’t know, won’t hurt her.”

Sunset smirked. “You’re doing that on purpose now, aren’t you?”

“Oh, totally.”

They shared a subtle fistbump.

Applejack leaned past Rarity, copying her expression. “We get it, Dash, you’re mad that she called you a boy. Don’tcha think you’ve held a grudge long enough?”

“Ask me again next month.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and put a hand up. “Fine, whatever. Lord knows you can’t be reasoned with.”

Rainbow lifted her chin. “Don’t act all high and mighty. You don’t like her either.”

“Ah never said that. She’s an actor. Ah just don’t trust her ‘cause you never know when they’re actin’ or not.” She adjusted her backpack straps. “Anyways, she’s a friend of Twilight’s, so Ah’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Rainbow jerked her thumb. “The last time we gave someone the benefit of the doubt, we got stuck with Sunset.”

“Hey!”

“Well, I like her!” Pinkie said, popping up between Rainbow and Sunset.

Sunset lidded her eyes. “Pinkie, you like everyone. That’s a moot point.”

“That’s not true; I don’t like everyone.”

Rainbow snorted. “Name one person you don’t like.”

Pinkie stopped walking and stared off into space, her head tilted to the side. As the girls watched her, Sunset could swear she could hear a small ticking noise.

“Well, as fun as this is, I should get home, Sunset said. “Homework to do and all that.”

Rainbow’s lips curled up. “You’re just saying that because Moontrancer is off with Twilight.”

“Nothing gets past you, Dash,” Sunset said listlessly. She gave a wave and turned at the corner.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and hunched her shoulders. Of course she was upset Twilight was with Moondancer, but she wasn’t going to give Rainbow, or Moondancer for that matter, the satisfaction of saying it out loud.

Besides, she did have homework to do. She just would have preferred to do it with Twilight.

Sunset grunted. “Stop acting so codependent. You managed perfectly well before Twilight walked into your life; you can manage a day.” Sunset smiled. “A nice evening of me time.”

Her plans fell apart the moment she walked through the front door. Artemis appeared in a puff of smoke, a frantic look on his face. He grabbed Sunset by the wrist. “Emergency family meeting! Now!”

“Wha-”

When she blinked, Sunset found herself in the kitchen standing next to an equally confused Trixie. Across the table, Selena had her attention on a newspaper article.

Artemis relentlessly paced behind her, making wild gestures with his hands. “How could I have missed this… Doesn’t make any sense… This is what I get for not following social media!”

“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” Sunset asked. “You’re acting stranger than usual. Mind you, that’s a high bar to hurdle.”

Selena looked up from the paper, a grim look in her eye. “Artemis has told you the tale of our fight against the Sirens, right?”

Sunset tapped her chin. “ Sounds like something he would go on about, yeah. Something about Greece and a heart.”

“How did they get past my barrier?” Artemis shouted. “That was my strongest spell!”

Selena reached over and rubbed his arm. “Sweetheart, calm down.” She turned back to Trixie and Sunset and pushed the newspaper over to them. “You should read this.”

Trixie picked it up and cleared her throat. “‘Singing Sensations Spark Another Riot. The overnight pop phenomena, The Dazzlings, continued their tour across the country with their latest stop in Tall Tale. Like all of their concerts before it, the performance ended in a riot amongst fans. While no deaths occurred, several people were injured and hospitalized.

“‘When asked for a statement, bandleader, Adagio Dazzle—’”

Artemis growled.

“‘—had this to say. ‘We are worried that some of our fans might get hurt, but we’re just happy they’re so enthusiastic about our music.’ Neither she nor her sisters, Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze, show any indication of stopping their one-hundred city tour. Some have likened their spontaneous and zealous fan base to a cult, showing growing concern over the devotion the youth culture has given them. They’re scheduled to play in Canterlot February 12th.’”

Trixie looked up, mouth hanging open. “The Dazzlings are the Sirens?”

Sunset looked over her shoulder at the picture provided with the article. Three girls stood on stage wearing costumes the eighties spat out. The girl on the right had blue hair and skin, and a wide smile. On the left was a girl with purple pigtails with green highlights. She smiled too, but it was one of pure superiority. The lead singer was a girl with a mass of orange hair that put Pinkie’s to shame. Her smile was a combination of the other two, filled with enjoyment and superiority with a hint of sultry deviance. All three of them wore black necklaces with bright rubies at the center.

“Those are the Dazzlings?” Sunset asked, raising a skeptical brow.

“Don’t underestimate them,” Artemis warned. “They’re three of the most devious and dangerous creatures we’ve ever fought.”

“I’m sure.” She shrugged. “So they’re causing concert riots. What’s the big deal? Teenagers riot over a lot of stupid things.”

Artemis threw his arms out, nearly smacking Selena in the head. She glared at him while he said, “The ‘big deal’ is that they feed off negative energy! Their songs stir up negativity and tense emotions, getting friends to bicker over even the smallest of things! One second, you’re in a café with your friends talking about the weather.” He raised his arms above his head and waved his hands. “Then the next thing you know, you’re fighting over whether that cloud looks like a puppy or a turtle!”

Sunset’s eyebrow rose higher.

Artemis lowered his arms. “All right, that was a poor example. The point is, the Sirens create negative emotions, then feed on the emotions released. Feeding makes them stronger. Another caveat to their powers is that their voices have a strong influential effect, making the hearer susceptible to mind manipulation.” Artemis grit his teeth. “If they grew strong enough, I’m sure it would evolve into all out hypnotism.”

“Okay, now this sounds bad,” Sunset said.

“Even worse,” Selena said, pushing Artemis to sit down at the table, “is if they found the Crystal Heart.”

Sunset took a seat as well. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“Don’t you listen to anything my father says?” Trixie snapped.

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

Selena cut in. “The Crystal Heart is an ancient artifact of magical power. It amplifies and reverberates the strongest emotion emitted. For instance, if it picked up on happiness, it would double that happiness felt with everyone in its radius.”

Sunset nodded in grim understanding. “But if the Sirens got it and used it while they were feeding…”

“It would double the output of negative energy they were creating,” Trixie finished.

“That was their plan twenty years ago,” Artemis said. He proudly put a hand over his chest. “Luckily, I—”

“We,” Selena said.

“—were there to stop them.” Artemis stood up, a heroic gleam in his eye. “Yes, it was quite the thrilling adventure, full of action, peril, sabotage, and intricate disguises. It all started when—”

Selena clapped a hand over his mouth. “Sweetheart, I love when you recount our adventures and I get to correct you, I really do, but for the sake of time, just give them the bare bones and skip to the point.”

Artemis deflated, his hat sagging to one side. He made a grunt, and Selena removed her hand. “Fine.” He straightened up and cleared his throat. “Greece. The eighties. Your mother, my sister, and myself came to the ancient country on the trail of the Crystal Heart and—can I at least make pictures for this?” he whined.

Selena rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “Go ahead. But again, bare bones.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Artemis whipped his wand out. “Lulamoon!”

A bubble appeared over the table, pearly smoke swirling inside of it until it formed three figures, their features growing more defined with each passing second. Sunset recognized the younger versions of Artemis and Selena; neither of them had any significant changes, save for Artemis’ missing goatee. The third girl Sunset had only seen in the pictures around the house. She looked like a female version of Artemis, or perhaps a grown up version of Trixie, only slightly less smug. She had waist length silver hair, bright green eyes, and the same mischievous smile Artemis always wore. On her head was a blue witch’s hat with a wide brim.

“There were the three of us,” Artemis continued, “three of the most talented and good looking adventurers in the world! We spent weeks following myths and legends about the Crystal Heart, finally tracking it to a city on Greece’s coast.”

He waved his wand, and the image changed to a town sitting by the water. It was grimy and dust ridden, with swollen grey clouds hanging overhead. It certainly wasn’t something to put on a postcard.

“Unfortunately for us, the Sirens had gotten there first, and were already spreading their magic. Everyone in town was on edge and ready to snap at the drop of a hat.” Artemis winced and rubbed his shoulder. “And I mean that quite literally. I walk past a guy, the wind knocks his hat off, next thing I know, I’m being assaulted.”

“You bumped into him,” Selena corrected.

“My point still stands. Anyway, with the natives acting extra hostile to tourists, it was hard to procure information on the Crystal Heart. Fortunately, finding the Sirens was a bit easier.” With another wave of his wand, the image in the bubble melted and reformed, depicting the three girls who hadn’t aged a day between the bubble image and their picture in the newspaper. They sat on three makeshift thrones made from white wood and pillows, and had a crowd of people surrounding them, offering baskets of fruit and bread.

Artemis wrinkled his nose in disgust. “They weren’t exactly subtle in their use of power. I don’t know how long they’ve been around, but they’ve been piggybacking off of a number of human conflicts, literally adding their voice to the dissent, then feeding off the negative energy. They had enough power to put the entire city under their thrall right when they arrived.”

“Hypnotism?” Sunset asked.

“Not quite yet. The people still had free will. Their will was just skewed to make whatever the Sirens wanted take first priority.”

“All while acting like complete jerks toward one another,” Selena added.

Artemis nodded and crossed his arms. “Needless to say, trying to boot them out the old fashion way was… ill thought out.” He lazily waved his hand, and the bubble showed the three adventurers fleeing from an angry mob complete with pitchforks and torches.

Selena took over. “We spent the next few nights sleeping on the outskirts of town. Since we couldn’t take on the Sirens directly or find the Heart, we would have to wait for them to make the first move.”

“It took time, patience, and some clever illusions from yours truly,” Artemis said with a self-important grin, “but we finally followed the Sirens out to a remote island. It was there, in an underground cavern, that we found the Crystal Heart.” With a flourish of his wand, a brilliant blue and white diamond appeared over the table. True to its name, it was cut into the shape of a heart, and gleamed in an unseen light. Just looking at it filled Sunset with a cozy warmth.

The image changed again to show the two groups squaring off against each other. “What followed after,” Artemis said excitedly, “was a death-defying battle for the ages!”

“It was a game of magical keep-away,” Selena whispered.

“A game that we won!” Artemis rubbed his ears. “Although I went temporarily deaf thanks to their maniac screeching. But our magic and teamwork trumped theirs! It was Apalla’s crafty escape artist skills that got us out of there.”

“Apalla?” Sunset asked.

“My aunt,” Trixie said.

Artemis sighed wistfully. “My sister could get out of anything if she wanted to. Because of her, we got off that island before the Sirens did, and I was able to put up my barrier spell. A spell that should have held as long as I drew breath.” The image bubble dispersed, and Artemis started pacing again. “Now they’re free, and I can only assume they’re going to pick up where they left off.”

Sunset hummed, processing everything she had been told. Perhaps I should start listening to him more. Sirens and magical artifacts. Sunset had thought the strangest thing to happen to this world was herself. Turns out she was just a new player in an old game. “So, where is the Heart?”

“I sold it to the Canterlot museum,” Artemis said casually.

Sunset gaped at him. “You sold a magical artifact to a museum?”

“Yep. Sunset, if you saw it’s beauty in person, you would understand why. Yes, it’s magical, but it’s also a priceless artifact of history. I can’t just keep it to myself. Besides, its primary function is to spread happiness and joy. It does a much better job doing that in a museum than in my store.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Just looking at the picture had made Sunset feel delightful.

Trixie asked, “So, what did you do with the money?”

Artemis ruffled her hair. “Put it into your college fund. You’re welcome.”

Selena stood from her chair. “We should probably put in an anonymous tip to the museum that someone might try to steal the Heart.”

Artemis ran a finger down his goatee. “Yes, that should make it a little harder on them. They’ll be here in a few weeks, which doesn’t give us a whole lot of time to plan.” He stretched a hand out to Selena. “Come, turtle dove. We have much to discuss.”

Selena giggled as he whisked her away from the kitchen, leaving Sunset and Trixie alone.

Trixie smiled from ear-to-ear. “Trixie has the coolest parents ever! Someday, she’ll go on adventures just like they did.” She glanced to Sunset. “You can be Trixie’s sidekick if you want.”

“Not in this lifetime.”

“Suit yourself. Trixie is going to see if she can assist in saving the world!” She sprung from her chair and sprinted after her parents.

Sunset looked at the newspaper again, examining the picture of the Dazzlings. The more she looked, the more they felt familiar, like they shared a certain bond with Sunset. She shook her head and headed for the stairs. Bond or not, this was one fight she had no intention of joining.

7. Frenemy Mine

“So, the Dazzlings are actually evil sirens?”

“Yep.”

“And they want this Crystal Heart thingy to power themselves up and take over the world?”

“Pretty much.”

Six pairs of eyes stared back at Sunset, each filled with varying degrees of shock and amazement, and in the case of Fluttershy, fear.

“That’s pretty hardcore,” Rainbow said.

The Spectacular Seven sat in Sugarcube Corner, having picked a table tucked away in the back. A spread of pastries sat in front of them, most untouched after Sunset began explaining what Artemis had told her last night.

Applejack rhythmically tapped a finger against the table. “So, does that mean we’re puttin’ the fate of the world in the hands of Trixie and her parents?”

Sunset shrugged. “Hey, they stopped the Sirens before. Who says they can’t do it again?” She took a sip of water to ease her parched throat, then started on a strawberry scone.

“Still,” Rarity said, tapping a finger against her cheek, “I feel like there’s something we could do to help.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie raised a hand. “We have magic now, too! We could totally swoop in and go pow, right to the Dazzlings’ faces!”

Sunset snorted. “What, like superheroes? You girls grow horns and wings when you play music, but that doesn’t make you superheroes. Besides, for all we know this could be some passing thing until the Equestrian magic in you just, I don’t know, runs out.”

“Could it work like that?” Twilight asked.

“I dunno. They’re humans with pony magic; who knows what’ll happen?”

“That’s why we were running tests. Which reminds me, I have a new idea, but it’s going to require a few blood samples—”

The collective chorus of, “No!” quickly shut Twilight down into her seat. Sunset stroked her hair, trying not to laugh. “Maybe we should hold off on the tests for a bit.”

Twilight muttered something about stifling her scientific mind and started moodily chewing through a cookie. The humor of seeing Twilight dejected wore off quickly, and Sunset brainstormed a way to cheer her up, or at least get her mind off magical science.

She groaned inwardly as her thoughts stopped on one particular subject. “So…” Sunset swallowed her petty demeanor. “Did you have fun with Moondancer yesterday?”

Twilight rose out of her slump and smiled. “Yeah. We walked around uptown and got cupcakes from this little pastry shop—”

Pinkie made a small, “Harrumph.”

“—then we went ice skating.” She looked down at her cookie, but continued to smile. “I fell a lot.”

“I’m glad you had fun.” Sunset counted that as a half truth. Was she glad Twilight had fun? Yes. Was she bitter that said fun was had with Moondancer? Only a little.

Why didn’t you ever take her for ice skating? Because I don’t know how to skate! Then you both could have fallen down and laughed about it!

Sunset blocked the taunting voice in her head. “Maybe you and I can do something special next weekend. Maybe hang out at the mall?”

In an unexplainable way, Sunset knew she would dread Twilight’s answer. Her smile was genuine, her eyes bright, but the second Twilight opened her mouth, Sunset’s entire body tensed.

“Actually, Moondancer thought it’d be a great idea to have a day for all of us to hang out. We could all go to the mall together!”

Hayseed, ponyfeathers, rotten Tartarus below! “Yeah, that sounds like a fun plan!” Sunset said, her voice raised an extra octave. “Doesn’t that sound like fun, girls?”

“Sure does,” Applejack said, her eyes pointed to the front door. “Too bad Ah’ve got a lot of farm work planned next weekend. Y’all know how it goes.”

“Actually…” Rarity twisted a finger around a lock of hair. “Flash and I have a… prior engagement on Saturday.”

Pinkie gasped and pointed. “I knew you two would get together after the ball!”

Rarity tried to hide her pink cheeks behind her mug of hot chocolate. “Don’t be silly. We’re just seeing a movie together. We’re not an item.”

“Yet,” Sunset said, smirking in satisfaction. Perhaps the poor, lovestruck dope would finally find a good girl this time. “Well, what about the rest of you.” Do not leave me alone with Moondancer!

Fluttershy pulled on her longer bang. “I’m really sorry, girls. But I already promised Pinkie I’d give Gummy a check up.”

Pinkie nodded fervently. “Yep. Can you believe most veterinarians won’t look at baby alligators? Good thing Fluttershy is super-duper awesome!”

Sunset’s pleading eyes fell onto Rainbow, but the blaise look on her face already told Sunset she’d find no backup there.

“I just don’t wanna go,” Rainbow said flatly.

I hate you, Dash.

Twilight wilted momentarily but sprouted back up. “So I guess it’s just the three of us,” she said to Sunset. “We can still have plenty of fun. Besides, I really want you two to get along.”

“What are you talking about? We’re practically best friends already!” Sunset said, still fighting to get her voice to normal. I’ve lost my touch at lying.

It was enough to convince Twilight at least. The rest of the girls just smirked in amusement.

*******

Sunset had a whole week of school to suffer through before her play date with Moondancer. Once Artemis and Selena had told her about the Sirens, it seemed the only thing on most of the students' minds were the Dazzlings and their music. Either she hadn’t cared to notice before, or their influence spread like wildfire.

Having learned from their previous mistakes, Artemis knew attacking the Sirens directly would only paint himself as the villain. For now, his and Selena’s main objective was to make it as hard as possible for them to get the Crystal Heart. In the meantime, they would track the Sirens’ progress while working on a plan to reseal them.

Like Artemis, Sunset found herself wondering how the Sirens escaped from a deserted island surrounded by a forcefield. Part of her wanted to attribute it to Artemis being not as good at magic as he thought, a trait that seemed to run in the family. However, she had seen first-hand some of the feats he was capable of. She rubbed her stomach, remembering when he had sawed her in half upon their first encounter. When he stopped goofing around, he could do incredible things.

So how were the Sirens walking free?

The only answer Artemis had drawn was that someone had set them free. That theory meant someone incredibly powerful had to have intentionally released them, taking down the barrier without Artemis noticing. Of course, he had managed not to notice Sunset and Princess Twilight’s showdown, so it remained feasible. That added the questions of who set the Sirens free and why?

Sunset paused her train of thought and slowly came back to her AP English class. This wasn’t her fight. Why was she spending so much time pondering this? She cared and hoped the Lulamoons could stop the Sirens and whatever sinister plot they had up their sleeves. But she had more important things to worry about.

For instance, as her subconscious mind now liked to remind her constantly, what the hay was she going to do after graduation? As welcome as she now felt, Sunset had no intention of living with the Lulamoons and working in the emporium for the next two years. And when the portal opened up at the time, did she even want to go back? Going back meant looking Celestia in the eye and admitting, once again, that everything Sunset had done in the past had been wrong. Sunset was sure she could get over that part, but there still remained the issue of sharing a dimension with Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset shuddered in disgust. She held onto the urge to punch the princess in the face the next time they met.

Third and finally, when the portal opened, Sunset would have to say goodbye to everyone here that she had come to love. Her friends, her foster family, Twilight… The thought of it made her heart tighten. But the thought of never seeing Equestria again gave her equal pain.

In the end, she would have to give up something.

The bell rang, dismissing the students for lunch. Sunset packed her bag, moving slow so she could massage her head. Too much thinking. You’re just giving yourself a migraine. She stepped out of the classroom and headed for the cafeteria, wondering if it was too much to ask for Pinkie to be quiet.

Arriving at the lunch table, Sunset found Pinkie’s volume level was the least of her concerns. Both Moondancer and Trixie had taken seats next to her friends. You know, it’s hard to be the Spectacular Seven when there’s nine of us.

She dropped into the chair next to Moondancer, forcing Twilight to sit on Sunset’s left when she arrived. Moondancer and Sunset exchanged pleasant smiles while their eyes traded silent jabs.

Rainbow sat across from Sunset and spoke first after initial greetings were through. “So, gonna be honest, I kinda got curious enough to listen to some of the Dazzlings songs. I gotta say, not impressed.”

Trixie threw her hands up. “Finally, someone agrees with Trixie!”

Applejack ran a hand against her forehead. “Phew. Ah thought Ah was the only girl whose curiosity got the best of her. Yeah, they sound okay, but Ah don’t see why everyone else is goin’ gaga over them.”

“I personally find their voices a musical treat for the cultured ear,” Moondancer said. “Which is saying something, because as a matter of course, the pop and rock and roll genre is a degenerate and garbled mess of sounds trying to pass as something akin to music.” She clapped her hands together and held them to her chest. “Their voices, however, are a melodic harmony words cannot describe.”

“Oh I bet you could if you tried hard enough,” Sunset said.

Pinkie eagerly raised her hand. “Can I try?”

“Please don’t.”

Trixie sighed and picked up her sack lunch. “Well, Trixie has to go put up with more talk about how great the Dazzlings are from her friends.” She made eye contact with Sunset, glanced over to Moondancer, then back with a small shake of her head.

Sunset nodded, savvy enough to understand the message. Still, it meant a change in subject for the rest of her friends. “So, who’s ready for the musical showcase next month?”

Rainbow pumped her fist. “Oh yeah! I’m gonna remind the school why Rainbow rocks!” She played an air guitar and banged her head, ponytail flipping wildly about.

Applejack twirled a finger, her face deadpan. “Five whole minutes of you showing off for the entire school. Can’t wait.”

“Actually, I’ve gotten my guitar solo to six minutes now,” Rainbow said smugly.

“Great. Six minutes of our lives we won’t get back.” Applejack snorted as Rainbow took her stetson and shoved it further down her head.

“I’m really excited too,” Twilight said, bouncing in her seat. “Mrs. Carol wants the school orchestra to perform at the end, so this will be my first performance for the school!”

“That’s awesome!”

“How extravagant!” Sunset and Moondancer said over each other. They shared sweetly poisonous smiles again.

Pinkie gasped and reached over to grab Twilight by the shoulders. “You’re going to play in front of the entire school! That’s so super swell! You must be so excited! You must be so nervous! Is there a word for that?” She gasped again. “You must be so nervouscited!”

Sunset rubbed her temple. “Pinkie, please remove that word from your vocabulary forever.”

“Awww.” She slumped back to her side of the table. “You never let me have any fun.”

*******

“Shouldn’t you tell Moondancer about the Sirens?” Sunset realized how hypocritical that sounded when she had just told her friends to keep their magic tests a secret. But this was a matter of safety. As much as Sunset didn’t like her, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Moondancer.

Trixie sat up on her bed, dropping her textbook into her lap. “Trixie did. In fact, Moondancer already knew the whole story. But since she doesn’t have any magic in her, she’s still vulnerable to their effects.” Trixie sighed. “She’s already been infected by their black magic. If she came over, I’m sure father could put a protection spell over her, but she’s always busy with something after school.” Trixie rolled her pencil between her fingers. “Which reminds Trixie, how come your friends, or you for that matter, don’t seem to be affected?”

Sunset leaned against Trixie’s doorframe and tilted her head back. Why hadn’t Rainbow and Applejack started to fall in love with the Sirens like everyone else? The answer presented itself as obvious. “Because they’ve been touched by magic. The Elements of Harmony. It’s probably impossible for them to fall for any mind control now.”

“What about you?”

Sunset cringed. “Well… I touched magic too. Bad or good, I guess it blocks out the Sirens’ influence.”

Trixie gave her a dark smile. “Guess that black magic was good for something after all.”

“Good night, Trixie.” Sunset turned on her heel and stalked to her room.

“Oh come on, Trixie was joking!”

Sunset shut her door and pressed her back to the mirror hanging on the other side. “She’s lucky she didn’t add ‘no offense’ to that.” Still, Sunset supposed she should be grateful. Whether it came from putting on the crown or being hit by a rainbow beam, at least she could count on not being mind controlled.

She bit her lip. She was safe. Her friends were safe. What about Twilight? Until she had seen Rainbow transform, she had never been exposed to magic. Luckily, Twilight didn’t use the radio very often, and only listened to public broadcasting when she did. Sunset made a mental note to see if Artemis could cast a protection spell around Twilight just to be safe.

Sunset stepped away from the mirror, but a burning hand grabbed her by the wrist. “Or, we could do it instead,” a voice hissed into her ear. The hand yanked her down to the cold ground, and she stared up at her demon. “Hi, Sunny!” it said with false sweetness.

“Ponyfeathers!” Sunset rolled onto her side in time for her demon to kick her away. She rolled across a black floor. Everything around her was black. Only she and her dark half existed in this place.

“There’s still power within you, Sunset.” Her voice drifted hauntingly in her ears, a siren song of its own. “Power that you could wield to stop these little Sirens. To put Moondancer in her place.”

Sunset got to her feet. “I don’t want power,” she said through gritted teeth.

Her demon inhaled deeply, a sadistic grin sliding across her face. “I smell regret. I smell fear. I smell guilt.” She rushed forward, three times larger than Sunset when she closed the space between them. She grabbed Sunset in her claws. “And I smell a liar!” Her hair blazed, licking Sunset’s face with scorching embers. “You still want me—you still need me!”

“No I don’t!” Sunset wiggled and squirmed, but the grip only tightened until she could no longer breathe.

“When all your friends abandon you, when you have nowhere left to turn, when you claw desperately at the mirror begging to go home, you’ll come crawling back to me! You can’t outrun your shadow!”

Sunset’s eyes snapped open. She sucked down gulps of air, like a great weight had just been lifted off her chest. Something wet touched her cheek, and she bolted upright just to find Spot wagging his tail at her. She felt her bed beneath her and a notebook in her lap.

“When did I fall asleep?” She looked out the window. The sun had yet to rise, but her clock read 6:17 A.M. “Well, guess I’m up now.”

“This fear isn’t healthy,” Princess Twilight said, sitting on Sunset’s night stand. “You should tell someone.”

“Tell them what? I’ve already told them everything. I’ll get over it. Eventually…” Repeating that mantra again and again ad nauseum, eventually it had to become the truth. She gathered up her clothes and headed to the bathroom, grateful that Trixie still slept. A thirty minute shower was just what the doctor ordered.

*******

The week progressed, talk of the Dazzlings’ upcoming concert growing louder each day. No one seemed hypnotized, just overly excited, much like the days before one of the school dances. Sunset thanked Celestia when the weekend arrived to escape the talk of pop divas, but dreaded what came next. On Saturday before their rendezvous with Moondancer, Sunset brought Twilight to Artemis. They stood in his study once more, no beanbags thankfully. Artemis sat on his desk, twirling his wand between his fingers.

“From my—”

“Our,” Selena said, walking past the door.

“—Investigations, the Sirens don’t have any true influence over people via the radio. Moderate suggestive properties at best—enough to get people to want to see them in person.” He stood and held his wand up. “Still, dangerous in its own way. Listening to them could lead to an obsession.” He moved over to Twilight and put his wand level to her forehead.

She closed her eyes and flinched back. “This isn’t going to hurt, is it?”

“Nonsense, you won’t feel a thing!” He pushed the wand against her. “Lulamoon!” Twilight’s eyes dilated after a short flash of light. When it passed, she shook her head and stared in astoundment.

“I… just had magic done on me.”

“Yep!” Artemis pocketed his wand. “I’m quite amazing, aren’t I? As long as I’m around, you shouldn’t have to fear the Sirens.” He gave both of them a grave look. “But that isn’t an invitation to go looking for trouble. Let me and Selena handle this.”

Sunset nodded her head. “Don’t worry, we won’t.”

“Good. Now, off with you! Go have fun! And please, tell Moondancer to visit us the next time she’s free.” Artemis said with exasperation.

“Will do.” Sunset took Twilight’s hand and led her away, feeling a small weight lift from her shoulders.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Twilight squealed as they got to Sunset’s motorcycle. “A whole day with just the three of us! We can go shopping and get food and go ice skating and—”

“Yep, it’s gonna be a great time!” Sunset tossed Twilight her helmet with more force than she intended. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

They sped off down the street, Twilight hanging on for dear life. Remember, this is all for Twilight. If Moondancer can keep her word, so can I. Moondancer had been pretty good so far about upholding their agreement. She hadn’t sabotaged anything yet, just stolen time away. The least Sunset could do was act cordial.

A Saturday afternoon meant crowds of teenagers swarmed the mall. Finding parking even for a motorcycle proved difficult. Moondancer awaited them just inside the door. She wore a purple coat that matched the highlights of her hair, and a wide, welcoming smile.

“Little star, Sunset! How are you two?” She gave Twilight a long, warm hug, then exchanged a much shorter one with Sunset. “Are you ready for our outing together?”

Twilight nodded enthusiastically. Sunset gave a single dip of her head.

Moondancer clapped her hands together. “Excellent! Let us peruse this middle-class melting pot of boutiques and services. And remember, Twilight, if there’s anything you see you want, I’ll be more than happy to buy it for you!”

Sunset narrowed her eyes. Oh, that’s your game?

“Moony, you know I could never let you do that,” Twilight said.

“Of course, of course. But the offer is always on the table.” Moondancer turned and held an arm aloft. “We’re off, my friends!” She skipped forward, spun around, then moved across the sparkling tiles, sashaying from right to left, dancing to a melody Sunset couldn’t hear.

Twilight caught Sunset’s deadpan expression and gave a sheepish shrug. “You get used to it after a while.”

“I’m still getting used to Pinkie.”

First on the docket were clothing stores, and of course Moondancer brought them to the most expensive one. Sunset still saw no point in ‘window shopping.’ If you couldn’t afford it, why bother torturing yourself by looking at it? Though she supposed for Moondancer, it wasn’t really window shopping.

Sunset ran her fingers against a silk nightgown. A little over-extravagant for her tastes, but she wouldn’t have minded falling asleep in it.

“Sunset, how do I look?”

She turned around, the silk falling out of her limp hand. Twilight stood in front of her wearing a form fitting white dress and holding herself in such a demure way, Fluttershy would have been jealous. Sunset notice that what Twilight lacked in breast size, her hips made up for it judging by the way the dress hugged them.

“Uuhhhh…” Way to ditch me, brain!

“You look like the first lavender flower of spring rising from the snow!” Moondancer said, materializing over Twilight’s shoulder. She gave Twilight a second appraisal. “Actually, no. This color is all wrong for you. Back to the fitting room!” She took Twilight by the arm and retreated.

Sunset’s brain rebooted and she swore under her breath. Moondancer kept the ball in her court, doing things she and Twilight had in common and previously enjoyed. What did Sunset and Twilight have in common? Superior intellect, a love of ice cream, listening to classical music. How could any of those activities be applied here?

Also, note to self: find more activities to do together.

Moondancer continued to play dress up, using Twilight as her doll. While Sunset devised a way to turn this day back in her favor, she played along, putting on fancy skirts and designer shoes she would normally never wear. Moondancer even handed her a dress, and to Sunset’s surprise, it looked good on her.

Twilight picked the next store. She searched the directory for anything interesting, but eventually gave into her instincts and took them to the bookstore. At least here, Sunset had even footing. Sort of. They spent a majority of the time listening to Twilight gush about the newest astronomy guide or historical biography.

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can buy you?” Moondancer asked as they headed for the front door.

“Yeah. I’ve still got a mountain of books to get through before I buy anymore,” Twilight said with a wistful look back. At least Sunset knew what she could get as a surprise present for her.

Sunset got to pick their next activity, and as she had no desire to visit any stores, she picked something only she and Twilight shared. They moved to the center of the mall where a giant chessboard was set up. It took a little while to get all of the kids to stop playing with the pieces, but soon, Twilight and Sunset took their places on opposite ends of the board.

Moondancer waited on a nearby bench. “Good luck, both of you. I expect a grand show.”

Sunset tuned her out. Now, it was just her, Twilight, and their respective intellect and strategy. She popped her knuckles and waited for Twilight to take the first move. She opened by moving one of her central pawns, setting it down with a knowing smile.

Either a King’s Gambit or a Sicilian Defense. I love it when you don’t hold your punches, Twilight. Sunset countered by moving her knight first, putting it within range of Twilight’s first pawn. Like many of their other matches, it dissolved into a counter and re-counter game, each girl trying to out move the other. Sunset prided herself on being able to make the necessary sacrifices for the greater good, while Twilight always hesitated when she had to give up a piece to capture something of Sunset’s.

They hardly spoke a word, their actions and eye contacts speaking for them. Acknowledgement of the other’s tactical prowess, complimenting a well-thought move, the occasional flirtatious wink. The last one was mostly done by Sunset.

She lost track of time, but snuck an occasional glance over to Moondancer. Throughout the whole match, she kept an interested gaze and bemused smile. Sunset admired her patience if anything else.

Twilight and Sunset whittled each other down to a few pieces. The match was decided after Sunset lost her second castle. Twilight put her into checkmate with a bishop and a knight.

Sunset hung her head. “One of these days, I’m going to beat you.”

Twilight moved her pieces back to their proper places. “You won the first time we played, remember?”

“That didn’t count; you gave up!”

Moondancer ran over and gave Twilight a large hug. “Oh, my little star! Shining brilliantly as always! Your moves were precise and graceful! Bold and decisive!” She lifted a hand to the ceiling. “Surely, Minerva favors you on this day!”

“Thanks, Moony.”

“And you, Sunset. You performed most admirably. I learned a lot watching you play,” Moondancer said with an unreadable smirk.

“Uh, thanks?” Something cold crawled down Sunset’s neck, and she suddenly knew how her past enemies felt when she was calculating dark machinations. “So, I guess loser buys hot chocolate today instead of ice cream?”

Twilight licked her lips. “Hot chocolate sounds delicious right now.”

“Allow me,” Moondancer said, giving her purse a little shake. “A treat for the riveting bout you two put on.”

Sunset forced herself to smile. “How sweet of you.” She would have protested more, but her wallet would be grateful somewhere down the line.

One line for hot chocolate and scones later, the trio found themselves gathered around a round table instead of sitting in a booth like usual. Twilight scooched a little closer to Sunset, but the space between them still felt infinitely wide.

Moondancer took a careful sip of her chocolate. “So I turn around and standing behind me in line is Prim Hemline herself. She recognized the dress I was wearing was one of her originals. So we start talking and I told her I was in Paris for a little modeling. Of course, she saw my natural talent and asked me to model her new line of dresses. One of my best days all in all.”

“That’s so exciting!” Twilight said.

“Yeah, what are the odds you run into a famous fashion designer in the middle of a random pastry shop in Paris?” Sunset said, stirring her drink.

“Well, perhaps it wasn’t a random pastry shop. I just chose at random… from a list of the best shops in town.” She took another sip. “But enough about me. Anything exciting happen that you haven’t told me about in your letters, Twily?”

“I don’t know. I already told you about the science fair and the Winter Ball. Those were the most exciting things I can think of.”

“Ah yes, your school dance.” Moondancer looked over at Sunset. “That’s where the student body attempted to persecute you for misdeeds, correct?”

Sunset shifted an eye over to Twilight. How much did you tell her?

Twilight nervously blinked twice. Not too much. Maybe.

“I can’t help but wonder what sort of transgressions you partook in that would rouse the ire of most of the school. None of Twilight’s friends appear to be agitators.” She sipped again and gave Sunset a level look. “Though I suppose you do wear that rebellious look quite well.”

“Moondancer,” Twilight said quietly.

Sunset put a hand up. “I did some things I’m not proud of. But my work at the dance was me trying to make up for it.” She pierced Moondancer’s steady gaze with one of her own. “I learned my lessons.”

Moondancer’s expression didn’t change. “Indeed. A lesson learned is a lesson earned.” Her entire face changed to that of a doting mother. She took a napkin, reached over and dabbed at Twilight’s nose. “Twily, you have whip cream on you.”

Twilight rubbed her nose when Moondancer finished. “Thanks.” She squirmed in her seat. “Actually, I think that hot chocolate went right through me. I’ll be back.” She stood and hurried toward the restrooms.

Sunset watched her go until she was out of earshot, then whipped around to Moondancer. “Are you trying to make me mad?”

Moondancer propped her chin on top of her folded hands. “Is it working?”

Sunset took a deep breath. “No. It’s not. I’m not letting you get under my skin.”

“Oh? That’s good to know.” Her unreadable smile returned. “I heard you used to have quite the nasty temper, Sunset.”

Guard doubled, Sunset asked, “Really? What else have you heard?”

“Oh, this and that,” Moondancer said with a wave of her hand. “Your fellow students have a lot to say about you. It’s difficult to discern fact from fiction. But as I told you before, I find your character dubious at best. However…” She moved her mouth behind her hands. “The more I examine you, the more… interesting you become.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow and leaned her body back. “Interesting?”

“Yes. How does one get from queen of the school, to shunned outcast, to where you’re sitting now? How do you go from hateful and hated to… courting Twilight Sparkle?”

“Through a long and painful road,” Sunset said, keeping her voice even.

“Perhaps. But I’ve found that zebras don’t change their stripes.”

Sunset balled her fists. “You think a little second hand information and staring tells you everything about me?”

“Oh, not everything. But a lot. I can tell you were a lonely child growing up. Either your parents didn’t love you or didn’t have enough time to spend with you. So you shunned everyone else and focused on making yourself the center of attention through power. Then, to hold onto that power, you used fear and manipulation. But something happened and you lost that power you clung to so tightly. But I still see it in your eyes. And in the way you play chess. You’re not afraid to crush or sacrifice anyone in your way.”

Sunset fought to keep her face stoic, but Moondancer’s words cut dangerously close to home. Aside from the magic and world hopping, she had practically nailed Sunset’s past story. Sunset breathed steadily through her nose. “You still don’t know everything about me. I’ve changed. I’m in a much better place now.”

Moondancer’s lips rose above her hand again. “‘The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.’”

Sunset raised her hands and pressed them into the table. “All right, princess, you wanna go right now?”

“‘Go’?” Moondancer raised an eyebrow. “Are you challenging me to a duel of some sorts?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I am! How about you and I play a match of chess? Let’s see what I can’t learn from you.”

Twilight came back, a smile on her face. “Hey, girls, what did I miss?”

Instantly, the negative energy flowing around the table dissipated. Moondancer moved her hands and beamed at Twilight. “Nothing much. But Sunset seems eager to make up for her earlier loss, so I am going to be her next opponent in chess.”

Twilight gasped. “Oh, that’ll be great! I’ll get a fresh perspective on both of your strategies. It’ll be so much fun!” She drained the rest of her drink and sprung from her chair again. “Come on, let’s go.”

Sunset finished her cup and slammed it onto the table before shooting Moondancer one last challenging stare. They moved back to the board, devoid of any children needing to be shooed away.

This time, Sunset faced Moondancer on the other side of the black and white tiles. She thinks she can read me through the way I play? Then I’ll give her a whole novel!

Picking the white pieces, Moondancer had the first move. She kept a hand under her chin while she thought. Sunset swore Moondancer stared more at her than the board. She moved her first pawn, taking time to ensure it fit perfectly into its square.

Sunset took her turn, following her usual set up to let one of her bishops move freely next turn. She hesitated as she set her pawn down, keeping a hand on it. Moondancer had just watched her play. She no doubt expected Sunset to play in a similar fashion. To take necessary sacrifices whenever she saw an opportunity.

That doesn’t reflect how I act in real life… does it? No, of course not! I would never sacrifice my friends! This is just a game. She took her hand off the pawn and stepped back. Moondancer wouldn’t get to her, not under her skin or in her head.

But as the match progressed, Sunset found herself second guessing what should have been particularly easy moves to take. Moondancer played a defensive game, setting a good wall against her king and making sure most of her pieces could quickly be avenged if one was taken. She offered up bait for Sunset to take, but seeing three moves ahead, Sunset knew it would only be detrimental to her in the long run. Occasionally, Moondancer would move a piece only to move it back the next turn.

She’s waiting, Sunset realized. Most of the pieces remained on the board; only pawns had captured. Neither of them had struck a real blow. She wants me to make the first move. She wants me to prove her point. One look into Moondancer’s eyes confirmed her suspicions. Throughout the entire game, she wore a calm smile, and her eyes held a superior see-all gaze.

Sunset’s turn came around again, and she couldn’t decide on an action. Her knight stood ready to take Moondancer’s rook, but then her own knight would take Sunset’s. Three squares over, Sunset had a pawn that could be taken by Moondancer’s white bishop. If Sunset moved her rook a few paces and Moondancer took the bait, Sunset could take the bishop. It was just a pawn. It was worth it, right?

You can’t win this game without sacrifices! It’s strategically impossible! She glared at Moondancer. I know what you’re doing.

Moondancer wiggled her eyebrows. Do you?

It’s just a game! I’m allowed to be ruthless! In fact… Sunset moved her rook into position, firmly setting it down. Moondancer stepped onto the board as soon as Sunset stepped off. She nudged her bishop forward a single space instead of the full three it took to reach Sunset’s pawn.

So, she’s not stupid.

Moondancer tipped her head to the side. This is the best you can do?

I’m just getting started! She moved her knight to take Moondancer’s rook, and as predicted, Moondancer captured Sunset’s knight with her own. What followed was a lightning quick exchange of moves and captures. Sunset beat into Moondancer’s defensive line, losing several pieces, but opening the path to the king.

With half her key pieces missing, Moondancer switched to the offensive. She left her own king with little defense, but persistently dogged after Sunset’s, making it impossible for Sunset to target her. Sunset didn’t switch to a defensive strategy, she just tried to outmaneuver Moondancer, creating an elaborate dance across the field.

Turn after turn, they cornered the other’s piece or moved their own out of danger. Sunset had no more pieces she could sacrifice. Everything mattered now. As the fight dragged on, Twilight danced on her toes, running from one side of the field to the other to examine each of their moves, sucking in air at the excitement.

Sunset placed her last knight on a square in radius of attacking Moondancer’s remaining bishop. If Moondancer moved it, Sunset could put her rook in front of Moondancer’s king for a check.

“Oh dear,” Moondancer said, the first words spoken the entire game. She quietly scanned the field for a few minutes, then crossed an arm in front of her middle and bowed. “I concede defeat.”

Sunset slouched over, adrenaline fading fast. “What?”

“I know when I am bested. You play this game marvelously, Sunset. Kudos on your victory.”

“But… I…” Sunset sighed and ran a hand across her face. “What is with you people and just giving up?” Twilight’s tackling hug, lifted her up from her disgruntled spiral.

“Sunset, that was great! You looked so focused out there.” She ran over and hugged Moondancer too, sucking away what little feeling of victory Sunset had. “You played really well, too! Have you been practicing?”

“Oh, a little here and there. I miss having you as a partner though. No one else can push me to my mental limits.” Moondancer raised her head to Sunset. “Though, Sunset might be a good contender.”

Sunset crossed her arms. She didn’t… throw the match, did she? No, she put way too much effort into this just to lose on purpose. Then again, Moondancer’s entire reason to play seemed to just be so she could prove a point. Sunset looked into Moondancer’s eyes, determined to discover something herself.

She wore her mask well, better than anyone Sunset had intimidated thus far. But behind the smug confidence, Sunset could see something. A crack in the Shakespearean veneer. Just like her defensive wall around her king, Moondancer was trying to protect something.

Rich girl. Busy dad, absent mom. Comes from a family with unusual abilities and inherited none of it. Sunset smiled at Moondancer. That’s right, two can play at this game. You’re not as great an actress as you think.

8. Dazzling Dissonance

Sunset came home with a sore butt and knees from falling so much during her first ice skating session. After the chess match, Moondancer had insisted on going to the ice rink at the back of the mall. Twilight eagerly agreed, offering to teach Sunset how to skate. While it gave plenty of reason for physical contact between the two, Sunset remained silently annoyed at Moondancer’s jumps and twirls around them.

Fancy footwork aside, Sunset had an enjoyable time with Twilight’s arm around her. Standing on the ice skates alone took the better half of an hour. Sunset thought learning to stand on two legs had been hard; standing on two thin blades of metal proved downright insane. Twilight laughed everytime Sunset fell but helped her up in a heartbeat. Sunset let Twilight have her fun since that would be the only time she was more coordinated than Sunset.

Walking through the front door, Sunset realized she had forgotten to tell Moondancer to see her extended family. Oh well, I’ll tell her on Monday. Spot welcomed her home first, sniffing her boots and rolling over when Sunset put her hand down. She scratched his belly, then carried him upstairs, stopping at the door to the study where she found all three Lulamoons and several floating books.

Selena looked up from the crumpled notes she had in her hand and smiled. “Hello, Sunset. How was the mall?”

“Fun.” A book floated past her. “So, what are you guys up to?”

Artemis tossed a book into the air and snatched a different one. “Putting that spell on Twilight made me realize we don’t have a proper counterspell against the Sirens’ magic. That was merely a precautionary defense. I’m not sure if it’ll work on people who have already been manipulated. Moreover, that spell won’t work on a larger scale. They’re influencing people by the thousands.”

“Once we seal them away, the spell should wear off eventually,” Selena said. “Theoretically at least.”

“And how are you going to seal them away?” Sunset asked.

Artemis swept his hat off his head. “I’m going to create another pocket dimension and keep them nice and safe in here. You know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” He pushed his hair back and put the hat back on. “Yes, we have the means, just not the method. We can’t just march up and fight them. Learned that the hard way. And unless we break the spell they already have on half the youth of the country, we can’t just make them ‘disappear’ without raising some sort of alarm.”

“Trixie doesn’t see why not. It’s not like anyone could prove we did anything.”

Artemis glanced at Selena. “She’s not wrong.”

Selena didn’t look up from her notes. “We’ll call that plan B.”

*******

With the Dazzlings’ concert on Friday, they were the only thing most students at Canterlot High talked about. Anyone who hadn’t heard them sing was quickly indoctrinated. Their music played in between classes and during lunch. By Wednesday, if Sunset never heard ‘Under Our Spell’ again it would be too soon.

“They’re not exactly being subtle, are they?” Twilight said during their sixth period. Sunset took comfort in knowing Twilight found them equally irritating. Ms. Vector, however, seemed to think they made great learning music since she made no effort to stop Lemon Hearts from blaring them out her Ipod.

“They’re not even in town yet and everyone’s on the verge of being obsessed with them,” Sunset said, disgusted. “Flocks of sheep.”

“It’s like the Greek myth of the Sirens, actually,” Twilight said. “A Siren's voice was so alluring, it was like hypnotism.” Twilight frowned. “But at the end of their song, sailors would meet their deaths. At least, in some variations.” She returned to their math problems. “I just can’t believe Sirens are real. Gosh, if I could get them to sit down and answer some of my questions! Are they really the Sirens from mythology? If they are, does that mean all the other myths are real too?”

“A threat to everything we love and hold dear, and you want to ask them questions.” Sunset pinched Twilight’s cheek. “You’re so cute when you’re being nerdy.”

Twilight pretended to bite at Sunset’s fingers. “I’m just as concerned as you are. That doesn’t stop me from being curious though.”

Twinkleshine turned around and shushed them. “I can’t hear the Dazzlings!”

Twilight lowered her voice. “I’ll be glad when this is all over though. Do the Lulamoons have a plan to stop them yet?”

“Define ‘plan’. Artemis is going to do reconnaissance tomorrow night when they arrive. Aside from that, they’re kinda stuck. Trying to deal with them publically will just backfire. And with everyone watching their every movement, it’ll be almost impossible to do it privately too.”

”So what can they do?”

Sunset tapped her pencil against her desk. “Right now, they’re banking on the idea that they’ll steal the Crystal Heart. With tightened security around the museum, Artemis is hoping they’ll get caught in the act.”

“Well, I guess that’s better than nothing.” She bit her lip. “I don’t like this. Knowing something bad is going to happen but not being able to do anything about it.”

“What can we do about it? Just because the girls come preset with special effects when they play music now, doesn't mean we can go toe to toe with ancient evils.” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Although, when I say it like that, it sounds pretty awesome.”

Twilight sighed. “I know. I’m just worried about Moondancer and anyone else who isn’t protected by magic. I don’t want anything bad to happen.”

Sunset wrapped an arm around her. “It’s gonna be fine. If Artemis and Selena beat them before, I’m sure they can do it again.”

“Sunset! Twilight!” Ms. Vector barked. “Stop talking, and do your work! You’re interrupting—” The school bell went off, releasing them for the day. “Oh, well, I guess class is over. Whatever you didn’t finish is homework for tonight.”

“I might just bring earplugs on Friday,” Sunset said as they walked out the classroom. Vinyl Scratch walked by them, dubstep blasting from underneath her headphones. “She’s got the right idea.”

“Twilight, oh Twilight!” a melodic voice called.

“Speaking of ear grating noise,” Sunset whispered to herself. From down the hall glided Moondancer.

“Little star, guess what I obtained through my various social connections.”

“Umm…”

Moondancer pulled out two tickets from her purse. “Ta-da! Tickets to the Dazzlings’ concert! An evening of music just for the two of us! Box seats even!”

Is this sabotage? This feels like sabotage.

“Wow, Moony, I don’t know what to say.” Twilight tapped her fingers together. “It sounds like a lot of fun but.. Uh, let me talk to Sunset for a second.”

Taking her cue, Sunset linked arms with Twilight and took her down the hall before Moondancer could protest. “Yeah, so I hate to be that girlfriend. But no.”

“I figured you were going to say that.” Twilight took a deep breath, the kind where Sunset knew she wasn’t going to like what was said next. “Sunset, you’re not… jealous I’m spending time with Moondancer, are you?”

“What? No! Of course not!” Sunset said loudly.

Twilight crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in a way very reminiscent of Sunset.

Gee, I wonder what tipped her off? Sunset folded her arms and leaned against the lockers. “Okay, just a little. Have you met me? I don’t know what else you expected.”

“I expect you to be mature about this,” Twilight said with a scolding wag of her finger. “Moondancer and I are just friends.”

“I know that. That’s why I let you go out with her.”

“Let me?”

Sunset facepalmed. “You know what I mean, Twilight. Besides, this isn’t even about that.” She got off the locker and put her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “I don’t want you going to that concert because it’s dangerous. One, the riots, and two, I don’t know if that spell will hold up if you’re standing right in front of the Sirens.”

Twilight looked down, considering Sunset’s words. “That’s fair, I guess. I just feel bad.”

“Hey, if you don’t go, Moondancer probably won’t go, so you’re protecting her too.”

“You’re right. This is probably the safest option. But what do I tell her?”

“Study date.” Sunset and Twilight walked back to Moondancer, casually fanning herself with her tickets.

“Sorry, Moony, I already made plans for a study date with Sunset.” Twilight said, her expression tight.

“On a Friday?”

“It’s also a sleepover,” Sunset added.

Moondancer gave her a wary look.

“Adult supervised!” Twilight quickly threw in, sweating and blushing.

Moondancer pursed her lips for a moment, then shrugged. “Disappointed? Yes. But I shall respect your previous engagement.” She waved her tickets. “What am I going to do with this extra concert ticket though?”

A line of guys appeared behind her, starry-eyed and hopeful. Moondancer looked back and shooed them away with a wave of her hand. “Plebeians.”

*******

“Artemis, I don’t like this.” Selena protested but put the headset on and adjusted the microphone. “I should at least go with you for backup.”

Artemis tapped his own headset. “Turtle dove, if we didn’t have two beautiful girls to look after, you know I would say yes.” He took her hand. “Any minute away from you feels like an eternity.”

Selena blushed and looked away. “Don’t try and charm me when you’re about to dive off into danger.”

“It’s just a little stakeout. Hardly what I’d call dangerous.” Artemis took a few steps back and turned his mic on. “Testing, testing. Can you hear me, love?”

“Yes, I can hear you. And if it’s so safe, why can’t I come with you?”

Artemis put on his trusty grin. “Do you think Sunset and Trixie can be left alone in the house together?”

“They’re getting better. Besides, Spot will watch them.”

He laughed. Selena was right. In the two months Sunset had been in their house, Trixie had warmed up a considerable amount. And having a dog for the to bond over (even though they both tried to hide it) helped their relationship even more.

“Just in case something happens, you need to be here for them.”

Selena took a seat on Artemis’ desk. She looked at the books lining the shelves in the back with thoughtful eyes. “You worry me when you talk like that. You used to never make contingency plans. One plan, and if that didn’t work, we’d just wing it.”

“Back then, I didn’t have a daughter and a foster child to raise.” Artemis tried to soften his words with a smile. He never liked sounding this serious. “Everything will be fine though. I’m not actually going into the hotel. I’ll be on the roof, out of sight the entire time.” He pointed a hand to the crystal ball resting on a golden frame. “And you’ll be able to see everything I see through that.”

Selena tapped the ball. “You’ll be fine. I know. I just can’t help but worry. I don’t enjoy sitting on the sidelines.”

Artemis crossed the room and rested a hand on her cheek. “I know you don’t. But you’ll have your time to shine again. And when this is over, you’ll have another story to share with the world.” He bent down and kissed her tenderly. She moved her arms around his neck, locking him in place and turning tenderness into passion.

The door behind them creaked, and they broke apart. Trixie and Sunset tried to duck their heads away, but the attempt was meaningless. “Yes, girls?” Artemis asked.

They opened the door, shamefaced. “Sorry, Daddy,” Trixie said. “We just wanted to see you before you left.”

Artemis raised his hands. “Honestly, girls, I’m just going to do a little stealth work. The big, epic battle comes later.” He swooped over and wrapped both of them in a hug. “I appreciate the concern though.” He stepped into the center of the room and tipped his hat. “Now, mind your mother. Get to bed on time. I’ll see you all in the morning.” He took in all their faces, each of them trying to smile in spite of their concern. He winked and raised his wand. “Lulamoon!”

Everything vanished in a plume of smoke, and Artemis spiraled through nothing, sinking down, down, down, until he hit something solid again. The cold night air blew away the residual smoke, and he found himself on the rooftop of The Castle, Canterlot’s most famous and expensive hotel.

“Turtle dove, this is grand wizard. Do you read me? Over.” Artemis said into his com.

A faint crackle, then, “Grand wizard. Really?”

“Too ostentatious?”

“Well, that’s one problem with it. But yes, I can hear you, Artemis. And I can see as well. That’s quite a view.”

Stretching twenty-five stories, The Castle gave a magnificent view of downtown Canterlot. The city lights glowed like fireflies in the dark, illuminating the marble architecture and green parks. Cars crawled below him, mechanical rolly-pollies rolling through night.

A few blocks away, Canterlot Tower loomed over the rest of the city, still twenty-five floors higher than where Artemis stood. The top floors remained dark, masking it with the sky. Artemis made a longing sigh. “Forgive me, Apalla. When this is over, I’ll be a better uncle. I promise.”

“What was that?” Selena asked.

“Nothing, nothing.” Artemis set about navigating the rooftop. The Castle ended in a domed spire that cast an impressive shadow over the rest of the bare roof. Just below him was the penthouse suite, and if he was a betting man (he performed in Las Vegas, of course he was) he guessed that’s where the Sirens stayed.

He placed the tip of his wand against the cement. “Lulamoon.” A pulse of light spread out from his wand and washed over the roof, then snapped back. He felt two surges of power burst into life beneath him with a third a few floors down. “Yep, they’re here.”

“Be careful,” Selena said.

“You worry too much, my love.” He tapped each ear and said, “Lulamoon!” He winced at the sudden jump in the noise level of everything around him. The wind sounded like a hurricane, the cars below like monster trucks, and each conversation was a wild party. “Refocus that… Lulamoon!” The noise fell considerably, but he could still pick up exchanges happening in the hotel. He knelt down and concentrated on the room below him.

“...this one, or this one tomorrow?”

“I don’t care, Sonata.”

“Well, what are you wearing tomorrow?”

Artemis heard the crunch of potato chips. “This probably.”

“Eww, Aria, that’s gross.”

“I’ll have it dry cleaned, geez. Stop sounding like Adagio; it’s annoying.”

Artemis rolled his eyes. “This might turn into a long night.”

“Why, what are they talking about?” Selena asked.

“Absolutely nothing.” He listened to Aria and Sonata bicker back and forth for the next twenty minutes, most of which consisted of childish insults. Remind me again how we almost lost to them? The door slammed open, and a new voice entered the mix.

“We’ve been here an hour and this place is already a mess!”

Ah yes. Her.

“Aria did it!”

“Sonata, you are literally the worst!”

“No, you are!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Girls,” the third voice started sweetly, “as much as I would love to hear this conversation for the umpteenth time… please shut up!”

“Sorry, Dagi.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“Thank you. Now according to the ticket manager, we have a sold out show tomorrow.”

Sonata clapped her hands. “Yaaay! It’s going to be so much fun!”

“Quite. I told you this plan would work, Aria.”

Aria scoffed. “Yeah, you keep reminding me every city. I’ll keep being skeptical until the Crystal Heart is sitting in our hands.”

Artemis tensed.

“I can’t believe we circled the whole country just to find out it was where we started,” Aria continued. “Talk about full circle.”

“I don’t know, it’s more of a squiggly square… or a rhombus,” Sonata said.

“Sonata, stop breathing.”

“Ha, I’m not falling for that again!”

Artemis heard two dull thuds and cries of, “Ow!”

“I swear, if you two screw up tomorrow…” She let the threat hang in the air. “We’re on the cusp of victory. One feast with the Crystal Heart will bring us back to full strength, magic or no magic.”

“Then the whole world will be ours to do whatever we want,” Aria said smugly.

“Dibs on Australlia! I’m going to get a pet kangaroo!”

“... Just get ready for bed, both of you. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

Doors slammed shut and the room lapsed into silence. Artemis drew his lips into a thin line. That had been less helpful than he had hoped.

“Did you learn anything?” Selena’s voice made him jump.

“Nothing definite. They might try to steal the Heart tomorrow.”

“But that’s the concert.”

Artemis stood and rubbed his sore knees. “Exactly. Everyone’s attention will be drawn to the coliseum. They’d have a great alibi, too.”

“Looks like Dagi was right,” a cool voice said from behind. “The hotel has a rat problem.”

Artemis spun around, wand raised. Two pairs of eyes looked back at him from the shadows. They stepped forward, Aria looking annoyed and Sonata confused.

“That’s not a rat. It’s that old guy from a long time ago.”

Artemis bristled. “I wasn’t old then and I’m not old now!”

“Artemis, don’t fight them,” Selena said sternly.

He chose not to respond, keeping his attention trained on two of the Sirens. He chanced a peripheral glance for the third one but found nothing but darkness.

Aria crossed her arms. “Figures we’d find you here of all places. Come to take the Heart from us again?”

“It isn't yours to begin with. I’m here to make sure it stays out of your grubby hands.”

Sonata showed her hands with a triumphant smirk. “Our hands are clean, thank you very much.”

Aria pressed on like Sonata had said nothing. “Last time, you had help and you barely won. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Artemis, get out of there!”

“As I recall, it was a rather decisive battle. Besides, I’ve learned a lot since then,” Artemis said calmly. “I think I can handle you two.” Something cold and hard slammed into the back of his head, sending him to the floor and placing stars in front of his vision.

“Artemis!”

“How about three of us?”

Artemis pushed himself up to his feet. His head throbbed worse than any hangover. “Adagio,” he spat. Behind him, Adagio gave a nasty smile. He turned around. “Well, you haven’t aged a day.”

“And you’ve aged several.” She gave the metal pipe in her hand a twirl. “Did you really think you were being sneaky? I could smell the magic on you a mile away.”

“A mere oversight on my part.” Artemis kept his wand high, raising his other hand to his hat. His eyes bounced between each Siren as they closed in, flanking him from three sides. Before they got too close, he swept his hat off and shouted, “Lulamoon!” White doves soared forth, swooping and pecking at the Sirens. Artemis jumped through an opening in their circle to gain some distance.

He conjured an image of home in his head, but the headache still lingered, making the picture fuzzy. It would be a miracle if he made it back in one piece, but it was better than the alternative.

A dissonant wail broke his concentration and forced him to cover his ears. His doves scattered into the night, leaving the Sirens free to draw in close, circling him like hungry sharks. He took satisfaction in seeing the cuts on their faces and feathers in their hair. He raised his wand, but Aria struck first, grabbing and twisting his wrist until his wand dropped from his hand and rolled away. She followed up with a knee to his stomach, then threw him onto the ground.

“Artemis!”

Adagio leaned over him, hands on her hips. “Consider this retribution, Artemis. You left us stranded for twenty years on that island. We nearly starved to death.”

Artemis propped himself on one arm, eyes subtly looking for his wand. “I’m curious,” he said after getting his wind back, “how did you manage to escape?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Adagio said with a sultry grin.

“But I thought we didn’t know either.”

Adagio’s grin quickly flipped over at Sonata’s words.

“You kept saying you felt some magic and Aria said you were crazy, then we found a glowy portal and then we were here.”

Aria sighed and facepalmed. “You’ve reached your word quota, Sonata. Stop talking now.”

Artemis’ lips curled up. It was a start.

Adagio finished giving Sonata a death glare and turned her attention back to Artemis. “I hope you’re not as stupid as her and came here alone. Where’s the rest of your little team?”

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

“Showing false bravado? Admirable. But you won’t be singing the same tune when we’re done with you.” Adagio took a breath, and her sisters followed suit. Artemis snapped his hand out, calling his wand back from under the ventilation shaft and threw a barrier around himself just as the Sirens emitted another vocal attack. Even from within, he could hear their harmonized otherworldly wails, see the vibrations disrupting the air in front of their yawning maws.

Artemis kept his hands up, holding his force field aloft while the Sirens screamed. It was now a contest of who would break first. They needed to breathe eventually, but Artemis couldn’t hold a shield against a direct three way attack.

“Artemis, you get out of there right now!” Selena yelled.

“Love to, sweetie, I’d really love to,” Artemis said, the strain taking its toll already. To his left, Sonata stopped to take a breath. Aria and Adagio followed her lead, giving Artemis a window of opportunity. He lowered his shield and prepared to teleport, but a sonic vibration caught him in the side. He flew toward Aria, who punched him in the jaw, making him stagger back to the middle of the circle where Adagio struck him in the chest with the pipe.

“Ha, made you look!” Sonata sang.

Artemis fell to one knee, wheezing and feeling warm blood trickle down his lip. Come on, Lulamoon, you’ve still got a few tricks up your sleeve.

Adagio crossed her arms. “What do you have to say now, Artemis?”

He looked up at her with his boyish grin. “Would you like to play a game?”

“I would!” Sonata yelled, waving a hand.

Adagio rolled her eyes again. “Sure, we’ll humor you.”

“I do love a good sense of humor.” Quick as lighting, Artemis reached into his sleeve and threw an entire deck of cards at Adagio. It hit her square in the face, then broke into fifty-two separate cards that flew around with a wave of Artemis’ wand. “Fifty-two pickup!”

The cards cut into the Sirens’ clothes and skin, shallow but numerous. Artemis twisted his wand in a sideways figure eight, causing the cards to double back on themselves. While the girls shrieked and tried to fight them off, Artemis stepped back to a clear spot.

He clutched his chest, hoping he had enough strength to teleport back home. He said softly, “Lula—”

Adagio hurled her metal pipe with perfect accuracy. It hit Artemis’s right hand, knocking his wand high into the air. The cards lost their vigor and scattered on the wind. Bleeding cuts on her face and hate in her eyes, Aria charged at Artemis.

Artemis reached into his other sleeve and pulled out one end of a multicolored handkerchief. He brandished it like a whip and threw it around Aria’s arm as she drew near. It knotted itself on its own accord and reeled her in, throwing off her balance.

“Mother said never to hit girls,” Artemis said as Aria flew forward. He slammed a fist into her jaw. “But for you, I’ll make an exception.” The handkerchief released Aria as she spiraled backwards. Sonata caught her and held her upright.

“Are you okay?”

Aria shoved Sonata off and ran forward again while Artemis dove for his wand. Adagio’s pointed heel smashed down, snapping it in half, then stepped on his fingers. Artemis’ yell was cut off by Aria’s headlock. She focused her strength into her forearm pressing into Artemis’ windpipe. The handkerchief rose up to whip Aria, but Adagio grabbed it and began to tug. It stretched out for yards, but eventually the other end came out and it fell limp.

“Game over,” Adagio growled.

“Artemis! Artemis!”

Adagio laid eyes on the com set around Artemis’ ear. “Oh, so there’s your backup. Sonata, if you would.”

Sonata skipped over and plucked the microphone off him. “Helloooo?”

“You let go of my husband right now!” Selena screamed.

“Sorry, wrong number.” Sonata tossed it over the side of the roof with a delightfully evil grin. She took the long handkerchief and bound Artemis’ hands in an impressive knot.

Adagio gingerly fingered one of the cuts on her face. “A minor annoyance, nothing more. Old age isn’t becoming of you, Lulamoon.”

Artemis had a number of comebacks, but with Aria crushing his windpipe, none of them could be said. He settled for glaring defiantly.

Adagio breathed deep. “Ah, I can taste your anger already.” She pat his cheek. “But there’s no need to be upset. We’re going to take good care of you.” She smiled at his quizzical expression. “What, you thought we were going to kill you?” She laughed, a throaty cackle that grew louder each second. “Oh no, that would be too easy.” She dug her nails into his cheeks. Artemis saw volcanic fury waiting to explode just beneath a thin veil of calm. “I spent twenty years on an remote island with nothing but those two idiots to keep me company.”

“We’re right here, Adagio,” Aria said.

“Besides, it wasn’t that bad. We found fifty different ways to cook crab! And remember the seashell fort?”

“Word quota, Sonata,” Aria snapped.

The volcanic fury began to melt through Adagio’s facade. “I rest my case,” she said in clipped tones. “So no, I’m not going to kill you. Instead, you’ll get a front row seat to our greatest show yet!” She let go of his face and turned to the Canterlot skyline. “Thanks to all your fancy gadgets and technology, humanity has become a hivemind. An idea becomes a fad, and then a trend, and then everyone wants to be part of it. We sing one song over the radio, then every recording label wants to make us stars. The more the world hears us over the radio and internet, the more they want to come to our concerts.”

She spun around, her feral grin illuminated by the moon. “Thousands of teenagers packed into a crowded, sold-out stadium. Every night is a three-course meal!” She curled her fingers, crushing the air in front of her. “Now just imagine what would happen if we doubled that output of negative energy.”

“It’ll be the biggest feast we’ve ever had,” Aria said with a sadistic grin equal to her sister’s.

“We’re gonna be invincible, we’re gonna be invincible!” Sonata sang.

Artemis choked out, “You’re going to create a bloodbath.”

Adagio’s grin widened. “Oh, I hope so. After tomorrow night, the Crystal Heart will be ours, then all we’ll need is one concert to get enough power, we can get people to do anything we want, even through radio.” She snapped her fingers, and Aria finally let him go. Artemis fell forward onto the dirty rooftop, coughing and wheezing.

“In the meantime,” Adagio said, strolling forward, “you’ll make a nice magical snack to nibble on.”

“Like most trends… you’ll fade away,” Artemis panted. “And no one… will remember you.”

“History is written by the victors, Artemis.” Adagio lifted her boot. “So as far as I’m concerned, we’re already immortal, literally and figuratively.” She brought it down on Artemis’ face. An explosion of pain, then the world faded to black.

Heh… maybe I am too old for this…

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Here Comes Treble.

9. Overture

Sleep did not come for Sunset that night. No one in the house slept. She listened to Selena and Trixie weep, then went into the kitchen and warmed up soup for both of them. The family appreciated the gesture, but the soup went untouched.

Sunset didn’t cry, but her stomach heaved and her heart hammered at double-speed. She had been moments away from turning out her light and falling asleep when Selena’s scream paralyzed her. Sunset had raced behind Trixie back to the study to find the crystal ball had gone dark, Selena shaking it with desperation, her face soaked with tears.

Artemis wasn’t dead. Sunset refused to believe that. Selena and Trixie held onto that hope as well. But it didn’t stop the creeping dread nor the air of distress that now permeated every corner of the house. It created a cold, deeper and more bitter than the late winter chill.

The three of them took residence in the living room. Sunset sat in an armchair, knees up to her chin. Selena and Trixie sat curled together on the couch, the forming stroking her daughter’s hair.

“Mom… what do we do now?” Trixie croaked.

The heavy pause spoke for itself. Sunset could see it in Selena’s puffy eyes, the urge to walk out and confront the Sirens herself. “I don’t know. But we’ll think of something.” She looked at the clock over the fireplace. “It’s almost five. You should both try to get some sleep. I’ll call the school and tell them you’ll be absent.”

Sunset shook her head. “No. I’ll go.” She certainly wasn’t up for social interaction or mental stimulation, but she needed to tell her friends. The Sirens had just made things personal.

“Are you sure, Sunset?”

“Yeah.” She let her legs down, feeling her knees pop and the blood circulate freely. “Guess I’ll get ready now.” She stood and stumbled a few steps, muscles tingling at the sudden reuse. Spot remained on Trixie’s lap, reaching up to lick her tears on occasion.

Sunset took an hour long shower, though the chill persisted. Warm and clean outside, cold and sick inside, Sunset almost decided to lay down and go to sleep instead of trudging her way to school. Still, she forced herself to get dressed, then sat on her bed, watching the clock slowly eat up the hour she had left.

“What do we do now?” Princess Twilight repeated Trixie’s question.

“Not sure.” Sunset rubbed at her heavy eyelids. “But… I think a place to start is at the concert.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Probably is. But it’s where the Dazzlings are going to be. Maybe there’s a clue somewhere about Artemis or how they’re going to take the Crystal Heart.”

“But you don’t have a ticket.”

Sunset tugged at her collar anxiously. “No. But I know where I can get one from.”

*******

“No.”

“But, Twilight—”

“I said no.”

In their first shared class of the day, Sunset had picked the farthest lab station from unwanted ears. She had expected some trepidation from Twilight, not outright refusal. But Twilight firmly stared at the textbook in front of her, scowl plain as day while Sunset pleaded her case.

“I don’t think you understand—”

“What I understand is that you want me to extort a ticket from my friend and give it to you, then lie to my friend again so you can go to a concert you just told me I couldn’t and shouldn’t go to.”

“That’s because it’s dangerous!” Sunset said in a heated whisper.

“So? You’re trying to go.”

“Someone has to!”

Twilight looked up, violet eyes hard. “And that someone has to be you?”

“Who else is going to do it?”

Twilight removed a latex glove and rubbed at her eyes. “You just told me Artemis was kidnapped by them. On top of extorting and lying, why would I agree to let you get anywhere near them?”

Sunset paused, tapping a knuckle against her chin. “You know, you’re really cute when you’re protective.”

“Don’t try to change the subject! I’m mad at you!” Twilight snapped.

“I’m not changing the subject. The subject of this part of the conversation…” Sunset snapped her mouth shut as Twilight’s icy stare became sub-zero. “Right. I’m sorry, Twilight, but I need to do something to help.”

“And I love that you do,” Twilight said warmly. The cold edge creeped back into her voice. “The part that makes me mad is the hypocrisy behind it. The concert’s too dangerous for me to go but not for you?”

Sunset held a beaker up to keep an appearance of productivity. Mr. Doodle had given them a few too many side glances. “I told you: I don’t know if the spell will hold up if you’re right in front of them.”

“What about you? What if your magic shield thing doesn’t hold up? What then?”

“Then the girls hit me with another rainbow and I learn friendship all over again.” She set the beaker down and shuddered. “I see your point. But the magic around me isn’t from this world. The source of your magic was Artemis, and now that he’s…” A lump rose up in Sunset’s throat. It proved difficult in pushing back down, but Sunset managed. “Now that he’s indisposed, there’s no guarantee the spell’s active anymore.”

Twilight took the beaker and started adding chemicals to it. “Then aren’t I in danger regardless?”

Sunset bit her tongue. She hadn’t considered that. “M-maybe. But that’s no reason to go charging into the dragon’s mouth.”

“Like what you’re about to do?”

“Stop that!”

Twilight gave a resentful shake of her head and flipped to the next page in her book. “I’ll get the ticket for you, but only because I’m worried about Artemis.”

Sunset stopped herself from cheering. “You’re the best, Sparky!”

“Don’t call me Sparky, I’m still mad.”

“And I swear, I will make this up to you. We’ll do anything you want for Valentine’s Day.”

Twilight made a noncommittal grunt and returned to her chemicals. The remaining class time was lukewarm at best. Twilight gave terse responses to anything Sunset said. Still, at the end after they washed their hands and packed up their belongings, Twilight slipped her hand into Sunset’s and gave it a light squeeze.

*******

Lunch proved no better than the class periods, only instead of tense, the atmosphere around the table was grim. Twilight had gone with Moondancer to have lunch with the theater kids in the drama room, Moondancer’s normal hangout when she wasn’t hovering over Twilight’s shoulder. Everyone else sat gripped to Sunset’s recount of the previous night.

“That’s horrifying,” Rarity said, pushing her full tray of food back. “I can’t imagine what Trixie is going through.”

“Can’t the police do somethin’?” Applejack asked.

Sunset scoffed. “No. First, we’d have to explain why Artemis was on the roof of The Castle in the first place. And second, even if they did investigate, the Sirens could probably spin a story painting them as innocent even without their magic.”

Fluttershy wiped a tear away. “So then, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to the concert to look for clues. Anything to help the Lulamoons out.”

“By yourself?”

Sunset gave a guilty shrug. “It’s not like I have a lot of options.”

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow exchanged a similar look of guilt. “Well, darling...” Rarity said. She leaned forward, eyes flickering to the table where Sweetie Belle and her friends sat. “You don’t necessarily have to go alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, after you told us about the Sirens, Rainbow, Applejack, and myself learned that our sisters had obtained tickets to the concert.”

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. “We snatched them up as quick as we could. Luckily, we had the excuse of tellin’ them they couldn’t go because of the riotin’ and such.”

Rainbow tagged in. “But, judging from their expressions—” she pointed a thumb at Applejack and Rarity “—they were like me and didn’t actually get rid of the tickets.”

Sunset sat straight in her seat. “So, you girls could go with me?”

“Technically, yes, we could.” Rarity twiddled her thumbs. “I just feel… dirty about it. I told Sweetie she couldn’t go and now I’m going.”

“Yeah, that seems to be a common theme today,” Sunset muttered. “Listen, I appreciate the gesture, but if it makes you feel guilty, you don’t have to go.”

“What, and leave you there by yourself?” Rainbow asked with personal offense. “That’s not gonna happen.”

“But…”

Applejack crossed her arms and sighed. “Yeah, it’s probably the most dishonest thing Ah’ve done. But it’s for helpin’ a friend. And potentially the world. ‘Sides, it’s not like we actually have to tell them we’re goin’ to the concert.”

Pinkie bobbed her head. “Yeah! We’ll just tell them we’re having a giant sleepover at Sunset’s house while we’re all doing super stealth missions right under the enemy’s nose.” She struck a series of what Sunset guessed were ninja poses.

“We?” Rainbow asked.

Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out two tickets. “Marble and Limestone wanted to go. But I was a responsible big sister and told them they couldn’t because the Sirens are actually evil brainwashing monsters who feed off negativity. Boy, was Limestone mad.” She dropped a ticket onto Fluttershy’s tray.

Sunset blinked. “Did we all just cheat people we care about into getting tickets for a show?”

Everyone but Fluttershy murmured and hung their heads in shamed agreement. Sunset patted Fluttershy’s hand and said, “Stay pure.”

Lunch ended and Sunset moved onto her last period, finding Twilight already seated. “Here,” she said grumpily, handing Sunset the ticket.

“Thank you, babe.” Sunset tucked the ticket into her pocket.

“Don’t ‘babe’ me.”

“When are you going to stop being mad?”

“Tomorrow, when I’m done lying to Moondancer about suddenly being sick, and you come back safely.”

Sunset sighed. “Fair enough.”

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh,

“You didn't know that you fell.”

Sunset’s eye twitched. She shot a venomous glare at Lemon Hearts, walking into the classroom with her music turned up loud and wearing a Dazzling t-shirt. The realization that she would be in a stadium full of this nonsense hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Out of the fire, and into the dragon’s mouth,” she groaned.

*******

The strongest proof Sunset had that she had changed was her unwillingness to lie. Before, she could do it without batting an eye. As she paced a circle in her room, her stomach coiled and her conscience revolted. Selena had been nothing but nice, and here Sunset was, preparing to lie to her face right after Artemis had fallen into enemy claws. Yes, her intentions were noble, but that didn’t absolve the guilt. Well intentioned or not, Sunset was leaving the Lulamoons in their time of need to dive head first into danger.

“If it makes you feel any better, you’ve done worse things,” she said to herself. It didn’t help. She checked her phone. Twilight hadn’t talked to her since they parted ways after school. The rest of the girls agreed to meet up in front of Canterlot Coliseum, where the concert would be held.

Sunset threw on her jacket and a pair of fingerless black gloves. She looked in the mirror. “Soft as you’ve gotten, you still rock the bad girl look.”

“I’m disappointed in your lying, but good luck,” Princess Twilight squeaked.

Sunset rubbed her temple. “When this is over, it might be time to get professional help.” She slipped out of her room before her reflection could add anything. Downstairs, Trixie and Selena sat at the table, mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. Selena mustered a small smile at Sunset’s appearance. Trixie just stared blankly.

“Hey.” Sunset waved awkwardly. “Are you…” She shook her head. “Do you need anything?”

“No, thank you,” Selena said with a dip of her head. “How are you doing?”

“Okay, I guess. I was just…” Sunset flinched. Even if it had been the truth, it still felt like twisting a knife. “I was just going over to study with Twilight for a little bit. A distraction, you know?” Sunset wished she still had that sledge hammer to give herself a good beating with.

Selena gave a slow nod. If she was angry or disappointed, she showed no sign of it. “Don’t stay out too late, please.”

“Yeah, of course.” She stepped back out of the kitchen. Trixie’s blank stare hardened into a glare at Sunset’s retreat. Sunset couldn’t blame her.

The days had begun to lengthen again. Outside, the sun still gave the world a faint glow. The February wind still proved bitter, forcing Sunset to zip up her jacket. She started her motorcycle and let it warm up. Go to the show, see if I can’t sneak around backstage, find something useful, and leave. Easy plan.

Cars packed the highway into the city. Being a Friday evening, Sunset couldn’t say she was surprised, but she had a suspicion most cars were going to the same destination. Even with her motor skills, it proved a hassle to weave her way through traffic.

Canterlot Coliseum lay at the heart of downtown. Oblong and painted silver and gold, it held a grandiose air. Six columns of light rose to the sky and curled inward to the center, like a dying monstrosity making one last grab for the pale moon floating just overhead.

Sunset parked two blocks away and joined the foot traffic flocking to the coliseum entrance. The crowd around her consisted mostly of teens her age, but she saw many kids with their parents looking just as excited as anyone else. Shirts, hats and balloons with the Dazzlings’ faces were worn by the vast majority, but no one gave Sunset dirty looks for her lack of paraphernalia.

She broke away from the crowd and waited by the main gates. At half past six, the sun gave its final wave and disappeared behind the horizon. Sunset could faintly see her breath under the coliseum lights. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long before her friends showed up, still looking guilty.

“We better get something good out of this,” Rainbow said.

“Well, there’s plenty of food we can get!” Pinkie said. Her smiled faltered against her friends’ withering stares. “What? It’s a two hour concert; we’re gonna get hungry, right?”

Sunset melded back into the crowd. “Come on, let’s just get this over with.” The courtyard had two bronze statues of football players, one catching a ball and the other pushing forward with the ball tucked under arm. Memorabilia stands flanked the path to the front entrance. Inflated posters of the Dazzlings hung over the doors and ticket counters.

The lines became congested as security checked off tickets. Sunset saw several teenagers hauled off by a mob of guards.

“They’re real! I swear they’re real! Please, let us in!” they screamed. Their protest fell on deaf ears.

Fluttershy shivered. “Oh, please let out tickets be real.”

They pushed up to the check in counter, and to their relief, their tickets were indeed authentic. The burly security guard handed back their stubs. “Field standing is straight ahead.” To Sunset, he said, “Box seats are to the right. Just follow the building around until you see the red carpet. Take the stairs to the top.”

“I forgot these were box seats,” Sunset said once they had moved to the concrete corridor.

“Ah can’t believe Apple Bloom got field tickets. We’ll be right in front of the stage with these,” Applejack said, staring at her stub in wonder.

“Be careful,” Sunset warned. “If things get violent or you start to feel weird, just get out of there. I’m going to watch the concert start from the box, then see if I can sneak around.”

Rarity held her phone up. “We’ll call you if we see anything suspicious.”

“Go Spectacular Seven!” Pinkie cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

“There’s only six of us here,” Applejack said.

“Twilight’s with us in spirit!”

Sunset sighed and broke from her friends. The crowd thinned out more and more as she navigated the circumference of the building. Posters of famous football matches and other concert performances decorated the walls. Concession stands offered a variety of fried and greasy food. Finally, a crimson carpet rolled out under her boots, and she followed it up a curved staircase. It broke out to the second floor, then continued up to the third, and finally to the top where another security guard checked her stub. He moved aside and let her into the box.

There were only two rows of seats in front of the large window whose glass had been retracted. Some of the seats were already filled, and to Sunset’s dismay, she recognized the hair of one of the occupants. “Oh, ponyfeathers, it’s you.”

Moondancer turned around and scrunched her nose. She muttered something in French then said, “What on earth are you doing here?”

Sunset stepped down the aisle and hovered over an empty seat. “Since Twilight is sick, she gave me her ticket so it wouldn’t go to waste.”

“Oh, my little star.” Moondancer let out a dreamy sigh. “She’s far too kind for her own good.”

Sunset leaned close and dropped her voice to whisper. “What are you doing here? I know you know what the Dazzlings really are. Why would you want to come to their concert?”

Moondancer closed her eyes. “I find their music delightfully enchanting. I just had to hear it in person. Besides, they’ve committed no crime so far. Perhaps they’ve learned their lesson.”

“They kidnapped Artemis,” Sunset said, clenching her teeth.

“What?” Moondancer’s eyes snapped open. “P-preposterous!”

“It’s the truth. They’re dangerous, Moondancer; you’ve got to believe that. They’re up to something sinister that’s going to threaten everyone.”

A drowsy expression came over Moondancer, like she was trying to wake up. “Maybe… maybe you’re right.”

One by one, the stadium lights switched off, and crowd erupted into cheers. Moondancer jumped to her feet, her sleepy expression replaced by excitement. “It’s starting!”

Sunset moved to the window and looked out over the open stadium. A stage had been set up at one end zone, and green fog drifted out from underneath it.

“Hello, Canterlot!” a voice echoed out of the sound system. “Your Dazzlings are here!” Three columns of smoke erupted on the stage, and from them, three girls strolled out.

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh,

“You didn't know that you fell.

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh.”

The one Sunset recognized as Adagio stepped ahead of her sisters and posed with a hand on her hip.

“Now that you’re under our spell.”

Even with the deafening roar of the crowd, Sunset could hear the Sirens’ song plain as day. She looked over to Moondancer, who swayed in time to the music.

Well, she’s a lost cause. Let the records show that I at least tried. Sunset stepped away from the window and retreated up the aisle. No one seemed to notice or care.

“We’ve got the music,

“Makes you move it,

“Got the song that makes you lose it.

“We say jump, you say how high?”

“Put your hands up to the sky!”

Sunset exited the booth, receiving little attention from the security. “They really are not being subtle about this.” Downstairs, the corridors were empty. The people at the concessions stood transfixed at the video feeds of the show outside, though the music could still be heard quite well through the concrete.

“All right, if I were a dirty secret, where would I hide?” She walked at a brisk pace, but not fast enough to look suspicious. With everyone’s attention diverted, she realized it probably didn’t matter.

She moved toward the stands behind the stage that were empty and roped off. Security stood watch at the end of the hall, so Sunset slipped down an adjacent path. She found bathrooms and a blocked off staircase, but no guards.

With an easy hurdle, she got over the block. On the second floor, the lights were turned off, creating an eerie darkness.

Bzzzt!

Sunset jumped with a gasp at the buzz in her pocket. She pulled her phone out and flipped it open. “What’s up?” The ovation of the crowd echoed through the phone, nearly drowning out Rarity’s voice.

”Just checking in. The crowd is a little rowdy, but nothing unusual has happened so far.”

“That’s good.” Sunset kept her voice low. She appeared to be alone but kept her eyes peeled and looked over her shoulder every few seconds. “I met Moondancer in the box. She’s already lost to them.”

“Oh dear. Twilight is not going to be happy about that.”

Sunset hunched forward. She felt a little bad about Moondancer, but felt worse telling Twilight her best friend had joined the cult of the Sirens. “How are you girls doing?”

A cheer rose through the crowd again that Sunset could hear without her phone. “We’re doing fine. At least I think so. I don’t feel anything. Though I guess their music isn’t that bad.”

“Rarity?” Sunset arched an unseen eyebrow.

“I’m just saying from a subjective standpoint, it’s not utter garbage,” she said with a defensive tone. “I’ve heard worse.”

Sunset let it slide. Putting her grudge down for a second, she supposed she could agree that the Sirens did have good voices, magical or not. “All right. I’m making my way through the blocked off section of the coliseum. Keep me posted through text.”

“Be careful, Sunset.” The phone clicked off, though the throbbing bass and roar of the crowd remained. The absence of silence made Sunset’s trip through the dark more bearable. She broke off from the main path and turned down one of the smaller halls.

“This is patrol six, making a sweep of second floor, east side, over,” a gruff voice came from behind Sunset. Her heart quickened, and she sped down the hall as fast as she could. At the end was a maintenance room with the door left open a crack. She slipped inside, making sure not to move the door too much lest it squeak.

Someone placed a hand over her mouth and jabbed something blunt into her back. “Don’t move,” came a familiar voice. Both stayed quiet until the footsteps faded into silence. The voice continued, quiet but harsh. “Now, you’re going to tell me—”

“Trixie, it’s me, you dunce!” Sunset hissed between Trixie’s fingers.

“Sunset?” Trixie released her and spun her around. “What are you doing back here?” Sunset could barely make out her features in the dark.

“Same thing as you, duh. I’m looking for clues.”

“Oh… Trixie thought… well…” She cleared her throat and returned to her normal, haughty tone. “Trixie accepts your assistance in looking for Trixie’s father.” She pushed Sunset to the side and peeked out the door. “The coast is clear. Come on.”

Sunset allowed Trixie to take point, despite her gut feeling telling her they were more likely to get caught. Trixie held her wand out in front of her as she creeped along. They found another set of stairs and took down to the ground floor.

“Trixie bets they’ll keep anything important close to the stage.”

“Not a bad idea, but…” They stopped behind a pillar so Sunset could point at the line of security one-hundred feet away, standing under florescent lights. “How are we going to get past them?”

“You create a diversion, while Trixie sneaks around them with her magic,” she said with a vainglorious grin.

At least she’s starting to feel better. “Okay, how about—”

“Hey!”

Both girls flinched and became still as stone. Sunset slowly peeked around the pillar, her stomach unclenching when she saw an officer run up to the three standing watch.

“We’ve got trouble in Section G. Some of the brats are starting to get real rowdy.” His walkie-talkie crackled and he brought it to his ear. “Double that, kids in J and Q are getting aggressive as well.”

Sunset’s leg vibrated, and she pulled out her phone. On screen, a text read, “Getting dangerous. Trying to get out.” Sunset cursed and put a hand on Trixie’s arm. “All right, whatever you’re gonna do, do it fast. I have a feeling cops are gonna be all over this place really soon.”

Trixie twirled her wand, fumbled it on her wrist, then quickly caught it and played it off. “Watch Trixie be brilliant. You might learn something.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and moved after the first dispatch ran down the hall. Only one guard remained, and Sunset ran at him with the best high pitch scream she could muster.

“Oh my God, the Dazzlings! I have to meet them!”

The security guard grabbed her around the middle and wrestled her away from the door. “Sorry, little lady, VIP’s only.”

Sunset struggled against the guard’s bulk. She proved forceful enough that he had to pick her up and carry her away. Over his shoulder, Sunset saw Trixie sneak forward and point her wand at the door. A puff of smoke came out and Trixie silently gagged. She tried again, and a few sparks sputtered out of wand. The door opened and Trixie slipped inside.

The guard dragged Sunset to the front entrance. “Sorry, missy. End of the show for you.” He tossed her onto the concrete, then retreated past a second group of guards manning the entrance.

She wiped the dirt off her face and looked back to the stadium walls. “All up to you, girls.”

*******

Another foot crashed onto Rarity’s toe. She cursed whatever part of her brain that told her heels were a good idea tonight. To be fair, she didn’t expect to be standing for hours. She yanked her foot out from under the boot crushing it, and stumbled back into Rainbow, who moved back into another crowd goer.

“Hey, watch it! You wanna start something?”

Rainbow rolled up a sleeve. “You know what, I—”

Rarity held her back. “So sorry about that,” she said with a nervous laugh. “It was just an accident. Crowded field and all.”

The boy glared at them, but his attention jumped back to the Sirens the second their next verse started. Rarity spun Rainbow around and wagged a finger at her. “Rainbow, you’re acting almost as hostile as they are.”

“They’ve been shoving and glaring at us all night! Excuse me if I get a little pissed off after a while!” Rainbow yelled over the music. “We’re not getting anything out of this. Sunset hasn’t found anything, and other than the fact that the lead singer is making eyes at me, we haven’t found anything either.”

“Ah hate to say it,” Applejack said, pushing her way next to Rarity, “but R.D has a point. Sure, we’ve seen first hand how these Sirens operate, and we know for sure we’re immune, but other than that, this might have been a waste of time.”

Rarity looked around at the crowd around her, a glazed look in all their eyes while they cheered and sang along. It made her spine tingle unpleasantly and reminded her of the Fall Formal, not that she’d ever tell Sunset. She conceded to Rainbow and Applejack; while everything was suspicious, it didn’t do them a lot of good.

“You’re right,” she said with disappointment. “We should get out of here now before things get dangerous.” She looked over her shoulder to the doors at the end of the field, barely visible through the horde of people. Navigating out would prove a challenge.

Applejack spoke into Rarity’s ear. “Do ya think us leavin’ is gonna look suspicious?”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Of course not. People leave concerts early all the time. Just be polite and act casual.” She held an arm out in front as she delicately pushed through the crowd. “Excuse me. Pardon us. Enjoying the show?”

Several people grunted or shot them distasteful looks, but no one impeded their progress. See? Nothing can’t be handled with a little tact and grace. They were halfway to the door when she heard a shout from behind. Another one followed it, and even over the music, Rarity heard the distinct thud of someone hitting the floor.

She teetered off balance as someone fell onto her, but Applejack’s quick reflexes stopped her from toppling over. Rarity looked back to see Fluttershy sitting on the ground looking dazed, and Rainbow drawing her fist back against another boy.

Oh dear, was the only thought Rarity could process before Rainbow’s punch connected. The boy fell over, taking several others with him to the ground, and disrupting several more. Yells of fury and furor rose around them. The tension building up since the night began finally burst open and with it, a flurry of kicking, shoving, and punching from all sides.

Rainbow swooped down and grabbed Fluttershy, then ran ahead, using her elbow to knock over anyone in her way. Rarity danced out of the way of a nearby scuffle and followed after them, making sure Applejack and Pinkie weren’t too far behind. The chaos followed them as they pushed their way back. Cheers of admiration for the Dazzlings turned into shouts of aggression toward one another. Security moved in to break up any fight they could reach, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the volume of adolescents.

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching the corridor. She then let out a whimper at the state of her dress. The hem was torn and she could see smudges of dirt all over it. Not to mention her aching feet.

Pinkie popped in from the field last, her hair a more frizzy mess than usual. She put her hands on her hips and frowned. “You know, when I pictured a mosh pit, I thought it would be a lot funner than that.”

Rainbow dusted Fluttershy off and said, “All in favor of never doing that again, say aye.”

“Aye,” they chorused.

“Smoke bomb!”

A wall of smoke erupted from the hall to their left. Out of the grey clouds came Trixie, running at top speed. She caught sight of them and ground her heels to a stop. “What are you…?” She shook her head. “Trixie has no time to wonder. Come on, we’re leaving!”

No one needed to be told twice. They followed Trixie past the ticket counter, through the courtyard, and out to the main gate. Sunset jumped up from her place against the wall and ran to meet them. “What happened?”

“The Dazzlings happened,” Applejack said, before she caught her breath. “We tried to get out, then lo and behold, everyone starts goin’ at each other.”

“Some jerk pushed Fluttershy to the ground just for bumping his elbow!” Rainbow yelled.

Rarity tried to straighten her dress but quickly saw the futility in it. “All in all, it wasn’t a good time. We didn’t learn anything either.”

“Not true!” Trixie said, pointing her finger to the sky. “Trixie knows they don’t have the Crystal Heart yet! And she felt it! Her father’s magic calling out to her! He’s there, somewhere under the stadium!”

“That’s some good news at least,” Sunset said. “But what do we do now?”

The others could only look back at her in equal puzzlement.

*******

Adagio could still hear her adoring crowd from her seat backstage. She breathed in the negativity: anger, irritation, frustration. She licked her lips. Simply delicious. And that hadn’t been the only thing she had tasted out there…

Her heart beat faster as the wheels in her mind turned. After two decades of torture, the universe had turned back in her favor! A vivacious smile pulled at her cheeks. Sonata could spout her dumbest nonsense yet, and she still wouldn’t be mad.

Speaking of which.

Adagio brought her head down from staring at the ceiling and looked over to the stage curtain. “What’s taking her so long?”

Aria sat across from her, looking bored as usual. “You know she takes this thing too seriously.” She sat up straight and screwed her face up into the dopiest expression she could make. “‘We have to, like, connect with our fans! Show them we care about them!’” she said in a high pitched attempt at Sonata. Finished, her face dropped back to its dour state.

“At least she’s entertained.” Fun aside, they had a schedule to keep, and Adagio would be damned if her plan was ruined tonight of all nights. She stood to fetch her sister when Sonata backed in from the curtains, giving one more wave to their fans.

She turned around, a giant smile plastered on her face. “I love signing autographs!” She wandered over to the snack table and picked up the bowl of chips before grabbing a seat.

Aria crossed her arms. “I’m surprised you know how to write your own name.”

Sonata opened her mouth to retort, but a sharp glare from Adagio stopped her cold. “None of your stupid bickering. You can do that on your way to the museum.”

“What museum?” Sonata asked.

Adagio facepalmed while Aria scowled and said, “The one with the Crystal Heart, you dunce.”

“Oh yeah. We’re doing that tonight!” She shoved a handful of chips into her mouth. “Almost forgot.”

Maybe I should go instead. Adagio looked at Aria. No, she’ll keep Sonata focused. And I’d rather talk to the press than have Sonata do it. She waved a hand. “We’ll talk about that in a minute.” She gave both of them a sharp and excited look. “Did you two feel it?”

Aria and Sonata gave each other a quizzical glance, then shrugged to Adagio. She had figured as much. “Magic!” She brought her voice to an excited whisper. “Equestrian magic!”

“Oh boy, here we go again,” Aria said with an eye roll.

Adagio clenched her fist. “I’m positive this time. Out there in that crowd was the magic I felt when we got off that wretched rock! It’s here, in this city!”

Aria continued to look unimpressed. “You said that the first time we were here, and when we looked, guess what we found.” She held her hands out. “Nothing.”

Sonata held a finger up. “We also didn’t find the Crystally Heart, but that’s here too.”

Adagio smirked. As dumb as she was, Sonata occasionally said something worthwhile. Of course, that was just basic probability. “I almost tasted that magic,” Adagio continued. “I don’t know how or why it’s here but it is.”

“Okay, fine.” Aria held her hands up. “Let’s say it is here. How do we get it, and what are we gonna do with it?”

Adagio rubbed her hands together and purred with mirth. “Well, it had to get here somehow, didn’t it? Imagine if we traced it back to the source.”

Sonata gasped. “We could go home?”

“Very good, Sonata,” Adagio said, patting her on the head. “At the very least, we could get our original forms back.”

Aria perked up, her dispassionate mask slipping. “Okay, I’ll entertain this idea if it means I don’t have to walk around looking like this anymore.”

Adagio ran a hand down the curve of her hips. “Honestly, I’ve grown to like this body. But yes, I would take our true forms over this any day.” She raised an empowered fist and grin sadistically. “With the Crystal Heart’s amplification and Equestrian magic, there won’t be a human alive who can resist us. And once we find a way back to Equestria, we’ll have two worlds to adore us!”

Sonata threw her hands in the air. “Whooo! Think of all the fans we’ll have!”

“But how are we going to find this magic, Dagi?” Aria asked, her skepticism returning.

Adagio steepled her fingers together. “Oh, I think I have an idea. I hope you girls like Canterlot. Because we’re going to be here for a while.”

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Na Na Na Na Na Na, I Wanna Start a Fight.

10. Said the Jokers to the Thief

The night wind tried one last time to snatch her ponytail, but she kept a tight grip on it as she stuffed it under her black hood. The skin tight leather snapped against her ears, and she brought the mask down over her eyes while bringing her collar up over her mouth, leaving only her nose exposed.

She stood and felt the leather rub her in all the right places. She raised her arms up, proudly sticking her chest out before bending backwards and touching her palms against her heels. “Oh, that feels good.” Her collar doubled as a muffler.

A light hiss sounded next to her, and she lifted her legs over her body before bringing them down behind her and settling on her stomach. “Is someone ready for the big heist?” the woman said in a babying voice.

A black snake with white stripes slithered across the rooftop, stopping in front of the woman’s face and flicking its tongue at her exposed nose.

“That’s my Jörmungandr. So eager to help mama. Well then, let’s get this show on the road.” She rolled onto her back and jumped up onto her heels. Utility belt wrapped around her waist and laptop bag over her shoulder, she strutted over to the domed skylight. Jörmungandr quietly trailed behind her, gently rocking his body side-to-side.

“Alarm is already disabled,” she said, patting her laptop. “Wasn’t even a challenge. We’ve had a harder time stealing from babies.” She lifted a panel of glass and looked down into the Canterlot Art and History Museum. Shadows consumed most of the blue velvet carpet, driven away only by the spotlights surrounding each exhibit.

Jörmungandr slid up his master’s back and coiled his five foot body gently around her neck. The black clad woman removed a grappling hook from her belt and attached the claw to the metal frame, then slowly lowered herself into the building.

She landed in shadows, just outside the range of one security camera. With a click of a button, she recalled her grappling hook, then slunk across the floor with measured and precise steps. Her eyes browsed over the displays of Canterlot’s History. Old wagons, pottery vases, muskets, and oil paintings of mayors past.

Silence covered her, a cool blanket that masked her every movement. A sound brushed against her ear, and she instinctively dove for cover, choosing a small alcove behind a porcelain vase. It was quite nice, catching a gleam even without direct light. But, the thief was here for one thing, and one thing only.

A security guard walked past her hiding spot, flashlight in hand, eyes forward. The thief frowned even as he walked away. He wasn’t supposed to show up in this room for another six minutes.

Waiting precisely twenty seconds, she got up and moved on. She’d deal with him later if need be, but first, the cameras. She made it to the end of the western exhibit hall, having to make two more unexpected stops in the process.

There wasn’t this much security during my stakeouts, she thought, lip curling under her mask. She was going to have to leave a bit of a scene if she wanted to escape with her prize. Oh well. I do love it when they know who to blame when things go missing.

She grinned. Because, try as you might, you’ll never catch the Snake Queen Lamia!

Lamia zigzagged across the tiled floor of the decoart exhibits, avoiding the spots she knew the cameras were zoomed in on. At the back wall, Lamia reached up and pressed her hands against it with all her might until the sticky adhesive came to the surface of her gloves. When she tried to pull away, she felt a steady resistance and pulled herself up, bracing her knees against the wall. She climbed quickly, her hands making soft, squelching noises each time she moved. An air vent waited for her at the top. She switched the latch, opening the grates as wide as they could go.

“Go on, Jorgey, you know what to do.”

The snake flicked his tongue, then slid off her shoulders and into the vent. Lamia dropped down and waited behind a curtain, watching another security officer walk by. This was always the moment of truth: whether Jörmungandr could make it to the security room, and whether or not he could subdue any guards inside.

Two minutes passed, and she heard a soft hiss come from above her. Lamia stood and smiled. Seventy-four thefts, and Jörmungandr hadn’t let her down once. She cartwheeled across the room, freely enjoying the open movement. She reached the door to the security room and picked it with ease. Inside, three guards lay on the floor, their eyes glazed over and their muscles tense beneath their uniforms.

Lamia tutted and nudged one of them with her boot. “Were the big, bad policemen overpowered by a wittle snake?” There were only supposed to be two. Still, Jörmangandr proved to be her greatest asset. She kneeled down and reached into their pockets, swiping a total of eighty dollars from their wallets. Next, she reached into her belt and pulled out three vials, slipping them into their breast pockets.

While she wasn’t above killing, Lamia wanted to be remembered as a thief, not a murderer. As such, she always left an antidote for Jörmungandr’s neurotoxin. Said snake lowered himself down from the vents and coiled himself around Lamia’s neck again. She scratched him under the chin and cooed, “You’re such a good boy, Jorgey. They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

“Hissss.”

“Good. Mama’s proud of you.” She looked at the large monitor in front of her, split into twelve smaller screens, each showing a different part of the museum. Lamia squatted down in front of the control panel and pulled her laptop and a USB cable from her bag. While her laptop booted up, she connected it to the computer. When the startup initialized, she opened one of the files littering the screen and ran her fingers over the keyboard. A loading bar popped up in the corner, taking only seconds to fill in.

“You guys should really invest in better security. You never know what might slither in.” She looked back at the monitors, watching the images flicker out for a moment before settling in again. To the untrained eye, everything appeared normal, especially with the timestamp still running. Lamia, however, knew it was all an illusion: the same ten second loop playing over and over again and being recorded into the security history.

Her work done, she packed up her laptop and walked out, making sure none of the remaining security guards were around. The priceless artifact collection was a quick jaunt away. Without the cameras, Lamia found outmaneuvering the roving guards much easier. Not that it had been particularly hard in the first place.

She rounded the corner and grinned, her hungry eyes falling on her long-awaited reward. Centered in the middle of the hall with surrounding gems to compliment it was the Crystal Heart. A single spotlight illuminated it from above, making its blue surface gleam with an otherwordly light. It was big enough that Lamia would need both hands to cradle it.

“Beach house in Greece, here we come.”

Jörmungandr bobbed his head in agreement.

Lamia crept closer, her reflection appearing in the glass case around the Heart. Lift, swipe, and run. She was on the homestretch now.

From the hall to her left, voices floated in, tearing through her blanket of silence. She hissed under her breath and retreated behind a pillar. “Jorgey, get ready to sick. My patience with this patrol is running thin.”

However, it wasn’t just an officer that walked in. Two figures flanked him, also dressed in black with theater masks covering their faces. The one on the left wore the white, happy mask. A black, sad mask decorated the figure on the right.

“Good job,” the sad mask said, a gruff, feminine voice coming from beneath. “Now, make sure to delete any footage of us off the cameras. And when you wake up in the morning, you’ll say you don’t remember anything.”

The guard nodded absentmindedly and walked out, stumbling a bit as he left. The sad girl doubled over and took a deep breath. “Crap, that took a lot out of me.”

The happy mask put a hand on the other girl’s back. “Are you okay, Aria?” The voice reminded Lamia of a valley girl, and she could already tell, that one was not the brains of whatever was going on.

The sad girl, Aria, waved her off. “I’m fine, just give me a sec.” She straightened up and took another breath, then smacked her partner over the head. “You could have helped.”

“You told me not to,” the girl whined.

“Whatever. Let’s just get the Heart and go home.”

The happy mask cocked her head to the side. “I still don’t get it. Why didn’t we just, like, ask the people to give it to us? Why did we have to be all sneaky about it?”

Aria held a hand to her mask. “Because, you dunce, then we’d have to explain why the museum gave it to us to the police, then to the city, and literally everyone else who asks. It’d be a waste of energy to keep manipulating everyone into just accepting it. This way’s easier.”

“But, like, it’s not gonna matter in the long run, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s annoying in the short run. Sonata, just let me and Adagio do all the thinking. It’s not your strong suit.”

“Ha! I don’t even wear suits.”

Lamia rested her head against the pillar. Well, I was right about the ditz. Still, she had no idea what they were talking about, only that they were after her prize. Well, if she had to leave two more paralyzed bodies on the ground, then so be it! The Crystal Heart belonged to her!

She lowered her arm, allowing Jörmungandr to slide down. “Sic.”

He weaved around the pillar and hissed on approach. Sonata let out a loud, “Eeeep!”

Aria punched her in the shoulder. “Shut up! It’s just a snake.”

Jörmungandr lunged at Aria’s ankle, fangs extended from his wide mouth. With surprising deftness, she stepped diagonally, moving like it was a choreographed dance move. Jörmungandr twisted and struck again, and Aria jumped out of the way, spinning her foot back to kick the snake across the room.

“Okay, as cool as that is, why the hell is there a snake here?” Aria asked.

“Maybe it’s a secret agent,” Sonata offered.

There was a soft thud as Aria facepalmed her mask. Lamia counted on a scathing retort to follow, but approaching footsteps cut the conversation short. From the same hall the two jokers had entered from, another security officer came running in.

“What the—how did you get in here?”

Jöormungandr reacted before either of them could move. He whipped around and struck like a whip, sinking his teeth into the guard's ankle. The guard gasped in pain and tried to shake Jörmungandr off, his movements becoming more sluggish with each kick. The snake let go and slithered back, but the damage had already been done.

The guard fell over, twitching and spasming as his muscles locked up. He managed a few gurgles before he fell onto his back, his arms freezing by his sides.

The cool silence returned for a brief moment before Aria ruined it. “Okay, that was pretty wicked.”

Lamia pressed a hand to her forehead. Of all nights. She pushed off the pillar and stepped around it, hands on her hips as she strutted forward. “Past your bedtimes, isn’t it, kiddies? Does mommy know you’re out this late?”

“Jokes on you!” Sonata said. “We don’t have a mom!”

Aria, still eyeing the snake, sighed deeply. “Just… stop talking.” To Lamia, she said, “Who are you and what do you want?”

“Who I am is none of your business. What I want, however, is that Crystal Heart.”

Sonata put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. “Well, too bad! Finder’s keepers, loser’s weepers, and we found it first!”

“Listen, kid, it’s a bad idea to cross me. Just ask that poor man on the ground.” Lamia pointed to the downed officer. “I’m not afraid to add your bodies to the pile.”

“Tough talk for someone who’s outnumbered and outmatched,” Aria said smoothly. She snapped her fingers. “You know what to do.”

A pause. Then Sonata asked, “I do?”

“... Sing, you halfwit!” Aria hissed.

“Oh, yeah, duh!” She clutched her hands in front of her chest. “Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah…”

Every instinct tempered by years of experience told Lamia that whatever was happening was wrong. Yet the soft melody that floated out from under the happy white mask sang to her a song of tranquility. Her muscles loosened up and her eyes started to droop.

Do I really need the Crystal Heart? These girls seem nice; I should just let them take it.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah—eeeeeep!” Sonata barely evaded a strike from Jörmungandr, falling on her back and rolling away as the snake struck again.

The haze around Lamia instantly dispersed, leaving her with an itch inside her skull, and several questions as to what just happened. Questions she would ask later. She had had enough of whatever freaky voodoo was going on around here.

With Aria helping to fend off Jörmungandr, no one stood between Lamia and the Heart. Approaching the glass, she threw prudence to the wind, the night’s operation having already been butchered, and grabbed the sides of the case. With a mighty heave, she flipped it back, sending it crashing to the ground.

“Hey,” one of the girls shouted. Lamia couldn’t tell which, nor did she care. She grabbed the Crystal Heart, feeling its hefty weight.

The sad mask girl jumped over Jörmungandr and charged. Her speed was impressive, Lamia gave her that, and she gave no tell of how she intended to strike.

Lamia heaved the Heart straight into the air. She blocked a low punch from Aria with the back of her arm and a high kick with her other. Lamia pushed both Aria’s arms back, then raised her right leg high while Aria regained her balance. Lamia brought her boot across Aria’s face, then quickly brought it back across, sending her spiraling to the floor. She put her hands out and caught the Crystal Heart as it fell.

“Well, this has been fun,” Lamia said, “but we really must be going now.”

Sonata flew at her, left fist drawn back. As she brought it forward, Lamia held the Heart up. She heard a satisfying thwack from the other side, and a loud whimper of pain. Sonata buckled to her knees and held her hand to her chest.

With a smirk of satisfaction, Lamia turned to leave. Something yanked on her ankle as she stepped forward, and she fell to the ground, the Crystal Heart slipping out of her grasp skidding across the floor. Aria clambered over Lamia trying to reach it, but Lamia struck out and took her back down to the ground while Jörmungandr slithered around both of them and coiled himself around the heart.

Aria twisted out of Lamia’s grasp, and both girls got to their feet. Lamia made the first move, striking high with her left hand. Aria ducked out the way and punched with her left, only to be blocked and pushed back by Lamia’s arm. Lamia brought her leg up again to kick Aria’s already crooked mask, but Aria was wise enough to duck this time. With Lamia’s leg still raised, Aria jabbed forward into Lamia’s gut and sent her to the floor.

“Get up, scatterbrain!” Aria shouted to Sonata.

“But it huuuuuurts!” she said, rocking back and forth, hand clutched tight to her chest.

Lamia flipped up to her feet and struck her palm out for Aria’s chest. Aria grabbed Lamia’s arm and threw a punch for her head. With her wild flexibility, Lamia bent backwards, forcing Aria to overextend. Lamia then dropped to her back, bringing her knees up as Aria came down. Aria wheezed at the impact to her gut. Lamia followed up and tossed Aria overhead before hopping up again.

Just in time to see happy mask Sonata rush her again with surprisingly fast punches. Lamia kept up with blocking each of them, noticing Sonata favored her right hand. She waited for Sonata to hit with her left again and took the blow to her shoulder. When Sonata recoiled, Lamia broke into her guard and made a two-fingered jab at her right shoulder, then followed it up with a full jab to Sonata’s stomach and a palm strike to the chest.

“Oooowwwww,” Sonata moaned from the ground. “My arm feels funny.”

“Freeze!” two voices yelled. Lamia uttered a stream of curses as two well-dressed officers ran in from the hall on her left, guns drawn. From the right, two more museum security rushed in, unarmed but putting Lamia into a pin.

“So, the tip we got was right,” the blonde female officer said. By the lines on her face, Lamia guessed she had never had a day of fun in her life. Her strapping male partner, however, looked like he might know how to have a good time. He had shaggy blue hair, charming purple eyes, and looked quite handsome in his suit.

Not now, Lamia chided herself. She had to find a way out of this crappy situation first. Jörmangandr kept himself curled around the heart. The handsome detective noticed and pointed his gun at the snake. The other woman kept her gun on Lamia.

“Well,” she said stepping forward slowly. “I know who you are, Lamia. I didn’t know you operated with accomplices.”

“They’re not with me,” Lamia said coldly. “In fact, do me a favor and arrest them first.”

“Aaah aaah ah, aaah ah. Aaah aaah ah, aaah ah.”

Lamia’s muscles relaxed again and the tranquil calm washed over her. Something wasn’t right… but why did she care? The music sounded so pretty. Through a green haze, she could see the officers lowering their weapons. The two girls eased their way toward Jörmangandr, who snapped at them, coming dangerously close to Aria’s ankle.

The singing stopped and the haze cleared away. Everyone save for the two girls looked confused, but Lamia got her bearings first. She reached into her utility belt and flung a throwing knife at the blue-haired officer while she charged the blonde one. The knife hit his hand knocking his gun away.

Lamia roundhouse kicked the remaining officer, knocking her off balance. She jabbed her in the solar plexus with two fingers then again in the sternum and sent her to the floor, then spun and blocked her head from the other detective’s second attack. On the other side of the room, Aria and Sonata fought off the museum guards, Sonata fighting with only one working arm.

As Lamia defended herself from his attacks, she caught sight of the name on the officer’s badge. Shining Armor. She smirked. “It’s too bad you’re a cop,” she said with a sultry purr. She ducked under his swing. “You could be my knight any day.”

Shining took a step back and raised his arms to block Lamia’s side kick. “Sorry, I’m happily engaged.”

Lamia pouted. “You’re no fun.” She dove to the side and scooped up Shining’s gun. He froze and held his hands up when she pointed it at him. “Sorry, officer, but I’m leaving with this heart.” She took two steps back.

A rough hand clawed into the side of her face, and another one grabbed her arm at the joint, forcing it down. With her unobstructed eye, Lamia could see the remaining security on the floor, while Sonata tried to fight Shining Armor.

Under Aria’s tight grip, Lamia dropped the gun, but drove her other elbow into her attacker’s gut multiple times. “Piss off already!” She threw herself to the ground, crushing Aria with all her weight. Using her momentum, she threw her legs up and back into the air and performed a backflip, freeing herself from Aria’s grasp. Unfortunately, she didn’t get out of it unscathed.

Shrrriiiip!

A quick breeze brushed over Lamia’s left eye, and a bang came undone from her ponytail and fell over her face. She jerked a hand up, finding only part of her mask had been torn, but it was enough to turn her blood to magma. She turned to Aria, still lying on the ground with the black fabric in hand.

Lamia marched over, her exposed eye wide with fury. “You meddling piece of s—”

“Aaaiiie!” Sonata skidded across the floor, mask askew but still covering her face. Shining reached for his partner’s gun, but Lamia threw another knife, knocking the weapon away. She kicked Aria in the side as hard as she could for good measure, then finally turned back and grabbed the Crystal Heart and her snake.

She didn’t spare them a hateful glance as she ran down the hall, shoving the heart into her laptop bag. Footsteps echoed behind her. Without looking back, she knew Armor had followed. She made a sharp turn around a corner and pressed herself against the wall. The second Shining came into her line of sight, Lamia shouted, “Sic!”

Jörmangandr struck him in the shoulder, lightning fast. Shining cried out in pain before falling silent thanks to Lamia’s boot in his gut. He fell to the floor, going still as the neurotoxin raged through his body.

Lamia dropped another vial next to him. “This is only because you’re cute,” she said softly, keeping her face in the shadows. “See you never.” She bolted for the nearest window, throwing herself through the glass and onto the pavement.

A block away from the museum, she pulled her grappling hook out and fired at a low rooftop, propelling herself up and vaulting over the edge. She took a breath of victory, then spat in disgust. “Those brats turned this into a freakin’ disaster.” She felt the torn part of her mask and growled. “Better find a place to lay low.” She patted Jörmungandr on the head. “At least we got our prize, right, baby?”

“Hisssss.”

*******

Aria leaned against the alley wall and ripped her mask off, greedily sucking down air. Sonata collapsed next to her, moaning and clutching her arm. Aria ignored her. The image of the thief running away with the Heart in her hands blinded her everytime she closed her eyes. She sank to the floor, letting out a groan as she did. Everything hurt, most notably her head and sides. Now that she was down, standing up would prove to be a struggle. Next to her, Sonata attempted to try, feebly propping herself up before resting against the wall.
“I can’t feel my arm. Is that normal?” she asked, her mask in Aria’s direction.

Anger provided a great muffler to Sonata’s asinine questions. Aria’s patience to deal with her sister’s stupidity had reached its limits for the night. This was supposed to be easy! Aria clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. We were supposed to walk in, take the Heart, and walk out! That snake loving bitch ruined everything! It was right in front of us and it got away again!

“Adagio’s going to be mad, isn’t she?”

“Shut up, Sonata!” Aria snapped, putting as much vice into her words with what little energy she had left. It worked as intended. Sonata curled in on herself, knowing that Aria was not in the mood for one of their back and forths.

In fact, Aria realized she might have used too much vice when she heard Sonata sniffle. With a roll of her eyes, Aria lifted a hand and pat Sonata on the head. While she loved knocking her sister down, Aria couldn’t stand it when Sonata blubbered like a baby.

“Stop crying,” she said, keeping the edge to her voice. “I’m sorry, all right? Didn’t mean to snap at you like that.” She forced herself up, muscles yelling in protest. When she got steady on her feet, she held a hand down. “Come on. Can you stand?”

Sonata quickly lifted her mask to rub her eyes, then dropped it and held her good hand out. “But, Adagio’s still going to be mad, right? We didn’t get the heart thingy. And we don’t even know who took it.”

As dumb as she was, Sonata had a point. Despite the beating they had taken, Adagio wouldn’t be above punishing them further for failing to return with the Crystal Heart. Aria couldn’t entirely blame her. It wouldn’t make coming home any easier though.

She looked at the skyline, wondering where the thief was now. “You’re right. We don’t know who took it.” The gears in her mind started to turn. Adagio wasn’t the only one who could come up with a plan. “But I might know how we can find it.”

When she looked in Sonata’s direction, she could feel the blank stare from beneath the happy mask. Aria facepalmed and sighed. “Just follow my lead, stupid.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: My Heart's Just Not in It

Typically, chapters will be released on Saturdays with a few exceptions.

11. The Best of Intentions

Twilight took up the rear end of the procession, heart hammering. She wished the doctor moved faster. The smell of antiseptic and her shoes squeaking against the sterile tiles only made her more tense. After an endless walk down the blue and white checkered hall, they reached their destination, and the doctor pushed the door open. Night Light entered first, followed by Cadence, then Twilight.

Her heart stammered upon entry. Shining laid in bed, looking pale and grumpy but otherwise fine. Nevertheless, he laid in a hospital bed, the second-to-last place Twilight wanted to see him resting. Twilight Velvet hovered over him, dressed in her scrubs.

“Do you need me to get you anything, sweetie? I can get more pillows for you to make you comfy.”

“Mom, for the fifth time, I’m fine.” He broke into a relieved grin as everyone else filed into the room. Cadence rushed over and wrapped her arms around him.

“Are you okay? They just told me you were in the hospital from police work! I came as fast as I could!”

Shining patted her back. “I’m fine, I promise. It was just…” he mumbled something, not making eye contact with anyone.

"What was that?” Night asked.

Velvet crossed her arms. “Poison. It was just poison.”

“Poison!” Cadence screeched into his ear. “Someone tried to poison you?”

Shining gave his mother a cross look. “Yeah. Her snake was venomous. But, she left the antidote right next to me, so it was administered almost immediately. It’s just some bruises now.”

Twilight breathed out all of the tension she had held onto since being awakened to the news her brother had been hospitalized, only to seize up again at the mention of a snake. It’s okay. Snake isn’t here. Just breathe. She stepped closer to the bed and tried to level out Cadence’s hysteria with calm. “What happened last night?”

“Well…” Shining took a second to reposition himself and get comfortable. “They needed more security for the Dazzlings’ concert near the end, so Harshwhinny and I were put on standby. After it was over, we hurried back to the museum, just in time to see it being robbed.”

Twilight tensed. “Did you see who it was? What were they after?”

Shining thumped his head on the headrest. He closed his eyes in concentration and grunted, “There were two parties. But the one with the snake, Lamia, she’s the one that got away with the Heart.

Twilight inhaled sharply.

“I never got a good look at her. Her mask got torn at one point, but she ran afterwards. Her eyes though… I think they were green? Maybe blue.”

“And even if he could remember, that’s sensitive information, Miss Sparkle,” a stern, cool voice said from behind. Twilight looked over her shoulder, finding Shining’s senior detective Ms. Harshwhinny standing in the doorway. She looked back at Twilight with her famous stoic frown and flat eyebrows, giving her an appearance of perpetual displeasure.

Shining made a half-hearted salute. “Good to see you’re up already, ma’am.”

“Caught by surprise, nothing more,” Harshwhinny grunted. But when she stepped further into the room, Twilight could see her limp. “As for the events of last night, the details remain on a need to know basis.” She glanced around the room. “All you need to know is that last night, the museum played grounds to a theft. Three suspects all got away, and the Crystal Heart was stolen.”

The tenseness that had embraced Twilight’s whole body centered itself in her stomach to the point of nausea. She leaned on Shining’s bedside for support. Oh no… oh no, no, no. First Artemis, now the Crystal Heart. What are we going to do?

“Do you at least have any leads?” Cadence asked, sounding fuzzy in Twilight’s ears.

“One,” Harshwhinny said tersely. “Fortunately, it’s the only one we need.” Her eyes scanned the room again. “But, I can see I’m interrupting a family moment. I just came by to see how you were doing, Detective Armor, but I can see you’re in good hands.” She turned for the door. “I expect to see you in my office as soon as you’re discharged. Good day.”

They watched her turn down the hall, then Night Light broke the silence with an awkward laugh. “Must be fun working for her, eh, Shining?”

Shining sank back into his pillow. “That’s one word you could use.” He sighed. “Anyway, the doctor said I should be free to go tomorrow evening.”

Velvet made a disapproving tut under her breath.

“Mom, I told you, I’m fine. I could get up and walk around right now if I wanted.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Both Cadence and Velvet said from either side. Cadence put a hand on her hip and wagged a finger. “You’re not moving until the doctor says you can.”

Velvet nodded. “I still say you need an extra day of rest, but you’ll at least wait until Doctor Stables clears you before you go chasing after thieves and criminals again.

Shining groaned and gave a pleading look to his father. “Dad, say something.”

Night gave him a guilty shrug. “Sorry, Shining. I’m smart enough not to pick a fight with your mother and your fiancé.”

Despite knowing the hidden gravity of the situation, Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at her brother’s plight. He was alive and doing fine if he could complain so much. Still, her mind ran in circles, running between the identity of the thief, what the Sirens would do without the Crystal Heart, and what it all meant for everyone else. Were things better or worse now that the Heart sat in the hands of a third party?

“You okay, Twily?”

“Huh?” Twilight looked up at Shining. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just relieved you’re okay.” Now if Sunset would just text me she’s all right.

Shining reached out and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, Twily. I’m not going anywhere.” While she appreciated the sentiment, it felt a bit redundant considering the state he was in. But Twilight put on a good face and kept up with the small talk that went around.

Eventually, Velvet had to get to her rounds and Night still had papers to grade. They gave Shining a kiss on the head, with an additional warning from Velvet not to get up before leaving.

“Why don’t me and Twily go get you some snacks, sweetie?” Cadence asked. “I know how bad hospital food can be.”

“That be nice, yeah.” Shining gave her a sheepish grin. “And maybe a comic book while you’re out?”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then leaned in to give him a kiss. “You’re such a dork. But anything for my brave knight. Come on, ladybug.”

Twilight kissed Shining on the cheek and waved as she followed Cadence out. They passed Velvet in the hall, wheeling another patient to their room. Canterlot General was pretty quiet today aside from the host of security guards occupying various beds across the second floor.

Outside, Cadence had parked her cherry red car in the front row of the parking lot. She and Twilight buckled in, and they took off down the road. Cadence kept the radio low, just enough so that Sapphire Shores made more background noise than the engine. “So, how are you and Sunset doing?”

“Fine,” Twilight said a little too quickly and tersely for Cadence to brush it away. Refusing eye contact didn’t help either.

“Would you like to add anything to that ‘fine’?” Cadence asked gently.

Twilight leaned against the door. “Really, we’re fine. She just… frustrates me sometimes.”

“Well, no partner is perfect,” Cadence said as they came to a stoplight. “I’m picking up comic books for your twenty-seven year old brother.” She reached over and stroked Twilight’s hair. “But it’s better to talk about these things rather than bottle them up.”

Twilight nibbled on the inside of her cheek. Part of the problem was that she couldn’t talk about what was bothering her. Not to Cadence at least. That would require explaining magic and evil Sirens. Still, faced with Cadence’s disarming and loving eyes, Twilight felt the need to get something off her chest.

“Sunset went to that stupid concert last night,” she said crossing her arms and staring at the light as it turned green.

Cadence shifted her focus back to driving but kept a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Without you?”

“I mean, I didn’t want to go. I just wish… Sunset hadn’t.” Twilight knew how that sounded and wished she could add more to it. It had already been said, and she pressed her lips closed to listen to Cadence.

She kept her eyes on the road but smiled sympathetically. “Sounds like someone’s got a small case of envy.”

Maybe, but not for the reason you think.

“You guys don’t have to do everything together, Twilight. You’re still two independent people. If Sunset wants to do something you don’t want to, that’s okay.”

“I know. It’s just…” Twilight huffed. I don’t want her doing something that puts her in danger!

Cadence gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Well, are you and Sunset doing anything tomorrow?”

Having known her since kindergarten, Twilight knew just about all of Cadence’s tell as much as Cadence knew hers. While no resentment leaked into her voice, Twilight knew Cadence enough to know the context behind the question.

“I don’t know. Sunset said she’d make up for going to the concert without me, but she never said what we’d do.” And she hasn’t texted or called me to say she was okay! What if the Sirens got her too! Twilight tried not to hyperventilate while Cadence drove. Instead, she whipped out her phone, shot another urgent text to Sunset, then shoved it in her pocket.

”Well, I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be lovely.”

Twilight could hear the falseness in Cadence’s voice. It was nearly impossible to pick up on unless you knew her as well as Twilight or Shining did. “I’m guessing you’ll be working all day tomorrow?”

“Yep.” Her smile strained, and her grip on the wheel tightened. “Mi Amore in the Morning’s Valentine’s Day Special! Don’t miss it!”

Twilight pat her on the knee. “You’ll get through it. You always do.”

Cadence loosened her grip and sighed. “I know. It’s just, now I have Shining to think about the entire time on top of the manipulative commercialization of this holiday. On a slightly better note, the Dazzlings are coming in for an interview.”

Twilight’s blood froze. “The Dazzlings?” Her voice cracked. “Why?”

“Not sure actually. My producer just called me this morning and told me it was happening. Maybe they want to drop a new love song.”

Twilight chose her words carefully. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, your fans are so accustomed to hearing only love songs and advice. What if the Si—Dazzlings, don’t have a love song? You’re ratings could plummet! Fans would revolt!”

Cadence held a hand to her mouth and laugh. “Twilight, I think you’re over exaggerating. I appreciate the concern though.”

Biting her lower lip, Twilight tried to think of another approach. She couldn’t find a subtle way around this though. No doubt, Cadence had already heard their music and was under their influence to some degree, but Twilight still had to try. “I just think this interview is a bad idea, Cady.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

Twilight weighed her options. Either she told the truth and A: sound like a crazy person, or B: possibly protect her sister-in-law. Or, remain silent and allow Cadence to go through with meeting the Sirens without even trying to help. It wasn’t a hard choice.

“The Dazzlings are actually Sirens and they use music to mind control people and make them feel negative emotions so they can feed off it!” she said in one breath.

The car fell silent as they came to another red light. After coming to a complete stop, Cadence burst into laughter. “Twilight, you’ve been reading too many of Shining’s comics.” She pat her on the head. “I know you’re mad Sunset went to their concert but don’t be silly.”

Twilight slumped in her seat. The fact that she had tried did nothing to assuage her fears. Sure, the Sirens weren’t going to do anything worse than what they did to everyone else, but it still meant Cadence was walking straight into their hypnotism.

And if the Lulamoons couldn’t get the Crystal Heart, there would be no recourse.

They pulled into a small shopping outlet and disembarked. Cadence gave Twilight a twenty dollar bill. “You go get his comic. You’d probably know what he’d like more anyway.”

Twilight faked a smile and walked off before Cadence could tell it was counterfeit. She passed through a small plaza with a fountain in the center, and an open coffee stand to the side. Twilight shuddered, remembering the last time she had been wired on caffeine. At least Sunset had gotten a good laugh out of it.

She whipped out her phone and furiously typed Sunset’s number. Twilight half paced, half stomped back and forth in front of the fountain, listening to the phone ring six times before going to the voicemail. She opened her mouth, angry rant at the ready, but as she pivoted on her foot to turn again, her scathing words tumbled back into her throat.

Stepping away from the coffee stand was a woman with a familiar presence about her. She wore a loose white shirt and baggy jeans, and a wide sun hat covered her head, falling just over her sunglasses. Yet underneath it, Twilight swore she saw red and gold hair rolled up into a tight bun.

Her stomach squirmed. No, it can’t be. The girl looked about the same height as Sunset. She had the same skin tone, too. Twilight crouched behind the fountain and reached for her phone. When the woman turned around, coffee in hand, she tipped her hat up, and Twilight saw more of her face. Leaning into Sunset so many times, sitting in her lap, reaching up to kiss her, Twilight recognized her facial structure. Her soft cheek bones, her round chin, and the way her lips folded down like she was always dissatisfied with something.

Twilight snapped a quick photo and threw herself down against the base of the fountain, aware that she was now hyperventilating. She clapped a hand over her mouth and remained completely still, praying Sunset—the other Sunset—hadn't seen her.

When a minute passed and nothing happened, Twilight chanced looking over the fountain again. Human Sunset had vanished. Twilight stood and slowly backed into the comic store, gripping her phone extra tight in her sweaty palms.

Sirens, magical artifacts, doppelgangers of my girlfriend! Twilight hit the send button for the picture and shut her phone. She looked at the display of comics on the shelves. When did my life get so weird?

*******

Sunset scrubbed as hard as she could, hoping her guilt would wash away with the dirt. If there was any dirt. Selena kept her kitchen clean as a whistle. Sunset’s knees ached from sitting on them for an hour while she and Trixie cleaned the floor with scrub brushes.

They had walked through the door at a quarter to eleven to find Selena waiting for them in an armchair. The minute they made eye contact, Sunset knew she knew where they had been. She also understood why Selena made the rules in the family. The anger in her eyes reminded Sunset of Celestia.

Pushing her brush back and forth across the tiles, Sunset’s stomach churned, too upset to be hungry despite not having eaten anything in the last sixteen hours or so. Just like Celestia, she had betrayed the trust of someone who cared about her. Yes, it was for a good cause, but it stung all the same.

Trixie paused her scrubbing. “Mom—”

“Don’t talk.” Selena sat at the island table, arms crossed and eyes closed. After yelling at them and sending them off to bed, only to wake them up at the crack of dawn to clean the house top to bottom, Selena hadn’t said much beyond basic instructions. The silence forced Sunset to reflect and agonize over her deceit. She had already apologized profusely, but Selena had been in no mood to hear it.

“Can’t believe you two would do something so foolhardy,” Selena muttered. She opened her eyes and looked down at Trixie. “Actually, I can. You’re your father’s daughter after all.”

Trixie turned her head away, but not before Sunset saw a proud smile. Sunset wished she could emulate it but couldn’t find the heart. Geez, you have gone soft. Things like this used to never bother you at all! Now here you are, scrubbing floors like an earth pony!

Sunset shook her head and scrubbed harder. Need to work on that. And at least I feel guilt. Let’s me know I actually learned something.

Her pocket buzzed. She tried to ignore it, but it buzzed again. It had been buzzing all morning, but Sunset could never find a good time to pull it out. Selena had her eyes closed, but Sunset had the distinct feeling that she was still watching like a hawk. Her phone proved persistent though, and Sunset finally yielded. She continued scrubbing with one hand while reaching for her phone with her other. She found nine texts and two missed calls from Twilight, the first time she had made contact since school yesterday.

Her eyes bulged. Oh crap, I forgot about Twilight! Sunset quickly scrolled through her messages, wincing at each of Twilight’s frantic texts asking if she was okay. They rose from concerned to angry with each message save for the last two, one of which was a file trying to upload at 22%. Stupid ancient flip phone. Sunset looked at the attached message.

'Sunset!? ‘Do you see her? She looks like you. Sort of, it’s hard to tell with her hat on, but I’m sure that’s you!’ ‘And for the love of science, answer your phone! You better be okay! Sunset, please answer.’

Sunset’s heart twisted at the last message and she started typing a hasty and typo ridden reply with just her thumb when her eyes saw the file still trying to load a few messages up. Wait, what is she talking about? The file still had 48% to load.

“Sunset, please give me the phone.” Selena’s frosty glare found her. Sunset winced, She sent her half-finished message and placed her phone in Selena’s outstretched hand. “Now go wash up while I make some lunch. Then I’ll find something else for you to do.”

Both girls sighed in relief and headed upstairs to the bathroom. At the top landing, Trixie whispered, “Trixie blames you for us getting caught.”

“Me? How the flying feather is this my fault?”

“If your motorcycle hadn’t made so much noise, we could have easily snuck back in.”

“Or maybe if you had snuck out better, your mom would never had been suspicious in the first place!” They both tried to enter the bathroom at once, only to get their shoulders stuck in the door frame. “Trixie, I am so not in the mood for this!”

“Then let Trixie go first!” Trixie wedged her way past Sunset and shut the bathroom door in her face.

“Everytime,” Sunset hissed. She leaned on the wall next to the door, mind quickly turning to more important matters. What had Twilight been trying to show her? Someone who looked just like her? Twilight couldn’t have been talking about the Human Sunset, could she?

Impossible. I’ve been here three years and no one’s ever mentioned her before. But maybe… Sunset rubbed her throbbing temple. Her human doppelganger running around was the absolute last thing she needed to happen. I need to get my phone back.

Sunset ignored the pit in her stomach and headed back downstairs. She could already smell eggs and toast cooking. Perhaps Selena would be in a slightly more reasonable mood. She stood in front of the stovetop scrambling eggs. Her lips remained tightly pressed, but her eyes had warmed a few degrees.

“Selena…” Sunset pulled her fingers and shuffled in place. “I’m really sorry about lying to you. I just wanted to help in some way. After everything you and Artemis have done for me... I know sneaking into the concert was dangerous and risky, but it was the only thing I could think of to help save Artemis. I…” Sunset sighed, out of words to defend her actions. “I’m sorry.”

Selena turned the eggs over one more time and set the burner low before facing Sunset. Her lips were no longer pressed together, and her stare didn’t freeze Sunset’s soul. “You’re a very sweet girl, Sunset, and it’s not that I don’t appreciate the gesture. I admire your drive to make something right when it’s wrong,” she said with a smile. “But this fight is too dangerous for you and Trixie. I stayed behind so I could protect you in case something happened to Artemis, and I’ll burn all of my manuscripts before I let those monsters touch you.”

Heat rose to Sunset’s cheeks. She suppressed the rare urge to hug someone other than Twilight and said, “Thanks. That really means a lot.” Sunset rubbed her arm. “The last adult I stabbed in the back kicked me out. I mean, I kinda deserved it—I was a lying brat!” Sunset’s voice steadily got louder with an added hint of hysteria. “She trusted me completely and I spat in her face! So, I’m just really glad you’re giving me chores and still care about me and aren’t kicking me out even though I, um, yeah, haha…” Sunset’s entire face burned. The toast popping out of the toaster provided her a great distraction to stare at.

After shoveling the eggs into a bowl, Selena ran a hand through Sunset’s hair and smiled. “I would hardly call what you did a ‘stab in the back’. You’re a good girl, Sunset with a big heart.” She moved to put the toast on a plate. “I just need you to stay out of trouble.”

“Right. Yeah. Sorry, I don’t know where all that came from.” Her heart clenched, remembering her ulterior motive for coming to apologize. So much for being a good girl. “I, uhh, know you’re trying to punish us, but…” She pressed a hand to her face. “Nevermind, forget it.”

“You want your phone back?” Selena asked, cutting into a cantaloupe.

“I forgot to tell Twilight I came back safe. And I think she was trying to tell me something really important.”

“That explains why it’s been ringing non-stop.” Selena reached into her pocket and handed Sunset her phone. “Here. But don’t make any plans today. I’m not finished with you two yet.”

The minute Sunset touched it, the phone vibrated again. “Understood. Thank you!” She rushed upstairs to her room, shut the door, and flipped her phone open. She got one ring before Twilight picked up. “Twilight, I’m so sorry—”

“Oh thank God, you’re okay!” A pause. “Sunset Shimmer, do you know how worried I was?”

Sunset held the phone away from her ear. She’s using my full name. I’m in so much trouble. “Listen, I can explain—”

“You better! I woke up to find my brother in the hospital and still no messages from you! And when you finally do send a message, it’s a garbled mess of typos that cuts off after the first sentence!”

“Wait, what happened t—”

“I thought you had been kidnapped! Or texted while driving and crashed! Teens our age have the highest statistic for dying in car related accidents! And you ride a motorcycle! Do you know how much worse that makes it?”

“Twilight—”

“Not to mention the fact that I think I just saw you! I mean, the other you! The you from this world and not yours—a concept I am still trying to wrap my head around! You’re actually a magical unicorn, not a human! Yep, there it is again! I’m dating a magical unicorn from another dimension and I just saw her human doppelganger! Nothing about this makes sense! This whole day has been nonstop crazy! Some random thief has the Crystal Heart, the Sirens are going onto Cadence’s show tomorrow and she won’t believe me when I say they’re evil, and I had to spend the last five hours wondering if you were even alive! And now, there’s a second you! Why is there a second you? Why is all this crazy stuff happening now? Why is it happening to me?”

Sunset heard Twilight flop onto her bed and breathe heavily like she had just finished a sprint. She gave it a half a minute before asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” Twilight took a few short breaths. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”

“All out of your system?”

“For now.”

“Okay then.” Sunset sat on her bed, only to hear something scratch at her door. She let Spot in, who quickly took up residence on her lap. “I’m sorry I didn’t call or text you when I got back. Selena was kinda waiting for us when we got home. So Trixie and I have been doing chores all morning.”

“Trixie went to the concert?”

“She snuck into the concert. But she found out the Sirens didn’t have the Crystal Heart, and that they’re holding Artemis somewhere under the stadium.”

“So he’s alive! That’s great news!” Twilight paused. “Well, I mean, he’s still being held prisoner, but it’s still better than, you know…” She cleared her throat. “But yeah, the Sirens don’t have the Heart, someone else does!”

“I know, you mentioned that during your freakout. Care to elaborate?”

“Last night, someone snuck into the museum and stole the Heart with the help of their…” Twilight gave a shuddering breath, “pet snake. It bit Shining and poisoned him, that’s why he’s in the hospital.”

Sunset grimaced. “I hope he gets better soon. But who else would want the Heart?”

“For money, I guess? It is a giant diamond… that happens to be magical.”

“Well, this is just fantastic,” Sunset said, voice bitter. She fell back onto her bed, allowing Spot to curl up on her stomach. “More complications to an already complicated game.”

“Look on the bright side, at least the Sirens don’t have it.”

“Sure, I guess. But now neither do we. And what’s this about another me?”

Twilight took a delicate pause. “I think I saw this world’s version of you. Did you see the picture I sent?”

Sunset shook her head. “Old phone. It was still loading when I called you.”

“Look at it as soon as you can. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I swear, she looked a lot like you. At least from a distance. Where do you think she’s been all this time? What would happen if the two of you met?”

Sunset closed her eyes, trying to shut out the pressure building between them. Dazzlings, diamond thieves, now doppelgangers? It was becoming too much to handle. She opened her eyes and glared at the ceiling. What the hell, universe, I thought we were cool!

“Sunset,” Twilight said gently, bringing her back, “what do we do now?”

Sunset took a second to collect her thoughts. “I don’t know. I just promised Selena I would stay out of trouble. I… I know it’s not good if there’s a second me running around. But we’ve avoided each other so far, hopefully we can stay out of each other’s lives a few more weeks at least. I’ll tell Selena about the thief. Hopefully she’ll think of something.”

“So you’re really going to leave this alone?”

“With everything else going on…. Yeah, I think so. For now, at least.” Sunset’s base instinct told her not to let it go so easily—to look into it just a little. She had always been curious about her parallel other. But to actually have a chance to meet her? What would they do? What would happen if they occupied the same space? Could reality handle that?

She brushed the thought away. Science fiction or not, Sunset wasn’t quite sure she wanted to look her doppelganger in the eye yet. “Yeah,” she said after what felt like too long a pause. “We need a break, Twilight.”

“What? Why? I know I told you I was a little mad but—”

Sunset sat upright and waved her free hand as Spot tumbled onto the bed with a growl. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! No! I didn’t mean us! I meant we need a break from all this stuff going on.”

“Oh…. Oh, right.” Twilight made a feeble laugh. “Of course that’s what you meant. Ahem, right.”

Sunset let out a breath of relief for both of them. “Tomorrow, just me and you. I’m taking you to the park, we’ll have a picnic, we’ll talk, we’ll laugh, we’ll pretend just for a few hours that we’re normal and not being threatened by power-hungry monsters. Think you’re up for that?”

“Yes.” Twilight’s voice grew more excited. “Yes, that sounds like a great way to spend Valentine’s Day. I’ll even bring my violin.”

“Sounds great. I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah. Tomorrow.”

Sunset heard a hitch in Twilight’s breathing, like she wanted to say something else. It never came though, leaving just an awkward air between them. Sunset started to say something but hesitated as well. “Umm… see ya.”

“Yeah, see ya.” More awkward air.

Sunset finally broke it by snapping her phone shut and throwing herself against her bed again. Butterflies danced around her heart, then fluttered into her stomach and stayed there. “I hate you, Sparky.”

At least she could still lie to herself.

Sunset raised her phone over her head and flipped it open again. She scrolled up to the fully downloaded attachment and clicked to enlarge it. The photo was a grainy, but Sunset could see what Twilight had captured and why it had freaked her out. Twilight said she hadn’t been perfectly sure, but for Sunset, it was like looking into a mirror. The hat and shades could only hide so much.

“Sunset Shimmer,” she said softly. “It’s nice to meet me.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Bad Things Come in Twos

Forgive any formatting errors. The importer seems to be on the fritz.

13. Vs. The World

Trying to rent instruments had been a battle in and of itself. Sunset counted them lucky they didn’t need an electric guitar, as that had been the first to go. Getting the bass for Applejack and drum set for Pinkie required some aggressive maneuvering, as everyone who wanted to compete crowded around the music office, rental papers in hand, and pushing and shoving to be the first in line.

How many of these kids even know how to play an instrument? Sunset wondered as she shoved Roseluck out of her way. Not that she could think much of it; half her friends barely played either, yet here they were. Still, they were doing it out of necessity. Everyone else just wanted their ten seconds of fame.

Mrs. Carol, head of the music department, waded through the sea of students to get to her office door. “Okay, okay, settle down please,” she said, trying to ignore the papers being shoved in her face. “Just let me get to my office first and—ooof! Please, no shoving! You’ll all get an instrument, I promise!” She finally got to her door and opened it up, allowing the students to pour in before she even made it to her desk.

Agile and forceful, Sunset ended up at the front of the line. Someone pulled on her hair, and she kicked her boot back into someone’s shin. She smiled sweetly at Mrs. Carol and laid her papers on the table.

“Hello, Miss Shimmer,” Mrs. Carol said in a tired voice. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Sunset said, pressing herself against the desk thanks to the crowd behind her. “Sorry about the mob.”

Mrs. Carol waved a hand while she read over the papers. “It’s fine. I’m just glad the students are taking such an active interest in music now. So, you need a bass, a drum set, a tambourine, and a keytar?”

“Yes, please.”

She stamped all the forms and handed Sunset a key. “They’re all yours. Take good care of them, and good luck!”

“Thank you.” Sunset turned to find the mob glaring at her. She stuck her tongue out and pushed past them, ignoring the unsavory whispers. Just like old times. She met the girls in front of the band room and they loaded the instruments into the back of Applejack’s truck. Not wanting to bother with trying to book the room for practice, the girls headed out to Sweet Apple Acres.

The paved roads of the city gave way to gravel, then dirt as they rode out to the edge. Farmland rolled in front of them with the Everfree Forest spread out just over the last hill. Applejack made a left and pulled into her long driveway, Rainbow tailgating right behind.

The last time Sunset had been here, the trees had been full of golden leaves, their apples just plucked from harvest. Now, the trees were skeletal, naked branches clawing at the sky. Stepping out of the car, Sunset found the ground hard and cold, and the grass limp and brown. She knew all of it would be alive come spring, but still found it a sorry sight.

The group moved everything into the barn while Applejack herded the animals out to graze. The smell of cows, pigs, and hay still lingered. Sunset pinched her nose. “Well, this isn’t ideal, but it’ll have to do.”

“Hey, no fair!” three voices said in unison.

Sunset turned and found Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo standing at the mouth of the barn, instruments in hand. Apple Bloom pointed an accusatory finger. “We were gonna use this for our practice space! You stole our idea!”

Applejack walked back into the barn, wiping her hands on her pants. “Sorry, sugarplum, we got here first. Why don’t y’all go practice on the hill outside?”

Apple Bloom gave her sister a vicious glare. “Don’t ‘sugarplum’ me. You know the acoustics are great in here. Ah can’t believe you’re trying to sabotage us already!”

“I can’t believe you’re helping her,” Sweetie said to Rarity.

Rainbow stepped up. “Hey, quit with the accusations! Why would we want to sabotage you?”

“To make sure we can’t see the Dazzlings,” Scootaloo said with venom. “Just like the way you took our tickets.”

Applejack waved her hands in a calming motion. “Ah told you before, it was for yer own good. Those concerts are dangerous.”

“Stop treating us like babies, Applejack,” Apple Bloom said, stomping up a puff of dirt. “We’re in high school now; Ah don’t need you hovering over me like Ah’m a little chick.” She held up her guitar. “And Ah’ll prove it by winning the Battle of the Bands!” She turned on her heel and stormed away, her two friends following along after another set of glares to their older siblings.

The three of them sighed, and Applejack tipped her hat over her eyes. “Today just ain’t our day.”

“Tell me about it,” Sunset and Rarity said, both of them emotionally drained. The girls finished set up and took their positions. Fluttershy stood in the back next to Pinkie while Rarity and Applejack flanked Rainbow in the middle. Sunset sat on a crate to the side, a pen and notebook in her lap. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

“What?”

“What do we play?” Rainbow asked. “You’re the one making the counterspell.”

“Oh…. well…” Sunset pulled at her hair. “The spell isn’t ready yet. Besides, you girls need basic practice anyway. So just, I dunno, play some composition pieces or something. We need to win the competition before we can play the spell anyway.”

“Alrighty then,” Applejack said, giving her bass a few plucks. “Guess Ah’ll get used to playin’ this. Can’t be too hard.”

“We can practice with ‘Shine Like Rainbows’,” Rarity suggested. “That’ll be a good song to play at the preliminaries on Saturday.”

Sunset smacked a palm against her forehead. “Right, you’re gonna need at least three other songs to sing through the battle. I’ll see if I can’t try to compose something else too.”

Rainbow waved a hand. “Don’t worry; I’ve already got some songs written and ready to go.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Are they all as egocentric as your first one?”

“No!”

“Umm, I also wrote a song or two,” Fluttershy said from the back.

Sunset clapped her hands. “Well, this is great. We’ll just tune them to the new instruments and use them to practice. Hop to it, girls.”

The first hour of practice wasn’t easy on Sunset’s ears. Many strings were off key and Fluttershy rattled her tambourine either too softly to hear or off beat from everyone else. As they practiced, Sunset kept her pen tapping against her paper. How did one make a musical counterspell exactly? Was it in the lyrics? Or did the girls just need to pony up while singing? She thought about the Sirens and their hit song. Right in the chorus, they bragged about everyone being under their spell, and lo and behold, it came true.

Sunset scribbled a few lyric ideas. Might as well cover both bases. The lyrics would be the easy part; it was the composition that would prove tricky. She only had two classes worth of experience.

A flash of light caught her attention. Looking up, she found Rainbow hovering a foot off the ground, pony ears up and wings spread wide. She played a quick solo and laughed. “Still awesome!”

Good to see that still works. “Yeah, make sure you don’t do that at the competition. We don’t want the Dazzlings to know we’re onto them. Or get disqualified.”

“Right, right,” Rainbow said with a casual wave. “Be awesome, but not too awesome. Tough, but I think I can manage.”

No one else had ponied up by the end of the day, leaving Sunset to wonder if that was a good or bad thing. She had a page full of notes and ideas, but hardly anything she could call concrete yet. She had at least a few weeks, but wanted time so the girls could practice.

Rainbow dropped her off at home, and stepping through the door, Sunset could hear an electric guitar coming from upstairs. She found Selena in the kitchen, slowly putting together a casserole. “I take it Trixie’s still mad?” Sunset asked.

Selena smacked her serving spoon onto the counter. “I don’t know where she gets this stubbornness. Even Artemis isn’t this foolhardy. I don’t know what she thinks she’s trying to prove, saving him and beating the Sirens by herself; I’m already proud of her!” She sighed and looked at Sunset with sorrowful eyes. “I know she doesn’t want it, but you’ll be there for her if something happens, right?”

“Of course,” Sunset said automatically. Unapologetic as Trixie was, Sunset wouldn’t let anyone else in her pseudo family get hurt.

“Thank you, Sunset,” Selena said, her sorrow turning to gratitude. She moved over to the cutting board and began dicing green onions with a little more vigor. “How was your day?”

Sunset took a seat at the table. “I’ve had better. Twilight joined Moondancer because she didn’t think she could help us, not having magic and all. Flash hates me because he thinks I’m out to ruin his life, and the sisters of my friends think we’re trying to sabotage their chances of winning.”

“That’s a lot to handle in one day. I’m sorry to hear it.” Selena set the knife down and washed her hands. “How’s the counterspell coming?”

“It’s… started.” Sunset put her notebook on the table, and Selena came over and started reading through it. “I’m trying to think of lyrics to counter everything the Sirens say in their songs.”

Selena nodded. “You’re off to a good start. I don’t know what you’re going to rhyme with ‘orange’ though.”

Sunset took the notebook and scribbled it out. “Yeah, I knew that was dumb.”

*******

Saturday came all too soon. Sunset considered it good fortune she shared three classes with Twilight, for Moondancer snatched her away every lunch and after school, always with a look of sheer elation, and a hint of smug satisfaction if Sunset caught her eye.

Practice for the Rainbooms had been slow but steady, with them running through ‘Shine Like Rainbows’, ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be’ (to much disgruntlement), and a few short instrumentals Rainbow had thrown together. In between practice, Sunset had a few of them test chords for her composition of the counterspell. She had the first verse down and had an idea of how she wanted it to sound.

In the meantime, they had the preliminary auditions to get through.

The Battle of the Bands would be hosted at the Canterlot Fairgrounds, not too far from Sweet Apple Acres. When the Rainbooms arrived, a large crowd had already gathered around the three stages set up. Stands for food and Dazzlings memorabilia flanked the outskirts.

“Boy, they’re sure goin’ whole hog, aren’t they?” Applejack said when they settled in the dirt parking lot. “The Dazzlings are havin’ people eat this competition idea up like it’s the greatest thing since apple fritters.”

Rarity stepped lightly, trying not to get dirt on her new designer boots. She had dressed fancy for the occasion, sporting a new purple dress with fake glittering diamonds around the waist. “The least they could do is put in a paved pathway.”

“Ah told you we were goin’ to the fairgrounds,” Applejack said, annoyed.

“Yes, but I didn’t think it would be so… dusty. It’s going to completely ruin my ensemble.”

Sunset messaged her temple. Personally, she didn’t think the judges would care about a little dirt as long as they didn’t look like hobos on stage. “You can come with me to check the schedule then,” she said. “There’s grass further in.”

“I’ll go too,” Rainbow said. “The rest of you stay here and guard the equipment. I don’t trust any other band out here today.”

A justifiable paranoia, Sunset thought as they moved to the heart of the fair. Like Canterlot High on Monday, tension polluted the air, creating a toxic atmosphere that made Sunset’s skin crawl. Collectively, a dull murmur could be heard through the crowd, but upon further inspection, Sunset saw only bandmates talking to fellow bandmates with no outside communication. Just like lunch.

And like renting equipment, Sunset had to fight her way through the crowd gathered in front of the scheduling board. She found the Rainbooms under the 2:00 P.M. column, giving them three hours until showtime. She pushed her way back to Rainbow and Rarity finding them staring open mouthed down the main thoroughfare.

Sitting on a black grand piano being carried by four muscular men was Moondancer, legs crossed, hands folded, and surveying everyone beneath her like she was a princess and they her loving subjects. Twilight walked beside her, trying not to look too embarrassed.

“Set it next to the stage, gentlemen,” Moondancer said while Twilight broke away to the Rainbooms.

“Hi girls,” she said, still looking flustered. “Hi, Sun.”

Sunset drummed her fingers against her lips. “Nah. Keep trying.”

Twilight sighed exasperatedly and leaned up to kiss Sunset. “How’s everything coming along?”

“They’re all getting better, but I guess our first test will be today.”

“Pffft.” Rainbow waved a hand. “Please, we got this on lock. We sound awesome! We just have to make sure we don’t sound so awesome we let you-know-what slip out.”

Sunset glanced over to Moondancer, stepping off her piano. “How’s your practice coming along?”

Twilight brightened like a purple lamp. “It’s been a lot of fun! I forgot how well Moondancer can play! We wrote a lot of great songs and I can’t wait for you to hear them!” She dimmed and cleared her throat. “I mean, it was okay. Just fine.” She wrapped herself around Sunset and leaned into her. “I’ve missed spending time with you though.”

“Awwww,” Rarity gushed.

“Make way! Here comes Trixie and the Illusions!” Trixie pushed her way past Twilight and Sunset, barely sparing them a glance.

“I’m guessing she’s still mad?” Twilight asked.

Sunset gave a sad nod. “Yep. Now all we need is—” Someone shoved past her from behind, and she turned to see blue spiky hair disappear into the crowd. “And the gang’s all here.”

“Attention everyone,” a perky voice said over the loudspeakers, “Please gather at the center stage so we can begin the competition! We have a few announcements to make and a special guest performance!”

The voice sounded familiar to Sunset, and one look at Twilight confirmed her suspicions. “That was Cadence, wasn’t it?”

Twilight gave a regretful nod.

Everyone migrated toward the center of the fairgrounds and gathered in front of the stage. Indeed, Cadence stood front and center, smiling and waving to her admirers. She caught sight of Twilight and gave her an extra large smile.

Twilight returned it halfheartedly. “Why is she here?” she whispered.

Rainbow shrugged. “Celebrity judge maybe? The Dazzlings did announce this thing through her station.”

“Hello, everyone!” Cadence said once the crowd had calmed down some. “I’m Mi Amore in the Morning, but you can call me Cadence! It’s my pleasure to welcome you to Canterlot’s first Battle of the Bands!” She let the crowd roar before continuing. “From today’s preliminary auditions, eighteen bands will move on to the quarterfinals. Nine bands from there will make it to the semis, and three bands will move on to the finals! From there, only one will win the battle and get to play with the Dazzlings!” The crowd cheered again.

“Of course, I will be one of your judges! And now, here are the others!” Cadence gestured to the curtain behind her, where green smoke began to rise up from underneath. “Your favorite songstresses and your judges, The Dazzlings!”

“What?” Sunset and the girls chorused. The curtains rose and the Sirens sauntered out, fog drifting with them. They rose their arms and began to sing, the pendants around their neck glowing in the sun.

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh,

“ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh.

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh,

“ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh.”

Sunset clapped her hands over Twilight’s ears and pressed down as hard as she could. Twilight squirmed in discomfort but Sunset refused to let up.

“Me and you, you and me,

“Why don't we see who is better?

“We don't have to be one and the same thing.

“Oh, what's so wrong with a little competition?

“Are you afraid of failing the audition?”

All around her, Sunset could see agitation flowing through the crowd. They were caught between adoring the Dazzlings and trading quiet insults and competitive glares. And looking closer, Sunset saw something she hadn’t noticed before: a green shimmer in each of their eyes, the same green as the fog flowing off the stage.

Well that’s ominous.

By the time the song ended, the crowd was in an angry murmur. Sunset let go of Twilight, allowing her to take off her glasses and rub her ears.

“Are you feeling okay?” Sunset asked.

“I think so?” Twilight set her glasses back on. Sunset couldn’t see any green in her eyes, but couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Adagio stepped up to the center mike. “We hope you enjoyed our little performance. Now, it’s your turn to dazzle us and prove which one of you is the best in Canterlot!”

Everyone broke into a scramble, shoving and shouting and scrambling over each other to get to their instruments. Sunset huddled close to her friends while the frenzy swarmed around them. As it thinned out, they linked arms and pulled themselves away, finding a safe space near a corn dog stand.

“Great,” Rarity said, dusting her dress off. “The Sirens are the judges, and everyone’s nice and riled up. It’s like they expect us to actually battle.”

“More power for them if we did,” Sunset said. “I thought they might be here, but I didn’t expect them to be judges.” She looked at Rarity and Rainbow. “Now it’s super important you don’t give away your magic. If they see it, there’s nothing stopping them from knocking you out.”

Rainbow put her hands on her hips. “You know, it’s gonna be really hard to show off my awesome guitar skills if I have to hold back this much.”

“We’re here to save the world, not make you look awesome,” Sunset snapped.

“No reason we can’t do both.” Rainbow wilted at Sunset’s guttural growl. “Right, save the world first. Got it.”

Sunset ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “Okay. We’ve still got a few hours before you go on, so let’s—”

“Twilight!” Moondancer came around the corner, eyes passing over Sunset, Rarity, and Rainbow. “There you are! I was worried you had been captured by a rival band.” Her eyes finally found the others, however briefly. “Come, come; we’re due on stage in twenty minutes and…” She licked her thumb and rubbed it against Twilight’s cheek. “Sweetheart, you have a little smudge right there.”

Sunset wished she had magic just long enough to set Moondancer on fire. “Hey!” she said loudly, draping an arm around Twilight and turning her away from Moondancer’s hand. “Good luck, baby, I’m totally rooting for you!” She pulled Twilight in and gave her a long kiss. She kept her eyes close, choosing to imagine Moondancer’s expression of pain and sadness. Sunset released Twilight and finished rubbing the dirt off her cheek.

“Uhh, thanks,” Twilight said, partly dazed. “Good luck to you, too.” Moondancer quickly draped an arm around her and led her away, giving an extra venom filled glare to Sunset.

Sunset turned away and held her arms while she looked at the ground. “I feel sick.”

“Why?” Rainbow asked.

Rarity closed her eyes and tutted. “Because she kissed Twilight to prove a point. And only to prove a point. Isn’t that right, Sunset?”

She just nodded. Sunset was the jealous type; she knew that. But to kiss Twilight in front of Moondancer like that—to show Moondancer the one thing she couldn’t have… Sunset cringed. Perhaps the Sirens’ magic brought out her old habits. Or she wasn’t as reformed as she thought.

Rarity put a hand on her back. “It’s okay, darling, just breathe it out.” Sunset did as she was told and exhaled a tight breath. “There,” Rarity said soothingly. “Now, you know what you did was wrong, and you can make up for it the next time you see her. There’s no need to beat yourself up over it. To be honest, I can’t say I blame you.”

Sunset unwrapped herself and feebly gestured to the parking lot. “Let’s go see the others. We still have to unpack.”

Rainbow quietly scoffed behind them and shoved her hands in her pockets. “Relationships are so weird.”

*******

Sunset bounced back enough to see Twilight and Moondancer’s duet. Moondancer had managed to change before going on stage, switching to a sparkling white, ruffled dress with a long back hem. She took her seat at the keys of her grand piano while Twilight sat on top.

The judges sat at a table in front of the stage with security guards forming a perimeter around them. Even so, a few fans hovered dangerously close to the Dazzlings.

Moondancer opened, fingers daintily dancing across the keys. She hit every note with perfection, making her piano sing a sweet, melodious song. She smiled confidently, her eyes on Twilight the entire time. To Sunset’s pleasure, Twilight kept her eyes closed in concentration.

Their instruments flowed together seamlessly. The song washed over the noisy crowd, drawing their attention and silencing them.

When the duo finished, Sunset was one of the few who clapped. The rest muttered to one another in angry or jealous whispers. Sunset saw Cadence restraining herself from leaping to her feet to give Twilight a standing ovation.

“Thank you, girls, that was excellent!” she said, giving them her biggest smile. She scribbled what looked like tens in every box on the scoresheet. The Sirens just smiled approvingly while they got up and moved to the next stage.

That’s a tough act to follow, Sunset thought. I feel bad for the next band.

“We are Sex Bob-omb! One, two, three, four!” Sunset heard a clash of instruments and stuck her tongue out. There was one band not making it to the quarterfinals.

“Excuse me, miss!”

Sunset turned around, finding a woman with a mic and a man with with a camera standing only a foot away from her. Sunset leaned back from the mic in her face. “Umm, hi?”

“Inside Scoop from Channel 14 News,” the woman said. “May we have a moment of your time for your thoughts on the Battle of the Bands?”

“Sure, I guess,” Sunset said, still eyeing the mic hovering close to her cheek. She had never been interviewed before.

“Excellent!” Scoop brought the mic back to herself. “What do you think of the competition so far? Are you nervous? Worried? Intimidated by some of the other bands?” She pressed the mic back to Sunset.

Sunset took half a step back. Her ears filtered in the loud mess of noise from the current band and she scoffed. “Intimidated? No. I mean sure, a fair amount of them have some talent but it’s nothing to get nervous about.”

“So do you think you can win? What’s the name of your band and what music do you play?”

“Oh, well, I’m not competing myself. I’m sort of a band manager/stage hand for my friends. They’re the Rainbooms, and they’re a pop band.”

“And you think they have the best shot?”

Sunset shrugged. “With some practice, I think they have a good chance.”

Scoop turned her back to Sunset and looked at the camera. “There you have it! The Battle of the Bands is heating up with talents like the Rainbooms expecting to sweep the competition.”

Sunset leaned over Scoop’s shoulder. “That’s not what I said.” Neither Scoop nor the cameraman paid her any mind. He pointed to another group of kids and they moved on. Sunset stood in the middle of the dry grass, face sour. “Why do I have the feeling this will somehow come back to bite me?”

“Sunset!”

Oh, what now? She turned around to find Pinkie running toward her, a corn dog in her hand.

“We have a teensy tiny problem!” She took a bite out of her corn dog and chewed for a second. “You have to come with me, quick!” She grabbed Sunset with her open hand and dragged her off.

Sunset learned not to resist whenever Pinkie led her somewhere, but it didn’t stop her from glaring at the back of Pinkie’s poofy hair. They went across the field to the third stage, where Flash and his band were trying to set up. Unfortunately, they seemed to be in a heated argument with the other Rainbooms and Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo.

Rainbow and Flash were inches away from butting heads. “Fluttershy wrote the song,” Rainbow said heatedly. “It belongs to her!”

“And Sunset practically begged us to play it!” Flash argued. “We have as much right to it as you do since we actually performed it!”

Apple Bloom jumped up between them. “We actually sang the lyrics though! So we have every right to perform it too!” The three of them stopped taking turns and tried to talk over each other, growing louder with each incoherent sentence.

Sunset pieced together which song they were arguing about and sighed. She walked over to Fluttershy, hovering on the edge of the group, away from the main confrontation. “Aren’t you going to say something? ‘Shine Like Rainbows’ is your song.”

Fluttershy played with her fingers. “Well, I mean, I would like it if we could sing it today. But, they do have a good point. I don’t want anyone to be upset.”

“Sweety, you’re too nice for your own good,” Sunset said, patting Fluttershy on the head. She rolled up her sleeves and marched toward the arguing trio. Time to make some enemies.

She wedged her way between Flash, Rainbow and Apple Bloom. “All of you shut up!” She glared at the opposing band members. “Fluttershy wrote the song. It’s hers. She’s in our band. Ergo, we have first dibs on ‘Shine Like Rainbows.’ Further, I helped finish the song, so I get some say in this too. We get the song, you two can beat it.”

The members of Flash Drive and the Crusaders met her with heated and unforgiving glares. Flash looked ready to spit on her. He turned away, fists tightened, and helped his band finish their set up. The Crusaders turned their hateful glares on their sisters before walking away, noses in the air.

Sunset dropped her arms. “Just when I think I’m done, I get to be the villain again. It’s not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.”

“Yeah, but you helped us out,” Rainbow said reassuringly. “And you sent them away without this turning into a fight. So, positives, right?”

“Sure.” Sunset knew what a used battery felt like. Between the Sirens, Twilight and Moondancer, and making enemies out of her old friends, she was emotionally drained. She still had two hours before the Rainbooms went on; two hours filled with mediocre to average music, soggy popcorn, and numerous shouting matches between the other competitors.

The old me would be having a ball right now, Sunset thought, watching Bon Bon and Derpy get into it. She resumed helping Pinkie set up her drums. Over on the center stage, Trixie and her band finished their song to scattered applause. It didn’t come as a surprise to Sunset, but most bands went completely ignored by the other competitors.

Trixie proved to be Cadence’s opposite. Though she gave a theatrical bow, Sunset could see Trixie fighting not to jump down and tackle Adagio.

Sunset adjusted the hi-hat and stepped back. “All right, Pinks, you’re good to go.” She looked at the others, already set up and in position. She breathed out the butterflies in her stomach. “Well, break a leg, girls.”

“Don’t worry, Sunset,” Rarity said, “I’m sure we’re good enough to claim one of eighteen spots.”

Sunset gave them a thumbs up and stepped into the backstage shadows as the judges came and took their seats. “Band number twenty-six,” Cadence said, “The Rainbooms.”

“And what will you be playing for us today?” Adagio asked.

“It’s a song that’s totally ours and no one else should be playing it!” Rainbow shouted. Leaning forward, Sunset saw why. Flash chose that moment to walk past the stage. He and Rainbow exchanged burning glowers, trying to incinerate each other.

“Dash, you’re an idiot,” Sunset said under her breath. She saw all three Sirens take a collective breath and grin at one another.

When Flash stalked off, Rainbow gave a nod to Pinkie, and she tapped her drumsticks together, counting off, “One, two, three, four!”

“Once… upon a time,

“You came into my world and made the stars align,” Applejack sang while she softly strummed her bass. As Sunset had found out over the week, all her friends (save for Fluttershy who refused to open her mouth unless they sang together) had pretty good voices.

Rarity took the next verse. “Now, I can see the signs,

“You pick me up when I get down so I can shine.”

As one they sang, “Shine like rainbows, ohohoh.” Sunset saw Fluttershy’s mouth move but couldn’t hear her voice. She supposed it didn’t matter in the end, but it would have been nice to hear Fluttershy. Sunset had a gut feeling she had a lovely voice.

Looking out to the crowd, Sunset found Twilight watching with a smile on her face. Even from the stage, Sunset could see the tiny dimples in Twilight’s cheeks, and her perfectly aligned, sparkling teeth. It wasn’t a complete recharge, but it sparked something warm in Sunset again.

She shifted her attention back to the girls. ‘Shine Like Rainbows’ proved to be a good, mellow song for an opening act. They had practiced it enough times, everyone managed to get through their parts without any noticeable mistakes.

As the song neared completion, Sunset swore she could see all of them beginning to sparkle. She gripped the side of the curtain as a soft light started to envelope each of them when they reached the final chorus. She wasn’t hallucinating; they were about to pony up.

I specifically told you not to do that! Sunset looked around frantically for some way to stop them. A bucket rested a yard away, and thinking of nothing else, she ran and gave it a hard kick toward the stage. It bounced and clattered, startling Fluttershy enough to drop her tambourine and throw off the closing line. As the bass line faded, the Rainbooms turned back and gave Sunset mystified looks. Luckily, all of their glitter and glow had disappeared.

“Sorry,” Sunset said with a sheepish wave of her hand. “Clumsy me. Tripped on the bucket.”

Cadence wrote something down but gave them an encouraging smile. “Well, distraction aside, that was lovely, girls.”

“I’ll say,” Adagio purred. “A little saccharine, but still enjoyable.”

Sonata bobbed her head. “I thought it was super cute and catchy!” She looked over to Aria who gave an uninterested shrug.

Sunset wiped the sweat gathering at the top of her forehead. Three out of four judges was pretty good.

Rainbow unplugged her guitar from the amp. “What was with the bucket?” she whispered to Sunset as the judges walked away.

“You were all starting to glow. I had to do something.”

Rarity looked at her keytar. “Really? I didn’t feel like I was doing anything extravagant though.”

“Me neither,” Applejack said. “Ah was just tryin’ to have a good time.”

“I always have a good time!” Pinkie banged on her drums then tossed her sticks into the air. They came back down and disappeared in the labyrinth of her hair.

Sunset hoisted the amp up and walked it off stage. “The point is, you sounded good and you didn’t give yourselves away. I think you managed to survive to next week.”

Fluttershy followed her, arms full of cables. “So, what do we do now?”

Sunset set the amp down on the grass to catch her breath. “You keep practicing. I’ll keep writing.” She looked out into the moving crowd. Twilight had disappeared again. “And we hope for the best.”

*******

Adagio opened the door to their hotel suite and graciously let her sisters in first. She found herself in a good mood again today. One that almost made up for the seething anger she had felt all week after her idiotic and incompetent sisters had come home without the Crystal Heart!

Thankfully, they hadn’t had any public appearances, because Adagio was sure she had left bruises.

Sonata jumped onto the plush couch and curled against a pillow larger than her head. “That was so much fun! I’m like, so full right now!”

Aria sat next to her and put her boots up on the table. “Full, sure. But that was a total borefest. Almost all of those ‘bands’ sucked.”

“You’re just mad because none of them played your screamo death metal junk.”

Aria grabbed another pillow and pushed it onto Sonata’s face.

Adagio stomped her boot. “Enough!” Her good mood didn’t extend to putting up with their shenanigans. Aria released the pillow, allowing Sonata to sit up with a gasp of air. Adagio messaged her temple. She could see a hot bath in the near future. “I think I already know the answer to this, but did either of you feel what I felt out there?”

“Nope!” Sonata said chipperly.

To Adagio’s surprise, Aria nodded her head. “The Equestrian magic. Those Rainblossom girls were dripping with it.”

“Oh, was that what that was? I thought something tasted like Fruity Pebbles.”

Adagio ignored her. “The point is, despite your dismal failure last week—”

“We said we were sorry!” Aria shouted, throwing her hands up. “Forgive us for not anticipating another thief and her pet snake would be there! And I told you, I’ll handle it!”

“You better,” Adagio growled. “Everything else is going to plan. But if we want to be all-powerful, we still need the Heart.” She crossed her arms and smiled. “But, hearts and Equestria aside, I noticed something else at the fair today.”

Sonata cocked her head. “Was it the popcorn? I thought it was pretty soggy. The corn dogs were good though!”

Aria shifted her leg and kicked Sonata. “Continue.”

“There was human magic there too,” Adagio said without missing a beat.

Aria looked up at her. “What? You think Apalla was there spying on us?”

“No.” Adagio’s smile widened. “I think there’s a new Lulamoon in play. One who will do anything to save her dear daddy.”

*******

As far as hideouts went, Lamia had used worse. Much worse, in fact. Sure, the old factory she took refuge in now had a slight cockroach infestation and no central heating whatsoever, but it had a kitchen, working lights, and running water. It showed signs that someone had lived here once, but they had long since left. She found a few old clothes in a dresser in the foreman’s office that were close to her size.

Lamia laid on the stale mattress tucked against the wall. Jörmangandr curled himself around the Crystal Heart under the desk and snoozed. It was a pretty boring existence.

Still, Lamia made do. She had been fortunate enough to find an old t.v a few blocks from her new squaller. Tiny with a cracked screen, but it still worked fine. And since the factory still had working outlets, she could actually use it!

Soon she would have a plasma screen. How many inches? Maybe seventy. And surround sound! Set in the middle of her living room in her new villa waiting for her in Greece. All she had to do was bide her time until her trade went down. Then she could say goodbye to the Crystal Heart and hello to millions and millions of dollars!

She reached for her coffee cup, tasting her lukewarm cinnamon latte. The news came back on, the color a little faded on the tiny television screen.

“Today marked the beginning of Canterlot City’s first Battle of the Bands, hosted by the newest pop sensation, the Dazzlings,” the anchor said. “Here’s Inside Scoop with a look at the competition.”

Lamia rolled her eyes. She had given up pop music after Sapphire Shores sold out. Now she only heard the drivel when she went grocery shopping. She took another sip of her latte as Inside Scoop cut to some of her interviews.

“They’re the Rainbooms, and they’re a pop band,” a familiar looking girl said.

Too familiar.

Lamia spat her coffee onto the floor and bolted off the mattress to get as close to the screen as she could. Even with the muted colors, she could see the familiar red and gold hair, even styled the same way it had been in high school. Her eyes, the same shade of teal, her mouth leaning toward a perpetual frown, arms crossed with indifference.

“With some practice, I think they have a good chance,” the girl said.

Sunset Shimmer stared at her doppelganger, mouth agape. She kept staring even as the picture transitioned back to the news room.

“What. The. Fuck.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Battlefield Canterlot

14. The Factory

Eighteen bands moved on from the preliminaries, the Rainbooms being one of them. Moondancer and Twilight, known as Moonlight Requiem (Sunset had almost torn the paper in half) Flash Drive, Trixie and the Illusions, and the Crusaders all made it as well. Five bands from Canterlot High. Normally, this would be seen as a triumph, maybe even a lunchtime celebration. Instead, the bands ignored each other, while the rest of the jilted competitors ostracized them all.

Sunset had almost forgotten what the scornful stares and whispers from her peers felt like. It all came rushing back on Monday as she walked on campus. As hard as it was, she picked up her old mask of cruel superiority and petty anger, if only to keep everyone else’s negativity away. It was worn and cracked, and no longer sat well on her face.

She took it off and smiled at Rarity upon entering first period. Rarity gave a lukewarm reception. Sunset dropped into the chair next to her. “Tough morning?”

Rarity nodded. “Sweetie Belle is no longer talking to me. Nor is half the fashion club.”

“Aren’t you the president?”

“Not if this keeps up.” Rarity slouched in her chair. Sunset knew she had to be upset if she wasn’t correcting her own posture.

Come lunch, Sunset would find Rarity was not the only one having trouble. Apple Bloom refused to talk to Applejack, and the soccer team ignored Rainbow during practice. Sitting at their table near the center of the cafeteria, a dark cloud hung over the Rainboom’s heads. Any way they looked, someone gave them an unwanted glare.

“Geez,” Rainbow said, resting her cheek in her hand. “Now I know how Sunset felt after the Fall Formal. Uh, no--”

Sunset raised a fist.

“Nevermind!”

Sunset lowered her fist. “Just ignore them. Once we beat the Sirens, everything will go back to normal.”

“We grow ears and shoot magic when we play music,” Applejack said. “Normal, we ain’t.”

Normal or not, Sunset couldn’t wait for the students to snap back to their senses. Having divided the school, seen it come back together, seen it turn briefly against her, and now seen it divided again, she much preferred the touchy-feely school unity.

She also preferred when Moondancer didn’t have an excuse to drag Twilight away from their table.

While it was a thin silver line, Sunset found solace in the fact that classes proceeded like normal. No one in her AP Physics class played the Dazzlings music while they worked, giving Sunset ample silence to concentrate on her assignments. Even without outward distractions, however, her mind tended to wander off. Artemis, Twilight, her friends, her possible doppelganger, the Crystal Heart, an unfinished spell, and the fate of the world. She tried not to think about it all at once lest her brain explode.

She carried the notebook containing the spell with her at all times in case she found a moment to work on it. While she wouldn’t admit she was stuck, Sunset noted she still had some progress to make and was merely… stalled at the moment.

The bell dismissing school rang, and she packed up her stuff. She would have plenty of time to have a breakthrough while the girls practiced this afternoon.

The Rainbooms gathered in front of the marble horse statue at the front of the school, then piled into Applejack and Rainbow’s cars. Being free of the school’s negativity rejuvenated their spirits, and by the time they arrived at the farm, everyone had the strength to smile again.

“So, how’s that magic spell thing coming?” Rainbow asked while she plugged in her guitar.

Sunset’s smile folded. “It’s coming. You know, just gotta make sure it’s perfect.”

“Would you like some help?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, I got this. Just keep practicing.” Sunset got comfortable on a hay bale in the corner of the barn and took her notebook out. Help would be appreciated, but she couldn’t distract her friends from doing their part of the job just because she couldn’t do hers.

Fluttershy gave her tambourine a little shake. “Well, I mean, I don’t think it’s good enough to be a counterspell or anything, but I did write a new song for us to play.”

“Hey, me too!” Rainbow said.

“Oh, well, you can go first, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said with a polite smile and bow.

“Sweet!” Rainbow ran to her bag and rummaged through it. “Hey, if your song doesn’t work, Sunset, mine’s awesome enough to beat the Sirens.”

“I’m sure it is, Dash,” Sunset said, not looking up from her paper.

“This one ain’t as conceited as your last one, is it?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow took the lyrics from her bag. “‘Awesome As I Wanna Be’ is not conceited. And to answer your question, no, it isn’t.”

Applejack snatched the lyrics from her. “Hmmm. Well, aside from the chorus, this ain’t half bad.”

“Well, let’s give it a whirl!” Pinkie said, spinning her drumsticks on her fingers.

They spent the next hour and a half practicing their individual chords and learning the lyrics. Everyone except Fluttershy had one solo line, though she lent her voice to the chorus. At a quarter to six, they were ready for their first run through. Pinkie started with a steady beat on the kick before everyone sang the opening verses.

“We used to fight with each other.

“Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh.

“That was before we discovered.

“Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh.

“That when your friendship is real.

“Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh.

“Yeah, you just say what you feel.

“And the music, yeah the music,

“Gets us to the top!

“As we learn how the rainbow...

“Rainbow rocks!”

Rainbow belted out a series of wild guitar riffs, her entire body beginning to glow in the process. The rest of the Rainbooms started to glow as well, sprouting pony ears and their respective wings and horn. By the time the song finished, all of them hovered just off the ground, and the barn walls reflected their shimmering aura.

Sunset applauded as they giggled and cheered at their performance. “For a first run through, that sounded really good.”

“It felt really good too,” Rarity gushed. She kicked her feet, pedaling herself higher into the air. The aura faded away and she fell back to the floor in a gentle descent. She took out her compact and examined herself. “I still say I could come up with some great accessories for my horn. They can match the ensemble I have planned out for the rest of the competition!”

“You have dresses planned for the entire battle?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course. I have outfits for all of you.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Rarity, we’re not here to play dress-up. We go in, beat the Sirens, and go home.”

“Well who says we can’t look fabulous while doing it?”

Rainbow glided overhead. “I’m okay with a few outfits as long as they look cool. I don’t want my band to look like one of those bubblegum pop bands.”

“Your band?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Our band,” she corrected herself. “Though I am the band leader.”

“Keep tellin’ yourself that.”

The magic timed out, and Rainbow crashed to the floor, her wings evaporating into blue wisps. “Lame,” she grumbled, massaging her tailbone.

“I think that’s enough practice for today,” Sunset said, snapping her notebook shut. She had made some progress too, successfully coming up with one new line!

Fluttershy stepped out of her back corner. “But we didn’t get a chance to practice my song. I mean, it’s okay, you all worked hard today, and Rainbow’s song was great…”

“Ponyfeathers,” Sunset said, slapping a hand against her forehead. “I’m so sorry, ‘Shy, I totally forgot. We’ll try your song tomorrow, I promise.”

Fluttershy beamed.

The girls tore down and packed their gear away, but when Applejack pushed the barn door open, she found a note taped to the other side. “You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

“What is it?” Pinkie asked, trying to read over Applejack’s shoulder.

“Apple Bloom’s so mad, she won’t even talk to me anymore. She just left this note.” Applejack gave it a shake before reading it aloud. “‘Dear ‘sister’, Ah must inform you that tomorrow, Mah band has claimed dibs on the barn to practice for our inevitable win in the Battle of the Bands. Both Big Mac and Granny Smith agree that you’ve been hoggin’ the space. Failure to comply will result in a whuppin’ from Granny. Signed, The Crusaders.’”

Rarity hung her head. “She probably got the idea from Sweetie Belle. She only communicates with me via sticky notes.”

“At least they’re leaving you messages,” Rainbow said. “Scootaloo won’t even look at me.”

“So, umm, where do we practice now?” Fluttershy asked. “The band room is booked all week.”

Sunset tapped her skull. “Give me a sec. I’m sure I can think of something.” A secluded place with good acoustics and where they wouldn’t be bothered anymore. Trixie had dibs on her home, and none of the other girls had enough space for all of them. Sunset almost wished she had a place of her own again. Like…

“The factory!” she shouted.

“You mean the old dump you used to live in?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah! You can practice in the main room! No one will bug us there! It’s perfect!”

“Save for hygiene,” Rarity muttered. “But, I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. We’ll convene after school and head to the factory for practice. Good thinking, Sunset.”

“It’s what I do.” She picked up the drum case and helped heave it out of the barn. Yep. It’s what I’m good for: coming up with ideas. Executing them… Her ratio of successful plans to failures was… disheartening to say the least.

She rode with Rainbow back home, arriving to the Lulamoon household to find Trixie blaring her guitar from her room again. Sunset made her way to the second floor, finding the study door open and Selena sitting at Artemis’ table. She looked up and gestured for Sunset to come in.

“How was your day?” Selena asked, setting a book face up on the desk.

“All right. Yours?”

She gestured to the book. “I still can’t find anything on musical counterspells, but I think I might have found how the Sirens got off that island.” She tapped a finger on the top of the open page. “A leygate.”

“What gate?”

“A leygate.” As Selena began to explain, Sunset stepped closer and followed along in the book, looking at a picture of the world with many silver lines crisscrossing everywhere. “I remember Artemis talking about them a while ago. A long time ago, when magic was prevalent throughout the world, veins of magic would run through the planet. These were called leylines.” She put a finger on a silver dot at a junction of several lines. “Leylines were connected by leygates: sort of spots where there was a large influx of magic.”

“‘Magic attracts more magic,’” Sunset whispered, remembering Artemis’ words.

Selena nodded. “Leylines could be created if two places in the world were very magical. The magic would seek each other out and connect.”

“Okay, so they were like magical vents,” Sunset said. “But what does that have to do with the Sirens getting out?”

“It’s just like you said: they’re like vents—passages. Leylines were unique and powerful in that you could ride them to anywhere in the world.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Ride them?”

“Yes. If you found a leygate, you could step in and ride the magic current to the other end, almost instantaneously. It was like teleporting over long distances.” Selena leaned back in her chair. “Technically speaking, leylines are underground, so the Sirens bypassed Artemis’ barrier—”

“By tunneling under it,” Sunset finished. “That’s why Artemis didn’t notice anything—the shield is still up, they just got around it!”

“The last question is how?” Selena drummed her fingers on the armrest. “You need two sources of magic to create a line. I guess being magical sirens stuck in one place would create some magical energy, but what would they connect to? Artemis’ magic alone wouldn’t be enough to create a gate.”

Sunset went rigid, shoulders locking in place, heart freezing in her chest. Her mind moved a mile a minute, however. The crown, the blistering pain, the power, the rainbow.

“Sunset, what’s wrong?”

Her knees buckled, and she lurched forward, using the sides of the desk to stop herself from hitting the floor. “The Fall Formal,” she said breathlessly. “That stupid crown… and the Elements of Harmony… It was me. I created all that magic. It must have been enough for the leygate to form. I… I let the Sirens escape. This is all my fault.” The revelation fell on her shoulders and she arched her spine to counter it. But the guilt crashed on top and proved too much for Sunset to carry. Her school, the city, Artemis, possibly the whole world was in danger because of her! Because she had to be a greedy, spoiled brat! Because she had demanded power and respect!

“One day…” she whispered, blinking and realizing she was kneeling on the floor. “I can’t go one day without being reminded of how badly I screwed up.”

“Sunset.” Selena placed a hand on her back. “You made a mistake.”

“I was fully aware of what I was doing,” Sunset said bitterly. “And now, my actions are going to doom the world.” She brushed Selena’s hand away. The guilt and anxiety drained out of her, leaving her cold and empty. “I need to lay down for a bit.”

Selena helped her up, looking like she wanted to say more but let Sunset be. Sunset dragged herself out of the study and into the hall, finding Trixie leaning against the wall, watching her with harsh eyes. Sunset couldn’t bring herself to explain, or snap, or apologize, or even make eye contact. She just kept walking, closing her room door behind her.

Spot looked up from the bed and gave a sympathetic whine. He curled against Sunset as she laid down, numb to the world around her. Princess Twilight didn’t make a sound.

*******

Unease and guilt followed Sunset into her dreams, if they could be called that. She tossed and turned most of the night, caught between brief moments of sleep where the Sirens would mock her with demonic laughter as the night of the Fall Formal played back in front of her, and lying awake, eyes toward the ceiling while she reflected on her past with a heated self-loathing she hadn’t felt since her friends broke up right before the Winter Ball.

Her alarm finally went off, playing one of the rock and roll songs Flash had shown her. She let the whole song play out before turning over and switching it off.

The lead ball in her stomach told her today was a good day to stay in bed. Her heart, as strangled as it was, told her to get up and be with her friends. Her brain demanded to know how she was going to tell them she had unleashed ancient evils upon the world.

I could not. That’s an idea. What they didn’t know wouldn’t bite her in the flank.

“Haven’t you learned by now to tell your friends the truth?” Princess Twilight asked in a tired voice.

“I’m not lying to them,” Sunset said, equally tired. “I’m just not telling them something.”

“That’s more or less the same thing.”

Sunset groaned. She gently tucked Spot out of the way and rolled out of bed, feeling a large knot in her shoulder. “It’s going to be one of those days.” On the bright side, she had class with Twilight. The downside, Sunset knew she couldn’t fake a cheery attitude all day, and Twilight would ask her what was wrong. If Sunset said ‘nothing’, then she’d be lying, and Twilight was the last person she wanted to lie to.

“Rocks and hard places,” she murmured on her way to the bathroom, only to find it occupied by Trixie. Asking her to hurry was a futile act. The condemning glare she had given Sunset in the hall said that she had heard the vital parts of last night’s conversation. Sunset would be lucky if Trixie ever talked to her again. Heck, if Artemis came back and learned Sunset had set the Sirens free, Sunset might have to make the factory cozy again.

After patiently waiting for Trixie to run down the clock before school started, Sunset cleaned and got dressed, foregoing her breakfast and avoiding eye contact with Selena, even when she wished Sunset a good day at school. Riding her motorcycle, Sunset barely made it before the first bell rang.

Twilight waited for her at the lab table in the back. “Shim, you look terrible.”

Sunset readied a remark, but decided to discard it. She’d go with Shim for now. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” Still telling the truth.

Twilight scooted closer, allowing Sunset to pick up her subtle lavender perfume. “Is everything okay?”

“You mean besides literally everything not being okay?” If Sunset hadn’t been so tired, she would have worried about sounding unnecessarily snarky.

Twilight didn’t seem to mind. In fact, after making sure Mr. Doodle wasn’t looking, she snuggled against Sunset, settling into the crook of her neck. “Does this help?”

“A little,” Sunset admitted. She felt warm from Twilight’s body heat but cold on the inside from the guilt.

“Moondancer has theater today, so we can’t practice. Which means I get to see you girls instead.”

Sunset brightened. While it didn’t absolve her guilt, it at least gave her a reason to smile.

“Miss Sparkle, Miss Shimmer, no PDA in my class!” Mr. Doodle snapped.

Twilight bolted up and moved her chair back, her face bright red. “Sorry, sir.”

Being with Twilight gave Sunset just enough energy to stop her guilt from eating her alive. To her friends, she still looked worn, but the simple explanation of a lack of sleep stopped them from prying any further. Her pestering conscience chastised her each time she said it, but it remained the truth, even if it was a half truth.

When the school day concluded, the Spectacular Seven gathered in the parking lot for the carpool to the factory. “Are you sure that’s the only place you can practice in peace?” Twilight asked, helmet in hand as she prepared to join Sunset on her motorcycle.

“Is Shining going to let us practice in the garage?” Sunset asked.

“No.”

“Then yes.” Sunset’s bike roared to life, making the other vacating students jump. With Twilight securely fastened around her waist, she pulled out of the parking lot and took to the streets, moving fast but not enough that her friends couldn’t keep up.

They kept to the surface streets and made their way to the other side of the suburbs, where all the nice houses gave way to older and seedier locals before turning into warehouses and factories still waiting to be torn down. The roads hadn’t been repaved in years, leaving them cracked and uneven. Trash clogged the gutters and gathered at the base of the chain link fences.

The old neighborhoods gave off a different atmosphere. While the newer ones created a serene quiet broken only by children playing, a dreary silence born of neglect and disuse coated these buildings. Only the roar of Sunset’s bike was strong enough to break it, leaving it thicker after she left.

The girls arrived to the factory, looking exactly as Sunset left it two months ago: the garage door sealed shut and the windows brown from dirt and age. Sunset led them to the blue door in the alley while the others brought their instruments. She tried the knob. The door was unlocked but stuck like always. She shoved her shoulder into it and it burst open.

The checkered floor wasn’t as dusty as she thought it would be. Sunset flipped the light switch, finding surprise in all of the hall lights turning on. Like the windows, the bulbs had a layer of grime on them, creating a dim light, but light nonetheless. Sunset followed the hall to the other end and pushed open the door to the factory floor. Dust motes danced in the open space. A draft blew over everyone as they stepped onto the concrete. As cold as the hallway had been, the room proved a few degrees cooler.

Sunset never liked coming in here when she had lived in this desolate factory. The room was too large and filled with too much nothing to be comfortable. The high windows and grey walls created the impression of a prison more than anything—a prison designed by giants. Even with all their equipment laid out, the Rainbooms barely took up the back wall.

Rainbow plugged her amp in and shot her hand back as a wild spark jumped from the outlet. “Are you sure this place is safe?”

“Depends on what you mean by ‘safe’,” Sunset said, pulling up a corner and taking her notebook out. She heard Fluttershy mewl and rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. The worst you’ll do is blow a fuse or something.”

Twilight stood awkwardly, watching the girls finish with set up while stealing glances at Sunset. After a minute of deliberating, she walked over and asked, “Do you need any help?”

Sunset shook her head. “No thanks, I’ve got this.” She kept her eyes down while she lambasted herself for her first outright lie. At the present moment, Sunset had nothing. A nothing greater than the room had held before they occupied it. But she had to have something. She set the Sirens free. The least she could do was give her friends the means to put them down.

“Right, of course. I’ll just, umm…” Twilight’s awkward stammering was cut off by a loud guitar riff courtesy of Rainbow.

“Waaaaah!” Thud!

Everyone froze at the second set of noises. They had come from none of the present party. Sunset bolted to her feet and looked up at the window to the manager’s office hanging over them. It sat wide open, and the single bulb inside emitted its weak glow.

“Something tells me we’re not alone.” She stood up and crossed over to the door.

Twilight grabbed her by the wrist. “Wait, what if they’re dangerous?”

Sunset wiggled her wrist loose. “I’ve handled dangerous things before. Besides, five of you have instruments.”

Pinkie scratched her head with the drumstick. “You want us to hit them with a rainbow?”

“I want you to hit them with something,” Sunset said with an irritated undertone. Before she could reach the door, it swung open with a violent crash.

“What the hell do you kids—” The speaker stopped, fist raised, mouth open as she stared at Sunset. “Holy shit…”

Sunset stared back, recoiling with her mouth hanging open as well. “Holy sun…”

An iron fisted silence choked the room as everyone stared between Sunset and the newcomer. She stood an inch, maybe two taller than Sunset, had deeper lines drawn into her face, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. But those differences were negligible. To everyone in the room, the girl looked exactly like Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset took a step back, bumping into Twilight who looked torn between fascinated and terrified. Sunset only gave her a short glance to make sure she hadn’t fainted. Her own attention remained locked on her mirror image. Noise slowly returned to the room. Sunset could hear her heart hammering, then the collective breathing of her friends, finally, the creaking and moaning of the factory. Sunset tried to say something, but all that came out was a distressed squeak.

Oh Celestia… it’s her… I wasn’t ready! Not with everything else happening! It hasn’t even been a week and she managed to find me! Or did I find her? Dammit all! Okay, say something, anything! “Meeep…”

It was, at least, a great impression of Fluttershy.

The other Sunset recovered first, slowly lowering her fist and turning her back to the group. She took a deep breath, raising her hands to her chest, then slowly lowering them as she exhaled. “I’m going to turn around,” she said. Her voice was just a little lower than Sunset’s. “When I do, there won’t be a second me there. Because that’s just impossible.” She turned around before Sunset had a chance to duck out of the way. “Holy shit,” she said again.

Twilight intervened, putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and taking a half step in front of her. “I know this looks a little strange, but—”

“I saw you on t.v,” the other Sunset continued, ignoring Twilight. She paced back in forth in of the threshold. “First I thought I was just dreaming or had some bad Chinese food. But then I tried to look you up and found some records at one of the high schools, but I thought, maybe they were still mine, just with some mistakes. But here… ho-ly shit!” She made one more loop, then repeated her breathing exercise and gave Sunset a piercing glare. “Okay. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’ll give you ten seconds to explain why you look like me before I get violent. And I promise, there may be seven of you, but I can riverstomp each and every one of your asses.”

Sunset heard Fluttershy mewl again, and snapped out of her shell-shocked state. She took a deep breath of her own and cleared her throat. “Um, hi.” Great start. “Listen, uh, I know this looks weird, and the explanation is… well, weirder, but we mean you no harm.”

“What, are you aliens?” Sunset could hear the sarcasm in the other Sunset’s voice. It sounded both familiar and incredibly foreign coming from her.

Sunset flinched. How did she answer the question? She had never made a plan for this scenario; she had just hoped she would never run into the native Sunset, or knock her out if she did. What did she do now? Tell the truth? Even if she did, the other Sunset would think she was crazy and call the police. Sunset would be carted off to prison for supposed identity fraud. Or to a secret lab to discover how she looked exactly like this girl!

It’s not too late to knock her out, a voice whispered in Sunset’s head. She considered it, but she could see the tension in the other Sunset’s muscles. She was ready to move at a moment’s notice. Something told Sunset that earlier threat wasn’t hollow.

With no lies at her disposal, Sunset resigned to the truth and hoped she could find a nice spot in the Everfree Forest to hide. “Look, they’re all human.” She gestured to the girls. “They’re my friends. My name… well, my name’s Sunset Shimmer. I’m like you… but from another dimension.” She looked for disbelief or confusion or even anger in the other Sunset’s face, but she hid behind a stoic mask.

“Uh-huh,” she said with a simple nod of her head. “You’re really gonna have to sell that if you don’t want me to beat you into next Tuesday.”

Sunset held her hands up. Even in monotone, she sounded threatening. Is this what everyone else has to deal with? I’ll have to get better at that. “Okay, I’ll explain everything; you deserve that much. On the stipulation that you don’t hurt my friends, even if you don’t believe me.”

The other Sunset mulled it over for a moment then shrugged and leaned against the door. “Fine. Start talking.”

“All right.” Sunset inhaled. “My name is Sunset Shimmer, I was born in a world parallel to this one called Equestria where everyone here has a version of themselves over there and vice versa, only in Equestria, everyone is a pony, and I mean a magical pony—unicorn, pegasi, or earth ponies that are in tune with nature. I was a unicorn and the star student of the princess who rules over the land, only I was also a spoiled brat who thought she deserved more, so I ran away through a magic mirror that only opens once every thirty moons, or two and a half years on your calendar. That was three years ago. I’ve been living here ever since. Last fall, the portal opened again and I tried to steal a magic crown that would give me ultimate power, only it backfired and bad stuff happened, and instead, I had to force myself to become friends with them which turned out not to be so bad after all. Now we’re here trying to practice for the Battle of the Bands which we have to win or else really bad things will happen to the entire world.” Sunset inhaled all of the air she had lost during her rant and slowly released it along with the knot in her gut.

Human Sunset stared long and hard at her, occasionally glancing to everyone else like she was looking for some sort of confirmation. “I’ve told some stories in my day,” she said slowly, “but that one takes the cake.” Her stone face cracked and she smiled. “Another dimension? Full of ponies? Either you’re insane or you’re telling the truth, because there’s no way in hell you could make all that up on the spot.”

Sunset brightened. “So you believe me?”

“No, I’m leaning toward crazy.” She cracked one of her knuckles.

Twilight tensed and ducked behind Sunset. She held an arm out to shield Twilight and shouted, “Wait! I can prove all of it! Sort of.”

The other girl crossed her arms. “I’m waiting.”

Sunset looked back at the Rainbooms, all of them wearing matching worrying frowns. “Girls, pony up. Please.”

“And hit her with a rainbow?” Pinkie asked.

“Do what?”

“No!” Sunset shouted. “Just play!”

“‘Shine Like Rainbows’,” Pinkie said. “One, two, three, four!” The start was a shaky, but each Rainboom fell into their groove and delivered a powerful rendition of the song. Sunset kept her fingers crossed and legs slightly bent in case she had to jump out of the way, either from a rainbow beam or a swinging fist.

As the song progressed and nothing happened, the knot in Sunset’s gut returned, and she felt ready to vomit. On the last chorus, her friends came through and ponied up in a brilliant flash of lights, their features bursting into existence. Sunset jumped and cheered, and turned around to see the other Sunset’s jaw hanging down.

She snapped it shut as the song ended. “Okay… first, that song was fruity as hell. Second, I believe there is some freaky voodoo shit going on…” She hesitated and looked up in thought for a moment. “But why do they look like furries and you don’t?”

“Furries?” Rainbow asked indignantly.

“When I came here, I brought magic with me that they harnessed due to reasons. Similar reasons are why I don’t want to pony up. Bad things will happen if I do.”

“Ominous,” Human Sunset said. She straightened up and took a step closer to Sunset. “So let me get this straight. I have a twin from another world made up of freakin’ ponies who came here and apparently brought magic that turns her friends into anthro furries. Am I with it so far?”

“You know, it’s pretty simple when you say it like that,” Pinkie said.

She pointed at Twilight still hiding behind Sunset. “So what’s her deal?”

Sunset kept her protective stance. “She’s just human. Super smart, but no magic. Long story about how she got wrapped up in all this.”

Her twin rubbed her temples. “Okay, so it’s down between a really bad mushroom trip or you’re telling the truth. And I haven’t touched the stuff since that time in Puerto Rico, so…” She looked at Sunset, pursed her lips, then gave a tired grin. “Sunset Shimmer, it’s nice to meet… me.” She extended her hand, and Sunset flinched back, almost knocking Twilight down. Human Sunset retracted her hand, eyes wide. “What, will the universe explode if we touch?”

“I don’t know. That’s one reason why I never looked for you.”

Twilight stepped around Sunset to stand between the two. She straightened her glasses, a precursor to her ‘lecture mode.’ “That logic is purely science fictional even by—” She gave a limp wave of her hand “—all of this. You’re still two fundamentally different people even if you look the same. Even if you are magic, Shim, unless you’re made of dark matter, nothing should happen between the two of you.”

Human Sunset shrugged. “Well, if the nerd said it, it must be true.”

“Hey, only I get to call her a nerd.”

“All right, don’t get your panties in a knot, kiddo.”

“And don’t call me ‘kiddo.’” Sunset felt heat rising to her cheeks.

Rainbow leaned over to Applejack. “If they start fighting, who do we root for?”

“Sunset of cour—oh. Err…”

Human Sunset stepped into the room but remained close to the door. “So, how about some names to your colorful faces?”

“We are the Spectacular Seven!” Pinkie gave a drum roll and ended with a crash on her symbols.

Sunset fought to keep her grin down. “That one is Pinkie. That’s Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and this is Twilight Sparkle,” she said pointing at each of them in turn.

“So, crazy, jock, hick, preppy, doormat, and nerd,” Human Sunset said, mimicking Sunset’s finger. “Wow, it’s every high school cliché in one room. You’re like the Breakfast Club part two.”

Sunset didn’t know if that was an insult but felt a rush of aggravation regardless. “Whether or not you can kick our butts, don’t insult my friends.”

“Yeesh, you’re wound tight. I’m just trying to break the ice a little.” She started circling around Twilight and Sunset. “So, how long have you two been dating?”

Sunset involuntarily flinched. She couldn’t say why; she was perfectly comfortable with her relationship with Twilight. Perhaps she didn’t expect the other her to pick up on it so quickly.

“About two months,” Twilight said, blushing.

“Cute. I wouldn’t have pegged myself to be a lesbian.” Human Sunset shortened her circle to just around Sunset, pausing and humming every few seconds. Sunset felt like one of Rarity’s dresses. Human Sunset stepped back and nodded her head. “Yeah, eight out of ten. I’d do me.”

Heat rushed to Sunset’s cheeks again, but she narrowed her eyes. “Wait, eight out of ten?”

“That’s the part of the sentence that worries you?” Twilight said, her voice rising a pitch.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Rarity muttered, “but this Sunset is more crass than our Sunset.”

“I heard that,” Sunset said, still processing that her doppelgänger rated her as only an eight. She waved her hand. “Anyway, I have questions for you.”

She shook her head. “Listen, it’s cute you’re a lesbian and all, but I wouldn’t actually do myself. I’m not into that.” She put a hand on her chin. “Although, I don’t think there’s anyone else who can say they’ve slept with another version of themselves.”

The heat in Sunset’s cheeks rose to a burn. Sweet Celestia, Rarity is right! What is wrong with me? “That is not the question I was going to ask!”

“Oh. Then what’s up?”

Sunset took a second to recompose herself, pinching the bridge of her nose and wishing she had never gotten out of bed this morning. “What are you doing here?”

Human Sunset pointed a lazy finger. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? If you’re a unicorn from magical pony land, why’d you come here?”

“I…” Sunset rubbed and arm and looked at the ground. “Like I said, I was a spoiled brat who thought she deserved everything. When my teacher wouldn’t give it to me, I tried to find power on my own.” She lifted her hand to her forehead. “I didn’t know this world wouldn’t have any magic. What started as a rebellion turned into an exile. And even if I wanted to go back, I’ve got two more years until the portal opens again.”

“Hardcore.” Human Sunset turned her palms to the ceiling. “Well, kids run away from home all the time. Don’t sweat it too much. Besides, two years? It’ll fly by like that.” She snapped her fingers.

Sunset made a noncommittal grunt. She felt Twilight place a hand on her back and found her reassuring smile. Sunset smiled in return, but frowned upon facing the other Sunset again. “You never answered my question.”

“Hmm? Oh, right.” She copied Sunset’s familiar stance of crossing her arms over her chest. “If you must know, I’m squatting here for a bit. I like to roll from place to place. See the world, ya know? It’s just not the most lucrative job, so I can’t stay in fancy five star hotels.” She kept eye contact with Sunset the whole time, but her head tilted from left to right as she spoke.

Either that’s a verbal tic, or she’s lying. Sunset looked up to the window of her old bedroom. Even if she was lying, what was she trying to hide? More importantly, did Sunset want to know? Today had already given its share of revelations, most of them told by her. But finding her doppelganger pushed the limits of Sunset’s mental and emotional energy. Plus, the fact that she released the Sirens continuously slammed into the forefront of her mind. She could forget about making headway in the counterspell today.

On the other hand, her human counterpart stood right in front of her! Sunset wanted to know everything about her; see where the course of their lives overlapped and diverged. Curiosity, exhaustion, residual guilt, and the occasional prickle of tension all stirred together in Sunset creating a reaction that would have left her hysterical had she been gifted with any less composure. Instead, she sighed loudly and pictured herself strangling her plushie back home.

“You okay there, kiddo?”

Sunset opened her eyes. “I said don’t call me that. And I’m fine, I’m just… processing.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose again. “How are you staying so calm?”

Human Sunset shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve traveled the world; I’ve seen some weird shit, and this is by far the weirdest. But, talking this all out has made it a bearable weird.” She leaned to one side. “Or, my mind is just dead set on thinking this is a dream and is just rolling with it.”

“I wish this was a dream. This makes life a lot more complicated.”

“Tell me about it.”

Both of them shared a short laugh, born of awkward humor and tinged with a faint bitterness. The awkward laugh turned to silence until Human Sunset spoke again. “So, you kids need to practice for the band thing?”

Pinkie nodded. “We need to win so we can go beat up the Dazzlings before they hypnotize everyone!” She tapped her drumstick on her cheek. “Which, since the Crystal Heart got stolen should be a lot harder for them, right? But, we still gotta break the spell everyone else is under so the school will stop being all grumpy and everyone can go back to being themselves!”

The other Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I only followed about half of that. The Dazzlings hypnotize people with a crystal heart?”

Twilight spoke up. “It turns out, Sunset isn’t the only magical person around. The Dazzlings are actually Sirens and use their voices to get what they want, in addition to feeding on negativity. The Crystal Heart is an artifact that doubles the output of emotions felt, so it would potentially make them stronger. We have to stop them so they don’t do that.”

Human Sunset’s eyes widened. “Oh God, I just stepped into a freakin’ anime! You got the power ups, the super villains and everything!” She shook her head. “Maybe that’s why I’m not flipping out: I have something to relate this to.”

Rainbow laughed. “Hey, if we were an anime, I’d totally watch us.”

Sunset pressed the bridge of her nose harder. “Listen, we have nowhere else to practice. Is it cool we stay here for a bit? The world’s kinda at stake.”

“Hmmm.” Human Sunset looked up at rafters. “Well, if I said no, I’d be stuck with a ratty t.v that only gets six channels. You’ll serve as slightly more entertaining, so yeah, knock yourselves out.” She looked back at them with expressionless eyes. “Just stay out of my room.”

“I think we can manage that,” Rarity said.

“Thanks… Sunset,” Sunset said.

“You’re welcome, kiddo,” Human Sunset said, grinning at Sunset’s grimace.

“One more thing,” Sunset said as the other turned to leave. “I don’t know who you talk to but, could you keep the whole magic and doppelganger thing a secret? We really don’t need people knowing about that.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, walking away with a swagger in her step, “my lips are sealed.”

*******

Adagio took her time walking down the stone corridor, the heels of her platform boots throwing echoes in front of her. She held her arms behind her back and hummed merrily. Even with their setbacks, everything was unfolding quite well. She could feel herself getting stronger everyday! The tension all throughout the city stretched tighter and tighter. All she and her sisters had to do was keep pushing the right buttons, and the rest would take care of itself.

They would have magic! They would have an adoring legion! And then, they would take Equestria!

She reached an unassuming metal door, painted beige like the rest of the wall. It might have blended in if not for the handle and the ‘Restricted Access’ sign. She turned the handle and stepped inside, flicking on the light switch as she did. Really, the room was nothing more than a spacious storage unit, but it served the perfect size for what Adagio needed to store.

In a chair at the far end, wrists tied behind his back by chains bound to the floor, fingers bent at odd angles, was Artemis. He leaned back in his chair, bruised and cut face toward the ceiling. As Adagio stalked closer, he lifted his head and looked at her with his good eye. “Great, the noise is back,” he said listlessly.

Adagio put on a sweet smile. “How are you today, Artemis?”

“Perfectly well, thanks for asking.” He rested his head back. “Now, go away.”

“Tsk tsk.” Adagio closed the distance and cupped a hand around Artemis’ cheeks, making sure to press her fingers into one of the purple spots. “It’s proper etiquette to look at your host when speaking.”

Artemis stared blankly at her, but Adagio could feel his cheeks expanding and… getting warmer? She ducked and twisted out of the way, throwing herself against the back wall as a jet of scarlet flames flew from Artemis’ mouth. Adagio lifted her hand and chopped the back of his neck, putting an end to the fire. She spun to the front and delivered a fist to his gut. Artemis doubled over and coughed up puffs of smoke.

Adagio grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head up again. She took a calm breath and asked, “Did you really think that would work?”

He coughed a few more times and smiled weakly. “I’m an optimist.”

“You’re an idiot.” She moved her hand back to his cheek, this time keeping her nails pressed against his skin. “But I have to give you some credit. This whole time, I’ve yet to make you angry. It’s really hard to feed off your magic if keep so calm, Artemis.”

He smiled at her, then winced as her nails dug in and started dragging down.

Adagio kept her own calm composure. She didn’t have to get upset, not over a game she had already won. “Are all Lulamoons as stubborn as you?” She took her nails out, wiping the skin and blood off on Artemis’ shirt.

“It’s a good family trait.”

“I’m sure.” Adagio crossed an arm over her chest and rested her other arm on top of it. “I wonder if your daughter inherited it as well.”

Artemis’ eyes widened and the color drained from his face.

Got you. “Oh, was I not supposed to know that?” Adagio let her smile overtake her face. “You and Selena were certainly busy over the last two decades, weren’t you?”

In a restrained voice, Artemis said, “Please, leave my Trixie out of this.”

“You see, I’d love to, Artemis, I really would. But it seems your little Trixie has already signed up to be in our little contest. I wonder, how far is she willing to go to try and save you?”

“Adagio, I’m warning you…”

A hollow threat if she ever heard one. “What’s the matter? You don’t think your daughter can stand up to three big bad Sirens?” She reached down and pat him on the head. “I can promise you this, Artemis: we won’t touch one hair on her pretty head. No, we have something much better in store for her. You may be resistant to our hypnotism, but there are more ways to skin a cat.”

Artemis gnashed his teeth together, tears falling from his eyes. “When I get out of here—”

Adagio kicked his chair back. He landed on his fingers and let out a cry of agony. “Please, spare me the cliché.” She turned for the door. “When it’s all over, I’ll let you have your reunion with Trixie. It’ll be the last happy seconds of your lives.”

Behind her came the sounds of struggle, then Artemis let out a scream of despair. Adagio paused in the threshold and took a deep breath, feeling a surge of energy. She switched the lights off and slammed the door, then carried on down the hallway, laughing softly to herself.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: When Sunset Met Sunset

15. Devils and Doppelgangers

After the other Sunset returned to her room, practice resumed, although everyone’s minds were clearly elsewhere. As Sunset predicted, she failed to write anything for the counterspell, spending the next hour and a half staring at the paper and glancing up to the window for another glimpse at her parallel.

The other Sunset had it open a crack and would peek out from time to time, but didn’t say anything. Sunset couldn’t imagine what she thought about all of this. Perhaps she was freaking out as much as Sunset and just hid it better.

Twilight stayed at her side the entire time, asking if she was okay every time Sunset’s frown became too deep. It snapped Sunset from her thoughts long enough to remember that she couldn’t think of anything for the spell, then she would stray to the events spiraling out of control around her. She gave Twilight a flimsy placated smile she knew wasn’t selling at all. Twilight was just waiting for them to be alone.

Their practice session wound down, and the girls packed up their instruments and headed out the door. Human Sunset came down to see them out, leaning on the doorway as they filed into the alley.

“So, should I expect to see you girls again?”

Rarity gave her a beseeching smile. “Well, it would be very convenient if we could practice here. That way we don’t have to fight our sisters for Applejack’s barn space. But, this is your… living space, so we’ll respect your privacy if you say no.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “Funny, I don’t remember getting the same deal when I lived here.”

“Don’t act like you regret us bugging you,” Rainbow said.

Human Sunset shrugged. “Sure, you can come practice here for a bit. I got nothing better to do. Just don’t expect snacks or anything.” She gave them a peace sign. “See ya, mini me.” She stepped back and closed the door with her heel.

“Yeah, see ya,” Sunset said. She walked out to the main street, briefly ignoring her friends.

“You okay, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, stepping behind her.

Sunset pressed a palm to her forehead. “Disoriented. But yeah, I’m fine, I think.”

“Look on the bright said,” Rarity said, “as crude as she is, she seems nice.”

“Guess this means Sunset here was the evil twin all along,” Rainbow said.

As strong as the urge was, Sunset didn’t have enough energy to thump Rainbow. And she was technically correct. Unless her new twin had ever turned into a demon sometime in her past, Sunset was the worse of the two. It wasn’t a surprising fact, but it still stung a little.

Twilight shot Rainbow a scolding look. “Sunset isn’t the evil twin. Neither of them are evil now.” She rubbed a hand on Sunset’s back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep. It’s been a long day.” She walked over to her motorcycle and pulled out hers and Twilight’s helmets. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Everyone said goodnight and exchanged their farewell hugs before parting ways. Though they were all headed in the same direction, Sunset sped ahead of everyone else, feeling Twilight hold on with extra force. She slowed down some when they entered the newer neighborhoods.

She pulled in front of Twilight’s house and walked her to the door. Spike could be heard pawing at the other side, whining for his master. Twilight gave the door a pained smile, but focused her attention on Sunset. She put her hands on Sunset’s shoulders and leaned up to kiss her lips.

Sunset kept a hand on the small of Twilight’s back, keeping them gently pressed together until Twilight slowly pulled away. “Hey, look what we did,” Twilight said.

“What?” Sunset looked at where they stood then looked at Twilight. “Oh. Well, looks like something good came out of today.”

Twilight moved a hand down to Sunset’s. “How do you really feel about meeting her?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t know what to expect or what I would say if I ever did run into her. I’m glad she’s not out to kill me or turn me into the FBI, but…” Her shoulders dropped, heavy from the gravity of the situation. “The fact that there’s two of me occupying the same city is… weird. Sometimes I wish I could be normal like you.”

Twilight shifted her eyes down to the porch. “Being normal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Honestly… I want to be like you, Sunset. You and the girls. I want to be special.”

Sunset used her free hand to rub Twilight’s cheek. She braced herself for the sincere but overly sentimental sweetness that was about to pass her lips. “Twilight, you are special. Maybe you don’t sprout magic pony accessories when you play music, but you’re the smartest girl I know, and the way you play violin is a magic of its own. You always see the best in people, even me. That’s not an easy thing to do.” She leaned in to Twilight’s beet red face. “You’re special to me, Sparky.”

Before their lips could meet, the porch light flashed on, startling them apart. Twilight sighed. “Shining’s home.”

“Guess two kisses here would be pushing our luck.” Sunset took a half step back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sparky.”

Twilight nodded, but darted forward, pecked Sunset’s lips again, then retreated inside the house, smiling as she closed the door in front of her.

Sunset laughed as she stepped away. Night had fallen, and while she felt marginally better, Sunset wanted nothing more than a quick meal, and a long sleep.

Like Spike with Twilight, Spot eagerly greeted Sunset when she returned home. She picked him up and carried him as she walked through the house, finding the kitchen empty. A warm casserole dish sat on the counter, portions of it already missing, but the lack of human activity struck Sunset as odd.

She heard noises coming from the backyard and went to the screen door to investigate. Out back, under the light of the waxing moon, Selena danced with one of her swords through a complicated set of slashes and lunges. She moved with such agility and grace, it looked like its own magic.

Her furrowed brow and controlled shouts showed a level of concentration Sunset did not want to disturb. She moved upstairs, wanting to take a shower before eating and heading to bed. She paused at Trixie’s closed door. The light shone from the crack, but Sunset couldn’t hear anything on the other side. She thought of knocking, of trying to talk to Trixie to get her to not hate her again. Something in her heart told Sunset the effort was futile for the time being. Trixie saw her as an obstacle to clear in order to save Artemis and prove some sort of self worth. Until that happened, she and Trixie were at odds.

Sunset entered her room and set Spot on the bed. If the Rainbooms were the ones to beat the Sirens, would that deepen the anger Trixie felt? But as long as they saved Artemis, it would all be fine, right? As arrogant and obnoxious Trixie was, Sunset didn’t want her as an enemy again. Though their one-on-one time was fleeting, they had been enjoyable to some degree.

Tumult emotions rolled inside her with no release other than sighing and screaming into her pillow.

Just deal with everything one day at a time. Focus on the spell, worry about Trixie and the other Sunset later.

“This would be so much easier if you hadn’t given into all this friendship nonsense,” someone hissed in her ear.

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut to block her out. “It’s your fault all this happened. But I’ll put it right. My friends will put it right.”

“That’s the spirit!” Princess Twilight cheered.

*******

Human Sunset greeted them at the factory the next day. She wore a poncho and shorts that showed off curves Sunset knew she didn’t have.

“So, no girlfriend today?” she asked while the Rainbooms set up.

Sunset got comfy in the corner again. “No. She’s in another band with her friend, and they have practice today.”

She must have let some bitterness slip because her doppelganger sniffed the air. “Is that jealousy I smell?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a little jealous.” Sunset brought her notebook up to cover her face. “But I trust Twilight not to do anything.”

Human Sunset, or as the others had taken to calling her, Shimmer, shook her head. “Oh, you sweet, summer child.”

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Shimmer said, holding her hands up. “You’re probably right. She seems way too innocent to do anything.” She weighed her hands. “Then again, it’s always the quiet ones…”

Sunset mustered up her best death glare. It rebounded harmlessly off Shimmer. She retreated on her own with a shrug and a faint smirk.

Is this what it’s like to have an annoying big sister? Sunset didn’t care what Shimmer said, Twilight wouldn’t cheat on her.

Moondancer’s actions were another story.

Focus. Sunset stared at her paper and tapped a pencil against her skull while the Rainbooms practiced their newest song. Why was she struggling so much with this? When it came down to it, all she had to do was write a song about friendship and let her friends do the rest of the work. She knew something about friendship now; this should have been easy.

She did know about friendship, didn’t she?

Of course I do! Otherwise, the Elements would still be cursing me! All she had to do was apply what she knew to song lyrics.

Twenty minutes later, the page remained blank.

Sunset beat the notebook against her head. She had started out pretty well! Now, everything in her head sounded stupid! Maybe they could just sing ‘Shine Like Rainbows’ again. That’s pretty friendshipy.

“You’ll lose brain cells that way,” Shimmer said, leaning over Sunset again.

“Well, maybe it’ll unlodge a thought with it.” Sunset put the notebook aside and pulled her knees up to her chin. “This needs to be perfect if we’re going to beat the Sirens.”

Shimmer took a seat next to her. “Gotta hand it to you, kiddo, the fact that you’re trying to save the world from some evil voodoo is pretty ballsy.”

Sunset turned her head toward Shimmer. “Would you do the same thing?” she asked, ignoring Shimmer’s terrible word choice.

“Nah. I’m not exactly the hero type.”

“Even for your friends?”

“Don’t have too many of those.” She stretched her arms behind her head and leaned back on the wall. “And don’t try to tell me how great friendship is and all that rainbow garbage. I like being alone. Not cause I hate the world or I was abused as a child, I just like keeping to myself. Your life may play like an after school special, and hey, more power to you for wanting to save your friends. But I’d rather do things for myself.”

Sunset sank her chin into the space between her knees. This Sunset was indeed her. How she acted before she found friendship. Minus the want of power and magic. Was this how Sunset would have ended up eventually? Moving from place to place with no purpose? Jaded and alone and not caring if the world burned?

She received an immediate ‘yes’ from her soul, and recounted her blessings, thanking her friends for being there when she needed them. The cynical part of her brain told her it was completely nonsensical, and that her human counterpart had a point, but Sunset knew friendship was magic.

Yep. Still sounds cheesy.

Shimmer tilted her head to the ceiling, looking at the pipes and ductwork running along the surface. “That wasn’t the best pep talk, was it?”

“You were trying to give me a pep talk?”

They broke into soft snickers. “Listen, mini me,” Shimmer said, “I don’t really understand all this magic stuff you’re trying to do. But I know that, if you think about it too hard, it’ll blow up in your face.” She got up and spread her arms wide. “Sometimes, you just gotta wing it.” She strolled back into the hallway with a swagger.

Sunset spared a glance to her notebook. “‘Wing it’, huh?”

“Ugh! Come on, A.J. You’re still coming in too flat!” Rainbow said, drawing Sunset’s attention back to the band.

“Ah only sound flat next to your bombastic showin’ off! Maybe you should tone it down a bit more!”

“I’m already playing at half-awesome, I can’t go any lower!” She turned her shoulder to Applejack. “Maybe if the rest of you picked up the slack…” she muttered.

“Ah heard that!”

“Rainbow, let me remind you the rest of us are still on a learning curve,” Rarity said, straining to keep the gentleness in her voice.

“All right, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m just tired of being penalized for my awesome skills.”

“You can show off every iota of skill once we’re up against the Sirens, Dash,” Sunset said. “In the meantime, suck it up.”

Rainbow huffed, blowing a bang out of her face. “Fine. One more time, ‘Shake Your Tail’ from the top.”

*******

Saturday meant the quarterfinals for the Battle of the Bands, and though there were only eighteen left, the crowd of spectators proved bigger than the one the previous week. The three stages had been set up again, and now makeshift stands for viewers had been constructed on the outskirts. A few parents of some of the participants waved banners of their child's band.

Sunset walked back to the parking lot, having checked the schedules for the day. “Okay, you’re on at 3:30, so we’ve got a little over three hours to kill.” She looked at her gathered friends. “Rainbow and Rarity still aren’t here?”

The group had decided to meet up at the fairgrounds instead of joining beforehand. However, when Sunset arrived, she found their lead guitar and keytar missing.

Applejack gave a disgruntled sigh. “Rarity texted me sayin’ she needed time to find the right outfit for today. I kept tellin’ her this wasn’t a fashion show, but she got all, you know, Rarity on me!”

Sunset leaned against Applejack’s truck. “Well, it can’t take her three hours to find a dress, even if she is in Rarity mode. The heck is Dash?”

“A soccer game!” Pinkie said, clicking her phone.

“What?”

“Yep! She just texted me! ‘Totally scatterbrained and team didn’t remind me! Soccer match! Will be there for song, swear it!’”

Fluttershy threw her hands over her mouth. “We’re missing Rainbow’s soccer match? But, but we’re her cheering section!”

“‘Shy, I think Rainbow can go one game without us boosting her ego,” Sunset said. “She better be here on time though otherwise, we’re going to have a problem.”

“Well, in the meantime, there’s a cotton candy vendor calling my name!” Pinkie skipped off toward the concessions.

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh,

“ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh.

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh,

“ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh.”

Pinkie stopped as a mob of fans rushed past her, heading for the center stage. Sunset looked between the gap of stalls to see the Dazzlings on stage, moving with hypnotic grace while green mist floated around them. The fans congregated with frightening speed and cheered on the Dazzlings as they sang their battle anthem once more.

Sunset broke into a run, gnashing her teeth together. Are they going to sing this every time? She circled the outer edge of the crowd, eyes frantically scanning for a purple bun or thick framed glasses. “Twilight!” she yelled over the music. When she failed to get a response, she pushed her way into the crowd, unafraid to fight back against the unruly mob with her elbows and balled fists. Even as she fought her way to the front, she found no signs of Twilight.

The crowd spat her out at the foot of the stage where the music was loudest, hammering against her eardrums. Sunset found herself boxed in on all sides with everyone around her sporting misted green eyes and looks of adoration toward the trio on stage. Sunset raised her head the exact moment Adagio looked down, and their eyes met.

Lust, power, greed, vanity, and cold intelligence. Sunset saw so much of her former self not just in Adagio’s eyes, but in the brief wicked smile she flashed. Sunset tried to smile back with the same dopey expression everyone else had. Adagio looked away to sing the next line, and Sunset took that moment to push her way back into the crowd.

Does she know? She can’t know, that’s impossible. But that smile… Sunset shivered. It was a smile of absolute certainty, like Adagio knew she had already won the game.

Sunset reemerged from the crowd again on the opposite side of the stage as the Dazzlings ended their song. “Welcome to the quarterfinals of the Battle of the Bands!” Adagio said. “Only nine teams get to move onto the semis. Who is it going to be?” Voices shouted over each other, clamoring to prove they were good enough to proceed. “Well then, let’s find out!”

The band players quickly dispersed while the spectators continued to cheer. Sunset still couldn’t see any signs of Twilight. A pit rose in her stomach that followed her back to the parking lot. It diminished slightly upon seeing Rarity had arrived, then turned in disbelief upon seeing what she wore.

Today’s outfit consisted of a pink jacket with gold pleats and button straps, with a floral hem that covered a purple skirt. She had pink knee high boots with more button laces and thick heels. Over her eyes were blue goggles with pink lenses. Her hair was done in a ponytail with her bangs swept to the side.

“I know I’ll regret asking,” Sunset said as she approached, “but what are you wearing?”

“Do you like it?” Rarity turned to each side to show off. “I put the finishing touches on this morning. I really love the color scheme!”

“Rarity, you look like Sergeant Pepper,” Applejack said with a fold of her arms.

“I will take that as a compliment. And there’s no need to be jealous, Applejack.” She gestured to her car. “I made outfits for each of you.”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Oh no! Ah am not playin’ dress up today! Rarity, we’re here to win, not have a fashion show!”

“And part of winning is in the presentation, darling.” She spun again. “There’s no point in going up there and looking like ragamuffins. We’ll stand out much better if we play with style.”

“Isn’t standing out for us bad?” Fluttershy asked.

“Only if we pony up,” Pinkie said. “New outfits sound like they’ll be fun!”

Rarity nodded in satisfaction. “See, Pinkie agrees with me.”

Sunset massaged her temple. She had done that a lot recently. “Just… be careful, Rarity. When I was up there, me and Adagio locked eyes and… I don’t know, I think she might know something.”

Applejack shook her head. “C’mon, that’s impossible. She doesn’t even know who we are.”

“Unless she’s psychic,” Pinkie mused, stroking her chin.

“Just be cautious, for me,” Sunset urged.

Rarity patted her head. “I give you my word, Sunset, everything will be fine.” She looked around. “Now, where is Rainbow?”

“Soccer match,” Sunset said, her shoulders falling.

“Oh.” Rarity put on a crooked smile. “I’m sure she’ll make it here in time.”

Sunset pulled out her phone. “She better. In the meantime, Twilight’s supposed to play soon, and I need to make sure she’s still okay.”

“And I need more cotton candy!” Pinkie said. “So I’ll come with you.”

“Pinkie, this isn’t…” Sunset sighed. “Fine, whatever.” She turned back to the stages, Pinkie skipping by her side. She broke off to get her sweets while Sunset continued to the right hand stage. Moondancer’s black piano gleamed in the sun. Its owner walked out, wearing a red dress with purple stars along the sleeves and collar. Twilight followed after her, violin in hand and wearing a ruffled purple skirt and lace blouse. It looked like it was meant to show cleavage, but Twilight had it buttoned up to her neck.

“Okay, Moonlight Requiem,” Cadence said, “what will you be performing today?”

Moondancer took her seat and gestured for Twilight to take her position on top the piano. “We’re going to play a rendition of ‘Love Story’ if it pleases the judges.”

Cadence dipped her head. “By all means, please begin.”

Moondancer started with a cluster of notes, and Twilight jumped in with a high string. She dropped to her lower chords while Moondancer played slow keys. It sounded rather somber for a love song, but both players delivered their very best. Twilight opened her eyes for a moment and gave Sunset a quick smile.

“She’s pretty good,” someone said next to her.

“Yeah, she’s—eeepmmph!” Sunset covered her mouth, cutting off her shriek of surprise. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

Wearing thick shades and a wide sun hat, Shimmer stood by her side, admiring Twilight and Moondancer. “Seeing if any of you kiddies have any musical talent. I’m surprisingly impressed so far.”

Sunset flailed her arms. “You can’t be here! If someone sees me and then sees you—”

“They’ll be confused as hell and it’ll be hilarious.”

Sunset spun her around and pushed against her shirt, herding her behind the stands and back to the parking lot. “No, no, no, no! My life is already complicated enough. I do not need people asking why there are two of me walking around.”

Shimmer stopped allowing Sunset to push her and became immovable, grounding her heels in the dirt. “Mini me, lighten up will you, no one is going to figure out who’s beneath this hat.” She put her hand out to ruffle Sunset’s hair. “Seriously, you worry too—”

When she made contact, Sunset’s world spun, then faded out and faded in to something completely new.

She was a child standing on a playground. A larger boy stood in front of her, holding his hand out.

“All right, Shimmer, fork it over.”

“Come on, it’s all I have for lunch!” Sunset heard herself say, tears in her eyes.

“Not my problem your parents are broke. Now, gimme!” He pushed her onto the black top and loomed over her. “Or do we have to pay a visit to Mr. Swirly?”

Sunset felt her fear spike. She reached into the pockets of her dirty jeans and handed over eight dollars. “There, just leave me alone.”

The bully snatched the cash from her hand, counted it up, then held his hand out expectantly, making a fist with his other.

Sunset choked back a sob and dug into her back pocket, turning over the last two dollars.

“Hah, nice try, street brat,” he said, snatching the money and walking off, leaving Sunset to openly cry.

Shimmer ripped her hand away and doubled over, breathing hard, with Sunset in a similar state. “The fuck was that?” Shimmer exclaimed, staring at Sunset like it was her fault.

Sunset rubbed her head. “I… don’t know. Did you see something too?”

“Y-yeah. I saw… ponies. Super bright ponies. And they were reading a story to me… and I called them mom and dad.” Her eyes doubled in size. “What did you see?”

“Well…” Sunset flinched. She felt like she had violated someone’s privacy. “I saw—”

Shimmer roughly grabbed her and dragged her under the stands. She pressed Sunset up against one of the metal poles, holding her by her jacket collar. “What did you see?” she asked, her voice a low, lethal whisper.

“I saw you being bullied on the playground!” Sunset said, heart racing. Maybe it was because she couldn’t see Shimmer’s eyes that she found herself terrified.

Shimmer held her in place a moment longer, then set her on the ground and turned away. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I shouldn’t be here.”

Sunset wanted to agree with her, especially now that something weird occurred if they touched. But she found herself compelled by curiosity from what she had just witnessed. “Something tells me that bullying scene isn’t what you were worried about me seeing.”

Shimmer started walking away.

“I already told you my secrets,” Sunset said, marching after her. “What are you trying to hide?”

“You told me all of that because you didn’t have a choice.” Shimmer looked over her shoulder, her face unreadable. “I still have my choice.” She tapped a finger to her forehead. “What goes on up in here, stays here. So do me a favor and keep out.” She picked up her pace, heading down the dirt road and back toward the city.

Sunset stood on her own, faintly hearing the next band start to play. She raised her hand to her hair, feeling where Shimmer had pressed her palm. They had looked into each other’s memories. Why? Was it because they were parallels of each other? Would the same thing happen if Twilight were to ever meet the princess?

Guess my fears weren’t entirely unfounded. But what was it that Shimmer didn’t want her to see? And was it Sunset’s place to pry, even if she had told Shimmer her secrets? Let it go for now. More important things to worry about.

She doubled back to the stages and found Twilight packing away her violin. Moondancer sat on the edge of the stage, gently kicking her legs. “Why, hello, Sunset. Did you enjoy our act?”

Sunset looked at Twilight as she spoke. “Yeah, the parts I heard. Sorry I missed the rest of it, I had stuff to deal with.”

“That’s all right.” Twilight snapped her case shut and stood up. “I’m a little hungry. Wanna get something to eat?”

“Sure!” Sunset said with a brightened smile. “I’ll treat!” She cast a quick, smug look to Moondancer, who only gave her a cat-like smile in return.

“You two go have fun.” She turned her nose up. “I’d rather not sully my tongue with second-rate fair food anyway.”

Sunset helped Twilight off the stage and led her to the snack vendors. “Are you okay?” she asked, checking Twilight’s eyes for any green haze.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“The Dazzlings’ singing earlier?”

Twilight looked thoughtful for a moment. “Oh, right. Well, I don’t feel any different. I guess Artemis’ spell is still working.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way.” She dropped her voice lower. “Shimmer was here for a minute.”

Twilight stopped walking. “Really? Why? What if someone sees both of you?”

“That’s what I tried to tell her. But that’s not the problem.” Sunset looked over their shoulders then back to Twilight. “She touched me on the head, and for whatever reason, we both saw memories of each other. She saw my parents reading to me, and I saw her being bullied as a kid.”

Excitement, then confusion and worry crossed Twilight’s face. “That’s… odd. Fascinating, but odd. What would the precedence be for that? Because you’re the same person but from different worlds? Maybe it’s some sort of spacial mechanism for understanding between parallel versions of people. But what triggers it and why? How does it exist in the first place? Maybe—”

“Sparky, focus!” Sunset said, snapping her fingers. “I haven’t even gotten to the weirdest part.” Though Twilight’s geek out relieved Sunset of worry. “Before I could even tell her what I saw, she flipped out. She’s hiding something.”

Twilight shrugged. “I mean, naturally, right? Seeing someone else’s memories… it’s kinda like reading their diary.”

“No, I mean, she’s hiding something. Not an embarrassing moment or secret crush, she’s got something big.”

“What makes you say that?”

Sunset fiddled with her collar. “Because she looked like she was ready to beat my face in and ran off afterwards.”

Twilight hummed. “That is rather suspicious. Do you think we should be concerned?”

“Hard to say. I could be wrong but… she was definitely freaked out by more than just the memory exchange.” They stood in line and bought a hot dog and fries to share, then joined the others back in the parking lot. Rainbow still hadn’t arrived.

Sunset checked her phone again. One hour until they performed. “I’m going to kill her.”

“To be fair, she is the team captain,” Twilight said.

“Nah, still gonna kill her.”

“So, what do we do if she doesn’t show up?” Pinkie asked. She had switched into one of Rarity’s outfits: a purple tank top with a double skirt of blue and pink, and yellow leggings.

“Hope Trixie’s magic is good enough to beat the Sirens,” Sunset said. A brief silence fell over them while they each exchanged glances. “Rainbow better show up.”

But as the minutes ticked by, Rainbow neither appeared nor texted. Fear and anger bubbling inside, Sunset helped the rest of the Rainbooms set up on the left stage.

Applejack plugged her bass in. “Ah swear, if she’s hopin’ to make some sort of dramatic entrance, Ah’m gonna put my boot up her—”

“I’m here!” Rainbow ran onto the stage, still in her soccer uniform, but guitar in hand. “I’m here, I made it!” She tried to give a confident grin, but faltered under everyone’s withering glares. “I know, I know, I’m sorry! I spaced, my bad! But I’m here now!”

“And you look positively filthy,” Rarity said, pinching her lips.

Rainbow looked down at the grass and dirt stains over her uniform and legs. “Well, I didn’t have time to change if I wanted to make it on time.”

“Did you win?” Fluttershy asked.

A full, genuine grin spread across Rainbow’s face. “Of course we won! And I made the winning shot! You should have been there! It was totally… eh heh, um, nevermind,” she said, seeing the glares return.

Sunset pointed to the curtain. “You can recount your amazing feats after you make it to the next round.” She stepped away as the curtain parted and the Rainbooms took their places.

“Welcome back, Rainbooms,” Adagio said with a soft smile. Sunset tried to read into it but found nothing. “Ready to wow us?” She frowned as her eyes settled on Rainbow. “I do hope your act is better than your appearance.”

Rarity made an audible tut.

Rainbow’s face turned scarlet. “You can count on that!” she said hotly. “‘Rainbow Rocks’ on three! One, two, three, hit it!”

Pinkie opened with the rhythmic thumping of her drums, setting the beat and tempo of the song. “We used to fight with each other.” It was hard to tell with everyone singing in unison, but Sunset heard Rainbow’s voice crack. If the judges heard it, they gave no tell.

Sunset didn’t have to worry about making a racket this time. When the song ended, none of her friends looked remotely close to ponying up, though they did look a little less tense.

“Thank you, Rainbooms, that was well done,” Cadence said cordially. Sunset bit her thumb knuckle. Would ‘well done’ be enough to survive? Would being Twilight’s girlfriend help or hinder their chances? Cadence was pretty nice; maybe Sunset could work into her good graces.

She shook her head. “Fair and honest. No more cheating. Of course, the world is on the line.”

Rainbow unplugged her guitar and set it in its case. “So, how did we sound?”

“Not bad,” Sunset said, waving her hand back and forth. “You were a little pitchy at the start.”

Rainbow huffed. “Excuse me, I just played two hours of soccer. What’d you expect?”

“So much for always being awesome,” Applejack said, passing by.

“Why you…”

Sunset threw her hands out. “Girls! No fighting. You’re going to give them more power.” Cadence and the Dazzlings had moved on, but Sunset didn’t want to take any chances.

Twilight climbed onto the stage. “That wasn’t bad, girls. But Rainbow’s voice cracked a little.”

Rainbow grumbled, but continued wrapping up cords.

“Don’t worry though, there’s only three bands left, and the way everyone else has been playing, I think we both have a good chance at making it to the next round.”

“Right,” Rainbow said. “And with you throwing the competition next week, that’s one less band to worry about.”

Twilight frowned, her brow creasing. “What?”

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “It was part of our plan, remember?”

“Oh… right.” Twilight’s aura shifted and became cold to Sunset’s touch.

“You okay?”

Twilight stepped out of Sunset’s range but forced a smile. “Yeah. Sorry, guess I got a little caught up in everything for a moment. I’ve just been having a lot of fun performing with Moondancer is all. I know what you’re all fighting for.” Her smile tightened a little more. “I’ll be sure to, you know, throw our performance off next week.”

Sunset reached her hand out. “Twi…”

She took another step back. “I should go. Moondancer’s my ride home. I’ll call you later.” She turned and hopped off the stage.

“Twilight!” Sunset ran to the edge, watching Twilight disappear into the crowd. Soul-crushing hollowness, like she had felt when she learned of the Sirens’ reason for freedom enveloped her. Twilight couldn’t have succumbed to the Sirens’ magic. She had seemed fine a few hours ago. But if she had… what was Sunset to do?

She looked back to her friends. They all gave her worrying looks, but could offer her no explanation.

“I’m sure it’s fine, Sunset,” Rarity said with a slight shake in her voice. “Maybe she really did get a little swept up in the heat of the moment. It happens to the best of us.”

“Yeah…” Sunset looked over the crowd again. “Maybe.”

*******

Trixie and her band had been the last to perform today. As a result, much of the crowd had parted ways before they had even begun playing. Not that Trixie cared. Her mother also couldn’t attend, out of fear of being seen by the Sirens. Not that Trixie cared about that either.

She didn’t need anyone’s support, and for once, she didn’t want anyone’s adoration. She just wanted her father back.

She sat down in her car, instrument packed away, and wiped a tear from her eye. She supposed it wouldn’t have been bad to have the first two things.

“Get it together.” She patted her cheeks. “You can do this. You have to do this. You’re just as good as Sunset and her talentless friends. Magic is in your blood! Make your ancestors proud!” She made to start the engine when she realized her cape was missing. She looked at the back seats but couldn’t spot it amongst her equipment.

Trixie got out and headed back to the stage, hoping she had left it hanging on one of the chairs. That was one of her father’s capes; the last thing she wanted was to lose it.

Vendors closed and locked their stalls as she walked past. The stages and stands would be left erected for the duration of the tournament. The setting sun lengthened the shadows everything made, covering the fairgrounds in cold darkness.

Butterflies fluttered in Trixie’s stomach. Had she played good enough to make it to the next round? She thought she had sounded good. She had been practicing all week. Stop doubting yourself! If Sunset’s friends made it, then you definitely did. Was it wrong that some part of her wanted them to fail? She should have been happy they were trying to help, but all Trixie could draw upon was resentment. They were meddling in something that clearly wasn’t their business!

And for her mother to ask them for help instead of her—Trixie! Her own daughter.

Trixie balled her fists. Now was her chance to show everyone who had ever doubted her! She would win! She would beat the Sirens! She would save her father! And she would do it on her own!

Trixie walked around to the back of the stage, behind the curtains, and started searching for her cape. Even in the dim lighting, it couldn’t have been too hard to spot.

“Looking for this?”

Her blood froze in her veins. Reaching into her pocket, she spun around and pointed her wand at Adagio, standing ten paces away with Trixie’s cape in hand, and a wry smile on her lips. Her sisters stood behind her, looking equally smug.

“Oh, someone’s quick with the trigger,” Adagio said. “We just wanted to give you your cape back. With a response like that, someone might think you didn’t like us.”

“Well, duh, she doesn’t like us,” Sonata said. “We kidnapped her dad, remember?”

The smiles fell from Aria and Adagio’s faces, and Aria crossed her arms. “I should buy a muzzle for you.”

“Enough of your asinine game!” Trixie tightened her grip on the wand. “Trixie wants her father back. Now!”

“Or what?” Aria asked, her smirk returning. “If Artemis couldn’t beat us, what chance do you have?”

“Now, now,” Adagio said with a gentle wave. “Let’s give her a chance. I’m sure our fans and the police would love to know why we were ‘helplessly assaulted by a jealous competitor since we decided she wasn’t good enough to advance’,” she said in her best distressed voice.

Trixie clenched her jaw, but slowly lowered her wand. “You won’t get away with this. One way or another, I’ll make sure you lose, and no one will remember you.”

“Hey, that’s what your dad said!” Sonata chirped. A dark shadow crossed her face as she smiled. “And look where he is.”

Blood roaring in her ears, Trixie snapped her wrist up. “Lulamoon!” A bolt of magic fired from her wand for Sonata.

Adagio stepped in front and waved Trixie’s cape. The magic bolt reflected off of it and headed back toward Trixie. She threw herself onto the ground, letting the magic hit the curtain where it left a deep burn.

“Wowee, Dagi! How’d you know it would do that?”

“Lucky guess actually.”

“Should have let it hit her.”

Trixie looked up to see the three Sirens walking toward her, spreading out to surround her on three sides. “Honestly, there’s no need for hostilities, Trixie,” Adagio said. “You said you wanted to see your dad again, right? Maybe we could work out some sort of… deal.”

Dread sank its cold claws into Trixie’s stomach. “Trixie… I won’t make a deal with you!”

Aria shrugged. “All right then. So, what do you think your dad’s preferred method of death is?”

“Okay, okay! Please!” Tears fell from Trixie’s eyes. “What do you want?”

Adagio knelt in front of her. “Honestly? Nothing. It’s what you want, Trixie.” She put a finger under Trixie’s chin. “You’re here to prove something, aren’t you? It isn’t just about trying to beat us. I can see it right here in your eyes.”

Trixie shut them, hoping it would also stop her tears.

“No, no. No need to hide it,” Adagio said in a gentle, almost motherly voice. “It’s okay. Let me guess… no one takes you seriously? You’re overshadowed by your father’s heroic exploits and talents? Are you afraid of losing to these clearly inferior bands? Or maybe something of all three?”

“Stop it,” Trixie choked.

“Ding, ding, ding, it looks like we have a winner!” Adagio patted Trixie’s cheek. “Then you’re going to love this deal because it only benefits you.”

Trixie opened her eyes again. “What is it?”

“Sabotage.”

“What?”

“That’s it. I don’t care how you do it honestly, just make the other bands look bad. Give us a reason not to let them onto the next round. Find their dirty secrets, break their instruments, steal their songs, it doesn’t matter.” Adagio kept her gloved palm against Trixie’s cheek, slowly digging her nails into skin. “If we see you do it, we’ll just turn a blind eye. Then, all you have to do is play better than everyone else. Sounds easy, right? You’ll win, prove you’re the best, and we’ll even let you have your father back.”

Trixie winced. “Too easy. What’s in it for you?”

Adagio just kept smiling. “Nothing of value. I told you, this deal is here only to benefit you. See? We’re not complete monsters.”

“I highly doubt that.” Trixie bit her lip. She had nothing to bargain with. They held every card, including the most important of all. Sure, Trixie had sabotaged before, but this felt different. Last time it was out of petty spite, this time, she was furthering her mortal enemies’ plans.

But her father…

“I’ll do it,” she said under her breath.

Adagio’s smile widened, showing off her sharp teeth. “I was hoping that’d be your answer.” She stood up and turned with her sisters to go. “Just make sure you don’t tell anyone. Especially your mother. I’d hate for her to have to become a widow.” All three of them broke into laughs, and as they stepped away from the stage, Adagio dropped the cape onto the grass.

Trixie got to her feet, legs trembling. She walked over and picked up her cape, looking at the stars and moon printed on the back. Her tears fell anew, and she clutched it against her chest.

“Daddy, please forgive me.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Devils Went Down to Canterlot

Here's what Twilight and Moondancer played. I thought it'd be fun to actually look for a piano and violin duet.

16. Revelations

Twilight didn’t call until late Sunday afternoon, giving Sunset nearly twenty-four hours of anxiety. She pounced on her phone the second she saw the call was from Twilight. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” There was a slight edge to Twilight’s voice. Sunset wanted to attribute that to her constant pestering of Twilight’s well-being. But she knew it wasn’t fine. Nothing was fine.

Sunset didn’t know how to broach the topic. If Twilight was aware of the Sirens’ powers, would she be able to put up a better resistance? And what would Sunset say anyway? ‘Twilight, you’re being manipulated by evil magic, stop it.’

“How are you?” Twilight asked, her voice soft again. Sunset realized she had been silent too long.

“I’m fine,” she said, dragging the words from her mouth. “Uhhh…” She looked at the clock. 4:53. “I know it’s late, but do you want to come over?”

“I can’t. Moondancer is coming over to work on some music.” She at least had the courtesy to sound guilty.

“Oh.” Sunset tried not to, but couldn’t help but feel molten fury course through her. She couldn’t say anything else, lest it seep through.

“Sorry,” Twilight said. “I’ll see you tomorrow though.”

“Yeah, see you.” They both lingered on the line until Sunset could no longer handle the awkward silence and hung up.

The world slowly fell to pieces around her—because of her—and all Sunset could do was watch. She tried to hold it together, but the shards just slipped through her fingers, cutting them open.

The spell around Twilight was fading; Sunset knew it. It was a special kind of torture, knowing she couldn’t do anything.

She sat up on her bed. Perhaps she couldn’t, but maybe someone else could. It was a long shot, but Sunset had to try. She pat Spot on the head, her signal that she would be back soon, and walked down the hall.

“Trixie?” She knocked on the door.

“Go away,” a subdued voice answered.

Sunset knocked again. “Please, Trixie, I need your help.”

“Don’t care.”

Sunset tightened her fist. “It’s not for me, it’s for Twilight. Look, I know you’re mad at me. I know you think I’m trying to upstage you or replace you, but I’m not! Trixie, I want to save Artemis and the rest of the world as much as you do! We’re on the same side; we shouldn’t be fighting! Whatever spell Artemis used to protect Twilight is fading and I need you to recast it.” She rested a hand against the door. “Please?”

She thought she heard covers shift, but Trixie gave no response.

Sunset smacked her palm against the wood. “Fine!” She stomped back to her room and slammed the door shut, startling Spot. “Sorry, buddy.” She sat down, and he cuddled up to her, stretching his neck up to lick her face. A sweet gesture, but not enough to make her feel better.

What if our plan doesn’t work? What if everyone stays hypnotized even if we beat the Dazzlings? Sunset looked at her notebook sitting on her bedside table. All the faults in her plan burned through the cover and blinded her, all of the uncounted variables, like her inability to write a counterspell or if her friends could create a rainbow with only five members. Was all their practice in vain?

“Don’t give up yet,” Princess Twilight said, her own squeaky voice tired. “You can’t let your friends down.”

Spot barked and wagged his tail. Sunset scratched him behind the ear. “I’m not giving up. I’m just wondering if we can win.”

To that, Princess Twilight said nothing.

*******

Sunset looked around, but the grassy field appeared empty. Yellow flowers grew in small patches here and there. She stooped down to pick one, rolling it between her fingers.

“Sunset!”

She turned around. On a hill stood Twilight, waving with a cheerful smile. But as Sunset ran toward her, a bouquet of roses in hand, a shadow rose up behind Twilight. It formed into Moondancer, wearing a calculating smile.

“Little star,” she said sweetly, “look what I have for you.” A floating palace materialized above her, purple waterfalls cascading off the sides. Flowers of every bloom coated the walls and ran up the towers.

“Bye, Sunset!” Twilight said, swooped up in Moondancer’s arms. They jumped into the sky, vanishing into the castle with heartfelt laughs. Laughs that slowly became twisted as clouds stormed the clear skies. The grass around Sunset caught fire, burning away the flowers until ashes and skeletons remained. The ground broke apart, and the Human Sunset climbed up from the molten depths. She looked at Sunset with empty eyes.

“There can only be one!” She reached for Sunset with an enormous hand.

Sunset turned and ran, stumbling and jumping from rock to rock over pits of boiling magma. She didn’t have the luxury or the courage to turn around. Over her, the black sky roared in tumultuous fury, dropping fists of lightning around her. She came to the edge of the world, darkness spiraling out beneath her. With nowhere left to go, she jumped.

The fall was much slower than she anticipated. In fact, she swore she was floating. She fanned her arms out, finding her movements slowed by gallons of water. She swum downwards until she broke the surface, gasping for breath. The night sky was calm and filled with stars that sparkled on the water. Sunset swam until she found a small island.

She washed up on it, thinking she had finally found shelter, but as she looked up to explore the island more, she found her scarlet colored demon smiling back at her.

Sunset jumped back, fists raised and teeth clenched. “What do you want?”

“Why, to help you of course,” she said, spreading her arms wide. “You want to save your friends, right? You want to beat the Dazzlings, don’t you?”

Sunset lowered her fists a fraction. “Yeah?”

Her demon drifted closer. “Well, you have the power.” She pointed a claw at Sunset’s heart. “Right here. All you have to do is let me back in.”

“Not going to happen!”

“Would you rather have your friends brainwashed by rejects from the eighties?”

Sunset jabbed a finger. “No! But I’m not going to let you have your way with them either!”

The demon rolled her eyes. She leaned back and crossed her legs, floating in midair. “So reluctant to do anything. You have all the power to take what you want, but you don’t use it. Friendship has made you soft. You used to be feared. You used to be respected.”

“That wasn’t respect; they hated me! I’m not going back to that!”

“But think about what you could accomplish.” She drifted around Sunset whispering to her from every side. “With all your power, you could get rid of the Sirens and everyone would hail you as a hero. Then, things could go back to the way they were. You, the undisputed queen of Canterlot High, maybe even the entire city! Everyone will be eating out of your hands! And you’ll have your precious Twilight back from Moondancer.”

Sunset’s jaw tightened. “I certainly don’t need your help to win back Twilight.”

“You’re right. You don’t. You have the ability all on your own.” She stopped by Sunset’s ear. “The one thing Moondancer can’t have. All you have to do is seal the deal.” She leaned in close. “Go ahead. Deflower her precious Twilight.”

Sunset whirled around and slammed her fist into the demon’s cheek. She spiraled back, shock and fear scrawled on her face. Sunset slammed a boot into the sand. “Torment me all you want! Mock me, insult me, drive me insane; I don’t care! But you will not force me to take advantage of Twilight! Especially just to spite Moondancer!”

The demon rubbed her mouth. “You didn’t seem to have a problem with it when you were kissing her.”

“Rrrrgh!” Sunset ran at the demon, but she vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Fine. But when the world comes crashing down around you, don’t say I didn’t give you a way out.” The island beneath Sunset faded to white. The buzzing of angry wasps filled the void until she realized it was her alarm clock.

*******

The Rainbooms had made it to the semi-finals. The Crusaders had not. Sunset found out online before heading to school Monday morning. Only nine bands remained, and four of them came from CHS. She could only imagine the tension waiting for her at school, not to mention what Rarity and the others were going through with their sisters.

Sunset closed her laptop and grabbed her bag. No sense in delaying the inevitable. She left the house on foot, paranoid someone would deface her bike again in lieu of her friends’ victory. The walk gave her white clouds painted on the sky in thin brush strokes, and an abundance of early morning sunlight.

The fresh air helped ease Sunset’s nerves. The Rainbooms had advanced to the next round. They still had a chance. She would prove that dark phantom of hers wrong: she didn’t need its help to beat the Sirens! Sunset would finish the counterspell and her friends would make everything right again!

Her thoughts turned to Twilight. What could Sunset do in the meantime to help her? Did she need help? What if Sunset was over thinking things and Twilight was actually fine? The churning in her stomach quashed that idea immediately.

And what about the other Sunset? Would she still allow the Rainbooms to practice in the factory after what had happened on Saturday? Though she supposed the barn could be used again since the Crusaders were out. Sunset still felt obligated to check in on Shimmer just to see she was okay.

She walked onto campus, receiving dirty looks or being flat out ignored by other students. She continued onto her locker, remembering a time when she reveled in their disdain and misery.

“I have to admit, I’m surprised you made it this far,” someone said behind her as she stowed her bag away. She looked over, finding Flash leaning on the other locker with a smug smile that he didn’t wear well.

“My friends and I are full of a lot of surprises,” Sunset said, keeping her face neutral.

“Well now, you’re playing with the real bands… and Trixie. I hope your friends have a surprise good enough to make it to the finals. Even though you’re still going to lose to me.”

“Pre-mature gloating. Coming from you, it’s not cute.” Sunset pointed a thumb at herself. “We’re going to win, and you’ll thank us for it later.”

Flash rolled his eyes, magnifying Sunset’s urge to hit him. “What do you mean ‘we’? You don’t do anything, you just watch the others do all the hard work while you sit back and reap the benefits. Again.”

Sunset recoiled at the jab. All of her old plots and schemes rushed to the forefront of her thoughts, times when she had forced Snips and Snails or other pawns to do her dirty deeds while she kept her hands cleaned. “That isn’t true! This is a team effort! I’m trying my best to help them!”

“Right, you filled out the paperwork. Great job.”

I wonder if blunt force trauma to the head is enough to break the spell. “How my band operates is none of your business!”

“‘Your’ band has nothing on mine. I bet you don’t even know what you’re doing.” Flash turned to leave, but not before Sunset saw the hint of green in his eyes. “We’ll knock you out in the next round, because there’s no way you deserve a spot in the finals.”

She watched him go, clenching her fists until her palms locked up in protest. She shook them out and grabbed her textbook, then slammed her locker as hard as she could. The force caused the locker next to hers to pop open, not that she cared.

Walking into first period, Sunset found Rarity with a surprising lack of make-up. Sunset realized she had never seen Rarity without it. She sat subdued, shoulders hunched and head down.

“Sweetie told me she hated me and never wanted to talk to me again,” she said weakly as Sunset took her seat. “I know it’s just the spell talking but…” She wiped her eyes. “I’ve never heard her so angry before.”

Sunset reached over and gave Rarity the best one-armed hug she could. Rarity sniffled, tugging at Sunset’s heartstrings. “Don’t worry. In two weeks, everything will be back to normal.”

Rarity pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “Right. Two weeks. We can do this. So the counterspell is coming along then?”

“Yep!” Sunset said with false cheer. “I think I’m almost done! Just gotta tweak it a bit!”

“That’s wonderful news! I knew we could count on you, Sunset.”

Sunset faced the board, holding onto her smile even as Mr. Noteworthy walked in. I’m a terrible friend.

The hostile atmosphere at lunch had shifted. Instead of each group of students harboring hate for one another, every band that had been knocked out so far pooled their hatred together to focus it at those remaining. The isolation aspect remained the same, however.

Sunset couldn’t see Twilight amongst the throng of students. She could only imagine what her and Moondancer were doing. She forced her attention to her friends. Like Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow had been scorned by their sister and surrogate sister respectively. The Crusaders occupied a table on the other side of the room with a few more of their friends, stoutly refusing to look the Rainbooms’ way.

Applejack slammed a fist onto the table, startling everyone out of their sullen moods. “Those stupid Sirens are tearin’ mah family apart! If Ah ever get mah hands on any one of them…” Sunset had seen her tackle Bulk Biceps to the ground once. She had no doubt Applejack could follow through with her threat.

“Hi, girls.” Twilight dropped into the seat next to Sunset. “Sorry I’m late.” She gave up her faint smile upon seeing everyone’s despondent dispositions. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” Rainbow said, dropping her head against the table.

“The Crusaders got knocked out of the competition and now, the girls won’t talk to us,” Sunset explained.

Twilight shrugged. “Yeah, I saw. Honestly, I’m surprised they made it to the quarterfinals. I mean, I couldn’t count the number of times Sweetie’s voice cracked. And Scootaloo kept playing C chords when she clearly should have been playing in A.” She let out a very un-Twilight snort.

Rainbow raised her head to join Rarity in glaring at Twilight. Digging into her lunch bag, she didn’t seem to notice. Sunset took a deep breath, deciding to tackle this problem head on. Maybe she could talk sense into Twilight. Before Sunset opened her mouth, three pairs of footsteps approached the table. The Crusaders stopped, arms crossed and eyes pointed past Sunset and at their older sisters. Sunset had to hand it to them, they actually looked a little intimidating.

“You lied to us,” Apple Bloom said between her teeth.

Applejack sat up and looked back with affronted eyes. “Lied? About what?”

Scootaloo took over, her cheeks flushed with anger. “You said we couldn’t go to the Dazzlings’ concert because it was dangerous. You took our tickets. Then you went to the concert yourselves!”

Rainbow winced. “Scoots, you don’t understand.”

“No, we understand perfectly,” Sweetie said. “You extorted tickets from us! That was all our allowances from two months!”

“How did you know we went to the concert anyway?” Rarity asked.

“Diamond Tiara saw all of you there.”

“Almost all of us,” Twilight grumbled under her breath. She actively avoided eye contact with anyone else.

“Admit it!” Apple Bloom said, slamming her palm on the table. “You’ve been out to sabotage us from the beginnin’! First you wouldn’t let us go to the concert, then you hog our music space! Why are you tryin’ to make our lives miserable?”

“Ah’m not tryin’ to make your life miserable!” Applejack said, standing from her chair. “Y’all don’t understand what we’re tryin’ to do, and are makin’ up this story of us messin’ you up.”

“Though she is right about the extortion,” Twilight said.

“Not helpin’!”

The Crusaders decided they had had enough and turned to leave one by one. Apple Bloom gave Applejack a holier-than-thou smile. “Wait ‘till you get home. You’re gonna be in so much trouble.” She mimed a belt smacking into her palm and joined her two companions.

With them gone, Sunset turned back to Twilight, who decided to make eye contact again. Sunset wished she hadn’t after seeing the anger and irritation in them. “So, am I the only one who didn’t go to that concert?” Twilight asked bitterly.

Rarity leaned over. “Sunset, did you forget to tell Twilight we went with you that night?”

Sunset tapped her fingers together. “That may be something I neglected to mention, yeah.” She tried to smile. “But hey, at least I didn’t go alone, right?”

“No, you got to go play hero with all your other magically endowed friends while I sat on the sidelines because it’s ‘too dangerous’ for nerdy me.” She grabbed her lunch bag and stormed off.

“Sparky, wait!” Sunset got up from the table, but Twilight broke into a run, exiting the cafeteria in a storm. Sunset paused at the door, wondering what chasing after her would accomplish. How much of that was the Sirens’ doing, and how much were Twilight’s own feelings?

She’s going straight to Moondancer though. Sunset pushed through the door and into the hall, but that moment of hesitation had given Twilight the time she needed to make herself scarce. “Twilight!” Sunset called. It went unanswered.

She returned to the cafeteria, head hung in defeat, and sat back at their table. The hollow feeling born from the revelation about the leygates returned to feast on Sunset’s misery. She slumped in her chair, dreading what her next encounter with Twilight would be like.

Pinkie pushed her peas around her plate. “Even I’m having a hard time putting a positive spin on this.”

Sunset looked at her own food, appetite completely gone. Pinkie without any positives was a bad omen to be sure.

*******

Twilight sat in the music room, angrier now than she had been at lunch. Third period had given her a whole two hours to think about what Sunset and her friends did behind her back—what they were doing right now! Apparently, in this circle of friends, magiclessness equaled uselessness.

She ran her bow across her violin strings and received a harsh screech. She took a deep breath and tried again, receiving a much softer sound. She had to remember she could never play stressed. Stupid girls stressing me out. Maybe this is how they intend to make me drop out this round. The violin made another screech, and she took another breath and slowed down.

I’m supposed to be helping them though. They have the magic to beat the Sirens. Her playing grew a little faster. But who’s to say I can’t find my own way to do it? She raced her bow across the strings. Just because I don’t have magic doesn’t mean I can’t do something significant!

Scrreeeeeech!

Twilight winced at the worst dissonant sound yet. She set the instrument down and got up from her stool to stretch. She needed a short break before Moondancer arrived.

As if summoned by Twilight’s thoughts, the door opened and Moondancer stepped in. “Little star, are you ready to begin?” She frowned. “Sweetness, you look upset.”

Twilight looked away. “It’s nothing. I’ll feel better when we play.”

“Naturally.” Moondancer glided over and put an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “But I still want to hear what’s troubling you. You know I always have an open ear.”

“I know.” Twilight nibbled her lip. What did she say without giving magic away? Then again, did she care who found out her friends had magic? They had all gone behind her back and were now working without her. She supposed she could be the better girl one more time. Still, how did she put her feelings into words? “It’s… I think my other friends don’t appreciate me. They think I can’t handle myself.”

“Utter nonsense!” Moondancer swooped around and cupped Twilight’s cheeks. “You are the most brilliant star in the night sky—the first one anyone sees! They have no choice but to admire your radiance! And even if those so called friends of yours can’t see it, I certainly can. You have all the qualities befitting a princess.”

Twilight’s eye made a subtle twitch.

“And if push came to shove, I’m certain you could find a way to handle yourself.” Moondancer released Twilight’s cheeks and took her hands instead. “You’re just as good as they are! Nay, you go beyond them! And if they can’t appreciate your talents, then I say fie on them! I’ll shower you with all the praise you could ever want.”

Twilight blushed. She gripped Moondancer’s smooth and slender hands. “Thanks, Moony. I’m glad someone believes in me.”

Moondancer smiled sweetly. “I’m always rooting for you, little star.” She swept an arm out toward the piano. “And if these ‘friends’ of yours doubt your abilities, perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to prove their folly! Come with me, fair Twilight, for we are fated for victory! Our names will be written in the stars, and all will weep at our beauty!”

Excitement pumped through Twilight’s veins. Winning sounded amazing! Having everyone recognize her musical genius! Making Rainbow eat her comments about the violin! Proving to Sunset she could handle herself! All she had to do was beat the last eight bands.

Wait, wasn’t there something I was supposed to do? Twilight’s heart hardened. Right, she was supposed to drop out next round to let her friends win. They were supposed to save the day and be heroes while Twilight sat and watched.

She furrowed her brow. Why did she have to roll over and give up? She was more musically inclined than all of them put together! If they wanted to win, they would have to do it fair and square! She gave Moondancer a fierce nod. “Let’s do it, Moony!”

Moondancer’s lips curled into a voracious smile. “As you wish, my cosmic flower.”

*******

Sunset told the rest of the Rainbooms what had occurred between her and Shimmer on Saturday, leading them to practice at Sweet Apple Acres for the day. Their reception, however, was not the warmest. Applejack stepped out of her truck and was summoned immediately by her grandmother into the house. The others stood around for nearly an hour before Applejack returned, rubbing her bottom.

“So, uh…” She winced with every step taken. “Apple Bloom told Granny about the whole ticket thing so…”

Rainbow winced in time with her. “She beat you with the belt.”

“Ah wish that’s all she did.” Applejack straightened her posture though her eyes still hung low. “Ah can’t be in the band anymore.”

“What?” everyone shouted.

“But Applejack, we need you,” Sunset said. “The fact that Princess Twilight isn’t here to round off the elements already makes me concerned that we can’t throw a strong enough rainbow. But if you’re not there, then I know we can’t do this!”

Applejack lowered her stetson over her eyes. “Ah’m sorry. But Ah’m supposed to come straight home after school until the contest is over; Granny’s orders. Mah hands are tied.”

Sunset tugged on the sides of her hair. “This is bad. You girls need practice, and you need to play together.”

Rainbow snapped her fingers. “Relax, Sunset. There’s an easy fix to this.” She gave a mischievous grin. “Just tell Granny you’re with some other after school group, and we go back to the factory and practice.”

“Ah’m not lyin’ to mah granny!” Applejack said hotly. “Look what just happened the last time Ah did somethin’ dishonest!”

“Yeah, but it’s for a good cause,” Rainbow argued. “Or do you want Apple Bloom to hate you forever?”

Applejack clenched her fists repeatedly, then dropped her shoulders and looked away. “It’s a pointless excuse anyway. She said no matter what, Ah’m to come home the second the bell rings.”

Sunset kicked a loose pebble. “Well, I hate to say it, A.J, but if you can’t lie, that only leaves one option.”

“And that is?”

“Open rebellion.” A dark grin flickered across Sunset’s face. “Don’t lie. Just resist. You’re already in trouble, what else can your granny do to you? Besides, the fate of the world is just a little more important than listening to your elders.”

Rainbow pumped a fist. “I like this plan!”

Rarity tutted. “As much as I hate to admit it, they do have a point. This is for our sisters and everyone else under the Sirens’ spell. If we have to break a few rules to save them, then so be it.”

Applejack rubbed her butt again. “Ah’m achin’ already. But you’re right. Ah owe those hate spreadin’ hogs, and Ah’m not quitten’ until the debt’s been paid.”

Pinkie pointed a finger west. “Back to the factory! I hope Shimmer won’t be too mad.”

“You and me both,” Sunset said. They all piled back into their cars, Applejack casting one more tentative glance at the house before switching the engine on and pulling out onto the road. “It’ll be fine,” Sunset said, putting a hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “You’re fighting for the right reasons.”

“Ah know. That doesn’t mean Ah feel good about it.”

Sunset gave a solemn nod and looked out the window. She had been telling everyone things would be fine. But the way things had spiraled, perhaps she was only propelling a lie. No! We can do this! They can do this! Minor setbacks, but nothing can stop us!

They arrived in front of the old factory and piled out. Before they pulled their instruments from the trunks, Sunset said, “Let me go in and make sure we’re still cool.”

Rarity nodded. “Good idea. Would you like us to come along?”

“No. I think we need to talk alone for a sec.” The girls wished her luck, and Sunset stepped up to the blue door. She knocked three times. “Hello? It’s me!”

No one responded.

Sunset thought there was a low chance her voice would carry through the door and upstairs. Still, it didn’t hurt to be polite. She knocked again, waited five seconds, then forced the door open. The hall light flickered, reminding Sunset of those cheesy horror films. She walked up the stairs, nostalgia washing over her as she neared her old bedroom. She had once coveted this place as her sanctuary, free from those crazy girls trying to be her friend. She had plotted and schemed here, creating lies and sowing mistrust between the students of Canterlot High just so she could stay in power.

Not too unlike the Sirens.

She pushed the thought away as she came to the top of the stairs. The door to the foreman’s office had been left slightly ajar. She knocked and it widened, revealing a room devoid of Shimmer. “She must be out somewhere.” Sunset gulped. “Hopefully with a disguise.” The room hadn’t changed much in Sunset’s absence. A set of old sheets stretched over the mattress she had once called a bed, a duffle bag containing dirty clothes sat near the door next to a box of Chinese takeout, and an old t.v sat propped against the wall, a large crack running across the screen. What Sunset found odd was the large rubber snake curled under the desk. She took a step further into the room, seeing something glittering underneath it. “Wait…”

She took another step, the sparkling blue stone becoming more prominent the longer she stared at it. “The Crystal Heart,” she said breathlessly. It was here! Under a fake snake!

The snake flicked its tongue and rose its head to Sunset. That’s not fake… She stepped back. A live snake and the Crystal Heart… Sunset’s heart constricted, her mind coming to one possible conclusion. The human me is Lamia. But… She bumped into something soft and solid behind her.

“I had one rule,” Lamia said, low and threatening. “Don’t go in my room. And you had to break it.”

Sunset turned around and met with a solid jab to her shoulder. Her entire arm went numb, and she sagged to one side. She tried to curl her fingers, but they refused to respond. “What? How? You’re…” She took a small step back, remembering the snake sitting under the desk. “You’re Lamia.”

Lamia narrowed her eyes. “I was really hoping to keep that quiet. I only needed another week, then I could have been gone and you wouldn’t have known anything.” She sighed and shrugged. “Guess I can’t win them all.”

Sunset’s mind continued to reel. She couldn’t decide which concerned her more presently, her dysfunctional arm, or her criminal doppleganger. “I don’t understand. Why are you Lamia? What did you do to my arm?”

She held up a finger. “‘Why?’ Because it’s fun and I’m good at it. Short and simple. ‘What?’ I hit one of your pressure points and paralyzed your arm for a bit. It’ll wear off in about an hour.”

“I… you…” Sunset took a deep breath, pushing down her urge to scream. “Why do you have the Crystal Heart?”

Lamia leaned on the door. “I stole it, clearly.” She smirked. “But I’m guessing you want a more detailed answer than that?”

Sunset let her glare give a sufficient enough answer.

“All right. For the money, duh. Do you want to know how much this baby is worth on the black market? A. Lot. Like, I would never have to steal in this lifetime or the next one. You think they would have had more security around it. But, it was annoying enough to get with those Dazzling-Siren whatevers interfering.”

“So that’s it? You’re just going to give the Crystal Heart to the highest bidder? Even after we told you what it does?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Then, me and Jörmangandr here are moving far away to the biggest house we can buy.”

The snake behind Sunset let out a happy hiss.

“Besides,” Lamia said, “you should be happy I’m selling it away. That way, the Dazzlings can’t have it either.”

“Unless they steal it from the next person who has it! You need to give it to us so we can keep it safe!”

Lamia threw her head back and laughed. “Funny joke, kid. You’ll keep it safe? Trust me, you and your friends can’t stand up to me, and I almost lost to those other magical freaks. If they really wanted it, they’d take it from you like candy from a baby.”

“Oh yeah, what’s your excuse then?”

“I’m trying to get rid of it as fast as I can. I already have a few bidders. In a few days, the heart will be out of the city and away from the Dazzlings. I’ll have my money, and they won’t have the Heart, everyone wins.” She patted Sunset’s head, and the world melted away again.

Sunset stood inside a dojo, watching other kids spar against one another in their gis and head gear. Some of them were a lot bigger than her.

“Gymnastics and judo. Are you sure about this, Shimmy?” her father asked.

Sunset just gave a determined nod. She’d show those bullies one way or another.

Lamia ripped her hand away and clutched it close to herself. “Crap, I can’t believe I forgot about that!”

Sunset pushed her good hand against her forehead. The experience left an odd tickling in her brain. “Listen,” she said, fighting through it, “if you don’t turn over the heart—”

“You’ll what? Turn me over to the police? Newsflash, kiddo, we look almost alike. If I wanted to, I could sneak back into the museum without my mask on, steal something, and blame it on you. Then what would you do? Tell them your alternate twin did it? I can make myself disappear. Until you stuck your nose around, Sunset Shimmer had dropped off the face of the earth years ago.” She crossed her arms, smirking. “You’re my get out of jail free ticket. And if worst comes to worst, I still know your deep secret. So, thanks for handing me all the cards!”

A roar clawed at Sunset’s throat, begging for release. She swung her fist at Lamia, who grabbed it with ease, then slammed her palm into Sunset’s stomach, sending her to her knees. Sunset wrapped an arm around her middle as she tried to breathe, failing the first few times before air filled her center again. She sputtered then glared up at Lamia. “I hate you.”

Lamia shrugged. “Hey, we can’t all be heroes, kid. And I’m only presenting what will happen if you try to rat me out. We can keep this relationship perfectly civil as long as you keep your mouth shut. We’ve both got sweet gigs going on. Would be a shame if they got ruined, wouldn’t it?”

Sunset bit back a slew of profanities her other seemed fond of. She spent that energy instead to get back to her feet. “Fine. We’ll play it your way.”

“Sweetie, we’ve always been playing it my way. It just took you this long to notice. Oh, don’t give me that look, you know I’m right. Tell you what, you and your friends can keep practicing here if you want, I don’t care. Go do your saving the world magical girl thing.” She leaned in, a shadow crossing her face. “But if they blab, not only will I take you down, I’ll take down each and every one of them. My computer can hack anything; shouldn’t be too hard to find, or even make up something that could screw their futures.”

“Bitch,” Sunset hissed.

Lamia hovered a finger over Sunset’s nose. “Only if you cross me.” She squeezed past Sunset, being careful not to touch her, and fell back onto her bed. “Now get out of my room.”

Sunset gladly obeyed, moving as fast as she could. A numbness different from the one in her arm spread to the rest of her body. Not only was her human counterpart a thief, she was also a near perfect imitation of Sunset less than a year ago. Manipulative, egocentric, cocky, vindictive. Sunset leaned on the stair railing. So this was her in a world without magic and friends?

“No matter how far I go, there’s always something that reminds me of what I’ve done.” Sunset supposed she deserved it; she had been awful. But she had been trying to get better—she was always trying! Apparently, the universe didn’t see it as an excuse not to show her what she had once been.

She finished her climb down the stairs and walked out to her friends waiting in the alley. “So, how did your talk go?” Rarity asked.

Sunset rubbed her numb shoulder. “Um…” If she didn’t tell her friends, they couldn’t have a chance of accidentally telling someone else. Their futures could still be protected. “It went okay, we just talked, you know?” Sunset stared at a space in between Rarity and Fluttershy. “We can still practice here, just keep interactions with her short. She’s, uhh… on edge.”

“Roger dodger!” Pinkie said with a salute. “Maybe some music will cheer her up!”

Sunset watched the girls carry in their instruments, chills running down her spine. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have just kept them away from the factory entirely. She tried to move her arm again, but it hung limply in place.

Lamia. Sirens. Sunset was right. Nothing was fine.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Rebel With a Cause

17. Boiling Point

The week leading into the semi-finals had not been kind to any of the Rainbooms. Applejack came to school everyday disgruntled and snappy, and found it hard to sit for long periods of time. Rarity had also been punished for using Sweetie Belle’s ticket, forcing her to rebel against her parents, though her punishment seemed a bit graver.

“If I keep practicing with you girls, my parents said they’ll stop paying the rent for my shop,” Rarity told them Tuesday, her mascara running.

“Hey, with the prize money we’ll win, you can just buy your own shop,” Rainbow said, trying to alleviate the mood. No one cracked a smile.

Sunset faced her own trials as well. Though she shared classes with Twilight, she seemed aloof and distant, even when they worked together. Every time Sunset asked what was wrong, Twilight rebuffed with a simple, “Nothing. Everything’s fine.” But she no longer kissed Sunset on the lips, or gave Sunset her brilliant smile. She no longer tried to give endearing pet names or use terrible puns. Twilight gave a peck on the cheek as a greeting, and a simple hand wave as a farewell.

The hollow, sucking feeling manifested itself as a permanent fixture in Sunset’s stomach. Twilight’s cold demeanor only made up one part of her mounting anxiety. So far, interactions between Lamia and the girls had been minimal, with Lamia popping in to say hi, or making snarky comments from the window that their music belonged in an after school special. But the dread that Lamia could potentially ruin any of them, even Sunset herself if she wanted to…

Then, there was still the counterspell. After testing a few parts individually, Sunset finally had a draft of the composition, and on Thursday, they tested it out. Everyone had a copy of the score and lyrics. Rainbow stood in front of the microphone, trying to balance playing her new chords while reading the lyrics.

“Hey, hey, listen,

“We got a message for you!

“We’re not all alike,

“But our friendship is true!”

Sunset winced at a spot of feedback and stepped away from the speaker.

“Yeah, we're really different.

“But we still get along!

“So hey, hey, listen to our song!

“You may think you're in control,

“But we're here to prove you wrong!”

“Okay, that’s enough, stop, stop!” Sunset waved her arms. The instruments slowly fell silent, and Sunset secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, not gonna lie,” Shimmer said from her window, “that was pretty bad.”

“Yeah, thank you.” Sunset hunched her shoulders.

“Like, really, really bad.”

“Okay, thanks!”

“Like, that was one of the worst songs—”

“Thank you for the feedback, I get it! Go away now!”

Shimmer shrugged and shut her window again. Sunset pressed her copy of the song to her face and groaned.

“Ah hate to say it, Sunset. But she has a point,” Applejack said, reading through it. “Ah mean, ‘With the magic of friendship, gonna stop your evil plan.’ Ah know they ain’t bein’ subtle, but this is just… obvious.”

“It looked a lot better on paper,” Sunset said, muffled by the page. She lowered it, eyes wide and a grin stretched ear-to-ear. “But it’s fine! It’s fine! It just needs some tweaking! Everything will be fine!” Her voice cracked.

Rarity took her keytar off from around her shoulders. “Darling, are you all right?”

“I told you, I’m fine!” Sunset waved the paper. “This is all that matters. I just need to fix it some more. It’ll be ready by next week, Sunset guarantee!”

Rarity nodded, unconvinced. “You also seem to be snippy with Shimmer. Everything fine between you two?”

“You mean besides invading each other’s minds whenever we touch? Yep, our friendship couldn't be better!”

Applejack followed Rarity’s lead and took her bass off. “Okay, maybe that’s enough practice for today. We’ll play through ‘Shake Your Tail’ tomorrow to get ready for Saturday.”

Everyone gave an exhausted sigh of relief and began taking down their equipment. Sunset’s skin prickled at the release of pent up tension and disappointment. She looked at the song in her hand, realizing she had crumpled it on impulse, and shoved it into her pocket. As much as she wanted to burn it to ashes, she needed something to work off of.

Clean-up proved sluggish, and even with six pairs of hands, it took longer than normal to get everything squared away. Even Pinkie had less energy than usual. She gave a confident smile whenever anyone was looking, but Sunset caught contemplative frowns from the corner of her eye.

When Sunset thought on it, no one had ponied up since they had first performed in front of Lamia. Perhaps transformations also rely on morale? It was a hypothesis to explore at a later date. Sunset just hoped they had enough cheer or magic or whatever to pony up when they confronted the Sirens. If we confront the Sirens. She shook her head. They will confront the Sirens, you will watch from afar. You just need to write a freakin’ song that will actually work!

Shimmer gave them a casual goodbye as the Rainbooms left. Sunset made it a point to ignore her completely: the walking, talking reminder of what she had once been, and what she could have potentially become. The girls split with half-hearted goodbyes of their own, Rarity and Applejack off to face another round of punishment from their families. The looks on their faces as they left turned Sunset’s hollow nausea into a sickening vortex. She wished she had never told them to rebel. But she needed them to play.

Her conversation with Flash played in her ears as she mounted her bike. Was she just using them? Making them do all the work while she sat on the sidelines? I’m writing the song that will help them win! But truth be told, any of them could do that. Fluttershy’s songs could have—

She kicked herself mentally and slapped a hand against her handlebars. Fluttershy had mentioned she had written songs over a week ago and they still hadn’t gotten to them! Of course she’s not going to say anything, she’s Fluttershy! Sunset made it a point to remind them to try one of Fluttershy’s songs after the semis.

The tangent had been enough to stop Sunset from spiraling into darker thoughts. At least until she tried to fall asleep later on. Sleep hadn’t come easy to her the past week. She spent hours tossing and turning, sitting up and reaching for her notebook to try and piece together an idea. When sleep did come, demons and Sirens plagued her, with Twilight nowhere to be found.

Sunset rose Friday morning with bags under her eyes, complemented by her unruly bedhead. She groaned wearily at her reflection and stepped into the hall just as Trixie got out of the bathroom. She stopped and gave Sunset a castigating glance.

“Trixie thinks that’s a good look for you.” Her hair whipped back at Sunset as she turned down the hall.

First thing she’s said to me in weeks. I’ll take it. Sunset cleaned herself up and set out for school, exchanging a sober goodbye with Selena. You can do this, Sunset told herself. After today, just one more week of this hell, and everything will go back to normal. Celestia willing. In the meantime, she had a spiteful school and an emotionally manipulated girlfriend to deal with.

Sunset’s heart sank into the tar pit that had become her stomach. Must be nice being Lamia. The only thing she has to worry about is getting caught by the police.

Twilight sat at a lab table up front, reading a book when Sunset walked into their chemistry class. She leaned over and gave Twilight a kiss on the cheek to stir her out of her word world. Sunset thought she saw a smile, but Twilight responded to her advance with, “You know there’s no PDA in class.”

Sunset took her seat, hunching her shoulders. “Right. Of course.”

“It’s nice to see you though.”

“Right back at ya,” Sunset said listlessly. She sat up and squared her shoulders, bracing herself for the upcoming conversation. Sunset wasn’t stupid; Twilight’s exposure to the Siren’s music, her cool demeanor, her free time spent practicing with Moondancer. Dropping out of the competition was probably the absolute last thing Twilight wanted to do. Still, Sunset had to hope that enough of her Twilight was cognizant enough to remember what was at stake. “Twilight, listen—”

“I know what you’re going to say.” Twilight didn’t bother looking up from her book. “I haven’t forgotten our agreement.”

Sunset pressed her fingers together. “Okay… but are you going to keep to it?”

Twilight flipped the page but didn’t respond.

“Twilight…”

“Why do you have to be the ones to win the tournament and beat the Sirens?”

Sunset’s brain momentarily paused on the ‘win the tournament’ part. “Because we need to play the counterspell in front of as many people as possible and hit the Sirens with the Elements of Harmony,” she said slowly. “So, unless you plan to beat the Sirens over the head with your violin—which I would not be opposed to if you did—this is the only way.”

“Right. Of course.”

“Twilight.”

She looked up from her book. “I will consider it come tomorrow.”

“Consider it? Twilight, I just said—”

“I acknowledged your claim and will factor it into my performance tomorrow.” She returned to her book as Mr. Doodle walked in, followed by the sound of the bell.

Sunset curled her fingers. When Twilight started talking technical, it meant the discussion was over. At least for the time being. She remained adamant in her refusal to discuss it further when she packed her bag at the end of class with lightning speed and disappeared for all of passing period. She reappeared in their AP Economics class just as the bell rang, and departed just as quickly when the bell for lunch sounded.

Sunset stomped her way to lunch, not having been this frustrated with Twilight since their very first interactions many months ago. She can’t avoid me forever! She dropped into her seat and crossed her arms and legs.

“Hey to you, too,” Rainbow said.

“Sorry,” Sunset said, glaring at the tabletop. “Twilight’s being… aggravating right now. I don’t think she’s going to throw the round tomorrow.”

Applejack sighed. “Well, Ah can’t say Ah’m surprised. Just remember, it’s not her fault. It’s the Sirens.” She paused. “And whatever idiot thought it good to set them free.”

Sunset did her best not to wince, biting her tongue instead. A karma six months in the making. Why give me happy things in the first place if they're just going to get ripped away? Oh right, because the universehates me.

Rarity took a seat on Sunset’s right, hair frazzled and eyes puffy, either from lack of sleep or crying. “It took me all night, but I put the finishing touches on everyone’s outfits for tomorrow!”

“Rarity, for the last time, this ain’t—”

“Applejack!” Flames danced in Rarity’s eyes. She leaned across the table and whispered, “My parents have defunded my entire business. I need to promote my clothes at this competition in order to make enough money to keep my store open. Designing clothes is the only joy I have right now, and so help me, if you try to take that away, I will run needles through you until you’re nothing but a pincushion!”

Everyone at the table looked at Rarity in horrified silence. Applejack pressed herself as far as she could into the back of her chair. “Right. Of course, sugarcube. You can do whatever you want.” She brought her hat over her eyes.

Rarity straightened up and smiled like nothing had happened. “Good. So long as we understand each other.”

“Wow, that’s something I would have expected out of Sunset,” Rainbow said. She caught Sunset’s eye. “I’m not sayin’ it this time.”

“Good.” No one spoke after that, not even when they parted ways for their last period. Sunset made it to AP Trigonometry before Twilight did and waited in the back. One way or another, they’d finish their conversation.

Twilight did not share Sunset’s conviction. She walked in, rolled her eyes at Sunset’s seat placement, and took her normal desk at the front of the class, where Ms. Vector could watch her like a hawk.

You’re really trying to test my patience, aren’t you, Sparky? When class ended two hours later, Sunset found the answer to that question was a resounding yes. Twilight packed her bags and made it through the door just as the bell finished ringing. Sunset bolted after her, shoving past students trying to reach the exit. She could just see the back of Twilight’s head at the other end of the hall. “Twilight!” she yelled, but Twilight refused to look back.

“Trouble in Eden?”

Sunset broke from the main tide of students just to find Moondancer standing off to the side, holding herself with smug dignity and poise. Sunset stopped, her frustration with Twilight drowned out by a wave of agitation. However, looking Moondancer in the eye, it fermented into something Sunset couldn’t quite explain. “Moondancer,” she said evenly.

Moondancer smiled. “It seems—”

“There is a long list of people I do not want to see right now, and you are literally at the top of that list. In fact, you are so far ahead of the second person on that list that I might have to make a new one just for you. I have a list of the reasons why you are on the list of people I should not, would not, and could not like; a list so long, I could write both my undergrad and graduate thesis on ‘the reasons why I do not like Moondancer’ in single-space, eleven point font, and still go beyond the maximum page requirement for both papers. If I want to see how much I hate someone, I now have to grade them on a scale of one to you. It’s like the universe compounded together everything I hate about the world into one walking, talking, Shakespeare drama piece so nauseating that Shakespeare himself is rolling in his grave. If we were somehow the last two people on earth and had a chance to procreate, I would rather jump off the nearest cliff. And the reason I’m telling you this, Moondancer, is because there’s no way I can catch Twilight and make her listen to me right now. But here you are, about to spout more nonsense in an attempt to make my head spin more violently than that girl in The Exorcist, and with the month I’ve had, and the week to follow, this is probably my only chance to blow off some steam. In fact, the only reason I haven’t gotten violent is because, for some unfathomable reason, Twilight considers you her best friend and would be upset if I put my boot up your ass but, oh boy, is that rope wearing real thin. So I’m going to say this once, you poetry-spitting, flower-dancing moonchild. If I hear one more purple-covered word spew from your mouth, I swear to the darkest force listening, I will snap. And I will not apologize for ensuing damage to your mental or physical well-being. Okay? Okay.”

Moondancer’s smile had dropped to a thin frown, then a puckered line throughout Sunset’s tirade. They exchanged stares while a few lingering students hung around, expecting a punch to be thrown. Moondancer closed her eyes and turned down the hall to where Twilight had gone off. She stood in place a minute longer, then carried on, hands folded in front of her.

Sunset’s lips quivered into a smile. “Anger management at work.”

Rainbow ran up to her side, grinning ear-to-ear. “That was awesome!”

“Yeah.” Sunset deflated, sagging her shoulders. “Let’s hope she doesn’t repeat that to Twilight.” She let Rainbow lead her away. Though she now had anxiety over Twilight being even more mad with her, Sunset couldn’t deny she felt better. She was at least glad Rainbow got a kick out of it, and when she recounted the event to the rest of the Rainbooms at practice, it got a laugh out of almost all of them.

“Wait, wait, hold on,” Applejack said between chuckles. “Ah wanna hear it straight. What did you call her?”

Sunset thought back. “A poetry-spitting, flower-dancing moonchild.”

Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow roared with laughter. Rarity had a hard time stifling her own giggles. Fluttershy, however, barely cracked a smile. “I know you don’t like her, Sunset, but don’t you think that was a bit mean?”

“Fluttershy, she hates me too. It’s a mutual hatred. Besides, I really was not in the mood to hear whatever she was going to say. Maybe now, she’ll keep her mouth shut.”

“Doubt it,” Rainbow said.

Fluttershy crossed her arms, making her tambourine rattle. “Two wrongs don’t make a right and you know it. And besides, I’m sure she doesn’t hate you. She’s just… a little upset that you’re dating her best friend… that she used to like.”

“She had like, three years to make a move. Not my fault she didn’t. I’d gladly tolerate her if she didn’t want to hold a grudge.”

“Maybe if you show her some kindness, she’ll stop holding a grudge.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Fluttershy, like I told Moondancer, I’d rather jump off a cliff. I tried to play nice, and as long as Twilight’s around, I’ll continue to not contemplate ways to cause her mental, physical, or emotional trauma. But that’s the furthest extent of my kindness.” Sunset leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. “Now, if you want to go make friends with her, be my guest. Kindness is your element, not mine.”

Fluttershy made a frustrated huff and rattled her tambourine again. The girls got into position to practice and started off their set with one of Fluttershy’s songs to try and appease her. By the end, she looked calmer, but wouldn’t make eye contact with Sunset or Rainbow. They moved on to a couple of run throughs for ‘Shake Your Tale’ before calling it a night. No one ponied up, but it looked like Rainbow had gotten close.

“Break a leg, heroes,” Shimmer said from the stairs as they filed out. “I’m rooting for you, little sentai rangers.”

Rarity froze, scrunching her face in revulsion. “That’s disgusting! We’re nothing of the sort!”

Rainbow doubled back. “No, sentai, groups of heroes, magical girl stuff. Not… the other thing.”

“What other thing?” Sunset asked. Rainbow leaned over and whispered into her ear. Sunset made a face identical to Rarity’s. “That’s disgusting!”

*******

With only nine bands left, the crowd for the semi-finals proved smaller than last weeks. The losing bands had taken their family and friends with them, leaving behind those who just wanted to see bands go at it, not caring who won or lost. The first band didn’t go on until three in the afternoon, giving the Rainbooms plenty of time to relax and calm their nerves, or in the case of Sunset, hunt for Twilight.

This fairground isn’t that big, she has to be around here somewhere. Though it wasn’t big, the grounds proved to have many holes to hide in. Sunset made two rounds around the fairground and still couldn’t find any trace of Twilight or Moondancer for that matter. However, on her third round, while walking behind the leftmost stage, she found Trixie skulking about, wand in hand.

Sunset stepped up behind her. “What are you doing?”

“Eeeeeek!” Trixie whipped around, quickly stowing her wand away. “Nothing!” She cleared her throat and adjusted the clasp of her cape. “Trixie was just scoping out the competition.”

“Uh-huh.” Sunset saw the sweat gathered on Trixie’s brow, and the way her pupils erratically moved. “Trixie, are you all right?”

“Trixie is just fine, thank you very much! She wish she could say the same thing about you! Today is the last day your band plays in this competition!”

“For the last time, we’re on the same side, Trixie!”

Trixie paid her no heed and stomped on by. But as she pushed past, Sunset swore she saw something other than pride and vanity in her eyes. Fear? Sunset watched her go, making a mental note to keep an eye on her. She then resumed her search, circling around the stage before entering the heart of the grounds again. Even with the light breeze, the day proved to be a warm one. Wearing her leather jacket probably didn’t help. Sunset wiped a little sweat from her brow and decided to take a break with her friends in the parking lot. Upon arriving, her eyes fell onto Rarity in her new outfit.

Sunset gave herself a second to choose her words carefully, looking for the least scathing comment. “Rarity, you look like a windchime.”

Applejack let out a cough that sounded like, “Told ya.”

Pinkie took a bite out of her cotton candy. “I still say she looks like a hippy.”

Rarity wore a glittering beige jacket with metal chimes dangling from the arms. There were more around the hem and decorating the boots. The jacket covered a white shirt and purple skirt. Around her head was a band that matched the jacket. Rarity stuck her nose in the air. “I needed something that would stand out and get people to notice. ‘That’s so unique! Wherever did you get it?’ Why, darling, it’s a Rarity original.”

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “As long as it doesn’t impede your playing, I don’t care what you wear.”

“I’m glad you said that, because I have outfits for everyone!”

Applejack let out a long, agonized sigh but said nothing. Upon Rarity’s reveal of everyone’s outfits, Rainbow spoke up, holding her dress aloft.

“Rarity, I can’t wear this. It’s not nearly cool enough.”

“But, Rainbow, it fits you to a T. Besides, it goes great with our Wondercolt accessories!” She pulled out a pair of Wondercolt ears and tails. “We’re singing ‘Shake Your Tail’ after all.”

“You still have those?” Sunset asked, remembering the flash mob led by Princess Twilight.

“Of course! Just in case the school needs a little bit of spirit!” She jumped and waved her hands.

“I get you’re trying to promote your business,” Rainbow said, “but don’t you think you should have run this by the band leader first?”

“Sunset said it was okay.”

Rainbow scrunched her nose. “I meant me!”

Pinkie took another bite of her candy. “I thought Sunset was the leader?”

“She doesn’t even play an instrument!”

“No, but this whole thing was her idea,” Applejack said.

Rainbow gestured to her guitar case. “Yeah, but I play lead guitar and I’m lead vocals. Plus, I wrote most our songs.”

Fluttershy crossed her arms and turned away. “I wrote songs too. We just barely play them.”

“Girls, we’re off topic now,” Sunset said, moving her hands in a placating manner. “It doesn’t really matter who the leader is. And if it helps Rarity out, just wear her costumes for one song. Come on, it’s for a friend.”

Rainbow shoved her hands in her pockets and looked skyward. “Fine. For a friend.”

“Besides, it’ll be fun dressing up again!” Pinkie said. She put her mouth around the remaining cotton candy and swallowed it whole.

Sunset reeled back. “Right. You girls get dressed. I’m going to go look for Twilight again.” She didn’t get far in her search. Upon returning to the main event area, Sunset found the first band had begun playing, or at least, they were attempting to.

A boy playing a saxophone furrowed his brow each time he blew his instrument only for bubbles to float out instead of music. He gave it a vigorous shake and tried again, but to no avail. His bandmate on the keyboard didn’t fare much better, hitting off keys every third note. By the confusion on her face, Sunset believed it was more than her just having a bad day.

Over on the middle stage, she could see the members of the next band frantically running back and forth searching for something. One of them looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Trixie, please tell me you haven’t stooped this low…. Again.

A finger tapped her shoulder, and Sunset turned around, spirits further dampened on finding Flash with his hand held out. “All right, give them back,” he said.

Sunset looked at his hand. “Give what back?”

“Stop playing dumb and just hand them over!”

She smacked his hand away. “The only thing I see you asking for is a knuckle sandwich!”

Flash balled his fist. “My guitar pick and the drum sticks. We had them fifteen minutes ago, and now they’re gone.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “And you think I took them?”

“Well gee, who else has a penchant for sabotaging others by any underhanded means she can think of?” Flash crossed his arms as well.

“Here’s an idea: maybe you misplaced them.”

“I know exactly where I left them, Sunset. Just give them back and maybe I won’t tell the judges you tried to cheat.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I don’t need cheap tricks to beat you. Now, I suggest you keep moving before I lose my cool.”

Flash stood firm. “You don’t scare me, Shimmer.” They stood their ground, neither flinching from the other’s intense glare. The electricity between their eyes threatened to spark something much more explosive until Flash finally took a step back. “This isn’t over.”

She watched him go, easing up her scowl when he turned away. He’s gonna move up to second on the list if this keeps up. She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets, and felt her fingers brush against something that shouldn’t have been in there. She pulled out a blue guitar pick and resumed her scowl. Horse apples. Trixie, why?

After searching fruitlessly for Twilight for another twenty minutes, and seeing the second band have to forfeit because one member couldn’t find her clarinet, Sunset returned to her friends once again, finding them all dressed up. She marched over to Fluttershy and put Flash’s guitar pick in her hand.

“Find Flash and tell him you found it by the food court.” She closed Fluttershy’s palm around it and leaned forward. “Tell him you found it,” she said carefully.

Fluttershy, now dressed in a green shirt and pink vest with a pink and blue double skirt, tilted her head. “Umm, sure. Why—”

“Just do it,” Sunset said in a snippy tone she usually saved for Rainbow. Looking hurt, Fluttershy walked away, guitar pick in hand. Sunset made a mental note to apologize later.

Applejack stepped over. Rarity’s outfit for her consisted of a simple orange dress with a wide skirt that ended above her knees, black pants, and brown boots with apple prints stitched into them. Her hair, was done up in two long pigtails.

Now that Sunset really looked at her, she didn’t think Applejack had enough hair for pigtails of that length.

“Why did you have Flash’s pick?” she asked, voice flat and eyes lidded.

“Trixie’s making sabotage rounds.” Sunset looked Applejack up and down, taking note of her hunched shoulders and bent knees. “You’re having a great time, aren’t you?”

“More fun than a hog in a mud bath,” she said between her teeth.

Sunset jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Well, the second band had to quit early, so the middle stage is ready for set-up. Let’s go.” She looked over at Rainbow, trying to examine herself in the side-mirror of her car. “C’mon, Dash!”

Rainbow turned, showing off a blue and purple shirt with a large v-neck, purple plaid skirt, and fishnet leggings of all things. She tugged at the choker around her neck. “I can’t tell if I love or hate this.”

Rarity waved her arm, making her wind chimes jingle. “You look great, darling! It really puts together the ‘rocker’ look! Sunset, I made an outfit for you too!”

Sunset paused from picking up the amp. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, Rarity, but I won’t actually be on stage.” She took one look at the puppy-dog eyes Rarity gave and yielded. “Sure, I’ll—”

Rarity held the outfit out in front of Sunset before she could blink. “Here! I think it really brings out the yellow in your hair.”

“Right.” Sunset took the clothes, wary of the slightly manic look in Rarity’s eye. She headed for the restrooms to change while her friends continued set-up. A few minutes later, Sunset joined them on the center stage wearing a sleeveless yellow blouse and a ruffled knee length skirt with wispy cloud patterns.

Oh, I get it. I’m the rising sun. Hah.

Rainbow tested her guitar chords, nodding as she made the correct adjustments. “All right, I know we haven’t had the best week. But we’re halfway to beating the Sirens and putting this all behind us. Another win today puts us in the finals, so let’s just go out there, forget about our problems, and let the music do all the talking.” She looked down at her outfit again. “Hopefully it’ll say more than this,” she muttered.

Pinkie bounced in her seat. “Go out there and have fun! I am totally down for this plan!”

“Good luck, girls,” Sunset said, giving a thumbs up. “I’ll be on the lookout for Trixie to make sure she doesn’t try anything funny.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Come on, it’s Trixie. She’s a minor annoyance at best.”

Not when there’s more than her pride at stake. Sunset slipped onto the other side of the curtain and hopped off stage. The band from Crystal Prep was still playing, giving Sunset time to make a choice: hunt for Trixie, or hunt for Twilight. At this point, there was very little she could do to sway Twilight back to her side, so Sunset would have to leave it to fate. She could stop Trixie from interfering, however.

Like Twilight, Trixie proved hard to find. Sunset moved through the crowd, checked under the stands, and snuck around behind the stages, but couldn’t find hat nor cape of Trixie. By the time Sunset returned to the main field, the Rainbooms had taken the stage and were ready to go.

“We've just got the day to get ready,

“And there's only so much time to lose.

“Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party,

“So let's think of something fun to do.”

Sunset cupped her ears. It almost sounded like Rainbow’s mike was going out. She disregarded the thought when Rarity’s windchimes floated into the air, taking her arms along with them. Rarity’s eyes filled with panic, and she struggled to bring her arms down to her keytar. Applejack furrowed her brow, glaring at Rarity like she was doing it on purpose.

For the love of the sun, Trixie! Sunset whipped around, trying to find the saboteur. Turning to her left, she finally saw Twilight and Moondancer make their way toward the other stage. Sunset flinched toward them on instinct, but turned the other way to keep searching for Trixie.

Whatever force was controlling Rarity began slowly dragging her away from her microphone. She stretched her neck forward to keep her voice heard as her part of the song came up. “Do your thing, erk, you know you’re an original!” she grunted, sliding back.

“Your ideas are so funny that they’re criminal.” Applejack finally caught on that Rarity was not acting that way by choice, but could only watch confused as her friend flailed about.

Sunset spared a glance at the faces of the crowd goers. They certainly seemed interested, but not the least bit concerned over the happenings on stage. A single spotlight flashed upon Fluttershy, and she froze like a deer in headlights. She looked upon the crowd staring back at her, and for a moment, Sunset thought she might faint.

Fluttershy took a large step to the right, but the light followed her. She stepped again, then stepped to the other side while trying to find her rhythm again, but the light proved persistent. Finally, she dove for cover behind Pinkie, her tambourine barely audible over the drums.

As she weaved through the crowd, Sunset finally caught sight of Trixie hiding behind a crate of supplies in between two of the stages. Sunset balled her fists and ran around to the other side. Trixie’s back was angled toward Sunset, her attention engrossed in the mayhem she was causing on stage. Her wand moved back and forth, dictating Rarity’s actions and occasionally moving the light to try and shine on Fluttershy again.

“That’s enough, Trixie!”

Trixie jumped, jerking her wand hand up. Rarity also leapt into the air before her arms were momentarily freed. “Go away, Sunset before Trixie jinxes you too!”

“Trixie, I know you want to win,” Sunset said, trying her hardest to keep her voice calm, “but this isn’t the way to do it. And you’re sabotaging the one team trying to help you!”

“Not true. Trixie is sabotaging everyone.” Trixie flicked her wand, and Rarity’s arms flew into the air again. “This one just happens to be really easy. One magnet charm, and your friend is Trixie’s marionette.” She tried to give a haughty smirk, but the tips of her mouth came up forced.

“Trixie, I know you’re scared—”

“Stop trying to empathize with Trixie! You don’t know what I’m going through! Stop trying to be some stupid hero! This is my fight and I’ll win it without your help!” Trixie flung her arms down, and a loud tearing sound could be heard from the stage. Sunset looked over to see Rarity’s sleeves had been completely torn off, leaving her on the brink of tears. Trixie stowed her wand away and turned her nose up. “Good luck getting to the finals now.” She shoved her way past Sunset and disappeared around the corner.

“Shake your tail, ‘cause we’re here to have a party tonight!” the girls finished, trying to sound as peppy as possible.

The curtains closed around the Rainbooms as their song ended, and Sunset hurried back on stage. “Are you girls okay?” Rarity ran past her, fully in tears.

“Define ‘okay’,” Rainbow said sullenly.

“Ah thought you said you would be keepin’ an eye on Trixie?” Applejack said, pointing a finger at Sunset.

“Hey, I tried to stop her! I spent most of the song trying to find her!”

Pinkie stepped up to Sunset’s side. “Besides, it’s not Sunset’s fault one of us spent most of the time running back and forth across the stage.”

Fluttershy wilted. “I got scared.”

“It was a light. A light!”

Rainbow slumped against one of the support beams. “Ugh, with a performance like that, it’ll take a miracle for us to advance.”

“We’ll worry about that in a second,” Sunset said. “I’m going to go check on Rarity.”

“Ah’ll go with you,” Applejack said. They set out for the parking lot, finding Rarity curled inside her car with a blanket over her.

Sunset tapped on the window. “Rarity, it’s us.”

Rarity groped around until she hit the unlock button and allowed them to open up the door. “That was the most humiliating moment of my life,” she said, keeping herself wrapped in the blanket. She briefly stuck her head out to give Applejack a sharp glare. “Thanks for the help by the way!”

Applejack huffed. “What’d you want me to do? Stop playing my part too? Two instruments missing and one off key, we’d never make it to the finals like that. We’ll be lucky if we pull it off as is. Maybe next time, you’ll wear something more practical.”

Rarity fully emerged from her cocoon, eyes red and narrow. “My choice of clothing is not the problem here, Applejack! How was I supposed to know someone was going to bring a magnet to the fair?”

Sunset wedged herself between them and held a hand up before Applejack could respond. “She’s right, Applejack. The only one to blame here…” Sunset sighed. “Is Trixie.” And me, but I’ll handle that later. She laid a hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “I understand if you want to go home. I don’t think there’s much left here for any of us, really.”

Rarity mulled it over before nodding. “I think a long bath would be nice after a day like today. I’ll see you girls later.”

They exited the car and allowed Rarity to finish composing herself before she drove off. Applejack turned her head back to the stages. “Today’s been about as smooth as old bark on a tree.”

“Where do you get these from?”

Applejack shrugged. “It’s a gift.”

“Return it.” Sunset ignored Applejack’s annoyed grunt and marched back to help the others finish take down. Flash Drive had taken the stage, with Flash having his guitar pick returned. His drummer had improvised by using two thin branches as drumsticks. Even so, as Sunset walked around the stage, she heard the unmistakable snap of a guitar string. Flash cursed but tried to continue playing like nothing happened.

Sunset admired his determination if nothing else. From the corner of her eye, she could see Rainbow wincing every time Flash missed or had to improvise a note.

The Rainbooms loaded their equipment up and gathered around Applejack’s truck. “Ah say we get while the gettin’s good,” she said. “No sense stayin’ around to see this trainwreck.”

Sunset looked to the sun, steadily sinking to the horizon. “You’re probably right. But I want to see if Twilight keeps her word or not.”

“Ah hate to tell you this, sugarcube, but Ah’m pretty sure she’s playin’ for keeps, just like the rest of them.”

Hearing it turned Sunset’s stomach, but she knew Applejack was right. Still, even if Twilight was trying to distance herself from Sunset, Sunset still wanted to be there to watch Twilight play.

Applejack rolled her neck and sighed. “All right, Ah can already tell by that look in your eye you’re gonna go anyway. Might as well tag along.”

Rainbow groaned. “Yeah, fine. Guess I don’t have anything better to do.”

“Inspiring as always, Dash,” Sunset deadpanned. Back at the stages, Twilight and Moondancer were prepping their act, while Flash was setting down. He locked eyes with Sunset, grabbed his guitar, and jumped off stage toward her.

As he approached, he held his guitar aloft. “Mind explaining this?”

“It’s called a ‘guitar’. I would think you knew all about them,” Sunset said unable to help herself.

Flash’s face began to turn red. “I meant the string!”

Sunset crossed her arms. “Boy, you’re determined to blame me for your misfortunes, aren’t you?”

“Because I know you caused them!”

“I’m not sabotaging you, Flash! In case you hadn’t noticed, Rarity—the girl you’ve had puppy-dog eyes for recently—was just dangled around like a puppet! We’re both being messed with!”

“Okay, by who then?”

Sunset bit her tongue. As much as she would have loved to get the heat off her, she couldn’t sell Trixie down the river. “I don’t know, but it’s not me!” She found herself caught between Flash’s skeptical lidded eyes and Applejack’s questioning eyebrow.

Flash gripped the neck of his guitar. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. We still put on a better performance than your band. Enjoy the view from the stands, ‘cause that’s where you’ll be come next weekend.” He stormed off, leaving a chill in his wake.

The tension broke upon a loud squeak that emanated from Moondancer’s piano. Sunset turned, finding they had begun performing for the judges. Twilight kept her eyes closed and performed with every bit of grace and artistry Sunset had come to expect. Moondancer played equally as well, but every time she hit a certain key, a loud squeak sounded from within the piano. Her eyes flew open as it happened a third time, then a fourth. Upon the fifth, she slammed her hands against the keys, the squeak mixing in with the dissonant noise. She willed Twilight to slide off the top, then propped it open and reached inside.

From within, Moondancer pulled out a rubber duck. She stared at it, long and hard, her expression blank. “Hilarious.”

Pinkie thought so. She laid on her back, holding her sides while she laughed up a storm. Sunset gave her a sharp kick when Moondancer and Twilight looked down at them.

Moondancer flung the duck into the crowd. “May we start again?” she asked in her sweetest voice.

“I think we can allow that,” Cadence said.

Twilight took her place atop the piano again, and her and Moondancer began their duet anew. Twilight still refused to look at her friends, and played with no intention of losing. But as the song progressed, her notes slowly fell out of tune. Sunset focused on the violin pegs, and could see them slowly turning. Twilight played through, teeth clenched as she redoubled her efforts to keep her music sounding perfect.

Thankfully, the song ended before she could fall completely flat. Cadence cringed as she wrote something down. “That was… good, girls.” She and the Dazzlings stood and moved onto the next band.

Twilight set her violin aside and made her way down to the grass. Mouth thin, eyes narrowed, she marched straight toward Sunset, stopping when there was only a foot between them. She crossed her arms and tapped her shoe against the ground.

“Oh no, I know what you’re thinking,” Sunset said. “We did not put that duck in Moondancer’s piano.”

“But it was pretty funny,” Pinkie said.

“Not helping!”

Twilight kept her eyes locked with Sunset’s. “I’m just finding it very convenient that after you told me to throw the match, Moondancer and I run into a set of complications.”

Sunset shook her head. “You can’t seriously think I’d stoop this low and sabotage you of all people?”

“Well, I know you’ve resorted to underhanded tricks in the past, so I wouldn’t put it past you,” Twilight said heatedly.

The barb struck Sunset through the heart, and she staggered back. “Of all the people I thought would have believed me,” she whispered. “Twilight, you know me better than that.”

“I also know how badly you want to win.”

“Yeah, for all the right reasons,” Sunset said, starting to raise her voice. “You know that. Why are you trying so hard to win?”

“To prove to you I can handle myself! You seem to trust everyone else but me!”

“Well, I trusted you to throw the match here, and look how that went!”

Twilight balled her fists. “See? That’s all I am to you! A tool to help get what you want! Well not this time! Trust me when I say, Moondancer and I are going to win, even with your cheats!”

“We didn’t cheat, but now I’m starting to wish I had!” Sunset yelled, her cheeks splotchy. “Go ahead and try to win!” She lowered her voice to a challenging whisper. “I’d love to see how you fight off the Sirens.”

Twilight let out a scream of frustration and stormed off, but not before a hint of green flashed across her eyes. Sunset watched her go, a sickening cold quickly replacing the furious heat that had burned through her.

Moondancer stepped off the stage and stood by her ear. “Remember when I said you would screw things up on your own?” she asked, voice filled with smug satisfaction. “Well, this is that moment. And you performed wonderfully!”

The furious heat returned with a vengeance, and a sound came from Sunset’s throat that she couldn’t quite identify. It sounded like a fire-spitting cat, but she was too busy lunging at Moondancer, nails aimed for the girl’s throat, to notice.

Applejack sprung forward and got Sunset into a full-nelson just as Moondancer jumped back. “No, Sunset, she’s not worth it!” Applejack yelled in her ear.

Sunset heard, but it didn’t register. “Let me go! Just give me ten seconds and I’ll rearrange her pretty face!” If there was any consolation, it was that Moondancer had at least looked scared for a brief moment. Her victorious smirk returned until she hid it behind a hand and walked away, tittering softly, a green light in her eyes as well.

Applejack didn’t let Sunset go until Moondancer was well out of sight. When she was finally released, Sunset fell to the ground, feeling numb and frozen from the inside out. The tears fell on their own, the only release she could give without screaming to the sky.

She wanted to slap sense into Twilight. She wanted to dropkick Moondancer into next week. She wanted to bury the Sirens ten feet underground.

But with her friends arms wrapped around her, Sunset knew all she needed right now was their support. It was all she had left.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title:

Showdown in Canterlot I: All Heart of the Plan

Sunset, Selena, and Trixie sat at the dining room table, a map of Canterlot Coliseum laid out in front of them. After an hour of comforting Trixie, and a quick shower, everyone was ready for their war council. A small X was drawn on one of the corridors that ran under the stadium.

Selena tapped her finger on it. “We know Artemis was last here. Fingers crossed that he hasn’t moved, but odds are, the Sirens will want every last drop of misery in one location.”

Trixie tapped her fingers together, keeping herself tucked as tightly as she could. “A-actually, Mom… I have something I should tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I…” The tears started falling again. “They… they made me sabotage the other bands,” Trixie said, her voice cracking from the strain of holding her cries back. “They s-said if I did, they’d keep him alive and-and give me a chance to save him.”

Selena moved over and wrapped Trixie in a tight hug. She ran a hand through her daughter’s hair and gently shushed her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s gonna be okay.”

“I’m s-sorry. I couldn’t tell you, or they’d… I’m sorry.”

Sunset eased back in her chair. The look of fear that replaced the normal stubborn and haughty look in Trixie’s eyes now made perfect sense. And as much turmoil Trixie had caused, Sunset couldn’t fault her for it. The blame rested solely with the Sirens.

Sunset played with her fingers. Well, since we’re being honest. “I have something to say as well.”

Trixie and Selena looked over to her. “What’s wrong, Sunset?” Selena asked.

“I…” Sunset bit her lip. Come on, we’re already halfway there. Still, she was attempting a huge gamble, not just with her future, but with her friends’ as well. But just talking about it won’t hurt them, right? She stopped overthinking it; her mind was made up. “Remember how the Crystal Heart was stolen by a thief named Lamia?”

Selena gave a wary nod of her head. “Yes?”

“Well… I may kinda know who and where she is.”

Trixie gaped at her. “What? You met Lamia?”

Sunset sank lower into her chair. “‘Met’ is an understatement. Lamia is… well, she’s me. At least, the human version of me. You know, from this world.”

Selena and Trixie stared blankly at her for several seconds. “Artemis would get a kick out of this,” Selena said. She rubbed the bags under her eyes. “All right, perhaps you should start from the top.”

So, Sunset recounted her encounter with Lamia, the odd phenomena that occurred with they touched, and how Sunset had stumbled on her secret and what would happen if she said anything. It felt like releasing air out of an overinflated balloon in her chest. While it was still pretty full, Sunset felt like she could breathe a little better.

A contemplative silence filled the room after she finished talking. She looked down at her feet, waiting for either Lulamoon to speak.

“Okay.” Selena rubbed her eyes again. “Are there any other secrets either of you would like to reveal?”

Trixie and Sunset shared a look. “No.”

“I think that’s everything.”

“Good.” Moving back to her seat, Selena said, “So, we know who has the Heart. Getting it back would be tricky if we don’t want this Lamia to retaliate. On one hand, the concert is the day after tomorrow, so it’s a slim chance the Sirens will get their hands on it.” Selena raised her other hand. “But, supposedly, she’s getting rid of the heart sometime this weekend.”

“Maybe even tonight,” Sunset said.

“And I’d hate to lose the Heart to some random black market dealers. Who knows where it could end up.”

Trixie held her hands up. “Where else could it go that would be worse than the Sirens?”

Selena stared at the map, unresponsive to Trixie’s question. Before Sunset vocalized her building curiosity, Selena said, “Regardless of who could get it, I think it would be important to keep track of a powerful magical artifact like that.”

“So what do we do?” Sunset asked.

“Let me worry about the Heart.” Selena tapped the map. “I want you to focus on Sunday. Your job, Sunset, is fairly simple. You get your friends to go up there and play the counterspell to break the hold over everyone. Mine and Trixie’s job is to find Artemis and release him. Then, between your performance and theirs, we have to sneak in and use the pocket dimension to seal them in Artemis’ hat.”

Sunset leaned to one side. “Won’t everyone be a little suspicious if the Sirens don’t show?”

“The spell should be broken, so they won’t care much beyond general curiosity. And it’s better we take care of them behind the scenes than on the stage.”

At this point, Sunset couldn’t bring herself to care too much about the details. They had a plan, and while Sunset could see various ways it could go wrong, it was better than nothing. They had been relying on luck and chance all month; it wouldn’t hurt to rely on a little more. All Sunset needed to do was…

Selena stood from her chair. “That’s the general gist of it anyways. We can iron out a few more of the details tomorrow with your friends. In the meantime, how about dinner?”

Sunset’s stomach rumbled in agreement. Now that she wasn’t filled up on tension and anxiety, she realized she hadn’t eaten in almost eight hours. She happily devoured the pasta Selena made, sharing the dinner table with Trixie for the first time since the competition had begun. It was a quiet meal, still tense with anticipation for what was to come, but Trixie sat close to Sunset, and they traded encouraging smiles with pasta sauce over their mouths.

Food in their bellies and a long day of preparation in front of them, Sunset and Trixie bade Selena goodnight and headed upstairs. They paused in front of the bathroom, the split between their rooms. Trixie wrung her hands. “Listen, Sunset… I wanted to say I’m sorry. You were just trying to help and I got jealous, and somewhere along the way, I got up in the competition, and the Sirens, and—”

Sunset put a hand over Trixie’s mouth. “I get it. And apology accepted.” She lowered her hand. “Look, I know we’re both still getting used to living with each other, but like I told you before: I’m not here to take anything away from you. Trixie, you’re his daughter. No matter what I do, he’s going to love you. I’ve seen it in his eyes; he’s already proud of you.”

“I… I know.” She wiped a quick tear from her eye. “It’s just—and don’t tell anyone I said this, but…” Trixie dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Sometimes I doubt my magical abilities.”

“Really? No way!” Sunset said, trying her hardest to keep a straight face and even voice.

“It’s true!” Trixie pulled her wand from her pocket and twirled it between her fingers. “My father’s done all these amazing things in his lifetime. He makes magic look so easy. And when I’m practicing with him, I think it’s easy too. But when I’m by myself… everything suddenly seems so complicated.” She held her wand up in front of her face. “The Lulamoons are part of an ancient lineage. We can trace our blood back to Merlin himself. We’re some of the last natural magicians in the world. We were given a sacred duty.” Her wand arm fell. “Sometimes I wonder if I can live up to it.”

Sunset won the fight against the smirk trying to work its way onto her face and eased into a sympathetic frown. “I can see how that would put some pressure on you. But I know, and I know you know, Artemis would be happy with whatever you did with your life. Even if you aren’t the best magician, you’re still a Lulamoon.” Sunset gave her a confident grin. “You’re still the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

Trixie giggled, then cleared her throat and straightened up. “Trixie thanks you for your kind and very true words.” She gave Sunset a remorseful look. “And again, she’s sorry she messed with your band.”

Sunset shook her head. “You can apologize to them tomorrow, but I think they’ll understand.” She wrung her hands. “But, um, maybe you could do me a favor?”

“Trixie supposes she could lend her amazing talents to those in need.”

“Glad you’re feeling better,” Sunset deadpanned. “Listen, can you snap Twilight out of the Sirens’ trance? Please?” Sunset added, not afraid to show her desperation.

Some of Trixie’s smugness disappeared. “Oh, well…” She rolled her wrist uncertainly. “Father’s spell was designed to keep influences on the mind out. I guess the Sirens just wore away at it until it finally broke. I mean, I could put it up maybe, but they’re kinda already in her head, so…”

“So it’d be pointless,” Sunset said, her shoulders dropping with her heart.

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” Sunset turned to her room, determined to finish the spell tonight. “Just means I have something to fight for.”

*******

Tonight was finally the night!

Duffle bag packed, hood and mask on, Jörmangandr around her neck, Crystal Heart tucked in the backpack, Lamia was all set for her rendezvous of fortune. By the time tonight was done, she would be a rich woman! Did she feel concern over selling a magical and potentially dangerous artifact on the black market?

Not in the least!

Whatever happens after this isn’t any of my concern! She slung the duffel bag over her shoulder and bade her cramped living space goodbye. She walked across the hall to the rooftop exit ladder and clambered up, forcing the old hatch door open.

The flat rooftop of the factory greeted her, along with a brisk night wind. She had set the meeting time for here, just after midnight, and it was currently five ‘til. Not being an amateur, she triple checked the surrounding area for any police or FBI, then plotted out several escape routes in case anything went wrong.

“Are you excited, Jorgey?” Lamia said with a coo, scratching him under the chin. “We’ll never have to steal again. Except for fun of course.” He hissed and pressed against her hand.

Their client was one Dr. Caballeron. Lamia had heard of him in a few circles; a wealthy entrepreneur who liked to own some of the finer arts. It took some haggling, but they had finally settled on the generous price of twenty million dollars.

Lamia shuddered in delight. She loved it when she won!

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh,

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh.”

Shit! Lamia recognized that sound. It had nearly ruined her theft of the Crystal Heart in the first place. But what was it doing here? And where was it coming from?

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh,

“Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh.”

Three directions at once? She spun in place, trying to pinpoint the noise. Was this all a set up? Did I even talk to Caballeron? Her mind began to go hazy. What was she doing up here in the first? Did she need the Crystal Heart? She was sure someone could get a lot better use out of it than she could.

From either side and directly in front of her, three figures climbed onto the rooftop, their voices heavenly and sweet. They sauntered closer, their features still obscured by the dark. Jörmangandr hissed wildly, but Lamia felt herself falling deeper and deeper into their music. She slid the backpack off her back and held it out to the approaching figure. It was so easy. Why even think when they could do it for her?

The singing stopped, and something silver flashed between Lamia and the girl with an outstretched hand. They both jumped back, Lamia’s thieving instincts kicking in. The fog started to clear away, and she saw a fourth figure standing between her and a girl with an impressive mass of frizzy orange hair. Lamia had seen her on television once or twice and knew this was Adagio. Which meant the girls to her left and right were Sonata and Aria, though she wasn’t sure which was which.

But then who was the figure standing between her and Adagio, katana drawn, blue ponytail waving in the wind?

“I came for a heart,” she said. She raised her sword in a defensive stance. “But I’ll take four if I can.”

*******

“Well, well, well!” Adagio spread her arms. “I was afraid I wouldn’t get to see you again, Selena! How’s life without that oaf of a husband of yours?”

Selena tightened her grip on her sword. “Your show is over, Adagio. If I have to go to jail for slitting your throat, then so be it. At least your malice will be at an end.”

“Bold words from someone without any magic.” Adagio put her hands on her hips. “Artemis couldn’t handle us at half strength. Do you really think—”

Selena stepped and swung horizontally, forcing Adagio to leap back, a look of surprise and brief panic flickering across her face. The second she landed, Selena followed up with a second attack, forcing Adagio to backflip to a safe distance.

Adagio glared over Selena’s shoulder. “Don’t just stand there, you idiots! Either grab her or the Heart!”

Sonata and Aria snapped to attention and picked a target, Aria engaged Lamia while Sonata came up behind Selena and let out an ear-piercing wail. Selena grit her teeth against the screech but stood firm and lunged for Sonata with her blade. Sonata leapt back out of its range, ending the scream. Selena then spun around and slashed at Adagio, keeping her back.

Adagio inhaled and released a soundwave strong enough to send Selena across the roof. Her back skidded across the rough surface, but she used the momentum to roll up onto her feet. A second scream from Sonata made her flinch back and weaken her guard, allowing Sonata to plant a boot into Selena’s gut. Selena staggered but didn’t fall, and swung her sword to graze Sonata across the stomach.

On the other side of the roof, Adagio sung, filling the air with her hypnotizing melody, and a foul green mist. The fight between Aria and Lamia slowed down, with Lamia fully removing her backpack and dropping it to the floor before reaching into her belt and throwing a small knife at Selena.

Selena danced to the side, letting the knife fly past her, then spun again to avoid Sonata’s poor lunge. As she passed, Selena swung her combat boot into Sonata’s back and sent her tumbling to the ground. Turning back, Selena found Lamia coming at her, brandishing a longer knife, and the snake around her neck bearing its fangs. Selena extended her arm as far as she could and met the knife with the strong side of her blade while staying just out of range of the snake. With a sharp twist of her wrist, the knife dropped from Lamia’s hand.

As Lamia backed up, Selena jumped forward, scooped the knife up, and hurled it at Aria, retreating with the backpack. It cut across her shoulder, and Aria yelled in pain, but kept running toward Adagio who had stopped her song.

“Pleasure doing business with you!” Adagio took the backpack and jumped off the roof, Aria in tow, gripping her shoulder. Selena whipped around to Sonata, who blew a raspberry before jumping from the roof as well.

Selena heard a woosh of air, and spun her blade to knock the last throwing knife out of the air. The split second distraction gave Lamia a head start to grab her duffle bag and run, but Selena proved faster. She grabbed the knife she had just deflected and threw it low, stabbing Lamia in the calf. She collapsed to the ground with a loud curse.

As Selena marched toward her, the snake reared up to bite. Selena slapped it across the face with the flat of her blade, and it recoiled to its master’s side.

Lamia turned over and glared at Selena through her mask. “Who the fu—whoa!”

Selena leveled her blade at the thief's throat. “No cursing in my presence.” She raised the tip to touch Lamia’s chin. “What were you doing up here, Snake Queen?”

“Why the hell should I tell you anything?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll cut the head off your snake,” Selena said calmly. “Now, talk.”

Lamia grumbled something probably foul-mouthed, but said, “I was going to make a trade with someone. What’s it to you?”

“The Crystal Heart for money?”

Lamia narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”

“A concerned mother.” Selena reached down and grabbed Lamia by the front of her suit and hauled her up, kicking the snake away at the same time. With one hand, she held Lamia by the collar, and kept her sword against Lamia’s throat with the other. “I came here tonight to take the Heart back and give you a warning. I can still do at least one of those things.” She kept her face completely neutral, but looked Lamia dead in the eyes. “If you do anything to hurt Sunset Shimmer or her friends, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and cut you to ribbons.”

“You don’t scare me.”

Selena spun Lamia forward and slashed with her sword. The back of her mask fell off, and with it, Lamia’s red and gold ponytail. Her hands frantically scrabbled over the back of her head, running over where her hair now ended at the nape of her neck.

“You… You…”

Selena sheathed her sword. “I think the police should be able to tell Sunset and you apart now.” She raised her hand to block Lamia’s quick attack, then did it again with her other arm. Lamia struck a series of quick blows, each of them deflected by Selena. She dropped down and swept her leg out, knocking Lamai over.

Lamia laid on the ground, panting. “Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit!” She pounded her fist into the ground. “I hate you!”

With a small, “hmph,” Selena turned for home. “Remember this defeat next time you threaten Sunset or her friends. I won’t be so lenient in the future.” She stalked off, having far more pressing matters to deal with now. Even as she exited the roof, she heard Lamia cursing at the night sky.

*******

Sunset had stayed up most of Friday night working on the spell, and woke early Saturday morning to continue. In fact, she only left her room when her friends arrived to discuss their plans for tomorrow and get a little practice in before the show.

Eight girls gathered around the living room table. Selena paced in front of them, hands held behind her back. “I’m afraid I have some bad news. The Sirens are in possession of the Crystal Heart.”

Sunset almost choked on the apple she had been eating. “How?”

Selena spoke slow, carefully choosing her words. “I had a contact tell me the possible whereabouts of Lamia and I went to investigate last night. I happened to find her in the middle of her trade with the Sirens of all people. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop them,” she said bitterly.

Trixie gaped at her. “Mom, you went and fought the Sirens on your own? After you told Trixie and Sunset we were reckless for going to the concert?”

“I wasn’t expecting to find the Sirens.” She put a hand on Trixie’s shoulder. “But you’re right. That was reckless of me. That’s why you do as I say, not as I do.”

“Okay, so they have the Heart,” Rainbow said. “On a scale of one to ten, how bad is that?”

Selena looked at her with grave eyes.

“Okay. A ten. That’s… really, really bad.”

“Understatement of the century,” Sunset said. “How does this change our plans though?”

“Not by too much,” Selena said. She tapped the map on the table. “Your job stays the same. Trixie and I just have to find Artemis faster so we can go after the Crystal Heart and get it away from the Sirens. As long as it’s in the area, it’ll feed off the strongest emotion there. I have a feeling they’ll keep it close to the stage though.”

Sunset raised her hand. “Maybe I can do that. I’m not actually part of the band. Once the girls are squared away, maybe I can sneak around and get the Heart.”

Applejack frowned. “Seems mighty dangerous. You sure you wanna do that on your own?”

“Everyone will be focused on you and the Sirens. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

Selena sighed. “I feel like telling you not to do it because it’s too dangerous would be both pointless and hypocritical of me. So please, just be careful, Sunset.”

Sunset gave her a thumbs up and a smile. She then pulled out her notebook. “It’s not perfect yet, but I’ve got a new counterspell to try out.”

Rainbow picked up her guitar and headed for the backyard. “Let’s hope it’s better than the last one. Ow!” She rubbed the back of her head where Applejack had thumped her.

It certainly wasn’t as bad as their first attempt. Sunset made a few adjustments as they practiced to make the song sound as harmonious as possible, but something about it still didn’t sit right with her. The lyrics? The melody? She flipped back through the dozens of pages she had gone through, looking over the scratched out lines and eraser marks. Was this really all she had to show for her month of labor? She closed the book as her friends played through the last lines.

The sun had just set, and as much as Sunset would have loved to play a few more times to find what was missing, she knew the neighbors would start to throw a fit hearing the same song a sixth time. “That’s enough for today, girls. You should go home and get some rest.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna need it to kick the Sirens’ butts!” Rainbow took her guitar off and rolled out her shoulder. “Not a bad song, Sunset.”

“Do you really think it’ll be enough to win tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked.

“It has to be,” Sunset said, feeling her stomach dance. She yawned, her lack of sleep creeping up on her. “I’ll make a few more adjustments before the show.”

“Not too many,” Applejack said. “We still need to be able to play it.” She packed her bass and looked over to Pinkie. “Err, Pinkie, do you think it’d be all right if me and Rarity spent the night at your house?”

Pinkie’s inflating smile gave her enough of an answer.

The girls departed into the cloudless night. In twenty-four hours, one way, this will all be over, Sunset thought, staring at the half moon. She closed the front door after Rainbow disappeared around the corner, and leaned against it. They’ll win or lose because of you. If the spell doesn’t work…

It has to work! Sunset pushed herself up and walked upstairs, meeting Trixie at the top.

“Do you need any help?”

“No, I…” Sunset yawned. “I got it. Just a few tweaks.” She yawned again. “Thanks though.”

Trixie allowed her to past, but looked dubious at Sunset’s reassurances. Sunset shrugged it off upon entering her room. Writing the spell was her job—her responsibility. If she couldn’t do that, then what good was she?

“Maybe Trixie can help you make it better,” Princess Twilight said.

Sunset climbed onto her bed. “Not to doubt Trixie’s skill, but… I doubt it. Besides, if this fails—and it won’t—I want the blame to only fall on me.”

“Ah yes, just like it always does whenever something goes wrong,” her demon said from the mirror.

“You, I’m ignoring.” Sunset looked down at the spell for anything she could possibly change, but after only a few minutes, everything just looked like nonsensical squiggles. She rubbed her eyes, but that only made the squiggles dance. When she blinked again, the squiggles surrounded her on all sides, jeering and throwing fruit at her.

She raised her arms to block the rain of tomatoes and oranges and squash. The food splattered against her, leaving her drenched in pulp and juice. The Sirens continued to sing on the other side of the stadium, growing larger with every verse. Sunset looked around for her friends, but they had all vanished.

Adagio took to the skies and flew at Sunset, claws raised and fangs bared. Sunset turned and ran, aiming for the wooden door at the end of the field. She would never make it in time; Adagio was too fast, too powerful!

The Siren closed in, hand outstretched. Sunset reached her own hand out for the doorknob. With her other hand, red and demonic, she unleashed a ball of fire against Adagio’s face. She screamed and recoiled, clutching the side that had been burned while Sunset opened the door and ran inside.

She slammed it shut and gripped her demon hand, beholding it with horror. “No! I don’t want this!”

“Whatever is the matter, Sunset? You sound terrified.”

Sunset looked from the checkered floors at her feet, to the book cases lining the finely painted walls. A glass window hung open, letting a warm breeze tossle the silk curtains. She turned her eyes on the figure standing in a patch of sunlight on the other side of the room, her back to Sunset.

Her pastel mane and tail rippled out like flowing water, and her alabaster coat shone in the sun’s light. Her ears stood at attention, waiting for Sunset’s response.

Sunset ran her tongue through her dry mouth. She couldn’t still her pounding heart upon seeing the pony in front of her. “Princess…”

“Tell me what’s wrong, Sunset.”

She looked down at her corrupted hand. “I… Everyone is counting on me to finish this spell and I don’t know if I can do it. And… and I’m afraid that maybe there’s another way to beat the Sirens and I have the means to do it. But I don’t want to win at that cost.”

“I see.” The Princess chuckled. “Even as a filly, you had this silly notion that you had to do everything on your own. Sunset, you’re strong and independent, but you’re not alone. It’s okay to ask your friends for help.”

“But they already have enough to do! They already have to save the day; I can’t ask them to do this too!”

“You’re struggling and you’re in pain, Sunset. Even with what they’re going through, your friends would want to help you any way they could. As for your other problem… I think you just need to believe in yourself more.”

Sunset’s demon hand changed back to normal, and she flexed her fingers. “You always make everything sound so easy,” she whispered.

“And you always make everything harder for yourself.”

A blush crept across Sunset’s face. “I kinda do, huh?” She took a step further into the room. “Princess—”

“Shhh. None of that. I already know.” The room began to fade to white as Celestia turned her head to Sunset. Her purple eye smiled lovingly. “You can do it, Sunset.”

Sunset snorted awake and immediately spotted the drops of spittle on the spell page. She quickly dabbed it off and wiped her mouth. Somehow, she had managed to fall asleep sitting cross-legged on her bed. Outside, the mid-morning sun shone through her window. It was almost time.

She showered and got dressed, joining the Lulamoons downstairs. Trixie wore her cape, clutching the clasp like a life preserver. Selena wore a long blue skirt and black combat boots. On her head was one of Artemis’ hats.

Sunset sat down to the plate of eggs and toast Selena had laid out. The radio played from the kitchen counter, Cadence’s chipper voice coming in loud and clear. “Make sure to tune in to the Dazzlings’ encore Canterlot performance tonight, featuring the winners of the Battle of the Bands, the Rainbooms! Tickets are already sold out, but you can watch the whole concert live tonight at six!”

A question popped into Sunset’s head, and she turned toward Selena. “You’ve been listening to the Sirens music this entire time, and you’re not hypnotized. How?”

Selena smiled confidently. “I’m trained in seven styles of swordplay and three martial arts. Not only does that train you physically, but it tightens your mental focus as well. The only person on this planet who can tell me what to do is my mother.”

“So with enough mental fortitude, you can stop magical influences?”

“It isn’t easy. But yes, it can be done.”

Sunset looked back at her eggs. She made a mental note to tell Twilight later. There will be a later. We’ll break the spell, I know we will!

The rest of the Rainbooms arrived after breakfast for a few more hours of practice. Because of Sunset’s impromptu nap, she had to make more changes on the fly. Her vivid dream made it hard to fully concentrate. Did she really talk to Celestia despite their dimensional distance?

It sounded just like her. It looked just like her. But, how could she have done that? And why didn’t she talk to me before.

Stupid question. You know why she didn’t want to talk to you.

Okay, then why is she talking to me now?

“Earth to Sunset!” Rainbow waved a hand in front of her face. “We finished the song a minute ago!”

Sunset snapped her head up. “Oh, right! Great job, girls!”

“Were you even listening that time?” Applejack asked.

“Yes… mostly. Just take it from the top one more time.”

Everyone sighed but did as asked, playing through one last time before they packed everything up and piled it into their cars. Sunset rode with Selena and Trixie in a silent drive. Their collective fear created a chill that numbed Sunset’s hands. There was no turning back now.

We made it this far. Just a little bit more. Sunset raised a trembling hand to her necklace. Just a little more.

They pulled into the parking lot of Canterlot Coliseum, already filling up with spectators. When everyone had their instruments out of the cars, Selena lined the girls up one last time.

“Whatever happens in there, be careful. The Crystal Heart is going to amplify any negative energy in the air, so it’s vital that you all keep cool heads. Understand?” The girls nodded, and Selena relaxed her stern expression. “And thank you, girls, for everything that you’ve done.” She nodded to Trixie, and together they walked to the main gate.

Sunset led her friends to the performer’s entrance, keeping the notebook pressed against her chest. Here we go.

*******

Adagio set the Crystal Heart into the center of the altar at the back of the stage. She stepped back with a victorious smile. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She looked back at her sisters. “I have to hand it to you, Aria, you really came through this time.”

Aria shrugged nonchalantly, wincing at the cut on her shoulder. “It’s easy to pretend you’re someone else on the internet.” She smirked. “Having knowledge on how the black market works also helps.”

“And that explains the shrunken heads,” Adagio said with a bemused sigh. “At any rate, we’re finally here, girls. All the magic and power we could ever want is about to be delivered to us on a silver plate.”

Sonata tapped her chin. “Why would the Rainbooms bring silver plates?”

Aria and Adagio ignored her. “So, what should we do about Selena and Trixie?” Aria asked.

Adagio smiled, showing off all her teeth. “We won’t have to do anything. In one hour, we’ll have a legion of adoring fans who’ll do whatever we ask.” She raised her arms toward the Crystal Heart. “After twenty years, our dreams are finally about to come true! The whole world will be eating out of our hands!”

“Eeeww, why would we want them to do that?” Sonata asked, dragging Adagio from her reverie. “Who knows where all their mouths have been.”

Adagio facepalmed while Aria let out a tired sigh. “Go back to sleep, Sonata.”

Showdown in Canterlot II: Welcome to the Show

Two stagehands led the Rainbooms down one of the corridors under the coliseum. Even down here, beneath a layer of concrete, Sunset could hear the first stirrings of the crowd above. Aside from the squeaking wheels of their music and wardrobe cart, it was the only noise the girls had in the dim hallways. The stagehands finally stopped at a large door with a star marked on it.

“Here’s your stage,” one of them said as they opened the door. “Show’s in one hour, so make sure you’re ready and on the platform by then.”

Sunset quickly understood what he meant upon walking inside. A metal dais rose from the center of the room, red signal lights around its edges. She could see grooves in the ceiling where it would split open and bring them up onto the field. “That’s pretty—” The door slammed shut behind her and her friends. “Cool.”

“Is it just me, or did they already seem off?” Rarity asked.

Applejack climbed up onto the stage. “We’re in the Sirens’ territory now. Wouldn’t surprise me if they have the entire staff under their thumb.”

Sunset flipped her book open. “We knew what we were getting into when we came here. We have our instruments and we have the spell. As long as you girls get up there and pony up, it doesn’t matter what the Sirens do at this point. We’ve got an hour. Let’s set up, have a play through, then I’m going to see if I can find the Heart.”

“Now, now, let’s not do anything hasty,” a voice said from the ceiling. The girls looked around until Pinkie pointed out a PA system in one of the corners. “Hello, Rainbooms,” Adagio said with sadistic glee. “Enjoying your stage so far? Sorry it’s a little under-decorated. We figured you wouldn’t mind too much.”

“Actually, I kinda do,” Pinkie said. “You couldn’t have given us a background or some color? Steel grey is so boring!”

Adagio was silent for a moment. “You know what, I’ll have some set designers work on that right after the show.”

“Well there’s no point if they do it after the show, ‘cause no one will—oooooooh!” Pinkie’s face fell. “We’re not gonna be in the show, are we?”

“Ding, ding, ding! That is the correct answer! … No, Aria, we’re not trading Sonata for her.”

Sunset ran to the door and tried the knob, but it refused to turn. She kicked it with her boot, only to be rewarded with a sore toe. She spun around and leered at the PA. “What’s the matter, scared we’ll upstage you?”

“You? Upstage us? Ha! You really think you got this far on skill? Your band is terrible! Laughably bad! You have a tambourine player no one can see and can barely hear, a bass player trying to strum it like a banjo, a keytarist with terrible fashion sense, and a lead guitar who hogs the stage with her mediocre voice and flashy guitar. The only one who’s half-decent is your drummer, and that’s not saying much.”

Sunset watched as one by one, her friends’ faces fell into shock and hurt, save for Rainbow who grit her teeth while her cheeks turned bright red.

“No, Rainbooms, we picked you to win from the outset. We wanted to make sure you got to the cusp of victory, so it would taste all the more bitter when you lost.”

“But why us?” Applejack shouted.

“You mean you haven’t figured it out?” Adagio asked in a mocking sweet voice.

The dots connected in Sunset’s mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned against the door. “They knew. They knew the entire time.”

“What?” Rainbow whipped her head between Sunset and the speaker. “How?”

“Because we could taste your magic from a mile away.” Adagio laughed. “If you were trying to be subtle, you failed at that too.”

Rainbow let out a feral growl, then yelled, “Why don’t you come down here and face us in person?”

“Because, as tempting as that sounds, we have a show to get ready for. Soon, all of your friends and family, everyone you care about, the entire world will be under our spell! And with the power of the Crystal Heart and your Equestrian magic—”

Sunset’s eyes flew open.

“—I think even you’ll have a hard time resisting us. If not, then it’ll be fun to watch you fight against your loved ones. Ta ta, Rainbooms. I hope you enjoy the show!” Her laugh carried over the sound system before it cut out, leaving the room silent.

“Ah can’t believe it.” Applejack fell back onto the stage and held her head. “This entire time, we’ve been playing their game. We never stood a chance from the start.”

Pinkie knelt beside her. “Come on, we can still win somehow, right?”

“Win?” Rainbow let out a sarcastic bark of laughter. “We’re screwed! We’re locked under the stadium…” She pulled out her phone. “With no signal, while the Sirens have the Crystal Heart and are about to sing a song to brainwash everybody! If we don’t starve to death down here, our friends are going to open that door and maul us because the Sirens told them to! And even if we did somehow get out, we’d have to go out there and play a song that probably wasn’t going to work in the first place!”

Fluttershy burst into tears and threw herself into the nearest corner, burying her face into her knees.

Applejack threw a hand out. “Great, now look what you did.”

Rainbow threw her hands up. “I’m just being honest! You know, the element you’re supposed to represent!”

Applejack stood and rolled a sleeve up. “Oh, you want some honesty? I’ll give it to ya. You’re a loudmouth show-off with an ego a mile wide! This band is just an excuse for you to flaunt your guitar skills, and that’s a word Ah use loosely! Maybe if you spent less time wailin’ on that thing and more time helpin’ us, we wouldn’t sound so bad!”

Pinkie threw herself between the two of them. “Hey, remember how Selena told us to not fight with each other? Well, you’re doing the opposite of that! We were supposed to be a band and play together! But you’ve all done more fighting than playing!”

“Fine then!” Applejack tore her glare away from Rainbow and stared at the wall. “Since Dash is committed to the idea that we lost, consider this mah resignation.”

“Good, I didn’t need you in my band anyway!”

“Our band!” Pinkie and Rarity screeched.

“Like it matters anymore!” Rainbow crossed her arms and faced the opposite wall.

Sunset slid down the door, barely cognisant of her friends’ exploding tempers. “How did they know it was Equestrian magic?” she whispered. “Are they from Equestria too?” She wracked her brain, trying to remember any mention of singing monsters from her history classes. She ground her train of thought to a halt. “Focus. How are we going to get out of here?” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. Like Rainbow said, there were no bars down here.

Minutes went by without any noise. Everyone stood apart, stewing in their own anger and despair. Sunset had nothing left to say, nothing left to give. The Sirens had won before the game even started. Sunset ran her hands down her face. Everything she had done had been for nothing. All she could do now was wait for the end.

“No!” A lingering spark shot through Sunset, and she jumped up and backed away from the door. “We’ve gotten this far; it can’t end here!”

“Sunset, we got here on a fluke,” Rarity said lifelessly.

“I don’t care! I’m not giving up without a fight!” She ran at the door and slammed into it with all her might. Her shoulder yelled in pain, but she backed up again and ran into the door with even more force. The door shuddered but refused to yield. “I’m not going to let some stupid Sirens—”

Bam!

“Take over the world!”

Bam!

“I started this!”

Bam!

“And I’ll end it!” She ran into the door one more time. Like all the assaults before it, Sunset failed to make it do anything more than wobble. She gripped her aching shoulder, wincing at the touch, and sank to the ground again.

“What do you mean you started this?” Rarity asked.

Sunset tightened her grip, doubling the pain. She deserved it. She couldn’t face her friends as she spoke. “It was me, okay? I set the Sirens free. The magic I unleashed the night of the Fall Formal created a leygate—a magical, underground tunnel the Sirens used to escape.” She could feel the lump starting to swell in her throat. “So I’m the reason why.” She let go of her shoulder and reached for the notebook. “And Rainbow’s right. The counterspell wouldn’t have worked. There is no counterspell—there never was a counterspell!” She threw the book across the room. “I just couldn’t do it, okay? I couldn’t do the one thing I said I would do! Go on! Go back to hating me! This is all my fault anyway.” She wiped the hot tears on the sleeve of her jacket, but they kept falling.

Rarity approached from behind and gently put a hand on her good shoulder. “Sweetheart, why didn’t you ask for help?”

“Because I should be able to do this on my own! Magic is the one thing I’m good at! You all had your own things to worry about; I couldn’t bug you about something I should have been able to do!” Sunset took a shuddering breath and looked down at the floor. “I bet Princess Twilight could have handled this just fine.”

“Maybe.” Rarity sat down and pulled Sunset into a hug. “But maybe because she would have asked us to help. I admit, I don’t know much about magic, but I would have been more than happy to help you write a song.”

“I write songs all the time,” Fluttershy said between hiccups. “We just never play them.”

Sunset gave her a guilty frown. “I know, and I’m sorry. You girls made me leader, and I haven’t been doing a good job at it.”

Applejack sat down on Sunset’s other side. “Don’t blame yourself for that part. We’ve all done a good job at getting under each other’s skin. Maybe we aren’t under the Sirens’ control, but they’re still making us snippy.” Applejack let out a deep sigh. “And yeah, maybe you did set them free. But it wasn’t on purpose, even if it did happen when you were at your worst. You were tryin’ to help us fix it. That’s what counts.”

The inflated balloon sitting in Sunset’s chest deflated even more, until only fear over their impending doom kept it aloft. She leaned into Rarity’s hug. “Thanks, girls. I’m just sorry it wasn’t enough.”

“Quit apologizing.” Rainbow turned around and cracked her knuckles. “And start coming up with a way out of this mess.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you spouting doomsday ten minutes ago?”

“Yeah, and now, I’m over it. Sunset’s right; we can’t stop here, not without a fight! Let’s get out there and hit those Sirens with a rainbow, because, screw what Adagio said, I know our band is awesome!” She cleared her throat. “At least, it would be if I learned to stop being a show-off.” She walked over and helped Fluttershy to her feet. “And if I listened to other people’s inputs.”

“It’s amazing how much you learn right before the end of the world,” Pinkie said cheerfully.

Sunset stood up. “The world’s not ending. Not without a fight first. We can still do something, we just have to get out of here.” She paced in front of the door and tapped her skull. The control panel for the stage must have been on the other side of the door. “Come on, use your head.” She paused and looked at Rarity with a knowing grin. Rarity’s eyes brightened, and she shared the grin with Applejack, who passed it to Rainbow. Rainbow grinned at Pinkie who looked at Fluttershy and found the girl wearing a smug grin of her own.

Pinkie looked at all her friends grinning at her and her pupils shrank. “Oh no.”

*******

Trixie followed her mother through the overcrowded stadium. Passing by a clock, she saw there were only five minutes until the show started. As the crowd began migrating to their seats, Trixie and Selena slowly pushed their way back against the tide. They were met with angry shouts and shoves, and Trixie was tempted to push and yell back, but her mother’s calm but firm hand on her back kept Trixie from losing her cool.

With the entire stadium packed to the brim, sneaking into any unauthorized area would be even harder than the previous concert. Security marched everywhere, and maybe it was Trixie’s imagination, but they seemed to linger around her and her mother more than anyone else.

They made their way to the northeast part of the coliseum, where Trixie had found the hallway her father’s magic had emanated from. The lights were on this time, and screaming fans filled the seats. Trixie stuck her tongue out while she and her mother pretended to wait in line for the bathroom.

Six o’clock rolled around, and the coliseum lights dimmed in anticipation. The sun lingered on the horizon, giving an orange hue to the sky that faded with each passing minute. As the last of the crowd moved to their seats, Selena and Trixie moved behind a pillar to watch the two security guards in front of one of the restricted doors.

“How should we get through?” Trixie asked in a whisper.

“Normally, I’d say one of us provides a distraction while the other sneaks in.” She flipped the hat off her head and reached inside, retrieving a black scabbard. “But, there’s safety in numbers. And, if the two of us just happen to cause a big enough distraction to slow down the show, well, that’d be a shame, wouldn’t it?” She winked at Trixie.

Trixie nodded eagerly. “Got it.”

“Good. Stay close to me.” Selena emerged from their hiding place with Trixie right behind her. But as they stepped up to the security guards, three more walked down the hall from either side with a clear purpose.

“We got a tip two people matching your descriptions might cause a problem here tonight,” one of them said. “Ma’am, drop the sword and please come quietly.”

Selena put a hand on the hilt and took a relaxed breath. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline.” She widened her stance and gestured for them to approach her. One of them took the challenge and ran at her, at which, she nimbly spun to the side and swung her sheath out to smack the guard in the back of the head, knocking him to the floor.

Trixie cheered, then yelled as one lunged for her. She jumped back, staying a hair out of reach. As the man regained his footing, Trixie pulled her wand out and aimed it at him. You can do this. You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie, capable of amazing feats of magic! The man reached for her again, and she ducked back, willing her wand to do something to defend her.

It let out a feeble spark.

Come on, do it for Dad! Trixie jumped back and shouted, “Lulamoon!” A bright bolt surged from the tip of her wand and connected with the guard, creating a column of smoke. When it cleared, a green toad sat croaking on the floor.

Selena pushed another guard back and looked over her shoulder. “That better be reversible.”

“I’m sure it is,” Trixie said, too enamored with her handiwork to worry about future consequences. She screamed as someone grabbed her from behind in a bear hug. She flailed her legs trying to kick him but to no avail.

“Trixie!” Selena ducked under a swinging fist and jabbed her hilt up into her assailant’s chin. She kicked out with her boot, toppling him backwards, then ran toward Trixie, only to be cut off by two more guards.

Trixie turned her wand over in her hand and jabbed the side into her jailer. “Lulamoon!” She fell to the ground and rolled over to see her handler twitching uncontrollably as electricity coursed around him. “Strange, Trixie wanted another frog.”

As more guards came into the hall, the hair on Trixie’s neck started to rise. The cheers outside had turned to decries and impatient jeers. Trixie looked at the nearest clock and saw it was 6:15. Where are the Rainbooms? She swung her wand and shot another stunning spell at an approaching guard. “Mom!”

Selena grabbed the arm of a woman wielding a taser. “I know. Something’s wrong.” She twisted the woman’s wrist and kicked her back. Swinging the sheath of her sword, she made her way closer to Trixie. “I’ll create an opening. You go find your father, then find the girls.”

Trixie gave a hesitant nod. “Okay.”

Selena gave her a confident smile. “You can do it. I know you can.” She ran and jumped forward, dodging two guards, and swung her sheath back to strike both of them.

Trixie ran forward, being careful not to step on the frog. She pulled a smoke bomb from her pocket and tossed it over her shoulder, right into someone’s eye. The bomb still went off, and smoke clouded around his head and began to fill the hall. Trixie reached the door, unlocked it with a flick of her wand, and slipped inside.

She slammed it shut behind her, dimming the noise of the fight. The discontent of the crowd still made it through the walls, however. She allowed herself a moment of triumph and punched her fist into the air. She had just taken out three guards! Wait until she told her dad!

She pointed her wand down the hall and closed her eyes. Magic acted like smells in that everyone who could use it had a particular scent, or rather feel. Artemis’ magic felt like joviality and laughter. It was faint, but Trixie still felt it down at the end of the hall. She broke into a run, wand out in front of her.

The hall curved, and another security guard came into view. “Hey, what are you—”

“Lulamoon!” Trixie’s wand let out a green bolt that made contact, and the man’s eyes crossed. At first, Trixie thought the spell hadn’t done anything, but then the man sat down on his hands and feet with a blank look on his face.

“Ribbit! Ribbit! Croak!” He hopped past Trixie.

Trixie watched him for a moment then mentally shrugged. “Close enough.” She made it to the door Artemis’ magic came from, almost missing it for the way it blended into the wall. She unlocked it and threw it open, casting a beam of light into the dark room. She stepped forward, then immediately jumped back as a large ax flew past her head and clattered against the wall.

“What?” Artemis’ weary voice came from the darkness. “Did you forget about your own trap?”

Trixie felt for the light switch and flipped it on. At the back of the room, her father sat strapped to an overturned chair, clothes dirty and tattered, and face bruised and untrimmed. She double check nothing else in the room would kill her, then ran to her father’s side. “Daddy! Daddy, it’s me!”

Artemis stretched his head up and looked at Trixie with tired eyes. “This dream again. Funny, I don’t remember going to sleep.”

“No, it’s really me!” Trixie put a hand against his face. “See?”

His eyes unclouded, and he stared awestruck at Trixie. “My little moon… it’s really you,” he breathed. Trixie let out a relieved sob and threw her arms around him. “Shhh, it’s okay, little moon. I’m okay.”

“I-I m-missed you so m-much!” Trixie gasped and pulled herself away to sit him up. She pointed her wand at the chain around his wrist. “Lulamoon!” They unraveled, freeing Artemis’ dislocated fingers. Trixie let out another sob and gently took his hand into hers. “Look what they did to you!”

Artemis winced. “It’s not as bad as it looks. The pain went away around… how long have I been in here?”

Trixie wasn’t sure why, but she laughed. It was weak and watery, but it released some of the tension stirring around in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her father again and clung tight. “I love you.”

“I love you too, buttercup.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “But please tell me you didn’t come here by yourself. Where’s your mother?”

A guard flew past the door and skidded across the floor.

Artemis chuckled. “Nevermind, I found her.”

Selena paused at the threshold to clip her sword to her belt. She looked at Artemis with a whirlwind of emotions spinning behind her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Come now, we both know I’ve been through worse,” Artemis said with a smile.

“True.” Selena stalked across the room, pushed Trixie out of the way, and lifted Artemis out of the chair by his collar. “You said you were just getting information,” she said through clenched teeth. She gave her husband a vigorous shake. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Artemis laughed nervously. “I love you?”

Selena glared at him for a long minute. “Good enough.” She pulled him forward and kissed him hard on the mouth.

Trixie looked away, her pretend gag turning into a content sigh.

“Attention, everyone!” Adagio’s voice rang throughout the stadium. “It seems the Rainbooms have forsaken their victory and decided not to perform tonight.” A tumultuous cry came from the crowd. When it started to die down, Adagio continued, “So, we’re skipping straight to the main event! Here come your Dazzlings, everybody!” The cheers of the coliseum echoed down the hall and into the room. Trixie then heard a faint bass line.

“I’m just in time for the finale it seems,” Artemis mused. “So, what’s our plan, family?”

“We need to find Sunset and her friends,” Selena said quickly. “They have the magic to cancel out the Sirens’ spell. Barring that, we find the Crystal Heart to stop them from getting anymore power.”

“Excellent!” Artemis stood, then immediately lurched forward, stopped only by Selena.

She put his arm around her shoulder. “You’re in no condition to go wandering around on your own.”

“But what about—”

“We’ll go together!” Trixie said, raising her wand. “As a family! The Lulamoons!”

Artemis’ smile stretched from ear-to-ear. “That’s my girl!”

*******

Twilight sat in the VIP box with her arms crossed and lips pursed together. Several others shared her sentiment, including Moondancer.

“Winning the contest, then not showing up to the actual show? I’d call it rude, but that would pay them a compliment!” Moondancer huffed. “I would never speak ill of the Dazzlings, but I think they picked the wrong band to be the winner.”

Twilight nodded, too angry to vocally agree. What was Sunset thinking? Hadn’t she gone on and on about how badly she needed to win this? And now, none of them have the nerve to show up? Twilight felt like she had been slapped in the face.

“The only silver lining I see to this is that we don’t have to endure their disharmonic cacophony.” Moondancer straightened up in her seat and pointed to the field below. “Look, it’s starting!”

A green fog spread out across the dark, empty field while a bass thrummed over the cheers of the crowd. Twilight’s heart hammered in excitement. She’d been waiting all weekend for this! At the west endzone, part of the field opened up and a circular stage slowly rose, spotlights flashing into the sky. Three figures stood silhouetted by the blinding light of a heart shaped diamond set into a large alter.

“Canterlot! Are you ready?”

Twilight and Moondancer screamed the way only teenage girls could, mixing their voices with everyone else.

“Ahh, ah-ah, ahh…”

This was much better than having to sit through another of the Rainbooms’ songs. She still couldn’t believed they hadn’t shown up. Was this a part of the plan Sunset hadn’t trusted Twilight with? It didn’t make much sense if it was.

Twilight furrowed her brow. Why was she so hung up on this? She should be enjoying the music. But something about her friends not being there set her on edge. What if something had happened to them? What if they were hurt?

And the music. She rubbed her ears. Why did it sound so… annoying? Corrupt? A second ago, it sounded like a heavenly choir, now Twilight wished the Dazzlings would shut up so she could think straight.

She blinked and shook her head, and it was as if a fog slowly lifted from in front of her eyes. What? Twilight looked around, seeing everything for the first time. What am I doing? Her eyes widened. What am I doing!? She cringed at the words she had spoken to Sunset. How could she have even thought that?

Heart racing, Twilight jumped from her seat. Something was wrong! Her friends were in trouble, she knew it! She had to do something before the Sirens finished their song. Twilight looked down at Moondancer, swaying back in forth to the music. “I’m, uuhhh, going to the bathroom!”

“That’s nice,” Moondancer said dreamily as Twilight sprinted up out of the box.

“Ah-ha, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah,

“Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.”

Twilight ran down the hall as fast as she could, pulling out her cell phone in the process. She dialed Sunset’s number, but it only went to voicemail. “I hope it’s because she’s mad at me and not because she’s hurt.” Twilight slid to a stop to gain her bearings and think. Her heated argument with Sunset and counterfeit feelings crept up on her until she forced them back down. “I can’t believe I let those Sirens get to me. I know better than that. Sunset trusts me. She wouldn’t undermine me, ever!”

The Sirens raised their voices, giving Twilight incentive to keep running. They came up from the stages beneath the field. If they’re on the west end, then maybe my friends are on the east end. It was a good place to start. Twilight just hoped they were somewhere in the coliseum, otherwise…

Even as she ran through the halls, she couldn’t help but wonder, why had the spell stopped working on her? Had Artemis’ protection spell decide to kick back in on its own? Questions for later. She ducked behind a pillar as a group of angry looking guards ran by. She counted to five, then continued sprinting, ignoring the iron ball growing in her side.

She came up to one of the restricted doors with only one guard in front of it. All right, Twilight. How can you get around him? He was a little on the scrawny side. Maybe Twilight could take him in a fight. A cynical part of her brain laughed at her as she continued gasping to regain the air she had spent. Okay, any other ideas?

A commotion to her left grabbed her and the guards’ attention. From around the corner hobbled Trixie with Artemis leaning on her shoulder. Selena appeared a moment later, knocking back a hounding officer. The guard at the door leapt to attention but was struck by a spell from Trixie, and when the smoke cleared, he was left with a frog’s head. He raised his arms and ran in a circle, croaking.

“Stop doing that!” Selena yelled.

“But it’s fun!” Trixie yelled back.

“I concur,” Artemis said with a grin.

Twilight ran out from behind the pillar, and threw her hands up when Trixie pointed her wand at her. “It’s me! Don’t turn me into a frog!”

Trixie raised a suspicious eyebrow. “What do you think of the Sirens’ music?”

“It’s terrible and right now consists of them singing the same few notes over and over again.” Trixie kept her wand level for a few more seconds, scrutinizing Twilight’s face. She lowered it, and Twilight let out a breath of relief. “I don’t know why the spell stopped working on me, but I can think clearly again, and I need to find my friends.”

Footsteps came from behind Twilight, and she turned to find a host of bruised and furious guards running toward her and the Lulamoons.

Selena ran in front of her and held her sword sheath out. “You go find the Rainbooms. We’ll hold them off. Just make sure they get up there and put an end to the Sirens’ music.”

Twilight ran for the door, forfeiting any argument. She just hoped the Lulamoons would be okay against what looked like the entire security force. The hall on the other side of the door was dim and cold, but Twilight’s furious sprint quickly warmed her up.

The music above her picked up again, and Adagio began to sing in a smug tone.

“Welcome to the show,

“Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah,

“We're here to let you know,

“Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah…”

Twilight skid to a stop ten feet away from another guard in front of a door with a star on it. Found them!

“Our time is now,

“Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah,

“Your time is running out.”

A reminder Twilight didn’t need. The guard turned his head and looked at Twilight with surprise. “Hey, how did you get down here?” He moved toward her.

“Um, well, see…” Twilight backed up. What do I do now? What would Sunset do?

He grabbed her wrist, and in an act of desperation, Twilight threw her knee forward into his groin. The man instantly released her and let out a squeal of pain as he fell to his knees.

Twilight punched a fist into the air. “Yes!” Sure, she had just assaulted a civilian, but it was for a good cause! She ran up to the door, hearing a loud thud as she approached.

“Okay, one more time,” she heard Sunset command. “We still need Pinkie conscious for this.”

“It’s okay, my hair cushions the concussion!”

Twilight wrenched the door open just as Applejack and Rainbow had finished backing up, holding Pinkie like a battering ram. Twilight knew she shouldn’t have been surprised after all the time she had spent with them so far, but she still couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Um…”

“Twilight?”

*******

Sunset stared into Twilight’s eyes. The clouds of green anger were gone, restoring the starry universe of compassion and curiosity to normal. Sunset stepped around Rainbow and Applejack. “How…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re okay.”

Twilight played with her tresses. “Yeah. I don’t know why really. It’s like I just woke up from a really grumpy nap.” She inched forward. “Sunset, I’m so sorry if I hurt you. I knew why you girls had to win, I volunteered to forfeit, but everything just got…” She made a wild gesture with her hands. “Knotted up in frustration, and I felt like I had to prove something.”

Sunset took her by the arm. “Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have yelled at you either.”

“But you had every reason to yell at me.”

“You weren’t in the right mind and I knew that. I still shouldn’t have—”

“Oi!” Rainbow yelled. “Will you two just kiss and make up already! We still have a world to save!”

Sunset realized how close she and Twilight were to each other and finished closing the distance. She moved her hands to cup Twilight’s cheeks while she kissed her soft lips. Everything melted away; all of her fears and anxieties disappeared in the moment. She had Twilight back, she had her friends behind her. For a few glorious seconds, the world was realigned.

They broke away, panting. “I missed you,” Twilight said.

“I missed you too.”

“Yaaay, we’re all friends again,” Pinkie said with a hint of delirium. “We should sing a song.”

A song… The wheels in Sunset’s mind turned at rapid speed.

“Feel the wave of sound,

“As it crashes down!”

Sunset felt a pressure in the atmosphere. Dark magic was happening on stage, and a voice in the back of Sunset’s mind told her she should be angry, furious that the Sirens had gotten this far, that her friends had been incompetent, and that she had failed in her own bid for world domination not too long ago.

Instead, she focused on the solace being with her friends brought. That focal point made the music seem quiet and distant.

Music is magic!

“‘Music is magic,’” Sunset whispered, “and so is friendship.” She lifted her head, eyes shining. “That’s it! I can’t believe it—the answer’s been right in front of me the entire time!”

Rainbow finally set Pinkie back on the ground. “So what is it?”

“It’s you girls! It’s your friendship, duh!” Sunset paced in front of them, gesturing with her hands. “Artemis said music is one of the oldest magics in the world. So is friendship.” She held her hands out to them. “Your magic comes from Equestria and mingles with this world, so it’s activated by music, but it’s fueled by friendship! That’s why you get stronger when you play together! You do it as friends, as a team! And that’s why you stopped ponying up at practice; you girls were fighting with each other and lost that spark of friendship.” She glared at the ceiling. “And that’s why the Sirens wanted us to win just to lock us down here, to leech off your Equestrian magic while we fought.”

“So, what about the counterspell?” Applejack asked.

“You already have the counterspell,” Sunset said, grinning from ear to ear. “You just have to go out there and play. It doesn’t matter what, as long as you do it together.” She looked over her shoulder, down the hallway. “The Dazzlings may have the Crystal Heart, but it reacts to the strongest emotion it feels. In the time I’ve spent with you girls, I’ve never seen this much love and affection from any group of friends. If your love can overpower their hate, you can win this.”

Rainbow punched a fist into an open palm. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go show those Sirens they messed with the wrong town and the wrong friends!” She looked back at Fluttershy. “And I think I know the perfect song to play.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened like a kid on Christmas Day.

Applejack put a hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “And if we’re about to save the world in front of an audience, it’s only appropriate we look our best.”

Rarity squeed like a foal on Hearth’s Warming. “Time for the fastest wardrobe change ever!” She grabbed Applejack by the hand and pulled her toward the clothing rack.

Twilight slipped a hand into Sunset’s. “Good job, Sunset.”

“Couldn’t have done it without you, Sparky.”

Rarity returned and grabbed both of them by their free hands. “Don’t think I forgot about you! I even have a dress for you, Twilight, just in case!” She pulled them forward, ignoring their cries of surprise. As she handed Twilight her outfit, she leaned over to Sunset. “And for the record, I think you make a great leader, Sunset.”

Sunset blushed and looked away. “Come on, we’ve got a show to put on.”

Showdown in Canterlot III: Curtain Call

Power!

It all coursed through Adagio’s veins. Absolute power, infinite magic, all the animosity and bitterness of everyone in the stadium! The spotlights shone on her and her sisters while the Crystal Heart spun behind them with a dark red hue, amplifying their magic. Soon, everyone watching the broadcast would fall under their spell as well.

The power swelled as she continued to sing, lifting her up into the air.

“We will be adored!

“Tell us that you want us!

“We won’t be ignored!

“It’s time for our reward!”

She felt the magic reach a crescendo and manifest around her body. Her ears became equine, her hair lengthened down to her legs, and a pair of translucent wings sprouted from her back. Her sisters underwent similar transformations, and their jewels glowed with a sinister ruby light.

“Now you need us,

“Come and heed us,

“Nothing can stop us now!”

Adagio thrust her arm out, and a ring of light, the same bloody red as her pendant flew out over the crowd. She saw the free will leave their eyes, obedient, expressionless pupils replacing them. Her cackle echoed across the stadium. They had won! Equestrian magic, the Crystal Heart, it was all theirs!

“Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh!

“I've got the music in me!

“Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh!”

From the other side of the field, a stage rose up, spotlights flashing, white smoke mixing in with the green fog. Adagio stared dumbfounded at the seven familiar faces across from her, dressed in sparkling, colorful outfits, tattoos of cutie marks over their eyes, playing their instruments and smiling like they were friends. Why weren’t they at each other’s throats?

Sunset Shimmer, wearing a ruffled red dress with orange and yellow folds, and black leggings, pointed a finger at Adagio. “Hey, Sirens! Listen to this!”

*******

“Don’t need to hear a crowd,

“Cheering out my name!” Fluttershy sang, her voice clear as a crystal bell, with the happiest smile Sunset had ever seen on her.

“I didn't come here seeking

“Infamy or fame!”

Sunset and Twilight hummed and looked on as the rest of the Rainbooms joined in, a glow already starting to settle around them.

“The one and only thing,

“That I am here to bring,

“Is music, is the music,

“Is the music in my soul!”

One by one, they ponied up; quick, bright flashes that left them with their equine features. The stage reflected the rainbow of colors swirling around them. Silhouettes of butterflies, apples, and rainbows danced in the air. Sunset reached out to touch one, feeling it pass through her with a warm, comforting breeze.

“Gotta break out!

“Out!

“Set myself free, yeah!

“Let it all go!

“Go!

“Just let it be, yeah!”

All of their instruments played together in harmony, none of them trying to outdo the other. A white ring of light spread out from them, passing through Sunset before she had time to flinch. It continued over the crowd, erasing the blank looks on their faces, and turning their absent moans into cheers.

“Find the music in your heart!

“Let the music make you start,

“To set yourself apart!”

The Crystal Heart behind the Sirens began to slow, its red light fading. Sunset cheered, jumping up and down with Twilight in hand. They were doing it! Her friends were doing it!

“So you Rainbooms want to have a real battle of the bands?” Adagio yelled. “Fine!” A malicious grin spread across her face. “Let’s battle!” She raised her arms, and the musical accompaniment to their song swelled, drowning out the Rainbooms. The Crystal Heart sped up again, and the audience fell back into its stupor.

“What we have in store,

“All we want and more!

“We will break on through,

“Now it's time to finish you!”

The soulless crimson light shining from the Sirens’ pendants became blinding. Sunset shielded her eyes, squinting through her fingers to see what was happening. The pressure in the atmosphere increased again and pressed against her spine like the world was trying to get her to bow to her new overlords. The night sky now had a grim orange hue, and black clouds swirled over the coliseum.

As the light from the pendants began to dim, Sunset saw the crimson glow had moved to all three of the Sirens’ eyes, drowning them in it. Sunset’s gaze moved even higher, and she staggered back, mouth agape at the three creatures rising up behind the Sirens. “So they are from Equestria…”

The beasts appeared to be astral projections, as Sunset could just barely see through them. They had equine body shapes and front hooves, but that’s where the similarities ended. Fins and webbing grew from their backs and behind their front legs. Long tails extended from where their rear legs should have been. They looked down at the Rainbooms with sharp teeth and narrowed eyes. In the middle of their chests were jewels that resembled their pendants.

Twilight pressed herself closer to Sunset. “What are those things?”

“They must be the Sirens’ true forms, or at least some version of them,” Sunset said. Staring up at the behemoths, she had an idea of how her friends felt looking up at her during her demonic rampage. The Sirens’ human bodies just hovered in the air, while their projections roared and flew across the field.

Fluttershy backpedaled across the stage. “Sunset, what do we do?”

“Just play!” she yelled.

As the Sirens circled around them like hungry sharks, Rainbow jumped into the air and wailed on her guitar. The blue aura surrounding her body spread to her instrument, and to her surprise, a rainbow colored lightning bolt shot from the headstock. Sonata narrowly avoided it, and the Sirens broke formation.

Rarity followed Rainbow’s lead and played her keytar with all the passion she could muster. A hailstorm of diamonds rained forth and peppered the Dazzlings, leaving numerous nicks against their astral forms. Adagio roared in response and unleashed a soundwave from her gaping maw.

Fluttershy’s butterflies intercepted the attack, halting the wave in its tracks. She played again, unleashing another swarm that got a speed boost from a soundwave played by Rainbow. The butterflies arched through the air and crashed against Aria’s face.

“I have so many questions!” Twilight yelled.

“Not now, Sparky!”

Sonata evaded a bombardment of glowing apples and came around for another attack. She opened her mouth, but instead of music, a ball of blue energy shot forth.

Pinkie rattled on her drums, and a large party balloon burst into life in front of the stage, absorbing the attack and ricocheting it out of the coliseum.

Rainbow stepped up to the mike and let out a long note that turned into a soundwave and hit the Sirens as they regrouped. Adagio snarled and let out a wail of her own, her red vocal rings crashing against Rainbow’s white. The other Rainbooms joined in, adding their voice to the chorus, and the remaining Sirens fell behind Adagio and sang as well.

The two forces struggled against each other, the Rainbooms pure harmony against the Sirens eerie and haunting melody. The sound grew louder, and Sunset had to press her hands against her ears to stop her eardrums from throbbing.

Rainbow’s cheeks turned a darker shade of blue as she sang her lungs out. Her foot slid back and her knees began to buckle. The Sirens pressed onward, the rings of their music smashing down over the Rainbooms. At the Sirens’ crescendo, Rainbow fell back, the mike falling from her hand. The others fell to their knees, gasping for breath, and Pinkie threw her hands up to cover her ears.

“Girls!” Sunset and Twilight called.

The Sirens circled them again, laughing in dissonant tones. Adagio stopped in front of them and licked her jagged teeth. “Curtain call, Rainbooms!” She formed a ball of energy in her maw, an act copied by her sisters.

Sunset held Twilight close, tears falling from both their eyes. They had gotten this far. They had put up a good fight. At least Sunset could die knowing that. Though Twilight closed her eyes, Sunset couldn’t look away from the oblivion about to befall her.

The Sirens unleashed their magical fireballs, only for each one to slam against a blue-tinted shield over the stage. Smoke poured all around them, but when it faded, Sunset could see Trixie and her parents at the top of the stands, Trixie looking like she had just run a mile.

“Lulamoons!” Adagio bellowed. She flew up toward them, another energy ball in her mouth. It hit a smaller shield, and forced Trixie to one knee. Artemis kept a hand on her shoulder, while Selena unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Adagio.

Adagio hissed, and her human body raised a hand, fingers curled. At her beckoning, members of the audience rose and turned toward the Lulamoons, hate filling their absent stares. The Lulamoons pressed together, but stood their ground against Adagio and her new army.

Sonata and Aria slammed against the barrier around the Rainbooms, forming larger and larger cracks with each blow. The Rainbooms looked on, still dazed from the Sirens’ vocal assault. Twilight took Sunset by the hands. “They need you, Sunset!”

Sunset withdrew from Twilight’s hold. “Me? Why?”

“Because you’re the last person here with magic! You need to sing with them!”

“Twilight, my magic is dark!” Even as she said it, Sunset could hear her demon laughing somewhere deep inside her. “I can’t let that out; it’ll just make everything worse!”

Aria slammed the dome again, and magical shards fell and disintegrated in midair.

Rainbow struggled to her feet. “I don’t know. At this point, it’s really hard to say things could get worse.”

Twilight grabbed Sunset’s hands again and looked into her eyes. “Sunset, please, listen to me.”

Sonata hit the barrier, creating a large fissure.

“I know you’re scared. I know you had a dark past. But you’re good. I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it, they’ve all seen it!” She pointed to their friends. “We’ve all watched you come a long way to where you are now. Yes, you can be temperamental, and maybe you still have things to learn, but your heart is good and so is your magic!”

Selena deflected Adagio’s attack, but not without singeing the hem of her dress. She ducked out of the way of a feeble grab by one of the audience members, and retreated into the second shield held up by a increasingly haggard looking Trixie.

“Sunset, you’re the last chance we have of saving everyone! So please, help us!”

Sunset’s hands trembled in Twilight’s hold. She looked out to the Lulamoons fighting, and to her friends getting back to their feet. “Twilight, I really want to,” she said, voice trembling harder than her hands. “But, what if I lose control?”

“You won’t.”

“But—”

Twilight grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and pulled her forward into a powerful, loving kiss. She pulled away and looked at Sunset with a fierce resolve. “You won’t. And if you still don’t believe in yourself, then believe in me—in all of us. We know what you are deep inside. We believe in you!”

Sunset pulled away, giving one more glance to the scene around her. The audience, her friends, perhaps even the whole world was now depending on her.

Yes, tap into this power! Unleash it!

Dark magic. Sunset knew that was all that awaited her. But if she didn’t do something, everyone she knew and loved would perish. I can still make a difference.

Yes you can!

I can beat the Sirens.

Destroy them!

I can save my friends! Sunset slipped out of her jacket and handed it to Twilight. “Hold this.” She picked up the fallen microphone and stepped over to the center of the stage. “Pinkie, give me a beat!”

Pinkie grinned and saluted, then gave a steady tap of her drums just as the forcefield fell to pieces.

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the looming monsters. Something swelled within her heart. Dark or light, she couldn’t say, but it rose through her and shined in the words of her song.

“You’re never gonna bring me down!

“You’re never break this part of me!”

Adagio stopped her onslaught of attacks and turned her attention back to Sunset.

“My friends are here to bring me ‘round!

“Not singing just for popularity!”

Rainbow and Rarity stepped up on either side of her, glowing anew. “We’re here to let you know,

“That we won’t let it go!

“Our music is a bomb and it’s about to blow!”

“And you can try to fight,

“But we have got the light,

“Of friendship on our side!”

A new rainbow wave burst across the field, pushing the Sirens back to their stage. Their human bodies cringed and desperately clutched their pendants, and the crimson glow faded from Adagio’s eyes, replaced for the first time by uncertainty. Behind her, the Crystal Heart slowed once more, and its red light dimmed.

Now, it was Sunset’s turn to press her attack, her friends right behind her. Their voices rang out in singular harmony. “Got the music in our hearts!

“We’re here to blow this thing apart!

“And together, we will never be afraid of the dark!”

Shimmering dust swirled up around Sunset, lifting her off the ground. She hesitated in the song for a second when she felt the magic pulse through her. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she forced herself to think only about Twilight and her friends. The magic pulsed again, this time, coalescing in a golden aura around her body.

Magic.

It didn’t shock and burn her like the crown had. It didn’t drag all her worst features to the surface and drown her in the darkness of her own desire. No, it soothed her, filled her with light and resolve, and encouraged her to keep singing.

“Here to sing our song out loud!

“Get you dancing with the crowd!

“As the music of our friendship,

“Survives, survives!”

The magic took hold of Sunset, tickling her as her ears vanished and reformed on top of her head in their equine state. Her hair lengthened into a ponytail that dropped down to her ankles, and her golden aura expanded to envelope her friends and lift them back into the air. Sunset looked down at Twilight, who smiled with pride and fantastic awe. Sunset reached a hand down, and Twilight took it, the golden glow spreading across her too and lifting her up to Sunset.

Seven voices sang as one, “Got the music in our hearts!

“We’re here to blow this thing apart!

“And together, we will never,

“Be afraid of the dark!”

The golden glow turned the purest white, and a rainbow shot into the air above them, rapidly gathering clouds against the grim sky.

Adagio screamed with fury, and her beast responded in turn, only to be cut off mid roar by a bright light emanating behind her. The Crystal Heart had stopped moving entirely, and instead of red, it now shone a beautiful blue. It began to spin in the opposite direction, faster and faster until it was only a blur. A wave of azure pulsed from the heart and swept over the crowd, banishing the hypnotic hold over them. The mob around the Lulamoons look confused for a moment before being swept up in the spectacle happening on the field. In an instance, the entire arena cheered and even sang along with the Rainbooms.

“Here to sing our song out loud!

“Get you dancing with the crowd!

“As the music of our friendship,

“Survives, survives, survives!”

Sunset looked above them and almost dropped her mike. She marveled at the most impossible sight she had ever seen; a magnificent white alicorn, sparkling like stardust, and with a mane comprised of all the colors of the rainbow emerged from the clouds. It spread its wings over the stadium and pointed its glowing horn down at the Sirens.

“Celestia?” Sunset said in whispered amazement.

The alicorn reared its front legs and let out an ethereal whinny before tossing its head forward and unleashing a beam of light upon the Sirens. They screamed in agony, their projections crumbling to pieces while their human forms raised their hands like they could block out the light. Above their wails, the sound of shattering jewels echoed through the stadium.

When all the lights faded away, the stadium was left in an eerie calm. The sky had returned to normal, the celestial alicorn fading into nothing. The Sirens laid on stage, wings and ears gone, and the shattered remains of their jewels in front of them.

Adagio pushed herself onto her hands and knees and looked at the shards like they were her deceased dog. She gathered some up in her hands and got to her feet. Sonata and Aria looked uncertain, but they did the same and cleared their throats.

“We WiLl Be AdOrEd!

“TeLl Us ThAt YoU wAnT uS!”

Boos and jeers from the crowd immediately drowned out their caterwauling. Popcorn and hot dogs were hurled onto the stage, splattering the Sirens with condiments. They backed up, tears in their eyes, then ran off the stage as fast as they could.

The crowd’s attention turned back to the Rainbooms, and a roar of ovation rippled through the air. Standing on the ground again, their pony features still activated, the girls smiled and waved.

Sunset took a deep breath, broken by the giggle she couldn’t suppress. “You know, it’s nice to not be on the receiving end of that rainbow.”

Twilight half-hugged, half-tackled her. “See? I told you you were good!”

Rainbow put an arm around Sunset’s neck and pulled her into another hug. “Way to go, Shimmer! You really came through this time!”

“Your singing voice is fantastic, darling!” Rarity said.

Sunset laughed. “I don’t know. It’s not as good as Fluttershy’s.”

Fluttershy tried to hide her blush with her tambourine.

“We all did a great job,” Applejack said. “Ah don’t think we’ll have to worry about those Sirens anytime soon.”

Rainbow raised a fist. “And if they do show up again, they’ll have to deal with the most awesome group of friends in existence!”

Pinkie stood from her seat and yelled into the mike, “We are the Spectacular Seven! Good night!”

*******

Artemis’ boisterous laugh was the first thing Sunset heard upon exiting the underground hall. “That was, as you girls so aptly put, spectacular!” He limped over and pulled Sunset into a hug.

Sunset gently wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks to all of you.” He stepped back and leaned on Trixie again. “You all showed such bravery and magic! I’m proud of each and every one of you.”

Cheers rang out through the hall, and mobs of fans ran from around the corner, heading straight for the Spectacular Seven. The security guards jumped in front of them, keeping the tide back.

“You girls rock!”

“You’re amazing!”

“How’d you do all those cool effects!”

“Sunset, marry me!”

The guards held them at bay while the girls made their retreat out the back of the coliseum. Selena looked over her shoulder with an amused eyebrow raised. “Either they’re really dedicated to their jobs, or they conveniently forgot I beat them to a pulp half an hour ago.”

Once in the parking lot, they found there was nothing to protect them from the jubilant swarm anymore. Kids and teenagers ran up to ask for an autograph or a picture. Some asked if they were going on tour, and a few even asked what happened to the Sirens.

Sunset pondered it herself. The Lulamoons had been too tired to chase after them, but had recovered a few remains of their ruby necklaces when they took back the Crystal Heart. Without them, it looked like the Sirens had no power, but Sunset still found herself weary.

She couldn’t focus on it too long though. Fan after fan ran up and asked her to sign something. She had never received attention like this before: honest admiration and adoration. It left butterflies in her stomach in the most pleasant of ways.

The night only got better as Flash and the Crusaders eventually pushed their way to the front of the crowd. The Crusaders ran to their respective sisters in tears, hugging them and apologizing profusely.

“Ah don’t know what we were thinkin’!”

“I’m so sorry for saying I hated you!”

“We’ll do anything to make up for it!”

Applejack just squeezed her little sister in the tightest hug she could muster. “Forget about it, A.B. It wasn’t your fault. Ah’m just glad everythin’s back to normal.”

“Speak for yourself,” Rainbow said. She looked Scootaloo dead in the eye. “You wanna make things up to me, squirt?”

Scootaloo bowed her head. “Yeah. I’m really sorry—”

“Upbupbup!” Rainbow held a hand out. “I don’t wanna hear it. Here’s what you gotta do to make things right.” She lifted Scootaloo’s head up and grinned. “You. Me. Soccer. Tomorrow. Bring as many water bottles as you can, ‘cause I’m gonna put you through the work out of your life!”

Scootaloo broke into a grin of her own and hugged Rainbow around the middle. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”

Flash shuffled his way toward Rarity, engrossed in a tearful hug with Sweetie Belle. He patiently waited until they were done before trying to speak. “Rarity, I…” He rubbed the back of his head. “You know I didn’t…” He tried to smile. “You sounded awesome.”

Sunset facepalmed.

Rarity crossed her arms. “Is this your way of apologizing?”

“No! I mean, I am apologizing, but like, not just by saying I’m sorry. Which I totally am! But I wanted to do more than that because I kinda acted like a jerk and—”

Rarity put a finger on his lips. “It wasn’t your fault. But, if you really want to make it up to me, you can start with dinner,” she said, eyes lidded.

“Gag me,” Sunset said.

Flash looked in her direction and held a hand to his face. “Man, Sunset. I don’t even know where to begin to apologize to you.”

Sunset walked over to him, raised a fist, and slugged his shoulder. “There. Call it even.”

Flash tried to laugh as he rubbed his new bruise. “All right, that’s fair.”

Artemis gave a weak limp of his arm. “Well, this has been one extraordinary night! I say, we go out to eat as a celebration! You’re all invited!”

Selena looked incredulously at him. “Artemis, your fingers are broken! You need to go to a hospital!”

“Hospital? Pffft, that’s why we have magic at home. Besides, I haven’t eaten a decent meal in Lord knows how long.”

Trixie helped him to the car, Selena fussing the entire way. The others followed close behind, with Sunset and Twilight bringing up the rear. With everyone still trying to leave, walking through the crowd was slow going, and for a while, neither of them said anything.

Twilight kept her eyes forward, but leaned a little closer to Sunset. “You know… even when I was mad and spending all that time with Moondancer… I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Sunset looked over. “Really?”

“Mmhmm. Some part of me always knew what I was doing was wrong. I just couldn’t focus on it. My mind just kept on coming up with reasons why you were wrong.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it.” Sunset squeezed her hand. “Magic is tough to overcome. And hey, you snapped out of it, right?”

Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Yeah. I just wish I knew why.” She fell silent for a second, then cleared her throat. “But, um, where I was going with that was, well…” Twilight’s cheeks turned red. “I think Moondancer likes me.”

Sunset stopped and put on her best surprised face. “Noooooooo! Really?”

“Really! I’m just as shocked as you!”

“Are you sure?” Sunset asked, fighting not to smile.

“I think so! I mean, nothing happened between us, I promise, but just, the way she talks about me and looks at me sometimes…”

“Wow, this is so unexpected! I never would have been able to guess this!”

“Right? I can’t believe she has a crush on me and you’re being sarcastic, aren’t you?”

“Me? Of course not!” Sunset finally broke and laughed at Twilight’s trying-to-be-aggravated stare. “I’m sorry, it’s just way too easy!”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “How long have you known?”

“Since she first walked down the hall.”

Twilight took Sunset’s hand again and started after the others. “Well, I’m glad you’re taking this all in stride. I was afraid you might be a little jealous.”

“Nah,” Sunset said, trying to convince herself of the lie. “You picked me. And if you still thought about me while being influenced by hypnotic creatures from another world, then I think we’re in a good place.”

They stopped again, and Twilight leaned up to kiss her. Sunset stroked Twilight’s hair, while Twilight kept a hand on the small of Sunset’s back. The taste of watermelon chapstick danced on Sunset’s lips. For the moment, it was the best taste in the world.

“I missed you,” Twilight said when they broke apart.

“I missed you too.”

*******

Moondancer leaned against the front gate, nursing her headache as she watched the ‘Spectacular Seven’ bask in their victory, swarmed by adoring fans and showered with praise. At least Twilight was counted among them. Sure, this could have been a victory for herself, but no, not today. Moondancer’s triumph would come another day.

She closed her eyes and sighed, continuing to massage her temples. Hot tea; that would be the first thing she asked for upon arriving back to the manor. She cracked an eye open and frowned at the sight of Twilight walking away with Sunset. Her head throbbed again at the same moment, but she bore it. A little mental agony was a small price to pay to see her sweet star unscathed, even if she was still in the clutches of another vile creature. For how long she had maintained that mental warding spell for Twilight, Moondancer was grateful a migraine was all she got.

She rested her head back and closed her eyes. Fortune proved bittersweet tonight. On one hand, the Sirens had been defeated without Moondancer having to play her cards too early. How fortunate was she to discover that within Canterlot there were six more magic wielders in addition to her family? Sure, they were mediocre at best, and nearly gave Moondancer a heart attack with how close they came to losing. But, they solved the problem for her, allowing her to return her attention back to the real goal.

And the Rainbooms, or rather, the Spectacular Seven, had put on an entertaining show… in a plebeian sort of way.

Moondancer sighed. On the other hand, she had pushed Twilight back to Sunset. The price paid to stop the Sirens from becoming even larger pains in Moondancer’s side. It had agonized Moondancer to see Twilight hypnotized by dark magic, but at the same time, it had brought them closer together. Now, Twilight was free from their spell, but back under Sunset Shimmer’s.

“Oh, how you vex me, Sunset.” Moondancer lowered her head in time to see the demon’s vivid hair vanish into the crowd. “What sort of sorcery is this that you wield?” She narrowed her eyes. “Hide behind all the light you wish; I see your darkness. And someday, I’ll make Twilight see it too.” She stood up, keeping two fingers against her temple.

Her own magic was not strong enough yet, but soon, it would be. She slowly stepped away from the stadium, pulling her cellphone from the folds of her dress. “Enjoy your victory now, Sunset. Because when everything is said and done, I will be the only one basking in the applause of the world.”

Volume I:

End

Author's Note

And that was my rendition of Rainbow Rocks! Is the story over? Not even close! Check out the volume postscript to see how this came together. If you just want the key aspects of what's to happen next, here's the Tl; Dr:

Story's going on a little hiatus while I plot and write other things for a while. This was the only movie plot I planned on following. Everything out from here is my original design.

Thanks for reading so far! I'll see you next volume!

Volume I Closing Theme

2. Prepping Party Plans for Pink Party Planners

“You want to throw my sister a party?”

Five uneasy smiles met the stone-faced girl in front of them. Maud Pie’s unflinching and lifeless eyes managed to fix a gaze on all the girls at once, mesmerizing them. She blinked again, eyelids moving slower than her speech, giving the girls a short window to correct their civil smiles.

Like most afternoons after school, Tuesday proved busy for Sugarcube Corner. But, also like most afternoons, the Spectacular Seven, currently the Canterlot High Five with the absence of Pinkie and Twilight, found a booth large enough for all of them plus their guest.

“Yes, Maud,” Rarity said, unanimously agreed by a silent vote to be the group’s spokeswoman. “We really want to do something special for her this year, and since you’re her older sister and she speaks so fondly of you, we were hoping you could tell us what she would like.”

Maud nodded very slowly. If Sunset didn’t know any better, she would have sworn Maud was actually made from stone. The gray skinned girl continued to keep all of them locked in her gaze, staring silently. Even with the chatter of the students around them, Maud’s silence made each of them fidget in their seats. Sunset rubbed her hands together to stop goosebumps from popping up. Fluttershy hid inside her pink waterfall of hair. Even Applejack kept her hat tipped a little lower than usual.

“Pinkie likes everything,” Maud said, each syllable clearly defined. “She’ll be happy with anything you do.”

Rarity’s smile strained further, becoming lopsided. “That’s all you can tell us? Nothing she’s ever wanted to do, or something she likes a little more than everything?”

Maud’s wide-ranged stare honed in on Rarity, forcing her to push back against the seat cushion. “She likes all of you a lot.” She then reached into her pocket, pulled out a small rock, and set it on the table. “Boulder wanted to say hi.”

Sunset stared at the pebble then back to Maud. Oh, now I see the family connection. They’re both crazy.

Maud gave Boulder a gentle poke. “Boulder agrees that Pinkie will be happy with anything you do.” She took another look at everyone’s dejected faces. “Pinkie also loves to go to new places.” She scooped Boulder up and tucked him into her pocket before scooting out of the booth. “And bounce houses.” It took her over a minute to get from the table to the door.

“Well, that wasn’t a complete waste of our time,” Sunset said, crossing her arms.

“Pinkie did say she would spend her cut of the money on a party with bounce houses,” Applejack said. She lifted her hat up. “Boy, that Maud is… a character.”

“If by ‘character’ you mean an unfeeling, emotion draining zombie, then yes, she is.”

Rarity snapped her fingers. “That’s enough, Sunset. She’s still Pinkie’s sister.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure who I feel more sorry for in that situation.” Sunset cleared her throat. “Okay, I’m finished.” She forgot how powerful Rarity’s glare could be sometimes.

Rarity pulled out a notebook and pen. “So, ‘exotic locations’ and ‘bounce houses’.” She clicked the top of the pen. “It’s a start. Where’s somewhere Pinkie’s always wanted to go?”

“Wherever she hasn’t been,” Rainbow answered. “Like Maud said, we could take Pinkie anywhere and she’d be happy.”

“Well, it has to be in our budget—”

“Of ten thousand dollars,” Sunset said.

“Plus, we still need a chaperone,” Rarity finished, glaring at Sunset again.

“First things first,” Applejack said, standing up. “Let’s make sure we actually get our prize money. Then we can decide the who and where and how.”

The way Applejack said it flipped a switch in Sunset’s brain, making her wonder for the first time if the Sirens had meant to give out a grand prize at all. Their goal was world domination. They had set up the contest, but that didn’t mean they had to follow through with anything promised.

Everyone seemed to catch onto the same wavelength and exchanged uncertain frowns, but Rainbow clicked her tongue and said, “Don’t worry. The city helped put on the event, I’m sure they’ll pay us.” They left the pastry shop, a shadow cast over the bright idea of them being rewarded for their efforts.

“So,” Sunset said, pushing the conversation out of the gloom. “How do you think Pinkie’s tutoring session went?”

*******

“Okay, one more time,” Twilight said, her bun coming undone, and several hairs out of place. She put the chalk against the board. “Factor 4x2 + 12x + 5 .(2x + 5)(2x + 1). And show your work this time!”

Pinkie stared at the problem unblinking for several seconds, then stooped over her paper and scribbled like mad. “Done!” She held it out to Twilight who snatched it away.

On it was a picture of a large duck with sharp teeth, a sun in an ice cream cone, and a baby alligator wearing a crown. And scribbled in the crown was the correct answer.

“Did I get it right?”

Twilight could only walk back to the board and smack her head against it.

*******

Seven teenagers at city hall was an odd sight on a Wednesday afternoon. Office aides gave them polite but scrutinizing smiles, and as they sat in the lobby waiting for their name to be called, Sunset couldn’t help but feel there was an unseen camera watching them.

Six of the girls sat patiently on a bench, while Pinkie stood up, making faces at her reflection in the polished mirror-like granite floors. “Does anyone else feel like they’re floating in space when they stare at these?” she asked after her giggling had subsided. “I mean look! The ceiling is down there, but it’s also up there! Wooooo!” She waved her arms and glided around the floor. “I’m in space!”

“Hard to believe she’s graduating, isn’t it?” Rainbow asked.

Sunset snorted. It was harder to believe that at the beginning of the school year, Pinkie had tied with Rainbow for people she hated the most. With Rainbow, however, it had been a mutual hatred. Pinkie had been the only one out of the five to genuinely want to accept Sunset into the fold with no promise to a certain princess influencing her actions. Sunset had hated her for her boundless optimism, and hyperactive and childlike nature. Now, she found it endearing and sometimes relieving. The least she could do was give Pinkie a good party.

“Ahem, err… ‘Spectacular Seven?’” One of the aides stopped before them, double checking her clipboard. “The Mayor has time to see you now. Right this way, please.” She cast them a scrupulous glance, then turned to the doors in the back.

Pinkie led the march, grinning back at her friends. “I’m so happy when people call us that!”

Mayor Ivory Scroll’s office had plush carpet instead of granite flooring. Two of the walls were made entirely out of fully stocked book shelves, while a large window was placed in the back, giving a great view to the park behind city hall. Ivory Scroll herself was a small, middle-aged woman with beige skin and fluffy gray hair. She straightened her green tie and adjusted her half-moon spectacles as the girls walked in. By the teetering smile on her face, Sunset already knew something was wrong.

“Hello, girls,” Ivory Scroll said as her aide exited. “Congratulations on winning the Battle of the Bands”

“Thank you,” they all said.

“Sorry to come in like this on such short notice,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, we weren’t really sure how this all worked since the Dazzlings bolted,” Rainbow said. “We thought it’d be easiest to come talk with you.”

Ivory Scroll adjusted her tie again. “Yes, you’ve all worked very hard and performed very well.”

Sunset pursed her lips. “Miss Mayor, what’s the matter.”

She sighed and walked to the other side of her desk, taking a seat in her large chair. “Again, you all did very well, and you should be proud of yourselves for winning but…” She took her glasses off and sighed again. “Girls I hate to tell you this, but there is no prize money.”

“What?”

Applejack muttered, “Ah figured,” under her breath.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.” Ivory Scroll cleaned her glasses and set them back on her face. “The Dazzlings never put up the money. They never even filled out any official paperwork to host this event!” She slumped her head into one hand. “I don’t know how this even happened. They came into my office one day and told me what they wanted to do. I thought it was a great idea, and… that’s it. I’m so embarrassed.”

Sunset stepped forward. “Don’t be, Miss Mayor. The Dazzlings hoodwinked a lot of people. It’s not your fault.”

The mayor lifted her head and cracked a relieved smile. “Thank you for understanding. I wish I could give you girls something. But taking ten thousand dollars out of the city budget… the council would have a field day with me.” She looked over her glasses, eyes shining with sincerity. “I’m sorry for all of this trouble. I can’t make any promises but, if there’s anything I can do for you girls, just let me know.”

Rarity nodded on their behalf. “Thank you, Miss Mayor.” They left her to her paperwork, and hid their disappointed faces until they were well outside the building.

“I shouldn’t be surprised, but come on!” Rainbow threw her hands in the air. “I can’t believe there was never any prize money! I mean, I can, but it still sucks! All that hard work was for nothing.”

“Yep, saving all those people and stopping eldritch horrors. That was just a consolation prize,” Sunset said dryly.

“You know what I mean! What are we supposed to do about our par—vacation plans?”

Sunset shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. She glanced at Pinkie, looking as bummed as the rest of them, but still maintaining her usual happy-go-lucky glow. Maybe they didn’t have ten thousand dollars, but they could still give her a good party, right? And maybe they couldn’t go anywhere extravagant, but they could still spend spring break together.

“We’ll come up with something,” Sunset said. “We’ll have an awesome vacation, I promise.” Seeing the hope on their faces just filled Sunset with guilt. Why lead them on? A simple week of hanging out would be just as awesome, right?

Because I owe them. I owe them for ruining their vacations in the past. I owe them for having to fight the Sirens. Another part of her said that she needed to let the past go. Sunset stoutly ignored it. She had debts that needed to be paid.

Downtown Canterlot was a hive of activity even this late in the day. Streets and sidewalks were crowded with people doing last minute errands or trying to get home from work. Being surrounded by the tall office buildings reminded Sunset of her version of Canterlot, only instead of marble, these buildings were constructed of steel and glass. They reflected the sun much better, sending an orange glow all throughout the city. The walk from city hall to the parking lot wasn’t long, but proved a hassle thanks to all the foot traffic.

“See you girls tomorrow,” Rarity said, getting into her car. “Let’s all brainstorm some vacation ideas. Sunset’s right, we can still make this work in our favor.”

Sunset took Twilight home on her motorcycle, slipping through traffic with Twilight holding on for dear life. They returned to suburbia with plenty of light left in the sky. With spring only days away, the lawns had begun to turn green again, and flowers were starting to bud in the gardens.

“Would you like to come inside?” Twilight asked as they got to the porch. “I’m sure mom would love to have you over for dinner.”

“Maybe tomorrow.” Sunset gave a sheepish grin. “I should probably go and actually spend an evening with the Lulamoons.”

Twilight smiled, but Sunset could see a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “That’s fair.”

Sunset bent her head and kissed Twilight on the nose. “Hey, tomorrow, I’m all yours. We’ll do whatever you want.”

The excitement on her face was enough to make anyone smile. “Can we talk more about magic?”

“Sure. You can ask all the questions you want.”

Twilight squeed and kissed Sunset on the cheek. “I’m going to go recheck my notes! See you tomorrow!” She bolted inside, sparing Sunset one last smile before closing the door.

“Well, I’ve got twenty-four hours to brace myself,” Sunset said, heading back to her bike.

*******

Sunset entered the kitchen, finding Artemis sitting at the table, trying to spin a fork between his fingers. As he tried to cross it between his ring and his middle, the fork slipped and clattered against the granite. “Rats,” he said, flexing his hand. His frown flipped over at the sight of Sunset. “There you are! I was starting to worry you forgot where you lived.”

Sunset playfully rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him. “How are your hands feeling?”

Artemis held them up. “Well, got all the bones knitted and everything. Just a little stiff. Should be back to normal just in time for vacation. Lord knows I could use one.” He snapped his fingers, flinched, then shook his hand out. “That reminds me! We’re taking our annual trip to Las Vegas next week! The lights, the activities, the fake magicians! We always have a good time! Would you like to accompany us?”

“Oh, wow, I’d love to, but…” Sunset took a page out of Twilight’s book and started playing with a loose piece of hair. “The girls and I are already making plans. And we’re trying to throw a birthday party for Pinkie.”

“How unfortunate for us,” Artemis said, snapping his fingers and wincing again. “But, she’s lucky to have a friend like you. If we had the money, I’d offer to take all your little friends with us. You all could use a reward.”

“Speaking of a reward,” Trixie said, walking into the kitchen with Spot in her arms, “where’s our cut of the prize money?”

Sunset skipped over the fact that it would only be her cut since Trixie wasn’t part of the winning band. “There is none. The Sirens lied about it.”

Trixie handed Spot off to Sunset and harrumphed. “Trixie shouldn’t be surprised, but she’s still furious.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around.” Sunset pressed her nose against Spot’s and rubbed them back and forth. “What’d you do with those pendant shards?” She asked Artemis.

“Selena put them in the ‘trunk-of-things-we-found-but-will-never-sell-because-they’re-too-dangerous.’ Boy, that’s always a mouthful.”

“I’m less surprised that you have a trunk like that, and more surprised this is my first time hearing about it.”

Artemis shrugged. “Haven’t had to open it in almost ten years. Don’t find too many dangerous objects these days. Hopefully because there aren’t too many left to find.”

Selena came in from the backyard, and set down her sword. “Okay, you three. Either help me with dinner or take your magic conversation to the next room.”

********

Twilight flipped to an open page in one of her notebooks and scribbled ‘birthday/vacation ideas’ at the top, then slid it to the center of the table. “So, who would like to share first?”

Rarity held a hand up. “Well, the most practical thing would be to have a nice surprise party and rent out a bounce house. Maybe even a DJ.”

“Hold on.” Applejack leaned across the lunch table. “Between the six of us, how much money do we even have to spend?”

Sunset coughed. “Uhh, about… zero from me.”

Rainbow laughed and tugged on her shirt. “Same.”

Twilight tapped her fingers together. “I get a small weekly allowance… but I already spent it on books.”

Rarity sighed and held a hand to her face. “Store sales have been good this week, but I can’t pay for this on my own.”

“Maybe we could try to raise the money first?” Rainbow said. “Like, a bake sale or something?”

“The best baker outta all of us is Pinkie, and we’re not gonna have her raise money for her own party,” Applejack said.

“Would it really be so bad just to have a simple party with cake and ice cream?” Fluttershy asked. “It’s the thought that counts, right? As long as we’re all together.”

“What’s this about a party?”

Sunset jumped at Moondancer’s appearance behind her. “We need to put a bell on you.”

Moondancer ignored her and looked at the notebook. “Planning ideas for a birthday and a vacation? Quite an endeavor. Have you come up with anything yet?”

“Does the blank paper tell you anything?” Rainbow said under her breath.

“Not yet,” Twilight said, shooting Rainbow a warning look. “We’re thinking of just keeping it simple.”

“Simple is always nice.” Moondancer smiled like a pampered cat. “Or, rather that, you could all accompany me on my spring ski trip!”

Applejack choked on her juice. “Say what now?”

“I had the intentions of renting a lodge up yonder mountains before spring makes its triumphant debut, banishing the last vestments of winter. A few days of picturesque views, folksy communities, and slopes dusted with icy powder.” She twirled then gestured to all of them with a little bow. “Then, the thought occurred to me that it would be even better with friends!”

What friends? Sunset bit her tongue to keep from saying it outloud.

“Moondancer, that’s very generous of you,” Rarity said gently, “but I don’t know if we can accept such a gift.”

Moondancer made a flick of her wrist. “Pish posh. Consider it a thank you for saving the world. And it’ll be a great way for all of us to bond!”

Sunset and Rainbow immediately locked eyes with one another. No, Rainbow, we can’t push her down the mountain.

But it’ll be so easy!

I know.

Twilight looked at their empty list. “Moony, are you sure about this? What did your dad say?”

Moondancer rolled her eyes, and Sunset could actually see scorn in them. “Please, my father won’t care. He’s not even going. It was just going to be my butler and I. So again, I insist you all join me.”

The restraint on Rarity’s modesty broke, and she burst into excited giggles. “Well, if you insist, we’d love to join you! I haven’t been skiing since I was a little girl!”

Rainbow shrugged. “Sure. I’ve always wanted to try snowboarding. Seems pretty rad.”

The cafeteria door burst open, and Pinkie shuffled in, panting and sweating. She collapsed into the chair next to Sunset and pressed her face into the cool surface of the table.

“I… ran all over… the school... looking for that leprechaun you saw. It must have gotten away.” She took a deep breath and sprung up, smiling and full of her usual pep. “So, what’d I miss?”

“Apparently, we’re goin’ on a ski trip for spring break,” Applejack said.

“Yippee! I’ve never been skiing before! Are we going to stay in a cabin?” She gasped. “What if it turns into one of those scary movies where there’s a murderer out to get us and only two of us get to survive for the sequel? Oooh, oooh, maybe it’s one of those survival movies where a blizzard gets us stuck, and we have to work together to stay alive, but one of us has to sacrifice herself to save the group! Or maybe…”

“Well, Maud did say Pinkie liked to travel,” Twilight whispered into Sunset’s ear.

“Yeah, I think she’ll have a good time.”

*******

“Come on, I want to show you this! It’s finally ready!” Twilight took Sunset’s hand the second her boots were off and led her through the house, Spike barking at their heels. She stopped at the door to the garage and hopped up and down.

“Someone didn’t sneak you caffeine while I wasn’t looking, did they?”

Twilight stopped bouncing and gave her a deathly serious look. “No. I’m never having caffeine ever again. At least, not in that large of a dose.” She bounced on her toes again. “But that’s not important!” She opened the door and flipped on the light switch. “Welcome, Sunset, to my laboratory!” She gestured dramatically.

A long workbench had been set up next to a desk with a dual screen computer and a seismograph against the right wall. Sea charts, star charts, world maps, the periodic table, and several other posters had been set up everywhere, taking up any blank wall space. A telescope sat in one corner with a tarp hanging loosely over it. On the opposite wall of the desk were shelves and filing cabinets already alphabetized and organized by subject. Next to them were other machines and wires currently unplugged. Close to the door were boxes of random machine parts and papers, and against the garage door was a movable blackboard and whiteboard.

Twilight ran to the center of her ‘lab’ and spun in a circle with her arms out. “Isn’t it great? I have all the room to do all the research I want!”

Sunset came up behind her and gave her a few extra twirls before taking Twilight into her arms. “Does this mean I’m going to see less of you now? I know how much you love science.”

“Not as much as I—” Twilight snapped her mouth shut and turned a deep crimson. “Love spending time with you!” she said loudly.

Sunset raised an eyebrow but smiled when she asked, “You okay?”

“Yep, I’m fine! I’m just so excited about this!” Twilight continued in her outdoor voice. She brought it back down and said, “Don’t worry, you can still be my number one assistant.”

Spike gave an indignant bark.

Twilight giggled. “Would you mind being moved down to my number two assistant? Spike does have seniority.”

“Darn, beaten out by a dog.” Sunset knelt down and scratched him behind the ear. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

They took turns scratching Spike on the belly and throwing his ball around before cracking down on their magic and science lesson. Twilight pulled out a binder from the shelf and set it on the workbench. “This is everything I know so far about Equestrian magic along with some notes about similarities and contrasts to conventional science.” She pulled up a rolling chair and prepared her notebook, giving Sunset starry eyes when she was ready.

Sunset walked over to the whiteboard and took a deep breath. She had never thought herself much of a teacher. Relax, you’re just telling Twilight what you know. It’s just like any other night you’ve done this. Only in a lab. She made three circles and drew a horn, a set of wings, and a horseshoe in them. “So, there are three types of ponies in Equestria: unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. Umm, did I tell you this already?”

Twilight nodded eagerly.

“Right, right.” Sunset shifted her weight and looked back at the board. “Well, they each have their own type of magic. Earth ponies are tied to, well, you know, the earth. They’re the best at growing crops, tending to animals and plants, and have superior strength and usually longer lives. Pegasi use their magic to fly, push clouds and manipulate the weather. Both their magics are internal, instinctual things they just do. Unicorns are different.” She tapped the picture of the horn. “Our magic can be externalized and turned into an energy or aura that can manipulate the world around us. It’s, ummm… kinda like how humans got opposable thumbs and big brains to help them survive.”

Twilight’s hand flew across her page as Sunset spoke, head bobbing up and down, a sign that Sunset could keep going.

Sunset erased the symbols of the three tribes and drew a fat pony with four stick legs and a triangle for a horn. She was many things. An artist was not one of them. “Let’s focus on unicorn magic, since I’m a unicorn and that’s what I know the most about.” She drew squiggles around the horn. “Now, first thing you have to accept about this is, nopony is one-hundred percent sure where our magic comes from.”

Twilight’s pencil stopped for a second. She took a deep breath and said, “Okay.”

“Now, there’s a few theories. The most popular one is that all unicorns have a sort of ‘mana pool’ within them, but no scholar has actually been able to prove that one exists. We can measure it all we want, we just don’t know where it’s coming from.” She heard Twilight huff over her scratching pencil. “It acts like another limb or muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. However, most unicorns are bound to a set number or type of spells, usually focused around their special talent. It’s possible for them to learn other spells, it would just be a lot harder. For ponies like me and… the princess, our talent revolves closer to magic itself, making it easier for us to learn, well, everything.

“Magic also acts a lot like stamina. We only have so much magic we can do before we get tired. This is the only drawback, really. Pegasi could move clouds all day if they wanted to, and still be able to keep doing it. If we drain out all our magic, then that’s it. No more until we take a nice, long rest.”

Twilight took a pause. “From what it sounds like, your type of magic is the most diverse. Couldn’t you use your magic to grow food or push clouds?”

Sunset couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, we could. Granted it wouldn’t be as efficient as the other races, but there’s nothing really stopping us. That’s why unicorns are the best.”

“I’m getting some unicorn supremacist vibes,” Twilight said, leaning back in her seat.

“Not my fault we’re awesome.” Sunset turned back to the board and continued to explain everything she could about how unicorn magic worked, the focus it took to cast a spell, the different schools of magic one could learn, how magic could be channeled as pure energy. It was here that Twilight got hung up.

“You said it’s like stamina,” she said, looking back at her notes. “It fuels your spells like levitation or animation. How do you use it as raw power? What form does it take?”

“I guess you could say it’s a plasma?” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Huh, never thought about that.”

“But then what form does magic take originally? How does it get from that to a plasma? Is that what the rainbow was made out of?” Twilight got up and went to the blackboard next to Sunset. She picked up the piece of chalk, tapped it twice against the board, then began to scribble like mad. “You got hit by the rainbow. Describe to me what it felt like.”

Sunset hunched her shoulders. “It burned,” she said between her teeth. “And it was very bright. And you know I hate talking about this.”

“Uh-huh.” Twilight scribbled Sunset’s response, then came to an abrupt stop. “Oh!” She dropped the chalk. “Sunset, I’m so sorry! I got caught up in thinking again!”

Sunset released the tension in her jaw. “It’s fine.”

Twilight wiped her chalky fingers on her pants. “No, it was insensitive.” She took Sunset by the hand. “I should have known better. I’m sorry.”

“Really, it’s fine. I need to stop being so sensitive about it.”

“I think you have every right to be sensitive about it. We can stop if you want.”

Sunset looked at the boards, hers covered in eraser smudges and poor drawings, and Twilight’s already decorated with tiny handwriting and a diagram. “No. I said I would give you a magic lesson, and that’s what I’m going to do.” She tapped Twilight’s nose. “Just… think before you speak, okay?”

Twilight bobbed her head. “Deal!”

The lesson continued, moving away from rainbow friendship lasers and back to magic proper, Sunset trying her best to explain how magic became pure energy. Twilight with her furious notetaking wrote down every word Sunset said, even some of her ‘umms’ as Sunset found out later.

The night wore on until Shining came in to remind them they still had school in the morning. He stopped and stared at Twilight’s blackboard drawings. “What are you two even doing in here?”

“Learning!” Twilight said chipperly.

“I’m teaching Twilight about magic.”

Shining ran a hand down his face. “Right. The whole ‘from another dimension’ thing. Jury’s still out on whether or not I believe you.”

“She’s telling the truth! I have proof, see?” Twilight pointed the board. “Well… kinda. I’ll solve all of this eventually.”

“In the meantime, you both need sleep.” Shining gestured them out of the garage. “Always nice seeing you Sunset,” he said as they walked to the front door.

“Likewise, Detective.” She gave Twilight a short kiss and Shining a toothy grin. “See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Shim!”

Sunset flinched on her way down the porch steps. Yeah, we’re gonna have to talk about that later.

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Parties and Politics

3. Cold Complications

“Spring break, spring break, spring break, spring break!” Pinkie chanted, banging her fists against the lunch table. “Oooooh, I’m so excited!”

Rarity lifted her tray up. “I’m glad, Pinkie, but could you please stop that? You’re making the jello shake right out of the bowl.”

Pinkie clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat instead.

“Good enough. Anyway, my parents said I can’t go unless there’s a responsible adult. And Moondancer’s butler doesn’t count.”

“Same,” Applejack said. “And there’s no way Big Mac is going up the mountain again. Not after what happened last time.” She got a faraway look in her eye, then shuddered.

“I could ask Shining,” Twilight said. “He has some vacation time saved up. And he’s a detective. That should be good enough for all our parents.”

“Oh yeah, I should probably tell the Lulamoons I’m going to the mountains with their cousin,” Sunset mused. Part of her begged to go along with them to Las Vegas instead, but that would mean leaving Twilight with Moondancer in the mountains. Potentially alone. I’d rather get mauled by a bear.

Just because it was the last day before break didn’t mean any of the teachers let the students slack, especially the seniors.

“I expect you’ll begin receiving your acceptance or rejection letters from your colleges of choice,” Ms. Vector said in Sunset and Twilight’s last period. She walked down the rows, handing them test packets. “Even if you do get accepted, they can still revoke it if your grades slip in the last few weeks.”

Sunset looked down at the tiny equations crammed onto the first page. These definitely weren’t in last night’s homework.

“Consider this a taste of what you can expect next year at your prestigious universities. You have one hour. Begin!”

Sunset tapped her pencil in the blank space under the first answer. The closer time moved to their graduation, the more teachers talked about what they would face after school, usually college or universities. Sunset leaned on her arm. She didn’t have that luxury; she didn’t even have the option of joining the army like some other students planned. She couldn’t go home, no matter how much she wanted to.

She was stuck.

In a few months, all of her friends, even Trixie, would move on to something bigger and better. What would Sunset do then? Keep living with the Lulamoons and work in the Emporium? Even if the Lulamoons did think of her as family, that felt awkward.

Stop thinking about it. That’s still months away. You have time. You’ll think of something. Maybe. But there were only so many moves she had left in this game. And even if she found an out, she was going to be separated from her friends and Twilight. Nothing could stop that. Could she let go when that time came? Say goodbye to the girls who had taught and given her so much?

Say goodbye to Twilight?

She snuck a glance to her left, watching Twilight as she pressed her face close to the paper, pencil racing to keep up with her mind. How could Sunset give up her favorite person in the world? The truth was, she couldn’t. Sunset loved Twilight too much.

Her hand jerked, leaving a black line through question four. Whoa, hey, you can’t use that word! You can be smitten, you can have a crush, you can be head-over-heels, and you can be in love. But you cannot, cannot love her! Especially now! You know what we do to people we love.

“Thirty minutes left!” Ms. Vector barked from her desk.

Sunset looked down at her paper. She had only solved two of the problems, and the packet was three pages, front and back. Daydream later, get to work!

Half an hour later, she turned in a nearly complete packet; only the last two questions went unanswered. Pretty good for a cram test. They spent the last forty-five minutes reviewing old material before Ms. Vector named the pages they had to complete over the break.

The bell sounded their freedom, and the students of CHS bolted for the front doors, cheering and raising their hands to the bright blue sky. Sunset stretched her arms up and let them rest behind her head. “So how should we spend our newfound freedom, Sparky? Join the girls at Sugarcube Corner? Another magic lesson?”

Twilight clasped her hands behind her back. “Actually, I was thinking we could just hang out. We haven’t gone on a date in a while. Plus, I have more than enough magic notes to go through for the time being.” She kept her head bent toward the ground.

Sunset thought to tell her she didn’t need to feel guilty about what had happened last night, but pushed past it. “It hasn’t been that long since we went on a date, has it?”

“Valentine's Day.”

Sunset clapped a hand over her eyes. “Wow. Horsefeathers.” She reached and took Twilight’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’d love to go on a date with you. What did you have in mind?”

“You pick. You always come up with good ideas.”

Her intentions were more than obvious now, but if it would make her feel better, Sunset would take the bait. “It’s a nice day. How about some ice cream on the terrace?” You’re really gonna have to try harder in the future.

Twilight squeezed Sunset’s hand back and leaned into her shoulder. “That sounds great.” They stayed like that, walking in sync all the way to the ice cream parlor four blocks down. Sunset got two scoops of strawberry, paid for by Twilight who got a bowl of mint chocolate chip. They ate on the terrace outside, watching other kids and couples mill about the plaza of the small shopping outlet.

Sunset bit into the top scoop, using her lips instead of her teeth. Cold and creamy silkiness slid down her tongue, leaving the strawberry flavor to dance on her taste buds and make her shudder in sweet delight.

“Is it berry good?” Twilight asked with goofy smile.

“It was until you said that, you dork.” Sunset went for another bite and hummed in contentment. When she lifted her face, she saw Twilight giggling behind her hand. “What?”

She reached for a napkin and stretched her arm across the table, wiping Sunset’s mouth. “You’ve got strawberry all over your mouth.”

Sunset licked her lips and leaned closer. “The better to kiss you with, my dear.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Twilight snorted. “And you think I’m a dork.”

“Yes, and a very cute one at that.” Sunset began taking licks out of her ice cream instead of bites, savoring the flavor. “How’s yours?”

“I’m enjoying it e-mint-sly.” Twilight took another spoonful, trying to look as nonchalant as possible at Sunset’s half-lidded stare.

“If this ice cream wasn’t so good, I’d shove your face into it.”

“Now that’s just cold.”

“Twilight!”

She broke into a fit of laughter, clutching her sides before her hands shot to her head. “Ahhh! Brain freeze!”

It was Sunset’s turn to laugh as she watched Twilight curl in on herself and massage her temples. She scooted her chair over to provide assistance, rubbing the top of Twilight’s head. “And that’s a sign from the universe telling you to cool it with the puns.”

Twilight raised her head, giving Sunset a pseudo-annoyed look. “Was that on purpose?”

“You’ll never know.”

Once Twilight’s brain freeze subsided, they resumed enjoying their frozen treats, their silence broken by the occasional giggle or slurp, until Sunset started munching on the cone. She popped the last piece of it into her mouth when Twilight spoke again. “Sunset, when the portal opens again… are you going to go back to Equestria?”

Sunset slowed her crunching, enjoying the sweet flavor before facing the bitter question. “I… well… what brought this on?”

Twilight stirred around the last remains of green and brown. “I was just thinking. I know you didn’t apply to any colleges… you couldn’t really. I just wanted to know what your plans were for the future.”

Sunset crossed her arms and legs. “I don’t have a plan yet. But I’ll think of something. I always do. I could go back to Equestria. I mean…” She loosed some of the tension in her shoulders. “It’s home. I have an identity there. And I’d love to see my parents and Princess Celestia again.”

“Would you stay there?”

Twilight had kept her voice even, but after their time together, Sunset could pick up on the smaller wavers in her tone. Sunset looked away from her, focusing on the plaza fountain. “I don’t know. The time dilation between our worlds is weird. Time looks like it moves faster in Equestria. Sure, it’d be two years for you guys, but for me… it’d be a while. I’d be older when I came back. Unless the mirror decides to age me down again. It’s... complicated right now, Twilight. I don’t have an answer,” she said, rubbing the space between her eyes.

“It’s all right.” Twilight played with her fingers over the table. “I kinda sprung it on you out of nowhere. I was just curious. I… I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

Sunset grinned. “It’s a good thing we’re going on vacation together, huh?”

“I can’t wait! There’s so many things we could do up in the mountains! I could get flora and fauna samples and…” She dropped her hands and stared intently at Sunset. “Wait, ‘again’?”

“What?”

“You said the mirror could age you down again. What do you mean?”

Sunset reflected on her words, then smacked a palm to her head and shifted in her seat. “Oh… that. Heh… funny story. Ummm, out of curiosity, how old do you think I am?”

“Seventeen? Eighteen?” Twilight answered, her voice getting higher.

“And how old do you think Shimmer is?”

“I don’t know, twenty-five maybe?” Twilight’s mouth hung open. “Wait… What?”

Sunset let her arms drop as she sighed. “Yeah, I don’t get it either. But when I came through, the mirror took a few years off my life. Maybe the default setting is ‘teenager’ so you can fit in to CHS. But, I should be whatever Shimmer is. So… yeah.” She smiled in the face of Twilight’s paralyzed shock.

“That means our age difference is… at least eight years,” she said, dazed.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Twilight,” Sunset said earnestly. “I was afraid you’d, well, react like this.”

Twilight cracked a forced smile. “React like what? I’m fine! Totally fine! Why wouldn’t I be fine? Age is but a number! So what if my girlfriend’s a magical pony turned into a human and is actually eight years older than me? I’m not bothered, nope, not one bit!” Her eye twitched.

Sunset shook her head, feeling a headache come on that wasn’t from the ice cream. “Twilight, please tell me this isn’t going to affect us? I look like a teenager, hell, I act like one more often than not. But I know we’re both mature enough to not let this be an issue.”

Twilight took deep breaths, bringing her hand in and out from her chest. Her pupils returned to normal size and she exhaled one final time. “You’re right. You’re right, I’m sorry. I just got… a little overwhelmed. Every time I’m getting used to this ‘dating a magical girl from another dimension’ thing, there’s another twist thrown in.”

A heavy pall settled on them, weighing down their shoulders. Sunset looked down at the back of her hands and bit her lip. That’s why I waited so long to tell you. I didn’t want to unload so much at once. And I really hoped it wouldn’t matter. Twilight’s fingers drumming on the table made Sunset look up, but Twilight still had her head down.

So much for our nice date. Sunset lifted a hand, wanting to put it over Twilight’s, but held back. “Sparky, you’re right. I know it’s overwhelming at times, and I’m sorry. I guess it’s not just my personality you have to get used to, it’s… everything about me.” She dropped her hand.

Twilight snapped up. “No! That’s not… Sunset that’s not what I meant! You’re not hard to get used to… I mean, you were, and the whole situation is weird…” Twilight cupped her face, pushing her glasses into her hair. “This is all coming out wrong. I should have never brought any of this up.”

“No, you had a right to know, and it’s okay to be frustrated.”

“I don’t want to be frustrated because now you’re upset! And I know this age difference shouldn’t matter, but I can’t just ignore it! You’re technically twenty-five! And I just turned seventeen! But you’re in the body of a seventeen year-old! So it shouldn’t matter, but it just keeps piling up and I keep thinking how different we are and—” Twilight snapped her mouth shut and slid her glasses back down. “I’m going to stop talking before I say anything else I regret.”

Different. Sunset couldn’t deny Twilight’s point; they literally came from two different worlds. Still, it stung like a barb. Sunset rose slowly from her chair, deciding now would be a good time to cut her losses. “Look, it’s been a long day. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, and I’m sorry I come with all of this… you know, weird stuff. I’ll give you time to process all of this.”

“Sunset wait!”

Sunset stopped and kissed Twilight on the forehead. “I have to go pack for our vacation. I’ll see you later” She made a brisk walk for the exit, leaving Twilight halfway out of her seat. It wasn’t the best way to leave her girlfriend, but Sunset knew it was the least painful or awkward.

I don’t know who you’re trying to fool. We both knew this was never going to work, her conscience whispered into her ear. Like Twilight said, you’re too different from each other. She actually has a future, you don’t. It’ll all come crashing down sooner or later. Even now, the foundation is starting to crumble.

Sunset picked up her pace while clenching her fists so her nails dug into her palm. “Not even home and I’m already bugging me.” But her voice had a point. She and Twilight were on two different paths. What happened when they diverged too far? Twilight had potential, she could make something of herself. And Sunset would be damned if she held Twilight back.

*******

A few short texts were the only communication Sunset had with Twilight leading up to the day of the trip. On Sunday morning, Sunset slipped in her portion of the supplies for Pinkie’s surprise party into her suitcase, then lugged it downstairs, maneuvering her way past three other bags while Spot circled around her legs. She parked her bag by the front door, pausing to catch her breath and give her puppy a goodbye hug.

“A four day ski trip!” Artemis said, popping up behind her. “Not quite Las Vegas, but sure to be a good time!” He clapped Sunset on the back. “Go ‘shred those slopes’ as you kids say.”

Trixie facepalmed for Sunset. “Dad, no one says that.”

“Bah, I can’t keep up with your lingo.” He waved his hand, putting extra motion into his fingers. “Give Moondancer our love. When we all get back, I’m going to pay her a surprise visit. I’m ashamed to say I’ve been failing in my duties as an uncle.”

Sunset made a tiny nod of her head. The only thing she would give Moondancer was a cold shoulder. And a shove down a hill if she got lucky. “Thanks for lending me some snow clothes, Selena.”

Selena set down the duffle bag she was carrying. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Have a fun time up there. And remember, you’re getting back before us.” She gave Sunset a sharp look. “So don’t do anything irresponsible while we’re gone.”

“Yes, ma’am.” After hearing what Selena had done the night of the concert, the last thing Sunset wanted to do was make her mad. She picked up her suitcase and headed out the front door, giving everyone one more wave goodbye and Spot a peck on the head. Rarity waited in the driveway, popping open the trunk of her car as Sunset walked up.

“Good morning, Sunset!” She already had a baby-blue scarf wrapped around her neck.

“Rarity, it’s still, like, sixty degrees. Aren’t you hot with that on?” Sunset asked, packing her suitcase away.

“Never too early to accessorize.” Rarity closed the trunk and jumped into the driver’s seat. “Oh, I’m so excited! It’s no day spa, but a mountain resort with my favorite friends in the world? Heavenly!”

“And Moondancer.”

“Don’t sound so pessimistic, darling. I know you two don’t see eye-to-eye, but we’re on vacation. Enjoy yourself, have fun, go skiing with Twilight.”

Sunset kept her head toward the window as they rode up to the Upper Villa to meet the others. She had to share a mountain with Moondancer while her and Twilight were… awkward. Is it too late to go to Vegas? Forty-five minutes later, they were driving past the expensive and gaudy houses to the manor sitting at the top of the Upper Villa. Everyone was already there, including Shining and Cadence.

Rarity and Sunset got their luggage out and joined the group by the fountain. “Cadence, I’m surprised to see you here, though it is a delight,” Rarity said.

“I convinced my producers to give me a bit of a vacation. I told them it would be good practice for my intern.” Cadence looked out to the city like she was trying to find her radio station. “Vinyl can handle a few days without me. I hope.”

Sunset shuffled her way toward Twilight and Moondancer. Twilight waved. Sunset smiled and waved back. Twilight didn’t make eye-contact but said, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“As am I!” Moondancer said, cutting off any response Sunset might have had. “Everyone’s gathered! Now we’re just awaiting the arrival of our mode of transport.”

Something told Sunset to watch the skies. “Please tell me we’re not taking a private jet there.”

“Of course not,” Moondancer said with a laugh that only fueled Sunset’s desire to kick her. “Father’s using it for business. We’re taking the helicopter.”

I hate you. Sunset heard the beating of propellers before she saw the copter itself. It rose up from behind them, making a full lap around the manor before touching down at the front of the large driveway, wind whipping everywhere. Sunset had to shield her eyes to prevent any debris from blinding her. The propellers of the white, executive helicopter slowed but didn’t stop.

“Hop in, everyone,” Moondancer said, leading the way. “Porter will take all your bags, don’t worry. Find a seat; there’s room for all of you!”

Sunset climbed in, finding two rows of reclining seats along an aisle of plush red carpet. With an exasperated huff, she sat down in the second row and kept her head resolutely toward the window. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight take the seat on the opposite aisle of her.

“All right,” Shining said, stepping onto the helicopter, “it should go without saying that I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. I get the pleasure of reporting back to all your parents. And the police station if necessary.”

“Stop trying to intimidate then,” Cadence said, coming up behind him. “I’m sure we’ll all have a nice wholesome time.” She looked over them with a mischievous glint in her eye. “But when you girls turn twenty-one, I’ll show you how to really party.”

Moondancer climbed in last, wearing a pilot’s cap. “Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking.”

Sunset slumped against her window. Can I go home yet?

“Thank you for accompanying me on this trip! I do hope you enjoy yourselves. Our helicopter ride should only be a little over an hour. Should you feel airsick… don’t throw up on the upholstery. Enjoy the ride!” She took the seat in front of Twilight, twisting around to talk to her.

Sunset heard the propellers quicken their rotation, and the ground start to sink beneath her window. Canterlot spread out before her, from the sprawling downtown metropolis to the quiet suburbs rich with tall, budding trees. The helicopter turned northwest, heading beyond the Upper Villa and into the mountain range beyond Canterlot.

Pinkie played music from her phone, and her, Rarity, and Rainbow danced in their seats. Twilight pulled out a book, occasionally indulging Moondancer in conversation. Applejack tilted her hat over her eyes and took a nap, while Fluttershy knitted, her body turned as far from the window as possible.

Sunset craned her neck around. “You okay, ‘Shy? You look a little pale.”

“Mmmhmm.” She kept her lips pressed together and stared intently at her project.

“It’s okay, Fluttershy, we’ll be there soon.”

“Okay,” she squeaked out between her lips.

Sunset looked back out the window, watching the mountainous landscape pass underneath her. In her three years in this world, not once had she been outside of Canterlot. Everything she knew about Earth had come from books and the internet. If anything, she’d get to see something new.

Clouds gathered and thickened, and white fluff started to swirl past the window. After several minutes of staring at swirling grey clouds, the copter started its descent onto the snowy mountain top. It was like Sunset had stepped two months back into winter.

They floated over a small town of brown buildings with rooftops covered in snow, giving them the appearance of gingerbread houses. Just a little further, they could see the ski lifts heading higher up the mountain. At its base, next to a small forest was the resort, a three story wooden lodge surrounded by large looking houses, even from the height they were at.

The helicopter landed outside the main lodge, and everyone made a mad dash to the door, the freezing temperatures leaving goosebumps on their exposed skin. Fluttershy made it in first, collapsing on the closest couch and taking a deep breath while Rainbow rubbed her back. Moondancer brushed the snowflakes out of her hair and strolled to the front desk. The young man working looked like he had spent too much time in the cold. His skin was a pale blue with his spiky, slicked back hair a much darker shade. He didn’t appear to be too much older than the girls.

He looked past Moondancer to the helicopter parked outside the lobby. “I’m guessing you’re Moondancer checking in?”

“Indeed I am.” She flipped out a debit card and slid it across the counter. “Your ski resort looks very nice.”

“Yeah, it’s rad, right? It’s actually been in my family for five generations,” he said. Sunset thought he sounded more like a surfer than a skier. “So if you need to know anything, I got you covered.” He flashed his teeth and winked.

Moondancer didn’t bat an eye. She just smiled politely and opened her hand to take her card back. While she paid, Sunset wandered aimlessly around the lobby, looking at the fake plants in expensive looking vases and wooden carvings of bears, deers, and wolves. She stopped and looked at a carving of a white wolf near the window. It was on the prowl, body low to the ground, staring off to the left. Even as a carving, its deep blue eyes pierced into Sunset, like it was reading her soul. She shivered and rubbed her arms, despite feeling the full blast of the heater.

“Come along, everyone!” Moondancer called. “Soarin here will show us to our living quarters.”

Everyone quickly grabbed a jacket from their luggage and followed Soarin out the back door. Sunset looked back at the wolf, but couldn’t see its soul-reading eyes from her new angle. The houses were arranged in a semi-circle behind the lobby, and they were led to the one at the center.

“All the houses come with fully functional kitchens, and the store is only a twenty minute walk from here,” Soarin said as they walked. “The main building has a sauna and a spa tub.”

Rarity clapped her hands and giggled, her teeth chattering the entire time.

“Help desk closes at midnight, but we do have an emergency line you can call. Slopes close at nine. There are hiking trails through the forest and one that goes to the summit. Technically, they’re open all day, but we strongly discourage you from walking them at night. That’s when the animals come out.”

Their lodge was made from dark wood and had large circular windows in the front. It stood two stories high, but looked wide enough to fits Sunset’s house and Twilight’s right next to each other. The group walked up the log steps onto the wrap around porch and through the double doors. A spacious living room greeted them, light pouring in from the windows. A sunken fire pit took up the center with a couch curling around it. The living room opened up to a large kitchen with a nook separating to two rooms. Two hallways split off leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms, while a staircase took up part of the back wall.

“Hope you all enjoy it,” Soarin said. He winked again at the girls before leaving everyone to their house. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Ain’t this the bees knees?” Applejack asked, crashing on the couch. “Won’t lie, Ah could get used to a place like this.”

“This place is awesome!” Rainbow ran upstairs and shouted from the balcony, “I’m mad we’re only here for half a week!”

“Speaking of our stay here,” Moondancer said, clapping her hands, “let us discuss room assignments. There are five rooms and ten of us. How fortunate! Naturally, the master bedroom will go to our esteemed chaperones who made this group trip possible.” She beamed at Cadence and Shining.

Sunset rolled her eyes. Kiss up.

“After that, well, I would assume Sunset and Twilight would share a room—”

“Hold on,” Shining said. “I trust you two, but not that much. You’re not sharing a room together.”

Sunset saw the advantageous gleam in Moondancer’s eye. “Oh! Well in that case, I’ll bunk with Twily!” She took Twilight by the arm. “Let’s see the bedrooms upstairs! I want a room with a view!”

“Oh, okay!” Twilight said, caught off-guard.

Both Sunset and Cadence glared daggers at Shining. He held his hands up. “What?”

Rarity gently guided Sunset down one of the halls. “Don’t worry, darling, you and I can share a room. I always appreciate your company.” Their room sat at the end of the hallway, just past the bathroom. Sunset walked across the blue carpet and picked the bed further from the window. Rarity shut the door behind them and turned on the soft light. “Moondancer aside, is everything all right between you and Twilight?”

How does she always do that? Sunset climbed onto the bed and stared up at the wooden ceiling. “I don’t know. We kinda got into a… well, it wasn’t really an argument. Just a sort of… complication.”

Rarity opened the curtains, giving them a wonderful view of a thick cluster of trees. It at least added more light to their dim room. “What sort of ‘complication?’”

“Well… first we got onto the topic of whether or not I was going to go home and stay there or not, and that was left open-ended because even if I do, I still have to wait until the portal opens. Then I mentioned the time dilations between worlds and how I might get aged down again—”

“Again?”

Sunset grabbed her pillow and pressed it over her face. “When I first came through, the portal took a few years off my life I guess so I could fit into high school. I should be Shimmer’s age. When I told Twilight, she sort of got overwhelmed by all of this magic stuff again.”

Rarity sat on the side of Sunset’s bed and pat her knee. “Well, she’s been through a lot in the past few months. This is all still new to her.”

“I know. But everything that pops up, she thinks that makes us more different from each other.” Sunset sat up and threw her pillow to the side. “I mean, how much do we even have in common? We’re both smart and we like chess… that’s it! She’s sweet and caring, comes from a nice family, and actually has a future to look forward to! I… have none of those things!”

Rarity’s patting turned into a swat. “Sunset, you know I hate it when you degrade yourself like that.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “I won’t apologize for telling the truth.”

“Well here’s a truth for you: Twilight picked you for a reason.”

“Yeah, still trying to wrap my head around that. Ow!” Sunset pulled her knee out of Rarity’s smacking range.

“Twilight picked you in spite of your differences. And I would say both you having an incredible intellect is enough of a common ground. Furthermore, both of you are sweet and caring people, you just seem to want to think otherwise about yourself.”

Sunset pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. “I just don’t know what to do, Rarity. I wish I didn’t have all this magic stuff affecting her and me, or any of you girls for that matter.

Rarity swished her hand. “So we’ve had two encounters with magical beings from another dimension and we pony up when we play music. It’s not like it’s interfered with our lives. Just made them more exciting.” She swallowed. “And perhaps nerve-wracking and soul-crushingly dangerous for a few weeks. But look, we’re stronger for it!”

Sunset groaned and pressed her face down.

“The point is, we can handle a little weirdness, Sunset. So you’re a few years older than the rest of us; age is but a number! You still look like a teenager, and you technically have the body of one, so anything you and Twilight do is still legal.”

“Rarity!” Sunset looked up, her face turning a bright shade of red.

“What? That’s clearly what Twilight’s worried about,” she said casually.

“No it isn’t! Twilight has more class than that!”

Rarity gave Sunset a patronizing smile. “Of course she has enough not to say anything right now. But she’s clearly thinking about later on down the road.”

“Can we please not talk about the future right now? I don’t even know if we’ll be together long enough for that to happen. She’s going off to some fancy college and I’m going to be stuck here.”

“Long distance relationships are a thing, dear.” She looked Sunset in the eyes. “If you really love her, you’ll find a way to make it work, differences aside. You do love her right?”

Sunset bit her lip and looked at the trees.

“Sunset?”

“I mean, love is thrown around so carelessly by teenagers. I definitely have strong feelings for Twilight that go past friendship, but do I call it love? I want it to mean something when and if I actually say it. I want her to know this isn’t some passing phase.”

Rarity stood and stretched, letting out her famous dreamy sigh. “Oh, Sunset. So mature… and so naive. It’s that kind of response that tells me you do love her. But, I’ll let you move at your own pace. For now, you should just go spend time with her. If you’re worried about being too different from each other, there are plenty of activities around here you can bond over.” She opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

“But if you do get around to using the ‘L’ word…” She narrowed her eyes. “You better tell me.”

She shut the door, leaving Sunset alone in their room, clutching a pillow against her stomach.

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Vacation's All I Ever Wanted

4. Fire and Ice

Sunset sat in her room, absently pondering and staring at the trees outside until Applejack knocked and poked her head in. “Hey, Sunset. Pinkie wanted to go check out the town. You wanna come with?”

She snapped out of her doldrums and nodded, tossing the pillow aside. “Yeah, sounds like fun.” Rarity had a point, Sunset needed to spend as much time with Twilight as possible, and she couldn’t do that moping in her room.

Bundled up in warm jackets and scarves, everyone filed out of the house and off the resort. The town of Hollow Shades reminded Sunset of old settler towns she had seen in pictures, rustic and modest. Cars were scarce among the streets, as were any children or teens judging by the abundance of elderly faces.

Snow covered the sidewalk in a fine layer while a light flurry fell on everyone’s heads. They left behind two columns of footprints as they walked along to the town square. Standard tourist shops greeted them, ranging from jewelry, to cheap local trinkets and wood carvings, to an old fashioned post office.

“So, Pinks, where do you wanna go first?” Rainbow asked.

Pinkie’s eyes honed in on the candy store, and she zipped toward it without a word.

Applejack sighed. “Let’s go make sure she doesn’t spend all her money on the first day.”

A sugary display awaited them inside, candy in every shape and color stacked in jars on shelves. Sunset saw Pinkie salivating as she ran down an aisle of gummy worms and gumdrops. She’s found the promised land. Sunset indulged herself and bought a small bag of sour balls and taffy. Rarity offered to buy candy for Pinkie as long as she promised to keep it under fifteen dollars.

It turned out, fifteen dollars could buy a lot of candy.

Pinkie walked out with two huge bags full, most of it being rock candy. “For Maud!” she said with a skip. “She loves rock candy!”

Rarity and Moondancer gravitated toward the jewelry shop next, bringing Twilight and Sunset with them. Sunset gagged at the collection of gaudy, overly-priced earrings and necklaces, and stood near the entrance while her friends shopped.

Twilight approached her wearing a sapphire pendant. “What do you think, Sunset?”

First response: it looks dumb. Second response? Sunset smiled. “I think anything looks good on you, babe.” She saw Rarity give a small nod of approval.

“I agree absolutely,” Moondancer said, coming up behind and unfastening Twilight’s necklace. “But I think these suit you much better. They’re more you.” She handed Twilight a pair of amethyst earrings shaped like stars.

Sunset ground her teeth behind her thin smile. I’m not losing this game today. She followed Twilight to a mirror, watching her try on the earrings. “You know, I think I saw a museum on our way here. You wanna go check it out?”

Twilight vigorously nodded her head, frowning when one of the earrings came out. “Of course. I’d love to learn about the local history.”

Taking her by the arm, Sunset led her out the shop, giving Moondancer a smug grin over her shoulder. Moondancer smiled back, but Sunset could see the muscles in her cheeks straining. She followed after anyway, keeping a fair distance back.

“Are we going to the slopes now?” Rainbow asked as they walked outside.

“Nope, we’re going to the museum!” Twilight said chipperly.

Rainbow turned her head skyward and groaned, letting out a warm cloud of air. “Screw that, I’m going back to the house. Come get me when we’re going to do something fun.” She stomped off, making sure her boots left deeper imprints in the snow.

Twilight frowned. “People like her are the reason museums might go extinct someday.”

“Don’t worry. People like us can help them stay in business.” Sunset winked.

Twilight lips twitched upwards for but a second. “Sunset, I’m sorry about the other day. I didn’t mean to freak out or upset you. The age thing is…” She made a flailing motion with her hand. “Pretty weird. But, I’ll get over it. You’re right; we’re both mature enough to handle this.”

“It’s fine. I know this magic stuff is… tough to handle sometimes.”

“That’s why I’m trying to understand it. I just… wasn’t expecting another curveball.” Twilight looked away, no longer meeting Sunset’s eye.

Sunset ignored the deep fluttering in her core. “Well the good news is, I’m pretty sure that’s the last of them. You know all of my dark secrets,” she said jokingly before the revelation sank in. Twilight knew everything bad about her but was still here…

Twilight snuggled up closer to Sunset. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

Sunset’s playful smirk returned. “But I feel like I don’t know all of yours.”

She rolled her eyes, but a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. “That’s because I don’t have any dark secrets to tell.”

“But you do have secrets.”

“Hey look, we’re here!” Twilight pointed to the museum entrance, flanked by two life-size bear statues. “I wonder what we’ll learn inside! We won’t know standing around out here in the cold!” She took the lead, practically dragging Sunset up the steps and into the warm building.

They walked across the dark wood floor to the reception counter, Sunset casually glancing at the tapestries and portraits on display in the front room. “Tickets for two—”

“Three!” Moondancer said, hurrying up from behind.

“Oh, Moony…” Twilight shuffled her feet. “I didn’t know you were still behind us.”

Moondancer pouted. “Oh no, am I interrupting some personal time?”

“Yes,” Sunset said.

“No! I mean, not officially… I mean… well…” Twilight trailed off, looking between Sunset and Moondancer.

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll give you two your needed space. I just want to learn about the culture as well.” Moondancer stepped around them and paid for all three tickets before skipping along.

Sunset gently pulled her arm out of Twilight’s hold and looked down at her, trying her hardest not to narrow her eyes. “Out of curiosity… have you had a talk with Moondancer yet?”

Twilight drummed her fingers together. “That may be something I’ve neglected to do.”

“Twilight.”

“I’m sorry! I just… don’t know how to bring it up.”

“It’s easy.” Sunset slapped on a fake smile. “‘Hey, Moondancer, just in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m dating Sunset Shimmer, who’s totally smart and hot. Which means I’m no longer available for your totally obvious affections.’ Then you do that cute thing where you push your glasses up.”

Twilight pushed her glasses up. “I would never use ‘totally’ in a sentence like that.”

Sunset steered her into the next room. “So I ad-libbed a bit. Point is, please talk to Moondancer before we go home.”

“I will, I promise.” She turned around and looked up at Sunset. “But are you sure you two are getting along?”

Sunset spun her around again and kept guiding her forward. “We’re getting along just fine.” Her stomach churned at the lie. “She’s almost part of the group.” She tightened her throat to keep the bile down.

The two of them took a self-guided tour through the museum, Moondancer popping in on them at random intervals. They read documents and saw paintings from the town’s founding almost two-hundred years ago, looked at muskets and cannons used in wartime, and examined tapestries and other artifacts from the indigenous people who had lived on the mountain before Hollow Shades was built.

Being only the size of a large house, the museum only had a total of six rooms with things worth exploring. The last room Twilight and Sunset entered was filled with more statues and carvings, each with their own plaque. They browsed the collections of animals and artistic carvings before Sunset stopped before another model of the white wolf she had seen in the lobby of the resort. It’s blue eyes were just like the other one, and stared into her soul.

She looked the plaque. “Harbinger. An omen that haunts the mountains. Appears before the strike of tragedy.” Sunset frowned. “Boy, that’s heartwarming.”

“I find it quite interesting.”

Sunset jumped and spun to glare at Moondancer. “We really need to put a bell on you.”

Moondancer put on a thoughtful look. “Musical accompaniment could improve my entrances.”

“Nevermind.” Sunset turned for the exit. “Come on, I’m sure Rainbow is bored out of her skull by now.”

The white silhouette of the sun could be seen through the clouds, and the snowfall had decreased to tiny flakes. The lights around town began to flicker on, guiding the girls back to the resort.

As they walked around the main lobby and into the circle of houses, a wad of fresh snow collided with Sunset’s face, knocking her off balance and onto her bottom.

“Rainbow did it!”

“Shut up, Pinkie!”

Sunset scooped up a handful of snow as she bounced back to her feet and flung it at Rainbow, hitting her in the gut. Sunset ducked under another snowball, which carried on to hit Twilight. She corrected her askew glasses and grabbed a handful to fling at Applejack.

Moondancer took a step back out of the escalating snow war. “Well, I can see you girls are in the middle of something, so I’ll just—” Six snowballs pelted her, with Sunset’s scoring a direct hit to the face. “Very well then.” She bent down to get some snow, getting struck again by Sunset when she came up.

It’s just like they say, Sunset thought as she rolled another snowball, revenge is a dish best served cold. Boy, that sounded lame even up here. She attacked Moondancer again, but the performer had gotten her bearings and gracefully ducked out of the way. She returned fire, catching Sunset on the shoulder. Sunset made sure not every snowball ended up in Moondancer’s direction, occasionally aiming for Rainbow or Twilight, but for the next twenty minutes, she and Moondancer waged a cold war.

There were few places to hide out in the icy circle, leaving the girls exposed to every attack that came their way. Sunset dodged and weaved as best as she could, being careful to keep her traction on the slippery ground. Her jacket acted as a good buffer against the cold slush pelting her.

Between the battle cries and shouts of surprise, Sunset thought she heard a wolf howl in the gathering shadows. She paid it little mind as she ran across the battlefield to get some distance from Rarity and Applejack’s conjoined attacks. The heel of her boot jerked to the side, throwing her balance into disarray and leaving her at the mercy of gravity. She fell face forward into the gravel, her forehead taking most of the blow.

The laughter immediately deceased, and she felt someone quickly raise her into a sitting position. “Ouch, you okay, Sunset?” Rainbow asked.

Aside from the sudden dizziness, Sunset felt fine. “I think so?”

Before she could raise a hand to inspect the damage, Twilight ran over and pulled a tissue from her pocket, applying it to Sunset’s forehead. “You’re bleeding!” She pulled the tissue away to show a deep crimson stain.

It was only after Sunset saw the blood that she felt the sting of the cut. “Oh, wow.” She let Twilight lead her inside while the tissue was reapplied.

Shining and Cadence were snuggling close together in front of the central fire pit when the eight girls tromped in. Shining bolted up and hurried to Sunset’s side. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Sunset said with a wave of her hand. “I slipped on the ice. It’s just a little cut.”

“A little cut?” Twilight said, her voice rising. “You might need stitches! Look how much you’re bleeding!”

“Here. let me see.” Shining guided Sunset to the couch and peeled the stained rag off. He dabbed the cut every time it overflowed with blood. “It’s deep, but not deep enough to need stitches. You will need some disinfectant and a good band aid though.”

Moondancer drifted to the front door. “Allow me! I’ll go see if the front desk has quality medical supplies.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, then winced, realizing she had injured the skeptical side of her face.

Twilight sat next to her. “You’re okay? You’re not light headed, are you?”

“Sparky, I’m fine. I told you, it was just a little cut.”

Cadence came over with a fresh wad of tissues. “I think it’s just a touch more than a ‘little’ cut. Are you sure she’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, it’s better than it looks. She might be lightheaded for a bit though,” Shining said.

“Well then, now would be a perfect time to start dinner!” Cadence clapped her hands together and hurried off to the kitchen.

“Here, Miss Cadence, let me help with that!” Applejack followed after.

Twilight took the paper towels and dabbed at Sunset’s cut, and when Moondancer returned after a lengthy ten minute trip, Twilight applied the disinfectant and put the band-aid on. Sunset relished the flash of contempt in Moondancer’s eyes.

Dinner for ten took a while, but Applejack and Cadence made a wonderful meal of venison stew (and a lentil for Sunset and Fluttershy), salad, bread, and an apple pie for dessert. The dining table couldn’t seat all of them, so they gathered around on the couch, turning on the central fire pit.

With warm food, warm fire, and warm Twilight pressed against her, Sunset forgot about her new injury. The girls and Shining talked about things they had seen so far in town. Fluttershy had been to a herbalist shop selling natural remedies to colds and pains. Shining and Cadence had explored the forest, seeing several deer, and if Cadence was to be believed, the shadow of a bear.

“It was just the shadow of a bush,” Shining said, taking her empty plate away.

“I know what I saw!”

Moondancer dabbed her mouth with her napkin and set her plate aside. “Speaking of animals, I learned of an interesting folk legend about a wolf that haunts these mountains.”

“Oooh, oooh, scary story!” Pinkie bounced in her seat, then settled down and got cozy between Applejack and Rainbow.

“You mean that Harbinger wolf?” Sunset asked, raising her other eyebrow.

“The very same.” Moondancer stood up and moved in front of the fire, throwing a dramatic shadow over her. She lifted her hands and spread her fingers. “The white wolf, known only as Harbinger,” she said in a mystifying voice.

“Said to be a manifestation of negative energy. It appears as a bad omen, bringing with it tragedy or ruin.” She raised her arms up, then slowly lowered them, twiddling her fingers. “Last it appeared, a blizzard befell the town, blocking all roads coming in and out.”

She hunched her shoulders and curled her fingers. “It feeds off the strife that comes with the tragedy it brings, and is drawn to the darkness within people’s hearts.” Her eyes fell on Sunset. “So beware. If you see it, you can only blame yourself for the tragedy that follows.”

She made a small curtsy at the polite applause given and fell back into her seat on Twilight’s other side. Sunset rolled her eyes at Moondancer’s theatrics, but thought of the two wolf statues she had seen. Their eyes had seemed so alive. Odd that they’d keep a statue of the bringer of doom in a hotel though. Even if it is for tourists.

Slices of apple pie were passed around before Applejack gave Pinkie command of their night activities. With no board game big enough for all of them, Pinkie had them all play card games, ranging from Go Fish to Blackjack. Shining watched her with a raised eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. It went a long way in helping his win streak.

Afterward, the girls broke up for individual night activities. Sunset helped Rarity braid Fluttershy’s hair while the others engaged in small talk and board games.

“You don’t think Moondancer’s story was true, do you? Fluttershy asked softly, playing with the folds of her shirt.

“Please,” Sunset scoffed, “she’s just trying to be dramatic. The ‘darkness within people’s hearts’? Sounds like something out of Rainbow’s cheesy video games.”

Rarity picked up a pin and neatly pushed it through Fluttershy’s pink mane. “I’m sorry, but don’t you come from a land where friendship can be weaponized with magical necklaces?”

“I still stand by my point.” Sunset didn’t doubt the possibility of a magic wolf existing or having existed in the past, but she was positive Moondancer had embellished some part of her tale.

Pinkie made them all mugs of hot chocolate, then Shining ordered them to bed so they would have an early day at the slopes. Twilight gave Sunset a kiss goodnight, then gave an extra soft one on her band-aid. They went their separate ways, Sunset following Rarity and her self-satisfied smirk.

“Looks like you two are back to normal,” Rarity said, digging out her pajamas. “I’m guessing you talked it out?”

Sunset pulled out her toothbrush and shrugged. “Sort of. She said she was sorry for freaking out, I told her it was okay and that I had no more dark secrets. So, you know…”

Rarity’s jaw twitched. “Maybe it’s because I wasn’t there for the full context, but it sounds like you did less of smoothing things out and just sort of… rolled it up and pushed it to the side.”

“Why talk about what we already know? This whole thing is weird, she acknowledged it, I acknowledged it. I think we’re on the same page.”

This time, the entire left side of Rarity’s face twitched. She stood up, pajamas in hand. “Fine, have it your way. You make it quite easy to believe you’re not really older than the rest of us.” She turned her nose up and made for the bathroom.

Sunset looked after her, head tilted in confusion. Realizing it wasn’t worth the effort this late at night, she changed into her pajamas and prepared for bed.

As she laid down, arms behind her head, thoughts of the day continued to move about. Here she was, miles away from the only city she had ever known in this world. There was certainly a thrill to it, but it wasn’t as life-changing as Sunset thought it would be. Maybe it was because all her friends were with her.

Home is where the heart is and all that.

She thought of Twilight, and Rarity’s disgruntled words creeped up on her. What more did she want out of Sunset? Twilight was trying to look past the magical weirdness… well, she was trying to study it for her understanding, but that was almost the same thing.

Is she trying to understand it so she doesn’t feel… different from me? Sunset turned over and stared at the wall. She couldn’t do anything to change who she was, as much as she wanted to. Despite what Rarity thought, talking it out wasn’t going to do anything other than establish what Sunset and Twilight already knew.

Sunset’s eyes slid shut, Rarity’s light, rhythmic snoring putting her to sleep. Me and Twilight are talking again. That’s good enough for me.

She opened her eyes, staring into a matching pair. Sunset slid her hand across a polished floor, watching her reflection mirror her actions. She stood up and looked around, finding herself on the walls and ceilings, dozens of her moving their heads left and right.

“You seem lost, little sun,” a cold voice said.

A pair of hands grabbed Sunset’s ankles, and she looked down to see a sharp toothed version of herself through the floor. Sunset kicked and struggled, but only managed to lose her balance and hit the ground.

“We’ve had this conversation before: you can’t run from yourself!” The mirror Sunset’s eyes turned black as she dragged the real one down. Sunset tried to pull herself up, but the grip was too powerful, and she fell, watching the other Sunset smirk and laugh.

The world turned dark around her, and while the other Sunset had stopped yanking on her legs, she felt crushed by the shadows surrounding her. “Twilight’s right, you know.” Two balls of fire exploded into life on either side of Sunset. They glided forward before moving in opposite directions, leaving trails behind them. “You’re just too different from her—from all of them.” The twin fires came back together at the tip of her wild hair, and Sunset beheld a fiery outline of her demon.

Sunset tried to argue, but when she opened her mouth, darkness poured in, coating her tongue in acrid bitterness.

“They’re all still goody two-shoes. They haven’t sinned the way you have! They haven’t tampered with black magic and tried to take over the world!”

“My… magic’s… good now!” Sunset sputtered out.

Her demon sneered at her, the fire burning a darker shade of red. “Ha! Cover it up with as much glitter and sparkles you want! You and I both know what we’re really capable of! What I’m capable of! And since you won’t go back to it on your own…” The face rushed forward, banishing the darkness but leaving Sunset smothered in the searing flames. “I’ll have to make you use it by force!”

The inferno swirled around Sunset, slowly sucking away her oxygen. She grabbed her throat and fell to her knees, taking desperate, shallow breaths. The fire dissipated, allowing her to suck down a lungful of ash. She coughed and heaved, the foul air stinging her eyes. When the tears subsided and she could see, a fresh wave nearly overtook her.

Canterlot High and the surrounding neighborhood were nothing more than charred skeletons with some buildings still burning. Smoke rose into the blood red sky, blocking out the sun. The grass had all burned away, replaced with pools of magma.

“I can’t wait to burn down everything you care about.”

Sunset’s trembling legs dragged her through the demolished courtyard of the school. Lying amongst the rubble were all of her friends, broken, bleeding, or staring absently into the sky. Her shaking grew worse with each one she passed. Applejack and Fluttershy. Rainbow and Pinkie. Rarity and Flash. All of the Lulamoons.

Twilight sat slumped against the broken entryway, her head bowed. Sunset ran up to her, breaking into hysterical sobs as she drew near. “Twilight! Twilight, please don’t be gone too! Please!”

Twilight dragged her head up, her eyes robbed of all hope and joy. “Why, Sunset? Why did you do this?”

Sunset rocketed up from her bed, letting out a short yell before stuffing her fist into her mouth. She looked over at Rarity, still sleeping with her beauty mask on.

The vivid sights and smells of her dream rushed back, and Sunset kept her hand over her mouth as she jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. She managed to force everything back down, but her skin remained sweaty and clammy, and her hands shook violently. Her reflection in the mirror shared her wide, bloodshot eyes. Sunset remembered what her last reflection had done, and quickly backed out of the bathroom.

She retreated to the kitchen to get a glass of water for her barren throat. Her hands still shook, splashing the water in the cup, but she made sure not to drop it. Transitioning to the living room, she huddled on the couch, keeping her knees tucked against her chest.

I don’t understand. I should be over it now. I screwed up, I know I did. But I served my punishment, right? I understand friendship. I understand harmony! My magic at the concert… Sunset pressed a hand to her face. Had she been right the entire time? Had she defeated the Sirens, only to leave the world vulnerable to something more dangerous?

Sunset could hear the laughter in the back of her head, feel the heat of the flames against her skin. “No, I’m good now. I have to be.”

“Sunset?”

She jumped, splashing herself with what little water remained in her cup. “Twilight!” Sunset looked over the couch, finding her girlfriend standing at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a nightshirt and pants. “What are you doing up?”

Twilight shuffled over. “I’m not sure actually. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. I just felt like I needed to get up and come downstairs.” She sat down next to Sunset, but left a little space between them. “Why are you up?”

Sunset cracked an uneven smile and shook her empty glass. “Just needed some water.”

Even in the dark, Sunset could see Twilight’s skeptical look. She reached over and put a hand over Sunset’s. “You’re shaking. And you’re burning up.”

Sunset slid her hand out of Twilight’s hold and curled in on herself again. “I feel cold,” she said. She had no energy to play her usual game.

Twilight moved to the fireplace and turned it on, keeping the flames low. She returned to the couch, settling closer to Sunset. “What’s wrong?”

A simple question with a simple answer. But Sunset’s tongue stuck to her mouth like glue. Instead, she leaned onto Twilight’s shoulders and closed her eyes, unable to look at the fire.

“It’s funny how things repeat themselves,” Sunset said carefully, her tongue allowing her to talk as long as she danced around the subject.

“What do you mean?”

“I remember at the sleepover… at Halloween. My first sleepover. You found me in the kitchen. You found me at probably my lowest point.”

Twilight lovingly ran her fingers through Sunset’s hair. “I didn’t really know what to do. I just wanted you to feel better.”

Sunset hummed at the touch of Twilight’s fingers. “This reminds me of that night.” Her voice grew softer. “That’s the first time I revealed my secrets to you.” It started to quiver. “Maybe it’s the first time I realized I might have liked you. I just didn’t want to admit it.”

Then, she was crying into Twilight’s shoulders while Twilight fully embraced her. “I thought it was over, Twilight! I thought I was done having nightmares! But they just keep coming—she keeps coming! Over and over again to haunt me! I see everything on fire! I lose all control of myself! I see all of you girls, gone, dead!”

“Sshhh.” Twilight rocked her back and forth. “It’s just a bad dream, Sunset. It can’t hurt you.”

“Yes it can! I know it can! It’s too real! It’s not just a dream, it’s a prediction!” Sunset clawed at the front of Twilight’s shirt. “I knew it—I knew using magic was a bad idea! It’s like she’s sitting right there! Right on the edge of my heart. One mistake… one mistake and I’ll… I’m scared, okay? Scared of what’ll happen next.”

Twilight lifted Sunset’s head up, tears filling her own eyes. “But, Sunset, your magic is good. You proved that.”

Sunset shook her head. “It’s still magic. It’s still power. That’s all she wants: power. And I gave her an opening.”

“Sunset… you’re talking like she’s a separate person.”

As far as Sunset was concerned, she was. Her demon represented everything she tried to push away. She was nothing but a shadow of a past life. A shadow that had her claws deep in Sunset’s heart. “She’s my darkness, Twilight. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t get her to go away.”

Twilight brought her in for another hug, and moved her mouth to Sunset’s ear. “She might be darkness. But you, Sunset Shimmer, you’re in control. And you’re light. I know you are, and that will never change. You’re the brightest light I know, and I… love the way you shine on all of us.”

“Twilight…”

“And we’re here to help you, too. We care about you too much to let anything bad happen to you.” Twilight brought them face-to-face again. “We’re here for you. We’re your lights when you can’t see your own. We won’t let the darkness get you.”

Sunset saw several things in Twilight’s eyes. Her shocked and scared reflection, honesty, hope, compassion… and love. It was just like Halloween. Except for one difference.

Their own gravity brought them closer together, and they closed their eyes as their lips made contact. Sunset tasted the salt of both hers and Twilight’s tears, as well as the sweet mint from her toothpaste. She started slow, kneading and caressing Twilight’s lips before pressing on into her mouth. They fell over with Sunset on top, her legs straddling Twilight’s waist.

Sunset ran her hands up and down Twilight’s cheeks while Twilight played with Sunset’s shirt, slowly moving up her stomach to her chest. Both of them made soft moans at the other’s touch and the increasing intensity of their kisses. The hot, primal longing welled up in Sunset again, and here in front of the fireplace, with snow swirling outside, she thought both of them might be ready to give into it.

Go ahead. Deflower her precious Twilight.

The burning desire turned cold, and Sunset ripped herself off of Twilight, sitting up and panting while keeping a hand over her heart.

Twilight lifted her head up. “What’s wrong?” Sunset heard the hint of disappointment in her voice.

As her heart rate fell back to normal, the mocking snickers of Sunset’s demon grew fainter. Sunset slumped against the couch and closed her eyes. She couldn’t do it. Sunset wanted to believe going all the way with Twilight would be on her own terms, but with her demon floating around, all it felt like was a victory for her dark lust, and a slight against Moondancer.

That’s not fair. To either of us. She opened her eyes, Twilight still watching her with concern. “It’s nothing,” Sunset watched the flickering flames in the fireplace. “I just… don’t want to get caught by your brother. I’d hate to ruin the trip for everyone else because we got in trouble.”

“O-oh… yeah, I guess that would be bad.”

Sunset placed a hand against Twilight’s cheek again. “Thanks for being here though. I really appreciate it.”

Twilight smiled, her face glowing in the fire light.

Go ahead, say it.

Sunset opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her conversation with Rarity returned to her. Saying those words were a giant step forward. Sunset wanted there to be weight behind them, not just a spur of the moment passion like she almost had just seconds before. Thinking on it, Sunset was glad nothing had happened between her and Twilight.

Yes, Sunset wanted weight to her words. At the same time, while she knew this wasn’t some passing teenage romance, she couldn’t anchor Twilight down with those three words. She had to be ready to let her go in a few months. She had to be ready to make the cut as clean as possible.

She still found herself lying down next to Twilight on the couch, settling into the crook of her neck. They wrapped their arms around each other and closed their eyes. Sunset was just happy to hold onto Twilight a little while longer.

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Sunlight! Now with 30% More Cuddling!

5. Harbinger

Sunset awoke the next morning to a blanket draped over her and Twilight. Twilight hogged most of it, but Sunset felt the warm wool over part of her arm and leg. She lifted her head, finding the living room still empty, and laid back down, snatching some of the blanket away from Twilight to properly cover herself up.

Twilight grunted but didn’t put up too much of a fight. Instead, she rolled into Sunset, pressing her against the back of the couch.

You can’t make anything easy, can you, Sparky? Sunset wiggled her arm free from underneath herself and wrapped it around Twilight. They stayed curled on the couch for another hour, Sunset not fully sleeping, just enjoying Twilight’s presence.

A soft cough made Sunset turn over and look up to see Moondancer, her face puckered like she had eaten a particularly sour lemon. The creeping sense of superiority and dominance fueled Sunset’s relief that she hadn’t done anything last night. As priceless as Moondancer’s face was, Sunset refused to use Twilight’s virginity as a victory.

“Morning, Moondancer,” Sunset said, barely able to keep the smugness out of her voice.

With obvious strain, Moondancer put on a courteous smile. “Good morning, Sunset. How’s that cut on your head? It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Sunset felt the bandage under her bangs. “Nope, it’s holding up just fine.”

“So glad. I would hate to see something happen to you.” Once she got her mask together, Sunset had to admit it was hard to find cracks in it. Only Moondancer’s eyes showed her loathing.

Twilight yawned and sat up, leaning against Sunset. She squinted her eyes. “Oh, good morning, Moony.”

Moondancer reached into her pocket and pulled out Twilight’s glasses. “Here you are. I had a feeling you would be needing these.”

Sliding her glasses on, Twilight looked about the room. “What time is it? Is everyone still asleep?”

“I should hope not. I made my rounds to knock on everyone’s door in an attempt to get them up for breakfast. There’s a cute little diner in town that I would love to sample. Local cuisine is always the best.”

Twilight slid off the couch and onto her feet. “Who left us the blanket?”

Shining walked into the room, straightening his jacket collar. “You’re welcome.” Cadence, following close behind, winked at Twilight and Sunset.

Cheeks pink, Twilight headed upstairs to get dressed. Sunset returned to her own room, finding Rarity lacing up her pair of designer snow boots.

“Did you and Twilight have a good night together?” she asked, not bothering to look up.

“How did you—”

“Please, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where you went last night.” She looked up with her coy smile. “So, did you have a good time?”

Sunset opened her suitcase and picked out her outfit for the slopes. “We had a nice, meaningful talk, then we cuddled and fell asleep.”

Rarity nodded in approval. “All I could hope for.” She stood up and looked herself over, twisting left and right. “Do you think this white jacket will blend in too well?”

They finished getting dressed and ready for the day. When they came back into the living room, most of the others had assembled, including a very eager Rainbow, goggles already down over her eyes.

“This is gonna be so awesome! I can’t wait to get up there and show off my awesome shredding moves!” She jumped up and down, upsetting her goggles.

“You ain’t never been snowboardin’ before,” Applejack said. “How do you know you’ll be good at it?”

“Because I’m good at any cool sport!”

“Ha! Cool sport! I get it!”

“Shut up, Pinkie.”

Before heading up the mountain, the group squeezed into the town diner, taking up two tables in the corner. The host looked intimidated by their mob, but the waitress acted like it was another typical day. Sunset guessed large tourist parties weren’t too rare around here.

Still, with ten people, breakfast moved slow. Too slow if Rainbow’s constant fidgeting was anything to go by. Sunset thought she and Pinkie might have switched bodies.

The waitress brought out a smorgasbord of food varying from crepes to french toast, pancakes to omelettes. The feasting went quick, and afterwards, snowboarding was the last thing Sunset felt up for.

But, once Moondancer paid the bill, the girls waddled their way to the base of the slopes, the ski lifts rising out of powder white hills that rolled up the mountainside.

The girls purchased their skis and snowboards, and were directed to the beginners hills not too far up. Outside, the sun had returned, reflecting off the white snow and making it gleam.

The lift came around, taking everyone up in pairs of two. Rainbow jumped on first, taking Pinkie with her and rocking the chair as they landed. “Last one to the top is a rotten egg!” Rainbow yelled.

Her competitive spirit burning through her lethargy, Sunset hooked an arm around Twilight and took the next lift. Their feet left the ground, and they were gently cradled up the mountain. Getting off on the first stop, it wasn’t a long trip, and the scenery hadn’t changed too much. Sunset could see more of the forest spread out to her right, climbing up the other side of the mountain.

She and Twilight hopped off, finding Rainbow already strapping her boots to her board. “Time to reach a whole new level of awesome!” She straightened up and hopped her way to the edge of the slope.

“We need to work on expanding your vocabulary,” Sunset said, laying her own snowboard down.

Rainbow pulled her goggles down. “You need to work on keeping up with me.” With one more hop, she pushed herself over the edge and down the slope, flailing her arms to keep her balance. Sunset had to give her some credit, Rainbow lasted longer than expected. She made it a fourth of the way down before a small bump threw her onto her face.

Sunset cupped her hands to her mouth. “So how’s that new level of awesome?” She saw Rainbow raise a rude finger from her place in the snow.

While Rainbow picked herself up and kept boarding, the rest of the group arrived, Fluttershy and Moondancer bringing up the rear.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Moondancer said, “the worst that can happen is you get some snow in your hair. Skiing is perfectly safe.”

Fluttershy looked down the hill with wide eyes. Seeing Rainbow twist and fall only made her waddle back.

Twilight made her way to the edge, Sunset scooting next to her. “I read a beginners book about skiing before we came up here.”

“Of course.” Sunset playfully rolled her eyes.

“And the basic stance is to have your feet shoulder width apart and position your toes inward so it makes a pizza shape.” Twilight demonstrated, wobbling a little as she found her balance. “From here, I just have to shift my center of gravity. It’s the default position for beginners. I also looked up snowboarding techniques.”

“Why didn’t you offer Rainbow any?”

“From the way she spoke, I thought she already knew what she was doing.”

Sunset looked at the bottom of the slope, where Rainbow had fallen on her face again. “There are few times where Rainbow actually knows what she’s doing. This ain’t one of them.”

Twilight gave Sunset a few pointers while she strapped on her snowboard. Goggles down and helmet secure, Sunset wriggled her way to the top of the hill. Adrenaline flowed through her, escaping from her mouth as puffs of hot air.

“See you at the bottom?” Twilight asked, leaning forward.

“How about I race you? Loser has to buy hot chocolate later. Ready, set, go!” Sunset hopped forward, letting gravity do the rest of the work. She heard Twilight yell in surprise, her voice lost over the wind rushing through Sunset’s hair. She kept her back straight and knees bents, keeping her center of gravity at her core. For her first time on a snowboard, she thought she was doing pretty good. She made sure to keep a straight path for the bottom, doing minimal turning so as not to fall like Rainbow.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight speeding after her, pushing her poles against the snow to keep up. Sunset knew not to lean forward lest she lose her balance, but couldn’t think of a way to keep Twilight from catching her. Soon, they were neck and neck, speeding down the snowy hill, the end in sight. Sunset couldn’t help it. She put a little lean into her front foot, and she nosed past Twilight. A small bump near the bottom threw off her balance and, like Rainbow, she flailed her arms to keep steady. The result was a face full of snow and a giggling Twilight skiing past her.

Sunset rejoined her by the ski lift, brushing the snow off her face. “One day, I’ll actually beat you in something.”

“If you challenge me to a foot race, I’ll probably lose.” They got back on the chairs and started their ascent again. Twilight ran a thumb across Sunset’s bandage. “The fall didn’t hurt, did it?”

“Nah, I’m fine.” The cold actually soothed her cut some.

Below them, their friends skied and snowboarded down the hill, Rainbow showing some improvement after following Sunset’s example. Pinkie being Pinkie looked like a natural skier, her giggles reaching Twilight and Sunset. Moondancer looked right at home as well, going so far as to jump off one of the small hills and catch some air. Despite her apprehensions, Fluttershy looked like she was having fun. Her descent was slow but well controlled, and Sunset thought she saw a smile under her bundled face. Shining and Cadence had borrowed a page from Twilight and Sunset, and were racing skis against snowboard, with Shining in the lead. Applejack and Rarity moved at a more leisurely pace, holding a conversation as they descended.

They all spent the first hour on the shorter hills, learning the ropes and falling into the snow. It didn’t take long for Rainbow to grow ambitious again and take the lift to the intermediate hill. Sunset watched her go alone, though she intended to join Rainbow eventually. “So, place your bets. How many times will Dash eat the snow?”

“Ah got five bucks. One for each time.”

“Oooh, oooh, ten dollars for two times!”

“Ten dollars on the idea that she’ll fall one time, but it’ll be quite the tumble,” Moondancer said.

“Let’s just hope she doesn’t hurt herself,” Shining said, following Rainbow with his eyes.

Fortunately for all involved, Rainbow appeared to have gotten a good grasp on her new sport and made it down the mountain without one fall.

“Well, that’s disappointing,” Sunset said, anticipating the gloating that would arrive with Rainbow’s return. She decided to prolong it by taking another trip downhill before trying her hand at the bigger course.

Unfortunately, her trip hadn’t been long enough. As she rode the lift back, she caught a good earful of Rainbow’s bragging. Instead of hopping off, she took the lift to the next level. If Rainbow could do it, then so could she. Sunset rode down the hill, feeling a sharper pull of gravity with the steeper slope. She rushed by her friends, hearing their encouraging shouts. With her speed picking up, she got the kick of adrenaline she normally felt when riding her motorcycle. She hit the bottom and turned her snowboard to stop, kicking up a wave of powder.

Upon her return, most of her friends had moved onto the intermediate hill as well, save for Fluttershy and Cadence. They spent another hour riding the hills before many decided their cheeks were numb enough. Rainbow complained about only ‘just getting started’ but complied with returning to the cabin. They still had another day to try the top hill before throwing Pinkie her official birthday party.

Shining turned the fireplace on first thing when they got inside, while Cadence and Applejack took to making lunch. They prepared more soup, and after three hours in the snow and wind, Sunset couldn’t have been more grateful.

It was only mid-afternoon, and Sunset still had some energy left. She looked at Twilight, resting with her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “Hey, if you’re not too sleepy, you want to go for a hike in the forest. I bet there’s some great flora and fauna you could look at.”

Twilight made a sleepy nod and rose to her feet. “Let me go get my notebook and pencil. And maybe a few sample bags.” Her eyes grew more awake as thoughts of science danced through her brain. “Darn, I should have packed my microscope. Now I’ll have to wait until we get home to look at them.”

“Oh darn.” Sunset snapped her fingers with a cheeky grin. She nudged Twilight with her foot. “Hurry up and get ready, nerd.”

Fluttershy meekly rose her hand as Twilight left the room. “Um, Sunset, do you mind if I come along too? I’ve wanted to look at the forest since we got here, but it’s okay if you say no.”

“Err…” Sunset had intended it to be just her and Twilight, but Fluttershy curling in on herself in anticipation made Sunset want to reconsider. At the same time, she was sure Fluttershy could find someone to go with her in an hour.

Rarity looked prepared to come to Sunset’s rescue, but Moondancer rose from her seat and said, “I think a hike through the woods is a marvelous idea. Let’s seize the day! It would be a crime to waste our vacation cooped up in a cabin when there’s a frosted forest to frolic in.”

Applejack stood up too. “Ya know, that sounds like a good idea.” She completely missed the frustrated glare Rarity gave her.

Rainbow put her hands behind her head and leaned back against the couch. “You go have fun. Imma stay here and nap.”

“Big surprise,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes. “Pinkie, would you like to do something?”

Pinkie, having finished her soup, had moved on to gnawing on her rock candy, bits and pieces sticking to her mouth. “Is buying more candy an option?”

Rarity tapped her fingers together. “How about we go to the spa instead? My treat.”

“Okay!”

Twilight came back with her boots and research gear. “Ready to go?”

“Sure!” several voices answered her. She looked at Sunset with mild confusion and disappointment. They had been on the same wavelength about making this a private trip.

“Have fun and be safe,” Shining said, though Sunset could see the small amount of satisfaction in his eyes. Sunset led the four other girls out into the forest, the aroma of damp bark and soil overpowering her nose.

Fluttershy inhaled deeply. “Don’t you just love the smell of nature? It’s so clean and fresh.” She took out a camera and hopped excitedly. “I hope we see a snowy owl.”

Aside from their time spent at the animal shelter, Sunset rarely saw Fluttershy this excited. She couldn’t begrudge the girl for wanting to come along. Applejack and Moondancer on the other hand…

The path wound through the forest, naturally flowing between the trees, becoming more narrow or widening into small glades. Most of the snow had been pushed to the side, making it easier to see, but there were parts of the path that became indistinguishable from the rest of the forest floor.

Moondancer skipped and twirled whenever she had the room for it. “So, Applejack, tell me about yourself,” she said, spinning around her. “What’s it like growing up on a farm? It sounds so enchantingly rustic.”

Applejack watched her with puzzled skepticism. “It’s a lotta hard work,” she said slowly. “You get a good ethic outta it though. A good sense of values.” She began to ease up. “And it is pretty fun. Wide spaces, animals to play with and nurture. Crops to take care of. Then, come harvest time, you get to see the fruits of your labor. Literally!”

“Delightful! Growing your own fruits and vegetables sounds magical,” she purred. “Is there a secret to your success?”

“Nah. Just good ol’ blood, sweat, and tears.”

“Wonderfully impressive,” Moondancer said with a flourish of her hand. “And what of you, demure Fluttershy? Tell me of yourself. You hardly talk.”

Fluttershy held her camera close to her chest. “Oh, um… I like animals. I volunteer at the local shelter every weekend.”

“How humanitarian! Such a pure soul within those beautiful eyes.”

Fluttershy turned pinker than her hair, and moved her camera to hide her face. “Th-thank you.”

They paused to watch a deer graze at tufts of grass poking free of the snow. Fluttershy snapped several quiet pictures while Twilight wrote down observations. Sunset leaned over and saw she had also tried to sketch it, and had to bite down on her fist to stop her laughs from spooking the deer. Twilight’s sketch looked like it had been composed by a fourth grader.

After it passed, Twilight smacked Sunset with her notepad.

“I’m sorry!” Sunset said, still snickering. “Hey, it’s a lot better than what I could do.” Sunset recalled the fat, stick-legged ponies she had drawn during their magic lesson. At least Twilight’s deer had supportive stumps for legs.

The path started a gentle incline up the side of the mountain. If they were quiet enough, they could hear some of the shouts from the skiers on the far side. Fluttershy got her wish and spotted a snowy owl perched in a tree. They spent ten minutes watching her snap pictures and imitate owl calls to get its attention.

As the sun fell behind the mountain and turned the sky orange, the girls reached the end of the path, coming out to a railed off cliff that overlooked the mountain range.

“Whooowee, look at that view,” Applejack said, tipping her hat up. “Sure glad Ah came out for this.”

“That makes one of us,” Sunset said under her breath.

Moondancer raised her arms like she was welcoming the oncoming night. “Moments like this are when you feel truly alive! You can see the whole world before you.” She reached a hand out. “It’s calling out, just asking you to take it!”

As Sunset’s eyes completed their roll, she spotted something blooming on the edge of the cliff just outside the rail. Twilight spotted it too and ran for a closer look, crouching down and gasping loudly. Sunset crept closer and looked at the flower that had Twilight entranced. Its wide, curled petals sparkled red and gold, matching Sunset’s hair, and it released a fragrant smell that reminded her of summertime.

“I don’t believe it,” Twilight whispered. “It’s a Chinensis Solruptis, commonly called a Sunburst Rose. They grow in high elevations and only bloom at sunset but… I thought it would be too cold for any to grow up here.”

“There’s a flower that only grows at sunset?” Sunset asked, leaning in for a closer look. In the rays of the dying sun, it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. A few drops of condensation from the rail fell onto it, giving it a breathtaking glittering effect.

Twilight took out her notepad and scribbled while Fluttershy snapped a picture with her camera. Sunset just stared and committed the scene to memory. She glanced over at Twilight and held back a sigh. Boy, this would have been romantic if it were just the two of us. Twilight looked up, and Sunset saw a similar thought pass through her eyes. She reached her hand over and took Sunset’s, rubbing her thumb over the back. Sunset smiled. Close enough.

She looked past the flower and into the mountain range sprawled out beneath them, miles and miles of trees and large hills. Bringing her eyes closer to home, she saw the drop the cliff offered to the forest floor, and a sudden unease filled her gut.

“Okay, I’m getting a bad sense of deja vu. Can we go back now?”

“It is gettin’ pretty late,” Applejack said, moving out of the way so Sunset could scurry back a safe distance from the edge.

Even as they proceeded back, a chilly wind washed over them, prompting them to hustle. There were no lanterns to guide them back, leaving the girls to rely on their phones for illumination. “I hope this doesn’t disturb any of the animals,” Fluttershy said.

A low growl froze them in their tracks. Sunset slowly raised her phone up, revealing more of the path until it was obscured by something black and fuzzy. Its large body flinched back at the sudden light, and it let out another growl.

Twilight made a long and low, “Eeeeep,” at the sight of the black bear. Its nose sniffed the air, and it slowly pawed its way closer to the group.

“Yeah, I think it’s a little disturbed,” Sunset said, heart pounding.

Moondancer eased a foot back. “Perhaps one of you could use your magic on it? Make sure it stays calm?”

“Doesn’t work that way.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, her voice surprisingly calm. “Just slowly back up. Don’t make any sudden movements or look aggressive.”

They complied. Sunset could hear their collective hearts thumping in their chests. She couldn’t believe Cadence had been right about the bear. She could believe only they had the bad enough luck to run into it. She kept her breath even and slow, as opposed to Twilight who made short hyperventilations. While it didn’t seem angered, the bear continued to follow after them.

“Perhaps we should turn off the lights?” Moondancer asked, her high pitched voice cracking.

“What, and stumble around in the dark?” Sunset hissed.

Twilight squeaked out in a voice even higher than Moondancer’s, “I read that a bear’s short legs make it harder for it to move downhill. If we could find one…”

The bear let out a short roar and picked up it’s pace toward them.

Sunset jerked her light toward the trees to her left. The gaps between them were fairly narrow, but also had copious amounts of underbrush. She took Twilight by the hand and yelled to everyone else, “This way!”

She ducked between the trees, hearing the bear roar again with earnest. They stumbled and crashed through the undergrowth, tree trunks knocking their shoulders and branches whipping their faces. The bear tried to catch up, creating an even louder disturbance then them, but after running single file through a narrow space, the animal’s cries grew more and more distant.

Once Sunset thought they had put enough distance between them and the bear, she slowed to a stop, leaning against a tree to catch her breath. Twilight collapsed into the snow, gasping and coughing. Sunset knelt down and lifted Twilight to a sitting position. “Deep breaths. That’s it, just take it easy.”

Twilight regulated her breathing, interrupted by the occasional cough. She wiped the sweat and snow off her pink face before clearing her glasses. “Are we safe?”

Applejack cast her phone light around. “Depends on your definition of ‘safe’.” The sound of the bear was gone, replaced by an eerie and unsettling silence. The light didn’t reveal much, only a thicket of trees in every direction.

Moondancer let out a short scream, making everyone jump. She held up the sleeve of her pink jacket. “I can’t believe it! Designer made and it’s been torn! Why is fortune so quick to turn against us?”

Sunset groaned. Would anyone really be mad if we lost her here?

Fluttershy huddled close to Applejack. “How are we supposed to get back now?”

Fully recovered, Twilight stood and held her phone flat in her hand. “Don’t worry, I have a compass.” She watched the digital compass’ needle spin for moment before it settled in one direction. “That way’s north, and we came from the west.” She pointed. “So, if we keep walking that way, we should make it back eventually.”

Moondancer clapped her hands. “That’s my little star, brilliant as always!”

While Twilight had the compass, she wasn’t eager to lead the way, allowing Sunset to take her place. Their footsteps filled the air with the soft crunch of snow, but the lack of any natural sound around them kept Sunset on edge. Fluttershy’s teeth chattered somewhere behind her, only compounding the tension.

The narrow beams of light their phones provided intensified the darkness just beyond. While it wasn’t cloudy, the tall pine trees and their copious branches blocked out much of the starlight above. They proceeded at a slow pace, navigating through the dense foliage with Fluttershy warning them not to step on anything that might look endangered.

Sunset held her tongue about them being the ones in danger, and instead wondered why they hadn’t found the path yet. Their trek wasn’t perfectly straight, but they kept moving in a westward direction. They hadn’t run that far off the road, had they?

Something in the air changed. Sunset felt it when the wind blew over them. Before, the silence had come from the lack of any wildlife around them. Now, Sunset knew the silence came from them being watched. She didn’t say anything to her friends, but slowed her footsteps and strained her eyes to see into the darkness.

To their left, a bush rustled, causing both Twilight and Fluttershy to jump a mile in the air. Sunset shushed them and slowly panned her light toward the bush, gaining no further reaction. She turned to the path again and jumped back at the pair of bright blue eyes reflecting her light.

The rest of its body came into view, and Sunset immediately recognized it from the carvings all around town. A brilliant white coat adorned it, brighter than the snow. It held its body proud, standing tall as it slowly crossed the girl’s path. It’s ears stood up, it’s long tail waved behind it in a slow, hypnotic fashion. Sunset moved her phone so she wasn’t shining the light in the wolf’s eyes, and realized its coat glowed in the darkness.

Twilight sucked in her breath and made another, “Eeeeeep,” at the sight of it.

“She’s beautiful,” Fluttershy said in whispered awe.

The wolf flicked her ears and looked at Fluttershy for a moment before her piercing blue eyes fell on Sunset. They were just like the statues’, gazing directly into her soul. She could feel it shiver deep within her, not with fear but… anticipation. A warning. Sunset stared back, entranced by the wolf’s presence. Something otherworldly radiated off it. Magic?

The wolf blinked, breaking her spell over Sunset and turning to stare down Moondancer. Her shoulders seized up and her pink cheeks paled again. The wolf’s gaze didn’t linger quite as long as it did with Sunset, but enough that it left an impression. She looked at the group as a whole before moving on, keeping a slow gait.

While Sunset still tried to process whether or not they had actually come across the mythical Harbinger, Fluttershy said, “Um, this is going to sound crazy but, well, I… I think she wants us to follow her.”

The wolf looked over her shoulder, ears flicking again, then kept moving.

“You want us to follow a wild wolf?” Twilight asked in a panicked whisper.

“Normally, Ah’d agree with you, Twi,” Applejack said. “But Ah don’t know. Somethin’ about that creature seems different. Like she was tryin’ to talk to us.”

Twilight opened her mouth, snapped it shut, and looked at Sunset with desperately curious eyes. Sunset just nodded her head. This was definitely a magic thing. Fluttershy took that as an end to the debate and gently pushed past Sunset to follow the wolf. She easily navigated the forest, occasionally pausing to let the girls catch up.

In a few short minutes, the trees opened up, and they found themselves on the main road with the lights of the cabins in the short distance. The wolf walked onto the other side of the trees, quickly vanishing into the darkness.

“Thank you!” Fluttershy called after her.

Applejack patted herself down, clearing off all the stray leaves and twigs. “That’s enough adventure for one night. Let’s get back before Shining sends out a search party.”

Noise returned as they neared Hollow Shades, gentle hoots and children giggling as they stayed out late. Still, the girls returned to the circle of cabins with a subdued air around them. Anxiety and confusion knotted up inside Sunset. The Harbinger appeared to bring calamity, and showed up before people with dark hearts. At least, that’s what Moondancer had said. The fact that it had appeared before Sunset and looked her in the eyes… and her dream from last night. Did it sense a darkness still within her? Were her fears justified?

But it had also led them back to civilization. And Sunset didn’t feel any malevolence when their eyes met. The imprint those blue eyes left on her soul felt like the wolf just wanted to tell her something.

Sunset pushed the door to their luxury cabin open. The first thing she saw was Shining pacing in the living room with a phone to his ear.

“The first girl is about five-foot three with purple hair and—” He whipped his around and stared at the girls as they stepped in. “Nevermind, they’re here.” He closed the phone and scowled. “Where have you been?” The question was for all of them, but his eyes were on Sunset.

“We had the luxury of running into a bear and then got lost,” Sunset said, tugging her boots off.

“And you didn’t think to call or text one of us?”

Sunset hesitated. “Uh, well, no. I mean, we were never in any real danger, right?” She looked over to the others who remained silent. “The point is, we didn’t get stranded or hurt.”

Shining rubbed the sides of his head. “No, the point is, you scared me and Cadence half to death.”

She held her arms up. “Sorry, all right? Not our fault stuff happened. We’re back, and we’re fine.”

As she made her way to the couch, she heard Shining mutter, “Yeah, something always happens when you’re around.”

Sunset flinched. Perhaps her and the wolf had something in common.

*******

Sleep was restless, but Sunset managed to avoid having any nightmares. She woke up, got dressed, and quietly discussed the possibility of a magic wolf with Twilight while breakfast was being made.

“Magic did used to exist in this world. Maybe it’s not as gone as Artemis thinks,” Sunset said.

“Yes, but what if the legends around it are true, too? Does that mean something terrible is about to happen? What are we going to do?” Half of the couch shook with the vibration from Twilight’s restless leg.

“Look, I still think Moondancer might have been exaggerating some of that story.” Sunset held her palms up. “And even if it is true, maybe some of our own magic will counter it? If it happens, it happens. We can’t wait around being paranoid forever.”

Sunset said it, but ever since she had gone to sleep, the idea that disaster could befall them at any minute kept her from properly resting. The wolf had stared at her though. Did that mean she would face a coming tragedy? It had also locked eyes with Moondancer. At least karma has a balance.

After breakfast, the girls returned to the slopes for their second day of skiing and snowboarding. Unbeknownst to Pinkie, they had every intention to cut it short so they could set up her surprise party. In the meantime, the group started on the intermediate slopes, with even Fluttershy willing to try. It took some coaxing, but she finally pushed herself over the edge and down the hill, a muffled scream coming from her scarf.

As her screams pittered out, Sunset and Rainbow watched with mixture of amusement and concern. “Do you think she’s having fun?” Sunset asked, seeing Fluttershy keep a rigid stance all the way down. She reached the bottom and fell over.

“I think she enjoyed it.” Rainbow hurried down after her. Sunset had another brief experience of deja vu as a blur came down from the top hill and rushed past Rainbow, catching enough air off a jump to do a flip with his skis. He landed, sending a flume of snow up in Rainbow’s face as he reached the bottom and knelt over Fluttershy before helping her up.

As they rode the lift back up, Sunset saw it was the young man from the reception desk, Soarin. He kept a smooth smile as he talked to Fluttershy, whose face was mostly unreadable with her scarf over her mouth. Her eyes only showed confusion.

They hopped off the ski lift, and Soarin greeted everyone with a wave and another smooth smile. “Nice to see you’re all having fun. My parents gave me the day off, so I decided to spend it up here.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “How convenient, him getting the day off when there are pretty girls in his backyard,” she whispered to Sunset.

“If any of you girls are beginners, I’d be happy to give you a few pointers,” Soarin said. “I was just telling your friend Fluttershy here the best way to hold your body while going downhill.”

Shining looked ready boot him off the mountain, but Rainbow came up on the next ski lift, face red, and Sunset doubted it was from the cold. “Thanks, but no thanks, Soarin kid. We’re doing just fine on our own.” She squeezed her way between him and Fluttershy. And glared.

Soarin took a step back, still trying to look cool. “Right on. So how long have you been skiing for?”

“Long enough.”

Sunset held herself from making a sharp remark. She was supposed to be on Rainbow’s side after all.

Seeing his chances of wooing dwindling by the second, Soarin gave them a friendly wink and went on his way, flipping off another jump on his way to the bottom.

Rainbow snorted. “He thinks he’s so cool. I could do that with enough practice.”

“He did seem kind of nice,” Fluttershy said.

“Please, that’s just an act. He only wants one thing from you, ‘Shy.”

“What’s that?”

As a collective group, no one quite had the heart to answer her. One by one they slipped down the mountain, leaving Rainbow to awkwardly explain. Over the next hour, the group had to deal with Soarin occasionally passing them by on the hills, winking, waving, or performing any manner of trick. Sunset merely ignored him, but Rainbow’s face tightened more and more as time went on.

“That’s it!” she said as Soarin flew past, coming from the top slope. “I’m going to show this guy I can be just as cool as he can!”

“Why?” Applejack asked.

“So he’ll stop showing off!”

“You mean showing you up?” Sunset said, smirking in satisfaction at Rainbow’s scowl. Rainbow hopped back over to the lift zone and waited for it to take her to the top. Sunset shook her head and followed in her footsteps. “Someone should go to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.”

Sunset waited for the next chair and followed her to the peak. From the top, Hollow Shades with its short gingerbread buildings with snow icing looked like a Christmas postcard. The freezing wind blew harder up here, making Las Vegas sound more like heaven. She hobbled up to Rainbow, wrapping her arms around herself.

“You didn’t have to come with me,” she said.

“And you don’t have to be a showoff trying to rise to any challenge, even when they aren’t challenges, but here we are.” She looked down the powdery hill. “What do you plan on doing anyway?”

Rainbow pushed her snowboard to the edge of the hill and strapped her back boot in. “I’m gonna slide down this hill and pull off a flip. If he can do it, so can I.”

Sunset brought her gloved hands to her lips, took in a deep breath, then pulled them away. “Dash, in the short time I’ve known you, you’ve had quite a few dumb ideas. This one might take the cake.”

“Or, it’s the best one yet.”

“No, it’s really not!”

But Rainbow dismissed her and pushed over the hump, sending herself down hill. Somewhere in the distance, Sunset heard a wolf howl.

“Oh, Celestia.” She strapped her boot in and jumped down after Rainbow, unsure of what she could even do.

Wind and snow stung her face as she chased Rainbow down. With only a day of practice, Rainbow had clearly improved, but Sunset could see the occasional wobble. They passed under Soarin as he rode the lift back to the top just as Rainbow went off her first jump, touching the front of her board with her hand. She landed, wobbled again, but kept going.

“Rainbow!” Sunset shouted, but the rushing wind was too loud for her to take notice. She could still hear the wolf howl in her ears though, and a cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. One of the larger jumps loomed close, and Rainbow made a beeline for it. Sunset could only cross her fingers and hope that the dread bubbling up in her was nothing more than superstitious paranoia.

Rainbow caught a large amount of air, and at the height of her jump, she thrusted her body forward in her attempt to flip. She rotated halfway through before gravity threw her back against the ground, her left shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. Sunset didn’t hear the cracking of bone, but she heard Rainbow’s anguished scream.

Sunset reached her and jerked her board to a stop. “Rainbow!” She unstrapped her boots and gently turned Rainbow onto her back. “How bad is it?”

With her teeth clenched so tightly, Rainbow could only make pained grunts. She gripped her shoulder, refusing to let Sunset examine it.

Soarin slid to a stop next to them, all traces of his smooth, cool attitude gone. “Here, let me take a look.” He unzipped Rainbow’s jacket and pushed the collar of her shirt down, revealing a rapidly swelling purple bruise. He gingerly ran a finger along her collarbone until she let out another shout of pain.

Soarin grimaced. “Yeah, it’s broken. Hold on, we’ll get you to the hospital.”

He rushed down to the base of the mountain, leaving Sunset alone with her wounded friend, the rest of the group still on the hill yards below them, unaware of what had happened. The wolf howled from the forest, and Sunset thought of its piercing blue eyes foretelling trouble.

“Something always happens when you’re around.”

Sunset clenched her jaw and looked away from Rainbow’s pain contorted face. “I’m sorry, Dash.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Bad Luck Charm

6. Kindness and Laughter

A small two story building served as Hollow Shades’ hospital. Sunset had never been to one in the human world, but she had a feeling they weren’t usually this empty. Aside from her own large party, there were two parents sitting with their son who kept a hand over his eye.

Fluttershy rocked back and forth in her chair, alternating between biting her nails and tugging on her hair. She kept her eyes on the door, sometimes going minutes without blinking.

Sunset reached over and pulled her hand away from her bangs. “Stop that, you’re going to pull your hair out. Rainbow’s going to be okay.” Sunset believed her own words but couldn’t shake the guilt that had followed her down the mountain. If she hadn’t been here, would things have turned out different? Would the Harbinger have stayed away without her darkness to attract it?

The doors opened, and Rainbow walked out beside Shining, her arm held up in a sling and her face dour. Fluttershy bolted from her seat and rushed over, being careful not to touch Rainbow’s shoulder.

“Are you okay? How much does it hurt? What were you thinking? I know what you were thinking! That meany, Soarin got into your head! But you shouldn’t have done something like that! Is there anything I can do for you?”

Rainbow held her good arm up. “‘Shy, I’m fine, really,” she said in a tired voice.

“The doctor said it was a pretty clean break,” Shining said. “As long as she doesn’t overexert herself, it should heal up in about two months.”

Rainbow let out a bemoaned sigh. “There goes most of track season. I can’t run like this! What if a talent scout was hoping to see me?” Her sigh became a frustrated shout, and she rested her head against Fluttershy's shoulder.

Fluttershy stroked her hair. “You still have those soccer scouts that were interested in you. You could still get scholarships for college.” She led Rainbow to the front entrance, the others following close behind while Shining checked out.

Pinkie bounced up to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “Here, I got you a lollipop to make you feel better, Dashie!” She pulled out one of the comically large lollipops swirling with rainbows. “Can I sign your sling later?”

Rainbow tried to smile, but it was weighed down with guilt. “Thanks, Pinkie. And sure, you can sign it when we get home.”

Sunset shared the guilt Rainbow held, as did everyone else but Pinkie. Thanks to the accident, Shining decided it would be best for them to leave now, meaning no surprise party. Sunset was sure the others weren’t exactly in a party mood anyway. Still half the reason they had came up to Hollow Shades was to give Pinkie a good birthday.

Back at the cabin, everyone began packing their things while Moondancer called for the helicopter. Sunset hid her portion of the party supplies in the bottom of her suitcase, swearing they’d still give Pinkie a great party when they got back home.

There was a knock on her and Rarity’s door, and she looked up to find Twilight. She waved and stepped across the threshold. “Just wanted to see if I could help with anything.”

Rarity neatly folded her clothes and packed them away. “Thank you, darling, but we’re just about finished. You’re more than welcome to stay though.”

Twilight sat on the edge of Sunset’s bed. “I’m glad a broken clavicle is the only injury Rainbow got. She’s pretty lucky all things considered.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said absently.

Twilight tapped her fingers together. “I mean, there was a statistically slim chance she could pull off that kind of acrobatic feat with only one day of practice.”

Sunset appreciated Twilight’s attempt, but the guilt remained. “Twilight…”

“Okay, magic or not, there’s no way a ghost wolf caused Rainbow to hurt herself.” She crossed her arms defiantly. “Nor was it drawn here by any of us being evil. There’s no proof—even with the magic you’ve shown me—that suggests such a thing.”

“True.” Sunset closed her suitcase. “But this is also magic from this world, which I know a lot less about.”

“Didn’t you say a wolf helped you find the road last night?” Rarity asked.

“Yes! See, the ghost wolf helped us. Why would it turn around and curse us?” Twilight paused and slapped a hand to her forehead. “Another sentence to fall under the list of ‘least scientific things I’ve ever said’.”

Sunset picked up her suitcase and headed for the living room. “Look, it happened. We can’t prove if it was magically influenced or not.”

Following behind Sunset, Twilight gasped and grabbed her hand. “Maybe we can!” As soon as Sunset set her luggage down, Twilight yanked her to follow, leading them back to the main lobby. She swirled her head around until she locked onto Soarin, sweeping the front mat clear of snow and dirt. “Soarin!”

He looked up and smiled in a guilty fashion. “Hey, sorry about your friend. I kinda feel like it might be partially my fault.”

“Eh, Rainbow’s always hot-headed,” Sunset said.

“That’s not what we wanted to talk to you about,” Twilight said. “Well, not exactly. You’ve lived here your whole life, right?”

He nodded. Yeah?”

Twilight pointed to the wolf statue. “What can you tell us about that wolf?”

Soarin raised his eyebrows. “Oh, Harbinger? Yeah, she gets kinda a bad rep. You see, she’s been haunting my family for generations. They thought seeing her was a bad omen and something terrible was about to happen. When my great-great grandfather moved out here, she followed, and every time she howled, something bad happened not long after.”

He swung his arms out. “Then one year, there was this really bad blizzard! Like, massive! Some of the villagers got lost in the forest trying to get home before it hit. My grandpa was one of them. With all the snow falling, they thought they were doomed. But then, even in all the white, they saw Harbinger’s coat glowing just bright enough to stand out. With her bright fur and blue eyes, she led them to safety.

“After that, my family came to realize, she didn’t bring bad luck, she came to warn people something bad was about to happen. So, she’s less of a harbinger and more of a messenger and a guardian.”

Sunset grit her teeth. “I knew Moondancer was playing up that story.”

Soarin nodded with a dreamy light in his eyes. “Yeah, she was pretty interested in the legend too. Why, did you run into Harbinger?”

Twilight nodded. “Last night, we got lost in the forest and she led us back.”

“Wicked!” He frowned. “I guess she was trying to warn you about your friend.”

“Yeah…” Sunset remembered the way Harbinger had looked at her though. Had she been trying to tell Sunset about Rainbow, or was it a different message meant for her? Still, a weight lifted from her shoulders. The wolf wasn’t attracted by darkness. It didn’t come thanks to Sunset.

Don’t get all cozy, a voice hissed. You still have a tendency to land your friends in some dangerously hot water.

“Thank you for all your help, Soarin,” Twilight said. “We really appreciate it.”

Soarin put on his cool smile again. “Anything for such a pretty face.”

Sunset put her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “Hahahaha, don’t even think about it, pretty boy.” She turned Twilight toward the back door, glaring at a sheepish looking Soarin as they walked out.

“Well, I was half right,” Twilight said. “I knew the wolf wasn’t attracted to ‘our dark hearts’ or whatever. Moondancer was just trying to scare us.” She rubbed her chin. “How does a wolf know when something bad is about to happen though? It’s not like predicting the weather. I mean, if you know a person well enough, you could predict their future actions based off of habitual patterns and probability, but you’d still have to account for external forces and—”

“Remember when I said there are still some things you can’t explain with magic?” Sunset asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said, knitting her brow.

“This is one of them. Magic ghost wolf can predict bad luck.” Sunset shrugged. “I’ve heard of stranger things.”

Twilight huffed. “How infuriating.”

*******

The flight home was quiet with Rainbow brooding in the back and Shining disgruntled upfront, Fluttershy and Cadence trying to cheer them up respectively. They landed in front of Moondancer’s stately manor just as the sun touched the horizon.

“Sorry about your shoulder, Rainbow,” Pinkie said sincerely. “But I hope you still had fun?”

Rainbow gave her a weak smile. “Did you have fun?”

Pinkie hopped into the air. “Are you kidding? I had a blast! And I brought back plenty of rock candy for my whole family!” She pulled out her bag of sweets.

Rainbow’s smile grew. “Well, if you had fun, then I had fun.”

Shining put a hand on her back. “Come on, Rainbow, we’ll take you home.” Shining sighed. “So I can explain to your dad what happened.”

“Hey, don’t worry too much. It was my fault; I’ll take the heat off it. Besides, this isn’t even the worst injury I’ve gotten. I broke my hand in fifth grade pretty bad.”

Fluttershy shuddered. “I remember that.”

Just as the last of their luggage had been taken out of the helicopter, the front doors to the manor opened up, and out stepped a tall, pale man with a blue suit and slick purple hair pulled into a ponytail. His purple eyes swept over the crowd, stopping on Moondancer, who Sunset noticed kept her expression exceptionally neutral.

“Moondancer,” he said, stepping down the driveway, “I was under the impression you’d be returning tomorrow.” His voice betrayed his rigid and straight posture, sounding bored and dismissive.

“Yes, well, we had a bit of an accident while snowboarding and thought it wise to come home early,” Moondancer said, folding her fingers in front of her.

“Sorry, Mr. Night Shade,” Shining said, taking a step forward. “We actually had a few incidents, and I thought it best if we just went home before anything else went wrong. I hope it’s not an inconvenience.”

Night Shade waved an equally dismissive hand. “No, it’s fine. As long as you’re all fine.” He turned to Moondancer. “We have a guest. Unpack your things and join us in the parlor, please.” He dipped his head to the rest of the group. “Good evening.”

Moondancer cleared her throat as the doors closed behind her father. “I suppose I should hurry along then. Thank you all for coming with me on this little retreat. I had a wonderful time. Rainbow, I do hope you feel better soon.”

Rainbow grumbled out a begrudging, “Thank you.”

“Twilight, my sweet, I will correspond with you soon.” She twiddled her fingers at Twilight and Sunset and hurried inside. Everyone else gathered their things and loaded their cars.

Sunset and Twilight kissed one another goodbye, promising to talk later that night. After a round of hugs, she and Rarity were on the road home.

“We didn’t get around to the party, but at least Pinkie had a good time,” Rarity said.

“Yeah.” Sunset leaned against the window. “Still, I want to actually show her that we care. Give her something personal. I know Maud said she’d be happy with anything, but…”

Rarity hummed, tapping a finger against her lip. “I might have an idea. But I’ll need to double check it first before I get any of our hopes up.” They stopped by Rarity’s home first. Trixie had left Spot in the care of Sweetie Belle while everyone was away.

Opening the front door, Sunset and Rarity found the two in the living room. Spot wore a tutu around his middle and looked rather miserable. Sweetie had a boom box playing and was apparently trying to teach him how to dance. She froze, cheeks scarlet when she saw her sister and Sunset in the doorway.

“R-Rarity! I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow!” her high pitched voice cracked.

Rarity pressed a hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh. “There were a few complications. I’m glad you were having fun without me though.”

Sunset picked Spot up and helped him out of the tutu, receiving a generous lick as a sign of gratitude. “Thanks for watching him, Sweetie.”

“N-no problem!” She smiled sheepishly.

Rarity dropped Sunset off in front of the Lulamoon’s house. “Are you sure you’ll be all right by yourself, sweetheart?”

Sunset pulled her suitcase out of the back seat. “Don’t worry; it’s not like I’m not used to it. Besides, I have Spot.”

“Well if you need anything, just give any of us a call.”

She nodded and waved as Rarity drove away, heading inside once her car had disappeared around the corner. She led Spot inside, listening to the pitter-patter of his feet against the wood floor. Without any of the Lulamoons, the house was unusually quiet. The homey feeling that Sunset usually experienced had diminished. The numerous photos and tapestries kept it alive, but it wasn’t the same without the living things. It reminded her a lot of her old factory hovel.

She knew going upstairs would only lead her to talk to Princess Twilight, pushing her further into a past she was trying to crawl out of. She carried Spot to the living room instead. “Come on, let’s go watch a movie. Something with a lot of explosions.”

*******

Fluttershy walked up the steps to Rainbow’s front door, basket over her arm. She gave the doorbell a gentle push and waited patiently for a response. Rainbow’s dad opened the door and smiled brightly at her, gesturing her inside.

“Hey, little Flutters. Here to see the patient?”

She nodded and held up her basket. “I thought I’d bring over a few things to make her feel better. How’s she doing?”

Rainbow Blaze walked her through the den and to the stairs. “Moping more than usual. Last time she broke something, she just complained about how bored she was. This time…” He sighed. “She’s really down about missing out on her last year of high school sports.”

Fluttershy lowered her eyes. “I can’t imagine how that feels.”

He patted her on the shoulder. “But, if anyone can cheer her up, it’s you, right?”

Trying to put on her most confident smile, Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Atta girl!” He directed her upstairs, and Fluttershy followed the familiar hallway to Rainbow’s room. She gave a soft rapt on the open door.

Rainbow looked up from her messy bed and waved Fluttershy in. Fluttershy stepped over a discarded pair of running shorts and set her basket down on a clean part of the carpet. She looked over the extensive collection of medals and trophies against the sky blue walls.

“Hi, Rainbow.” Fluttershy sat down on a corner of the bed, dusting away some chip crumbs.

“Hey, ‘Shy,” she said listlessly. She flipped a page of the comic book propped up on her leg. “What’s up?”

“I came over to take care of you for a little bit,” Fluttershy said, making sure not to make eye contact. She reached for her basket. “I brought you some cookies…” She pulled out a tin of homemade chocolate chip cookies. “Some medical herbs that my mom says will bring some of the swelling down…” She took out a small box of green, sweet smelling plants. “A couple of movies, and a bunny for you to snuggle with.” Last out of the basket was a small brown rabbit with a twitching nose.

Rainbow leaned her head back and let out a sigh that to anyone else would have sounded ungrateful, but Fluttershy, having known her since first grade, heard the appreciation. Even when it was just the two of them, Rainbow had to keep up her ‘cool’ act.

“You know you didn’t have to do that, ‘Shy. Especially the rabbit.”

The rabbit was the first thing she reached for.

As Rainbow brought the bunny to her chest, Fluttershy opened the tin of cookies and held one out for Rainbow to eat. Realizing her good arm was occupied, Rainbow leaned forward and ate from Fluttershy’s hand. “Thanks,” she said, her cheeks reddening a little. “Oh wow, these are your best yet!”

Fluttershy looked down again, playing with the folds of her skirt. “I’m glad you like them.” She let Rainbow finish the cookie before looking up again. “So, how are you feeling?”

This time Rainbow’s sigh was one of discontentment. “Sunset was right. Getting worked up over Soarin’s stupid tricks was stupid. It didn’t help that he was trying to act all cool in front of us, especially you.”

Instead of looking down again, Fluttershy used her tried and true method of hiding behind her hair. At first, she thought he was just being nice. But his show-offy nature brought out Rainbow’s competitive side, and lead to her injury. The thought sparked a rare jolt of anger.

“Look where trying to show him up got me.” She weakly waved her arm, wincing at the slight movement. “Do you know how hard it is to take a shower with one hand and limited movement?”

“Umm, no?”

“Pretty hard.” Rainbow scratched the bunny behind the ear, falling silent for a minute. “I’m competitive,” she said softly, “that’s who I am. I play to be number one. I should have been smart enough to know not to compete with someone who’s been skiing for years. Now I can’t compete in the stuff I’m actually good at.” She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes closed.

Fluttershy scooted across the bed and pulled her into a hug. Rainbow let out a few choked sobs she tried to pass off as grunts. “I just…” She regained her composure, but stayed in Fluttershy’s embrace. “I can’t believe I’m going to end senior year like this. What if the soccer scouts say no? What if I don’t even get into any colleges? What am I supposed to do then?”

“You pick yourself up and keep training,” Fluttershy said firmly.

“But—”

Fluttershy lifted Rainbow up and looked her in the eye, feeling one of those fleeting moments of total confidence. “You want to go to the Olympics or the World Cup, and the road there is never easy. Maybe you won’t get noticed the first time, or the second time. But you’re a champion, Rainbow Dash. And champions never quit. I’m sorry you got injured, and I know how much it hurts, but I also know you’ll overcome it and get stronger! Someone will see your talents and whisk you away to be a legend.”

Rainbow stared in awe for a second before breaking out into a wide grin. She hugged Fluttershy again. “What’d I do to get an awesome friend like you?”

Fluttershy sighed contently, burying her face in Rainbow’s hair. “Helped me out of a tree.”

“Oh yeah. Heh, good times.” She rested her head against Fluttershy’s neck. “Thanks, Fluttershy. You’re the best.”

Her stomach fluttered with warm butterflies. “You’re welcome, Rainbow. And I’ll be here rooting for you, every step of the way.” The warm butterflies left her stomach and spread through her body, leaving every inch over tingling, especially her ears and back. It actually felt very familiar…

Fluttershy gasped as her wings materialized behind her, and her pony ears popped up on the top of her head. She and Rainbow broke away, gaping at one another.

“Whoa! How did you—”

“I-I-I don’t know! I was just hugging you—”

“I know! I thought we only did that with music—”

“But I have wings again—”

“I know! It’s totally awesome!” Rainbow looked at the door. “Crap, we should close that before my dad comes up and sees.”

Fluttershy crossed the room with a single, involuntary flap of her wings. She gently shut it and deliberately walked back. “Oh my gosh! What do we do?”

Rainbow reached for her phone. “Don’t panic. Let’s just call Sunset and see what she thinks.” While Rainbow dialed, Fluttershy thought to Twilight and her previous experiments, and hoped they wouldn’t have to go through another, possibly more extensive round. “Dammit, I got her voicemail. Hey, Shimmer, call me or Fluttershy back; we kinda have a bit of a magical situation here.”

“What do we do in the meantime?”

“Well, it usually goes away after a little while. Just hang out here and hope my dad doesn’t walk in.”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure why, but her cheeks heated up. “O-okay.” She sat on the bed again. “I-if you want, we can watch a movie. Or you can try some of the medicine.”

“Sure, why not?” Rainbow sat a little straighter and moved the rabbit onto her blanket. “I’ll try your mom’s hippie medicine. No offense.”

Only because it was from Rainbow did Fluttershy not take offense. She pulled a small bowl from the basket and started to grind and mash the herbs up with her hands, getting it into as fine a paste as she could. She smeared her fingers with it and held it up to Rainbow’s collarbone. “Please hold still. I’ll be as gentle as possible.”

Rainbow closed her eyes and snickered. “Two things. One: you’re Fluttershy—I’d be scared if it wasn’t gentle. And two: that’s what she said.”

Fluttershy was glad Rainbow had her eyes closed. This time, her blush rose from her cheeks all the way to her pony ears. “R-Rainbow!”

“Sorry, sorry! It was too easy!”

Hand now trembling, Fluttershy ran her fingers over the inflamed area, brushing it as lightly as possible. Rainbow cringed but said nothing. As her fluster died down, Fluttershy started to hum, massaging Rainbow’s shoulder just a little harder.

A pink glow enveloped her hands and spread to Rainbow’s injury. Fluttershy yelped and quickly pulled away, but the glow remained in both places.

“What? What happ—whoa!” Rainbow gaped at the phenomena. “What’s going on now?”

“I don’t know! I’m sorry!” Fluttershy wailed. The pink glow faded from her hands, taking with it both her wings and ears, leaving in its place a faint exhaustion that made her head light. The glow lingered on Rainbow’s shoulder a second longer before vanishing as well, leaving Rainbow with wide eyes.

Very slowly, she wiggled her fingers, then carefully removed her arm from the sling. She and Fluttershy traded looks of pure astoundment as she rolled her shoulder and stretched her arm out.

“Awesome,” Rainbow said breathlessly.

*******

Sunset’s mouth hung open as she watched Rainbow wiggle and flex her arm. Her eyes turned to Fluttershy, trying to hide her blushing face.

“So you ponied up,” Twilight said, pacing next to Sunset, “then rubbed Rainbow’s shoulder and her clavicle just healed.”

“Well, I was using medical herbs too,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, I doubt it was the herbs,” Sunset said.

Twilight raised a hand. “It could have been a catalyst,” she said with a strain in her voice. After another minute of pacing, she collapsed onto the park bench next to Sunset. “Catalyst or not, Fluttershy has healing abilities now. How? Why?”

“I’m trying to figure out how she ponied up without music,” Sunset said. “That’s been the trigger so far. Why did it change now?”

Twilight jumped up. “Excellent question! Perhaps if we recreate the entire scene with the right stimuli, we can find out!”

Rainbow’s hand jumped to her shoulder. “I’m not breaking anymore bones!”

“Girls!” Rarity rapped her knuckles on the picnic table. “Focus, please. Rainbow, I’m more than delighted to see you healed up, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious as to how it happened, but we’re here to put together Pinkie’s party.”

Applejack walked over, carrying a box of sodas and cups. “Yeah, and Ah would appreciate a little help. You got two arms again, Dash, so Ah don’t wanna hear any excuses.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes but said nothing as she went to assist. Sunset got up and filled bowls with candy before working on the horse-shaped pinata. I feel like I should be offended by this. Once it was strung up, she helped a wheezing Twilight finish blowing up balloons. All the while, the loud hum of the bounce house’s air tank provided them with background noise.

Sunset had to hand it to Rarity; using their favor with the mayor to rent the biggest jumper without having to pay for it was pretty ingenious. The house was large, pink (much to Sunset’s chagrin), and even came with a slide. Other kids walking through Canterlot Park looked at it enviously, some of them loitering around, no doubt to try and spot the birthday kid and ask if they could join in.

As Sunset stepped back and looked at their colorful handiwork, she couldn’t help but snort. “This looks like a party for a five year old.”

“Well, Pinkie is technically four, so…” Applejack shrugged.

“And now we just need our guest of honor,” Rarity said, setting the cake down on the table.

“Want me to go get her?” Rainbow asked.

Rarity shook her head. “No, she should be here any minute.” While they waited, Twilight continued to press Rainbow and Fluttershy about their miracle yesterday. Sunset occupied her time by shooing kids away from the picnic area. Nice as she was now, little kids still bugged her.

They heard Pinkie’s high-pitched giggles before they even saw her. “I’m so excited! You know how much I love surprises, Maud! Oooh, oooh, can I make more guesses? Is it a giant cake? Did you find the lost city of Atlantis? Did you find a leprechaun?”

Maud led Pinkie across the field, her expression as deadpan as ever. Pinkie had a blindfold over her, but that didn’t stop her from bouncing and skipping. The girls gathered around as Maud brought her up to the table.

“Here you go.” She took Pinkie’s blindfold off.

“Surprise!” everyone shouted. “Happy birthday, Pinkie!”

Pinkie’s eyes lingered on the large bounce house in the center before they darted to the table covered in snacks and a large cake, then to the pinata hanging from a tree, and the Twister mat being pinned to the grass by several rocks. Her mouth hung open just slightly, but she showed no reaction otherwise.

Rarity stepped forward. “We wanted to throw you a party while we were up in the mountains, but that didn’t work out. So, we threw this together instead, with some help from the mayor.”

Fluttershy put her hands together and bowed her head. “We’re so sorry we didn’t celebrate your birthday earlier, Pinkie. I hope you can forgive us.”

Pinkie looked over the festivities again before her eyes stopped on her friends in front of her. Then, Sunset saw something she had never seen before. Pinkie bit down on her lip, her eyes filling to the brim with tears. She made several short hiccups, trying to keep her oncoming emotions down. Sunset had seen Pinkie blubber and wail with dramatic fashion at happy or sad moments in movies, but never this. This was honest vulnerability.

“Are you okay?” Sunset asked.

“I… I…” Pinkie furiously rubbed her eyes. “I thought… you had all forgotten. B-but, I couldn’t be mad. W-we had to fight the Sirens, and we w-were all getting m-mad at each other, and m-my birthday isn’t on a r-real day anyway. So I didn’t say anything.”

Applejack walked over to her and embraced her first. “Ah wish you had said something, sugarcube. Ah reckon a party might have helped keep our heads on straight.”

Rainbow joined in on the other side. “You throw parties for us all the time! The least we could do is throw one for you, celebrating the most important day of your life!”

Pinkie’s entire face trembled, and she broke into a sob and a laugh, burying her face in Rainbow’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you did this for me! You’re all the best!” Everyone joined in on the hug, even Sunset, though she was last and stayed on the outside.

Once Pinkie got a few sobs out, she broke free from the circle and threw her arms up, her cheerful smile back and face glowing with pink mirth. “This is the best surprise ever!” She froze and looked again at Rainbow. “Dashie! Your arm’s fixed!”

“Huh? Oh yeah.” Rainbow waved. “Long story. We’ll talk about it later. Today’s about you!”

Pinkie pulled Rainbow into a bear hug, managing to take some of her air away. After a loud squee, she said, “Come on, besties! Let’s party!” She dropped Rainbow and kicked off her shoes, then dove into the bounce house.

The others followed suit, Sunset ditching her jacket as well so her spike cuffs wouldn’t poke a hole anywhere. She had never been in a bounce house before, believing it to be far too childish for the likes of her. And while she still found it childish, by no means did that make it unfun.

Outside, Maud sat by the cake, petting Boulder with her finger. She looked at her sister laughing with her friends, and smiled.

*******

Lamia thought her measly cat-burglary days were over. She had graduated onto bigger and better things: bank vaults for clients, high-clearance information labs… the museum for one lousy diamond!

She took a controlled breath, pressing a hand to her heart. “Easy, girl. Stay calm. You’re on duty.” But even with her measured breathing, her blood boiled at the thoughts of what could have been. She had been this close to selling the Crystal Heart and making out like a bandit, pun intended! She could have been rich! She could have been in Greece!

That damn sword woman! Those damn dazzle siren whatevers! And that tattle-telling bitch of a doppelganger! Lamia clenched her fists, her latex gloves making a light squelch. I don’t know how, but I’ll make them all pay. I’ll ruin you, mini-me.

Jórmangandr hissed into her ear, reminding her that she had been sitting in the branch of the tree for too long. She had a job to do. It wouldn’t make her as much money as selling the heart, but it was a start. Lamia raised her infrared binoculars and peered between the eaves of the trees. Thirty yards in front of her sat a tall marble wall with golden fence spikes running along the top. Beyond it was a three story manor complete with an extravagant garden. Yes, the people in the Upper Villa sure knew how to spend their money. A glass gazebo, a babbling stream, and the latest security monitors hanging above the back entrance.

Lamia knew robbing any house in Canterlot’s richest neighborhood would be a challenge. So why not just go for the richest and the fanciest? Either go big or go home. The last light inside had flicked off almost an hour ago, leaving the mansion thinly illuminated by the garden lanterns.

Lamia had thrown this heist together in a little less than a week. She had learned the floor plans, caught glimpses inside to make sure they had valuables worth stealing, and had gotten a reasonable idea of their schedule. The house was always occupied by the staff, but everyone went to bed just after midnight.

Slipping her mask on, Lamia climbed down the tree, Jórmangandr wrapped around her neck like always. She crept up to the manor wall and reached into her near empty bag, producing a small black box with an antenna and a single switch: her short-ranged EMP for when she needed to disable lower-level security systems. Rich as these people were, they security they had was still second rate to what Lamia normally had to deal with. She flipped the switch, counted to ten, then tossed the box back into her satchel.

“Let’s have some fun, Jorgey.”

With the grace and agility of a cat, Lamia scaled the wall and grabbed hold of the fence posts at the top, using them to vault over and land on the other side in a crouch. The stream snaking through the garden helped mask her footsteps as she crossed over toward the house. She used the ivy growing along the back wall to help her ascent, keep her weight perfectly distributed so it wouldn’t snap on her. When the ivy ran out she gave the marble a firm press with her hands until the sticky adhesive came to the surface. She reached the roof and walked over to the side of the house. None of the back windows were safe to use, so she opted for one that led to an office.

She crawled down the wall to the second floor and peered through the window first. Darkness stared back at her, shifting until she could start to make out shapes. Like the floor plans told her, a large office sat on the other side of the glass. Already, Lamia could see a glass case full of chalices made from precious metals.

Lamia pried a hand from the wall and reached into her utility belt. She pulled out a thin, sharp metal object and placed the tip against the window, slowly and carefully making a wide circle in the glass. Her tool made a quiet squealing noise as it went, sending a bead of sweat down Lamia’s face. This was always the hardest part. Once she had made a full circle, she pulled up and waited to see if anyone had heard her commotion. When no one came to investigate, she placed a hand on the circle, pushing it inward, the glass sticking to her palm. She climbed into the room and set the glass down.

Now for my prizes. She approached the glass cabinet, smiling at her reflection, though she couldn’t see it behind her cowl. It took only a bobby pin to pick the lock. She lifted the first chalice, silver with four rubies embedded into it. A thousand. Maybe two. She placed it in her satchel and reached for the next one, made of sapphire with moons carved into it. Oh, you’ll fetch a pretty good price.

“You should either be commended for your bravery—”

Years of training and honed instincts taught Lamia not to scream in surprise. But her entire body locked up and her heart drilled into her chest.

“—or reprimanded for your foolishness,” a light, refined voice said behind her.

Lamia didn’t need to tell Jórmangandr to sic, he flew off her shoulder with a loud hiss, striking at whoever was unfortunate enough to catch her in the act. Only, the satisfying sound of fangs in skin never came. She turned around and went rigid a second time. Jòrmangandr floated in the air, covered in a purple glow, squirming but unable to break free. She looked beyond him to the girl holding her hand out, emitting a similar glow. Lamia recognized her from the Battle of the Bands, she had been the prissy princess playing piano with her doppleganger’s girlfriend.

Small world. Lamia whipped out a throwing knife and hurled it at her. The girl flung her other hand out, and the knife stopped in mid air.

“Caught in a corner, the alley cat begins to bare its fangs and hiss,” the girl said in a sing-song voice. She pushed her hands forward, and both Jórmangandr and the knife flew back toward Lamia. She ducked out of the way, her snake’s tail still slapping her across the face, but she managed to avoid being stabbed by her own knife.

“Pray tell…” The girl stepped into the office, wearing only a silk nightgown that flowed down to her ankles. “What possessed you to think this was a good idea?”

Lamia had to admit, for a teenage girl being robbed, she was surprisingly calm. Of course, having glowing magical powers probably helped. Instead of answering, Lamia rushed up and struck out with her open palm. The girl spun to the side, ducking under Lamia’s follow-up hit, then merely pushed her hands out again. Neither of them touched Lamia, but it felt as if a giant socked her in the stomach and threw her across the room. She hit the wall and slid to the floor.

The girl took a deep breath and brushed a lock of hair from in front of her eyes. “Hm? Oh, I know who you are.” She drew closer to Lamia. “Yes, the Snake Queen. To what do I owe this unsavory pleasure?”

Holding her sore ribs, Lamia glared up at her, teeth bared. “Freaking magic! Have I actually stepped into some goddamn anime? Does every teenager have magic now?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You mean you’ve met others like me?”

Lamia clamped her mouth shut. She shouldn’t be wasting her breath talking to this heiress, she should be looking for a way out of this mess. She had gotten out of tighter spots before; there was no way some teenager would get the better of her, freaky magic powers or not.

On cue, Jórmangandr sprung again, aiming for the girl’s ankle. She jumped at the last possible second and hovered in the air, aiming her hand at the snake. A small bolt of light shot forth and hit Jórmangandr along the back. He flailed in pain and quickly recoiled to his master’s side.

Lamia used that brief window to throw out her second knife. She didn’t look to see if it impaled her target; she scooped up Jórmangandr and made a bid for the window. She collided with solid air and fell onto her back, her nose sore from the collision.

“So sorry, but you haven’t been given permission to leave.” The girl was on the ground again, examining Lamia’s throwing knife. “Hmph, how mundane and tasteless. Though, I suppose I can’t expect much from a common thief.”

Lamia rolled up and backward, aiming a kick for the prissy girl’s face. Instead of being shoved back by an invisible hand, Lamia froze, hanging upside down in midair.

“And so the thief stumbled into the castle, and found more than she bargained for. How could she have known the princess was also the dragon?”

The flowery sweetness in her voice made Lamia want to throw up.

Pressing her fingertips together, she made a slow circle around Lamia. “Now, shall I call the police? Or perhaps deliver you to a darker power?” A dark light sparkled in her eye. “No one would miss common filth like you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

She held the back of her hand to her mouth and laughed. “Oh, I don’t make threats. To borrow a cliché, I make promises.” She lowered her hand and smiled the way a cat smiled at a mouse. “I promise to do neither if you cooperate with me.”

Lamia made a growl that rose into a hiss. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t get her body to move an inch. Why? Why when I’m at the cusp of having everything, it gets ripped away! First those divas, now this bitch! Was this karma; payback for all her previous crimes? But she knew people who had done far worse and were living the high life.

Two roads stretched before Lamia. The short one led to her imprisonment after the cops hauled her away. The second, she couldn’t see. She’d be at the mercy of this magic empowered child. She’d either permanently lose her freedom, or play puppet until she found an opportunity to cut the strings.

She would have spat if she could. “Fine. I’ll play your game. What do you want?”

With a flip of her red and purple hair, the girl said, “First, tell me, who else did you encounter that wielded magic?”

Lamia narrowed her eyes at the thought. “More teenage brats like you. They call themselves the Spectacular Seven or something like that. I think your friend Twilight is with them?”

“Of course,” she said bitterly. “I assumed that’s who you were referring to. A relief I suppose, though now I’m curious as how you came across them.”

“Long story. Let’s just say I owe their leader a debt.”

“Oh?” An excited gleam overtook the girl’s eyes. “A grudge against one Sunset Shimmer perhaps?” She made a small laugh. “Perhaps you and I will get along, Snake Queen. I do not hold Sunset in the highest regard either.”

Lamia wondered what the girl would say if she took off her mask. The blood was beginning to go to her head, making it feel heavy. “All right miss…”

“Moondancer. Or My Lady.”

“Yeah, not gonna happen. Moondancer, either tell me what you really want, or let me go. As much as I love hanging around like this… I don’t!”

Moondancer rolled her eyes and her wrist, and Lamia flipped over but remained in the telekinetic field. “You see, Lamia, there is an item that I’ve long had my eye on, but have had no means to obtain it. Perhaps you could recover it for me?”

Lamia smirked. “You want me to steal something?”

“Recover. There’s no need to be so crass about it. Besides, it’s a family artifact, so by technicality, it already belongs to me.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Moondancer dropped her hand, and the field around Lamia vanished, dropping her roughly onto the floor. “Do this for me, and I’ll reward you quite handsomely.”

Lamia got to her feet and dusted herself off. “It’s not like I have much of a choice, do I?”

“Not really. But as I said, I do keep my promises.” Moondancer made a dainty bow. “I promise, you will be rewarded, no strings attached.”

Lamia never believed in ‘no strings attached’, but figured this was her only way out without getting magically mauled. With an irate sigh, she said, “Fine, kid, you’ve got a deal.”

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Wingboners are Magic! And Something About Snakes.

And I named him Rainbow Blaze before season 7 started, so I don't care about canon.

7. Star-Crossed

Sunset could only stand to be inside the house for so long, even if she did have Spot for company. Lucky for her, Twilight was on another magic kick and demanded Sunset’s presence. So, Sunset took Spot over to the Sparkle’s house. While she and Twilight tried to science the heck out of magic, their dogs shared a puppy playdate.

Spike and Spot got along pretty well, spending the first two minutes of their introductions circling and sniffing every inch of each other. Spike then leapt at his favorite chew toy, and Spot grabbed the other end, initiating a friendly game of tug-o-war.

Twilight whipped out her phone and snapped a few pictures. “They’re so cute together! Just like us!”

Sunset blushed and giggled. Twilight remained the only person who could get her to do that. “Come on, let’s leave them to get acquainted.” They ventured into Twilight’s lab, Twilight immediately pulling out a new set of notes.

“Okay, first thing’s first: how did Fluttershy pony up without music?” She tapped a pencil against her lip and paced the lab in a circle. “More importantly, how did she heal Rainbow’s arm? Fluttershy gave me a sample of her mom’s medicine and it’s just a composition of natural herbs, so it can’t have been that. No, it was definitely magic. But where did it come from? Last time she ponied up, all she could do was shoot butterflies, which I still have questions about as well!”

Sunset took to a rolling chair and spun herself around as she listened. She had given it a lot of thought after Pinkie’s party. “I might have a theory as to why she ponied up.”

Twilight rushed over with an eager smile, paper and pencil ready.

“Well, they were first exposed to magic with the Elements of Harmony and the giant rainbow and blah-blah-blah,” Sunset said, rolling her hand.

“Don’t just say ‘blah-blah-blah’, I need details!”

Sunset groaned. “You know that whole story though. The point is, they got their Equestrian magic at the Fall Formal. That magic has been interacting with what’s left of the magic in this world, which up until now, the best way to do that was through music.” Sunset tapped her chin. “But there’s something else Artemis said. ‘Magic attracts more magic.’ Maybe, and this is a big maybe, the magic in this world is starting to come back?”

“How?”

“Well, we summoned a giant alicorn to shoot a rainbow at the Sirens,” Sunset said casually. “Maybe that generated more Equestrian magic into the world for other magic to be attracted to.”

Twilight pursed her lips as she scribbled. “I’m not quite sure I follow. How would this attraction even work?”

Sunset got up and walked to the whiteboard. “Well, magic’s a little like radiation.” She drew a unicorn horn and a squiggly blob around it. “Unicorns have to use external magic to interact with the world. It kinda leaves invisible residue behind. Normally, it doesn’t do anything. But, I have read reports of highly concentrated areas of pure magic. Weird stuff starts happening there. Things levitate on their own, animals are more sentient, the weather can’t be tamed. The most infamous area in Equestria like that is the Everfree Forest.”

“That doesn’t quite explain why magic is attracted to itself,” Twilight said with a frown.

Sunset made a poor attempt to draw protons and electrons. “It’s kinda like atoms. There’s a certain bond in magic that causes it to seek more out. It’s probably a lot more prominent in this world because there’s so little of it.”

“It’s desperate to find more of its type of bonding. Fascinating! It almost sounds sentient!”

“Yeah, magic sometimes feels like it does what it wants instead of what you tell it,” Sunset said with a hint of bitterness.

“Imagine if we could somehow track and contain that magical radiation!” An excited gleam filled Twilight’s eyes. “Think of how far in my research it could take us.”

Sunset couldn’t help but snicker a little. “Good luck with that, Sparky. You’re a genius, but I’m not sure even you could build something that could catch magic. I’m not even sure if magic could be used to catch magic.”

Twilight just hummed in thought. “Maybe if we just got something saturated in magic. Perhaps I could design something that would allow me to study it like a type of wavelength. The monitors at school got close.”

“Sounds a little more feasible.”

Twilight shook her head, snapping out of her scientific reverie. “We’re off topic though. How does more magic in the world correlate with Fluttershy ponying up without music?”

“Because…” Sunset drew a music note, an equal sign, and a six pointed star. “Music was our catalyst to interact with this world’s magic. But, if there’s more magic in the world now, maybe we don’t need music anymore to cross that threshold.” Sunset made a slash across the equal sign.

“But then, what triggered Fluttershy’s transformation?”

Sunset returned to her seat. “That, I don’t have an answer to yet. I also don’t know where her healing powers came from. Pegasi in Equestria can’t do that, I know for certain.”

Twilight made an annoyed grumble. “I guess that’s as far as we’ll get with this mystery for now. One of you girls needs to pony up again before I can make a clear hypothesis.” She sat down in the other rolling chair with a forlorn sigh.

“I can still give you your magic lesson. There’s plenty of things left to discuss.”

Twilight brightened and picked up her notebook again, listening intently as Sunset talked about the laws that governed magic.

“Sort of like the laws dictating the conservation of energy, Magus’ First Law of Magic states that pure magic cannot be created or destroyed. It can be dispelled, disrupted, moved, changed, etc.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” Twilight threw her hands up. “Two major questions! One: if it can’t be destroyed, then what happened to the magic in this world originally? Where did it all go? And two: didn't you just say you generated more magic with that rainbow? Isn’t that creating?”

“Yes, we generated Equestrian magic. I should have said we expelled a giant amount from our bodies. We got that magic from Equestria and released it into the world, we didn’t create it.” Sunset leaned to one side. “As to where this world’s magic went… you got me beat. And keep in mind, this is how Equestria works. I could be completely wrong about how magic works in this world.”

Twilight slapped her notebook against her head. “And this is why we have these sessions. One day, I’ll make sense of this world’s magic!”

She took less offense to the remaining laws, like the inability to conjure food from nothing, or create true life from something other than reproduction.

“I mean, necromancy is also a thing, but you can’t bring anything truly back from the dead.”

Twilight nodded and wrote. “Quite a common thing in most fantasy novels. Gives credence to the idea of the soul I suppose. Once the soul goes to… whatever happens next, it can’t come back.”

“Do you believe in souls, Twilight?”

She bit the top of her pin. “If you had asked me a year ago, I would have told you no. Now? I think… yes, souls exist. I don’t know what they are… but we all have one.”

Sunset wasn’t sure why, but the answer made her smile.

After an hour of discussion, Twilight slumped back in her chair with a sigh. “I think that’s enough for today.” She looked over her notes. “This is all so fascinating, but it’s just notes. I need testable data—something physical to analyze.”

“Sorry, Sparky. I can’t help you there.”

“Not yet. But when we find out what’s triggering these pony transformations, we might be able to turn them on and off at will. Imagine all of the scientific possibilities then!” She organized her notes, stood up, and stretched. “In the meantime, let’s do something a little less mentally stimulating.”

“Watch T.V?”

Twilight shook her head. “I was thinking more violin practice. You haven’t done it in a while, and you just spent the last hour or so teaching me. I thought I could return the favor.”

Sunset stood up and nodded as she stretched her arms over her head. “Yeah, that sounds good. I guess I could torment your ears for a while…. Though I see your eyes are having a good time.”

Twilight shot her eyes up from Sunset’s displayed chest. Her face turned scarlet. “I-I mean…. They were right there! You were probably doing it on purpose anyway!”

Truth was, Sunset might have been showing off just a little, but there was no way she’d admit it. She just laughed at Twilight’s flustered face and followed her out of the garage. Spot and Spike were curled up together on the living room rug, a sight that made Sunset and Twilight d’aaww. They left the puppies in peace and moved to Twilight’s room, shutting the door behind them.

“I’ll try not to sound too terrible,” Sunset said, getting comfy on Twilight’s bed. “I’d hate to wake them up.”

“I’m just happy they got along so well,” Twilight said while she rummaged under her bed for her violin case. “Imagine if we lived together and our dogs didn’t get along.”

Sunset’s ears stopped at ‘lived together’. Her brain conjured up an image of her and Twilight living in a small two-story house on the edge of the city. Not in the suburbs because Sunset hated the cookie-cutter design. Theirs would be unique, maybe Mediterranean style. And she’d have a strawberry bush in the backyard. And of course, there’d be a room for all of Twilight’s lab equipment. And a big kitchen! Sunset was learning to cook from Selena—she’d make home cooked meals for Twilight every day! Well, not every day, Sunset knew she’d be tired coming home from work and they’d just order a pizza and then curl up on the couch by the fireplace and—

“Sunset?”

She blinked, not realizing just how far into her fantasy she had gotten. Twilight held the violin and bow in front of her.

“Sorry. I, uh, dozed off there for a sec.” Sunset took the instrument, keeping her eyes down. She didn’t know why she bothered thinking that far ahead. Twilight’s future laid somewhere else.

Twilight instructed Sunset through the basic strokes. It had been over a month since Sunset had last practiced, but she managed to not get a wailing sound out of the violin, producing a decent facsimile of music. She moved up and down the scales a few times, then moved on to playing easy songs like ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’

“That was really good for a month without practice,” Twilight said. “Hopefully we can be more consistent from here on out. I think you could become really good at this.”

Sunset looked at her fingernails. “Yes, well, people have called me a prodigy. It’s only natural I excel at everything I try.”

Twilight playfully nudged her in the ribs. “Okay, miss prodigy. Let’s see if you can play something like this.” She took her violin back and settled into position. Two quick strokes, then a flurry of short notes. She repeated it four times then moved onto longer, deeper sounding chords. It actually sounded rather ominous to Sunset, like the march of some invading force, and a dark one at that. She liked it a lot but didn’t expect Twilight to play anything like it. She reached a softer part of the song where her bow barely flitted over the strings, making it sound even more sinister. It returned and ended with grandiose flair, and Twilight looking quite proud of herself.

Sunset clapped. “I’ll admit, that’s a hard act to beat. Wouldn’t expect something so dark out of you though.”

“It’s the Imperial March, of course I’d learn how to play that. And it’s not that dark.” Twilight paused. “Okay well, maybe.”

“The Imperial March?” Sunset asked.

Twilight blinked. “You know, Darth Vader’s theme?”

It was Sunset’s turn to blink. “Who what now?”

“You’ve never seen Star Wars?” Twilight screeched.

Sunset rubbed her ears. “Heard of, yes. Seen, no.”

Twilight gently set her violin down, then yanked Sunset by the arm and dragged her downstairs. “Shining! Shining!”

Shining was sprawled out on the couch, eyes drooping shut when Twilight hit the ground floor and screamed his name again. He sat up and stared in agitation. “Yes, Twily?”

“Sunset’s never seen Star Wars!”

Some of the bleariness left Shining’s eyes and he looked at Sunset with curiosity and amusement. “I’m starting to believe you are from another world. Well, get comfy you two. I guess we’re having a marathon today.”

Twilight sat Sunset down, bouncing in excitement. “I’ll go make popcorn! You’re going to love this!” She ran off into the kitchen while Shining set up the television.

My girlfriend’s a nerd in reading, science, and movies. Well, at least she’s well-rounded.

*******

Less than an hour later, Sunset was well hooked on this ‘space opera’ as Shining and Twilight called it. The effects were a little outdated, but the story and universe were quite interesting, even more so with Twilight whispering trivia into Sunset’s ear. Sometimes, Sunset had to get her to stop so she could actually enjoy the film.

Them, when the giant space station showed its true power…

“Twilight, can we build a Death Star?”

“No!”

*******

“Okay, so, Darth Vader used to be the old dude’s apprentice before he joined the dark side because, power?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, but, yes.”

“And that didn’t remind you of anyone else? Like, at all?”

“... Oh. Sunset, I’m so—”

“Don’t say it. As long as you’re aware of the parallels.”

“And you’re on the good side now!”

“Mmm.”

*******

“Twilight, can we build a lightsaber?”

“... Maybe.”

*******

“You know, I take back my previous complaints. If I’m compared to Darth Vader, I might take it as a compli—holy crap, he’s Luke’s father? How did I not see that coming?”

“Yeah, this kinda invented that cliche.”

“This movie is awesome!”

*******

“Twilight, can we please build a Death Star?”

“No!”

*******

After three films and over seven hours, the credits of the last movie rolled. Twilight pushed herself off Sunset’s shoulder and yawned. “Well, what’s your final verdict?”

Sunset rubbed her weary eyes. “I’ve have been seduced by the powers of the dark side. Who would’ve thought being a nerd would be this exciting.”

Twilight clapped her hands together. “Yes! I knew you’d like it. And see, Vader ended up being good in the end, too!”

“He also died.”

“The point,” Twilight said loudly, “is that he made the right choice in the end. And even with him being evil, Luke still cared about him.” At Sunset’s noncommittal grunt, Twilight rolled her eyes and continued. “And now that you’ve seen Star Wars, I can show you something even better! My personal favorite, Star Trek!”

“Didn’t you say there were prequels to these?”

Shining blew a raspberry as he got up from the couch. “Don’t even bother with those, they’re all terrible.”

Twilight whispered into Sunset’s ear. “I’ll show you when he isn’t around. They’re… not the best compared to the original trilogy, but they complete the story. And if you grew up with them, they’re good enough.”

Sunset wondered just how far into nerdom she was falling and if it was too late to climb out. But the giddy look in Twilight’s eye, and the fact that they now had something else to bond over made it worth it.

The grandfather clock in the next room struck nine, and Sunset decided she had imposed on Twilight’s hospitality long enough. She gathered Spot up and kissed Twilight good night, promising that, yes, they could watch Star Trek tomorrow.

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night?” Twilight asked.

“She’s sure!” Shining called from the kitchen.

Sunset gave her another kiss. “Maybe next time.”

*******

Only twelve hours later, Sunset knocked on Twilight’s door, holding Spot with her other hand. His tail was already wagging in preparation for his playmate. Spike barked on the other side of the door, and Spot responded.

The door flew open, unleashing Spike, followed by Twilight with a cocktail of emotions stirring in her eyes. They flickered between hope and despair, and her smiling lips quivered in nervous anticipation and hopeful anxiety. She waved a stack of letters in front of Sunset’s face.

“You’re just in time! You won’t believe what came in the mail today! Come on! Mom’s waiting in the kitchen! I’m glad you’re here though! Shining and Dad left for work, but I wanted more than one person here when I open these! Or maybe it would be best if you left and came back later! I don’t want to have a meltdown in front of you! Unless I get in, in which case, I want you here so we can celebrate! But not like a rubbing it in your face celebration, just a—”

Sunset clapped a hand over Twilight’s mouth. “Hey, Sparky. I’m fine. Yes, it is a nice day. I had a dream about Star Wars last night. Now, when I move my hand, you’re going to start from the top and calmly tell me what you’re babbling about. You sound like Pinkie.”

Twilight nodded and Sunset put her hand down. “I got my acceptance letters today! Or rejection letters! I haven’t opened them yet!”

Today’s butterflies were toxic, as Sunset felt both excited and nauseous. “That’s… wow, yeah, that’s nerve wracking.” She put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and pushed her back inside so she could also step in and finally put Spot down. Spike had been doing a good job at clawing up Sunset’s pants. “Don’t worry, acceptance or not, I’m here for you. But come on, let’s be honest, with grades like yours, I’m sure you got in.”

“But they want more than grades! What if I didn’t do enough extracurricular activities for them? Yes, I was in orchestra and I did the Summer Space Cadet Program five years in a row, and I’m sure the science fair helped too, but other students have been part of the student government or already studied abroad! Some of them have five-hundred hours of community service! Why didn’t I go down to the soup kitchen once in awhile?”

“Twilight, sweetie—” Sunset was echoed by Mrs. Velvet, stepping into the front room. “I know you’re nervous, but I think you’re overthinking this now,” Velvet finished.

“I’m not overthinking, I’m underprepared!” Twilight took several short breath before a crooked smile crossed over her. “I know, I’ll just not open them! I can’t be rejected if I can’t read them!”

“You also can’t be accepted,” Sunset said pointedly.

“Yep! Schrodinger's letters! I’ll just stay here, master the violin and join the symphony.”

Mrs. Velvet plucked the letters out of Twilight’s sweating palms. “How about we save that for a plan C? Twilight, you’re smart, well-rounded—”

“Not in sports!”

“—And brave,” Velvet finished. “You can open a few letters. And Sunset and I will be right here with you. We could even wait for your father and brother to get home if you want, but you’re opening those letters today and meeting your future head on.”

Twilight took several more gulps of air and made a loud swallow. Her face remained pale, but she nodded and took the letters back, taking a seat at the dining room table. “Okay, okay, I can do this. First… Oxford.”

Hearing the envelope tear open, Sunset felt her own heart tearing in two. Having Twilight move away was one thing, but moving to another country? Another continent? It was insult to injury. Be supportive. This is about her, not you.

Twilight pulled the folded letter out and began to read, her mouth moving, but words remaining inaudible. She quickly slammed the letter against the table and pushed it away like it was contagious. “That’s fine! I didn’t want to go to Europe anyway!” she said in a high-pitched voice.

“Sweetheart…” Velvet hugged her from behind. “It’s okay, it’s okay. You’ve still got plenty of other choices.”

Eyes wet, but tears refusing to fall, Twilight stared pensively at the first letter. “They said they wanted me to get some real college experience here first before considering taking me as a transfer student. It’s fair I guess… I was just looking forward to seeing the world.”

“Just because they said no doesn’t mean you still can’t,” Sunset said, mentally kicking herself for the slight relief she had upon seeing the rejection. She wanted to feel more disgusted with herself, but too much of her was glad Twilight was staying on this half of the world.

“Okay.” Twilight took a fresh breath. “Let’s look a little closer to home. I probably would have gotten homesick anyway.” She picked up the second envelope and tore it open, putting another tear in Sunset’s heart in the process. “This one’s from Yale.”

“Fingers crossed!” Velvet said.

Twilight’s eyes scanned over the letter. She bit her lips and tossed it aside to join Oxford, then buried her head in the crook of her arm.

“Sweetie, it’s okay! It’s gonna be okay!” Velvet cooed while Sunset moved in for a tighter hug.

“I was right! I should have done more outside of school!” Twilight sobbed into her arm. Sunset wasn’t sure which killed her more: Twilight’s pain, or her own selfish joy. “If Yale said no, then Harvard’s going to say the same thing!”

“You don’t know that,” Sunset said. She kneeled by Twilight’s chair and took her hand. “Hey, look at me. If they’re dumb enough not to accept you, then that’s their loss. They don’t know what they’re missing. Twilight, you’re brilliant and compassionate and driven, and one of these schools knows that! Come on, don’t give up yet.”

Velvet rubbed Twilight’s back. “Listen to her, Twily. Do you know I got rejected from five out of the seven schools I applied to? Yes, it stung, and yes, I didn’t get my first choice. But all those rejections just made my acceptance letters all the sweeter. And I guarantee at least one school here said yes.” She slid another envelope in front of Twilight.

She raised her head and wiped her eyes on her sleeve before taking and opening the manila slip. Sunset watched her face as she read, and there was not a look of devastation or pain, but disbelief that quickly rose to euphoria. “‘D-dear Miss Sparkle, we hope this letter finds you well. After a long examination process from thousands of worthy candidates, we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to consider enrollment at MIT this autumn!’” Twilight hugged the letter and screamed, causing both Spike and Spot to bark in alarm.

Velvet jumped up and threw her hands in the air. “There you go! I knew you got into at least one! Congratulations!”

“MIT is one of the best science schools in the country! It was one of my top choices! And I got in! I got in! Sunset, I got in!”

Sunset smiled wide, hugging and kissing her on the cheeks. “I’m so happy and proud of you, Sparky!” She meant it, too. Seeing tears of joy flowing behind Twilight’s glasses, Sunset’s heart soared. She wanted to be there for Twilight’s victories and defeats and root for her every step of the way. It crashed back down when she remembered that it wouldn’t be possible, the letter in Twilight’s hand proved as much.

But Sunset kept smiling. She smiled when Twilight got into Harvard and Polytech and the Institute of Science. Every acceptance letters for Twilight was a defeat for Sunset, but she refused to dampen Twilight’s moment. By the end, Twilight could barely get any words out, she was sobbing with joy.

“It’s okay,” Velvet said, kissing Twilight’s wet face. “I’ll call everyone and tell them the good news. You two enjoy the moment.” Velvet hurried off to the kitchen, leaving Twilight to throw her arms around Sunset’s neck.

Sunset closed her eyes and just held her. Remember this moment. Soon, that’s all you’ll have left. Memories. “I’m so happy for you,” Sunset repeated for umpteenth time.

Twilight hiccuped and set her glasses down as she pulled herself off Sunset. “I-I don’t e-even know wh-which one to ch-choose. I was t-too scared of getting rejected from everyone.”

“Whichever you choose, they’ll have gotten a great girl,” Sunset said.

“Wait until the girls find out. Oh my gosh! They must have gotten their letters, too! I hope they all got into the schools they wanted! This is all so exciting! I can’t believe this is happening! This is happening, right? I’m not dreaming, am I? Ow!” Twilight grabbed her arm.

Sunset rubbed her fingers together. “Does that answer your question?”

Velvet returned, phone in one hand and tissues in the other. “Here, your dad wants to say congratulations!” She handed Twilight the phone and quickly wiped up her face before she could speak.

“Hi, Dad! I know, I can’t believe it either!” Twilight got up and went into the kitchen.

“You should be getting your letters any day, too,” Velvet said.

“Huh? Oh, right! Yeah, can’t wait!” Sunset said, smiling straining. She had almost forgotten about the string of lies she had told the Sparkles last year. Most of them still hadn’t been resolved with anyone other than Shining. She couldn’t wait to tell them she hadn’t gotten into any schools.

“Imagine if you and Twilight went to the same college together. It’s be so romantic. Plus, Twilight needs all the help she can get when it comes to making more friends.”

“I’m sure she could manage on her own. She’s really come out of her shell.”

Velvet walked around and gave Sunset a hug. Sunset locked up for a second but forced herself to relax. “And we owe a lot of it to you, Sunset. You and the girls are a great influence on her.”

Sunset could only laugh, trying her best not to make it sound nervous. “Well, you know… heh, heh.”

Velvet let up and pat Sunset on the head before joining Twilight in the other room. Sunset watched Spike and Spot chase a ball around, barking when the other got a hold of it. It served as an amusing distraction for a minute, but Sunset couldn’t hide from her sour thoughts. She looked at the pile of acceptance letters on the table: roads Twilight could take toward a promising future, options on how she wanted to shape her life. Sunset had no such luxuries.

Stop making this about you! But Sunset couldn’t help it. Because whatever Twilight did would affect her, for better or worse. And Sunset knew if she said anything, there was a chance it would influence Twilight’s decision, and Sunset couldn’t allow that.

She wanted Twilight to be happy and successful. And for that to happen, Sunset knew she couldn’t fit into the picture.

Twilight stepped back into the room, and Sunset put her smile back on. “I’m sorry. I wanted us to watch more movies, but Mom is going to be calling everyone nonstop and having me talk to them—”

Sunset held her hands up. “Hey, it’s your big day. I’m not going to get mad because your family wants to congratulate you. A little jealous maybe…”

Twilight gave her a gentle nudge before throwing her arms around Sunset again. “I’m really happy you were here for all this too.”

Sunset leaned into her and sighed. “Yeah. So am I.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Revenge of the Nerd

8. In the Shadows

“Nobody make any plans for tomorrow night!” Pinkie said as she ran up to the park table where the rest of the Spectacular Seven were already gathered. “Because you’re all invited to my ‘Congratulations on Getting into College’ party at Sugarcube Corner!”

The girls cheered, and Sunset politely clapped in approval. That’s all it had been the past twenty-four hours: texts and snapshots of acceptance letters and plans and hopes. Sunset played her part and cheered for all of her friends with sincerity, ignoring the tightening vice around her heart.

They’re all going to leave. Even Trixie’s going to move out eventually. She had run these thoughts in her head ever since the year began, but now that time drew horridly short, and her friends stood at the crossroads of their futures, the fact was an overbearing monster that wedged its way into Sunset’s every thought. What was she going to do without the comfort of her friends? She had spent so long climbing out of that deep pit she had dug herself into, gotten so used to leaning on their shoulders…. Where did she go next?

All of the confusion and panic lay buried beneath her encouraging and optimistic smile. Her friends were happy. That was all that mattered. Pinkie was going to culinary school and even considering taking some business classes so she could start her own catering company. Fluttershy was off to become a veterinarian while Rainbow had gotten an offer from a few schools for her athletic abilities. Rarity had been accepted to a fashion institute in New York that Prim Hemline had graduated from, as Rarity would happily remind everyone. Applejack was the only one not leaving the city, as she was perfectly content to just take a few classes at the local university while she continued her work on the farm.

At least I’ll have one friend still here.

“This is all so wonderful!” Rarity said. “It seems like just yesterday we were freshmen. Now here we are, about to take our first steps into the real world!”

“Just think of how much fun we’re all going to have!” Pinkie said, bouncing on the bench seat. “College parties!”

“College football games!” Rainbow said, punching a fist in the air.

“Academic libraries,” Twilight said dreamily.

“Ah reckon we’ll all have a lot of stories to tell,” Applejack said.

There was a slight lull in the conversation before Fluttershy quietly asked, “Do you think we’ll… still keep in touch with everything going on?”

“Of course we will,” Pinkie said automatically. “We’re best friends! We’ll text and voice chat and meet up every vacation.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or else.”

Applejack chuckled. “Can’t argue against Pinkie’s famous ‘or else.’ And she’s right. Sure, it won’t be the same, but we’ll all keep in touch. It’d be a crime if we didn’t after what we’ve been through together.”

Sunset wanted to believe that. But she had seen close friendships end over dumber things than time and distance. They might keep up contact for the first few months, but after that…

But they are the Elements of Harmony. Maybe they can beat the odds. It was small, but it was hope enough for Sunset to cling to. The girls talked for an hour more with Rainbow finally asking the question Sunset knew would come.

“So, what are you gonna do next year?”

Sunset nonchalantly shrugged. “Oh, you know. I’ll just be hanging out. Work with the Lulamoons. Maybe I’ll ride around the country on my motorcycle.”

Twilight tried to give her a look of confidence, but it came out closer to pity. “That could be fun. I know a lot of students like to backpack around Europe after they’re done with school.”

“See? I haven’t seen that much of this world. Exploring could be good for me. You know, as long as I never have to show my I.D. to anyone.” Sunset took her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. “I should go. The Lulamoons should be back soon and I want to be there when they come home.”

The girls bade her farewell, and Sunset made her way home. She brought in the mail, finding two college letters for Trixie. What would she even study? She tidied up the house, not that there had been much of a mess to begin with, and watched T.V with Spot on the couch.

The front door opened and Sunset heard Artemis shout, “The Lulamoons have returned! Please, hold your applause.”

And, I miss the quiet. Sunset got up and greeted them in the other room, all three of them wearing star-shaped sunglasses. “You look like you had a good time.”

“Of course we did!” Artemis pulled Sunset into a one-armed hug while he gestured wildly with his other hand. “The lights! The food! The white tigers! It was all stupendous! We wish you had been there!”

“Trixie did get you a souvenir cup though.” Trixie reached into her bag and pulled out a white novelty cup with palm trees that lit up.

“And I got a new wand!” Artemis pulled a wand from his sleeve and twirled it in his fingers. “I suppose I was due for a new one anyway. This one’s a little more flexible too, so it should be a bit more durable.” He stepped back with a flourish and tapped the top of Sunset’s head. “Lulamoon!”

Sunset felt something wet trickle down her scalp, but when she reached up for a feel, her hair was dry. Pulling a handful around for a look, she saw it was blue and gold instead of red. “Change it back.”

“Glad to see your sense of humor is as robust as ever! Lulamoon!”

Before her eyes, the blue slid out of her hair, replaced by its natural crimson. “Glad to see we still haven’t established personal boundaries.”

Like he hadn’t heard a word she said, Artemis wrapped an arm around Sunset again. “So! Tell us all about your mountain adventure! I’m sure it must be quite the yarn spinner!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, Moondancer took us there in her stupid private helicopter—”

“A high-flying beginning!”

“—we stayed in a fancy cabin and went snowboarding—”

“A flurry of excitement!”

“—got chased by a bear—”

“Full of pulse-pounding thrills!”

“—and Rainbow broke her shoulder—”

“And tragic spills!”

“—then Fluttershy somehow magically healed it.”

“But with a heartwarming ending!” Artemis frowned. “Wait, what now?”

Sunset ducked out from Artemis’ hold. “Yeah, we don’t know either. Fluttershy went to visit Rainbow when we got home, ponied up without music, and healed Rainbow’s broken bone.”

“Hmm…” Artemis tapped his wand against his chin, turning it various colors. “That’s quite the phenomenon. Perhaps your grandstanding at your showdown with the Sirens triggered something? It’s hard to say; yours is a different type of magic from what I’m familiar with.” He mumble a few things under his breath, unaware his chin was currently green.

“We also ran into a wolf spirit on the mountain.”

Artemis looked up and broke into a grin. “You’re just a supernatural magnet, aren’t you? And what did the spirit want?”

Sunset shrugged. “Not sure. The people living there said it comes to warn you when something bad is about to happen. It showed up, and then the next day, Rainbow broke her arm. But… it looked right at me though. Like it was trying to tell me something else.”

He nodded sagely and walked into the kitchen. “If I’ve learned anything it’s to never ignore advice from a spirit. But, don’t let its warning consume you, otherwise you’ll just end up paranoid. Whatever will happen will happen.” He looked back at Sunset. “But I know you’re tough enough to face anything life throws at you.”

Sunset’s cheeks burned, and she looked away as she smiled.

Trixie followed them and spotted the mail on the counter. “My letters are here!” She leapt across the kitchen and snatched the mail up. “And now, for the moment of Trixie’s greatest triumph yet!”

“Fingers crossed,” Sunset said. Hey, if she doesn’t get in, that means we get to hang out together... I must be pretty desperate if I’m willing to spend the next two years with Trixie. Not that Sunset wanted Trixie to fail, but if anyone in her friend group had the least likely chance to get accepted—

“Eeeeeeeeeeee!” Trixie jumped up and down and waved her arms like a desperate bird. “I got into Everton! I got into Everton!” She stopped and cleared her throat, holding a hand to her chest. “I mean, they would be foolish not to recognize Trixie’s natural intellectual gift. Good for them.”

Selena wrapped Trixie into a powerful hug, raining kisses on her forehead. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Haha!” Artemis set off mini fireworks from his wand. “That’s my girl! First stop, college, next stop, the world!”

Sunset smiled and gave Trixie a thumbs up. “Congrats, Trix. Pinkie’s having a party tomorrow night for everyone.”

“Trixie supposes she could make a guest appearance,” she said in her boastful tone, a smile stretching from ear to ear.

With one last roll of her eyes, Sunset quietly slipped upstairs to her room. She left the door open. Closing it would make it seem like something was wrong, and give Princess Twilight an excuse to talk to her. She laid on her bed and looked at the decorative multicolored lights hanging from her wall.

Friendship isn’t easy… but it’s worth fighting for. Sunset recalled her own words from the Winter Ball. This wasn’t a fight to be had though. Time would move forward and her friends would move on. She just had to accept that. Then what was the point of all this if it’s just going to all go away?

Would you rather have been lonely the entire time? A squeaky voice in her head asked.

Get out of my thoughts!

I am your thoughts!

“Sunset?”

She startled and and jerked her head, finding Selena in her doorway. “Oh, hi. I guess I didn’t hear you.”

Selena stepped in and sat on the edge of the bed. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.” Sunset put her hands up. “Really, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Because we can talk if you need to.”

“I appreciate it, but there’s really not much to talk about.” Sunset leaned against the headrest and stared at the window across from her. “So everyone’s moving on with their lives; that’s great! I’ll find a way to move on, too.”

Selena watched her for a time before standing up. “Well, either way, you’ll always have a home here. Artemis and I have really enjoyed having you. And you saved our family. That’s not a debt I’ll forget anytime soon.”

Sunset ignored the voice telling her she was the reason they had been in danger in the first place and just smiled. “Thanks.”

*******

Sunset and the Lulamoons arrived at Sugarcube Corner on Saturday just as the sun went down. The first sight to greet them inside was a large rainbow banner with ‘Congratulations!’ written across it. Several tables hosted platters of cupcakes with different frostings and sprinkles, and a bowl of blue punch sat on the center table.

“Ha! My teeth are rotting just looking at all this,” Artemis said jovially. “Moondancer!” he cried, making Sunset jump.

Moondancer looked away from Twilight and gasped, throwing her hands to her cheeks. “Uncle Arty!” She ran over and embraced him a warm hug. “It’s been too long!”

“Yes it has, little Moonflower! You know you’re welcome at our house at any time.”

Preferably when I’m not there, Sunset thought, moving away while they caught up. Pinkie hadn’t just invited their core group of friends, Sunset saw several other students and their parents. Unsurprising since Pinkie made friends with everyone, but Sunset hadn’t been expecting an actual party.

She waved to Roseluck and Vinyl having a conversation at the punch bowl, and smiled at Sandalwood in the corner. Her friends were spread out across the shop, talking and congratulating their peers. Naturally, Sunset gravitated toward Twilight, but halfway there, Amethyst Star wandered onto her path.

“Hey, Sunset! How’s your vacation going?”

“Not bad. Yours?”

Amethyst smiled. “It was pretty boring until a few days ago when all my letters came in at once. I still can’t believe I got accepted into every school I applied for! Now I’m trying to decide where to go, and get scholarships to help my parents pay for it. So, where did you get accepted into? You’ve always had the highest GPA in school, I bet you got in somewhere nice.”

Sunset felt her face twist into an awkward grimace. “Actually I, uh, well, didn’t apply anywhere this year. I decided I wanted to… find myself. You know, go exploring and see the world.”

“Hey, that sounds like fun! My parents would never let me do anything like that. I never would have expected that out of you though.”

“Yep, I’m just full of surprises!” Sunset said with an overabundance of pep. She picked up a blue cupcake and smiled at Amethyst until she moved on. When she left, Sunset stared at the pastry morosely.

“You really going to explore the world?”

Sunset glanced over her shoulder and found Flash looking sympathetic. “I don’t know. Maybe. Wandering aimlessly sounds a little better than sitting aimlessly.”

“I guess so.” Flash picked up a purple frosted cupcake and tapped it against Sunsets, mixing the frosting. “Well, maybe this’ll give you another reason to go see the world. I’m going to Canterlot University.”

“Really?” Sunset said with a snicker. She frowned. “But what about your music career?”

“Hey, it’s still my number one priority, and one reason I’m not leaving town. But…” he sighed with his whole body. “I know not everyone makes it in that business. So, it’d be a good idea to have a back-up plan. Maybe I’ll get a degree in electrical engineering.”

Sunset nodded in understanding. “And… what about you and Rarity?”

Flash stared at the swirls of his cupcake. “Umm… we haven’t had that conversation yet. I think I’m still climbing an uphill slope from the Battle of the Bands.” He flinched at his own words. “What about you and Twilight?”

“We haven’t had that conversation either.” She took a small bite and chewed slowly. “I’m not even sure what I’d say to her.”

“I know. Long distance relationships aren’t easy, but I know they can work.” Flash looked over at Rarity engrossed in a discussion with Rainbow and Amethyst. “Good luck to both of us.”

Sunset gave him a gentle punch on the shoulder. “Yeah, good luck.” She resumed her walk toward Twilight, only to see her talking to Micro Chip, a giant smile plastered on her face. Sunset’s heart sank, and she found an empty table to sit down at while she finished her cupcake.

Applejack slid into the seat across from her. “You okay, Sugarcube?”

“Yeah.” Sunset waved a hand. “I’m fine.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look,” Sunset grumbled. But Applejack persisted with her hard stare. “What do you want me to say?”

“Ah want you to tell me how you honestly feel about all this. Ah can see something is eatin’ at ya, and Ah have a pretty good feeling Ah know what it is.”

Sunset folded her arms on the table and rested her head against them. “So maybe I’m a little sad you’re all moving away. It’s not a big deal. I’ll get over it. You all deserve to move on and have futures.”

Applejack put a hand on Sunset’s elbow. “Ain’t no reason to be ashamed you feel sad, Sunset. Ah’m sad too. Ah’m gonna miss all you girls when we move on. It’s natural. What’s important is makin’ the most of the time we have left. It’s not as good as the real thing, but havin’ good memories helps when the distance feels too great.”

“I know. It’s just…” Sunset let the words die and lifted her head. “You’re right. I should stop moping and just enjoy the time we have left.”

“That’s the spirit.” Applejack stood and pointed to Twilight. “Go on now, Ah’ve seen you lookin’ at her like a lovesick puppy.”

Sunset stuck her tongue out as Applejack laughed and walked away. She looked at Twilight and squared her shoulders. Just enjoy what time you have left.

*******

Lamia stared absently at the tower, still amazed and annoyed it even existed. Eccentric freaks. The lights in the house were all off, the Lulamoons having left ten minutes ago.

She had been watching the house for several days, when it had been empty half the time. But Lamia had waited on Moondancer’s insistence that Artemis was a wild card. He could have showed up any second.

“It’s better to know for certainty where everyone is, is it not?”

Though she hated conceding a point to the spoiled princess, Lamia knew Moondancer was right. As much as she wanted to go down there, rob the Lulamoons blind, and give the little Sunset a kick in the ass, she waited patiently.

Her watch blinked green and she rose from her rooftop perch. “Showtime, Jorgey.” She jumped to the next roof, closing her distance to the target.

With her usual elegance, she landed in the backyard, avoiding the well kept flower bush. Ten bucks says the study is in that stupid tower. She looked up to the single window decorating it. “Let’s hope there’s not some magical disintegration spell on it,” she whispered to Jörmangandr coiled around her shoulders. He hissed and she nodded her head. “You’re right, let’s take the inside, just to be safe.”

Lamia opened her satchel and pulled out her short-range EMP. She flipped the switch and waited a few seconds before putting the box away and walking up to the back door, taking out her lock pick from her utility belt. In a matter of seconds, she pulled the door open and stepped inside, glad to hear the sweet sound of silence.

It broke after a few steps into the kitchen. A small dog came running at her, barking and trying his best to be intimidating. Lamia swooped down and pinched the side of his neck. The dog instantly fell over, his eyes drooping shut.

“Good night, puppy.”

“Hissss.”

“No, you can’t eat him.”

She paused when she entered the living room, staring at the abhorrent amount of pictures and tapestries coating the walls, all of them depicting tender family moments or scenic gatherings. The warm feeling emitting from the show of familial love nauseated Lamia. She hurried up the stairs and located the door to the study.

“What do you think, Jorgey?” Lamia asked, examining the closed door. “Booby trapped?”

“Hissssss.”

“I know. I hate magic too.” Lamia took out a set of pliers and a nail file. She held the file with the pliers and scooted closer to the door, giving it a series of pokes. “Well, it’s not bursting into flames.” Sweat gathering on her brow, Lamia reached for the knob, giving it a slow turn. She jumped back as it creaked open, arms raised in self-defense. When nothing assaulted her, magical or otherwise, she pushed the door open with her foot and poked her head inside.

It looked like something a kooky old man would have. Shelves filled with books and odd looking baubles and doodads. A ship-in-a-bottle sat on the large desk, its main mast lying on its side. Lamia took her time slinking across the room, constantly surveying anything that looked like it might come to life or screech like an alarm.

Keeping her body low, Lamia snuck behind the desk and looked at the bottom of the back shelf. There sat the silver chest, shining even in the dark. She reached into the neck of her body suit and pulled out the key Moondancer had given her, silver with a handle shaped like a crescent moon.

“The chest is magically sealed. Even with your talents, you’d be hard pressed to break in. This is your golden ticket.”

“And how did you come across this?”

“... My mother gave it to me.”

Lamia inserted it into the lock and gave it a turn. With a click, the lid snapped open, and Lamia pulled it up, beholding the contents. It looked like an assortment of random junk. There was an old black notebook, a hand mirror, broken ruby shards…

She sifted through the box until she reached the bottom, her fingers brushing against something cold and metallic. She scooped it up and brought to eye level. It’s dark coloring made it hard to define in the shadows, but the brilliant gem in its center and the feel of engraved wings on the side gave Lamia no room for doubt.

“Well, you fit the bill. Time to scoot.” She pocketed her prize and closed the chest, taking the key with her. As she stood up, the sound of a sword being unsheathed came from the door. Lamia swore and bowed her head. “How the hell did you know?”

“You think we would leave this room without some security?” Selena said, stepping inside. “Artemis knows whenever someone enters.”

“And he sent you to deal with me? That’s cute.” Lamia turned around, seeing Selena’s sword pointed at her.

“My turn to ask a question. How did you open the chest and what did you take?”

Lamia tsked and wagged a finger. “That’s two questions. I’m afraid that’s grounds for disqualification.” She rolled to the side, popping up and side-stepping Selena’s first swing. Lamia struck out with her palm, and Selena braced it with her shoulder before swinging again. Lamia ducked in time, but felt the wind swish over her head.

I can’t fight her like this. She has a long reach in a short space. Lamia kicked at Selena’s shins, getting her to drop to one knee. Selena made a forward stab, but Lamia jumped to the side again, lining herself up with the window. She turned and threw herself through it, shattering the glass and ripping through the screening. She hit the grass with a roll, letting out a curse as the impact still sent a violent shock through her body.

Looking back at the window, she saw Selena glaring down at her. Lamia lifted her middle finger and broke into a run. She was almost glad Selena had caught her in the act. It made victory all the sweeter.

*******

Sunset held the pan while Trixie swept up the broken glass that had fallen inside the study. Sunset sucked on her teeth all the while, wondering where Lamia had gone and why she had wanted to break into the Lulamoon house anyway.

Artemis closed the chest and sighed. “Well, this is a fine pickle.” He stored it away and sat down in his armchair, tapping a finger against the desk.

“What did they take?” Trixie asked.

“That’s the pickle. I’m not sure. Everything I remember putting in there is still there. But we’ve used that chest for a number of things over the years. If this Lamia character did make off with something, I’m wondering how dangerous it actually was.”

“It was in the off-limits trunk,” Selena said testily. “Of course it’s dangerous to some degree.”

Artemis rested his cheek in his hand and let out a huff. “I still can’t believe this Lamia is the human version of you, Sunset. You’re bright, brave, and fun, and she’s… a thief. I’d find it hysterical if we hadn’t just been robbed.”

Sunset said the pan down and made an uncomfortable laugh. “Yeah, funny how things work like that.”

Trixie crossed her arms and made a huff similar to her father’s. “Trixie wants to know how she even got inside. The chest is enchanted; only the right key can unlock it, and father only made two.”

“I’m guessing you have one,” Sunset said. “Who has the other?”

Artemis steepled his fingers together, a forlorn light in his eyes that aged him greatly. “Apalla had it. And it was buried with her.”

“Oh.” Sunset bit her tongue. She let the silence hold out a little longer before speaking again. “So, what do we now?”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do right now,” Artemis said with a sigh. “Unless we know what she actually took. And involving the police would become a messy business with doppelgangers and magical artifacts involved. For now, we keep an ear to the ground.”

Sunset shoved her hands in her pockets. She had half a mind to go find Lamia and take back whatever had been stolen. And give her a good kick for stunning Spot. But odds were, she was no longer hiding out in the factory. And unless Sunset could get her good magic to flare up, Lamia would beat her in a fight.

Artemis motioned to the broken window. “Trixie, be a dear and fix that for me, please.”

“Watch and be amazed!” Trixie cried, brandishing her wand. She pointed it at the collected glass shards. “Lulamoon!” They sprung out of the pan and fit together back inside the pane. However, while they stuck together, the cracks remained, giving it stained glass effect without the color.

“I-I can do it better!” Trixie said, preparing her wand again.

“Actually, I think I like it like that,” Selena said.

“Really?”

“Agreed,” Artemis said. He flicked his wand at it, turning it blue. “See? Perfect.”

*******

“And that, class, sums up our review of the history of the now outdated String Theory.” Twilight set the piece of chalk down and dusted her hands off. She turned to the rows of chairs rising up in front of her. Her audience of Smartypants dolls clapped in admiration with a few of them still writing down her detailed and well-organized lesson. She took a bow and adjusted her glasses. “Any questions?”

“Professor Sparkle!” One of her students thrust his hand in the air. “As the founder and leading mind of all things magi-tech, what are your opinions about the potential for perpetual energy?”

“An excellent question,” Twilight said to the reporter. “Once we find the source of unicorn magic, I believe we can eliminate the need for any fossil fueled devices and create sustainable living for all!” She basked in the applause of the press and stepped away from the podium, ducking behind a curtain.

“That was brilliant, Sparky!”

A pair of strong, comforting arms wrapped around Twilight from behind, and soft lips kissed her cheek. Twilight melted into the embrace, resting her head beneath Sunset’s chin. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. “Please. You would have done just fine. I’m glad I could share this with you though.

Twilight twirled around and faced Sunset, slipping a hand under her shirt. “I love you.” She pushed herself up on her toes.

Sunset stooped down. “I love you, too.”

Twilight bolted up from her desk with a loud snort. Half her vision had gone white with blue lines and black veins weaving throughout it. There was also something wet on the side of her mouth. She reached up and pulled off a piece of paper, taking a thin line of drool with it.

Checking her clock, she saw it was 9:32 P.M. Pinkie’s party must have taken more out of me than I thought. She wiped the drool from her lips, remembering how close she had come to kissing dream Sunset. Her stomach fluttered. She had used those three legendary words again. Sunset had spent several nights running through Twilight’s dreams. Logical, given their relationship. But lately, things were different in the sleeping world. Her dream self had more courage than her, daring to speak out about the innermost workings of her heart.

Twilight had tried in the waking world, but something always stopped her, usually herself. Three little words carried a lot of weight. What if Sunset didn’t say it back? What if Twilight didn’t actually mean it? ‘Love’ was thrown around so carelessly by teenagers. Twilight wanted it to mean something when she said it. Did she even… L word Sunset? She was in love with her, and Cadence said there was a difference. How did she know when the transition happened?

More than that, what did they do afterward? Twilight was moving on to college, Sunset was… not. What was the point in saying that word when they were just going to say goodbye later? Could they handle a long-distance relationship? Even if they could, what if Sunset went back to Equestria? Twilight’s empty stomach roiled at the notion. Being a city or state away was one thing. Different worlds? And worlds where time didn’t align with each other.

Like a quick cut, the idea that Sunset was at least half a decade older than she looked sliced through Twilight’s thoughts. She pressed a hand to her head, trying to push it out. Age is just a number. And she looks eighteen. On top of everything else facing them, Sunset’s age was the least of Twilight’s concerns.

She reached for her phone. In situations like this, she knew there was only one person to turn to. Just as Twilight got to her contacts screen, a knock came from her door.

“Twilight,” a melodic voice sang, “special dumpling delivery!”

Twilight stared at her phone, then looked to the door. There’s no way this is a coincidence. She got up and pulled the door open, finding Cadence waving a bag of Chinese take-out.

“Are you secretly psychic? Or do you just know when I have a relationship problem?”

Cadence waltzed in and sat on Twilight’s bed, taking time to scratch Spike on his stomach. “Nope! I guess I’m just in the right place at the right time.” She set the food on the bedside table and gave Twilight a more serious look. “But, if you have a problem, you know I’m all ears.”

Twilight closed the door and sat down next to her. “It’s not a problem per se… or maybe it is?” She wrung her hands. “Sunset is… but I’m going to…” She pulled her hands apart and took a deep breath. Just start at the root of the problem. “Cadence… when did you know you loved Shining?”

Cadence’s eyes widened and sparkled. “Ah, I see.” She let out a dreamy giggle. “Well, Shiny and I had been going out for a few months. It was winter, and there was a flu bug going around. I got it and was home sick from school.” She giggled again. “So after school, Shining trudged through the snow and brought me a container of soup he made himself. He even spoon fed it to me in bed.”

“That sounds romantic.”

“Not as romantic as you’d think. I was a sniffling, coughing, nauseated mess.” She leaned in to Twilight. “And between us, your brother isn’t the best cook. I played it off that I didn’t have my appetite back, but the soup he made was terrible.” They shared a short laugh, leaning on each other’s shoulders.

“But, as I was lying there, listening to him talk and realizing what he had done for me, it just sort of clicked. I didn’t know yet if he would be the one, but I knew I loved him, and wanted to make an effort to make him the one.” She rested her chin in her palm and wiggled her eyebrows. “Now, tell me about you and Sunset. I saw you two cuddled on the couch during our vacation.”

Twilight turned her face to hide her red cheeks. “I mean… we’ve only been together a few months. We haven’t even know each other for a whole year. And there’s so many things that make us different from each other. But every time I close my eyes, I see her. And I just feel so great every time we’re together, even when she’s being all Sunset. But I don’t know if that’s love or just teenage hormones!” Twilight grabbed her pillow and buried her face in it. “Cadence, tell me how to feel!”

Cadence rubbed a hand on her back. “Ladybug, I can’t tell you how to feel or who to feel it toward. Maybe it’s love, maybe it’s just infatuation. You have to decide that. It’s hard sometimes, but you just have to trust your heart. And if you make a mistake along the way, it’s not the end of the world.”

Twilight lifted her eyes but kept her mouth buried in the pillow. “Maybe I need to collect data.”

“Twily, love isn’t a science experiment. You can’t measure it. Heck, we can barely define it.” She ran a hand through Twilight’s hair. “Maybe you’ll have some eureka moment about your feelings for Sunset. Or maybe they’ll just creep up on you when you least expect it. Or maybe, you already know the answer.”

“Mmph.” Maybe love couldn’t be quantified or controlled, but she could at least match her feelings up to other people. She needed to be absolutely sure about this feeling before she went and told Sunset.

Cadence pecked her on the cheek. “Come on now, Ladybug, don’t make me eat all these dumplings by myself. I can’t afford to get fat before my wedding.”

*******

“You’re late.”

Lamia hadn’t even finished climbing onto the balcony before she heard Moondancer’s overly sweet voice. She pulled herself over and glared at the richly dressed girl through the slits in her mask. “So sorry, your highness. The traffic here was just unbelievable.”

Moondancer sat at a balcony table, a cup of tea in her hands. “Sarcasm. The uncultured and desperate response plebeians give when they don’t have an intellectual answer.”

“Do you want this thing or not?”

Moondancer held her hand out. “I expect to receive it regardless. I simply hope you’ll hand it to me instead of me forcing it from you.”

The urge to punt her off the balcony and into the garden burned strong, but Lamia knew better than to pick a direct fight. She reached into her satchel and tossed Moondancer her trinket and the key. “Now, my payment?”

“Yes, don’t worry,” Moondancer said with a lazy wave of her hand, using her other to put her key away in her blouse. “Your money will be transferred to whatever offshore account you have.”

Lamia stroked a hissing Jörmangandr. “It’d better. Or else.”

“Please, don’t waste your breath. You’re hardly in a position to make threats.” Moondancer looked up. “But, I’m a lady of my word. You will get your money.”

“Hmph.” In a position like hers, Lamia knew there wasn’t much to do but hope Moondancer indeed kept her word. “So what now? Am I dismissed or—”

A chill crawled down her spine. In front of the balcony door, the shadows shifted and rose up, blacker than the night. It formed into an archway, inky darkness spilling out of it along with a cold wind. From the depths emerged a tall, lean woman wearing a black suit that hugged her body. A large coat, the color of a coming storm, sat draped over her shoulders, hiding her arms. A rose-colored mohawk complimented her dark purple skin. She carried herself out of the black gateway with calm superiority, keeping her chin up the entire time.

Lamia recognized her. And when the woman’s blue eyes locked onto her, she knew the familiarity was reciprocated. She turned, ready to jump off the balcony, but a cold and oily hand, wrapped around her neck and slammed her against the hard tile before flipping her over to look at the evening sky. She lowered her eyes to find a pulsing black arm stretching away from her neck and into the coat of her captor.

“I don’t believe in luck,” the woman said cooly, closing the distance to Lamia, “but this is a serendipitous occasion.”

“H-hey there, Tempest,” Lamia smiled weakly, trying to get her hands around the shadowy arm strangling her. It was tangible oddly enough, but the sensation burned like battery acid. “Long time, no see. This arm thing is new.”

Jörmangandr lunged, fangs bared at Tempest. Just as when he had attacked Moondancer, a sinister glow enveloped his body, pausing him in midair.

Tempest looked down at her, her face impossible to read, though with the scar over her right eye, she always looked perturbed. “Taking help from a thief? I thought you were better than that, Moondancer.”

Moondancer carefully and quietly slipped her prize down her large sleeve. “I’m doing what you asked. I’m gathering information on the Spectacular Seven ‘by any means necessary.’” Her eyes flickered to Lamia, delivering a hard look that she quickly understood.

Tempest snorted, her grip around Lamia’s throat tightening. “So you resorted to common filth. Then again, I suppose you’re not so common anymore.”

“One uses any and all resources available.” Moondancer knit her brows. “But, pray tell, how do you know the Snake Queen?”

“She had the nerve to steal from me,” Tempest said with a dangerous edge.

“It was nothing personal, I just saw a good—” The pressure tightened, cutting off the rest of Lamia’s airflow.

Tempest looked up at Jörmangandr. “I’m surprised you didn’t sell him like you black market thieves commonly do.” Her grip loosened just enough for Lamia to talk again.

“It crossed my mind. But he’s so adorable. And a great partner. See? He found a loving home. Aren’t you glad I helped you rescue him?”

“And then stole him from me.”

“The details get murky at some point—ack!” Her air passage was forced closed again.

“Well, since you were kind enough to bring him back, I’ll just keep him for now.” Tempest snapped her fingers, and Jörmangandr vanished in a wink. “Now, what am I going to do with you…” She leaned closer. “Sunset Shimmer?”

Moondancer spat out her tea and pounded a hand against her chest. “I beg your pardon?”

Tempest slid a normal hand from her other sleeve and pulled off Lamia’s mask, revealing her pixie cut red and gold hair.

“I… but… that’s… how?” Moondancer’s head fell to one side. “I find myself lost beyond words.”

“Perhaps if you had done what I asked, this wouldn’t have caught you so off-guard,” Tempest said coldly.

“Information gathering takes time,” Moondancer said with equal chill.

Tempest turned her eyes back to Lamia, dismissing Moondancer. “You’re helping Moondancer, hm?”

Lamia frantically nodded her head, her lungs begging for just a scrap of air.

“Hmph.” Tempest reached into her collar and withdrew a golden medallion. It was triangular in shape, though it didn’t have a top point. Odd runes were engraved in its center, seeming to move and undulate in the darkness.

Something deeper than fear burbled to life in the pit of Lamia’s stomach. It quickly spread through the rest of her body, leaving her paralyzed. She didn’t know what this medallion was, but she wanted it far away from her. But Tempest held it over her head, a satisfied smile crossing her lips.

“Let’s see how long my ‘information gathering’ takes.” She dropped the medallion a little lower and removed her shadow arm from around Lamia’s throat.

Despite her new freedom, Lamia could still hardly breathe, let alone move. What is this? More magic? What is she doing to me? Her body trembled. She couldn’t look away from the glowing artifact. Memories forced their way to the surface of her mind. Her parents screaming at each other. Being bullied on the playground. Shoplifting from the mall. Being brought home for the first time by the police.

“Stop it,” she grunted.

Tempest’s smile widened. “What? I thought you were tough, Sunset? All these experiences made you strong.” Her voice never rose or changed pitch, but Lamia could hear the satisfaction.

Her fingers twitched under the strain of trying to move any part of her body. Lamia felt like an open book with Tempest reading every page. Cold tendrils creeped through her, down into her very soul, poking and prodding it, and making her tremble. She wanted to curl up into a ball far away from this place. She could see the looks of disappointment on her parents’ faces. Feel the punches and kicks from the ‘initiation’ test her gang members had given her. Hear their struggling yells as the cops arrested them one-by-one.

I’m all alone. I don’t have anyone left in this world. I’m going to die alone. I didn’t want this. But what did I want? Vitriol and fury began to rise up from the sorrow. Magic! Fucking magic! Her soul quivered with rage. I don’t know what she’s doing, but she needs to stop! Her anger turned into energy, and she clenched a fist, forcing her arm to rise.

“Look at that. The thief has enough will left to fight.”

Moondancer set her tea cup down with a loud enough clatter to get both Lamia and Tempest to notice. “That’s enough. You’ve proven whatever point you’re trying to make. Either take her or leave her, but stop making her writhe on my balcony. It’s uncouth.”

Tempest stared at Moondancer, long and hard. She slowly retracted the medallion and hid it within her shirt once more.

Lamia jumped to a sitting position, gasping for air. She pressed a hand onto her chest, making sure that her heart—that her soul was still there. Sweat trickled down her entire face, and her body still involuntarily shivered.

“Congratulations, Lamia,” Tempest said, “you work for me now. Help Moondancer gather information on the Spectacular Seven, and I won’t have to do that again.”

As she walked away, Lamia climbed back to her feet, staggering back. “Y-you can’t just—”

“I believe I can. Unless you want to leave your precious snake behind.” Tempest looked over her shoulder, smirking. “I expect good results.” In the same vein as her entrance, a void of darkness appeared from nothing, allowing her passage. She stepped in, and it closed around her, vanishing into the shadows of the night.

Lamia slumped back, resting against the balcony rails. “Fu—”

“Please don’t curse in my presence,” Moondancer said, pouring herself another cup of tea. “It’s vulgar and unbecoming.”

A string of foul words crossed Lamia’s mind, but she didn’t have the strength to relay them.

“So, other Sunset.” Moondancer took a deep breath. “That’s going to take some time getting used to. Since Miss Shadow galavanted off, care to share something? Because you’re clearly not the Sunset Shimmer I’m familiar with.”

Lamia turned her head, feeling her body begin to return to normal. “I’m from here. Mini me is from some other world,” she said dismissively. “Sounded like a load of bull until her friends went anthro on me.”

Moondancer slowly set her cup down, the gears visibly turning in her head. “Fascinating.” She steepled her fingers together and leaned forward.

“Why don’t you tell me more?”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: It's a Thin Line Between Love and Hate

I'm both excited and nervous for next weeks chapter. You're either going to love it or hate it.

9. Uptown Blues

Sunset stood in the shower early Monday morning, turning thoughts over in her head as the hot water cascaded down her back. A night of dancing and laughing and cupcakes could only numb the pain for so long. She had spent most of Sunday thinking about the future whenever she wasn’t wondering about Lamia. She still hadn’t told her friends about the thief's real identity, or the most recent theft she had committed. She supposed there wasn’t much of a point.

What’s the point of doing anything now?

She raised her face to the hot water. No, don’t think like that! She wanted to hold onto Applejack’s words and think only of the good times they still had waiting for them. But thinking of the future just brought her mind to the inevitable conclusion.

Was this really to be her fate for the next two years? Sitting around aimlessly waiting for the portal to open while her friends got to go live their lives? It felt like the aftermath of the Fall Formal, when Sunset sat in her hovel and stewed over her justified defeat and reaped the consequences of her actions. Only this time, she wasn’t mad, she was just…

Jealous? Slimy and malicious, the word slithered into her brain.

She turned her head to let the water fall into one ear, hoping to drown the disgusting thoughts out. “Why would I be jealous? They earned everything they’re getting.”

Yes. They fought for it, just like how you fought for your crown. You fought for everything in your life. Yet this is where you end up. Look at them, the girls who beat you. Why do they get to live happy lives and you return to squalor?

“Stop it,” Sunset growled. “I cheated and hurt people on my way to the top. They fought fair and square. I am not going to stoop to being jealous of my friends for their successes.”

As much as she loved the idea of hiding in the shower, she knew Trixie would pound on the door any second. Sunset turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself. She cleared a small space in the fogged mirror.

I see green envy in those eyes of yours.

“They’re always that color!” Sunset said furiously.

“Stop talking to yourself and hurry up!” Trixie yelled, banging a fist on the door.

Sunset quickly brushed her teeth and ran a comb through her hair. She exited the bathroom, rubbing shoulders with Trixie on her way out. Sunset stomped into her room, being careful not to step on Spot, curled up on the carpet next to her bed.

“I’m not jealous of my friends and their accomplishments,” Sunset reaffirmed as she slipped her clothes on. “I’m sad and miserable, sure, but what else is new?”

“That’s right!” The voice always sounded like a rubber mouse being stepped on. The Princess Twilight plush doll gathered dust on top Sunset’s wardrobe. “It’s not fair to be mad at them for getting what they worked for.”

“It’s always a sad day when I’m agreeing with you,” Sunset said. Yet, why did this gross pit in her stomach persist? She was genuinely excited for them all. Sad, yes, but proud. She wasn’t that petty, vindictive child anymore. At least, she was trying not to be.

Deep down, you wanted Twilight to get rejected from every school so she could stay here with you.

“That’s not true!” Twilight was the one she was happiest for. The look of pain on her face with every rejection broke Sunset’s heart. She picked up her phone and scrolled through the group chat, looking at the collective excitement as the girls shared their acceptance announcements. Blocks and blocks of texts interspersed with pictures Sunset’s old phone had a hard time loading. She smiled, feeling tears gather at the corners of her eyes. But amidst the warm tears, she still felt something slimy coil in her stomach.

She blocked it out. She could never be jealous of what they did. But… maybe she was a little jealous of what she didn’t do?

“Uuugh! I’m done thinking about this!” She picked up her backpack and gave Spot a loving pat on the head. “I’m going to do what I do best: bury this problem and pretend it doesn’t exist.”

She grabbed the waffle Selena had toasted for her and rode her motorcycle to school, parking it the lot. This is it, Sunset thought, coming around to the front steps, eight weeks until graduation. And then… She shoved it down. She was going to enjoy her time with her friends, dammit! That enthusiasm dimmed when she remembered her first class was history. At least she had Rarity with her to suffer through it.

“From here on out, your noses will be against the grindstone,” Mr. Noteworthy said, scratching his chalk against the blackboard. “I’m well aware many of you have gotten your letters back from colleges. While I am honestly thrilled for all of you, let me stress that nothing is permanent. You slip up enough, they’re allowed to rescind their acceptances.” He faced the class. “So, to make sure that doesn’t happen, I’ll be giving you plenty of work to keep you sharp and focused.”

Since I’m not going anywhere, does that mean I can slack off now? Sunset wondered. She quickly scoffed at the idea. College or not, Sunset Shimmer was no slacker. She’d be damned if she let any of these underachievers surpass her superior grades.

Pretending she was better than everyone else still proved to be a great coping mechanism.

In addition to Moondancer, Flash joined the Spectacular Seven at lunch today, making the table rather crowded. Again, hard to be the Spectacular Seven if there’s nine of us, Sunset thought sourly as she bit into her sandwich. She could get over Flash sitting with them, but Moondancer taking up the seat on Twilight’s other side would never cease to irk Sunset.

With them returning to school, Sunset had hoped her friends would want to discuss something other than college. But, just like everywhere else, it dominated the conversation. She could only smile and eat her lunch in silence, speaking only when directly spoken to. Sunset wondered if her face could get stuck like this if she kept smiling long enough.

She didn’t share her third period with anyone, allowing herself to frown despondently to her heart’s content. Around her, she could hear the excited whispers of future’s being planned and paths being forged. For anyone that wasn’t in her friend circle, she couldn’t care less.

But, putting her smile back on was harder than it should have been when she met Twilight after school. It became easier as their conversation progressed, never broaching the topics of graduation and colleges. They retreated to Twilight’s house and did their routine of violin practice and homework.

Sunset kissed Twilight goodbye around six, the sun still setting over the suburbs. She tried not to impose on the Sparkle’s dinner, even if Mrs. Velvet urged her to stay. Sunset still had flashbacks to Thanksgiving.

Spot greeted her upon her return, jumping into her arms as soon as she set her bag down. They had gotten their routine down so well, it perfectly matched Twilight and Spike’s. Sunset brought Spot to her room and settled down to finish the last bit of homework for the night.

“Trixie has a question.”

Sunset sighed and turned in her seat, watching as Trixie settled her back against the door frame.

“What do you plan to do after graduation?” The smaller amount of smugness in her voice told Sunset she hadn’t meant it to be malicious.

“I don’t know. Something?”

“You’re not going back home?” Trixie asked, arching an eyebrow.

“The portal home doesn’t open for another two years. I’m stuck here until then.” Sunset tapped a pencil against her book. “And you know I can’t apply for college or anything so… I dunno. Maybe I’ll wander around the country for a bit.”

Trixie closed her eyes and moved her lips up and down, like she was chewing on a thought. “Well… Trixie supposes she could allow you to stay in her parents home even as Trixie elevates herself to new heights. Having you around has been… amusing for Trixie.” She opened an eye to Sunset.

Sunset couldn’t fight the smile pulling across her face. She cleared her throat to try and drive it away. “Boy, Trix, where would I be without your hospitality?”

“On the street, begging for coins no doubt.” Trixie proudly put a hand to her chest. “Yes, Trixie’s kindness knows no bounds. Though, she’s mostly doing it for Spot. He’d be sad if you left.”

“Hey, if I go, I’m taking him with me.”

Trixie picked him up and stuck her tongue out. “The second you leave, he is forfeit to Trixie. Be grateful I’m not kicking you out now.” She rubbed noses with him, then sat him down on the bed and sauntered down the hall.

Sunset turned back to her book, a grin still on her face. “I’ll miss you, too, Trixie.”

*******

Sunset sat in the stands of a large amphitheater, packed to the brim with family and friends cheering and screaming in delight. Balloons floated into the open sky, becoming lost in the ocean of blue. On the stage below her, Sunset could see her friends waiting in line to step up to the podium. They were adorned in blue caps and gowns, and wore victorious smiles. Sunset cheered as each of their names were called. Once Celestia handed them their diplomas, they vanished into thin air.

Twilight was the last to receive hers. Upon grabbing it, instead of vanishing on the wind like everyone else, she appeared next to Sunset, their wrists cuffed together.

“Why didn’t you go with the others?” Sunset asked.

“I can’t,” she said, a vacant smile on her face. “You’re here. I can’t leave you here alone.”

Sunset looked about and found the amphitheater empty, leftover confetti and balloons strewn about the stands. A dark cloud moved over them and the wind picked up into a gale. Sunset led Twilight out of the stadium, still chained together, with Twilight giving her a dopey-eyed smile. They ran out to a wide grass field that stretched on for miles, hills rising and falling and trees scraping at the sky.

The gale turned into a squall, and a familiar dread crawled up Sunset’s spine telling her what would come next. A malicious laugh filled the air, and a pillar of fire exploded in front of the girls. The surrounding field caught aflame, turning into an ashen landscape.

“Poor little Sunny,” a raspy voice cooed. “Left all alone by her friends. Everywhere to go, but no destination.” A figure stepped out of the fire, her skin glowing red hot. She showed off her sharp teeth in a wide smile. “Why not come home to me?” She spread her arms out. “I’ll give you a purpose again!”

Sunset held an arm in front of her face to fend off the overbearing waves of heat. “I don’t need you! I still have Twilight!”

Her demon crossed her arms in smug triumph. “Do you now?”

Sunset’s other arm felt surprisingly light, and when she turned to look, she found Twilight had vanished. Twisting about, Sunset found her being carried off by a glowing Moondancer, flying away on ethereal wings.

Before Sunset could get a curse in, her demon pounced on her, pinning her to the ground while the flames encircled around them. “You have nothing left, little sun,” she whispered. “No friends, no future, no power. Just submit! We can be something together! We can have our old glory back!”

“No!” Sunset struggled under her vice-like grip, watching the fire creep closer. “I refuse to go back! Maybe I don’t have a future, but I’m never going back to the past!” Her skin took on a golden hue. “And I have enough power to defy you!”

With a force of will, Sunset snapped her eyes open, finding the ceiling of her room. She took a couple of short, deep breaths and turned on her side. Her clock told her it was only three in the morning. She tightened the cocoon of blankets around her and snuggled against her pillow, but couldn’t find the courage to close her eyes.

It had been the first nightmare that hadn’t ended in fire or death. In fact, it had been the first nightmare that ended in what Sunset could call a victory. But why was her demon haunting her so much?

Sunset rolled over. It all came back to magic. If she hadn’t ponied up at the concert… if she hadn’t put on that stupid crown… if she hadn’t run away through the mirror. Was it guilt or homesickness she felt? Perhaps it was both.

“Maybe it’s because you can’t let go of the past,” Princess Twilight said.

Sunset didn’t respond. She couldn’t just let go. Everything she had done up until the Fall Formal… years and years of a building ego and superiority…. She hated that part of herself. It was her defining reason to try and be better. Maybe it was the guilt that kept her demon coming back. But it was hard not to feel guilty over almost killing the people who would become her best friends.

She rolled over again, eyes falling on the clock. It was going to be another long night.

*******

Ding dong ding dong…

Moondancer made a small, “harrumph” as she stirred her tea. Days later, and Lamia’s words still danced through her head. She felt vindicated. She had been right all along! Sunset wasn’t human! She wasn’t even from this world!

Ding dong ding dong…

Now, how did she proceed? Twilight was no doubt still under Sunset’s influence to some degree. Then again… Moondancer had a few reservations. A magical pony didn’t sound dangerous. And that night in the mountains… Moondancer had heard Sunset crying to Twilight. Sunset had been scared of her own magic. Something about it being separate from herself? Moondancer was still missing a piece of this story.

Maybe… it’s unintentional? The dark premonition I feel whenever I’m near her? Maybe she doesn’t mean to keep Twilight enthralled.

Ding dong ding dong…

Still, the fact remained that Sunset Shimmer was a parasite! Just like Tempest. Moondancer didn’t care what she was, she was still an extra in a play full of characters Moondancer already couldn’t stand. She didn’t have time for extras, especially those that stole her spotlight, or her Twilight.

Ding dong ding dong...

“Would someone please get the door!” she yelled from the parlor. When she heard no evidence of anyone moving toward the front door, she rose from her comfy chair and stomped to the entrance hall. She had just settled in from school and now she was being forced from her leisure time to answer doors? Could she have no comforts today?

She paused in front of the large ornamented doors to fix her hair and her smile. Be at ease, Moondancer. Make it short, but keep a polite demeanor. Three, two, one, showtime! She pulled the door open. “Good day—ah! U-Uncle Artemis!”

Artemis swept his hat off his head and bowed. “Little Moonflower! How are you, my sweet niece?”

Moondancer recovered and cleared her throat. “I’m doing well, thank you for asking. I’m surprised to see you here though. You don’t come around to visit the Upper Villa.”

“Untrue,” he said with a wag of his finger. “It just so happens I have terrible timing. In all my previous attempts to visit, you and your father were both away.”

“Truly? That is indeed unfortunate,” she said, feeling an itch on the back of her neck. “Well, you know how busy we are.”

“Yes, it makes it rather hard to spoil you.” Artemis laughed, then pulled her in for a warm hug. “It doesn’t help that you’re already fabulously wealthy. What to get for the girl who has everything?”

Not everything, Moondancer thought, savoring the hug.

Artemis released her, then frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little flushed.”

Moondancer fanned her face and took a deep breath. “Oh… I suppose public school is just more stressful than I imagined it would be.”

“Well, I’m glad I came when I did.” Artemis gestured to the world behind him. “I thought you and I could spend a little time together. We could get ice cream, go for a little walk.” He smile wavered and his voice became somber. “And then maybe… we could go see your mother.”

Moondancer felt her heart stop for a moment. She kept her expression perfectly still while she tried to process what her uncle had meant. Her heart started again, and she composed herself a second time. “Oh, that sounds lovely.” Her voice shook, and she cursed herself for breaking character.

“If you don’t want to, I understand—”

“No, no! I haven’t seen her in a while. It would be… nice. Let me just grab a jacket.” She retreated inside, leaving the door open a crack. Keep calm, Moondancer. Play it safe, and we’ll get through this. She furrowed her brow. And when Tempest yells at us, we can blame the servants.

She grabbed a jacket, slipped on the best pair of shoes that went with her dress, and returned to Artemis, snapping the door shut behind her. “Shall we be off?”

“Let’s!” He offered his arm to her. Once she grabbed onto it, he shouted, “Lulamoon!” and the world twisted in on itself before Moondancer felt like she was shot out a cannon. When the rushing wind and pressure disappeared, she was left with a face full of blue smoke.

“I forgot how… unpleasant that was,” she said, fanning it away. Looking up, she found they had teleported right in front of The Fifty Flavors Palace.

“Okay, girls, what do you want?”

“I want strawberry flavor!”

“Trixie wants peanut butter!”

Moondancer brought a hand to her mouth, covering her smile. A younger Moondancer had come here often. A Moondancer that had a mother that loved her, a father that paid attention, and a family she could talk to. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, inhaling the sweet scent of fifty ice cream flavors lined up in their tubs.

She glided up to the display counter and looked over her option, already knowing which flavor she’d pick. Rich, decadent, and a perfect shade of pink, she chose strawberry. Her uncle picked cotton candy, and they settled down at a small table near the back.

“How have things been, Moony?” Artemis asked before taking a large spoonful of blue and pink ice cream. “We hardly ever see each other now.”

“Everything’s fine,” Moondancer said pleasantly. “Despite my earlier appearance, public school has proven to be quite interesting. Such a wide variety of characters from a wide variety of backgrounds. It’s nice seeing how the common folk go about their daily business. Though I do believe the education overall was better at the academy. But I suppose there’s no such thing as perfect.”

Artemis made a throaty chuckle. “Same old Moondancer. Well, your primary education is almost at an end! Tell me, what are your plans next? There’s many doors open for a girl like you.”

Less than you would think. “I applied for several performing arts schools and got accepted into most of them. But they also loved me back in France, so I could go back and do some more modeling.” She swirled her spoon in the air. “So many choices, so little time.”

Artemis gave her a bemused smile. “Both exciting prospects. And there’s no such thing as ‘so little time.’ You have your whole life ahead of you.”

Moondancer allowed herself a small smile. “True enough.” She savored a spoonful of strawberry before speaking again. “But enough of me, how have you been, Uncle?”

An unexpected shadow dulled his bright aura. “Things were fine until a few nights ago. Someone broke into our house and stole a forbidden artifact.”

The spoon dropped from Moondancer’s hand. “What? But, but how? Did they take your key? Did they use magic?”

Artemis tapped his star-studded hat. “My key never leaves my sight. And as far as I’m aware, this thief doesn’t have any magic.”

“But they can’t have Mother’s key,” Moondancer whispered frantically. “It’s… and how could they have known about it anyway? What did they even take?”

“That’s the cherry on top of this bitter slice of cake.” Artemis paused to take a bite of his ice cream. “I’m not sure. I never bothered to make a list of all the things we’ve dropped in there.”

Moondancer tapped a manicured nail on the table. “Uncle…”

“I know, not my best showing. Right now, we can just hope she didn’t take anything too dangerous. In the meantime, if you hear anything strange—”

“I shall consult you posthaste.” Moondancer smiled at him. She loathed to lie to his face, but… it was for a greater cause. “Despicable thieves aside, how is everything else? As I understand it, you have a new houseguest.”

Artemis beamed into his bowl. “Yes, Sunset Shimmer. She’s a delight, just needs to laugh more. I know there’s a sense of humor buried somewhere beneath all that surliness.”

Moondancer saw an opening. Lamia had told her an ample amount, but she needed as much of the narrative as she could get. “Pray tell, how did she end up with you?”

“She had been working for me for a while and needed help. Of course I was going to say yes,” he said simply.

“You do have a noble soul, Uncle.” Moondancer took another spoonful of ice cream to help mask her frustration. “She’s certainly an interesting character. I understand she played a part in defeating the Sirens.”

“It was stupendous magic!” Artemis said, throwing his hands into the air. “She and her little friends are quite the colorful heroes.”

“From the parts I remember, yes, they are. I must admit though, I’m so curious as to where or how they acquired such powers. I remember the stories you and Mother told. The Sirens were dangerous.”

“It’s a long story,” Artemis said, stirring his ice cream.

Moondancer leaned forward just an inch.

“And not one for me to tell.” He scooped out a spoonful of his cotton-candy treat and dropped it on his tongue. “That’s a story she’ll share with you when she’s ready.” He rose a hand to his mouth and giggled like a schoolboy. “Sorry, the beginning still tickles me. Her circumstances are no laughing matter, but her origins… you’ll find out in due time.”

Moondancer kept a tight lid on her bubbling emotions, channeling that energy into digging her nails into her leg. “That is fair. I am trying to get to know her better on behalf of Twilight.”

Artemis smiled fondly. “I think she’s a good soul.”

I respectfully disagree. I vehemently disagree. She’s the second coming of Tempest, taking everything that should be mine! She is like a plague! Moondancer quietly finished her ice cream, having mostly melted into strawberry soup.

With their dessert finished, she and Artemis took a short stroll down the street. He told her that teleporting on a full stomach was never a good idea.

Uptown Canterlot wasn't as extravagant as the Upper Villa, but Moondancer could concede that it had its charms. Decently sized houses with neatly trimmed lawns, and a town center with cute, family owned shops. She allowed her uncle to spoil her by taking her to a clothing store and buying a cute pink sundress. In return, she recounted a few of her escapades in France.

It was nice to be dotted on. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been spoiled by someone other than herself. She knew she didn’t need anymore gifts; both her closet and her jewelry box were filled to the brim. But when she peeked into the bag and saw the dress, she knew she would be keeping this one.

Another twist in the fabric of spacetime, and the world had gone from a warm murmur, to a solemn silence. Moondancer and Artemis stood at the start of stone black path that wound its way through a green field. The old trees overhead were beginning to grow buds after their long winter sleep, giving a little green to their ash colored branches. Artemis stepped first, crossing under the iron threshold of Canterlot Cemetery.

Headstones and plaques covered the fields. On the hills in the distance were the mausoleums and tombs, pale white, and ominous in the dying light of day. The Lulamoons didn’t have to go to far in to find their destination. Apalla rested in the shade of one of the willow trees. Her headstone was sky blue, standing out from the pale colors around her.

In loving memory of Apalla Lulamoon

A wonderful witch, sister, and mother

Moondancer knelt and put a hand to the cold stone. “Hello, Mother,” she said, her voice cracking. She took a breath and started again. “I know it’s been a little while since I visited. I went to Paris last fall. I know how much you loved Paris. And I’m almost done with high school. Just a couple of months. I don’t know what I’ll do after, but…” She pressed her lips together. “I know I’ll make the world a better place.”

Artemis knelt beside her and placed a hand on her back. “Hey, sis. It’s probably been even longer since I’ve been here. But, as you would tell me, ‘life goes on.’ But it’s still a little duller without you. Trixie’s about to go off on her own. Can you believe how fast these two have grown up?” He quickly wiped his sleeves across his eyes. “I’ll need to find a few more hobbies after she’s gone. Maybe Sunset will stick around for a little while. Oh, I haven’t told you about her. She’s a treat. You would’ve liked her. Sort of our foster daughter. I consider her family at least.”

Moondancer’s blood boiled, but she focused her stare on the tombstone.

“The Sirens managed to escape and come here, too! It was quite the harrowing story. I spent most of it as their prisoner. Not my finest hour. But lo and behold, the city has a few heroes of its own. Life is just full of surprises, isn’t it?” He took out his wand and gave it a wave. A bouquet of flowers came together and rested itself at the foot of the grave.

Blue roses. Apalla’s favorite.

Moondancer stood, softening her gaze. “I’ll come back soon, Mother. We’ll have to celebrate my graduation, right?” The wind whistled through the trees. If she didn’t already know better, she might have thought that was her mother agreeing.

Artemis brought her back to the manor just as the sun hit the horizon. They admired it for a while before he turned and kissed her on the forehead. “I had a wonderful time today.”

“As did I,” Moondancer said. “It’s not often I get to do something like this, so…” she swallowed a lump in her throat. “Thank you, Uncle.”

“You’re more than welcome, little moon.” He cupped a hand to her cheek. “And I know Canterlot is a big city, but we’re just on the other side. If you ever need anything, just give me a call.”

Moondancer leaned into his hand. “I will. I promise, I’ll try to make more time in the future.”

“As will I. We’re Lulamoons, are we not? We’re family!”

Moondancer’s mask almost fell. She didn’t want to play this character anymore. She wanted to tell him everything. But she kept herself collected and gave Artemis a strong hug. “I should go. I still have homework to do.”

Artemis patted her back. “Yes, yes, off with you then. You’re almost finished; don’t start shirking your work now.” He stepped back and lifted his wand. “Love you! Lulamoon!” And with another puff of smoke, he was gone.

When the wind blew it all away, Moondancer stepped inside, finding her father waiting on the bottom step of the grand stairs. She saw his cross stare, and curtsied in return. “Hello, Father. Long day at work?”

“Moondancer…”

“I had a fine day at school, thank you for asking.”

“You know the rules, Moondancer.”

Moondancer walked up to him and put a hand on her hip. “Well, perhaps if someone had answered the door!” she yelled down one of the hallways. “Maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Besides, wouldn’t it be suspicious if we never spoke to them ever again?”

“I’m trying to keep us safe,” Night Shade said with a hint of urgency. “You know what Tempest said.”

She shot him a venomous glare. “I’m aware of her words. And her actions.” And your lack of them. Every fiber of her being told her to say the last part aloud, but she held herself back and settled for stomping past him and up the stairs, keeping a tight grip on Artemis’ gift.

She reached her room and slammed the door shut before gently sitting her bag next to the closet. Slipping out of her sandals, she carried herself across the plush purple carpet and sat on the edge of her four-poster bed. On her bedside vanity sat embroidered pictures of her when she was younger, together with Trixie’s side of the family. Accompanying them were pictures of Twilight, bowed ever-so-slightly in each of them, trying to avoid making eye contact with the camera.

Moondancer reached for one. Twilight and her had taken a selfie in the garden, the flowers around them in full bloom. Such a short time ago. Yet so many things had changed. Moondancer exchanged the picture for her phone. No new messages. She let it drop against the satin sheets. That wasn’t uncommon these days. Sure, Twilight could carry a conversation if Moondancer texted her. But starting one? No, Twilight had someone else occupying her time now.

A knife twisted in Moondancer’s heart. She got to her feet, hands clenched. A thousand images flashed across Moondancer’s eyes, all of them depicting Twilight and Sunset, laughing and smiling and kissing. And Moondancer was stuck here, her freedom shrinking again by the day.

Four years ago, she had finally been allowed true access to the outside world again. She got to attend private school and interact with other adolescents. And then Twilight had drifted by, nose in a book. Every answer she gave in class was poignant and well thought. She was delicate. She was humble.

She was Moondancer’s reward for her long years of isolation. At least, that was what her heart said.

Instead, history rhymed with its earlier verse and introduced Sunset from nowhere. She swooped in, took Twilight, wiggled her way into her family...

Moondancer balled her hand into a fist. She would not let this cruel song reach its chorus again. She would defeat Sunset and reclaim her treasure. Then, she could focus on her true goal.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Fight For It

10. Heart-to-Heart

“Look, look, look!”

“Twilight, unlike you, my eyes work perfectly fine. I actually can’t read with something shoved against my face.”

Twilight pulled the flyer away from Sunset’s eyes, rolled it up, and smacked her on the head with it, eliciting a laugh from Sunset. “My eyes work well enough, thank you very much.”

Sunset eased the flyer out of Twilight’s hands. “I know. Those glasses make you look very cute, Sparky.”

“Gag me,” Rainbow said from across the table.

Ignoring Rainbow’s usual comments, Sunset unrolled the flyer and read aloud, “‘Canterlot High School’s Music Program is proud to present the Canterlot Junior Symphony. Come see the full orchestral presentation this Saturday at Serenade Hall.’” She looked up to Twilight’s glowing face. “And I’m guessing you’re going to be in it?”

“I’m first chair for the string section!”

Rarity clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s magnificent, darling! I can’t wait to hear you perform!”

Twilight hopped from one foot to the other. “I’m super excited, but really nervous, but also really excited!”

Pinkie gasped. “That means you’re—”

“Pinkie, what did I tell you?” Sunset warned.

“But, Suuuunseeeet!” She threw herself over the table as she whined. “It’s the perfect word!”

“It’s not even a word!”

“Then, let me make it a word!”

“The point,” Applejack said over them, “is that we’re happy for you, Twi. You’ll do just fine, and we’ll be right there to support you.”

“Thanks, girls.” Twilight took the flyer back from Sunset. “I still need to go show Moondancer. Also, we’re going to hang out after school today. Would anyone like to come?” Her eyes were focused on Sunset.

Sunset broke out her faux friendly smile. “Of course.”

“Nope,” Rainbow said, leaning back in her chair. “And it’s not just ‘cause I don’t want to. I’ve got track practice today. We’re going up against Crystal Prep on Saturday, so we have to train harder than ever if we wanna win!”

Twilight gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Yeah. They take all their competitions seriously. Good luck, Rainbow.”

Pinkie bounced up from her sprawled position on the table. “Ooooh! I have two friends to cheer on now! Time to break out my pom-poms!”

“Which begs the question, Pinkie, why aren’t you part of the cheer-leading squad?” Rarity asked.

“Because I’m already the head of the Party Planning Committee and the Spirit Squad!” She pulled a planner out from her hair and opened up to a random page covered in both immaculate writing and random doodles. “Do you know how much work goes into those two alone? Plus all the unofficial parties I have to plan, plus working at Sugarcube Corner, plus hanging out with you girls?” She snapped the planner shut. “Besides, cheerleaders only perform at football games. I spread my cheer to all!” She pointed a finger to the sky.

“Can’t argue with that,” Applejack said. “And sorry, Twi. Ah’d love to go, but Ah’m having some quality time with mah family today. Ah think they’re still trying to make up for the Battle of the Bands.”

Rarity inspected her nails in a nonchalant fashion, but couldn’t contain the giddy grin on her face. “I’m afraid Flash and I have made prior arrangements today.” She looked over to his table and gave him a dainty wave which he returned.

“I’ll go!” Pinkie said. She flipped her planner open again. “I’ve got just enough free time today for friendship hangouts!”

Fluttershy looked tentatively at Rainbow. “I could go I guess, that is, if Rainbow doesn’t need my cheering skills today.”

She waved a hand. “Nah, it’s just practice. Save your voice for the track meet.”

Sunset allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief. At least she didn’t have to deal with Moondancer alone today. Twilight ran off to tell her the good news, meeting Sunset in their trigonometry class. The period progressed as normal, with Sunset and Twilight sneaking in a few kisses between problems.

They joined Pinkie and Fluttershy outside by the statue after school concluded. With Daylight Savings Time starting again, it was still very bright out. Moondancer skipped down the front steps and flowed past them, her long, open sleeves flapping in the wind.

“Ah, can you feel it? The change happening in the air? Tis the advent of spring, the season of rebirth!” She spun and raised her hands. “The flowers shall bloom once more! All the budding flora shall reveal their true selves for the world to gaze upon! The sights and aromas shall be most breathtaking!”

Fluttershy eagerly nodded in agreement. “I love going to the botanical garden in the springtime! If you’re really lucky, you can see some of the flowers bloom right before your eyes! Oh, and all the animals that are getting ready to come out of hibernation!” She sighed dreamily. “Spring is my favorite time of year.”

“A trip to the gardens sounds like a lovely future outing,” Moondancer said. “In the meanwhile, we need to prepare our dazzling star for her performance this weekend!”

Sunset let out a disgruntled sigh. “Does this mean we’re going—”

“To the mall!” Pinkie yelled, pointing a finger in its general direction.

“Of course we are. How very original.”

Moondancer led them to the front curb. “There’s nothing wrong with going to the central hub of cultural activities and exchanges. Besides…” A black limousine rolled up to them. “You’ll be traveling there in style.” She smiled like a cat.

Stars flooded Pinkie and Fluttershy’s eyes, and while Sunset had never traveled by limo before, it being Moondancer’s, her eyes were clouded with disappointment. She climbed in after Twilight, seating herself next to the mini-fridge, fully stocked as Pinkie soon discovered.

“To the mall please, Porter,” Moondancer said to the small window at the front.

“Yes, My Lady.”

Pinkie pulled a veggie plate from the fridge, trying not to look disappointed. “You’re pretty responsible, Moony. If I had a limo with a fridge, I’d stuff it with cupcakes and ice cream.”

“The thought has crossed my mind on many a stressful day.” She took the plate from Pinkie and munched on a baby carrot. “But Twily here was always good at reminding me to stay healthy.”

Twilight played with a lock of her hair. “Good nutrition is part of learning.” She added in an under breath, “Unless you’re Pinkie.”

Sunset patted her on the hand.

Porter dropped them off at the mall, promising to only be around the corner if Moondancer needed him. The weekday crowd wasn’t as bad as the weekend, but the mall still proved busy. Pinkie quickly excused herself to get a churro from the food court, no doubt to make up for the lack of desirable snacks in the limo.

“Now, what would be appropriate for your orchestra extravaganza?” Moondancer asked, circling Twilight in appraisal.

“Maybe something she has in her closet?” Sunset offered, leveling her hand.

“There’s no fun in that. An event such as this calls for something new! Something exciting!” She took Twilight by the hand and led her toward the escalator. “Come, come! I think I have a few ideas!”

Sunset tilted her head back and groaned. The only silver lining to graduation is I’ll never have to see her again. She and Fluttershy followed after, with Pinkie hurrying along, an extra long churro in hand. Just like their outing a few months ago, Moondancer led them into the more expensive stores where the clerks gave them dismissive eyerolls or annoyed greeting hidden behind wide smiles. They were particularly offended when Pinkie tried to walk in, still munching on her fried pastry, her mouth covered in cinnamon and sugar. Sunset volunteered to wait outside with her while the other three ventured forth.

“I don’t get why you’re being such a sourpuss,” Pinkie said. She took a large bite of her snack. “Moondancer’s just showing the depth of her affection for Twilight by buying expensive material gifts that ultimately fade with time. Probably because she has no idea how else to show it.”

Sunset stared hard at her. “I can’t tell if you’re being hopelessly naive, or giving insightful advice in some vague way, and that worries me.”

Pinkie smiled, her teeth stained with sweets. “I’m just saying you need to stop being such a grump to Moondancer. She’s really nice and talks funny a lot. Plus, if Twilight was attracted to her at all, don’t you think they would have hooked up a long time ago?”

“I know that, okay?” Sunset pinched her nose. “It’s not just her touchy-feely and constant hovering and doting on Twilight. Pinkie, you might find this hard to understand, but some people don’t mesh well with others. Me and Moondancer? We’re just not compatible as friends.”

Pinkie blew a raspberry. “Anyone can be friends with anyone if they try hard enough. You two just need to open up to each other.”

“As I have told Moondancer, there is a long list of reasons why I don’t like her and would rather jump off a cliff. Making friends is your shtick, Pinkie.”

A surprisingly morose sigh came from Pinkie. “Fine. But you’re just making this harder on yourself. When you and Twilight get married and have kids, guess who’s probably gonna be the godmother.”

Sunset sputtered. “M-married? Kids? P-Pinkie, what are… we haven’t even… how do you…”

Pinkie made a snort and a laugh while Sunset tugged at her shirt, face red and warm. The other girls came out with Twilight carrying a bag over her shoulder.

“All done,” Moondancer said. “Now, I shall relinquish my spotlight and implore someone else take the lead. I’m sure one of you has a destination in mind.”

“Oooh, oooh!” Pinkie pointed up to the third floor. “Let’s go to the arcade! I have a fever and the only prescription is the Dance Dance machine!” She didn’t wait for anyone to agree or object and headed for the escalator.

The arcade sat in the back of the mall, a darker room lit by the flashing lights and screens of various games and machines. The collective colors against the ceiling made it look like a mini rave. Pinkie followed the obtuse patterns along the carpet to the dance machine. Two metal stages were hooked up in front of it and covered in arrows pointing in eight directions.

Twilight kept a fair distance back. “Oh no, I’m terrible at these kinds of games.”

Moondancer pressed a finger to her cheek. “I do recall the time you stumbled over your own feet and fell off.”

“Moony!”

“It’s a fun memory, dear.”

Pinkie jumped onto one of the platforms. “I bet you’re really good at this game, Moondancer! Come on, play a round!” Her eyes narrowed into a competitive glare that would have made Rainbow proud. “I dare you.”

Moondancer smiled coyly and stepped up. “Well, since the gauntlet has been thrown down, I suppose there is no other recourse but to show you the error of your ways in challenging me to a bout.”

Pinkie tilted her head. “That was a yes, right?”

Sunset sighed. “Just put a quarter in and start.”

Pinkie pulled a sweatband from her hair and pulled it over her forehead. “It’s go time!” She inserted two coins for multiplayer, selected a song, and picked the highest difficulty.

Moondancer folded up her sleeves and made a quick stretch. “While I hardly classify this as dancing, expect nothing less than my very best!”

The song began and arrows flew up the screen, prompting Pinkie and Moondancer to move along with them, stepping with speed and conviction. ‘Greats’ and ‘perfects’ popped up in the corners in rapid succession, both girls never missing a beat.

“Whoo!” Fluttershy cheered in her modest voice. “Go Pinkie and Moondancer!”

Sunset saw the scores ticking up, the numbers tied. She wanted to scream at Pinkie to stomp Moondancer flat, but Twilight’s jubilant bouncing helped keep her mouth shut.

Pinkie ‘danced’ with her usual abundance of energy, bouncing and stomping on the arrows. Her tongue poked out the corner of her mouth as she stared at the screen with a determined smile. Moondancer’s movements were more graceful and refined, even for a video game simulator. Each step landed perfectly in the center of the tiles. Sunset had to give credit where credit was due: Moondancer knew what she was doing.

The song drew to an end with the scores still neck and neck. Both girls received a ‘perfect’ on their last arrow, and the numbers continued to rise even after the music faded. When they finally stopped Moondancer had Pinkie beat by only one-hundred points.

Moondancer took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her forehead. “And the star of victory shines brightly for me today! I must commend you, Pinkie. You put up an admirable challenge.”

Pinkie had her hands on her knees. “Thanks… you were amazing, too,” she said between pants. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Would anyone else like to try?” Moondancer asked, gesturing to the machine.

“Pass,” Sunset said. “If you need me, I’ll be racing cars.”

“That sounds like it could be fun. I’ll join you.”

Sunset didn’t say anything. She turned for the racing machines and hoped the imaginary engines would be enough to drown Moondancer out. Twilight and the others branched out in the opposite direction, sealing Sunset’s fate. She took a seat at one of the street racing games, Moondancer climbing into the one next to her.

“I’ve never driven a car before. Never had a need to learn.” She inserted a token and examined the controls before her. “So the long pedal is the gas, correct?”

Nevermind, this should be good. Sunset gripped the steering wheel and smiled in superiority. Her red sports car rolled up to the starting line, Moondancer’s purple car appearing next to her. Twelve engines revved as the starting lights changed from red to yellow to green. Sunset slammed her foot on the accelerator and took off, her speedometer jumping to eighty miles per hour.

Ramming a CPU out of her way, Sunset rose to fifth place. She spared a glance to Moondancer, who looked at the screen with a mixture of confusion and focus. She exaggerated every turn, yanking the wheel right or left to its full position.

“One of the competitors hit my car with theirs. Is that legal?”

“Anything goes in a street race.”

“I’m not surprised you would know about that,” Moondancer said under her breath, jerking the wheel again.

“For your information,” Sunset said as she cut to second, “I’ve never been in any sort of race in my entire life. I just like to watch them.”

“Hmph.” Moondancer squinted her eyes. “Why are we driving through a park?”

Sunset almost laughed at how far back she was. “It’s a video game. Calm down.”

Nearing one-hundred and twenty miles per hour, Sunset caught up to the first place position as they came around the corner to the homestretch. She tapped their bumper hoping to get them to spin out. When that didn’t work, she moved up to the side and grinded against them, slowly pulling ahead. The CPU fought back as the finish line neared, pushing against Sunset to try and regain some leeway, but Sunset wouldn’t have it. She pinned them against the railing, making sparks fly. They fell back just as they both crossed the line, Sunset a whole nose ahead.

She rested her arms behind her head and sighed in contentment. “Still got it.”

“You’re finished already?” Moondancer asked. “No wonder I haven’t seen anyone else.” She took her hands off the wheel and shrugged. “This game amounts to unrealistic drivel anyway.”

“You’re just mad ‘casue you’re not good at it.”

Moondancer stood and waved a hand. “There are no practical applications to this. I sincerely hope this isn’t how you learned to drive.”

Sunset opted not to answer that question. She moved onto the skeeball machines, Moondancer still accompanying her.

“Sunset, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite some time,” she said, observing Sunset as she took the first ball.

“Of course there is.” Sunset lined up the hole and rolled the ball up the slope. The machine made a happy buzz as she scored fifty points. “What is it?”

“How, and to a greater extent why, did you come to reside in the care of my aunt and uncle?”

Sunset froze, her arm drawn back in mid-swing.

Moondancer’s smile grew ever so slightly wider. “Did I say something to offend?”

Sunset regained her composure and shook her head. “No. Just surprised you didn’t know. I figured you would have asked Trixie or Artemis about that.”

“I’d prefer to find out from the source.”

Making sure to choose her words carefully, Sunset said, “I ran away from home. I worked for Artemis for a little bit, he found out what happened and offered to take me in.”

“Ah.” Moondancer folded her arms. “Suddenly your little bad girl motif makes sense. As a final act of rebellion against your parents, you ran from home. Sad if not typical.”

Sunset gripped the wooden ball in her hands harder. Moondancer was unaware of how close to the truth she actually was. “You are aware I’m holding what could be considered a blunt weapon, right?”

“Oh, forgive me.” Her lips curled into a smile and she lifted her chin. “Did I touch a nerve again?”

“You know, I’m starting to think there was no difference between you now and you being brainwashed by the Sirens.”

Moondancer steepled her fingers. “I’m just trying to put the picture together. For the life of me, I can’t fathom what Twilight sees in you.”

“Right back at you.” Sunset finally rolled the ball up the slope, grunting as it fell into the ten point hole. “The lonely rich girl who just wants someone to give her the love she doesn’t get from Daddy. Too bad you’re not gonna get it from Twilight, either. You don’t have much room to talk about clichés.”

Sunset looked at Moondancer, gaining immense satisfaction at her shock-filled eyes. “Two can play at this game, Moondancer.”

“Girls, girls, look!” Pinkie bounded over, gesturing wildly to Twilight who stumbled behind her carrying an armful of tickets that extended to the ground and trailed behind her.

“Whoa,” Sunset said, “how did you manage to get all those?”

Pinkie answered for her. “You know that machine that has all those little knobs in a circle and a light that spins around it over and over and over again, and you have to hit the button at the right time to win all the tickets? Twilight got it on her second try! It was super cool!”

Twilight blushed. “I just did some basic probability and analysis the speed of the signal. After one test run, it was just a matter of reflex. I’m actually surprised I got it so soon.”

“So what are you gonna spend it on?” Pinkie asked, eyeing the tickets hungrily.

“There’s nothing up there that interests me.” She handed the tickets to an ecstatic Pinkie. “I just wanted to test a hypothesis.”

“Yeee!” Pinkie skipped toward the counter. “Time for another bear!” They exited the arcade, Pinkie hauling a large blue bear on her back. Sunset had seen Pinkie’s room, stuffed to the brim with stuffed animals, and wondered where she was going to squeeze this latest one.

Sunlight still poured through the multiple skylights. Checking her phone, Sunset was surprised to find it was barely five o’clock. “So, what now?”

Moondancer, having been quiet since Sunset’s return fire, looked over to Fluttershy. “You’ve been fairly silent throughout most of our outing, dear Fluttershy. Is there anything you would like to do?”

“Oh, well, not particularly. I just wanted to spend some time with you all.” Fluttershy played with the folds of her skirt. “I’m happy with anything you want to do.”

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, ‘Shy, there must be something you want to do.”

Fluttershy rolled a finger through her hair and looked over the glass railing. Sunset followed her eyes and chuckled to herself as Fluttershy faced them again. “Can we go to the pet store?”

With the stars in Fluttershy’s eyes, Sunset couldn’t have said no if she wanted to. They went down to the second floor and entered the small pet shop, their nostrils attacked by the intertwining smells of pet food and cage padding. Fluttershy ran to the puppy pen first, pressing her face against the screen and cooing while all the dogs scrambled over one another to get a better look.

The store manager allowed the girls to hold and pet some of them, of which Fluttershy took full advantage of, giving each puppy five minutes of her love. “Do you have any pets, Moondancer?” she asked while cuddling a Yorkshire Terrier to her face.

Moondancer sat with a Corgi on her lap. “Sadly, no. I was never allowed to own an animal companion for one reason or another. So I spent my time taking care of my garden and…” She cleared her throat. “Well, I’ve always wanted to have a cat.”

After their puppy playtime was over, Fluttershy found the cat section and gladly gushed at Moondancer about all the different breeds and ways to take care of them.

“I’m glad we could spend a day like this,” Twilight said to Sunset. “Moondancer looks like she’s starting to get along with everyone.”

“Yep,” Sunset said through her painted smile. “Soon, we’ll have to find a new name for our group. Hard to be the Spectacular Seven with eight of us.”

“The great eight? The amazing eight?” Pinkie tapped her chin. “I’ll have to give it some thought.”

They left the pet store, Fluttershy in high spirits and still talking to an enraptured Moondancer about animals. The skylight in the mall’s center told them they still had plenty of daylight to burn.

“So, who wants to choose next?” Pinkie asked. “I kinda wanna go to the party store to restock on supplies, but it’s Sunset or Twilight’s turn to pick!”

“To be fair,” Moondancer said, “my pick was for Twilight. I haven’t chosen anything that piques my interest yet. There’s a cute little pottery store back on the third floor though.”

“Tell you what,” Sunset said, sliding a little closer to Twilight, “how about you girls continue to shop, while Twilight and I go grab a quick bite?”

Twilight looked at her with curiosity and eagerness. “Really?”

Pinkie made her eyebrows roll like a wave. “If you two wanted some alone time, you could have just asked.”

Moondancer pinched her lips for a moment, then quickly brightened up with a light in her eye that made Sunset wary. “A fine idea! We three can do a little more bonding! And I enjoy hearing your deep reserves of knowledge on animal care, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy hid half her face behind her long bang. “Oh, it’s not much,” she said with a giggle.

“You’re far too modest, sweetie.”

“Then it’s settled.” Sunset took Twilight by the hand. “We’ll meet up in an hour or so. Have fun!”

Twilight let out a giggle as Sunset led her away, but shifted nervously as they got to the ground floor. “I feel a little bad ditching them like that.”

“We’re not ditching them. We’re just splitting up for a second.” Sunset moved her hand to around Twilight’s waist. “Is it a crime to want more dates with my girlfriend? And I mean ones where we aren’t inside, studying.”

“Study dates are fun!”

“And you wonder why I call you a nerd.” Sunset planted a kiss on Twilight’s forehead, then continued to steer her to the food court. She made a dramatic sweep with her arm. “Well, Your Nerdiness, take your pick.”

Twilight nudged her in the ribs, then took stock of the open stalls. “I kinda want a milkshake.”

“Seriously?” Sunset recalled their very first outing to the mall together, back when she could barely tolerate Twilight’s presence.

Twilight appeared to be on the same wavelength as her. She shrugged guiltily. “I know. It’s just… certain situations create stimuli in your brain that make you crave things to repeat the situation again if it was enjoyable.”

Sunset pretended to think, tapping a finger against her chin. “So what I’m hearing is, you liked feeling my boobs up?”

Face redder than hot coals, Twilight flailed her hands. “N-no! I didn’t! I mean, I did! I mean, not in that way at the time! I was just trying to help and they happened to be there!”

Sunset doubled over, her loud laughter catching the attention of several passerbyers.

Twilight slapped a hand back and forth against her shoulder. “You-are-the-worst!”

“Yes, but I’m the best at being the worst!” Sunset caught her breath and grinned cheekily at Twilight. “Look on the bright side, Sparky. If you want to feel me up now, all you have to do is ask.”

Twilight huffed and turned her back to Sunset. “I was going to pay for you, but now, you can just watch me eat.”

Sunset came up from behind and rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder. “Awww. You’re gonna let your girlfriend staaarve? I’ll wither away to nothing without you!”

“Maybe I’ll change my mind if you apologize.”

Sunset kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sorry you’re so adorkable and easily embarrassed. I just can’t resist an opportunity to make you blush.”

Twilight turned her head in a vain attempt that Sunset wouldn’t catch the red returning to her cheeks. “That wasn’t an apology.”

“Well…” Sunset spun Twilight around and pressed their bodies close together. “We could have a sloppy makeout session right here, right now. Would that be enough of an apology?”

“Umm, umm…” Twilight shifted her eyes left and right. “Sunset, there are people watching.”

Sunset inched closer, wiggling her eyebrows. She wasn’t sure where this surge of playfulness was coming from. Perhaps it drew from her attempt to have as much fun with Twilight before they parted ways. “I’m willing to give them a show if you are,” she purred. She could feel the heat radiating off Twilight’s face.

“Okay, okay, apology accepted!” Twilight scrambled a step away from her giggling girlfriend. “I’ll get you back sooner or later.”

“I’ll be waiting with bated breath.” Sunset also considered this payback for everything Twilight had beaten her in. Maybe she couldn’t win a chess game against the purple brainiac, but Sunset could embarrass her until she was pinker than Pinkie.

Their exchange had turned Twilight off of milkshakes, so instead, they got a large basket of fries to share. They picked a small booth and got cozy next to each other, occasionally feeding each other a french fry.

“I just remembered something,” Sunset said, nibbling on a fry.

“What?”

“Most of the time we’re like this, I end up spilling some sort of secret about my past, or some emotional trauma. Well, I’m fresh out today.” She smirked. “But you never did tell me any of your secrets when we were on the mountain.”

Twilight turned away. “I told you, I don’t have any secrets to tell.”

“Come on, Sparky, everyone has secrets. It doesn’t have to be anything life changing. Come on, I want to get to know you.”

In the intervening silence, Sunset dug deeper at the question of why she was doing this? Why try and deepen this bond? Twilight was leaving, and the closer they got now, the more it would hurt when they were torn apart. Yet, Sunset couldn’t stop herself from asking—from wanting to know everything she could about the Twilight Sparkle curled against her shoulder.

Twilight played with a fry as she answered. “When I was four, Shining bought this stuffed horse for me. It wasn’t even high quality or anything. It has buttons for eyes, and a pretty cheap mane. But I was just so happy to get a gift from my big brother, that I kept it and named him Smarty Pants.”

Sunset shoved a few fries in her mouth to stop from laughing and interrupting Twilight.

“I can hear you snickering,” Twilight said with a quick chuckle of her own. “It gets better. I used to have classroom sessions with Smarty Pants, trying to teach him whatever I learned in school.”

Sunset allowed her mirth to escape, laughing softly as she cuddled against Twilight. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Twilight’s ears turned red. “When I get scared at night, I still pull him out and sleep with him.”

A loud snort came from Sunset. She was glad she hadn’t taken a sip from her soda. “So you sleep with a doll sometimes? Boy, you should be glad you didn’t know me a year ago.”

Don’t you talk to a doll?

Nobody asked you!

Twilight faced her again, an embarrassed smile on her face. “That’s the only secret you’re getting out of me today.”

“Which means you have more.” Sunset twirled a finger around a lock of Twilight’s hair. “That’s fine. It gives me something to look forward to.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out. “Okay, your turn.”

“I told you, I really don’t have anything left.”

“Then… tell me three things you like. Things that aren’t obvious.”

Sunset tilted her head to the high ceiling. Three things she liked? What did she like that Twilight couldn’t be able to guess? What were things she liked in general? She had a long list of things she hated or got on her nerves.

“I like… the smell of pancakes in the morning,” she started softly. “Whenever my dad got weekends off, he would make pancakes for breakfast. Then, when I was Celestia’s student, she would make these amazing decorated pancakes! Now, Selena makes them every once in a while. So… just smelling them cooking reminds me of… family.”

Twilight pressed herself a little closer, and Sunset leaned into her.

“Let’s see…. Despite thinking most music in this world sounds like garbled noise with some lyrics thrown in, I do have a soft spot for classic rock and roll. And of course, the music we made,” she added, looking down at Twilight’s raised eyebrow.

“And number three….” Sunset closed her eyes, feeling a somber nostalgia wash over her. “I… spent so many years making people miserable that… I forgot this one. I loved making Princess Celestia smile. The way she looked at me… I felt like I was the only pony that mattered. But, having friends, I realized… it isn’t just her I like to make happy. I want to make sure all of you are happy. Not in the way Pinkie does it. Just that you’re all okay and can go through life without having to worry. If I have the power to get to the heart of what’s upsetting any of you, then I’ll do it and make it go away.”

Twilight placed a hand against Sunset as she leaned up to kiss her. “That was beautiful,” she said as she pulled away.

As she settled back down and rested her head against Sunset’s chest, Sunset laid her head atop Twilight’s and asked, “So, what are three things you like?”

“Hmmm… I like… laying in the grass at night and looking at the stars. Not cataloging them or looking for anomalies, just watching them and imagining what it would be like to be in space. I like using the satellite maps online to look at places around the world.” She giggled. “And, I like watching any anime or cartoon that takes place in space.”

“You’re quite the space girl, aren’t you, Sparky?”

“Yeah, I guess I’m pretty ‘out of this world,’ huh?”

“You just had to go and ruin the moment, didn’t you?”

“Payback for earlier.”

Sunset let out a defeated sigh and nuzzled her cheek against the top of Twilight’s head. Go on, say it! Sunset knew she was in the perfect position. A heart-to-heart with Twilight curled against her. A warm light rising from her core, flooding her entire body with positive vibes. She felt something. Was it love? Pure, honest, non-hormonal love? If she was being honest with herself, yes, it was.

The words stayed planted in her heart, never sprouting up to pass her lips. Her mind kept fast-forwarding to their farewell, whenever it would be. For it would come eventually; whether it be in a few months when Twilight left, or a few years when Sunset went home.

“Sunset?” Twilight said meekly.

“Yeah?”

She hesitated. Sunset could feel Twilight tensing up against her. She relaxed her shoulder again and said, “I… I’m glad we did this.”

Sunset held her tighter. “Yeah. Me too.”

*******

Moondancer folded her arms behind her back and dug her nails into her skin as she watched Sunset whisk Twilight away. Fury and longing stirred unpleasantly in her breast. But, she smiled like always, and tried to think of happy thoughts to help her stay in character.

“They’re so cute together!” Pinkie said, putting her hands together against her cheek.

“Indeed they are,” Moondancer said with a dreamy sigh. “I can only hope I find love like that someday.” The best lies told had a grain of truth in them.

“They’ve both come so far,” Fluttershy said. “Twilight was almost as quiet as I was, and Sunset… well…”

“She’s a lot more fun now that she isn’t a miss grumpy-pants anymore!”

Moondancer innocently cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

Pinkie raised her arms and place them behind her head. “Weellll, I dunno if Twilight told you or not, but Sunset wasn’t always the nicest cupcake on the display table.”

Is this where the last puzzle piece falls into place?. “Truly? I know she isn’t the smoothest stone on the beach, but she seems well-mannered and well-meaning all the same.”

“She had a really big change of heart after the Fall Formal,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Interesting. I simply can’t imagine her acting malicious in anyway. It must have been quite the ordeal.”

Pinkie led them toward the party store, walking backwards and gesturing wildly with her hands. “Oh it was! It was the craziest thing to ever happen to us! Until the Sirens came along later. But before that, it was the craziest! See, Sunset used to be really, really mean! Never understood why though. But she would do all kinds of terrible things to people! Then, she stole a magical crown from her world, but a princess came after her to get it, but Fluttershy found it and gave it to Principal Celestia thinking it was just the ordinary crown for the winner of the Fall Formal—”

“Pinkie!” Fluttershy clapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks red. In a quieter voice she said, “I’m sorry, Moondancer. That isn’t a story we should be telling.”

Pinkie let out an uneasy chuckle, her cheeks darkening as well. “Yeah, sometimes I forget that’s supposed to be a secret. Umm, please don’t tell Sunset I almost blabbed.” She gave Moondancer a puppy-dog pout.

“Fear not, dearest, Pinkie, my lips are sealed,” Moondancer said, inwardly drowning in a sea of disappointment. Then again, not all had been wasted. She now had concrete proof that Lamia’s vague fable had been correct all along. Sunset was indeed not from this earth.

A literal interloper seeking power from magical artifacts. Was her elimination of the Sirens just to remove any competition? But still, what was that entity she was so scared of?

Moondancer lingered silently behind Pinkie and Fluttershy as they did their shopping. She felt vindicated, yet confused. Sunset had wanted magical artifacts, wielded magic at the Battle of the Bands, but now, she seemed scared of it?

What was the missing piece no one wanted to talk about?

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Never Miss a Beat

11. Victory Run

As the last note of Twilight’s solo faded out, Sunset’s exuberant clapping held off the silence. Spike gave a few barks of approval as well, jumping onto Twilight’s bed after she set her violin down.

“Thanks,” she said, rubbing the palm of her bow hand. “I think that’s enough practice for now.”

“You’ve got every note down to a T,” Sunset said, sitting next to her. “You’ll sound great.”

She scratched Spike under the chin while she cuddled closer against Sunset. “Thanks. I’m just a little nervous. I always worry that I’m going to be that one person who forgets their notes and then the whole piece is ruined, and maybe the audience doesn’t notice but all of the other players do, and backstage they give you those looks of shame and—”

Sunset silenced Twilight’s rambling with a kiss. “Sparky, relax. We’ll all be there to cheer you on. If you get nervous, just look for us. But you’ll be fine. I’ve never heard a bad performance from you.”

Twilight’s ears turned red. “Thanks, Shim.”

Sunset cringed. “Okay, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Not feeling the nickname anymore.”

Twilight stuck her lip out. “But, I thought you liked it. It’s cute.”

“Eeehhh.” Sunset moved her hand back and forth. “It’s… not bad. I just think we can do better. Or we can default to ‘Sunny.’”

“No, I want my own nickname for you. It’s only fair.” She knitted her brow, making the same determined face she wore whenever she solved a tough math problem. “Sunspot?”

“Nah.”

“How about… Sun Sun?”

Sunset sighed. “You know, a nickname doesn’t have to just be my name shortened.”

“I suppose not. But your name’s so pretty and versatile. It seemed easiest to make an abbreviation or alteration to it.” Twilight pursed her lips. “Crimson Snark.”

Sunset burst out laughing, falling back against Twilight’s bed. “Let’s save that as backup. I’m only saying that because I can’t deny it.”

Twilight made a short, disgruntled note in the back of her throat. “You’re very picky, you know that?”

“I prefer to think of myself as refined, darling,” Sunset said in her best Rarity imitation. She smiled when it got Twilight to laugh.

“Okay how about… umm…. Vesper Radiance?”

Sunset sat up and gave her a questioning smirk. “First, what? Second, that’s longer than my actual name. Kinda kills the point of a nickname. Third, that’s just a synonym of my name.”

Twilight threw her hands up. “I was trying to think outside the box!” She crossed her arms and huffed. “It sounded cool in my head.”

Sunset laid back down, placing her arms behind her head. “Vesper Radiance? I’ll save that if I ever become a villain again.”

Twilight fell into contemplation, leaving Spike’s jingling collar as the only sound in the room. Then, Twilight shouted, “Sunnykins!”

“Yeah?” Sunset turned her head to Twilight, catching her excited eyes. “Oh! Yeah…” Sunset smiled. “That’ll do.” She jabbed at Twilight. “But only when it’s just us.”

With a new nickname decided, Twilight packed up her violin and the two girls started on their weekend homework. Their teachers were adamant on working them hard until the final day of school. At two o’clock, Sunset packed up her stuff and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

“The symphony starts at six,” Twilight said she walked Sunset downstairs. “And they don’t let people in late, so please get there on time.”

“Don’t worry,” Sunset said with a wave of her hand. “Rainbow’s track meet should end at about five. After that, we’ll race over to the concert hall, piece of cake.”

Twilight leaned up and gave her a long kiss. “Okay then. Tell Rainbow I said good luck.”

“Will do.” Sunset gave a two finger salute and ran out to her bike. She made the short ride over to Canterlot High, parking a block away. Cars were already lined up on the streets, and the parking lot was absolutely full. She walked toward the stadium, packed with students and spectators, their cheers filling the open air.

Sunset found her friends sitting in the front row on the home side of the bleachers. Pinkie had her hair tied into two puffy pigtails, and two large pink pom-poms covered her hands.

“Rock it to ‘em, sock it to ‘em!

“Bring up the score!

“Do it again, do it again!

“We want more! Whoooo, go Canterlot!” She waved her pom-poms around, jumped, and did the splits.

Sunset stepped around her and sat next to Rarity. “Have I missed anything?”

“A few races, but Rainbow wasn’t in them. She’s doing the one-hundred meter dash which I believe comes on in about twenty minutes.”

Sunset looked out across the field. The athletes of CHS wore light blue sweats and jerseys, while their opponent were clad in a dark purple. “Who are we facing again?”

Fluttershy’s face darkened. “Crystal Prep Academy.”

“Isn’t that where Twilight used to go?”

“Ah think so,” Applejack said. She leaned back against the bleacher. “At any rate, they have a tendency to beat us in just about anythin’.

“And they’re not even nice about it,” Fluttershy said. “They all love to gloat anytime they beat… well, anyone.”

“Just ‘cause they go to some fancy school that can hire professional trainers and buy them state of the art equipment…” Applejack grumbled out a few more choice words under her breath.

Pinkie bounced up from the ground. “They usually win. But I’ve got a good feeling about today! Plus, have you seen Dashie? She looks totally focused and in the zone!”

Sunset looked onto the field again, quickly finding Rainbow’s wild prismatic hair. She sat on the turf stretching out her calves. Indeed, even from her place on the sidelines, Sunset could see a fire in Rainbow’s eyes.

“Yeah, but in a contest like this, it’ll take more than one person having a good day to change the outcome, right?”

“You never know,” Pinkie sang. “Either way, I think she’s gonna have a good day. Go, Dashie, whooo!”

“Kick their butts, Rainbow!” Fluttershy bellowed.

They watched the men’s one-hundred meter dash first, witnessing Thunderlane lose by a hair’s breadth to Crystal Prep. The winner jogged over to the visitors side and made several dramatic bows. Back on the home side, Sunset felt the static charge of envy and frustration from the crowd behind her.

Rainbow stepped up to the line, jumping up and down to keep loose. She stood in lane three, between Flitter and a Crystal Prep girl with dark blue hair highlighted by a blue streak. The smug, pre-victory smile she wore made Sunset want to smack her.

Sunset and the girls pressed themselves against the rails of the bleachers to get the best view. As the starter walked up to the side of the track, Sunset could feel her own heart pounding in her chest.

The runners took their positions, squatting down and putting their back leg out, hands pressed into the track. The audience fell into a tense trance as everyone waited for the gun to go off. Even Pinkie and Fluttershy were silent in the calm.

Bang!

The calm shattered, and Sunset’s ears were met with loud shrieks of, “Go, Rainbow!” She joined in the frantic cheering as well, adding her voice to the swelling mass of encouragement.

Rainbow and the Crystal Prep girl broke away from the others halfway down the track. They remained neck and neck, arms pumping as hard as they could. Rainbow leaned her body forward as the finish line neared, trying to inch ahead of her opponent. The other girl wouldn’t be put back so easily, however. She drove her arms harder, pushing in front of Rainbow. Rainbow pushed back, creating a rapid back and forth all the way to the end. They both threw themselves across the finish line, running an extra twenty yards until they ground their heels to a halt.

“First, Crystal Prep!” the judge called.

“Augh!” Sunset threw her hands against her face and fell back into her chair, her crushing sentiment shared with the rest of the school. “She totally had that!” Down on the field, she saw Rainbow doubled-over, gasping for breath while the other girl stood over her, wearing her smug smile again. Rainbow flashed her a rude gesture and the girl laughed and walked away. “Man, I’m glad Twilight doesn’t go there anymore. I can hate them indiscriminately now.”

A few minutes later, Rainbow shuffled over, her forlorn frown dimming the fire in her eyes. “She beat me by a third of a second.”

Fluttershy reached a hand down and put it on Rainbow’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We think you did great.”

“Definitely one heck of a show to watch,” Applejack said. “Ah’m sure you’ll get her next time.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the track. “After the four-by-four at the end, there might not be a next time for me. This is the last time we face Crystal Prep.” She punched her fist into her palm. “Just once I’d like to wipe that stupid grin off Indigo’s face!”

“We know you can beat her next time, Rainbow!” Fluttershy said. “We’ll be right here cheering you on!”

Pinkie rustled her pom-poms. “You’ve totally got it this time!”

Rainbow broke into a grateful smile. “Thanks, girls. In the meantime, I’ve got to rest up before the hurdles. See ya later!” She jogged back to the field.

“She does three events?” Sunset asked. “That’s pretty impressive.”

Applejack smirked. “Given her way, Rainbow would do all the events.”

The hurdle events wouldn’t start for another half hour. In the meanwhile, the girls got to watch more of the sprint races and some of the pole vaulting happening at the end of the field. Ditzy made an impressive vault over the previous Crystal Prep girl’s marker. She was so pleased with herself, in a hurry to get off the mat, she stumbled and landed on her face. A moment later, she popped up again, still smiling like a champion.

The girl hurdlers lined up at the end of the straightaway. Ten hurdles stood between them and the finish line. Rainbow’s rival didn’t partake in the event, leaving her to glow with confidence. She took her starting position with the other competitors and stared down her lane. The tense quiet came again when the starter raised his gun.

“You think she’s got this one?” Sunset whispered.

“I certainly hope so,” Rarity said back. “As… well, Rainbow as she can be, I hate seeing her spirits crushed.”

Bang!

Seven girls took off down the track, their steps precisely measured as they approached the first hurdle. Rainbow leaped into the air, clearing it with ease and taking a slight lead. She cleared another one, and another, making her way toward the finish line. Sunset saw a grin overcome her face, not just one of someone who knew they were winning—it was a smile of someone who loved what they did. Like Twilight playing her violin or Rarity sewing her dresses. Rainbow was in her element and enjoying every second of it.

Evidently, Fluttershy had landed on a similar train of thought for she was no longer yelling at the top of her lungs. She merely watched in awe as Rainbow took a clear lead and cleared the last hurdle and sprinted across the line.

“First, Canterlot High!”

A cheer rose up from the crowd, followed by an encore when Canterlot took second as well. Rainbow threw her hands behind her head and took a deep breath, but she couldn’t hide her wide smile.

Leaning on the rail, Sunset turned her attention to Fluttershy, wiping a tear away. “You okay?”

“Mmhmm.” She looked out at Rainbow. “I’m just really happy she gets to do this. She was so sad and scared when she broke her collarbone. I hate seeing her like that.”

Sunset smiled. “Well, it’s thanks to you she’s out here.”

Fluttershy looked down at her hands. “I know. I just wish I knew how I did it.”

Rainbow stopped to talk to her dad at the other end of the home stands, then moved down to the girls. “First place and a new best time! Suck it, Indigo!”

“Congratulations, dear,” Rarity said, keeping a fair distance from Rainbow’s sweaty face.

“You were amazing, Rainbow! Those girls were trying so hard to catch up, but you were all like ‘psshh, I’m Rainbow!’ And you smoked ‘em!” Pinkie said.

“You gonna have enough energy for the last race?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ve got a little over an hour until then. Plenty of time to get my strength back.”

Sunset checked her phone. It was a quarter till four. Almost on schedule. Rainbow went to go cool down before joining them in the stands to watch more of the events. Brawly Beats took first place in the mile for Canterlot High, with Curly Winds doing the same for the two mile.

While Fluttershy had fallen back to her usual demure quiet, Pinkie kept her cheers going with no signs of tiring out.

“Give it a throw!

"Give it a dash!

“Come on, Canterlot!

“Kick their—”

“Pinkie!” Rarity said with a gasp.

Pinkie turned around and blushed. “Sorry. Got a little too into it for a second.”

As the girls started their two-mile race, Rainbow got up and stretched. “Better start getting ready. I’m up in two races.”

“You can do it, Rainbow!” Fluttershy cheered as she walked away.

Watching the girls make their second lap around the track, a wistful sigh escaped Sunset. “You know… looking back… I really wish I had done things differently.”

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked.

Sunset curled her fingers over one another. “I spent my entire school career driving people apart and manipulating everyone just so I could win a couple of school dances. All of that planning, and what have I got to show for it? Rainbow gets to look back and remember hard won games and a few trophies. When I look back…” She didn’t even know how to finish the sentence. What would she see when she looked back?

“You’ll see us!” Pinkie said shaking a pom-pom in Sunset’s face. “Think of all the things you’ve done this year! You’ve made friends! You put together one of the best dances ever! You helped beat evil fish monsters! You had a late start, but you still did some super fun and super awesome things!”

“I know, but… three years of my life practically wasted over revenge…” A familiar hollow void pulled at her insides. She cupped a hand to the side of her face. She had wasted years on half-baked ideas and maybes while she played princess of a high school.

Another hand curled around hers and gently pulled it away. Applejack smiled at her with sisterly warmth. “You gotta take the good with the bad, sugarcube. No life is perfect, let me tell you that. And sure, you struggled a lot. But look where you are now. That’s all that matters.”

Applejack’s warmth drove the void away. Sunset still had words to contest the point made, but found they died in her throat before she could voice them. She was among friends and she had to enjoy the time she had left. “Thanks, girls.”

Rainbow ran back to them, an anxious grin wobbling on her face. “Bulk just blew away Crystal Prep with his last shot put throw! We’re down by ten points!” She looked over at the race still in progress. “Even if Cloudchaser gets second, as long as we win the four-by-four relay, we can beat Crystal Prep!”

The girls all jumped up and cheered, Sunset especially, feeling her fire rekindled. “Go for it, Dash, you can do this!”

“Oh yeah!” She clenched her fists. “I’m the anchor for the team. And there’s no way I’m going to let them and the rest of the school down now! I’m going to win this thing and show those prep school snobs not to mess with the Wondercolts!” She pumped her fist into the air, and a blue light burst from around her.

Sunset shielded her eyes from the brief flash. When she looked again, Rainbow had dawned her pony ears and wings. “Horsefeathers!” She and the girls quickly circled around Rainbow to keep her from view.

“What happened?” Rainbow asked, examining herself while she floated an inch off the ground.

“I don’t know but turn it off,” Sunset hissed.

“I don’t know how! I don’t even know how I turned it on!”

Sunset made an uneven smile as a group of onlookers glanced in their direction. “Try thinking about being normal or something,” she said from the corner of her mouth.

Rainbow closed her eyes and scrunched her face up. She inhaled and held her breath, but only resulted in turning her cheeks purple. “It’s not working!” she said with a dramatic exhale. “I can’t go out there with these! People are gonna know something weird is going on!”

“Maybe it’ll go away on its own,” Rarity said with desperate optimism.

“We don’t have time for that! I need to go warmup and practice the baton pass!”

Sunset opened her mouth to make another suggestion, but a second, smaller flash of light cut her off. When it faded, Rainbow was back to normal, running her hands across her head to make sure her ears were in the right spot.

“Or, that could happen.” Rainbow stepped out from the protective circle. “Stupid freaky magic powers. Whatever, as long as it doesn’t happen again.” She gave the girls a quick wave and dashed off.

Applejack crossed her arms. “So, Sunset, got any ideas?”

“I’m just as clueless as you are. All I know is, Twilight is going to flip when she hears about this.” They settled in and waited for the last races to begin. Sunset pondered to herself in the meanwhile, trying to think of possible answers to this new mystery of magic. First Fluttershy, now Rainbow. More proof that maybe their magic has grown so much, they don’t need music. But there still has to be some sort of catalyst…

The runners for the four-by-four hundred meter race lined up on the side of the starting line. Flitter started for CHS, tossing the blue baton up and down a couple of times before gripping it tight. Sunset saw Indigo lined up with Rainbow, sparks flying each time they glanced at one another.

“One final race to determine which team is greater,” Pinkie said dramatically. “Eight runners pitched in one-on-one sprints to the finish.” She sprung into the air. “You can do it, Canterlot!”

The first two girls lined up at the starting line. With all of the other events complete, every eye rested on them. The starter raised the gun, and the crowd held its collective breath.

Bang!

Flitter and her opponent tore off the line, keeping shoulder to shoulder with each other around the first turn. Flitter kept a narrow lead coming down the first straightaway, but Crystal Prep wouldn’t be so easily denied. The girl kept pace with Flitter, overtaking her as the came into the second turn.

The crowd cheered in full force. Screams and chants clogged the suburban air and rocked the stadium itself. Sunset joined them but held some of her enthusiasm back, waiting for Rainbow to take the stage. The two runners charged down the second straightaway to their seconds, hands extended to pass the baton. Both teams executed the hand-off flawlessly, with Lily taking Flitter’s place. Though her movement was quick, Crystal Prep began to slowly open a gap. Canterlot responded with fervor, encouraging Lily to stay strong and run faster. She complied, and while she couldn’t catch up, she stopped the gap from widening.

Lily handed the baton off to the freshman Vapor Trail who took out of the gate with shocking speed. Rainbow stepped up to the line, and watched her teammate edge closer to the front-runner. Indigo stood at Rainbow’s side, twisting her torso back and forth, a victorious grin still on her face.

Sunset gripped the railing, holding her breath as Vapor Trail came down the stretch, holding the baton. Even from the stands, Sunset saw the beads of sweat gathering on Rainbow’s brow, and the fidget in her eyes. The distance had closed, but Indigo still got her baton first, the Crystal Prep side of the stadium roaring with triumph. Rainbow took her baton, only for her fingers to bump against it, sending it spiraling into the air.

In that brief second, all of Canterlot High stopped breathing, their hearts frozen in their chests. Eyes wide with horror, Rainbow pivoted on her foot and reached her hand up, yanking the baton down and throwing herself forward at the same time. The students breathed again as Rainbow took off after Indigo, now twenty yards ahead of her.

“Come on, Rainbow!”

“You can do it!”

“Kick her butt, Dashie!”

“The only one yer allowed to lose to is me!”

Fluttershy just let out a loud scream of passion.

The volume of the stadium increased as, to Canterlot’s delight, Rainbow closed in on Indigo. Halfway down the back straightaway they were neck and neck, bumping elbows against each other. A fire glowed in Rainbow’s eyes, and as Sunset watched closer, that glow manifested around Rainbow’s whole body. She pulled away from Indigo in the final turn, the crowd going insane. Looking between her friends, Sunset saw their cheers had faded as well, replaced by surprise and concern.

This can’t be good.

It happened so fast, Sunset couldn’t explain it beyond saying it was magic. Rainbow had come out of the turn, blue sparkles pouring off her, Indigo right on her heels. Then, for only two brief seconds, Sunset saw nothing but a multicolored blur. Indigo was suddenly alone. It wasn’t until Sunset, along with everyone else in the crowd looked down past the finish line to see Rainbow doubled over but looking just as confused as everyone else.

“Uh… Canterlot first?” the announcer said as the stadium fell into a quiet murmur.

Indigo crossed the line at a much slower pace, eyes wide and mouth open in soundless astoundment. She pointed at Rainbow and said something, and Rainbow merely shrugged.

“Can someone explain what just happened?” Applejack asked.

“I think Rainbow just became the fastest girl alive,” Pinkie said.

“And in front of hundreds of people,” Sunset said, eyeing the baffled crowd.

Rarity made an uneven laugh and pulled on her twisted locks. “I’m sure we can explain away what the audience did or didn’t see, right?”

“Just act casual,” Sunset said, watching Rainbow talk to the official. “If anyone asks, we saw her cross the line, nothing out of the ordinary.”

On the field, she saw the team beginning to come out of its shock to celebrate their come-from-behind victory. Indigo still looked more confused than angry, though there was a disgruntled flush to her cheeks. Eventually, another official ran over to the first and whispered into his ear. He shrugged and gave a thumbs up for the crowd to see. Rainbow jumped and punched the air before being swarmed by the rest of the track and field team.

“Canterlot High wins!”

The Spectacular Seven took a sigh of relief before joining in the jubilant celebration, ignoring the dissent cries of Crystal Prep. After the initial wave of team hugs and celebratory high fives, the girls made their way down to the field and pushed through the crowd. Rainbow stood in the nexus of admirers, looking surprisingly bashful instead of her usual post-victory pride.

“You moved so fast on that last push, I swear I didn’t see you!”

“Yeah, me too! I must have zoned out or something!”

“You were like a blur! One second you were next to Indigo, then you just smoked her!”

Rainbow laughed and shuffled her feet. “Well, you know me. Just doing my best for the team.” She looked at her approaching friends and gladly left her adoring entourage. “I swear, I didn’t mean to do whatever just happened,” she said in an urgent whisper.

“We figured as much.” Sunset took her by the arm, recoiling at the warm sweat coating her. They moved over to the corner where the noise was a slight decibel lower. “So first, Fluttershy heals your shoulder, and now, you can run at the speed of sound.”

Fluttershy threw her hands in front of her mouth. “I infected you! Oh no, I’m so sorry! This is all my fault!”

“Fluttershy, calm down. I don’t think it works like that.” Although Sunset wasn’t ready to rule it out altogether. She turned her attention back to Rainbow. “Before you went all superspeed, did you feel anything?”

Rainbow leaned her head back as she thought. “I guess I kinda felt a little tingly? I mean, I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary: heart pounding, lungs trying to burst, muscles telling me to stop.”

“What about emotionally?”

“Well, I remember feeling I had to win otherwise I would let the whole team down. And the urge to beat Indigo just so I wouldn’t have to hear her gloating.”

Sunset cupped a hand against her mouth and hummed. “This is definitely something we need to look into later. I think we dodged a bullet this time, but between the Battle of the Bands and now, there’s been too much magic popping up for my liking.” She pulled out her phone. “Pegasus droppings! It’s already 5:15! We have to go!”

“Aw man.” Rainbow jerked a thumb back to the huddle of her teammates. “We still have to have our meeting, and I need to take a shower. You go on without me and tell Twilight I said to be awesome!”

“Got it! Come on, girls!” Sunset started a light jog toward the street.

“We’ll meet you there, Sunset!” Rarity said. “Don’t let us slow you down! You’re the one she wants to see the most.” She winked.

Sunset would have loved to retort but decided to let Rarity have her fun and moved onto her motorcycle. She pulled her helmet on, turned on the engine, and pulled out onto the street. With the meet over, traffic around the school piled up, forcing Sunset to go slow and wait in line for her turn at the intersections. With the clock ticking in her head, it was agonizingly slow. She finally escaped the crowded roads and zipped along to the freeway entrance. The setting sun glared at her from her side view mirrors as she headed east for the city.

She had no idea how much time she had wasted in the suburban streets, so she put the pedal to the metal and watched her speedometer tick up to 70 mph. She didn’t maintain the speed for very long, remembering how the universe liked to mess with her at the most inconvenient times. It would be her luck to get pulled over today of all days.

The looming spires of the city drew ever nearer. Set against the orange sky, it was a picturesque look. She briefly admired it while she weaved between slower moving cars, shifting her focus entirely when she came up on a familiar looking black limousine. As she rode past it, she tried to look into its tinted windows, but only saw her reflection. Still, she had a very good idea about who was on the other side.

Suck it, Moondancer, she thought as she pushed ahead. Her exit was only one stop away now. As she pulled out to the exit lane, her bike made an unusual tremble, and a sputtering sound came from behind her.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Her motorcycle lurched again, and she could feel it slowing down despite giving it an extra throttle. She pulled off the road and slowed down, finding it near impossible to speed up again. The lights on her dashboard blinked, taking longer and longer to come back on each time. With a pitiful growl, her bike came to a complete stop.

Moondancer’s black limo drove by. Sunset watched it turn onto the off-ramp and head deeper into the city. Coincidence? If it is, I’ll eat my jacket. She turned off the dying engine and pulled off her helmet uttering a curse lost in the noise of traffic. She pulled out her phone, reading 5:34 on the screen. She still had time to make it. The question was, did she wait here and hope her friends drove past in time, or did she take her chances and try to get there on her own?

“I’d have to run the whole way there. And I’d have to leave my bike somewhere.”

Yeah, but it’s for Twilight. She’d do the same thing for you.

What does it matter? You’re not going to stay with her for much longer. So you miss her symphony. Maybe that’ll make saying goodbye easier.

She’s still your friend. She still wants your support. You saw how nervous she was this morning. Plus, do you really want to miss her playing violin?

The decision had already been made with Sunset’s legs carrying her and her bike down the exit ramp. It took her a second to come out of her thoughts and see herself moving on instinct. She wanted to say, ‘take that!” but she wasn’t sure to who.

Sunset got off the freeway and headed in the direction of Serenade Hall, walking her motorcycle in the bike lane and getting many odd looks from both pedestrians and other drivers. She finally found an open parking lot she could stash it in until she could get it towed back home. After she stuffed her helmet in the compartment under the seat, she broke into a brisk jog. “I can totally get there in twenty minutes! No problem!”

Having rarely visited downtown, Sunset had few landmarks to go on. She stopped at every street light to check the slow loading map on her old phone. Even so, she felt she was making good time, at least until she came up to a ‘road closed’ sign on her direct path. She turned back to the previous block to circle around it.

“The only reason I’m not mad,” she said under her breath, “is because this still beats getting pulled over for speeding.”

She increased the speed of her jog as her minutes ticked away. Thanks to the detour, she had to go two blocks north before she could get back to her path, and she was down to eleven minutes until the show started. Dropping any sense of courtesy she had, Sunset pushed her way past and around other pedestrians. She nearly knocked over an old woman, and while she shouted an apology over her shoulder, Sunset didn’t bother to check if she was okay.

Karma can pay me back later.

Serenade Hall came into view, with only one busy intersection left for Sunset to cross. She jabbed the crossing button several times and pulled her phone out again. 5:59. Hopefully the attendants weren’t as strict as Twilight said they were and would wait an extra minute or two before closing the doors. The concert hall was a modest sized domed building with a glass front. The front lights came on against the setting sun and showered the glass in a wave of changing colors.

The light changed and Sunset broke into a sprint, understanding how Rainbow felt during her races. She took the front steps three at a time and burst through the doors to the main lobby just as the attendant was closing the theater doors shut.

“Hold on!” Sunset said running up to them. “I’m not late!”

The man looked at her dully for a second, then rolled his eyes and opened the door for her.

She snapped her fingers and winked at him. “Thanks!” The lights of the theater hall dimmed as Sunset walked down the center aisle, purple velvet chairs fanning out on either side of her. Near the middle of the front three rows, she saw the backside of some familiar heads. She hurried down and took the only open seat left. To her dismay, it was next to Moondancer.

“What took you so long?” Rarity whispered from the row behind them. “You’re almost late.”

“The point is, I’m not.” Sunset shifted her eyes to her left. “Moondancer,” she said flatly.

Moondancer kept her eyes on the curtains. “So glad you could make it, Sunset. I was worried for a moment that you would miss out.”

“I don’t know what you did, but I know you did it.”

“I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said with a straight face.

“Ladies and gentleman,” an announcer said through the PA system, “please welcome the Canterlot High Junior Orchestra.”

The audience clapped politely as the curtain rose revealing three rows of well-dressed students and their instruments. Sunset’s eyes locked onto Twilight, sitting in the front row, first chair from the center. She wore the outfit Moondancer had bought for her, a purple button-up blouse with a black jacket, and a long midnight blue skirt with glittering stars.

Twilight spared a glance from her score, smiled, and looked away.

Their conductor, Miss Harmony gave a brief bow, then turned to her students and lifted her baton. Off they went, violins, violas, cellos, flutes, drums, and horns all playing together in harmony and filling the room with sweet music. Sunset’s ear picked out Twilight’s part and followed along, getting lost in her artistry alone. Her sound wrapped around Sunset like silk ribbons—decorative and beautiful ornamentations that completed the present that was the orchestra.

During some of the slower pieces, Twilight would look up again. Every time, Sunset would see a hint of apprehension on her face, then her eyes would fall onto her friends and family, and she would smile.

When the first song finished and the audience broke into applause, Sunset forgot her place for a moment. She jumped and cheered, shouting, “Great job, Sparky!” She was promptly shushed by the surrounding crowd. “Right.” Face red, she sunk back into her seat. If there was any consolation, it was that she had gotten Twilight to blush too.

An hour later, the students stood and took their final bow. It was only now that wild clapping was deemed appropriate. Parents and friends whistled and cheered, and some, including Moondancer, threw roses onto the stage. Twilight waved, grinning from ear to ear.

Families crowded the lobby as they greeted and mingled with the performers. “I’m so happy you call came to see Twilight,” Velvet said. “It’s so sweet of you.”

“We were more than glad to do it,” Rarity said. “Some of us don’t get the pleasure of hearing wonderful performances anytime we’d like.” She gave a sly grin to Sunset.

Once again, Sunset meant to supply a retort, but Twilight emerging from the back room cut her off. Velvet embraced her first, kissing her repeatedly on the forehead.

“Oh, baby, you were so wonderful up there!”

“Mom, stop. Please,” Twilight said between her mother pinching her cheeks. “Dad.”

Night Light eased Velvet off her. “You did a great job, sweetheart.”

Twilight clutched her violin against her front. “I don’t know. I think I fell flat in a few places. And I may have started a half second too soon in the second half of—”

“Nonsense, my little star!” Moondancer swooped over and hugged her tight. “Your performance was enough to please the gods themselves! Every stroke, every note, every action was pure poetry!”

“What she means is…” Sunset slipped in front of Moondancer when the hug ended. “You were great, Sparky and we loved every minute of it.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned red. “Thanks, Sunnykins.”

Applejack snorted. “Sunnykins? Oh boy wait till Rainbow—.”

Sunset wheeled around and pointed threateningly at her. “One word out of any of you, and I’m punching you in the teeth.”

*******

Moondancer crossed the threshold into her home a little after nine, her soul uplifted by Twilight’s performance. Of course, Sunset had managed to make it to the concert hall, but nothing was perfect.

“Ahem.” It was said rather than made.

Hiding her displeasure behind a thin smile, Moondancer turned to Tempest, standing in front of the door to the parlor. “It’s after eight. Don’t you have your own hovel to sleep in?”

Tempest merely gestured with her hand to follow. Moondancer did as asked, finding an extra guest waiting for them. Lamia sat slumped in a chair, eyeing Tempest with open disdain. Moondancer took an armchair close to the unlit fireplace, placing herself between Tempest and Lamia. The hatred and loathing flowing through the room made Moondancer's skin crawl.

“All right, Moondancer,” Tempest said in her infuriatingly neutral tone. “I’ve waited long enough. I want a report on what you’ve found. Or have you spent the entire time flirting with that Twilight Sparkle?”

“I have been giving my mission due diligence,” Moondancer said, crossing her arms. “There’s an art to espionage for those who lack brute force.”

Tempest rolled her eyes. “Spare me your excuses and tell me what you know so far.”

Moondancer made a mock courtesy in her seat. “I have confirmed what information our dear friend Lamia shared with us.”

Lamia made a snort and slumped further in her seat.

“The other Sunset Shimmer is not of this world. She came here via some sort of gateway after stealing a relic from her own world. However, the relic is gone, and the gate is closed. In their place is a unique magic that seems to only manifest when they play music.”

Tempest placed her hand her chin. “Hmm. It almost sounds like the Rainbow of Light.”

“No,” Moondancer said firmly, “a parallel, perhaps, but it is gone. They’ve never encountered the real thing. The source of the magic they’ve obtained appears to be inaccessible, but judging by the Battle of the Bands, they’ve absorbed some of it. That could continue to prove beneficial to us if we draw it out in the right way. Just look at the amount of magic we’ve gathered already.”

“That’s… true,” Tempest said with an aggravated nod of acknowledgement to Moondancer. “Perhaps we could make use of them for a while. Is that everything?”

“Not quite,” Moondancer said. She pursed her lips in thought. “While the majority of them are harmless enough, there remains the other Sunset. Her magic is… different. Stronger even. And tinged with darkness. She seems afraid of it.”

Tempest looked over at Lamia.

“Don’t look at me,” she said with an annoyed shrug. “I don’t remember her saying anything about that. Besides, she seems too touchy-feely to have ‘dark powers.’”

Moondancer steepled her fingers together. “Dark powers or not, her magic comes directly from her homeworld. That could be dangerous to us.”

“Anyone going to tell me what you guys are actually doing?”

Tempest ignored her. “If we could take her power and make it our own… this other Sunset could be useful to us. Besides, the soul of your doppelganger, Lamia…” Tempest fiddled with the amulet around her neck. “I’m interested to see it. You are to bring her to me.”

Lamia sat up, eyebrows raised. “You want what? I’m sorry, did I forget to mention the part where she hates me? I doubt she’d be down for a field trip anywhere.”

Tempest rose from her seat, black wisps snaking out of her left sleeve. “I’m sure you’ll find a way. As long as it’s discreet. Consider this your revenge if it helps motivate you.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Lamia stood and stretched. “But just so we’re clear, this is the only order I’m doing willingly.”

“Whatever puts you to sleep at night.”

Moondancer stayed in her chair, watching the other two women depart. A slimy knot twisted in her stomach. She had just condemned Sunset to a grim fate. At the same time, she would finally see what Sunset was truly made of. And if there was a spell over Twilight, this would surely break it.

But if Sunset was innocent?

She brushed the thought away. Innocent or not, Sunset had crossed too many personal lines for Moondancer’s liking. If this meant she wouldn’t have to put up with Sunset any longer, she could handle a little more guilt on her soul.

Moondancer rose from her chair and swept out of the parlor. “Bishop takes knight. Have a good sleep, Sunset Shimmer.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Dashpoint

Playtime is over.

12. Sun Down

“I can’t believe I missed you ponying up!”

Twilight sat Rainbow down in a chair and ran to her whiteboard. “This is our chance to find some sort of correlation between these phenomena!”

Sunset led Fluttershy to another chair and joined Twilight by the board. “Apologies in advance if she does anything, you know… Twilightish.”

Twilight drew two large circles on the board, ignoring Sunset. “Okay, first, Fluttershy! Please, tell me everything about the day you ponied up and healed Rainbow.”

Fluttershy tapped her fingers together. “There really isn’t a lot to tell. I woke up, got dressed, and put together a little care package to help cheer Rainbow up.”

“What did you have for breakfast?” Twilight asked, making tiny notes outside of the circles.

Rainbow rolled her eyes in scrutiny. “Is that really important?”

“I need to know all the possible variables! Magic is random enough; for all we know, you and Fluttershy had the same cereal and it gave you superpowers!”

Sunset leaned against one of Twilight’s random lab machines. “With everything that’s happened, sadly, she’s not wrong.”

“I had some yogurt with gram crackers, an apple, and a guava,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t think the guava was fully ripe, but it didn’t taste unusual or anything. Then, I walked over to Rainbow’s house. Nothing happened on the way there, in fact, I was kinda in a hurry, so I didn’t even stop to say hi to the nest of bluejays on the corner of my street. I got to Rainbow’s house, saw how sad she was and tried to cheer her up.”

Twilight moved her marker into the circle. “What exactly did you say to cheer her up?”

Fluttershy looked at the ground and pulled on the end of her hair. “I told her she was a champion and that someday, everyone else would see it, and that she shouldn’t let her injury get her down.”

Rainbow’s face turned red and she looked at the garage ceiling.

“Anything else?” Twilight asked.

“Just that I believed in her and would always be there to cheer her on.”

Twilight wrote that in Fluttershy’s circle. “Do you remember what you felt at the time?”

Fluttershy tried to hide her blushing face behind her hair. “W-well… I felt, um, empathy for Rainbow, and I just wanted her to feel better and know how much I cared about her.”

“Hmmm.” Twilight tapped the back end of the marker against her chin. “Okay, Rainbow, tell me about your day.”

Rainbow cleared her throat, gathering herself after Fluttershy’s remarks. “I woke up, had some eggs and toast and a protein bar, went to school, and gave the team a little pep talk. We’re always a little on edge whenever we go up against Crystal Prep.”

“Congratulations, by the way,” Twilight said, looking over her shoulder. “I know CPA isn’t the best when it comes to healthy school rivalries. Anyway, continue.”

“Right. Well, it played out like any other track meet. Indigo beat me in the hundred meter dash, then I won the hundred meter hurdles. I was feeling pretty good about that. Then, I learned we had a chance to win if the relay team could beat CPA in the four-by-four. Since I was the anchor, a lot of the pressure was gonna fall on me to win. I told myself there was no way I was gonna let the team down! I guess that’s what I was thinking when I ponied up and when I got that burst of super speed.”

Twilight paraphrased Rainbow’s words in the other circle. “A desire to win or make the school proud. And a desire to see your friend cheer up or let them know you care. They’re both positive emotions, though I’m not seeing a direct link yet.”

“I do,” Sunset said, walking over. “It’s their elements.” She took the marker from Twilight and wrote the six elements at the bottom of the board. “Fluttershy was displaying her kindness by trying to make Rainbow feel better and being, well, Fluttershy, literally the nicest girl on the planet.”

Fluttershy bowed her head again and muttered soft words of appreciation.

“Rainbow felt the urge to win not just for herself, but for her entire team,” Sunset continued. “She couldn’t bare to lose and let them all down. She showed deep devotion and loyalty.”

Twilight’s face lit up with understanding. “That makes sense. Maybe, magic has become strong enough in this world that instead of needing instruments, they just need to feel connected to the element the Equestrian magic gave them!”

“My thoughts exactly,” Sunset said, crossing her arms in satisfaction.

“But that doesn’t explain the healing or the super speed.”

Sunset frowned. “Yeah, I still haven’t gotten that far in the hypothesis.”

Rainbow put a hand up. “So you’re saying if I feel enough ‘loyalty’ I can pony up whenever I want to and possibly get my super powers back?”

“Well, there’s no positive connection between ponying up and these new powers,” Twilight said. “But that is what the current data suggests. I just wish we had more empirical data…. What are you doing?” She looked at Rainbow who had stood up and shut her eyes in tight concentration.

“I’m trying to feel loyalty.” Rainbow clenched her teeth and fists.

Sunset scoffed. “You look constipated.”

Rainbow exhaled and glared at her. “Thanks, you just ruined my concentration.”

“Sunset, shush,” Twilight said. “If Rainbow learns to pony up on demand, this could prove to be a great breakthrough with our research.” She grabbed a pencil and notepad. “Go on, try again.”

Rainbow moved to the center of the garage and began her concentration again. She kept had back straight and head bowed, standing for minutes on end, releasing an occasional grunt. Finally, she slumped her shoulders and sighed. “Can’t do it. I could run and get my guitar instead.”

“Uh, girls?” Sunset pointed to Fluttershy, her own eyes shut in focus. A pink glow hugged her body, and her pony features appeared in a flash of light.

“Not fair!” Rainbow cried. “How did you do that?”

“Oh, um, I just… well… I thought about how much I… care about all of you,” Fluttershy said quietly, not meeting any of their eyes.

Twilight wrote with fervor. “This is amazing! This proves our hypothesis! Magic is getting stronger! Or, you’re more sensitive to whatever magic is in this world. Either way, this is great! Now, how can we test if she has her healing powers?” She walked over to a cabinet, opened one of the drawers, and pulled out a dissection knife.

“Hold on there!” Sunset marched over and grabbed Twilight’s wrist. “We’re not cutting ourselves in the name of science!”

“It’ll just be a little prick! Besides, I wasn’t going to ask any of you to do it.” She wriggled out of Sunset’s lose grasp and put the knife against her thumb. Even as she pressed the sharp point down, Twilight couldn’t bring herself to watch, turning her head away. Beads of blood bubbled up to the surface from the small incision. Twilight pulled the knife away and smiled uneasily. “See? Barely felt it.” She walked over and held her thumb out to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy bit her own knuckle, but put her hand out and over Twilight’s thumb. “I’m not really sure what to do. It sorta just happened last time.”

“Just do what feels right,” Sunset said.

“Um, all right.” Fluttershy laid her hand on Twilight’s and made a soft hum. The pink glow that usual manifested around her whole body concentrated around her hand only, and engulfed Twilight’s as well. Twilight made a soft gasp, and when Fluttershy pulled her hand away, the cut was gone.

Twilight examined her thumb from every angle, mouth agape. “That’s astonishing,” she said in hushed awe.

“That still leaves the why,” Sunset said.

“And the how!” Twilight exclaimed, coming out of her shock. “Does Fluttershy’s magic accelerate the body’s natural healing factor? Or is it something even more complex? We know she can mend bones but how far do her powers reach?”

“We are not testing that!” Sunset said loudly.

Twilight turned to her and laughed awkwardly. “Right, of course. Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you both for coming over on such short notice and putting up with me. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Rainbow waved a hand. “No problem, egghead. Today was gonna be a slow day anyway.” She stretched her arms over her head. “So now what?”

“Well, I’d like to analyze all this data, but I don’t have anything to code it against, so I’ll have to keep making speculations based on our current—”

“I meant, what are we doing right now,” Rainbow said impatiently.

“Oh, uh…” Twilight shrugged. “Did anyone have anything in mind?”

Once Fluttershy’s pony features wore off, the girls moved to the living room to have a movie marathon. With the overcast weather outside, they had the perfect atmosphere for it. After their third movie they called it quits and headed home. Following the concert last night, Sunset had gotten a ride back to her motorcycle courtesy of Shining. She was scared she would have to get it towed, but when she tried to start it up again, it roared to life like nothing was ever wrong.

I will continue to blame Moondancer until proven otherwise, Sunset thought as she headed home.

Monday came too quickly for her liking. After another troubling dream, Sunset struggled to get out of bed, begging time to roll back a few more hours so she could get more sleep. Being the helpful dog he was, Spot aided by licking Sunset’s face until she got out of bed.

She looked at her calendar, counting down the days until graduation. An unwelcome chill crept into the pit of her stomach. Just enjoy what time you have left. But how could she enjoy it when the end loomed so close over her head? The hollow void of regret returned, threatening to pull Sunset in. Why? Why had she wasted so much time trying to get revenge? Why hadn’t she at least made a backup plan in case she failed?

Because you were so arrogant and egotistical, you were positive you were going to win. And she almost had won. She came within a hair’s breadth of murder and attempting a coup of her homeland. The sting of that defeat used to nettle her heart fiercely. Now, she wasn’t sure if she felt more joy from having been stopped, or regret from trying to do it in the first place.

And the question of ‘what now?” wedged itself firmly in the back of her mind, making itself known every time her thoughts started to wander. Even her subconscious wouldn’t let it alone. She couldn’t answer. She hated her past and couldn’t see a future. In that regard, she envied her friends. College letters and business deals and scholarships…

She felt her nails biting into her skin and unclenched her hand. Happy thought, happy thoughts. She would not let that disgusting feeling of envy overtake her. She had made her choices. These were her consequences to reap. But her friends’ constant talk of their prospects were wearing on Sunset. She was happy for them, truly she was! But did they have to brag about it every chance they got?

No, they’re not bragging! They’re just talking! They’re excited!

Really? Seems to me like they’re rubbing it in your face.

Sunset smacked a palm against her mattress as she stood, startling Spot. She forgot to apologize as she got ready for the day.

Monday moved like molasses. Every time she looked at the clock, only a few minutes had gone by. She made absent minded doodles in her notebook to keep her thoughts occupied. After all this time, she could draw a pretty accurate depiction of Celestia’s cutie mark.

Sunset managed to drag herself out of her funk by lunchtime, summoning the energy to smile and laugh with her friends. Yet, every time someone mentioned ‘college,’ Sunset’s stomach made an uncomfortable twist.

“I got another scholarship offer in the mail today!” Rainbow said, setting her tray down. “It’s not a full ride, but it pays a lot. Only downside is, the school’s on the other side of the country.”

“Yeah, that is a bummer,” Applejack said. She then snickered. “But Ah’m surprised you’re gettin’ as many scholarships as you are. Ah’ve seen your report card.”

“My grades are fine!”

Everyone made a snort of laughter.

“Screw you guys!”

Sunset left lunch with the slimy, twisting feeling in her gut, ebbed only slightly by the indignant pout Rainbow wore. Third period passed by at a crawl, making the last school bell a heavenly choir. She met Twilight by the front entrance and walked home to study together. Keeping her mask up proved difficult, but she pulled it off until they parted ways. Then, Sunset did it all again on Tuesday.

For the rest of the week, Sunset wore a mask of complacency, repeatedly telling herself she wasn’t jealous of her friends, turning her frustrations at herself instead. It wasn’t healthy, she knew. But she’d rather be angry at herself than them.

The mask could only hold so long though. And if any of her friends were to see through the cracks, it would be Twilight. She finally spoke up after school on Friday, while they studied in her room.

“Sunset, you seem a little… down recently?”

Sunset looked up from her history book. “I do?” Playing dumb was the only way she knew how to keep it together.

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Sunset said, putting conviction in her voice without sounding too forceful. It took some work, but she could still lie when she wanted to. Her stomach roiled as a promise shot through her brain. She had told herself she wouldn’t lie to Twilight. Not about anything important.

Well, my future really isn’t important…

This involves her too! You’re still lying!

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, eyes soft with worry.

“Yeah,” Sunset said, fighting to keep the irritation away. Maybe she still wasn’t up to par with lying like she had in the past. “I promise, I’m fine.”

Sitting in her rolling chair, Twilight wheeled her way to her desk. “Well, I’m all done with my homework. Do you need any help?”

“No, I think I got it.”

“Okay. Then I’m going to look up a few scholarships. My parents made a college fund for me when I was a baby, and it can cover a generous amount, but I want to do everything I can to make sure they’re not paying out of pocket.” The light from her laptop brightened her face. “Besides, there’s a couple I already saw that require creating new inventions! Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Sunset snapped her textbook shut and sat up from the bed. “Actually, I think I’m going to call it a night. It’s been a long week, and I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.”

Twilight turned her chair and gave Sunset a concerned pout. “Oh, okay. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes, Twilight,” Sunset said with a slight hiss. She took a breath. “Just a little stressed. I’ll be fine.”

Twilight stood and placed a hand on Sunset’s arm, and for the first time in their relationship, Sunset wanted to jerk it away. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sunset turned her head to hide her eye roll. “There really isn’t anything to talk about.”

“Sunset.”

“Twilight.”

There was a sharp pause before Twilight pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. “Fine. I can tell you’re in one of your moods,” she said with a harrumph.

Sunset looked back at her. “One of my ‘moods’?”

“Yes. You get all crabby and start shutting everybody out,” Twilight said pointedly.

“And then you try to wriggle your nose in anyway.” Sunset’s irritation bled through the cracks now. “Sometimes it’s cute. Sometimes, it’s really annoying.”

Twilight puffed her cheeks out. “I’m just trying to help you.”

Sunset breathed out some of the bite in her voice. “And I appreciate it; I really do. But sometimes, I need you to not do that.”

“What, am I supposed to just let you be a grouch?”

“I’m only grouchy because you keep trying to pry.”

Twilight turned away. “Sometimes, it’s hard to believe you’re older than the rest of us.”

“Boy, why does that sound familiar? Glad to see you’re taking the age gap between us well though.” Sunset packed up her school supplies and threw her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later,” she said stiffly.

Twilight at least looked Sunset in the eye as she left. Sunset still appreciated the concern.

Sunset cursed herself as she walked out onto the front porch and down the steps. She was going to have to apologize later. But she really didn’t want Twilight to pry right now. What was the point anyway? Sunset was just being an over-emotional, bitter grump. And what was she supposed to say? She didn’t want Twilight to leave because then she’d be lonely? That maybe, just maybe, she was a little jealous of her friends’ lives? Twilight already knew how much Sunset loathed herself and her past actions, so that would just be a redundant conversation.

She walked through the quiet neighborhoods as dusk settled down, turning the street lamps on as the last natural light faded.

“Ugh.” Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “This is the opposite of what Applejack said to do.”

She didn’t mean to push her friends away or shut them out. Some habits were just harder to break. Plus, who was she to rain on their parade with her woes?

Maybe pushing them away will make saying goodbye easier?

That’s dumb and you know it’s dumb. Just stop pouting! Stop overthinking and just go live! Race with Rainbow, throw a party with Pinkie, tell Twilight you love her!

Sunset stopped and blanched. Okay, maybe not that last one. Not yet.

Why not? her brain argued.

Because… because!

Oh yes, astounding rebuttal. You should join the debate team.

Sunset continued walking, scrunching her face. How am I this snarky even with myself?

Someone has to be with you. Seriously, what’s stopping you from telling Twilight you love her?

Love is a complicated word—

It’s not.

We’re just teenagers; we don’t know what love is—

Pretty sure you do.

She going away, so what’s the point?

The point is that you love her. Who cares if she’s going away, that doesn’t change the way you feel about her.

Sunset really hated it when she had a good point. Lifting her head up, she found her legs had carried her to the park. She was halfway home. With a sigh, she dropped her head and buried her hands in her pockets.

“What about how she feels?” Sunset said softly to herself. “She gets to go off and meet new people and see new places. She has every opportunity to meet someone better than me. She chose me today. Maybe she’ll choose me tomorrow. But when she doesn’t have to see me anymore… when she forgets why she chose me…”

Don’t say it’ll all be pointless, because it won’t.

Sunset supposed not. She would have the memories and feelings to hold onto. And like Applejack said, that was better than nothing.

The evening air proved cool, but Sunset still felt herself grow uncomfortable with her leather jacket draped over herself. Still, she kept it on, admiring the spikes along the cuff. She still couldn’t believe Twilight had bought it for her as a Christmas present, and they had only been together for two weeks. Sure, they had been friends for a while before that, but it still remained a generous token of affection.

Do you really think she’ll chase after someone else the second she leaves?

Sunset didn’t know what to think. Maybe Twilight wouldn’t do it on purpose, but someone more attractive was bound to show up eventually.

Like Moondancer?

I meant personality wise.

Sunset stopped, inhaled the pungent pollen coming from a nearby grove coming into bloom, and kept walking. Okay, let me entertain the notion that I tell Twilight I love her. What happens in two years when the portal opens up? That’s a long distance relationship that can’t survive.

That’s if you go through.

What am I going to do here? Two years is already a long time to do a lot of nothing! Let’s face it… I have to go back home. Which means I leave everyone behind.

Sunset paused again. Her slow gait had only carried her halfway through the park. Making friends back in Equestria wouldn’t be so hard now that she was somewhat a better person. Not as hard as saying goodbye to these friends is going to be. The winding path between two of the wide fields offered a bench for her to sit at. A tree sprouting its new leaves stood guard over her.

Taking a seat, Sunset could see the spot she and Rainbow had come to blows before turning their aggression on Rainbow’s old gang members. Sunset hadn’t understood yet, but they had become friends that day. Turning her head, she could see the hill with a tree at the top, the spot she and the girls had their New Year’s picnic. They had brought the year in by watching a spectacular meteor shower, curled next to one another under their mass of blankets.

Sunset looked up to the sky, watching the stars slowly fade into view. Maybe I am being too melodramatic about this. I’ve just… never had to say goodbye to anyone before. Usually I just… She cringed. Run away.

Yeah, we do have a fun habit of running out on those we love, the sinister side of her mind whispered.

Sunset shoved it away. The point is, it’s gonna hurt. A lot. But being with them is better than sitting here alone. And even if me and Twilight don’t go the distance… Her stomach fluttered. Maybe I should still tell her. If anything, for the people I never got to tell. Sunset rubbed the back of her head. Now, how do I do it? ‘Twilight, I love you.’ Yeah, that has all the emotional sentiment of brick.

Three of the nearby lamp posts sputtered then quickly went out, leaving Sunset under the cover of twilight.

“Finally! Do you know how hard it is to get you alone?”

Sunset jumped from the bench and swung around. Leaning against the tree was the older reflection of herself, only now, her hair was cut much shorter. It actually looked pretty good.

Lamia examined the back of her glove in an uninterested fashion. “You weren’t joking about that whole friendship deal, were you? Every freaking second of the day, you’re either in school or sucking face with your girlfriend. Makes me sick. And it’s not ‘cause I’m homophobic. It’s just really annoying.”

Sunset kept her hands curled into fists. “Have you been stalking me?” she asked indignantly.

“Yeah, for like a whole week. I’ve stalked bank owners who spend more time alone than you do.” She looked up from her gloves. “Nevermind, that’s a low bar to hurdle.”

“Well, you got me alone now. What do you want?”

Lamia pushed herself off the tree. “See, I’ve got this… definitely not a friend… an acquaintance who wants to meet you. Now, I could sugarcoat it and lie to you up and down this park about how it’s urgent or—” She clapped her hands together and fluttered her eyelashes. “—she needs your magic powers to help save her dying mother and blah, blah, blah.” She folded her arms. “But we both know you wouldn’t believe me, and I don’t feel like putting in the work.”

Sunset raised her fists a little higher. “You’re right about me not believing you.”

A wide smirk spread across Lamia’s face. “At least the mirror me isn’t stupid. So, no make-believe storytimes. My ‘boss,’ and I use that term loosely, wants to see you. Why? I don’t know, but she’s putting out some grim reaper vibes. Honestly, freaks me the fuck out. So, you can either pay me back for ratting me out by coming quietly, or you can pay me back by letting me kick your teeth in before I drag you away. Please let it be the second one.”

Fists fully raised, Sunset took a fighting stance. “I’m not going to apologize for what happened. We needed the Crystal Heart to stop the Sirens.”

“And look, they got it anyway and you still saved the world! Good for you, kiddo!” Lamia said in a mocking voice. “Everyone won except me!” She bared her teeth. “And if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s losing.”

Ultimate sense of deja vu. “Why don’t you just go steal it again and get lost? Shouldn’t be too hard for such a great thief like you.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” Lamia slowly strolled around the bench, stepping onto the path. “Security around the heart has been tripled, and while not impossible, it’s a lot more of a hassle with no guarantee of working out.” She cracked her knuckles. “Now, back to the question at hand. Are you gonna come quietly, or am I going to have to force you?”

Sunset stood her ground. Sweat already coated her palms, and her heart pounded in her chest. She was sure Lamia had more combat experience than she did, but Sunset would make friends with Moondancer before she willingly surrendered.

Lamia took a stance as well. “Good to know that me in any world is a fighter. Bring it on, mini me.”

Sunset took a running charge at her jabbing with her right fist. Lamia easily avoided it, shifting her weight to the left, then back to the right when Sunset followed up with a left hook. While her left arm was still extended, Lamia pushed it to the side and struck a quick blow to Sunset sternum, sending her sprawling on her back with a winded gasp.

“Oh, please tell me that’s not all you got. That was pathetic.”

With a labored wheeze, Sunset got back to her feet. She threw her arms up in time to block a roundhouse kick before throwing Lamia’s own weight against her. Her fall turned into a backwards roll and Lamia popped up in an offensive stance, caught off-guard by Sunset’s rushing assault. She managed to get one punch through Lamia’s guard and strike her across the cheek.

Lamia reeled but didn’t stumble back, grabbing Sunset’s arm to both balance herself and toss Sunset to the side. Sunset hit the grass and sprung to her feet only to meet a knee to her gut. She fell back to the grass, propping herself up on one elbow while her other hand rested against her stomach.

“You know, part of me should feel bad about beating up a kid,” Lamia said, lowering her arms, “but after fighting sword ninjas, mind controlling banshees, and a magic princess, I’m just happy to kick someone’s ass again.”

Magic princess? Sunset didn’t have time to ponder the off-hand comment. A boot flew at her face, catching her ear as she rolled out of the way. She then swung her whole body around to kick her legs out to try and trip Lamia. Lamia fell back, hit the grass with her hands first, and pushed herself back up just as Sunset scrambled to her feet. Her ear stung, and any movement made her stomach clench in pain. I’ve felt worse.

She and Lamia moved at the same time, striking at each other with the opposite fist. Both of them connected against their jawline, and Sunset could hear a few pops as the pain spread through her mouth and up to her cheek.

The pain and every other sensation Sunset currently had flipped off like a light switch. The world went dark, and when it came back on, Sunset stood in the hall of an apartment complex. The walls were grimy, and the lamps gave off a sickly glow.

Sunset’s hands were cuffed behind her back. The added weight of Officer Garrison holding her wrists kept her from fidgeting. She didn’t lift her head until the apartment door swung open. Her mother, still dressed in her cleaning uniform, looked at Sunset with a mixture of heartbreak and frustration.

“No… Sunset, why?”

Sunset didn’t answer. She blew a stray lock of hair from in front of her face, then gave her cuffs a rattle to tell Garrison he could let her go now.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Mrs. Gleam, but if we catch Sunset one more time, we have to take her in.”

Sunset looked down and grinned. Guess I’ll just have to make sure you don’t catch me.

Both Sunsets snatched their fists back and stumbled away from one another. Sunset used one hand to massage her jaw while the other rubbed her temple. She had forgotten about the memory phenomena that occurred whenever she and Lamia touched.

Lamia cursed and popped her jaw. “Guess it doesn’t matter what you see at this point.” She rushed at Sunset, giving her no time to recover from the memory exchange. Sunset managed to raise an arm in defense, keeping Lamia from hitting her face again. Sunset then punched forward, but Lamia pivoted to the left and threw her fist against the side of Sunset’s skull, sending her spiraling to the ground again.

A faint ringing bounced in Sunset’s head, accompanying the throbbing pain, and within that ringing, she swore she could hear the howl of a wolf. Instinct told her to shut her eyes to dampen the pain, but pride and adrenaline told her to stand up and fight. She dug her nails into the grass, ripping out chunks as she got back to her feet.

Lamia clapped. “You’re one persistent cookie, kiddo. And as much as I’d love to drag out the satisfaction of beating you senseless, boss lady is already testy with me for taking so long.” She wiped a thin trail of blood off her mouth.

“So, time to end this.”

“You can try,” Sunset said, drawing up her infinite well of false bravado.

“Cute.” Lamia flew at Sunset, faster than she had moved previously. She easily dodged Sunset first blow, ducked under the second, and side stepped her kick before jabbing out with two fingers and striking a spot between Sunset’s left arm and collarbone. Her arm instantly went numb, leaving only the sharp sting of where she had been struck.

Crap! Sunset tried to retaliate with her good arm, but Lamia struck again, fast as a snake, and Sunset’s other arm fell. With a single kick to her chest, Sunset fell back onto the grass, staring up at the stars until Lamia leaned over her.

“You’re not bad at street fighting. But I know two martial arts plus that.” She pressed her boot down on Sunset’s arm. Sunset could feel some of the pressure but none of the pain. “You never stood a chance to begin with. Good effort though.”

Sunset glared at her, cheeks burning from embarrassment. But, unlike her doppelganger, she had learned when to accept a loss. She had only one recourse left. She inhaled deeply through her nose.

Wham!

Sunset gagged violently and choked, flailing her head back and forth, unable to bring her hands to her throat.

“Oh, were you going to scream for help? Yeah, no. You’re going to come quietly.” Lamia moved her boot away from Sunset’s throat. She pulled it back and kicked Sunset’s rib next. “Hey, Sunset?”

Wham!

The force of her kick elicited another a choking gasp from Sunset.

“Stop hitting yourself!”

Wham!

“Stop hitting yourself!”

Wham!

“Stop hitting yourself!”

“St-stop it!” Sunset gagged out.

“Aw, is the wittle baby gonna cwy?” Lamia gave her one more kick then stepped away and pulled a phone from her pocket. “Fine, I’m done anyhow.” She put the phone to her ear. “Come and get your laundry, Tempest. We’re in Canterlot Park.”

Sunset was grateful she could still turn her neck. A dark chill settled over her, making her hair stand on end. To her right, a dark void opened up from nothing. She gasped, wincing in pain when a woman stepped out of it.

Her violet hair stood tall and reminded Sunset of a mohawk. She wore a dark blue suit with a black jacket draped over it. She looked down at Sunset, her right eye scarred yet still functional and filled with an odd mix of apathy and intrigue. She turned her sharp gaze to Lamia.

“Did you have to do this in a public place?”

Lamia made an exaggerated shrug. “It was dark and fights happen here all the time. Plus this was the only time she wasn’t surrounded by her entourage. Be grateful for once, why dontcha?”

The woman—Tempest, Sunset gathered—rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let’s just leave before someone walks through. Grab her and follow.”

Sunset felt herself hoisted from under her arms and dragged toward the swirling darkness. “Help!” she tried to cry in her sore and feeble voice. Even she could barely hear it.

Tendrils of darkness creeped around her, obscuring her view of the park. She twisted the lower half of her body in a desperate attempt at freedom, but it did her no good. The darkness swallowed her, bathing her in its cold, unwelcoming embrace, both familiar and foreign to her. It didn’t last long, thankfully.

The trio emerged from the darkness into a dimly lit room. The walls were steel and smooth, and the only furniture in the room was a wooden chair in the center surrounded by chains and manacles. Lamia forced Sunset into it and tied her already useless arms down along with her still kicking legs.

“What do you even want from me?” Sunset croaked, fighting against the painful lump in her throat.

Tempest stood before her. “That depends on what you have to offer.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Good, she’s already recording. Hopefully she’ll get some good data out of this.”

She reached into her shirt and pulled out a necklace with a golden triangle covered in odd carvings. It almost looked like the swirling lines were moving. Tempest held it up to Sunset’s face, leaning in close. “Let’s see just how deep your soul goes.”

Something pulsed within Sunset. A warm sensation flooded every inch of Sunset’s body, like someone had injected her with hot chocolate and pure love. Memories flooded her conscious, passing before her eyes like she was viewing them on a screen. She saw her parents celebrating her fifth birthday. She saw Princess Celestia welcoming her to their first private study session. She saw herself sitting with Fluttershy and Spot. Her and Rainbow having a friendly soccer match. Sitting with Applejack and her family around a freshly baked pie. Helping Pinkie bake cupcakes and ruining the kitchen in the process. Rarity presenting her Winter Ball gown with stars in her eyes. The Lulamoons gathered around a game board with Trixie boasting about her inevitable win.

Every memory of Twilight.

“How cute,” a bored voice echoed from somewhere outside Sunset’s peripheral. “But not what I’m looking for.”

The pulse came again, only this time, it left Sunset frozen. Icicles filled her veins, and her happy memories faded into oblivion, replaced by everything she tried to push away. Sitting alone in the kitchen while she waited for her parents to come home. Celestia dismissing her after her tantrum and deceit. Cutting friendships up left and right and sabotaging anyone who got in her way. Putting on the Element of Magic.

No! Not that!

“Oh, I think we found a winner.”

The icicles melted into burning acid. Anger, hatred, guilt, and regret rushed through Sunset. Her skin prickled then burned like she was being bitten by an army of fire ants. Her claws dwelled right beneath her fingernails, her wings waited to burst from her back. No! I won’t!

“I can see it now. All that anger pushed deep down and locked away. Darkness and power leftover from before.”

Sunset saw her friends looking up at her in horror. Her malevolent laugh echoed through the night. She put her hands out and generated a fireball, lifting it over her head before hurling it down.

“Wouldn’t it be good to let that power out again?”

Sunset watched the five girls that had just ruined years worth of plans walk away, laughing and smiling with each other. They expect her to be friends with them? After what they had just done? Her blood boiled. Did they think she was stupid?

I am friends with them! I don’t want that power back! Never again!

Yes you do. You crave it deep down. A chance to finish what you started!

No I don’t!

“She has quite a resilience. Is that the source of your strength, Sunset Shimmer; these friends of yours?”

The Spectacular Seven, dressed in their ball gowns, gathered in front of the stage while Photo Finish set up her camera. Sunset found Twilight’s hand and their fingers locked together.

“Ah, yes. But I see the fear that lingers beneath that. What happens when these friends are gone?”

“Girls, please… don’t leave me alone.” Sunset stood in the snow, watching all of her friends storm off in separate directions. It was all her fault. Even after she had tried to make up for her past actions, they came back to bite her and tear her friends apart.

Sunset slumped against the stage door, shoulder aching. Because of her, the world was going to be ruled by the Sirens. Her friends stood apart from each other, crying or fuming at their defeat.

Everyone she loved, she either hurt or abandoned.

“Please... just leave me alone, Sunset.”

Look at all the pain you’ve caused, and the pain you’ve felt in turn. Wouldn’t it be better to not have to worry about any of it. They’re going to leave soon anyway.

Sunset looked up at her friends, walking away down the road to their futures.

“Sorry, sugarcube. We can’t laze around forever; we’ve got more important things to do.”

“Did you seriously expect this friendship to last forever?”

“I can’t believe we made friends with such an underachiever.”

“No, girls, come back! Please, I don’t know what to do without you! Where am I supposed to go? What if I—”

A shadow appeared from behind and held her shoulders. “Relapse?” she whispered with insidious glee. “Yes, with no friends to support you, what’s to stop you from going back to your old ways. Two years is a long time. Long enough to gain control of your powers and make a new plan to conquer Equestria. Look at them. They never cared about you anyway.”

Warm tears snaked down Sunset’s face as she watched them walk away. “No, we’re still friends. And I won’t give in.”

Hot claws dug into her cheek and forced her to look into the eyes of her demon. “You have nothing left. Why resist now? This is your future! You have a chance to do something glorious! Let me take control, and I promise you a world of riches and wonders! We’ll be queen of two worlds!”

Sunset stared into the black sclera, listening to the poisoned honeyed words. Her friends would leave, it was true. And somewhere inside, she was mad. Mad that they were going to abandon her. Mad that they got to move on and she didn’t. Still mad that all her plans had been crushed in one, fleeting moment. But perhaps she could still salvage them. Have her old magic back and not be afraid.

“Yes, show me your true power!”

Power… magic… Sunset raised a hand to her demon. “You…”

Sunset’s soul pulsed again, and light flooded through her, drowning out the darkness and making her demon cringe and hide its face. Six bright lights appeared in her mind’s eye. Twilight, the brightest one, smiled at her.

“You really didn’t think we’d just leave you, did you?”

“We’re best friends, Sunset. Nothing like some silly distance is going to change that.”

“Yeah, so stop pouting and give us a smile!”

The lights circled around her, and the burning prickle on her skin turned to soothing balm. She smiled and laughed, seeing her wonderful memories appear before her again. Their trips to the mall, the ball, the picnic, the sports games, her and Twilight curled together on the couch in the mountains. The light coalesced into a familiar sensation.

“What the…?”

Sunset’s eyes snapped open and a wave of light exploded from her, sending Tempest flying across the room and onto the floor. Lamia, leaning against the wall, looked on in shock.

“You’re never gonna bring me down…” Sunset felt her pony ears burst into life, and her hair flowed down into a ponytail. She grinned widely at her captors, savoring their surprised expressions. “You’re never gonna break this part of me.”

Tempest picked herself up and tried to regain her neutral expression. Her eyes narrowed in aggravation, however. “Your soul is indeed powerful. It’s quite amazing actually. I don’t think I’ve seen a force this high.” She brushed herself off. “We’re moving to plan B. Looks like the good doctor is going to get her experiment after all.”

Sunset’s confident smirk fell as Tempest looked down at her again and raised the necklace. Something in her eyes drove the warmth out of Sunset.

“If I can’t break this part of you…” The amulet lit up, and despite its golden light, Sunset felt nothing put pure terror well up from within her. “I’ll just have to rip it out instead.”

The light intensified, paralyzing Sunset completely. Her soul, however, wildly flailed inside of her. Sunset couldn’t comprehend what was transpiring. It was as if the tethers that kept her bound to this earth were violently being snapped and severed. Her chest ached, not from the beating she had received from Lamia, but a spiritual pain, greater than sadness or loss. Indescribable and mind-numbing, it rose, magnifying in intensity until Sunset screamed, the sound bouncing off the steel walls and slamming against her own ears. The snapping continued, and Sunset felt herself slipping out of her own body, falling into the amulet. It was all she could see: the bright light it emitted, the runes reaching out to ensnare her. It invited only pain.

Sunset couldn’t fight it.

She didn’t know how.

The world slipped away, dissolving behind her as she was sucked down, the last tether snapping free. She lost all sense of herself: her arms, her legs, her senses, even her memories seemed to fade away.

Twilight… I’m… sorry...

All of her, her very essence, was pulled into the abyss, her screams following close behind.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: All We Want is Your Soul

13. Disappeared

Twilight’s eyes opened, halting the dream. It hadn’t been like most nights, where she would gently rouse from her slumber, fading in and out of neverland. No, the dream had simply cut off and she had been shoved back into the waking world. She raised herself into a sitting position, gently nudging a sleeping Spike to the side. Her eyes made out the familiar blurry blobs of her room. She groped for her glasses resting on her bedside desk and slipped them on, turning the blobs into vague outlines. Still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She hadn’t had a nightmare. There was no elevated heart rate, no irregular breathing. Only a pit gnawing within her. Not in her stomach, no. It ate at her on a deeper level. At her soul.

It was the foreboding sense that came when one knew something bad was about to happen. Something primal and instinctual, like gazelles knowing to run right before the lions came.

She checked her alarm clock. 12:37 A.M. She had been asleep for only two hours. As she looked about the room again, the outlines began to define themselves, and Twilight could make out the details in her bedroom. Her closet door was closed, as it always was when she went to bed. Her dresser was neatly organized, everything was in place on her desk. Twilight couldn’t identify the reason she had been rudely aroused from her sleep, or why she felt so tense.

Sunset.

Twilight blinked. While she wouldn’t outright dismiss the idea that her awakening had something to do with Sunset, it seemed redundant, since Sunset usually occupied a majority of Twilight’s thoughts regardless. Especially now, after the way they had parted earlier.

Still, Twilight’s brain honed in on Sunset, and her sense of foreboding rose, along with her pulse. Sunset was in trouble. But how could Twilight know that? More importantly, how could she prove it without looking paranoid? The last time she had called Sunset in the early morning was to make sure their dance and kiss at the Winter Ball hadn’t been a dream. Twilight had bugged her four times before finally believing it enough to sleep. If she bugged Sunset in a similar fashion, she was sure it would only irritate her. And she was already on edge.

Still, her heart had not settled, and she had developed a tight knot in her stomach that made her queasy. Bad auguries to be sure. Maybe just one call to be safe? Sunset might even see it as a sweet gesture. Or she’d be more annoyed and snippy. Twilight was willing to risk that if it meant peace of mind.

She picked up her cell phone, which buzzed in her hand, startling her. She fumbled with it, having it bounce between her hands before she got a solid grip.

“Hello?” she whispered. Spike raised his head, now as awake as she was.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said. Twilight already knew something was wrong. Her voice was missing its usual haughtiness, fake or otherwise. “Trixie apologizes if she’s woken you up, but… is Sunset with you?”

Twilight’s heart hammered faster. Stay calm, stay calm, this doesn’t mean anything yet. “N-no, she isn’t. She went home hours ago.”

“O-oh.” Silence. “W-well, she isn’t here so I figured… but she’s not answering her phone...”

“Okay. Umm…” Twilight bit hard against her lip, and her hands began to shake. “Don’t panic. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this. Let me call the others and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay, talk to you soon.” The line clicked off, leaving Twilight’s quick breathing to fill the silence.

Spike climbed into her lap and pawed at her, trying to get up and lick her face. Twilight absentmindedly petted him, still staring at her phone. There was a disconnect between her thoughts and actions. Her fingers searched through her contacts to find Sunset’s number, while her mind played out hundreds of scenarios, positive and negative, in seconds.

Don’t panic! The thought did nothing to calm her turbulent mind. She pressed her phone to her ear, listening to the dial tone once, twice, three times... four times... five times...

“Hello, this is Sunset—”

“Sunset!” Twilight cried, scaring Spike off her lap. “I—”

“—sorry I can’t answer the phone right now. Leave a message, and if it’s important, I’ll get back to you. If you’re Pinkie, please keep it under a minute.”

The line beeped, prompting Twilight to say something, but she remained silent. She slowly lowered her arm and disconnected the call.

Don’t panic… But the knot in Twilight’s stomach had multiplied and grown needles. Even if she wanted to, she wasn’t sure if she could throw up now. Okay, who else is up this late that she could be with? Her fingers dialed in Rainbow’s number.

It rang twice before Rainbow picked up the line. “Hey, Twi. Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Rainbow, is Sunset with you?”

The joviality in Rainbow’s voice died. “No. But like, I was just thinking about her, and this is gonna sound weird, but I got… scared. Like… I dunno, like—”

“Something’s wrong?” Twilight finished.

“Yeah. I’m guessing she’s not at home, is she?”

“No,” Twilight said, fighting to keep her voice level, “no, she isn’t. We hung out today, but she left a long time ago. And Trixie called and said she hasn’t come back home yet.”

Rainbow swore. “Okay, let me call Applejack and Fluttershy, you call Rarity—”

A sharp ringing interrupted them. Twilight looked at her phone. “It’s Pinkie. I think she’s trying to make a group call.”

“This can’t be good,” Rainbow said. Sure enough, as Twilight accepted the invitation, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy were added.

“Well,” Rarity said, “judging by the conversation I had with Pinkie, am I correct in assuming you’ve all had a bad premonition about Sunset?”

There was a grim murmur of agreement before Pinkie spoke. “My Pinkie Sense has been going crazy, and not in the good way! My heart’s been beating super hard, and my tummy’s been upset!” she said with a distressed whine. “It’s a really bad doozy, and I want it to stop!”

Fluttershy spoke next, sounding like she had just finished crying. “I h-had a terrible dream. Sunset was s-screaming in agony, asking us to help, b-but I couldn’t reach her. Then… she disappeared.”

Twilight’s free hand gripped her blanket hard. “She left just before sundown, but Trixie says she hasn’t come home.” Her voice cracked and remained at a higher pitch. “She wouldn’t just go off somewhere without telling one of us.”

Without telling me…

Applejack spoke, “And with all of us feelin’ the same thing? This can’t be a coincidence. There must be some friendship magic at work. Sunset’s in trouble!”

“So what do we do?” Fluttershy asked.

“We get out there and we look for her,” Rainbow said firmly.

“Agreed,” Twilight said, regaining a surprising amount of vigor in her voice. “Canterlot Park serves as a central location for most of us. Let’s meet there.”

There were no complaints about it being late, no suggestions to wait until morning, just determined agreements and promises to be there posthaste. Twilight hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, getting dressed in record time while Spike watched curiously from her pillow. Twilight paused in her haste and looked at him. Spike was no bloodhound but maybe he could help, at least emotionally. She patted her leg, giving him the sign to follow along.

Spike gave a happy yip as he hopped down, then rubbed himself against Twilight’s leg while she tried to put his leash on. “You’re going to have to be quiet, Spike. We can’t wake anyone else up.” She grabbed a flashlight from beneath her bed and scooped Spike up in her other arm.

Twilight gently pushed her door open, cringing as it creaked. She squeezed through and tiptoed downstairs, nearly tripping on the last step. The rest of the house was dark and quiet, punctuated by the absence of Shining’s snoring.

Twilight slipped on her shoes and jacket and stepped outside, closing the door as softly as she could. She let Spike down, and started a brisk jog toward the park.

Numerous scenarios popped through Twilight’s head again. Sunset had been in one of her moods. Did this have something to do with it? Or what if she had been kidnapped? Had the Sirens returned to extract some kind of revenge?

“Too many variables, not enough constants.”

Her stomach squirmed. Frankly, she didn’t care who did what, as long as Sunset was okay. Twilight had to hold onto the belief that everything would be fine. Anything else just made her heart ache.

*******

Twilight was second to arrive at the park. Pinkie was waiting at the top of the hill, under the tree they had gathered around to watch the stars on New Year’s Eve. The leaves were returning, and small flower buds were starting to sprout. It might have lifted Twilight’s spirits had she seen it in the daytime.

Instead, the colors were lost in the darkness, leaving just the outlines. The frown on Pinkie’s face, however, was clear as day. As Twilight got closer, she could see Pinkie twitching and fidgeting. She didn’t greet Twilight with her usual bubbly demeanor, just a pained smile. Twilight’s own smile took a lot of effort to put on.

Rainbow arrived next, panting and resting her hands on her knees when she got to the top of the hill. “Sorry I’m late. It took me forever to find a flashlight.”

Rarity came next, then Fluttershy, eyes red and puffy, followed by Applejack. Six flashlights lit up the dark, gathered at the base of the tree.

“Okay,” Rainbow said, “where do we go from here?”

“I’m not sure,” Twilight admitted. “ In all likelihood, Sunset would have crossed through the park to get home. I thought here might be a good place to look for clues.”

Pinkie nodded, still shaking. “My Pinkie Sense is still going off. I think something happened here.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Applejack said, starting down the hill. “Fan out and search for anything suspicious.”

The girls compiled without another word. Twilight stepped carefully, slowly drawing her flashlight back and forth across the grass while Spike sniffed around. She pulled her phone from her pocket every minute to see if Sunset had called her, spirits sinking every time.

Canterlot Park was large, consisting of three separate fields, a hill, a small garden, a gazebo, a playground, and a stream that led into a small pond. Twilight wandered down to the stream, crossing the bridge where she had encountered Sunset for the third time. It was at the meeting Sunset told her of the existence of another world where magic dictated the laws reason. Twilight hadn’t wanted to believe her, but Sunset said it with so much conviction, Twilight had to wonder.

She looked over the bridge, shining her light into the water. It’s not very deep. She couldn’t have fallen in, could she? Twilight walked around to the banks, wanting to make sure no stone was left unturned. She followed the stream up and down, waving her light across the pond. She found a few annoyed ducks, but no Sunset.

Come on, Sunnykins, where are you? Twilight pulled her phone out once more. Still nothing. It was getting close to two in the morning. Twilight felt a tug of exhaustion, but her fear and adrenaline overrode it. She backtracked to the field in front of the hill, her friends slowly making their way as well.

“This is hopeless,” Rainbow said, sounding more defeated than frustrated. “Even in the daytime, I doubt we’d find anything useful.”

“She might have a point,” Rarity said. “We need a different approach.”

“Ruff!” Spike pressed his nose against the stone path, sniffing intently.

Twilight knelt beside him. “What is it, boy?”

Spike barked again and waddled toward a nearby bench, his tail wagging. He looked around intently, barked a third time, then looked back at Twilight.

“I think… he’s trying to tell us Sunset was here.”

“Ah know pets are smart, but he’s not that smart, is he?” Applejack asked.

“You’d be surprised,” Twilight said with a smile. “Spike, can you find Sunset?”

Spike pressed his nose to the ground again, tail wagging. He followed the path, zigzagging back and forth. Eventually, he came to a stop, sniffed the air, then let out a short whimper.

Applejack frowned. “What’s that mean?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he can’t find her anymore.” Twilight sighed. “It was worth a shot.”

Rarity cast another look around. “I don’t want to be a pessimist, but… this is becoming very serious. She’s not at home, she hasn’t talked to any of us since school ended.”

Fluttershy wrung her hands. “She has seemed a little sadder than usual. You don’t think she ran away, do you?”

“Out of all the possibilities, Ah hope that’s the case.” Applejack looked out to the distance. “Only questions is, why?”

Pinkie, who had been jittery and twitchy the entire time, finally fell still and collapsed onto her bottom. She let out a sigh of relief. “Bad feeling is finally gone. Maybe that means Sunset is okay!”

Twilight jumped to her phone and hit Sunset’s number. Instead of ringing, it went straight to voicemail. Twilight’s grip tightened into a vice and she had half a mind to throw the phone as hard as she could.

“Nothing,” she said, tears stinging her eyes. “She’s still not answering.”

Fluttershy sat down next to Pinkie, and pulled her legs to her chest. “What do we do now?”

Applejack pointed her flashlight west. “We should probably go tell Trixie and her folks that we ain’t found nothin’. They can call the police and get some official help.”

Twilight smacked a palm against her head. “Of course! Artemis must have some sort of locator spell! He has magic! Let’s go ask him for help!” She took off for the Lulamoon house, only slowing down when a cramp formed in her side.

“Slow down, Twi,” Applejack said, easily keeping pace with her. “If he did, don’t you think Trixie would have asked him about it first?”

“Maybe it didn’t cross her mind,” Twilight half-shouted, half-panted. The girls all followed her through the park and down the streets, coming to the light blue house with the tower sticking off the side. Twilight rang the doorbell and only had to wait three seconds before Trixie pulled it open.

“What are you all doing here?” she asked. Twilight saw she was still dressed in her day clothes.

“We went out to look for Sunset but couldn’t anything,” Twilight said. “Then we thought your dad might know a spell that could help find her.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes, he knows a spell. It’s called ‘calling the police.’”

“What do you mean?”

Artemis appeared behind her, also dressed in his usual suit and cape. “She means magic isn’t a cure-all for everything,” he said, lacking his usual joviality and flair. He waved his hand. “Come on in, all of you. The police should be here any minute.”

The girls filed in, moving through the living room toward the kitchen. Twilight’s eyes glanced over the numerous pictures lining the walls, spotting a few with Moondancer in them. Twilight knew Moondancer’s family was a touchy subject, but the fact that her relation to Trixie had never come up before still struck Twilight as a little odd. Why hadn’t Moondancer recommended Twilight interact with Trixie when she moved to Canterlot High? In the four years Twilight had known Moondancer, why had it taken this long to meet family so close to her?

Twilight pushed the questions away as they entered the kitchen, finding Selena pacing back and forth. She tried to smile at them, but like everyone else, it came out pained.

“So if you called the police, I’m guessing that means there isn’t some magic locator spell?” Rainbow asked.

Artemis leaned against the island table. “There are tracking spells, as in, had I placed one on her before she left, I could find her. And there are scrying spells which I could use to communicate with her, but they both require us to be next to pools of water. So, not very helpful. But no, there are no spells that just tell me where someone is at any given time. If she used magic, I could find her, but… there’s been nothing.”

“So the police really are our best bet,” Applejack said.

“For now, yes.” Artemis straightened up and smiled, putting some color back in his cheeks. “But, I’m confident Sunset is fine, wherever she is.”

The remaining Spectacular Seven shared an uneasy gaze with one another. They appreciated Artemis’ optimism, but Twilight had a feeling he didn’t have the same foreboding knot in his stomach like she did.

The doorbell rang again and Selena rushed to answer it, followed close behind by everyone else. Twilight knew Shining was sleeping at Cadence apartment tonight, and wasn’t surprised to see another officer instead of him. She recognized him as one of Shining’s friends, Gaffer.

He looked at the present company packing the room. “All right, I can already tell this is serious.” He gave a small wave to Twilight. “So, let’s get straight to business.” He pulled out a notepad and pencil.

Twilight spoke up before anyone else could. “Her name is Sunset Shimmer. She went home with me after school today, and left between 6:30 and 7:00. She… she said she’d see me later, but…”

Trixie picked up where Twilight faded out. “She never came home. She hasn’t called or texted any of us. It’s not like her.”

“She always picks up when I call her,” Twilight said, finding her voice again, albeit frail. “Now, it doesn’t even ring, it just goes straight to voicemail.”

Gaffer nodded solemnly. “Did she say she was going home? Maybe left any hints of going somewhere else?”

Twilight hesitated. “Well… I guess she never directly said… but it was strongly implied. She said she was looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.”

Gaffer nodded again. “And did she show any unusual behaviors recently?”

“She was a little distant this week,” Fluttershy said. “She didn’t speak a lot and she looked lost in thought.”

The others turned their heads to Twilight. She bit her lip before speaking. “She was kind of… tense… and snippy before she left. We didn’t… we didn’t fight, but she was in one of her moods. I… I don’t think she was annoyed enough to run away, but… something has been bothering her.”

“We tried to search Canterlot Park for clues,” Pinkie said, “and we think Spike might have picked up her scent, but… we couldn’t find anything else.”

“All right.” Gaffer closed the notebook. “I’ll need a recent photo of her and a list of places she frequently visits.”

Artemis snapped his fingers and a photo appeared in between them. “Here, this should suffice.”

Gaffer took it with a look of astonishment. “Uh, thanks.” He pocketed the picture and the short list Selena wrote up. “We’ll start a search at first light and put up flyers. Keep your phones charged and close by at all times. We’ll keep you updated as well as we can. If you can think of any other information, give us a call.” He tipped his hat and made his exit.

As soon as he left, Selena stomped her foot against the carpet. “Call it a gut feeling, but I know Lamia has something to do with this.”

“The snake thief?” Twilight asked. “Why would she have anything to do with Sunset?”

Selena lifted her eyebrow like it was obvious. “Because she’s Sunset’s parallel in this world.”

“What?” five voices shouted.

“You mean Shimmer was Lamia the entire time?” Rainbow asked, pressing her hands into her hair. “We made friends with an international thief?”

“And that thief is the human version of our best friend,” Rarity said, dazed. “Oh dear.”

“Why didn’t Sunset tell us?” Twilight asked, bordering on enraged.

“I believe it was for your own safety,” Selena said with a calming wave of her hands. “She took a risk telling me. Lamia threatened that if Sunset told anyone her identity, she’d retaliate by hurting all of you. It seems she’s changed her mind.”

“And we can’t tell the police the person we’re looking for is also the person who might have kidnapped her,” Applejack said bitterly.

“She’s also the one who stole an artifact from us,” Trixie added bitterly.

“What? When did that happen?” Applejack asked.

Trixie looked at her with surprise. “A few weeks ago. She didn’t tell you?”

“Seem like there’s a lot of things she’s not been telling us recently,” Rainbow said bitterly.

“I’m sure she had her reasons,” Artemis said. “We’re not even sure what Lamia took. I think Sunset didn’t want to bother you with such a murky topic.”

Twilight kept her head down. Had all this secrecy really been for their own protection? Was that why Sunset was so on edge? Did she know a confrontation with her human counterpart was coming up?

“So where does that leave us?” Rarity asked after a brief pause.

“Up a creek without a paddle,” Artemis said. “All we can do is look as hard as we can and hope to find something. That or wait until Lamia sends us a ransom.”

“If she’s willing to do that,” Selena muttered.

“If she’s the one who took Sunset,” Rainbow said.

Selena sighed “It’s late. You all should get back home and get some sleep. We’ll pick up the search in the morning.”

Twilight checked the clock, seeing time had marched onward to four in the morning. Her adrenaline had petered out, and the running had left her exhausted. Still, anxiety and uncertainty stirred in her stomach, making sure she would get no sleep tonight. She complied to go home though, departing with the rest of her friends. They walked back to the park and from there, Twilight got a short ride home thanks to Rarity.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked before Twilight got out.

Huddling Spike close to her chest, Twilight shook her head. “No. What if she’s hurt or worse? You heard what Fluttershy said—what we all felt.” Her throat and chest tightened. “She’s in trouble,” Twilight said hoarsely. Tears finally found release and flowed down her cheeks.

Rarity pulled her into a hug, but Twilight could feel her body shaking, trying not to degrade into a sobbing mess. “We’ll find her, Twilight. Everything will turn out fine, just you wait.”

Twilight wondered if Rarity was speaking to reassure her or herself. Twilight thanked her and pulled away. Spike gave Rarity one last happy lick on the cheek, then Twilight got out and returned home. She made sure her entrance was quiet, and she snuck upstairs to her room like nothing had happened. She hoped to find Sunset in her room, milling about like nothing was wrong or hiding to deliver some cryptic message before vanishing into the night. But, her room was empty and exactly the same she had left it. She checked her phone one last time. Zero missed calls. No text messages.

She laid her head against her pillow, keeping her clothes and glasses on. As predicted, as tired as she was, sleep did not come for her. She watched the light of the new day rise through her window. She heard her mother get up and prepare for her shift at the hospital. Twilight continued to lay on her bed, eyes transfixed on her phone, mind still thinking of countless ways Sunset could be in trouble, ways they could save her, how things would go if they found her, how things would go if they didn’t find her in time…

Bzzzt!

Twilight bolted upright and snatched her phone, a wave of euphoria and relief washing over her until she saw the name on the screen. Her heart leapt for multiple reasons now. If Shining was calling her then… She flipped the phone open. “Hello?”

“Hey, Twily,” Shining said, voice apologetic. “I got to work and saw the news. You really haven’t heard from Sunset?”

“No, I haven’t,” Twilight said, unable to hide the pain in her voice.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said softly. “I’m putting myself in charge of the search. We’ll find her. And because I already know I can’t stop you from looking, be careful and only go in a group, okay?”

Twilight broke into a watery smile. “I promise.”

“You need anything?”

Assurance that Sunset is okay. “No. I think I’m fine.”

“Okay. I’m a phone call away. So is Cadence. I’ll keep in touch, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too, BBBFF.” She clicked the phone off and laid it back on her bedside table.

Love. Why hadn’t she said it before? She had so many opportunities, so many chances when it was just the two of them. This was love she was feeling, right? It had to be. It felt like how other characters in her books described it. And she was pretty much living in a fantasy novel now.

I’m only seventeen. Do I really know what love feels like? Love or not, she needed to find Sunset. A pang of longing shot through her heart. Even if this wasn’t love, it was still friendship. Her alarm clock told her it was just after nine. She picked up her phone and dialed Rainbow’s number first. It didn’t take long for her to pick up.

“You ready to start searching?” Rainbow asked.

*******

The girls met in the back room of Rarity’s boutique. Fabrics and papers with X’d out designs littered the floors. Twilight cleared a space on the modeling stage and laid out a map of the city and surrounding area. She circled Canterlot Park with a red marker.

“If we work under the assumption that Sunset did in fact walk to the park and disappear from there, that gives us a central point to work out from. The park is close to the middle of the new suburban area.” Twilight drew red arrows moving out in all directions. “However, it still gives us an extremely wide range of ground to cover.

“If Sunset has been…” her throat caught again. “Kidnapped, then the perpetrator has had twelve hours to escape. Worst case scenario…” she took a shuddering breath.

“Sunset’s in another state,” Rainbow said hotly. “But that’s the worst case scenario. As far as I’m concerned, she’s still somewhere around Canterlot.”

“R-right,” Twilight said. “The police will be checking all the obvious areas, leaving us to check places they won’t think of, starting with the factory.”

Pinkie smacked her forehead. “Duh! If Sunset’s feeling super down and wants to hide, she’d go there first.”

“Or if Lamia wanted to stash her there, it wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Rainbow said.

“‘Cept Lamia would expect us to look there eventually,” Applejack said. “Either she’s not dumb enough to hide there, or it’s a trap.”

“Do you really think she’d set a trap for six teenagers?” Rarity asked, using Applejack’s skeptical look against her.

“Ah’m just pointin’ out the possibilities. Selena said Lamia was sore that Sunset ratted her out. Maybe this is her way of gettin’ back at us.”

Rarity rolled her wrist. “While I doubt this is the way she’d go about it, it wouldn’t hurt to err on the side of caution. We can see if Selena or Artemis is willing to accompany us.”

On the other side of the suburbs, the girls found themselves at the Lulamoon household again, invited in by Selena.

“Sorry, girls, I already checked the factory earlier this morning. Empty.”

Twilight knew it was a long shot, but disappointment bubbled within her regardless. She laid the map out on the table again and X’d out the factory. “Okay. There’s still plenty of areas left to check.”

Selena tapped an area to the north. “Artemis and Trixie went to look around the mountain base.”

“Well, if they went north, how about we go south,” Pinkie suggested. She pointed to the Everfree Forest.

“Best we do it now before the forest gets too dark,” Applejack said.

The girls rode out again, Selena opting to stay behind on the off chance Sunset returned, or if the police or Lamia called. The girls pulled onto the dirt road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, only they continued south past the farm to the entrance of the forest. The road came to a dead end, the path blocked by a ‘No entrance’ sign on a wooden fence.

“We know this is a long shot, right?” Applejack asked as she got out of her truck. “The forest is huge and hard to navigate. Even if she is in there, it’d be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“Applejack, while I appreciate your realism, could you try to show just a little bit of optimism,” Rarity asked with a testy edge to her voice. “Sunset is somewhere and we’re going to find her.”

Applejack brought her hat lower over her eyes. “Sorry, Ah just… Ah’m keepin’ mah guard up just in case…”

“That’s not gonna happen!” Rainbow shouted, tears in the corners of her eyes. “Sunset’s alive! We’ll find her, we’ll hug, she’ll pretend to complain about it, and if we have to fight somebody to save her, then I’m ready to throw down!” In a brilliant flash of blue light, her pony ears, wings, and hair extensions appeared. “Oh, now you wanna show up again!”

Normally, Twilight would have marveled at the magic phenomenon before her. Now, it only served as another reminder that Sunset wasn’t with her to speculate or reel her in when she got carried away.

“Wait!” Twilight pointed up to the treetops. “Rainbow, you can use your wings to fly over the forest and give us an aerial view!”

Rainbow put on a determined grin. “On it!” With one flap of her wings, she zipped into the air and took off.

“Stay close!” Fluttershy yelled after her.

The girls climbed over the fence and landed on the forest floor. There was no official road to follow, so Applejack led them down paths she had traversed before. They stuck together in a single file line, as the dense foliage and tightly grouped trees wouldn’t allow for anything else. Even for early spring, the forest was remarkably green and lush, like winter had never happened. Insects buzzed and chittered all around, reminding the girls whose territory they were in.

Their cries for Sunset almost drowned out the insect chatter, each of them taking a turn to make a continuous round. Still, no one ever answered their call.

A clearing came up, allowing them to take a short break from their hike. Rainbow descended and hovered just off the ground. “Man, the forest goes on forever.”

“And we’ll search the whole thing if we have to!” Twilight shouted.

Applejack laid a hand over her face. “Twilight, let’s be reasonable here. You’re a smart girl. You know that ain’t possible to do in any sort of reasonable amount of time, even if we got more people with us.”

Twilight rubbed her tired eyes, feeling a sharp pull behind them. “I… I just… we have to try.”

“And we will,” Applejack said gently. “We’ll do what we can, as hard as we can do it. Just don’t ask yourself to do something you know you can’t follow through with.”

Rainbow muttered something that sounded close to ‘hypocrite’ and flew back into the air. The rest of the girls followed Applejack back into the brush, Twilight taking up the rear.

Don’t do something I can’t follow through with? Twilight furrowed her brow but flinched at the pain between her eyes. If it meant finding Sunset, she’d turn the whole forest upside down.

Her steps slowed as she processed the thought. If she was willing to do that for one person… yes, maybe it was indeed love. Teenager or not, Twilight couldn’t ignore that spark in her heart every time she thought about Sunset.

But we’ve only been dating five months. I haven’t even known her for a year! But she was ready to scour an entire forest for her. Of course, she’d do the same for any of her friends. But still...

“Incoming!”

Every head turned skyward, though they couldn’t see much of it through the trees. They heard calamitous crash though, as Rainbow fell to the earth, branches softening her fall until she landed atop Pinkie.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy ran over to them and knelt at their side. “Are you okay?”

Rainbow sat up and groaned, rubbing her arm. “Yeah, I think so. Just bruised this time. Pinkie broke most of the fall.”

“Glad I could help,” Pinkie said woozily from underneath her.

Fluttershy helped both girls to their feet. Rainbow’s pony accessories had vanished, leaving Twilight to wonder what dictated their duration, and if it could be manipulated. She shook her head, reprimanding herself for thinking of anything else at a time like this. With Rainbow grounded, the entire party hiked on foot, spending hours on end zigzagging up and down through the forest. Twilight could never tell if they were exploring new ground or constantly making circles, though she trusted Applejack had some inkling of where she was heading.

Around four o’clock, they stopped at another clearing to take a water break. “Okay, y’all,” Applejack said after nearly emptying her bottle, “it’s time to head back.”

“What?” Twilight jumped up from her seat against a tree trunk. “But we still have plenty of daylight left!”

“Yeah, but it’s almost a two hour hike back to the beginning, and you don’t wanna be out here at night,” she said firmly. “We searched the forest all day and she ain’t here. Let’s move on to somewhere else tomorrow.”

“We’ve barely covered a fourth of the forest,” Twilight said, a surge of frustration rising. “We can’t just move on!”

“Twi, there’s only so much ground we can get to on foot. We can try again early tomorrow if you really want to, but even then, we won’t get to half of the whole forest. It’s best if we search the city and let the police handle out here. They got the tools for it.”

Twilight wanted to argue but knew Applejack’s logic was sound. She just didn’t want to stop searching an area. It felt like giving up. And if Sunset was here somewhere and they didn’t find her…

“Besides, Twilight,” Rarity said gingerly, “I think we could all do with a little rest. I know most of us didn’t sleep well last night.”

With a relenting sigh, Twilight nodded in agreement. The pain behind her eyes was too much to ignore. While she doubted she would get any sleep tonight, closing her eyes for a bit sounded like a good idea.

Like Applejack predicted, the sun was almost gone by the time they reached the edge of the forest. They said their goodbyes, and Rarity offered Twilight a ride home again. It was a somber drive, beset with continuous yawns from both girls.

Twilight stepped through her front door and immediately felt the arms of her mother wrap around her. She gave Twilight a loving kiss on her forehead, numbing some of the pain.

“Oh, baby, Shining told me what happened. Don’t worry; I’m sure she’s out there. We’ll find her.”

It took every drop of her remaining energy not to break down in her mother’s arms, but Twilight managed it. She remained nestled in the embrace for several long minutes though. When she did break away, her father was there to kiss and hug her as well.

“Do you need anything, sweetie?”

“Sleep, probably,” Twilight said, mustering a smile. She kissed them both goodnight and retreated upstairs, Spike on her heels. Instead of lying in bed, she dropped into her chair slumped against her desk.

Her mother and brother liked to watch crime shows and mysteries. Twilight found them entertaining on occasion. She hoped to never have to live through one. They hardly ever ended with the person being found alive.

Her chest tightened. “Don’t think like that. Maybe the odds are stacked against us, but we can find her. Magic and rainbows and super powers… they’ve already done the impossible. They’ve already done miracles.”

Twilight’s eyes drooped shut, letting her fall into something akin to sleep. “Just one more miracle… please.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Gone Girl

14. Sparks

Twilight settled into her seat at the front of her AP English class. Sunday had gone the same way Saturday had: long hours of searching with no results. While she had managed to get a few hours of sleep thanks to her mind forcing itself to shut down after being up for so long, her rest had been fitful at best. Her subconscious played out some of the scenarios her waking mind had conjured. She had seen Sunset held prisoner and experimented on by government officials, lost somewhere deep within the forest, left for dead in a ravine or river, and worse.

Eyes bloodshot and stomach misbehaving at the thought of food—though she knew her body was short on nutrients—Twilight had dragged herself out of bed and asked her father to take her to school. Her parents offered her a chance to stay home, but Twilight had never missed a day of school before. And if there was a chance she could learn something from any of the students, she’d take it.

It was not Luna’s voice but Celestia’s that came over the PA just as the instruction bell rang. “Good morning, students,” she said solemnly. “I’m afraid I have troubling news to bring you. Early Saturday morning, our very own Sunset Shimmer was reported missing.”

Murmurs rippled through the classroom. Twilight strained her ears trying to pick out any of the conversations, but Celestia’s echoing voice made it impossible.

“If you have seen her or have any knowledge about where she might be, please contact the police. There are many, myself and Luna included, who would love to see her safe and sound.”

Celestia read through the rest of the general announcements, then left the school to continue with their day. The hushed whispers died away, and Twilight, who kept her gaze down on her desk, felt the weight of twenty pairs of eyes on her back. She looked to her left, catching one of the students jerk their head toward the board.

Right. Sunset and I dating wasn’t exactly a secret. They’re going to look at me as the epicenter of all this. The girls, too. Twilight clenched her fists under her desk wondering how many times she was going to hear ‘I’m so sorry.’ Or worse, how many people would secretly be happy Sunset was gone. Despite Sunset’s turn around, Twilight still heard whispers and mutterings of resentment for her past actions.

Sure enough, as soon as the period ended and Twilight headed for her next class, several students stopped her to give their condolences and hopes that Sunset would turn up soon. A few had the gall to ask her what had happened, and if she and Sunset had had a fight. Twilight had to fight the impulse, no doubt obtained from Sunset, to stomp on their toes and instead just walk away.

Lunch brought her to the table with all of her friends and, surprisingly, Flash. He sat close to Rarity and kept a hand on her back. Twilight could see she wasn’t the only one who still hadn’t slept well. Everyone had bags or bloodshot eyes. While a subdued atmosphere clung to their table, the rest of the cafeteria went on as if nothing was wrong. Only occasional glances toward the Spectacular Seven gave a hint of abnormality.

“So, what’s the—” Rainbow broke for a wide yawn. “—what’s the plan after school? Back to the forest?”

Applejack pushed her mashed potatoes around her plate. “We could try, but we wouldn’t be able to go out much further before we’d have to turn around and get back.”

“One more day can’t hurt though,” Rarity said.

“I can get the band to go with us too,” Flash offered. Twilight must have looked at him with surprise, for he added, “She’s my friend too. And, I treated her pretty bad during the Battle of the Bands.” He looked away, a sad shadow over his eyes. “I know she said everything was cool, but I still feel like I need to make it up to her.”

Pinkie, despite her haggard appearance, gave him a generous smile. “We’ll take all the help we can get.”

Moondancer walked over to the table and sat down next to Twilight in what should have been Sunset’s seat. She did it with none of her usual grace and elegance though.

“How are you doing, Twilight? Oh, that’s a ridiculous question to ask. I know how bad your heart must ache.” She laid a hand atop Twilight’s. “If you want for anything, I’ll be here,” she said with soft sorrow. “But I’m sure Sunset will come about soon, hale and hearty.”

“Thank you, Moony,” Twilight said, moving to hug her. Moondancer’s warm embrace and scented soap aroma proved therapeutic and raised Twilight’s spirits a little. “You’ll help us look for her, right?”

“I’ll scour the entire Upper Villa myself if I have to.”

After school, the seven girls and Flash Drive made for the forest. Twilight brought along a topographical map to mark where they had been so far. They spent the entire late afternoon calling for Sunset and searching small alcoves and narrow crannies.

Yet even after they yelled until their throats were raw, they came back to the edge of the forest with nothing, not even a clue.

Shining came home with nothing to report, good or bad. The police search was made especially tricky because Sunset had no official records for them to work with, only the forged documents she had given the school, and Shining couldn’t tell anyone else of Sunset’s true origins.

Twilight barely slept that night, dreaming of Sunset hurt and abused somewhere. Twilight knew Sunset was stronger than her dreams liked to show, but there were some situations even Sunset couldn’t fight her way out of.

Tuesday proved worse than Monday, for every class was a stark reminder that Sunset was absent. The seat next to Twilight remained empty, leaving her partnerless for chemistry and trigonometry. For the first time, Twilight found she couldn’t focus on a word Ms. Vector said. Before, whenever she had been mad at Sunset, she could throw herself into her work as a welcome distraction. Sunset had at least still been there, looking sad or contemplative, her eyebrows slightly pushed together and her lips pinched or pouting depending on how bad she was feeling.

A tear splashed onto an empty page. Twilight’s eyes focused, seeing she had only written the date at the top of her work. Her pencil hand shook. She looked up at the clock, relieved to see there were only ten minutes of school left, and disappointed she had done zero work today.

The bell finally rang, and Twilight shoved her things into her bag. She briskly walked down the halls and to the rotunda. Okay, maybe it’s time to look somewhere other than the forest. Shining’s covered all of the suburbs, but downtown is a big place We could try there today, and then maybe—

“Personally, I hope she stays gone. I’m not gonna miss her one bit.”

It hadn’t been very loud, but Twilight had picked it out like a criminal from a line-up. The girl stood on the other side of the rotunda, chatting to her friend with a smirk on her face.

Twilight wasn’t sure what happened next.

Her body grew unusually hot and her vision dimmed until everything was a reddish haze. She felt herself move, felt her fist fly forward. As her vision cleared up, her breaths came out in labored gasps and her knuckles felt warm, like they had just connected with something. Tears streamed down her face. She unclenched her hand and wiped them away, then looked around at the silent onlookers ogeling in shock and awe.

Twilight looked down at her feet and saw the girl from before clutching her cheek and groaning. The dots lined up, and Twilight stumbled back. “Oh… oh…”

“Miss Sparkle.”

She whirled around, her stunned horror evolving into pure terror and impending doom as Principal Celestia gestured for her to follow with only a finger. Luna passed by Twilight to attend to the girl.

Twilight followed Celestia, trying to think of something to say But there was little justification for her action. It was pointless; it wasn’t going to bring Sunset back. Who cared what some random girl said? Her feet carried her to Celestia’s office. It was the second time her body seemed to operate without her command. She sat down in the chair opposite of Celestia’s desk and kept her head bowed.

“Twilight, I sympathize with what you’re going through.”

Twilight looked up into her principal’s patient and sincere face. Even after that display of violence, she was still calm and collected. “You do?”

Celestia nodded. “You’re sad and scared and angry deep inside. Situations like this are never easy to handle. What did Miss Willow say that brought everything to the surface?”

Twilight’s blood boiled again. “She said she hoped Sunset stayed missing.”

Celestia nodded and sighed. “Harsh words to be sure. You have every right to be angry, Twilight, but you know I never condone any violent actions, regardless the reason.”

“I know. I don’t know what happened. I just saw red and the next thing I knew…” Twilight deflated in her seat. “I’ll accept any punishment you give me.”

“One day of detention. I won’t put it on your spotless record though. I also recommend a talk with our counselor if you don’t have anyone else to talk to.”

“No, thank you. I have someone else I can talk with.” Twilight wasn’t sure how much there was to discuss though. Celestia had said enough: she was sad, scared, angry, and tired. She stood and grabbed her backpack. “Thank you for… not suspending or expelling me,” she said lamely.

Celestia gave her an understanding smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Twilight. Go home and get some rest.”

Twilight thanked her again and took her leave. The second she closed the office door, she was accosted by Rainbow and pulled down the hall to her waiting friends.

“You actually punched someone?” Rainbow asked with an impressed grin. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

“Twily, tell me you didn’t actually stoop to violence?” Moondancer asked.

“I don’t know what happened!” Twilight cried, the daze finally wearing off. “I just… reacted.” Twilight had only hit someone once before, when she had found out the school president had gone out of her way to make Sunset miserable. Twilight had just barely hung onto her composure, but gave Lyra an open hand slap to the face. It hadn’t been hard, enough to leave a red mark but nothing more. She had never raised a fist to someone and sent them to the ground.

Rarity laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I know you want to keep looking today—I do as well. But perhaps it’s for the best if we all took a day to actually recover. I know it won’t be easy but let’s be honest…” She looked up at all of them, showing off her smudged mascara and blush that barely hid the bags under her eyes. “We haven’t gotten much sleep recently and certainly don’t look our best right now.”

“Rares is right,” Applejack said. “Let’s take a minute to actually sit down and catch our breath. I know we don’t want to, but we have to at this point. We’re already runnin’ on fumes.”

Twilight wanted to object, but the rational part of her brain took full control again. She knew she was exhausted physically, and her emotions ran in so many directions, she couldn’t keep track of them. Maybe she couldn’t get sleep, but sitting down and forcing herself to eat something sounded like a good idea.

“My shift at Sugarcube Corner starts soon,” Pinkie said, still trying her hardest to keep her upbeat tone. “I could bake us all some cupcakes.”

Nutrition wise, Twilight knew sugar-loaded pastries were the last thing she needed, but sweets were also considered a comfort food. And if Pinkie was making them, who was she to say no? They walked down to the sweet shop, remaining silent a majority of the time. Just because they weren’t searching for Sunset didn’t mean they could stop thinking about her. Her face appeared on every street corner though. Twilight stopped and examined the missing poster hanging outside Sugarcube Corner. It was a nice photo, Sunset looking at the camera with her ‘are you serious’ eyebrow raised, and her tiny ‘I’m secretly enjoying this’ smirk.

Six bodies squeezed into a booth while Pinkie went off to work. Conversation still crawled at a snail’s pace. The simple act of enjoying sweets left a guilty taste in Twilight’s mouth. How dare she relax and try to have fun while Sunset was out there somewhere alone or hurt! She fidgeted in her seat, the guilt growing stronger.

Pinkie arrived with a platter of cupcakes with blue frosting before Twilight could jump up and leave. She picked one up and turned it around in her hand. Her stomach clenched at the sight of solid food, but Twilight forced herself to take a bite anyway. It tasted… melancholic.

“So, Twilight,” Moondancer said as she unwrapped her cupcake, “have you decided what college you’re going to attend?”

Twilight kept her eyes on her sad cupcake. She had put a lot of thought into it, and ultimately had a good idea of where she wanted to go. Still, she had wanted to ask Sunset for her opinion.

“I’m narrowing it down,” she said. “Doing a lot of research into all the schools. Don’t want to have any regrets, right?”

That at least put them on the topic of colleges again. Rainbow gushed about the soccer scholarship she had been offered. They talked about their hopes and fears, and possible career paths once college was over. The conversation killed an hour, at which the cupcakes had been depleted, and the girls slipped back into a lull. Twilight knew that was her cue to leave. If she went to bed a few hours earlier, maybe it would make up for the hours spent tossing and turning.

“I would be more than happy to see you home,” Moondancer said. She stood from the table and followed Twilight’s lead. “With a possible predator around, I shan’t take any chances with your safety.”

While a bit smothering, Twilight appreciate the sentiment and the company as she journeyed home. Her eyes found every missing poster on the way.

“Am I correct in assuming you’ll be back at the search tomorrow?” Moondancer asked.

Twilight gave a single, firm nod. “We’ll keep searching until we find an answer.”

They rounded the corner and approached Twilight’s house. Moondancer wore a deep and thoughtful expression. Twilight knew she had hit a new level of exhaustion when she thought she saw Moondancer’s eyes flash red.

“Sunset is indeed lucky to have a friend like you.”

Twilight stopped in front of her yard. “I’d do the same thing for you, Moony.”

Moondancer’s eyes glistened and she quickly looked away, her pale cheeks pink. “And I would challenge the gods themselves if it meant keeping you safe.” She reached for Twilight’s hand and raised it to her lips, giving it a soft peck. “Keep the faith you will find Sunset. Until tomorrow, little star.”

“Good night, Moony.” Twilight’s hand fell limp at her side as Moondancer pulled away and glided down the road. Twilight let out a berating sigh, remembering the promise she still hadn’t kept. She rubbed the spot Moondancer’s lips had met her skin. If Sunset found out, she’d have a few choice words no doubt.

*******

Trixie dropped her bag next to the front door and kicked off her shoes. She made her way upstairs and peeked into Sunset’s room, finding Spot curled on her bed like he had been the past few days.

“You miss her a lot, don’t you?” Trixie scratched him behind the ears, getting a weak tail wag out of him. She missed Sunset a lot more than she expected to. A few months ago, Trixie had abhorred her. Now, it was like her sister was missing.

“Stupid Sunset. Working your way into Trixie’s heart.” Trixie sighed. There was no point in keeping up her act, especially without Sunset to play off of. She gave Spot one last rub, then retreated back to the hall. Sounds coming from the study piqued her curiosity, and she found her father rummaging around in the cabinets.

“What are you doing?”

Artemis got off the step ladder he had been using to reach the higher shelves. “I’m looking for anything that might help us find Sunset. Or Lamia for that matter.”

“Any luck?”

“No. I tried a very rudimentary location spell I found in an old book. It was supposed to lock onto someone based on their earthly signature, or in modern terms, DNA. I used one of Sunset’s brushes, but I suppose it wasn’t enough.”

Trixie slumped against the door. “We’ve searched around the mountain. Her friends have searched the forest, and the police have looked in the city. What if… what if we can’t find her?”

Artemis wrapped her up in a warm hug and stroked her hair. “A Lulamoon never gives up. Even when the odds are stacked against them. We’ll find her somehow.”

“I want you to be right, but…”

“Staying positive is hard, I know.” He released Trixie but kept his hands on her shoulders. “But, if you let those dark thoughts take control, you give the universe an opportunity to make them a reality.” He stepped away and stroked his goatee, returning to his thoughts.

The front door closed, and a moment later, Selena stepped into the room. “I went all the way out to the beach. Nothing.”

Artemis made a disappointing grunt. “I know there’s a way to find her. Maybe that spell would work if I put more magic in it.” He snapped his fingers and made a hop. “Aha! The Archon Amulet!”

He made it halfway to his desk before stopping and throwing his hands up. “That’s what she took!”

“What?” Selena yelled.

“Wait, which one is the Archon Amulet?” Trixie asked.

Artemis pulled the chest out and opened it. “The amulet is a very old relic. It’s supposed to increase the user’s magic to their maximum potential. Maybe even beyond that. However, it comes at a price. The amulet itself was crafted with dark magic, and it taints the user’s mind.”

Selena closed her eyes in thought. “But why would Lamia take that of all things? It can only increase your magic if you have magic to increase. What would she gain?”

“She is a thief,” Trixie said. “Maybe she stole it for someone else.”

“But that still doesn’t explain how she got into the chest.”

Artemis snapped the trunk shut. “Merlin’s beard, this can’t be good. Lamia taking the amulet and Sunset going missing. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“And now, there might be a third party involved,” Selena said grimly. “Someone who can actually use the amulet.”

The family fell silent. Trixie lined all the pieces they had so far in her head. If Lamia was working for someone else, it would have to be someone with extensive knowledge of magic. And if Sunset’s disappearance was linked to this, it would be someone with a vendetta against her.

Trixie didn’t rule out the Sirens, but after what her mother had told her, she doubted Lamia would stoop to working for them, even if they did have a common enemy. It still didn’t explain how they knew about the amulet and how to get inside the chest.

That left Moondancer. Trixie saw the way she occasionally looked at Sunset. It was with the same disdain she herself had carried not too long ago. But Moondancer wouldn’t stoop to this, would she? Besides, it still left too many open questions. Like, how would Moondancer have the other key if it was buried with Apalla? And how would Moondancer have contacted Lamia anyway? Besides, Moondancer didn’t have any magic either. What would she want the amulet for?

So then, who did that leave as a suspect? Sure, Sunset had made herself a lot of enemies at Canterlot High, but over the last year as she changed her image, most of them were gone. Trixie hated to admit it, but she was one of the few who held a grudge so strong. If she hadn’t been put in constant contact with Sunset, she might have attempted something this drastic eventually.

Trixie was down to two possibilities. Either Sunset had another enemy from her own magical world…

Or there was a traitor in their midst.

*******

Shining sat at the coffee table in Cadence’s living room. One hand stirred a fresh mug of java while the other held onto his phone, waiting for a report he knew wouldn’t come. He lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip, gagging at the bitter taste. He set the phone down and reached for another packet of sugar.

“Honey, if you add any more, there’ll be more sugar than coffee.” Cadence stepped out of the kitchen with her own cup in hand and sat down next him, pushing the mountain of sugar packs out of the way.

“I just can’t get the taste right tonight.” He tasted it again, the bitter swill burning his throat. He finally gave up and set it aside.

Cadence laid a hand over his. “Maybe it’s not the coffee that’s wrong?”

Shining sighed. He avoided Cadence’s eyes and looked at the ceiling fan lazily spinning and eclipsing the dim lights every half-second. “I’m worried about Twilight… and Sunset. If we don’t find her… I don’t know if Twilight will ever recover. And…” He ran a hand down his face. “Uugh, I’ve been a real jerk to Sunset lately.”

“Yes, you have,” Cadence said bluntly. He flinched, but knew it had been well earned. “Shining, I know you mean well, but I think Sunset has proven she only has good intentions.”

“I know. I just—”

“You’re her older brother, and she was in a real bad situation once. Of course you’re protective of her.” Cadence never once raised her voice, yet Shining felt like he was being scolded all the same. “But Twilight is a smart young woman now. And maybe Sunset dresses like a rebel and can be a little hot-headed. She’s been nothing but cordial to the entire family.”

It was times like this that made Shining eternally happy and terrified that he would be marrying this woman. Cadence could read him like an open book, rationalize his fears, and make him see sense. Her ability at people reading came at the cost of an increased difficulty at keeping secrets or hiding his emotions.

“Do I even have to say you’re right?” he said with a joking smile.

“No, but I want to hear it anyway,” Cadence said with a smirk.

He leaned over and kissed her on the nose. “You’re right. I’ve been way too uptight.”

“Thank you.” She flicked him on the nose. “And if you keep expecting something bad to happen, then something will happen.”

Shining rubbed his nose. “Which is why I’m trying so hard to find her. I know it’s not my fault but…” He sighed again. “Maybe if I find her it’ll make up for earlier.”

“A noble sentiment.” Cadence stood up and took Shining’s cup to refill it. Her apartment smelled like a breakfast diner with the overpowering aroma of roasting coffee beans. When she returned, Shining added three packs of sugar and one creamer.

It no longer burned his throat.

“Anything else souring your thoughts?” she asked with a knowing smile.

Shining took a smaller sip. “Not really. Just Harshwhinny breathing down my neck because of Sunset’s sketchy file.”

Cadence sat down again. “Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask about that. How is her file giving you so much trouble? I know she’s a runaway, but still.”

Shining raised the mug to his lips but didn’t drink. He had said one word too many, and now stood at a fork in the path. He could either actively lie to his fiancé, or try to trust her with an insane truth he himself was still coming to terms with.

Given Cadence’s knack for discovering secrets, it was an easy choice.

He put his mug down and looked her in the eye. “Sweetheart, there’s something you need to know about Sunset…”

*******

Tales of Twilight’s sudden sucker-punch made its way around the school, and many students chose to keep their voices a little lower around her. Twilight didn’t mind. If they didn’t have anything nice to say, she didn’t want to hear it.

She felt a little more rested than yesterday, having eaten an actual meal at dinner time. Deep sleep still eluded her, but it was starting to get better. School proceeded as normal, only Twilight thought more about places they hadn’t looked yet rather than what was being discussed in class.

School came to an end, leaving Twilight to face her first ever detention. Walking to the detention classroom wasn’t as scary or foreboding as Twilight thought it would be. She remembered when she was younger, the possibility of detention terrified her. Perhaps it was Celestia’s reassurance that this wouldn’t appear on her permanent record that calmed her, or that Sunset had served far more detentions than she ever would and still proved herself to be a smart and kind person. If she had heard Twilight had received detention, she would have laughed herself silly.

Detention lasted two hours, in which Twilight spent most of it watching the sun slowly go down and take away valuable time she could have spent looking for Sunset. She was finally released just after five, and ran out to the front lawn to find five of her friends waiting for her.

Rainbow grinned and crossed her arms. “So, how was the baby’s first detention?”

“Pointless. We stared at a board. I appreciate you all waiting for me though.”

“I wanted to sneak in and throw another detention party,” Pinkie said. “But Applejack told me two times might be pushing it.”

Twilight pulled her map of Canterlot from her bag and rolled it out on the cement in front of them. “I’ve been trying to think of new places to look. I know Selena said she checked the factory, but how well did she check the surrounding area? That part of Canterlot is old and there are a few more abandoned buildings than just the factory. And if we still work under the presumption that Shimmer had something to do with it, the factory might have a clue laying about.”

“Makes sense to me,” Rainbow said. “Let’s get to it!”

Fifteen minutes of driving brought them to Canterlot’s seedier neighborhoods. The arrival of spring brought new green weeds to the cracks in the sidewalks, but little else had changed since the last time the girls had been here. They parked a block from the factory, near a group of houses. Twilight had a hard time identifying if they were still being used.

“Let’s be careful goin’ in,” Applejack said in a hushed voice as they neared the side door. “Ah know Selena said she didn’t find anyone, but Ah don’t want this Lamia chick gettin’ the drop on us.”

Rainbow shoved the door open. “Even if she did, there’s one of her and six of us. I’m sure we can take her.”

But the factory appeared to be all but deserted. Dust mites floated through the hallway, and the hall lights looked dimmer than Twilight remembered. They stuck together and moved from the kitchen, to the factory floor, to the second story office which, while some clothes were left lying around, proved empty.

Twilight swatted some dust away and coughed. “I don’t think anyone’s been here for a while.”

“So much for clues,” Rarity said, pinching an old shirt between her finger and holding it as far from herself as she could. “Let’s try our luck at some of the other warehouses.”

The factory was one in a small string of blocky buildings with plots of dirt behind them. The first warehouse shared the factory’s beige coloring and grime colored windows. Unlike the the factory, the side door was locked and the windows barred.

“Allow me!” Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin. “I’ve seen cartoon characters do this all the time!” She straightened the pin out and placed one end into the keyhole.

Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose. “Pinkie, this ain’t a cartoon. Plus, Ah tried that before and it don’t actually—”

Click.

Pinkie jiggled the handle and pushed the door open, wiggling her eyebrows at Applejack.

“Huh. Slap mah hide and call me Suzy.”

Rainbow gave her a flat look. “In place of Sunset, seriously?”

The door brought them into a small closed off space Twilight presumed was meant to be an office. An imposingly large and empty room took up the rest of the warehouse. The fading light from outside compounded with the filthy windows made the room incredibly dim. The girls scoured every corner and shadow to make sure they didn’t miss anything but came up empty-handed all the same.

They made sure to cover their tracks upon exiting, with Pinkie even re-locking the door behind them. The second warehouse proved much of the same. In truth, Twilight hadn’t hoped to find much, but it still stung.

Dusk settled upon them as they exited the third and final warehouse, moving to the dirt plots behind them. A few mounds of dirt had been moved and some stone cylinders left behind, but beyond that, whatever construction was supposed to take place had staggered quite some time ago.

“Let’s face it, there’s nothing back here,” Rainbow said, kicking the dirt.

“Should we go back to looking in the forest again?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight stared at the brown field and hung her head. She was running out of ideas fast, and with every idea spent, her hopes of seeing Sunset again grew fainter. Perhaps she had to assume the worst. Her heart constricted, shortening her breath. No, Sunset couldn’t just be gone like that! It only happened in murder dramas and detective shows! Not to her, not in real life!

“We should…” Her voice trembled as did her hands. She held her wrist to try and get a hold of herself. “M-maybe we should… I-I think that…” The tears were falling again. Had she actually cried in earnest at hearing Sunset had vanished? No, she had been too shocked, then too determined. She tilted her head back to watch the stars start to come out. “Sh-she has to be okay. She h-has to be.”

“Aawww. You really do care.”

A swarm of butterflies brought a blizzard into Twilight’s stomach. That voice sounded familiar yet… there was something twisted about it. It didn’t quite sound human. She and her friends turned around, looking about until Pinkie pointed up to the roof of the warehouse.

“No way…” Rainbow stumbled back, face pale like she had seen a ghost. “No freaking way…”

Applejack put her hands up in a defensive stance, a cold sweat against her brow. “That... that's not possible!”

Against the light of the setting sun, Twilight could still make out the details of the figure sitting on the roof. Her skin was an angry shade of red, complimented by her yellow and black frock that barely held her bust in. Her black boots kicked against the top of the wall, the back heels sharpened to deadly points. She sported crimson wings punctured with small holes and gave them soft flaps every few seconds. Twilight couldn’t tell if her red and gold hair was being tousled by the wind, or if it was actually fire. Despite the distance, Twilight could see the black sclera of her eyes, contrasted by her piercing teal slits.

“What is that?” Twilight asked, breathless, though she had a sick feeling she knew the answer.

“Sunset,” Rarity said, just loud enough for her voice to carry upwards. “That’s not you, is it?”

The creature uncrossed its legs and stood up, spreading her arms out. “Here in the flesh!” A feral grin spread across her face, revealing her white fangs. “Hello… friends.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Catching Fire

15. Scarlet Inferno

Twilight’s mind refused to make that connection. This creature, this demon standing above her with claws and wings and fangs. This was Sunset?

No.

Twilight took a few steps back with everyone else as the demon jumped from the roof and slowly descended, kicking up dirt with every beat of her wings. Twilight couldn’t tell which emotion had more control right now, fear or disbelief. The voracious smile on the monster’s face told her it should be fear.

“I’m actually a little touched,” the monster said. Its voice was dark and deep, partway between a growl and a snarl. It sounded like Sunset, if she had been born in the depths of hell. “You all came out to look for little me? Truly, friendship is magic.”

Rarity raised her hands in a placating manner. “Yes, we were worried sick about you, Sunset. We’re so glad to see you safe and… safe. Why don’t you tell us a little about where you’ve been?”

‘Sunset’ raised her claws and examined them. “I went out and did a little soul searching. I’ve been struggling for a while with the idea of what I’m going to do with my life.” She clenched her fist. “And I realized, I got pretty far with my first plan. Until six girls decided to hit me with a rainbow,” she growled, her hair billowing wildly.

Rarity took another step back. “How about we take a deep breath, Sunset. Yes, we hit you with a rainbow, but look how much better your life became afterward. You have loving friends, you have Twilight here, you have a home with people who care about you.”

“And that’s real cute and stuff, but tell me, what’s the point of it all? Where will you all be in a year? Where will I be?” She drifted closer, a wave of heat radiating off her. “Friendship is nice, but it doesn’t last. Friends grow up, they grow apart, friends move on with their lives. This?”

She lifted her hand and a swath of fire engulfed it. “This power of mine? This can last. Fortunately, I have plenty.”

“S-Sunset,” Fluttershy whimpered, “what are you doing?”

“You ruined my plans! Years of hard work and patience in this disgusting world, wasted in a single moment!” She raised her hand over her head, the flames growing in intensity.

“I guess, deep down, I was still pretty sore about it. Have any of you ever been blasted by a rainbow? No? It burns.” Her savage grin returned and she leaned her arm back. “Here, let me show you!”

Twilight’s fear won out against her disbelief, and her survival instincts kicked in. She threw herself out of the way as the fireball screamed through the air, hitting the dirt and releasing a wave of heat that singed the hairs on her arms. She scrambled up from the ground and jumped out of the way as another fireball hit, leaving flickering embers in its wake.

“It’s nothing personal!” the demon said with a cackle. “I just hate all of you!” She prepared another fireball, aiming it at Applejack and Rarity.

“Sunset, stop!” Pinkie cried, throwing herself in front of them. “You don’t want this! Please, we’re your friends!”

‘Sunset’ lowered her arm, contemplating Pinkie’s words. “You’re right. Sunset doesn’t want this.” Her lips turned upwards. “But Sunset was a delusional little girl trying to believe everything would be all right if she believed in friendship and rainbows and love.” She raised her arm again, flames burning bright.

“I am not Sunset anymore! I’m all the things she tried to lock away! I am what she once was and the greatness she will be once again! I am Scarlet Inferno!”

Pinkie swung around and tackled Rarity and Applejack to the ground as the blaze streaked over their heads and crashed into one of the dirt hills. They rolled out of the way as Scarlet made a follow-up attack, coming within a hair’s breadth of hitting them, the heat leaving pink marks against their cheeks.

Twilight backed up into another hill. This isn’t happening. Nothing about this makes sense. A demonic looking creature that claimed to be her girlfriend throwing fire at them? Twilight thought nothing in her life would ever top what had happened at the concert. Her chest constricted, laboring her breath, and her world spun for a moment. That can’t be Sunset. It can’t be.

“Twilight, move!” Rainbow tackled her to the ground, helping her narrowly avoid an explosive blast. They tumbled against the dirt, getting it caught in their clothes and hair. Rainbow pulled Twilight to her feet and yanked her behind a set of stone cylinders. “Twilight, you have to say something to her!”

“What, why?”

“You’re her girlfriend!” Rainbow said with a ‘duh’ expression. “Maybe you can talk her down.”

“Rainbow,” Twilight said, trying to get her thoughts together, “I don’t think—”

“There’s no use hiding!” Scarlet flew overhead, hovering just above them. “Too bad you don’t have your magical girl powers! Bet they’d come in handy right about now!” She put her hands together, another orb of flames generating between her palms.

Twilight received one more pleading look from Rainbow. Against her personal belief and the voice in her head screaming to run the other direction, Twilight took a half-step forward.

“Sunset, please, it’s me.” Twilight’s mouth went bone dry, both from the heat and her failing nerves. What did she say in a situation like this? “Please, this isn’t you. I know you; you’ve changed. You’re not a monster. And I… I…” Twilight placed her tongue against the back of her teeth, trying to draw the word up from her heart.

Scarlet lowered her hands just an inch, the fire between her palms never going out. She gave a sharp fanged smile that did nothing to reassure Twilight. “Oh, this is just cute. Are you going to say you love me, Sparky? Throw all of those friendship and romance clichés at me? Sorry to tell you, this isn’t one of your fantasies. However, you were technically innocent in my downfall. Stand aside and I won’t kill you today.”

Twilight’s fight-or-flight instinct told her to take the offer and move. But if there was the smallest chance that this was Sunset, Twilight had to reach out to her somehow. And she refused to just run while her friends were in danger.

“Sunset, I know you’re scared of the future, but there’s a better way than this! We’re your friends! We can—”

“No seriously, stop talking, or I’ll roast you alive.” Scarlet raised her palms again, the miniature inferno glowing like the midday sun.

Heart threatening to burst from her chest, Twilight took a step backward. What did she do now? What could she do now? She looked into Scarlet’s black eyes. They held none of Sunset’s warmth. None of her compassion. None of her tempered fury. There was only hatred, and a hunger for power.

Twilight clenched a fist behind her back. You’re not her.

“Going to stand there? No skin off my bones, then!” Scarlet let out an ecstatic cry as she released the ball of fire at Twilight.

Twilight turned to run, but knew it was in vain. The heat scorched her back, and she heard the roar of death in her ears. In the next moment, she was swept off her feet as the world rushed forward, then came to a sudden stop. When the rest of her senses caught up to her, she turned around and found Rainbow, ears and wings up. The tips of her feathers were on fire.

“You okay?” Rainbow asked, seemingly unphased by the flickering flames.

“Y-yeah. I think so.”

“Good. Stay low.” She zipped back toward the smoking battlefield, where Scarlet had taken to terrorizing a fleeing Rarity. A prismatic blur swept into the air and struck a blow against Scarlet’s face.

Scarlet caught herself before she fell to the ground. With an errant yell she lifted both her hands to the sky, a ball of fire in each. They rocketed into the air, then denoted, sending dozens of smaller flares back toward the earth.

Twilight broke into a run again, praying she didn’t get struck by a projectile. She dived into a stone culvert and frantically smacked a flame eating the hem of her skirt. It left a black smudge and the smell of ash on her hand.

Okay, Twilight, think! What can you do besides sit here and wait it out?

When fire stopped raining from the sky, she poked her head out from the culvert, making a quick scan for her friends or Scarlet. Dusk had settled, hiding most of the scenery behind a dim veil. She could smell the scorched earth just fine though.

Emerging from the culvert, Twilight turned around to find a fireball fly right at her. She lunged to the side, but the blaze grazed her shoulder, scorching her skin until it was a blistering red blob. She hit the dirt and let out a yell of pain, the burn on her shoulder so intense, it occasionally felt cold.

“Whoops. That one was an accident. Oh well, might as well finish the job. Consequences later!”

Twilight rolled over, Scarlet hovering above her. A mote of fire appeared on the tip of Scarlet’s finger. Rainbow flew at her from behind, fist raised, but Scarlet swung around and kicked Rainbow in the stomach. As Rainbow gasped for air, Scarlet aimed a flaming finger at her chest and fired, sending Rainbow crashing to the ground in a shower of embers.

“Hahaha! I didn’t think it would be this easy! You’re all nothing without your precious princess!”

“Hey, Sunset!” a voice roared.

Both Scarlet and Twilight looked to the side. A steel girder flew through the air and smashed into Scarlet, sending her across the construction field. She landed with tumultuous crash, sending up a cloud of dirt. Twilight looked where the girder had come from, finding Applejack, hunched over, pony ears up.

She regained her breath, then sprinted to Twilight. “Twi, how bad is it?”

Twilight kept a hand over her burn, but made sure not to touch it. Even the slightest movement generated pain. “Bad,” she said with a gasp. “But, how did you do that?”

Applejack shook her head. “Ah don’t know. And it ain’t important right now. We have to get out of here!”

“Oh no you don’t!”

Scarlet shot into the air again, face contorted in rage. “I’m not done playing with you yet! You may have a few new powers, but you’re all insects compared to me!” She lifted her hands, her furious scowl shifting into an insidious grin.

Only, nothing happened.

She lowered her hand and snapped her fingers, producing only sparks. “No!” she tried again, getting off a few small flames, but nothing more. “No, no! Dammit! I wasn’t done!”

Applejack and Twilight shared a look of confusion, bordering on relief as Scarlet struggled to produce her fire. After several futile seconds, she gave up.

“Fine! You girls get to keep living for now. Enjoy it while it lasts, because next time, my powers will be even stronger! And I won’t be so inclined to just play with you!” She raised her middle finger, then ascended higher into the night sky, vanishing among the stars.

Applejack gingerly helped Twilight to her feet. “Easy there, sugarcube. That’s gonna need some medical attention.”

“Twilight, Applejack!” Pinkie ran over, soot and dirt covering her shirt and face. She pulled both of them into a hug, minding Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re okay! ...Mostly. Come on, Fluttershy is healing Rainbow, then she can fix your shoulder!”

They followed Pinkie behind a large mound of moved dirt, where Rarity sat next to Fluttershy, who was hunched over Rainbow. Fluttershy moved her glowing hands away from Rainbow’s chest, showing off a smoking hole in her shirt.

Rainbow sat up, then threw a hand over the hole, though there wasn’t too much to see. “Uhh, thanks, ‘Shy.”

Face red, Fluttershy murmured, “You’re welcome,” then moved on to Twilight. Keeping her hands just above the burn, Fluttershy gave a light hum, and her pink aura flowed out and engulfed Twilight’s shoulder.

The blistering pain subsided, dulling until it was just an irritating itch. Twilight’s bubbled skin eased back into place, pink as a newborn baby.

She let out a grateful sigh. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

“Of course. Is everyone else all right?”

Applejack took a seat in the dirt. “Shocked and confused. But yeah, Ah think Ah’m fine.”

“Seriously, what the heck just happened?” Rainbow yelled.

Rarity bit her thumb. “It would appear… Sunset has unfortunately had a major relapse.”

That wasn’t Sunset, Twilight thought.

“But how? Why?” Pinkie asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Rarity said. “For now, let’s get somewhere far away from here. Someone was sure to have heard all that noise.”

Keeping close to one another, the six girls hurried back to their cars and made for the quiet suburbs. Twilight sat in the back of Rarity’s car, her eyebrows pressed together. What was that thing masquerading as Sunset? Where had it come from? Three of her friends had ponied up tonight, one of them for the first time. Why? And where on earth was the real Sunset?

Twilight didn’t realize the car had stopped moving until Rarity had got out. Twilight followed suit, seeing they had rendezvoused at Canterlot Park.

Rainbow clapped her hands together. “Okay, we need a new plan! Our best friend is flying around, potentially throwing fireballs at people!”

Twilight opened her mouth to comment about Scarlet not being Sunset, but stopped when she noticed Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack still had their pony features. She tucked that observation away, and was about to continue her original thought thread, when a plume of blue smoke burst from the ground next to them.

Rainbow and Applejack dropped into a fighting stance, but quickly eased up when Artemis stepped out of the smoke.

“There you girls are! What on earth in going on? I felt magic getting flung around, went to the factory, and only found scorch marks! Lucky for me, you girls left a trail to follow, otherwise, I would have assumed the worse!”

The girls looked at each other, mentally drawing straws for who would tell him. Rarity had apparently drawn the short one. “Well, Mr. Artemis, sir… we went looking for Sunset and we… sort of found her.”

Twilight growled.

“Has she mentioned the night of the Fall Formal to you?” Rarity asked.

“Both she and Trixie have talked about it, yes. Sunset tapped into some dark magic and became a rather foreboding creature for a moment, correct?”

Rarity nodded. “That’s a polite way to put it. Well, it would appear that Sunset has sort of… become that creature again.”

Twilight clenched her teeth behind pressed lips.

Artemis’ face darkened. He crossed his arms and bowed his head. “That… that is troubling indeed.” He inhaled sharply. “Do you know if there’s a reason for this?”

“Afraid not,” Applejack said with a sigh. “There must be an explanation though. Sunset wouldn’t just turn on us—not after all we’ve been through.”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “Either way, we need to find and stop Sunset before—”

“That wasn’t Sunset.” Twilight said with so much steel, it sounded more like a threat.

Applejack blinked. “Say again, sugarcube?”

Twilight looked at them all, a hard light in her eyes. “That. Wasn’t. Sunset.”

One-by-one, her friends exchanged a pitying look. “Twilight,” Rarity said gently, “I know this is hard to take in but, that, unfortunately, was Sunset. That’s what she turned into the night of the Fall Formal.”

“I know what she turned into,” Twilight said, fists clenched by her sides. “She’s told me plenty of times. How much that night still haunts her. How much she regrets that. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t her.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Twilight, you don’t understand—”

“No, you don’t understand!” Twilight shouted. The cork had popped, and all the emotions she had suppressed all night exploded to the surface. “I know I wasn’t there! I didn’t see her turn into a monster! But I know whatever attacked us wasn’t our Sunset—wasn’t my Sunset! Why would she turn back now? Why would she attack us? She loves us!”

“That’s what we’re tryin’ to find out,” Applejack said gingerly. “Ah get it doesn’t make sense, and it’s not like Ah want to believe it. But it’s the only thing that makes sense, right? You’re all about logic, Twi.”

“And you all shoot rainbows and summon giant ghost ponies when you feel enough friendship!” she yelled, throwing her hands into the air. “Yes, it makes sense logically, but you know what? I’m not going off logic right now; I’m going off what my heart says, and it’s telling me that Sunset is still out there! She isn’t that monster!” She pointed a finger at them. “And I’ll prove it!”

She spun around and bolted out of the park for home, ignoring her friends cries to come back. How could they believe Sunset would turn back so easily? They knew her just as much as Twilight did. Maybe she was one step further than them, but they should still know.

Yes, Twilight ran off logic, yes she had a desire to make things make sense. She was a scientist. But she also believed in the magic of friendship. She knew the heart was more than just an organ. She knew something in her soul told her this wasn’t right.

Her eyes stung, and the closer she got to home, the more her vision blurred. She managed to find her way up the steps of her porch, pushing the door open and slamming it behind her. Her parents’ greetings and questions fell on deaf ears as she ran upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom.

Twilight threw herself onto her bed, half out of frustration, half out of exhaustion. She buried her face in her pillow, tears streaming from her eyes like a faucet. Her entire body wracked with the force of her sobs. She wasn’t even sure why she was crying now of all times. She didn’t feel sad per se. If anything, she kindled a renewed fire in her heart. She would find Sunset. The real Sunset.

*******

Another restless night and long day of sitting through classes without Sunset. Twilight decided to forego lunch and use her time to look over the map and think of new possibilities. She was halfway to the library when Moondancer ran up to her with a wide smile of relief.

“Twily, you’re okay! Are you okay? Trixie told me what happened! I can’t believe you were attacked like that! You must have been terrified!” She circled around Twilight and continued to fret like a mother hen.

“Moony, I’m fine,” Twilight said in a tired voice. “Really. It was… an ordeal. But, we’re all fine.”

Moondancer took a small step back. “Are you sure? You don’t look so good.”

Twilight lifted her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Well, I can imagine why. Sweetheart, you need to go home right after school and sleep. You need your rest.”

“I’ll rest when I find something about Sunset.”

Moondancer pressed a finger to her mouth and frowned. “But... wasn’t that creature Sunset—”

“No, it wasn’t!” Twilight said with a viscous shake of her head. Her heated gaze bore into Moondancer. “I don’t care what anyone else says; that wasn’t Sunset, and I’m going to prove it.

As she composed herself, Moondancer looked at her with searching eyes. “You’re not going to stop searching until you find her.”

Twilight thought for a moment. “I won’t stop until I find the truth. I just hope that truth is she’s out there and alive.” She gave a curt wave to Moondancer, than moved around her to the library.

No one came to bother Twilight within her sanctuary of books. She poured over her map of the city, tapping a pencil against her head. Now, she had to find Sunset and avoid this flying monster posing as her. Twilight had no more leads or inklings left to follow, unless Scarlet knew where Sunset was. Twilight had a feeling even if she did, she wouldn’t give up information like that.

Scarlet attacked us near the factory. But that was after we searched all of them. Still, maybe there’s some clue still there, or at least nearby.

Her other hope was to find Shimmer and interrogate her. Between trying to find a wanted thief that had eluded the FBI for years, and her girlfriend, who had vanished without a trace, Twilight knew what the easier option would be. They had only found Shimmer before on a fluke.

Maybe I’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way. The idea made her stomach flop, but she steeled herself. She already had a demon try to kill her, this would be nothing.

After school, she grabbed a picture of Sunset taped to one of the lamp posts near the bus stop and tucked it into her bag. The bus for uptown arrived and Twilight climbed aboard, finding a seat near the back. It had been a while since she had taken public transportation. She hadn’t realized how used to riding Sunset’s motorcycle she had gotten. The wind against her skin, the blur of scenery rushing past her, feeling Sunset’s warm body pressed against hers, feeling like she could die at any moment. Twilight made a cross between a laugh and a choked sob.

She exited the bus when it reached the mall. She didn’t walk through the sliding screen doors. Instead, she planted herself just off to the side, and pulled the flyer out from her bag. She took a deep breath. It was almost like public speaking, only it was with complete strangers and she’d be talking to them one at a time. She looked down at Sunset’s faux annoyed smile. Sunset would do all this and more if she were in trouble.

Twilight held the flyer up to the first person who walked by her. “Excuse me, have you seen her? No? Thank you. Excuse me, ma’am, have you seen this girl?” She repeated the action and question for the next several people she saw. Twilight received looks of pity, looks of sincere apology, looks of annoyance.

Her fear of bothering people wore away with each person she asked. Soon, she stopped caring if she sounded like a broken record. One of these people had to have seen Sunset somewhere. She caught people entering and leaving the mall, recognizing a few faces from school. She interrogated them anyway. If there was even a slight chance one of them knew something, she had to take it.

She stood outside the mall for hours, watching the sun disappear and people and cars come and go. Her legs and voice grew tired, and her spirit dampened with every consecutive negative response. When there was only a thin sliver of pink in the sky, Twilight put the flyer away and awaited the next bus to take her home. Greatly discouraged but not broken, Twilight would try again tomorrow, and if she didn’t get any answers then, she’d move on to another spot and try there.

*******

Friday came slow, with Twilight staring at her ceiling half the night. It had been a whole week since she had seen Sunset, the longest Twilight had ever gone without seeing or hearing her. It was surreal. Twilight hadn’t known her for a whole year yet, but she was such a strong presence, her absence left an unfillable void.

Twilight arrived to school as a layer of clouds rolled over the sky. Her dad gave her an extra kiss on the cheek, reassuring it would be okay like everyone else. She had learned to nod and just say thank you.

When lunch came, she avoided going to the cafeteria again, choosing to eat her packed lunch outside on the bleachers. Shadows crossed over her every few minutes, a cool wind blew through the neighborhood.

“Hey, Twilight.”

She looked down to the lower seats, finding Flash climbing toward her, the bleachers making a metal clank with every step he took. He sat next to her and took a moment to stare at the sky. “Dumb question, but, how are you doing?”

While Twilight believed there were no dumb questions, she appreciated he at least acknowledged his question was poor. “I’m okay,” she said, giving the traditional poor answer.

“Yeah, I understand.” Flash opened his backpack and pulled out a soda. “Want one?”

Twilight accepted it with silent gratitude. Strawberry, she thought, looking at the color of the can. Her next thought was of Sunset. She pulled the top open and took a sip. “How come you’re not inside?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, then took a sip of his own.

“We’re having a few… disagreements right now.”

Flash nodded. “Rarity told me all about it.” He looked over at her. “I think you’re right.”

Twilight almost spat out her soda, causing the fizz to rise to her nose. “You do?”

He looked down at the football field with a solemn expression. “I’ve known Sunset for a long time. And yeah, a lot of the time, she was faking with me. But you girls did something. You helped bring the real her to the surface. Sure, Sunset goes missing and then her demon form shows up a few days later. Yeah, you could put two and two together but, I saw how happy she was with you. She wouldn’t throw all that away. Not willingly anyway.”

He pressed a hand against his hair. “That all sounded less cheesy in my head.”

“No, it was perfect,” Twilight said, breaking into a smile. “Thanks, Flash.”

Flash glowed from the simple praise. “No problem. That wasn’t the only reason I came up here though. I wanted to ask if you needed any help. The other girls are trying to find a way to stop this Scarlet or change her back to Sunset. But, I want to believe you’re right and that the real Sunset is somewhere else.”

Twilight had an idea of what all the other girls saw in Flash. A genuine desire to help people combined with his handsome looks and guitar skills. In a different life, maybe Twilight would have fallen for him. “I really appreciate it, Flash, but…” She slumped her shoulders. “I’m not sure if there’s much you can do. I’ve just been asking random people if they’ve seen her anywhere. I’ve run out of places to look.”

“There might be a place you haven’t looked yet,” he said cautiously. “But I can’t promise it’ll be helpful at all.”

“I’m willing to try anything at this point.”

Flash pointed west. “Sunset and I used to go to the old junkyard a lot. You’d be amazed at some of the stuff people throw out that still work pretty well. That’s where we found the motorcycle. Again, I can’t promise you’ll find anything but—”

Twilight shook her head. “No, it’s brilliant. Like I said, any lead is good.”

“Cool, we can go check it out after school.”

*******

Twilight stared at Flash’s sport car. “This is yours? I thought this was one of the faculty’s!”

Flash rubbed the back of his head. “Dad owns one of the car dealerships. Got it as a sixteenth birthday present. It’s whatever.”

She chuckled at his modesty and climbed into the passenger's seat. Twilight had to admit, the thought of active searching filled her with more hope than the thought of standing on a street corner, shoving a flyer into people’s faces. Flash assured her it would be a short trip, leaving them plenty of time to look. Sure, they’d be looking through garbage but maybe, just maybe today would be the day.

Flash put on some music while they drove, loud rock ‘n roll Twilight knew Shining would appreciate. She tuned it out as she stared out the window, watching the houses disappear, replaced by vacant fields where more would soon be built.

“Not into rock?” Flash asked.

Twilight tore her eyes away. “Not particularly. It’s not bad. Just not my thing.”

Flash bobbed his head. “I feel that.”

Twilight let the song finish before speaking again. “You and Sunset… dated for a while, right?”

“Yeah,” he said slowly, his demeanor quickly becoming less assured. “I mean, for all intents and purposes, we were together.”

“So, did you…” Twilight played with her fingers. There was no nice way to say it. “I mean, I know if she did, she didn’t mean it—and I’m really sorry if this is uncomfortable in any way, but… did you ever tell her you loved her?”

Flash’s expression shifted through different levels of sad. He finally settled between self-pity and regret. “Yeah, I did. And she said it back.”

“When did you say it?”

“I dunno, maybe… five, six months into our relationship?” He took one hand off the wheel and ran it through his hair. “Love is always a complicated word.”

Twilight looked at her lap. “Yeah. How do you know when it’s the real thing and not just some passing phase or spur of the moment reaction?”

Flash laughed. “Sorry, Twilight. You’re asking the wrong guy.”

She gave a small chuckle, then fell silent until they arrived at the fenced gates of the junkyard. Stepping out of the car, Twilight unwillingly inhaled the stench of mildew and must. She fanned her nose and coughed before a few powerful sneezes escaped.

“You gonna be okay?” Flash asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight said with a sniffle. “Just my allergies. They’ll pass.”

They walked up to the front gate, closed by a simple padlock with a sign beneath it that read, ‘No loitering.’ The gate itself was only eight feet high; some of the junk piles loomed higher than it.

“So, how good are you at climbing?” Flash asked.

Twilight tilted her head back to take in the gate, now towering over her. “Ummm…”

“Just kidding.” Flash pulled a small, narrow screwdriver out of his pocket and went to work on the lock. He wasn’t as fast as Pinkie with her bobby pin, but after a minute of fiddling, the lock popped off. He pulled the gate open, ignoring the loud creak it made. There were no other buildings for half a mile.

“Fair warning: the smell only gets worse from here.” He waved a hand for Twilight to follow him in.

Old computer parts, pieces of cars, moldy furniture, worn out play sets, inflatable pools with holes in them. The junkyard was everything Twilight imagined it being, filled to the brim with the broken and unwanted. She stepped carefully, keeping an eye out for smaller parts that could trip her up. An old sprinkler had already succeeded.

Flash had been correct about the stench. Odors lingered on the leftover junk, ranging from cat pee to baby vomit to things Twilight didn’t want to think about. The collective dust and mold tickled her nose so whenever she wasn’t gagging, she would unleash a powerful sneeze.

“Sunset!” Flash called. He led Twilight down the dirty paths that wound around the junk piles. Many of the paths had grown narrow from the amount of scrap that had filled the area. He shoved a flat tire out of the way and walked into one of the wider clearings.

“Sunset!” he called again, cupping his hands against his mouth.

Twilight sneezed again and rubbed her nose. “You did say it was a long shot.” She turned in place, hoping to catch a glimpse of red and gold hair or a black leather jacket.

Flash shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a spring coil away. “I know. Still, I kinda got my hopes up a little.”

“Yeah, I did too.” Twilight squatted next to an old antenna t.v. and played with some of the knobs. She would have to remember to come back her if she ever needed spare parts for projects.

“Well, this was the only idea I had. Maybe… maybe someone really did take her away.” Flash put his hands up. “But who would want to kidnap her?”

“You’d be surprised,” a sultry voice hissed.

Twilight jumped and stumbled back from the television and the pile it sat next to. Standing on top was Scarlet, looking at them with an amused grin.

“When—how—I didn’t even hear you!” Twilight yelled.

“It’s not like you could have if you actually tried,” Scarlet said. She rested an arm on her knee and chuckled. “Barely a week has passed and you’ve already moved on to Flashy boy here? Twilight, I’m hurt.”

“How did you even find us?” Flash asked.

Scarlet outlined Twilight with a claw. “We’re connected in more ways than one.”

Twilight huffed, choosing to ignore the demon’s cryptic nonsense. “Where’s the real Sunset?”

“I am the real Sunset.” Scarlet tapped a claw against her cheek. “Oh, you mean your little girlfriend. Deep down, she knows what she really is. Me.”

“Liar!” Twilight yelled, her face growing hot.

Scarlet laughed, showing off her pointed teeth. “That’s so cute how you think you know everything about her. You haven’t even known her a year. Then again, she has told you all her secrets. Maybe you just can’t come to grips that this is the monster that nearly conquered two worlds.” She raised her hand, her palm burning bright.

“And soon, I’ll finish what I started,” she said darkly.

Flash grabbed Twilight by the hand and yanked her out of the inferno’s path. They made a mad sprint down one of the narrow trails while Scarlet took to the air and laughed.

“Try and run, little mice! It makes the game all the more fun!”

A blast of fire struck a pile to Twilight’s left. It lit like a pyre and spat embers onto her, miniature demons that jumped onto her skin and left small, angry burns. She and Flash made a sharp turn as another blast hit the corner. Burnt plastic and metal mixed with the already egregious smell, burning Twilight’s nose as she tried to get air to her lungs.

They came to another clearing, the mountains of trash towering and leaning over them like curled fingers, their details lost in the sun’s fading light. A fireball arched over their heads and smashed into one of the scrap towers, setting it alight and sending it toppling down. Flash and Twilight dove out of the way, losing themselves in the explosion of dust and debris that covered the sky.

Twilight could barely see where she was going, only the pull of Flash’s hand guided her. He drew her into the bottom of an old playfort covered by a moldy curtain. Both of them collapsed against a support beam and refilled their lungs with tainted air.

“Maybe we can hide out here until she leaves,” Twilight said, her voice so quiet, she might as well been mouthing the words.

“Unless she decides to just burn the entire place down,” Flash said, trying to peek outside without moving the curtains.

Twilight paled. “I hadn’t considered that.”

Wing beats filled the air as something touched down nearby. Flash jerked back from the front of the playhouse, becoming perfectly still. Heavy footsteps crunched against the dirt and wood chips. Twilight and Flash held their breaths as Scarlet’s shadow drifted across the curtain. She muttered something incoherent as she passed by. Twilight felt another itch rise to her nose, and she scrunched her face to make it stop. Flash shot a hand over her face and pressed down, making the itch subside. Twilight gave him a nod of appreciation.

“Did you honestly think that was a good hiding spot?” Scarlet asked, her shadow turning toward them.

Twilight sneezed.

Flash grabbed a pot lid lying on the ground and ran out first, holding in front of himself like a shield. Twilight grabbed a jagged piece of metal and followed him. Scarlet stood in the middle of the road forward. Behind them was a small hill of debris, some of it still on fire.

Flash held his hand in front of Twilight. “You go,” he said, the small tremble in his voice betraying his defensive stance. “I’ll hold her off.”

“Oh that’s adorable,” Scarlet said with sadistic childish glee. “He’s going to play the white knight. Let’s see how long that act will last.” She held her hand up, creating another ball of fire.

Twilight held onto his shoulder. “I’m not just going to leave you here!” she said, slowly drawing him back.

“Twilight—” He cut his own sentence off when Scarlet’s fire went out, and she grabbed her own wrist, her face contorting in pain.

“This… wasn’t… the deal…” she said under her breath.

“Quiet, girl!” she said back to herself. “Don’t… interrupt me!”

“I’m not a murderer!”

“You’re whatever I tell you to be! I’m… in control!”

Twilight pulled Flash by the arm and climbed over the hill, scratching her knees on the sharper corners jutting out. Flash helped her keep balance over the uneven surface, and they jumped down onto solid ground as a jet of fire flew over their heads. Scarlet’s shadow flew over them, and Twilight looked up to fling her piece of metal. Her gasp of surprise was muted by Scarlet’s shout of pain. Scarlet clutched her cheek with one hand while the other readied another attack before she doubled over in mid-air and grabbed her head.

They retraced their steps back to the entrance, putting in an extra burst of speed when Flash’s car came into view. The gate separating them from safety shut and crumpled together in a cacophony of screeching steel. Twilight ground her heels to a stop before she crashed into the newly made barbs.

Scarlet landed behind them, her teal eyes flashing red. Drops of blood slid down her face from her fresh cut. “You know, I didn’t really have anything personal against you, Twilight. I was just going to kill you and pretend you were the princess. But now…” She held her hand out, flames curling around it. “You get to die for your own nuisance.”

A bolt of light hailed from the sky and struck Scarlet in the chest, throwing her backward. She released her fireball up into the air, where it vanished into the clouds.

An angel descended before Twilight and Flash, cloaked in a bright white aura. Wings with feathers made from moonlight sprouted from her back. A rapier sat in one hand, while a ball of light floated over the other. Her red and purple hair cascaded behind her, tossed to the side by an occasional breeze.

“Moondancer?” Twilight asked in a stunned whisper.

Moondancer looked back at her and offered a soft smile. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll keep you safe from this monster.”

Scarlet got back to her feet and narrowed her eyes. “Oh joy, you’re here. I’m surprised it took you this long.”

Moondancer turned back to Scarlet with a hateful glare. “I’m going to make you regret coming anywhere near Twilight.”

Scarlet snorted. “Sure, I’ll play along.” She pressed her palms into her cheeks. “Oh no, the mighty heroic Moondancer has appeared. Whatever shall I do—agh!”

The ball of light flew from Moondancer’s hand and crashed into Scarlet’s chest, exploding in a cloud of white smoke and glitter. Scarlet flew into the air, incensed.

“Okay, bitch, you wanna go? Let’s go!” Scarlet rushed down, and Moondancer flew up to meet her, light wings leaving behind a sparkling trail. Scarlet tried to keep her back with a barrage of small flares, but Moondancer raised her hand and created a glowing shield in front of her and pushed ahead.

When she got in close, she thrust her rapier at Scarlet, nicking her across the arm. It didn’t draw blood, but Scarlet looked murderous. She raked her claws through the air, forcing Moondancer to dodge left, then slammed a boot into her side, dropping her several feet.

Twilight made a tiny shriek. Her mind still hadn’t quite come to grips with what was transpiring in front of her, but she knew her friend was in danger.

But she has magic! My best friend is fighting a demon with magic! Why does she have magic? Why is magic suddenly everywhere?

Moondancer caught herself before she hit the ground. Another light orb appeared in her palm. She tossed it up, then smacked it with her rapier. Scarlet tried to smack it back with her hand, but it exploded on contact, releasing another thick cloud. Moondancer unleashed a beam from her hand into the cloud, and a shriek of pain came from within.

Scarlet burst free, face twisted into molten fury. She rushed forward, bringing her hand back to strike. Moondancer lifted her rapier to defend, but Scarlet grabbed the blade and yanked her forward and backhanded her. Moondancer fell to the earth, her sword clattering by her side.

“Moondancer!” Twilight yelled. She made to run to her side, but Flash grabbed her by the wrist.

“She has magic powers. We don’t. I think we should sit this out.”

Before Twilight could argue, Moondancer was back on her feet. She picked up her sword and rubbed the bruise on her cheek. “Hmph.” She raised her sword at Scarlet, and a bolt of light shot from the tip.

Scarlet shielded herself with her wings, crying out when the magic tore a new hole in them. She unfurled them and hurled a fiery missile. Moondancer raised her palm, creating a glowing forcefield and deflecting the fire into a pile of trash.

Twilight gagged violently and threw her hands over her nose. Smoke climbed into the sky, turning the setting sun red. Behind her, Flash was trying his hardest to pry the gate open, to little success.

Moondancer had taken to the sky again, making a wide slash at Scarlet. Scarlet darted back and sucked in a deep breath. From her mouth, a torrent of fire spewed forth. It engulfed the bubble Moondancer had hastily conjured, its fiery tongues searching for a way in.

The bubble shot forward and rammed into Scarlet, sending her into a mountain of junk that toppled onto her with a crash loud enough to wake the dead. Dirt and smoke rose in a plume, further tainting the once blue sky.

Emerging from her bubble, Moondancer aimed an open palm at where Scarlet had fallen and unleashed a salvo of small light beams. They fell upon the earth like a downpour of gold, blinding Twilight until all she could hear were Scarlet’s cries of pain.

Even when the light faded, Twilight had a hard time seeing beyond the dust. Moondancer looked down at the wreckage, a faint red glow in her eye. When Twilight blinked, it was gone.

Grinding metal and the shuffle of plastic and wood came from within the smoke. Scarlet haphazardly rose into the air, leaning to one side. Scratches and scuff marks covered her from head to boot.

“I’ll… remember this,” she panted. With a strong flap of her wings, she sailed off to the horizon.

Moondancer descended to the ground, her ethereal wings fading. Then, she swooned and fell to her hands and knees, her sword rolling away.

“Moondancer!” Twilight ran over and knelt beside her. “Are you okay? I thought you didn’t have magic! I mean, I’m glad you do… I think. But… what’s going on?”

Moondancer shifted and sat down, keeping a hand pressed against her head. She let out a soft chuckle. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy. My body isn’t used to using that much magic at once. It’s still relatively new.”

“‘Relatively new’?” Twilight was caught between making sure Moondancer was all right, and interrogating her for details.

“I know you’re confused, and I promise, I’ll explain everything shortly. Just…” Moondancer yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Give me a moment, please.”

Flash took a seat on Moondancer’s other side, his fingers red from his futile attempts at opening the gate. “Man, hanging out with you girls is dangerous. Thanks for saving us, Moondancer.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Flash then leaned over and looked at Twilight. “But did you understand what happened back there?” He jerked a thumb at the alley they had escaped from.

Twilight shook her head. “Not really.” A partial lie. Twilight had an idea, but she refused to give it focus, aloud or as a concentrated thought.

Moondancer looked curiously between them. “What happened?”

“Not important,” Twilight said quickly. She looked at the crunched gate. “Let’s focus on getting out of here.”

*******

Moondancer found enough spare magic to pull a hole in the gate, and the trio left as fast as they could, columns of smoke rising behind them. Conversation was kept to a minimum until Flash pulled in front of Twilight’s house just as the moon peeked out from behind a cluster of low hanging clouds.

“Thank you, Flash, for everything,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry you… almost got killed.” She tried to laugh only for it to come out forced and high-pitched.

Flash gave her a smile that matched her laugh. “Hey, it’s not the first time some weird magical stuff has happened to me.” He cleared his throat. “I’m glad I could help in some way. And if you need anything, just call.”

“Thanks.” Twilight and Moondancer got out the car and waved him off.

“He’s quite the gentleman. I can see why so many girls are taken with him,” Moondancer said.

Twilight kept her eyes squarely on Moondancer. If she hadn’t intervened, Twilight could only assume the worst. But the fact that Moondancer had intervened with magic... Twilight had placed finding Sunset higher on her list of priorities, but after what she saw today…

She shook the thought away. “Full disclosure, Moony,” she said firmly. “How long have you had magic? You…” Twilight felt a pang in her heart. “You haven’t had them the whole time we’ve known each other, have you?”

Moondancer held a hand over her mouth, stifling a gasp. “Heavens no, I would never keep such a secret from you. Well… not for very long anyway.” She folded her hands behind her back. “My powers are a relatively new development. New in that, they’re only a year old. I just never knew how to tell you. You were always so grounded in science and logic and reason; I couldn’t drop such a revelation on you. Then, the Battle of the Bands happened and I learned all your friends were already magical. I just didn’t know when the best time to mention it was. It isn’t something you just slip into casual conversation.”

Twilight nodded along, finding it believable so far. “But if you had magic, why were you affected by the Siren’s music?”

Moondancer sighed and bowed her head. “I wish I knew. Perhaps it’s the way I acquired it.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s… a little complicated.” She held her arm out and rolled her sleeve up, tracing a finger along one of her veins. “You see, Trixie and my uncle have magic in their blood. Their powers are handed down through our family line. It is their birthright.” Her arm fell along with her posture. “I was not granted that inheritance. Magic does not flow through my blood. However…”

She raised her arm again, spreading her fingers to the moon. “If one trains hard enough, one can open their soul to the magical world! They can become in tune with the natural magic that flows all around us! What’s left of it at least.”

Twilight compartmentalized her thoughts, saving her deeper questions and hypotheses for later. “So, you trained yourself to use magic?”

Moondancer smiled. “That’s the simplified version, yes. Through sheer determination and rigorous training, I finally reached enlightenment a year ago, and have been honing my skills ever since.”

“Fascinating.” She couldn’t wait to tell Sunset. “So, is that how you knew I was in trouble?”

“Of sorts.” Moondancer took Twilight’s hands into hers. “Our souls are interconnected, my little star. I swore that I would always be there to protect you, and I’m a lady of my word. I would rather die than allow some ill fate to befall you.”

Twilight looked into Moondancer’s violet eyes, finding nothing but love and sincerity. She slipped her hands out and took a step back, watching Moondancer’s smile fade to a curious frown.

“Moondancer, that means so much to me,” Twilight said softly. “You’re my best friend, and you mean the world to me…” She steadied her pounding heart. “Listen, I know you like me.”

“But of course. As you said we’re—”

“No.” Twilight blushed. “I know you like like me.” She felt like a third grader.

Moondancer’s cheeks turned pink and she made a rare stammer. “Y-yes, well… I…”

Twilight pressed a hand to her face. “I can’t believe it took me so long to notice. I care about you a lot, Moony, and I’m so glad we’re friends but… Sunset and I… even if she’s gone…”

Moondancer made a shuddering sigh. “You love her.”

Twilight couldn’t answer. She just listened to the continuous crash of her heart against her chest.

Turning her face to the moon, Moondancer didn’t say anything for a while. A knot twisted in Twilight’s stomach to go along with her aching, pounding heart.

“I understand,” Moondancer said at last. “I know what it’s like to love… and lose someone.” She made a short laugh. “I just don’t understand why you picked her. Not even over me, just the fact that you picked her.”

“Moondancer.” Twilight almost smiled.

She looked back at Twilight, unfallen tears in her eyes. “There are only two things I care about in this world. And you are one of them. Sunset had best appreciate what she has.”

This time, Twilight did smile. “Thank you, Moondancer.” She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend.

Moondancer eagerly returned the hug. “You’re welcome, Twilight,” she said, a faint sadness in her voice. When Twilight broke away, Moondancer stood awkwardly fiddling with her thumbs.

“Twily,” she said, her head down. “Could I ask one tiny favor?”

“Sure?”

“Could you…” Moondancer coughed. “Could you not mention my magic to anyone? I… I don’t want it to get back to my family.

Twilight immediately thought of the Lulamoons, and the sheer delight Artemis would have finding out his niece could cast magic. “But, why?”

“Don’t misunderstand—I love them dearly, but…” Moondancer sighed. “I’ve had to train so hard to get where I am, where they were born with it. I know my uncle would love to train me, but I already know how much I would struggle with him and Trixie. I don’t want to disappoint their expectations.”

“Moondancer…” Twilight put a hand on her shoulder. “I haven’t known Artemis very long, but I know he would never be disappointed in you. But, I can see how it might be a little overwhelming.” She offered Moondancer an encouraging smile. “I think you should trust them. They’re you’re family. But I promise, I won’t tell. I’ll let you do it when you’re ready.”

Moondancer smiled in return. “You really are the best, little star.”

*******

She loves her.

It was a sobering thought. One that fed the guilt eating at her insides. Moondancer had known this was a possibility, narrow as might be. But here she was, possibility now reality. Twilight was under no spell or illusion.

She loved Sunset of her own volition.

Why?

Moondancer stepped through her front door with that thought in her head. Sunset had been a demon! A literal, fire-spewing demon! And Twilight knew that! But she still loved her?

It’s… admirable.

Moondancer sighed as she walked upstairs. Sunset was dangerous. Moondancer still had no qualms about removing her from the play. But to see her little star in so much pain… that pricked at her heart like thorns.

She channeled that pain into anger as she stomped through the east wing. She could barely stand seeing Twilight in emotional pain. Finding her in mortal peril? Lines had been crossed.

Moondancer didn’t bother to knock. She forced open the door to her father’s study where, as she suspected, Tempest was seated behind the desk.

“Have you lost your barbaric mind?” Moondancer hissed between clenched teeth.

“Moondancer!” her father barked from a large armchair off to the side. “You know better than to come in unannounced!”

She ignored him entirely and kept her eyes on a smirking Tempest. “I told you Twilight has no magic! And yet, I find your new pet trying to kill her!”

Tempest scribbled something on the sheet in front of her. “You didn’t seem to have a problem a few nights ago.”

Believe me, I did. “That’s because I knew Scarlet wasn’t aiming to kill, and Twilight had friends to help her. This was a blatant attempt at murder!”

“Oh please, don’t act like you stand on some moral high ground with everything you’ve done.” Tempest stood up and stretched her arm. “I had a hypothesis, and I wanted to test it. Sadly, I’m not happy with the results.”

“What are you—”

“I knew that girl was a hindrance to your focus, Moondancer,” Tempest said coldly. She pulled her golden amulet out from her jacket. “You’re forgetting the real goal here.”

“I am not—”

“I sent Scarlet after Twilight to see if you would interfere. And of course, I was right.”

“Twilight is innocent!” Moondancer felt her face beginning to splotch. “Leave her out of this!”

Tempest sat down, a cold smile on her face. “Moondancer, if you had to choose between saving your mother and saving Twilight, which would you pick?”

Moondancer’s heart froze. It must have reflected on her face, because Tempest’s smile grew wider. Her mother or her only friend? Only someone truly sadistic would make someone choose.

Shoulders falling, Moondancer let out a bitter sigh. “Mother,” she whispered.

“I thought so. I’ll leave Twilight out of this, on the condition that you stop trying to put her before our agenda. Otherwise, next time she’s out alone, Scarlet’s hand might slip.”

Moondancer bowed her head. “Very well.”

“Good. Now go check on Lamia.”

With one final glare, Moondancer backed out of the room. She retreated down the hall, ideas spinning in her head. Twilight’s happiness, or her own? Twilight’s safety, or her own?

Moondancer sighed, a tear slipping down her face. What was one more regret on an ever-growing list?

********

The minuscule amounts of sleep Twilight had gotten throughout the week finally caught up to her, and she slept all through Saturday morning, missing two calls from Rainbow and Rarity. Clearing the fog from her head, Twilight stood up and stretched her arms. She still wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk to them, especially after what had happened yesterday. The struggle in Scarlet’s voice replayed in Twilight’s ears. She could remember every word.

“I’m not a murderer!”

Scarlet had hesitated, argued with herself. Twilight gripped the edge of her bed and bit down on her lip. Why would a demon fight with itself unless it wasn’t fully in control? Twilight remembered the cold night in the mountains. The conversation she and Sunset had shared on the couch by the fireplace.

“It’s like she’s sitting right there! Right on the edge of my heart. One mistake… one mistake and I’ll…”

Her tears fell to the carpet. Maybe she had to face facts. Maybe Scarlet really was Sunset. It wasn’t of her own volition, Twilight was at least sure of that. Still, facing the realization head on left a bad taste in her mouth. Part of her still refused to believe it. Something, something about the situation didn’t sit with her.

“Vesper Radiance? I’ll save that if I ever become a villain again.”

Twilight lifted her eyes, the thinnest sliver of hope shining in them. If that had been the real Sunset, she would have called herself Vesper Radiance! It was an incredibly weak thread, but Twilight clung to it. She had a reason to keep searching!

She looked at her clock, amazed she had slept until two in the afternoon. Spike hadn’t seemed to mind. In fact, he was still at the foot of her bed, sleeping on his side. He lifted his head when Twilight rose to take a quick shower and put some weekend clothes on. She pulled her shirt over her head and picked her phone up. She supposed she could at least call Rainbow and Rarity back to see what they wanted.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, alerting her that she had a new text message. Her heart froze solid, stopping all air flow, both in and out. Time crawled to a stop as she read who the sender was.

Sunset.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Demon Formally Known as Sunset
or
She's Just Not That Into You.

...This story is now longer than Long Road to Friendship...

16. Three Little Words

Shining parked his squad car a block from the old factory, his backup right behind him. He, Detective Harshwhinny, and Twilight got out of the car and crept closer to the building, four officers following in pursuit.

“I still disapprove of you bringing your sister, Mr. Armor,” Harshwhinny said, flaring her nostrils.

They stopped at the corner as Shining took a cautionary glance around, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. “She’s going to stay here and watch from afar.”

“Please don’t talk as if I’m not here,” Twilight said, narrowing her eyes.

“Sorry,” Shining said, not taking his gaze off the factory. “She’s also here in case the messenger will only negotiate with her.”

Twilight had rushed downstairs, waving her phone and crying as she showed Shining the simple text message supposedly sent from Sunset.

‘Come to the factory.’

Shining was no stranger to text based traps. He knew how easy a setup like this would be, though he knew not for what purpose. Maybe the sender thought Twilight might be desperate enough to show up alone. Even in her most fragile state, Twilight thought things through.

Whatever the case, he and his superior, Harshwhinny, grabbed a few officers and made their way to the old part of town. Shining earnestly hoped Sunset was inside, both to see her safe and his sister happy, and so he would stop having to lie about Sunset’s absent files. Harshwhinny had nearly pinned him in a corner several times already.

Harshwhinny turned to the officers with her eternally annoyed scowl. “Shining and I will scope the place out and radio for backup if we need any. You are to keep a lookout here and report anything unusual to Shining or I.”

“Yes ma’am,” Gaffer said with a salute.

Shining made to follow Harshwhinny’s leave, but Twilight pulled on his jacket. He looked back and received a kiss on the cheek.

“Be careful.”

He smiled and gave her bun a ruffle. “Always.” He hurried after Harshwhinny, catching up before she had time to complain. Hands on their guns, they approached the side door. Shining remembered when he had been in this alley last winter, and had found Sunset trying to force her way inside.

Come on, Sunset. You better be in here.

Shining positioned himself on one side of the door while Harshwhinny jiggled the handle. She shoved the door open with her shoulder and quickly jumped back out of the way. When nothing came from the hall, Shining took point, pulling his gun out and keeping it skyward. They moved down the hall, stopping to scan the kitchen, then moved to the factory floor. The sun tried to shine through the grimy windows, but it only created a dim and depressing atmosphere.

“Canterlot P.D!” Harshwhinny shouted at the shadows. “This is your only chance to come out with your hands up!”

Shining squinted his eyes, forcing them to adjust to the dark. Something was sitting against the back wall. He took a step closer, and the figure became more recognizable. “Sunset?”

If they heard, they didn’t stir. Shining kept his gun pointed up while Harshwhinny watched his back as he drew closer. His heart jumped into his throat, an action that surprised even him. The figure was indeed Sunset. She leaned against the back wall, seemingly unconscious, though her eyes were half-open.

“Sunset.” Shining put his gun away and knelt beside her. She had a few old cuts and bruises, and her cheeks were gaunt and pale, no doubt from malnourishment. He lifted two fingers to her throat and found a slow but steady pulse.

“Don’t worry, Sunset, we’re gonna get you out of here.” He pulled out his walkie-talkie. “We need an ambulance here, asap!”

Harshwhinny walked up behind him, double checking the corners and ceiling. “Positive that’s her?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmph.” She holstered her gun. “We marked this place as searched a week ago. Then, someone sends your sister an anonymous tip that her… partner,” she said with distaste, “is here.”

Shining felt a vein twitch in his temple, but ignored it as he did a light sweep of Sunset’s person. Her phone was still missing. “I’ve never heard of a kidnapper feeling guilty enough to return their hostage like this. Still, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.” He lifted Sunset up in his arms and brought her outside, squinting his eyes at the overcast light.

As he stepped out of the alley, he heard six voices shout, “Sunset!”

Harshwhinny snorted at the six girls rushing toward them. “Who authorized for these civilians to be here?”

None of them paid her any mind. Twilight led the charge, sobbing and hiccuping as she came to a stop in front of Shining and grabbed Sunset’s hand. Her friends were in similar states, marveling at Sunset with a mix of relief and concern.

“You found her!” Twilight choked out. “You found her!” She squeezed Sunset’s hand. “Sunset, it’s me! It’s Twilight! It’s all your friends! She’s going to be okay, right?”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. She just needs some rest,” Shining said calmly. He looked down at the blank look in her lidded eyes. “She’s probably been through a lot.”

He heard the ambulance’s sirens before they came into view. In a few short moments, Sunset was loaded onto a stretcher, an IV in her arm, and pulled into the back.

Twilight didn’t ask, she climbed in and sat next to Sunset. “I’m going with her.”

Shining just nodded. “Tell Mom I said hi.”

She nodded back and gave a loving and grateful smile. “Thank you, Shiny.”

He gave a wave and stepped back as the rest of his sister’s friends ran up to the edge of the ambulance, promising to meet them at the hospital.

Shining let out a sigh. It wasn’t quite one of relief though. Sunset had been found and reunited with her friends. But that empty look in her eyes…. Would she be okay? And who had taken her in the first place? Who had given her back?

He shelved the thoughts for now and watched the ambulance pull away. One victory at a time.

********

The Spectacular Seven and the Lulamoons waited in the lobby of Canterlot General Hospital. Twilight paced in front of the large couch they had all squeezed on, wringing her hands and pulling on her bangs every few minutes.

“Twilight, stop,” Applejack said, fiddling with her hat. “You’re worse than Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy sat in a similar state from when they had waited for Rainbow at Hollow Shades. She rocked back and forth in her seat, though perhaps she blinked more this time.

“Applejack is right,” Artemis said, not quite reaching his normal, jovial pitch. “I’m sure Sunset will be fine.”

Even so, Twilight couldn’t stop pacing the blue and white tiles, or stealing glances at the emergency doors. She had come to the conclusion that she hated hospitals. She had never been in one for a positive reason. Sure, she knew lives were being saved and miracles were being performed. But, imagine if accidents never happened in the first place. Then her brother or her girlfriend would never have to set foot in one, and neither would she.

Twilight shifted her thoughts back to the positive. They had found Sunset! She was alive! Twilight felt a lump rise to her throat again. She swallowed it down, saving her tears for when she saw Sunset’s smiling face beam back at her.

Any minute now. She accidentally popped one of her knuckles and shook her hand out. Any minute.

She still had several unanswered questions. Sunset didn’t have her phone when Shining found her. So who had sent the text? Who had taken Sunset in the first place? And what was that demon that had tried to kill Twilight twice now?

Twilight’s heart soared again. She had been right! That demon wasn’t Sunset! Sunset was safe and sound here in the hospital! Of course, there was still the possibility that the demon had been Sunset and she had just reverted back to normal on her own. Twilight would stick to her first hypothesis until proven otherwise.

The emergency doors opened, and Twilight Velvet stepped out. As Twilight ran up to her, she could see bad news written on her mother’s face.

“Is Sunset all right?” Everyone had rose to their feet now, looking on with tense anticipation.

Velvet sighed. “Sunset is stable, but…” She put a hand on Twilight shoulder. It was meant to be warm, but all Twilight felt was a chilling emptiness. “She’s unresponsive to any stimuli, but we haven’t picked up any abnormal brain waves. There’s no evidence of blunt force trauma or poison. It’s like she’s gone to sleep and won’t wake up.”

“It… it sounds like you’re describing her as comatose.” Twilight said in a breathy whisper.

“Yes,” Velvet said with a deep sigh. “For all intents and purposes, that’s how we’re treating it. We’re keeping a close watch on her in the ICU, but until we can learn more...”

Twilight stumbled on her back foot, sucker punched in the heart. She looked back at her friends, hoping they had heard something different and she had just gone temporarily crazy from stress. But the air slowly leaking out of Pinkie’s wild hair, the water streaming from Fluttershy’s eyes, and grief-stricken looks on everyone else confirmed they had all heard the same thing.

“I-I see.” The world leaned to one side, and Twilight felt herself float for a second before Applejack’s strong arms held her upright. “I’m okay,” she said breathlessly, “I’m okay. I just… I…”

Twilight fought the flooding impulse to scream and kick something. She clenched and unclenched her hands, pulled down on her bangs, then became perfectly still.

“Can we still go see her?” she asked, devoid of all emotion.

Velvet gestured toward the hall. “Of course you can. Just not all at once. Her room isn’t that big.”

Applejack tipped her hat over her eyes. “You go first, Twi. It’s only fair.” She gave Twilight a gentle nudge forward.

Twilight didn’t object but looked back at the Lulamoons. “You should come too. It seems fair.”

Trixie gave a simple nod on their behalf and followed after Twilight and Velvet. They moved up to the third floor and down the end of the hall, where the smell of antiseptic was a little lighter. Sunset had a single room with a small window that looked out to the west horizon, where the sun fell.

Sunset leaned back in her bed, her half-closed eyes staring at the door. She had been changed into a hospital gown, and an IV had been inserted into her arm. A breathing apparatus hung off the side of her bed, just in case. Her heart monitor gave a beep every two seconds or so. Twilight moved to her side and took her hand. It felt cold.

A hiccup came first, then a whimper, then Twilight’s tears fell onto Sunset’s hand. A week of searching. A sudden miracle. Yet even with Sunset laying before her, she was still far away. Twilight gripped her hand tighter, trying to pass on some of her own warmth.

No one could draw up the strength to say anything. Twilight opened her mouth once or twice, but couldn’t make anything louder than a pained whine. Selena bent down and kissed Sunset on the forehead before making a quiet exit.

“She’ll wake up soon,” Artemis said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. “She’s too strong-willed to stay like this.” He gave Sunset’s hair a loving stroke and took his leave with Selena, leaving Trixie alone with Twilight.

They stood side-by-side, watching Sunset’s slow, rhythmic breathing. Trixie looked toward the door, as if to make sure no one would walk in. “When father told us about Sunset’s demon returning, I didn’t know what to believe. If it was actually Sunset or some phantom or illusion.” She wiped her eyes. “I held a grudge for so long, a few months ago, I would have gladly blamed her and used it as proof to my parents that she couldn’t be trusted. Now…”

Trixie turned her head back to Sunset and drew herself up. “Wake up, Shimmer. Trixie still needs a sidekick for her amazing adventures.” Her voice hitched, and she quickly deflated with a sigh.

Twilight never had very much interaction with Trixie, even in the few competitions they had participated in. But in that moment, Twilight felt a connection spark. She again wondered why Moondancer had never mentioned her before, then subsequently remembered their conversation last night. Twilight intended to keep her promise, but she couldn’t deny her curiosity.

“Trixie, can someone without magic gain magic?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Actually, it was something my aunt was researching before she died. I don’t know all the details to be honest. But, according to her, souls can grow, and they have a certain threshold. If they grow beyond that point, they become more sensitive to the natural magic around them. Something like that.”

Her eyebrow arched higher. “What? You think if you get magic, you can wake her up?”

“Well… no… maybe?” Twilight looked at Trixie, silently asking if it was a possibility.

Trixie shook her head. “First of all, gaining magic is no easy feat if you don’t already have it; it takes years of training. Your friends seem to be the weird exception. Second, even if you could…” Trixie sighed again. “Unless we know what’s wrong, there’s not much we can do.”

It had been a fleeting idea, but Twilight couldn’t deny the disappointment sitting in her. She had a gut feeling Sunset’s state was magically induced. If she could just understand how magic worked, maybe she could help Sunset. Maybe she could stop this from happening to anyone else.

When nothing else was spoken, Trixie excused herself, and Velvet came to take her place. She wrapped her arms around Twilight. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know how much this must hurt.”

Twilight wasn’t sure if that was accurate, but she appreciated the empathy. She nestled into her mother’s embrace, helplessness and frustration rising up and escaping as a few sobs. She held onto Sunset’s hand the entire time.

A few minutes later, the remaining Spectacular Seven squeezed in. Fluttershy let out a short wail and threw herself into Rainbow’s arms. Pinkie’s hair sagged heavily, looking almost straight.

“Oh, Sunset,” Rarity said, covering her mouth, “this is all our fault. If only we had found you sooner.”

“No it isn’t,” Twilight said, her voice croaky. “No one here is at fault. Whoever took Sunset is the only one to blame.”

“And when we find them…” Applejack raised her hat from in front of her face, revealing the dark shadow over her eyes. “They’re gonna pay for what they did.”

“What did they even do?” Rainbow asked. “How did she end up like this?”

“We’ll find out when she wakes up,” Pinkie said in a trembling voice. She sucked in a deep breath, returning a little bounce to her hair. “Because she’s going to wake up. Then everything will be all right again.”

Twilight looked at Sunset’s vacant expression. “I hope you’re right, Pinkie.”

*******

On Sunday, Twilight arrived to Sunset’s room with a vase full of flowers. They were warm colors of reds and oranges and a few yellows. Cadence had helped pick them out. Twilight set them on the bedside table and opened the blinds for the afternoon light to pour in, then pulled up a chair next to Sunset.

“H-hi, Sunset.” Twilight paused, hoping she might get a response. “I, umm, read a few articles online that said talking to someone when they’re… in this state helps them wake up. It’s not one-hundred percent proven fact, but, it’s worth a try, right? I hope you can hear me.”

Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little silly, talking to someone who couldn’t respond and very well couldn’t even hear. But as one-sided as it was, at least she was talking to her Sunset again.

“The girls are coming by a little later. I think they wanted to give us some alone time.” She squeezed her fingers and laughed. “I guess I appreciate it. It’s been an odd week without you. You won’t believe some of the things that happened. I got detention! Me of all people! I, well, I punched a girl because she said some things about you. I wasn’t even fully aware of what I did until it was over. You probably would have cheered me on. Though, I guess if you were here, I probably wouldn’t have done it. A paradox. Miss Celestia said it wouldn’t go on my record, so that’s good. I think I’d be freaking out a lot more if it was.

“And, Applejack ponied up and got a power, too! She threw a girder at… well… your evil side. It was all pretty crazy. I know that wasn’t really you though. I know it. I wish you were awake though. I want to look more into magic. Did Applejack pony up out of necessity? If so, why didn’t Rarity and Pinkie get powers?” Twilight watched Sunset’s face, hoping to see any sign that she was in there, listening.

A knock came at the door, and Pinkie bounced in, carrying balloons and streamers. Her hair was almost back to its normal volume. “Time to liven this place up! The first thing Sunset sees when she wakes up is a big ol’ party waiting for her!”

The rest of their friends flowed in, carrying more balloons and colorful lights to be strung up. Rarity and Fluttershy had worked together to stitch a large blanket with Sunset’s cutie mark. Rainbow brought in a small boombox and slid a cd in.

“We recorded some of our songs and put them on here. Once she hears this, she’ll definitely wake up.” She hit play and bounced her head along to ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be.’

“Yep, she’ll wake up just to tell you to shut up,” Applejack said, smirking.

“Worth it.”

Twilight helped Pinkie set the lights up, intertwining them with the red and gold streamers. With their glow and the light of the sun, the room exploded with warmth and color. Twilight constantly checked on Sunset for a ghost of a smile or an eye twitch, yet she remained completely still.

The girls all took turns talking to Sunset, recounting their versions of the past week. Pinkie even told a few jokes, some of the intentionally bad to see if Sunset would cringe. No such luck. They took their leave a few hours later, leaving Twilight to keep Sunset company a little longer.

Velvet’s shift ended, and she came to collect Twilight. She looked around at the streamers and lights, smiling in amusement and shaking her head in disapproval. “I’m not sure if this is allowed in hospital regulations.”

Twilight kissed Sunset on the cheek and followed her mom out, turning off the main light but leaving the smaller ones to illuminate Sunset’s room in a rainbow colors.

Monday after school, Twilight returned to the hospital, happy to see all the decorations still up. “Hi, Sunnykins, how are you?”

Sunset didn’t respond.

“School was okay. Miss Celestia mentioned you in the morning announcement. And I got more students saying they were sorry for what happened. I never know how to respond to that. I guess I should say thank you, but that doesn’t feel quite right. Anyway, I brought a book to read this time. Outloud. To you.” She rummaged into her backpack. “I think you’ll like it. These two princesses command a fleet of airships and travel to other dimensions to stop an evil force from destroying theirs.”

Twilight managed to get through the first chapter before Trixie knocked on the door.

“I just wanted to come and see how she was. I should have known you would be here.” Trixie pulled up a chair and sat on Sunset’s other side.

“I was just reading to her. I don’t know if it helps, but it’s kinda fun.”

Trixie grunted in acknowledgement while she admired the rooms decorations. “Your friends are thoughtful. Tacky, but thoughtful.”

“Thank you?” Twilight looked at her book. She hoped Trixie didn’t plan on staying too long. Reading to Sunset was one thing, but reading to a certainly listening and responding audience… it was almost as bad as public speaking.

Another thought came to her as Trixie magically lifted a nail file from her purse and ran it against her nails. “Trixie, are you and Moondancer close?”

Trixie pouted. “Not as much as we used to be. When her mother died, she and her father became very distant. She used to tell Trixie everything. Now, she only says hi in passing.”

Moondancer almost never mentioned her mother. Twilight knew it was a sensitive topic and never sought to pry. Asking Trixie felt like a betrayal in some way, so Twilight left it alone. “Can you tell me more about the difference between inheriting magic and obtaining it?”

“You’re still on about that?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m doing research. I want to understand how magic works in this world.”

Trixie eyed her, then turned her nose up. “Trixie supposes she can enlighten you a little.” She lifted a dramatic hand into the air. “In the great age of magic, there were many witches and wizards! Wielders of the mystic arts who dedicated their life to the mysteries of the world! And in that age, magic flowed across the planet like the wind and sea! There were those born with the magical gift—who had magic flow through every fiber of their being! Families like mine—descendants of the great Merlin himself!”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Then, there are those who simply believed in magic. They opened themselves to the possibilities and trained until they could tap into the magic themselves. But, as the years wore on, people slowly stopped believing in magic. More and more true blooded magicians married common magicless people, and the magic stopped being passed down in many families. It all eventually dried up. Now, the Lulamoons are some of the last magicians on the planet,” Trixie said proudly.

“So… magic sounds like a gene that you’re born with. For you, it was active, but for Moondancer, it was dormant?”

“Sure, why not,” Trixie said simply, returning to her nail filing.

Twilight massaged her head. Once again, she had more questions than answers.

On Tuesday, Flash and Rarity visited, bringing more flowers. Sunset’s room smelled like a botanical garden on top of being the brightest room in the hospital. Wednesday saw Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy visit together, and on Thursday, Trixie returned, followed by Applejack. Twilight had been there everyday, reading and talking to Sunset, keeping her room tidy and watering the flowers. She helped the nurses move Sunset around to keep her limber and somewhat active.

She eventually found a rhythm to it all. Read a chapter to Sunset, by which then, one of her other friends had arrived. Twilight would then do her homework, then help a nurse take care of Sunset, and clean the room. She’d squeeze in one more conversation, then go home with her mother.

Friday saw a slightly different change of pace. Twilight got through three chapter of her book before she realized no one else had showed up so far. She took a break to water the flowers and fluff Sunset’s pillow. Her eyes remained vacant, like Sunset was merely a shell, and the host had up and left.

Were all the words and decorations meaningless? Had Sunset all but slipped out of this mortal coil? Twilight sat back in her chair, the thoughts heavy on her mind. She tried reading more of her story to put them away, but they continued to rise back to the surface. What if she never got to interact with Sunset again? Their last conversation had ended in a huff. Was that how Sunset would remember her passing on into whatever came next?

A soft knock at the door startled her out of her mind’s gathering gloom. Instead of the usual crowd, Cadence poked her head in. “Hey, ladybug.”

“Cadence? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, watching Cadence pull up a chair beside her.

“Sunset and I may not be super close yet, but I still consider her a friend. And she’s very special to you.” She wrapped an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “Speaking of you, how are you holding up?”

Twilight looked down at her book, tracing the words as she sorted her feelings. She didn’t feel lost and confused anymore. Her emotions weren’t a tangled mess that she couldn’t make sense of. She had found Sunset and could see her everyday, even if Sunset couldn’t see her. It gave Twilight a sense of relief and hope amidst the sadness. All that was really left was a heavy sense of uselessness, sitting so close to Sunset but not being able to do anything.

“I’m okay, I guess,” she said hesitantly. “It still hurts. But, Sunset’s alive.” Twilight reached out and grabbed her hand, still cold. “I want her to wake up. I want her to wake up so badly.” Tears fell from her eyes. “But at least I know she’s okay.”

Cadence rubbed her shoulder. “I know she’ll wake up soon. Somewhere in there, I think she knows you’re taking good care of her.” She smiled knowingly.

“You think so?” Twilight bit her lower lip. “I know I have to go to college… but what if she isn’t awake by then?” Her tears fell faster. “I want to be here when she wakes up. No matter how long that takes.”

“Is that so?” Cadence embraced her in a warm hug. She continued to smile, but her eyes held a sympathetic light.

“Y-yes.” Twilight took her glasses off and furiously rubbed her eyes. “I… can’t see a future without her in it. As friends or girlfriends or whatever, she’s somewhere there. Because I…” Twilight looked into Sunset’s teal eyes, remembering when they were filled with life.

“I love her.”

Cadence had been right. Twilight’s had not been a eureka moment. It had been a long time coming. She didn’t know why she had to compare it to so many other people. No emotional process was the same. It didn’t matter their supposed age difference or that Sunset wasn’t originally human. Twilight wasn’t in love with her.

“I love her,” she repeated. “I still don’t know if it’s just some passing teenager thing or just my emotions going crazy because of everything that’s happened, but I need her to wake up so I can tell her.”

Cadence pulled a tissue from the bedside table and dabbed at Twilight’s eyes and cheeks. “Some romances start young and last all the way to the end. I think yours and Sunset’s might be one of them. Even if it starts from your emotions ‘going crazy,’ they’re still real emotions. Take care of them. And when Sunset wakes up and the craziness is over, and you still feel the same way…” Cadence kissed her on the forehead. “Then you’ve got something that might make even Shiny and me jealous.”

Twilight slid her glasses back on when Cadence finished. “Do you think Sunset feels the same way?”

“I have a strong feeling she does.” Cadence leaned in toward Twilight, a cheshire grin on her face. “After all, unicorns are most attracted to virgins.”

Twilight’s cheeks exploded with heat. “Wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about?” Her voice came out five octaves too high.

Cadence leaned back in her chair, trying and failing to contain her smile. “Shining told me about Sunset.”

“What about Sunset?” Twilight’s voice went up another octave. “She’s perfectly normal. Nothing weird at all about her. Nope!” She didn’t know why she was trying; she had already lost. Cadence had played the game too well, rattling Twilight from the onset and leaving her with no chance to recover.

Cadence laid a hand on Twilight’s shaking leg. “Sweetheart, as… strange as all of this is, I’m slowly coming to accept it.”

Twilight brought her voice back to its its regular pitch. “You believe Sunset’s a pony from another dimension?”

“Well, it might explain a few things. And you seem to believe it, so, I’m not ready to toss the idea out.” Cadence chuckled softly. “I knew Sunset was different, but not this different. She’s your knight in shining armor and your noble steed.”

Twilight buried her face in her hands. “Cadence,” she whined.

“Making jokes is how I cope with something this unbelievable.” Her hand moved up to Twilight’s shoulder. “But, magical unicorn or not, I believe Sunset really cares about you.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, looking at Sunset between her fingers.

“And remember, you can talk to me about anything, no matter how ridiculous it might seem. I’ll believe you enough to help however I can.”

Twilight lowered her hands and allowed herself to look into Cadence’s sincere eyes. She knew now. Twilight could tell Cadence everything. The realization that she had someone normal she could talk to and believe her sent a fresh wave of emotions through her. Twilight flung herself out of the chair and wrapped her arms around Cadence.

“Shh, easy now, ladybug. You don’t have to say it all at once.”

“I-I know!” Twilight sniffled. “But the fact that I can!”

“I know.” Cadence got another tissue and cleaned up Twilight’s face. “Deep breaths. Let’s start with just one thing at a time.”

One thing? Which could Twilight pick? The thieving doppelganger? The flying demon? Sunset going home and never coming back? The pull she and her friends felt the night Sunset disappeared?

Twilight took the offered tissue from Cadence and wiped her own eyes. Most of her fears and anxieties all had a common denominator.

“I just wish I had magic, too.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: While She Was Sleeping

If it's any consolation... we've reached the lowest point!

17. Phantom Moon

Awaken, Sunset Shimmer…

That voice again. She had heard it a few days ago… hadn’t she? It bounced around in her brain, until a mind-numbing fog ate it. But another voice, this one more familiar, told her she should probably get up.

Sunset cracked her eyes open, squinting at the fragments of sunlight falling onto her face from in between the green leaves above her. A weight shifted on Sunset’s chest, and she lifted her head to see Twilight resting comfortably between her breasts. Sunset couldn’t help but giggle. She rested her head back in the grass and admired the old tree standing guard over them.

Spring had brought them another beautiful day. A perfect sapphire sky rested beyond the emerald leaves. The weather was warm enough to be enjoyable, but cool enough that Sunset could still wear her jacket. She and Twilight had picnicked on the hill in Canterlot Park again, like they did almost every weekend. Twilight’s violin case leaned against the tree trunk, and Sunset’s crock-pot of homemade soup sat empty on the picnic blanket.

As much as Sunset would have loved to lay there forever with Twilight curled against her, she was starting to get sore and stiff. She gave Twilight’s ponytail a jostle, and Twilight gave a sleepy murmur.

“Sweetheart, time to get up. My pillows hurt.”

Twilight took her time but eventually rose off Sunset and rolled her neck. “Good afternoon, Sunnykins.”

Sunset sat up and stretched her back. “Next time, you get to be the body pillow. I don’t care if you are flat.”

“I am not flat!”

Sunset struck her hand out and copped a feel. “Well, you’ve got more than Rainbow, but—”

Twilight batted her hand away and slapped Sunset’s shoulder, then bapped her a second time when she started to laugh. “Big, stupid jerk,” Twilight grumbled.

“Sparky, you’re perfect, just the way you are.” Sunset wrapped her arms around Twilight’s waist and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Twilight melted into it, making a moan of satisfaction.

Sunset eased her way out when it became too hard to stop her face muscles from smiling. “I love you,” she said, resting her hand atop Twilight’s, feeling the small diamond dig into her palm.

“I love you, too.”

“Ugh, are guys still being all coupley?” a scratchy voice shouted.

“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” Sunset said, looking down the hill. Rainbow climbed toward them, trying to look offended by their display of affection.

She got to the top and rested her fists on her hips. “I hope you two are happy, leaving us with all the hard work. And putting Rarity in charge!” She threw her arms in the air. “You know how she’s like with stuff like this!”

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Twilight said.

“I got yelled at because I didn’t know the difference between egg-shell white and cream.” Rainbow huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face. “But, I did get a consolation for it. I get to be the one to pull the happy couple apart.” She gestured to Twilight. “Come on, egghead, I have to take you to Cadence.”

Twilight looked at Sunset like a lost puppy. “Can’t we stay out here a little while longer?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You’ll see each other tomorrow, geez.”

Sunset stood up and pulled Twilight to her feet, giving her another kiss. “We’ve been apart longer than twenty-four hours before. We can do this.”

“I know. I’m just getting nervous. Tomorrow’s the day.”

Rainbow grabbed Twilight by the arm before she and Sunset could kiss again. “Everything will be fine. Rarity may be a total diva, but she knows what she’s doing. Now come on, I’ve been here ten seconds and I’m already tired of seeing you make out.”

She led Twilight away, looking over her shoulder and saying, “Sunset, if I ever get all lovey-dovey with anyone, punch me in the face.”

“Don’t make me make promises you know I’ll keep.”

Rainbow made a short grunt and pulled Twilight down the hill as she gave Sunset one last wave.

“I’ll see you soon, Sparky. Don’t worry, we can do this!” she shouted as they got further away.

*******

“I changed my mind! I can’t do this!” Sunset ran her hands down her clammy face, wiping away a layer of perspiration. “I’m going to buy a ticket to Paraguay and never come back!”

“And what exactly is in Paraguay?” Rarity asked, standing next to the door.

“Not this!” Sunset grabbed the bottle of water on the dresser and chugged it down in one swing. “Rarity, you know me, I don’t freak out—”

“Well…”

“—but I’m totally freaking out now!” Sunset clawed at the low neckline of her dress. It crushed her chest, restricting any airflow. She couldn’t breath! The room was too warm! She was going to die!

Rarity laid a hand on her shoulder. “Sunset, dear, take one, deep breath.”

“I can’t! I can’t do it!”

Rarity turned Sunset away from the mirror to face her. “Look at my eyes.” Rarity brought her hands up and cupped the sides of Sunset’s chin. “Just breathe with me. In and out. Nice and easy.”

Sunset watched Rarity’s mouth, how she easily pulled in air and let it go. She started doing the same thing, shaky at first, but slowly found a matching rhythm to Rarity. They breathed together for several minutes, until Sunset’s dress stopped trying to choke her, and her heart no longer threatened to jump out of her throat. She took a long breath and slowly exhaled, nodding to Rarity.

“There you go. It’s just a little pre-wedding jitters. Everyone gets them.” She lowered her hands to hold onto Sunset’s. “But you have nothing to worry about. A romance like yours and Twilight’s only comes once in a lifetime. You two are perfect together.”

Emotion welled in Rarity’s eyes and ran down her face, leaving black lines behind. “Look at how much you’ve helped one another by being together. And now you’re going to share a life together. It’s the closest thing to a fairytale I’ve seen in real life. Sunset, I’m so happy and proud of you!”

Sunset pulled her into a tight hug, makeup running down her face now as her tears fell onto Rarity’s shoulders. “Thank you, Rarity. Thank you so much for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Oh, you would have muddled by. You wouldn’t have looked as fabulous as you do now, but you would have been fine.” They both laughed over each other’s shoulders. Rarity pulled Sunset away and led her back to her chair. “Come on, no more crying so I can redo our makeup. You can cry all you want after you say ‘I do.’”

Sunset took a napkin and dabbed at her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. Today was the day. She had dreamed and fantasized about it, but never thought it would actually happen. In half an hour, she’d be saying her vows, staring her bride-to-be in the eyes, sealing the promise of a new life together. It was surreal and terrifying and wonderful all at the same time.

Awaken, Sunset…

She scratched the back of her head. There was that voice again. She had been hearing it on and off recently, faint, but urgent. It fell quiet against the roar of her mind reminding her what today was. Sunset looked at the massive doors in front of her, dark maple wood engraved with spiraling etches that opened up into flowering blossoms.

A single key of an organ on the other side signaled it was finally time. With one last deep breath to drown out the butterflies, Sunset nodded at her father to open the door.

His magic lit up the frame, and it slowly swung open, allowing the full force of the organ to hit Sunset’s ears. The slow, sweet wedding march ordered her to keep moving down the white aisle dusted with red petals. Her father trotted by her side, coming up to her waist.

“I’m so proud of you, Sunny,” he whispered, keeping his eyes forward. Sunset could still see the tears in them.

“Thanks, Dad.”

Friends and family filled every row of the chapel, their heads following Sunset as she moved down the center. Her mother sat in the front left row next to the Sparkles and Cadence, an open seat waiting for her father. On the opposite side were the Lulamoons, Artemis looking ready to burst with joy.

White columns stood at intervals between the rows, ivy wrapping down them. A skylight over head let in a shower of soft light, and the colored windows at the front bathed the altar in a rainbow. Waiting up the steps were Sunset’s friends, Rarity standing at the forefront, trying her hardest not to cry again. Fluttershy was already openly weeping, blowing her nose into a handkerchief.

Standing above all of them, wings spread wide, her pastel mane flowing in an unseen wind, a motherly smile on her regal face, was Princess Celestia. Her eyes followed Sunset all the way to her spot on the altar. Their gazes met as Sunset came to rest, long dialogues passing between them. Of heroic tales and confessions of love and funny moments and jaw-dropping events… and apologies and forgiveness.

“Welcome, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said when the organ went quiet. “And now, for our other bride.”

The organ started again, and every head turned back to the large doors as they opened. Sunset’s heart threatened to leave again as her eyes caught sight of the most breathtaking creature in existence.

Escorted by her father, Twilight Sparkle glided down the aisle, her slippers lost beneath her long white gown accented by purple ribbons that trailed off the sides. Star patterns were stitched into her long sleeves dusted with glitter, making them sparkle in the sunlight. Like Sunset’s dress, she had a low cut neckline, and while she didn’t have much cleavage to show off, a radiant amethyst sat at the base of her neck.

With every closing inch, Sunset’s heart beat faster, blood rushing in her ears, drowning out the music. I want to be with her until the end of time.

No, Sunset Shimmer! This is not real!

Sunset tore her eyes away from Twilight for just a moment, looking at the glass in the ceiling. The voice almost sounded louder than before. What did it mean this wasn’t real? It felt real.

Question it, Sunset! Fight it!

The music stopped. Sunset looked down to find Twilight standing before her, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Her smile nearly blinded Sunset.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Celestia said, “we are gathered here today for a momentous occasion! The union of these two souls in holy matrimony!”

Sunset looked out at the crowd. Her mother and father leaned against one another, tearful smiles on their faces. They were the only ponies besides Celestia to attend the affair. How did they get here anyway?

A sharp pain shot through Sunset’s head before a light fog filled her vision. Why does it matter? They’re here on the happiest day of your life…

No, Sunset! Look beyond the lie! Find the truth!

The fog vanished, and Celestia’s voice came back. “...it is a truly rare and celebratory occasion when two people love each other as true and pure as Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight beamed, and Sunset couldn’t help but smile back. She wanted to throw out the ceremony and just tackle Twilight to the floor. Easy, girl. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.

But how did I get here? When did I propose to Twilight?

Remember, you did it… by a lake? At dusk?

Sunset scrunched her face. Why couldn’t she get a clear image of that moment? She knew it existed. Actually, what had she been doing up until this point? Had she graduated from high school? Yes, she had…. She thought she had. But what had she been doing after that? Traveling the world? No, working in the emporium.

“Are you okay?” Twilight whispered as Celestia continued to talk.

“Y-yeah,” Sunset said, drawing herself out of her muddled thoughts. “Just… thinking too hard.” Or not hard enough? But the harder she thought, the more fog filled her mind. Suddenly, she could see her proposal to Twilight. It had been by a lake at dusk. What she had been doing since graduation still eluded her. Was it just nerves blocking her memory?

A voice whispered something in the back of her head, but Sunset could barely hear it now.

“I believe both of you have written your own vows?” Celestia took a step back, letting Twilight and Sunset take center stage.

Twilight took a deep breath. “Sunset, you’re sometimes the most frustrating person I’ve ever had to deal with.”

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, including Sunset.

“But you’re also the most driven and compassionate and fearless person I’ve met. You’ve taught me so much, not just about magic, but things about myself I never knew. You’re always encouraging, even if you like to hide it behind sarcasm. You’re empathetic and you always try to put my needs before yours.” Twilight hiccuped and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. “But from now on, we share needs, okay? I want to take care of you, too. I want to help you carry all the burdens you have and make your life easier. I love you. I love you so much, even when it doesn’t make sense. It’s the one thing I’m not afraid to not question. Because when I’m with you, everything feels right and makes perfect sense. I can’t wait to be part of your world.”

Sunset swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat, wishing she had gone first. How was she supposed to top that? Moreover, how was she supposed to get through her speech without bawling?

“Twilight, I…” She hesitated. She had a vow prepared, right? Yes, of course she did! “Twilight, you’re perfect. You’re the reason I try so hard to be a better person…”

Sunset, don’t fall for the illusion! You must awaken!

“All of my friends have taught me something,” Sunset said a little more slowly. The voice was back in full force. When did she write this speech? Were these the words she wanted to say to Twilight on their wedding day? Sunset couldn’t remember planning the wedding.

“My friends… our friends… uhm, they all taught me to be better, but you…” Sunset’s eyes looked about the room. “You taught me I can still fall… in love…”

Wake up, Sunset! Fight the illusion! Your soul has the strength!

My soul? Illusion? Sunset looked at the audience, who looked back at her in confusion. She knew she was hesitating, but something felt off. There were too many holes in her memory. And something about the word ‘soul’...

“Your soul is indeed powerful.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Her! That woman!” Sunset remembered being held against her will, and pain, unbearable pain!

“Sunset?” She looked back at Twilight, tears of rejection and anguish in her eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I…” Sunset looked about. She could see the cracks and seams in this fantasy. She had been captured. How had she ended up here? “No… I’m not okay. This…” She felt a weightlessness overtake her body. “This isn’t real. None of it’s real.”

The sound of shattered glass ripped through Sunset’s eardrums. Twilight broke into a thousand pieces, and even though Sunset knew it wasn’t real, watching her crumble into shards broke Sunset’s heart. The chapel and all its inhabitants fell into nothingness, leaving Sunset standing in a swirling red void that quickly made her wish she had stayed in the dream. There was no ground, Sunset just stood amongst an angry sea of crimson. Black swirls and clouds danced about her in all directions.

Sunset shook like a leaf. Where was she? How had she ended up here? Was this still a dream? She took a step forward, still feeling an invisible floor beneath her boots. Her body still felt oddly light. No, not just her body… her soul felt light. It felt… fractured.

She took a breath to ease her nerves but to no avail. Her calming breath slowly became hyperventilation. She wanted to leave or wake up or whatever. She wanted to see her friends!

“Be at peace, Sunset Shimmer, you’re not alone.”

Sunset yelped and spun around, placing a hand over her heart. Sitting on an invisible ledge over Sunset was a familiar looking woman. She held her wide-brimmed hat down over her face, but Sunset recognized her silver hair reaching down to the small of her back. She wore heels and stockings with her blue skirt, and a blazer over her white shirt. A blue cape with stars and moons flapped in a wind Sunset couldn’t feel.

“I know you,” Sunset said, her voice having a hard time getting above a whisper. “You’re Artemis’ sister. You’re Apalla Lulamoon.”

Apalla lifted her hat and smiled in surprise. Indeed, she looked like a female version of Artemis with her childish smile. “You know my brother?”

Sunset nodded. “He… he took me in when I really needed it.”

A kind and hearty laugh escaped Apalla’s lips and filled the void with life. “That’s my brother. Too nice for his own good sometimes. I remember this one time...” Her purple eyes found Sunset again. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sunset Shimmer.”

“How do you know who I am? Where are we?” Sunset looked around the swirling void, a cold sweat of dread forming on her forehead. “I thought you were… dead.” She grabbed her heart. “Am I dead too?”

Apalla drifted down from her invisible perch and hovered beside Sunset. She was Artemis’ height as well, standing a few inches taller than Sunset.

“All good questions, though I hesitate to say any of them have good answers.” She tapped a finger against her chin. “Where to start? Well, first let me assure you that you’re not dead. Actually, I can’t say that for certain. I have no way of knowing what happened to your body. Your soul has not moved onto the next world though, so in some senses, you aren’t actually dead, not in a spiritual sense at least.”

She cupped a hand against her cheek. “What is death? Is it a sudden stop to what we consider to be life? But our bodies are merely vessels for our souls, and souls cannot die. At least, I hope they cannot. Hmm, that’s actually a very deep question. If a soul could die, what would happen to it? Would you merely cease to exist entirely?”

“Miss Apalla,” Sunset said meekly, “I think you might be rambling a little.”

Apalla blinked. “Oh goodness, you’re probably right. Sorry, I don’t get to talk to many people these days. My communication skills are a little rusty.” She let out a hearty laugh that had a slight crack in it. “I guess I can’t answer your last question. To answer your first one, I learned your name when I was peering into your soul’s dream.”

“My soul’s dream?”

“Your dream, your soul’s dream. One in the same really. That fantasy trying to convince you you were still in reality. A dream where your deepest wishes are fulfilled, designed to keep you complacent and subdued. Breaking free from it is not an easy feat.”

Sunset nodded absently. “That’s good I guess. But I’m still really confused. Where are we? Why was I dreaming? And how did I get here?”

Apalla leaned back until she was reclining in midair. “Hmmm. I think it would be easiest to go in chronological order. Not that time has much meaning here. Or maybe it does and I just can’t tell. But, before I start to ramble again, what’s the last thing you remember?”

Sunset closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her head. “I remember… fighting Lamia… and then being paralyzed and dragged away…” She gasped. “And then that woman! I think her name was—”

“Tempest Shadow,” Apalla said darkly.

“Do you know her?”

“Knowing is subjective.” Apalla waved her hand. “I’ve had the displeasure of meeting her. But continue.”

Her last memories before her dream replayed in Sunset’s mind, grainy and shuttered, like she was seeing them on an old film reel. “I don’t know where I was, but she had me tied to a chair. Then she lifted some amulet to me and started…” Sunset shuddered, feeling violated, like her very core had been exposed and torn. “She started reading me. All my memories and emotions. She tried to draw up all my anger and jealousy and hatred…”

Oddly enough, Sunset couldn’t feel any of that now; not even anger toward her captors. Just a dull apathy in its place. “I think she wanted my magic.”

Apalla zoomed up to Sunset’s face, her eyes wide. “You have magic?” she asked excitedly. “Oh, I knew your soul was special! I just couldn’t place it! I’ve never felt magic like yours before. Oh, I’m sorry, I interrupted again.” She drifted away from Sunset and gestured for her to continue.

“Y-yeah, it’s a long story. But she wanted the darker side of my magic. I refused to give into it, so she did something else. I remember agonizing pain and then… I guess I ended up here.” She looked to Apalla for confirmation.

“I see.” Apalla raised a hand to her cheek again. “Fascinating. So many questions I would love to ask, but yours take priority. I can see why Tempest would want your soul; you have a lot of magic, even if it’s… foreign? Alien? Very unique,” she decided.

Sunset nodded patiently letting Apalla move at her own pace.

“Well, Sunset, there is no easy way to tell you this, but your soul now lies within the confines of the Soul Lock.” She made a sweeping gesture to the red and black swirling mass that engulfed them. It stretched on forever in every direction, and in the distance, Sunset could see a few tiny flecks of light.

An inhuman roar echoed through the void, one that made Sunset drop to her knees as her soul trembled. It faded away, but a feeling of despair and crushing hope lingered.

“Don’t mind him,” Apalla said with a dismissive wave. “That’s just the warden.”

“Uh, okay?” She looked up at Apalla. “But what is a Soul Lock? And what does Tempest want with my soul?”

Apalla helped Sunset back to her feet. “Come, walk with me while I give you a lesson in history.” She glided a few feet, then paused and smiled dreamily. “Oh, that rhymed!”

They followed an unseen path into the darkness, passing a few of the light specks. Apalla hummed to herself as she floated along. Sunset wondered if she had already forgotten she was supposed to be explaining things.

“Long ago, in the first age of magic,” Apalla began in a misty voice, “when humanity first stumbled upon the idea of civilization and paid homage to the gods for all they had, there was a young man named Tirek.”

Sunset froze. “Tirek?”

“Oh, you’ve heard of him?”

The name brought old images from her history books in Equestria. A brief chapter on a would be conqueror. “Sort of. But I don’t think it’s the same person.”

“Interesting. I wouldn’t think Tirek to be a very common name. Hmm, but what is a name? Is it central to the establishment of our character? Or is it merely a label given to us at birth that we grow into? Do we make the name, or does the name make us?” Apalla blinked. “What was I talking about?”

Sunset softly cleared her throat. “Tirek, I believe.”

“Yes, of course! Silly me! Well, the tapestries of history no longer record his origins, but we know Tirek began his life as just a normal man. But, he had a vendetta against the gods, and sought the power to challenge them. He trained his soul to become in tune with the magical world and learned all he could about magic.”

Apalla paused, seeing the inquisitive look on Sunset’s face. “Ah. You see, souls resonate with the magic that fills the world. At least they did until the magic went away. If one pushes their soul to a certain point, they can harness that magic.”

“And how do you reach that point?” Sunset asked.

“Well, our souls are reflections of who we are. They are the growth that we go through in life. Seeing the world, meeting new people, learning new things. All those experiences help our soul to grow. Of course, it’s not enough if you want to tap into magic. No, meditating, spiritual training… and trauma of any sort are ways to strengthen your soul as well.”

“So that’s how Tirek got stronger?”

Apalla nodded. “That’s how he started. It is said he was quite determined to learn magic. Once his soul hit the threshold, he traveled the land, asking to be taught from witches and wizards from across the world.” She shook her head. “If only they knew.

“Soon, Tirek would discover the ultimate truth about souls.” Apalla stopped her glide and faced Sunset. “Souls are a kind of magic too. They are the very essence of creation and life. They are sacred magics. They are powerful magics. When Tirek learned that, he devised a way to harness that magic—magic equivalent to that of the divine.”

She raised a hand to the murky sky above them. “This is the result of his research. The Soul Lock. It is a pocket dimension of his design, created to house souls so he can feed on their power and add to his own magic.”

Sunset gazed around, horror grasping her in its tight claws. “So, he just… takes people’s souls? What about their bodies?” Her face paled. “What about my body?”

Apalla let out a slow breath. “Without souls, bodies become lifeless shells. All they become capable of is breathing. Souls are the driving force behind our animation and actions. It’s like a car without a driver.”

“So…” Sunset sank to the ground. Her eyes stung as tears began to fall. “I probably am dead.”

“Now, now, there’s no guarantee of that,” Apalla patted her on the shoulder. “I prefer to look on the brighter side of life. Your body could be alive and well kept.”

Yep, she’s really Artemis’ sister. Sunset wiped her eyes. She wanted to believe that, but if she had been captured by Lamia, she had heavy doubts. Tempest didn’t seem to be the friendliest person either.

“So Tirek made this Soul Lock to get more power. He’s not in the history books, so I’m guessing it didn’t work out?”

Apalla laughed. “You would be correct, though it isn’t as simple as that. Tirek rose to power, taking the souls of mages and non-mages left and right. Soon, he would have enough power to rival the gods and start a new pantheon, consisting of just himself. But—and this is my favorite part of the tale—the greatest witch of the time and my family’s first matriarch, the high witch Megan, stepped forth to defeat him!”

Blue sparkles danced on her fingers, and the faint image of a rainbow appeared. “Wielding the most legendary of artifacts: the Rainbow of Light, Megan put an end to Tirek’s conquest! She reversed the flow of the Soul Lock, freeing all those who had been taken, and in turn, locked Tirek’s soul within his own prison.”

Sunset remembered the roar from earlier.

“Yes,” Apalla said, reading her eyes. “That was him. Originally, Megan locked the amulet away and hid it where hopefully none would find it. But, Tirek had created a following in his path for power, a following that endured for centuries, until they found his amulet and revived his body. Furious at his previous defeat, Tirek changed his tactics a little. He focused on the souls of other wizards first, crushing their bodies after taking them instead of leaving them behind.” Apalla’s voice grew soft. “That’s how the age of magic began its end.

“But, like Megan before him, our ancestor Merlin and five of his friends used the Rainbow of Light to free the souls and seal Tirek away. This time, they threw his accursed amulet into the deepest chasm in the ocean, where none could ever reach it. Yet, it seems not even that could stop the wheel of fate.”

Apalla fell silent, allowing Sunset to speak. “So, someone found the amulet again and wants to revive Tirek for a third time? Why?”

“Why, I cannot say. But, yes. This Tempest Shadow, an explorer that had made friends with my husband, Night Shade, found the amulet. Night owns a large, wealthy company and has access to various resources. She wanted his help in Tirek’s revival.” Apalla pulled her cape tighter around her shoulders. “I walked in on her trying to convince him to help. I tried to warn him what Tirek really was… then everything went dark. The last thing I remember is hearing my daughter scream.”

Moondancer. Sunset lowered her gaze. “I’m so sorry.” Another roar jolted her back to her feet.

Apalla took her hand and guided her forward. “Keep moving, keep moving. This place is infinite, but it’s still his world.”

“So, if Tempest is trying to revive Tirek, Artemis or someone can just use the Rainbow of Light again to beat him, right?” Sunset said between breaths as she jogged to keep up with Apalla’s glide.

They came to a stop, though it looked like they had barely moved. “And therein lies a slight problem.” Apalla steepled her fingers together. “You see, the Rainbow has been… misplaced.”

“What do you mean?”

“A few generations back, the Lulamoons fell on some hard times. Very hard times. The Seal of the Rainbow had been passed down for untold generations. It was our sacred duty to keep it safe and guarded until the world needed it again. But my great-great-great… a couple more greats, grandfather had to choose between having a meal for his family, or defending the world’s greatest weapon against darkness.”

Apalla weighed her hands. “I suppose I can’t be too mad. It is a hard choice. And after not using it for so many centuries, you start to wonder if you’ll ever actually needed it. I’m not saying it was the best decision, but it was an understandable one. Hard to say what I would have done if I were in his position…”

“Miss Apalla, you’re rambling again.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry. Thank you for being patient with me though. You’re a very well-behaved child.” As Sunset blushed, Apalla continued. “But yes, he sold the Rainbow. And it has been every Lulamoon’s dream since to find it again and resume the mantle as the guardians of harmony. Still, years of searching has found us nothing.”

“That’s bad. So then, how do we stop him?”

Apalla gave her a familiar and encouraging smile. “That’s why I’m still here. And why I woke you from your dream. You see, I believe escape from the Soul Lock is possible if one has a strong enough will.” She pointed to one of the floating lights. “That is another person's soul, dreaming. I have spent my time imprisoned here trying to wake up as many people as I can and help their souls get to freedom.”

She hunched her shoulders. “Sadly, I have had very little success. People are too comfortable in their perfect fantasy worlds, or once they realize where they really are, they force themselves back into it, unable to grip the reality.” She smiled. “You though, Sunset Shimmer, have the potential to escape—to warn my brother of what is happening and find a way to stop it.”

Sunset held her shoulders. “I mean, I’m flattered you think so highly of me but, I don’t know if I can do it. Besides, what if I don’t have a body to go back to?”

“Well, your soul will gravitate naturally toward your body, and if it’s uninhabitable for any reason, then you’ll just move on to the afterlife. Souls tend to go where they feel they are most needed... Or most wanted. Either way, Tirek has one less soul to feed off of. That’s my plan, Sunset: to undermine him from within his own prison.”

“It’s brave of you. I don’t know if I could handle being alone for so long.”

For once, Apalla’s smile came out strained. “It’s… a challenge. And a sacrifice. Isolation of this magnitude… isn’t healthy. I know my mind is slipping, piece by piece. Only my conviction of saving the world is keeping me going. Both times Tirek has risen to power, he’s been nearly unstoppable. Until we can find a way to beat him completely and put an end to his soul stealing, I will remain here and do my duty as a Lulamoon.”

Sunset looked on into the abyss. Being separated from the living world, from your friends and family…. Who knew how long Apalla had been here. Sunset couldn’t have been here too long, and she was already dying to see her friends.

Still, the idea of leaving this kind woman behind sunk her already low spirits. “I wish there was something I could do for you.”

Apalla’s face brightened a little. “Actually, there is. I do want to help you leave as soon as possible, but I would love to hear about the outside world. How do you have magic, Sunset? How are my brother and Selena doing?”

She faltered, lowering her eyes to the nonexistent ground. “And… if you know anything about her… how is my baby girl Moondancer?”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Hey Soul Sista'!

18. Threads of Friendship

Moondancer’s heels clicked against the floor as she followed after Twilight. Why had she agreed to this tour of guilt? The easy answer was because Twilight had asked her to, and it would look cold-hearted if Moondancer had said no. She had slipped her way out of this visit for over week, but knew she couldn’t avoid it forever.

Twilight opened the room door and led Moondancer in. Sunset’s room was cheerfully decorated, appearing to belong to someone celebrating a birthday party. Yet the guest of honor lay comatose on her bed, head tilted down, eyes glazed over. Moondancer cringed at how familiar it looked.

“Hi, Sunset,” Twilight said, straightening her pillow. “I brought Moondancer along today. I also brought a new book. This one’s about an enchanted library.”

While Twilight pulled two chairs to Sunset’s bedside, Moondancer admired the ever-growing collection of flowers from well-wishers. They covered the table and filled the corner, and now a planter hung from the ceiling. She saw a vase of blue roses brought by her uncle and aunt. It was a colorful and fragrant arrangement that reminded Moondancer of her garden.

If I lost my soul, who would bring me flowers?

“Would you like a seat, Moony?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, of course.” Moondancer sat next to Twilight, watching her pull a thick book from her bag. “This is quite the touching act. And to think that you do this everyday; Sunset is fortunate indeed.”

“I know she’d do the same thing for me.” Twilight opened the book and started reading aloud. She shook a little at the beginning but quickly found her voice. Moondancer tried to pretend that Twilight was reading just to her, but Sunset’s eyes quickly destroyed the fantasy.

Don’t look at me that way. You should be grateful your body wasn’t tossed into a river.

Twilight read through two chapters of her book, every word spoken with love and a desire for Sunset’s return. She paused occasionally to ask if Moondancer needed anything. Moondancer took it as a sign of Twilight’s endearing compassion to make sure she didn’t feel forgotten.

Halfway through the third chapter, Twilight bookmarked her spot and stood up. “I have to use the bathroom. You don’t mind waiting here, do you?”

“Of course not, Twily. I’m sure Sunset and I shall have a great conversation while you’re gone.” The moment she made the remark, Moondancer realized how patronizing it sounded. Twilight either didn’t notice or didn’t mind. She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

Moondancer watched the monitor track Sunset’s heartbeats, following the sharp uprises that came with every beep. Her head bobbed with every slow, even breath.

“You’re lucky, you know.” Moondancer said quietly. “To have this much love and affection poured onto you, even while you lay, motionless and dead to the world. Even after they all saw the darkest shadow you carried in your soul. A demon. A literal, fire-throwing demon. I sensed darkness within you—I knew you were hiding something. But a demon?”

Moondancer shook her head. “And yet, she still looked for you. She still loves you. It’s frustrating to no end! Part of me wishes I had left you alone to rot!” She heaved a sigh. “But, I can’t stand to see Twilight so upset. The only reason you’re here is because of my good graces.”

Of course, Sunset didn’t acknowledge her. She couldn’t. A soul trapped in the Soul Lock had no connection to their body. Moondancer leaned back in her chair, a twinge of pity mixing with her cold anger.

“I’m not proud of the things I’ve done. But they’ve all been for a greater purpose. You losing your soul?” She dropped her voice to a soft whisper. “I won’t lie, there was a certain level of catharsis to it. A girl like you, handed everything she’s ever wanted on a silver platter—the world bending to your whim when you needed it the most. You get magic, you get to be with my aunt and uncle, you get Twilight.”

Moondancer dug her nails into her palms. “I won’t sit here and bemoan the way the roles have been cast. I suppose every great heroine needs a good rival, and you’ve performed admirably. Now, it’s time for you to step down. You’ll get your soul back when I’ve gotten what I’ve wanted. For now, rest here. With you in slumber, Twilight will devote her time to taking care of you, staying out of harm's way. Sadly, I can’t promise the same for the rest of your friends.”

She took one more deep breath and exhaled the negative energy trying to build in her. Her hand hovered around the Archon Amulet sitting beneath her blouse. More than once, it had tried to overtake her, but Moondancer was smarter than an ancient relic. Granted, she had been a little more lax in the last few days. It was probably best to take it off again soon.

Twilight returned a minute later. “Hey, how is she?”

“A perfect facsimile of Sleeping Beauty,” Moondancer said with an airy wave of her hand.

Twilight sat down and sighed. “I wish that was the case. Then, a kiss would be enough to wake her up.” She gazed longingly at Sunset.

Moondancer felt pity and anger surge through her again and crash near the surface. How could she want to hug Twilight and tell her it would all be okay, and bash Sunset over the head at the same time?

She blinked. How boorish. I’ve been wearing this amulet too long indeed. But she wouldn’t deny the satisfaction at seeing Sunset’s lifeless eyes, even as Twilight read another chapter. Well, if I can’t have her, at least you can’t properly enjoy her either, Sunset. For now, at least. A short-lived stalemate.

*******

It was amazing just how much Apalla resembled Artemis.

She laid in the air, clutching her side while she laughed up a storm, joyous tears running down her face. “A p-pony? Really? A unicorn from another world? Oh my goodness, that’s amazing!”

Sunset sat on the invisible floor, fiddling with her thumbs. She remembered when she had told her origins to Artemis and received a very similar reaction. While she was glad to see Apalla in high spirits, she couldn’t fathom what exactly was so hysterical.

Apalla eventually calmed down and wiped her tears away. “Oh, the world truly is a wondrous place. Of all the people I get to meet, it’s the magical unicorn girl.” She giggled again, then straightened her hat, which had become crooked during her fit.

“So, a magical pony from a dimension away.” Apalla pressed her palms against her cheeks. “Tell me, what are you doing in our world?”

Sunset opened her mouth to answer. But the answer never came. She closed her eyes and tried to think, but it felt like sand slipping through her fingers. Why had she jumped through the mirror? She had an answer—she knew she did. But it eluded her, the memory staying just out of reach.

“I can’t remember anymore,” Sunset said glumly. “I think I had a fight with my teacher. But I can’t remember why or over what.”

Apalla gave a sympathetic smile. “When you can’t remember why you started fighting, that’s the best time to start forgiving instead.”

Sunset bowed her head. “She has nothing to be forgiven for. I’m the one who messed up... I think? At any rate, I don’t know if she’s ready to forgive me yet.”

“Teachers are never really mad at their students. Just disappointed, and a little sad when they’ve lost their way.”

“Mmm.” Sunset was still trying to draw upon her memories. They seemed messier than usual, scattered and disjointed in her head. Some of them popped out at her, clear as day: good times with her friends, quiet evenings with Twilight, fireworks with the Lulamoons. But others seemed blurry and muted. The Battle of the Bands, her departure from Equestria, and large portions of her sophomore and junior year. Maybe it was a side-effect of being in the Soul Lock.

“So, Sunset,” Apalla said gingerly, “I am curious. Do you know Moondancer?”

Sunset took in a slow breath. “Yes, I know Moondancer. We don’t get along very well, to be honest. She seems to think I stole her girlfriend. In general, she’s… not a good match with me.” Sunset said delicately. She couldn’t meet Apalla’s eye.

“Oh… well, I’m sorry for any trouble she may have caused you,” Apalla said, crestfallen. “I don’t know how her upbringing has been in my absence, but if Tempest is around, I’m sure it isn’t pleasant. I can’t make excuses for her, but please, try to understand.”

Sunset merely nodded. She could have told Apalla all of the trouble Moondancer had caused; every attempt to get under Sunset’s skin or undermine her relationship with Twilight. But, Sunset simply didn’t feel like it.

Something told her she should be angrier at Moondancer than she currently was. Saying they didn’t get along was like saying dogs and cats didn’t play well together. Still, like with Tempest and Lamia, Sunset could only draw up a dull apathy for Moondancer.

“She’s a good girl, truly,” Apalla continued, a note of plea in her voice. “My deepest regret in choosing to stay here is not seeing her grow up. She was only eight when I was taken away.”

“She’s grown up very well,” Sunset said, still unable to meet Apalla’s eyes. “She’s very beautiful.”

“As long as she’s healthy. I suppose that’s all a mother can ask for in the end.” Apalla clapped her hands, jolting Sunset upright to look at her. “Okay, Sunset. It’s time to get you home! Or to heaven. Whichever comes first. Hopefully the former.”

Sunset had rarely contemplated death before, at least, in the sense of what came after one died. Now that she was faced with the possibility, her whole body began to shake.

“I’m not so sure about this. It feels pretty risky.”

Apalla shrugged. “The alternative is to stay here until the end of time, helping me free the souls Tirek sucks up and outrunning him whenever he gets close. I mean, I could use the company.”

As bad as Sunset felt leaving Apalla all alone again, she yearned to see her friends again. They were probably worried sick.

Apalla smiled, though Sunset saw the gloss that coated her eyes. “I understand. I would leave too if I were in your position.”

Sunset got to her feet. “We could leave together. You could go look for the Rainbow of Light.”

“Alas…” Apalla took a strand of her long hair and coiled it around her finger. “I believe my fate has been decided for me. If I’ve been in here long enough that my little girl is not so little anymore, than I most likely don’t even have a body to go home too. No, my place is here. Tirek will come again someday. And when he does, I will be here, doing my best to weaken him.”

Her words were filled with conviction, but Sunset saw the longing in her eyes. But, Apalla was right: the Lulamoons had already declared her deceased and buried her.

“Thank you,” Sunset said, “for everything you’re doing.”

Apalla waved her hand. “Nothing short of my family’s duty. Now, no more stalling!” She gestured emphatically up to the swirling sky. “Sunset Shimmer, it is time you returned to waking world!”

At first, Sunset thought that was the command that would send her home. But no portal opened, no wave of light washed over her, nothing came to pull her away. She blinked.

“Umm… how exactly do I get back?”

Apalla put her hand down and twirled her hair again. “Mind you, this is all just theoretical speculation. But I’ve had a lot of time to think about souls and their connections, both before and after my own was taken. Ha! The soul researcher lost her own soul. Irony.”

She cleared her throat. “Anyway, it’s a bit of a two-step dance, if I’m correct. You see, I believe souls are connected. Tied together by invisible threads forged by the bonds we have with our friends and families. First, Sunset, you’re going to have to want, with all your will—all your soul—to leave this place and return to where you belong. And second, if your friends care and love and miss you enough, I believe it will bridge that gap the Soul Lock has created between us and the outside world. After all, friendship and love transcend time and space.”

Apalla paused. “Again, this is all just theory. I haven’t had a chance to test it yet since the rest of you won’t cooperate!” she shouted at a light speck passing by.

“But there aren’t any physical dangers, right?” Sunset asked, her straight posture hunching slightly.

“Of course there are no physical dangers. You don’t have a physical body anymore. Now, spiritual dangers…” Apalla waved a hand up and down. “Probably not?”

“I changed my mind, I think I want to stay in here.”

Apalla pat her on the back. “Don’t be silly. I’m almost one-hundred percent positive you can do this. Now close your eyes.”

Doubt clouded Sunset’s mind, but she forced it down into her stomach and closed her eyes. Her trembling had not resolved itself.

“Picture your friends, Sunset. Think of all the good times you had with them. Think of how much you want to go back and see them. Will yourself to leave this place. Let your spirit be free!”

Sunset squeezed her eyelids as she saw her friends in her mind’s eye. They smiled and called to her, asking her to come home. Sunset saw the sleepovers they had shared, the trips to the mall, their victory at the Battle of the Bands. She saw the soccer games and baking sessions and violin practices. A light fluttering filled her stomach.

“That’s it, Sunset. Hold onto that feeling. Let it guide you home.”

Sunset latched onto it. It hurt in some ways, knowing she had been absent from their lives. Had it been days or months since she encountered Lamia? Did her friends miss her? Had they moved on? What if they had never stopped to mourn in the first place? What if they didn’t care that she had disappeared or was a lifeless shell?

An ache spread through her, dissolving her strength. What if this didn’t work, or she didn’t have a body to go back to? Had she turned her life around enough to avoid going to Tartarus or the human world equivalent?

“No, no, Sunset! You’re losing focus! Push out the negativity, pull in the positivity!”

Sunset heard, but her heart hesitated. She tried to grab ahold of her happy memories again, and while she could see them clear as day, the joy they brought her felt… duller. The fluttering in her stomach never evolved into anything more. She could remember the euphoria of ponying up with her friends against the Sirens, but couldn’t draw up the emotion itself now. The harder she tried, the more tired she felt. Soon, the fluttering went away, and Sunset opened her eyes with a gasp.

“Hmm.” Apalla held a hand to her chin. “You were doing well at the start. Perhaps we need a different approach. Sunset, choose one person as an anchor.”

“An anchor?” Sunset asked after a few deep breaths.

“Yes. You can’t really rank friends or family, but we all have that one person who means just a little bit more to us. Who changed our lives so drastically, we can’t imagine them not being there. Someone we think about everyday. When they’re gone, the world seems a little grayer.”

“Twilight,” Sunset whispered.

“Who?”

“She’s my girlfriend.”

Apalla threw her hands against her cheeks. “How adorable! Picture her, then. Focus on her and the rest should follow. Go on.”

Sunset closed her eyes again, envisioning Twilight. She came into focus, a book clutched against her chest, her large glasses sliding down her button nose. She smiled and waved at Sunset.

And for a brief second, Sunset felt something spike in her heart. It had been a drastic shift compared to everything she had felt since waking up, like someone throwing hot water on her instead of just lukewarm. She squeezed her eyes in concentration. She wanted that feeling again—to know what it was that got her heart pumping. Like some of her memories, it hovered just out of reach.

“You’re doing good, Sunset,” Apalla said softly. “Hold onto it.”

Hold onto what? She didn’t have it yet. But she was close. She kept the image of Twilight clear in her head. Rarity appeared too, tossing her perfectly maintained hair with a flourish. Then there was Rainbow, mouthing something to Sunset and grinning. Fluttershy came next, looking at Sunset with her large, doe eyes. Applejack tipped her hat and winked. Pinkie jumped in the air and waved a pair of pom-poms around.

The feeling spiked through her again, something so sharp that, when it faded, everything else felt dull. Please don’t go. Please, let me see my friends again. Let me see Twilight again.

“... handed out packets for our finals…”

“Twilight?” Sunset asked. It sounded like an echo from the end of a long hall, but she knew that voice anywhere.

“... wish you were here. I really miss studying with you. I miss doing anything with you.”

I miss you too, Twilight. Sunset felt very lightheaded. In fact, her whole body felt weightless. She didn’t dare open her eyes though, scared it would break the connection she had forged. She allowed whatever was happening to run its course. She felt herself floating upwards, only to be yanked back by a strong cord.

No… I want to go home… The cord began dragging her back.

“We really miss you, Sunset…” Another voice apart from Twilight. Rarity’s.

“Come on, Sunset. You’ve been asleep long enough.” Rainbow’s.

Sunset could hear all their voices, cycling through her ears one at a time. Six more cords, stronger than the one pulling her down, took hold of her and lifted her up. Her mind grew hazy, her thoughts fading away until she could only hear her friends’ voices.

“If you see Moondancer,” a distant voice behind her said, “tell her, her mother loves her eternally.”

*******

Rainbow came to the back turn of the track, keeping a steady pace. The evening wind felt refreshing against the sweat coating every inch her. She pushed herself down the stretch, taking long breaths and driving her arms until she crossed the finish line. Her sprint eased down to a bouncy jog, then to a walk. She put her hands over her head as she recovered her missing air.

Fluttershy clapped from her spot in the stands, giving a quiet, “Yaaay!” that, had the stadium not already been empty, Rainbow wouldn’t have heard. The rest of the track team had already gone home, but Rainbow wasn’t ready to call it a day.

She walked over to Fluttershy, accepting the towel she had been offered. “Thanks for staying with me, ‘Shy. You know you didn’t have to though.”

“I know. But I wanted to keep you company. Plus, this is a nice spot to do homework.” She held up her math notes. “I’m almost done for the day.”

Rainbow groaned into her towel. She still had homework to finish when she was done running. Maybe she should have called it a day an hour ago. No, if she had gone home, she merely would have spent the last hour thinking about Sunset and whether or not she would ever wake up. Rainbow sighed, pulling the towel from her face. She could run from a lot of things, but not her thoughts.

Fluttershy abruptly stood, dropping her book to the ground. She stared out to the horizon, an astonished look on her face.

“Fluttershy, what is it?” Rainbow tried to see what she was looking at, but only saw the houses across the street. Then, a burst of soothing warmth flooded her body. All her fears and worries melted away completely for a second leaving only one word in her head.

Sunset.

The calming aura vanished as soon as it appeared, but Sunset stayed firmly in the forefront of Rainbow’s mind. She could feel her friend.

“She’s going to wake up,” Fluttershy said softly.

Rainbow punched the air. “Hell yeah! Come on, ‘Shy, we gotta be there when she does!”

Fluttershy put on a giant smile, then quickly pinched her nose. “Um, Rainbow… maybe you should take a shower first.”

She looked down at her sweat stained shirt and shorts. “Oh yeah. Probably a good idea.”

*******

“Here you are, Twinkleshine,” Rarity said, handing the carefully wrapped dress over the counter.

Twinkleshine beamed. “Thank you so much, Rarity. I’m really going to miss getting all my dresses from you.”

Rarity looked out the window with a dreamy expression. “That means a lot. But if all goes well, you’ll see my designs in stores around the world.”

“Looking forward to it.” Twinkleshine gave a wave as she left the boutique.

The moment she did, Rarity’s customer service smile fell to the wayside, and she heaved a loud sigh. Her feet carried her to the back room, now a constant mess all hours of the day as she grappled with order after order for prom. Dress designing under deadlines was always stressful, and was something Rarity had learned to live with. Designing under pressure while your best friend was in the hospital was something new.

She did her best to clean up some of the things she knew she wouldn’t need for her next dress, then sat down at her work station. Hanging on the wall were seven dresses she had designed for her friends for prom. Rarity had never considered the fact that she might only be making six.

No, don’t think like that. She could still wake up any day now. Rarity lifted her pencil and tapped the tip against the paper. She at least hoped Sunset would get to walk at graduation with everyone else. Her pencil continued to tap the page. There she went again, more distracted than usual. She sighed, letting the pencil fall from her hand. Double-Fudgy Delight was in order to lift her spirits again.

A warm wind brushed through her hair, and she twisted toward the door. “Sunset?”

An empty store answered her, but Rarity swore she heard Sunset’s voice. She stood from her chair, placing a hand over her heart. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew. Today was the day. She ran to the front, flipped the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed,’ grabbed her keys, and ran to her car.

She clapped her hands and squeed as her engine warmed up. “Hold on, Sunset, we’re on our way!”

*******

Applejack took her time wandering through the south orchard, passing by trees that were older than her. Taking walks between the trees and inhaling their springtime aroma helped clear her head from the mind-numbing math problems she had endured.

She wasn’t quite sure where she was wandering to, choosing to allow her feet to take her wherever. She stepped over a tall root that had tripped her and Apple Bloom on more than one occasion, and circled around a younger tree that her cousin Braeburn had carved his name into.

Maybe it meant to be, or maybe she had come here subconsciously, but Applejack ended up in the most sacred spot of Sweet Apple Acres. A pear tree and an apple tree grew spiraling around each other, their very roots intertwined. Their boughs were indistinguishable from one another.

Applejack removed her hat and stepped up to the trees. She took a moment to swallow the lump in her throat. “Hey, Pa. Hey, Ma. Third time this week Ah’ve been here, huh? Y’all are probably sick of hearin’ me talk. It’s always nice to see you though.”

She sighed. “Ah’ve been dancin’ around the issue for awhile now, Ah know. It’s just… hard to talk about. You know Ah don’t handle situations like this well.” She twirled her hat in her hands. “It’s about mah friend Sunset. Ah told you about her, right? Used to be bad but she’s a real good sort now. Helps keep R.D in her place.” Applejack made a short chuckle.

“She’s… well, she’s out cold and hasn’t moved in almost two weeks. Just seein’ her like that breaks mah heart. That’s why Ah’ve only been to see her one time. Ah can’t take…” She swallowed another lump. “Ah can’t handle losin’ another family member. Ah want to believe she’s gonna be okay, but…. So, Ah don’t know how these comatose things work, but if you happen to see her up there, can you tell her we all really miss her? Especially Twilight. You should see the way Twi looks at her. It reminds me of you guys.”

The trees rustled in a gentle wind that swept through Applejack. It warmed her very soul, bringing a smile to her face. She tossed her hat on, feeling more invigorated than she had in days.

“‘Bout time.” She broke into a jog, then quickly stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“Thanks, Ma. Thanks, Pa.”

*******

“Pinkie, wait! Where are you going?” Mr. Cake called as Pinkie sprinted out the door.

“Sunset’s gonna wake up!” She yelled back, bouncing high into the air. She just knew it with every fiber of her pink being. She rushed down the street, pulling her phone from her pocket and calling Rainbow.

“Hello?” Fluttershy answered.

“Fluttershy?”

“Oh, hi, Pinkie!”

“Why do you have Rainbow’s phone?”

“She’s taking a shower. We’re about to go to the hospital; we think Sunset’s about to wake up!”

Pinkie ducked and weaved past pedestrians. “No way, I had the exact same feeling! I’m on my way too!”

“Umm, how are you getting there?”

“Running!” If she kept this pace up, she’d be there in half an hour.

“You know we could pick you up if you wanted.”

“No thanks,” Pinkie said, starting to pant. “I already started. Betcha I get there before you do! I call first dibs on hugging Sunset! You know, after Twilight. See ya!” She shoved her phone back into her pocket. If Fluttershy and Rainbow had the same feeling, then Rarity and Applejack probably felt it too. They were all going to be together again!

Pinkie gave herself another bounce, letting out a loud, “Wheee!” She smiled at everyone she ran by, feeling more close to her old self than she had in days. Sure, she had kept her hopes up and tried her best to keep smiling, but she could only keep a party going so long.

Now, she didn’t have to pretend anymore! She was going to see Sunset again and throw a real celebration!

By the time she got to the hospital, however, her enthusiastic run had been reduced to a slow and desperate jog. She kept pushing though, her smile widening when she saw her friends waiting for her at the front entrance.

Rainbow looked at her with a mix of impression and exasperation. “I can’t believe you ran all the way here.”

Pinkie slumped over her and took a dramatic gasp of air. “Anything for a friend!”

“Pinkie, get off! I just took a shower!”

“Come on, y’all,” Applejack said, “let’s not keep Sunset waitin’.”

*******

Twilight’s head drooped toward the book for a third time. She finally gave in and placed a bookmark against the page, then set it aside and rested her head on Sunset’s bed. She slipped a hand into Sunset’s and looked into her eyes.

Still nothing.

“Please come back,” Twilight whispered, her eyes falling shut.

“Only because you asked so nicely.”

Twilight’s head shot up. She looked into Sunset’s eyes again, but they remained vacant. She must have been drowsier than she realized, for Twilight could have sworn she heard Sunset’s voice. Either way, the sleepiness had passed.

The clock on the wall told her it was a quarter to seven. Her mother’s shift would be over soon, meaning it was time to wrap up and say goodbye.

“Well, there’s always tomorrow,” Twilight said. She gave Sunset’s hand a light squeeze…

...And just as she slipped her fingers out, Sunset gave a squeeze back.

Every part of Twilight froze. She held her breath, trying to watch every part of Sunset for any additional movement.

A warm breeze passed through Twilight, making her hammering heart swell. She could suddenly smell strawberries, and hear a familiar laugh.

“Sunset,” Twilight said in the smallest, trembling voice her throat would allow. She had felt something just now, similar to the night Sunset had disappeared. Yet it wasn’t foreboding. It was almost comforting. Did she hope? Did she dare to hope?

A minute passed, Twilight’s spirits sinking with every tick of the clock. Then, Sunset blinked.

With a loud gasp, she sat up in her bed, her hand desperately holding onto Twilight’s. The heart monitor went wild, loud beeps ringing through the room as Twilight tried to calm Sunset down.

“It’s okay!” she said, fighting to keep her voice level, even as tears poured from her eyes. “It’s okay! I’m here! You’re fine, Sunset! You’re safe!”

Sunset looked about the room in a wild fashion, like she couldn’t recognize anything within it. She found Twilight, and her breathing slowed a little, though her eyes remained wider than dinner plates. They gleamed with life once more.

“T-Twi—” She dissolved into loud, ragged coughs.

“Hold on, I have a water bottle!” Twilight reached down into her backpack and pulled it out, unscrewing the cap with only her free hand, and holding it up to Sunset’s lips.

Sunset took slow sips at first, squeezing her eyes as the water trickled down her throat. Then she urged Twilight to tip the bottle forward more, and she took deeper gulps.

Twilight pulled back to give Sunset a chance to breathe. She saw Sunset’s arm fidget upwards, raising a few inches off the bed, though it took considerable effort. Twilight caught on though, found a napkin in her bag, and wiped Sunset’s mouth.

“Thank you,” Sunset croaked.

Twilight nodded her head. She placed her other hand on top of Sunset’s, then gingerly moved it up to hold it against her cheek.

“I’m not dreaming,” Twilight said in an equally hoarse voice. “You’re really awake.”

Sunset gave a weak nod and an even weaker smile. “Yeah. I’m awake.”

Twilight let out a sob and wrapped her arms around Sunset, being as gentle as possible. Sunset leaned into her and closed her eyes in contentment.

It’s real. It’s really real. Twilight’s heart wanted to burst. Her whole body wracked with the force of her sobs and sniffles. She thought she had cried out everything when she had spoke with Cadence, but now, everything that had happened in the past month forced its way to the surface. The wild roller coaster that Twilight had been strapped into finally came to a stop.

Sunset was home. She was awake. And Twilight had been here to see it.

“I missed you,” Twilight said in between her crying, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” Sunset said, her voice frail. “I’m sorry if I made you worry.”

Twilight wanted to hug her harder, but instead channeled her feelings into another wave of tears. “I looked for you. I looked everywhere I could for you! I never stopped looking for you!”

“Twilight—”

The door burst open, startling them apart. “Sunset!”

Their five friends rushed in and swarmed Sunset's bedside. Pinkie took Twilight’s place and gave Sunset a strong hug, unaware of her discomfort.

After the initial babble of everyone gushing over Sunset and hugging her, Fluttershy asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” Sunset opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated. Whatever she was going to say, she changed it to, “I think I just need some rest.”

“We completely understand,” Rarity said. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“And we’re totally stoked to see you,” Rainbow said, “but, like, what happened to you? You just disappeared.”

Rarity shook her head. “Rainbow she just woke up. Give her a little while before she has to relive her trauma.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Sunset said, trying to wave her hand. Twilight saw she had trouble lifting it higher than her chest. “It’s kinda a long story though, and I have something really important to tell all of you and the Lulamoons.”

She then doubled over and started coughing and wheezing. Twilight pushed past Pinkie and laid a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, easing her back against the bed before returning the water bottle to her lips.

“It can wait until later,” Twilight said firmly. “You need to recover. Your body hasn’t been properly active in at least two weeks.”

Sunset’s eyes dimmed. “Two weeks? I… I’ve been gone that long?”

Rarity tapped her fingers together. “Well… you’ve been here that long. There was a whole week before that where we… weren’t one-hundred percent sure where you were.”

Twilight gave Rarity a warning glance, but the door opening again spared her from having to say anything. Velvet stepped in, gasping in delight upon seeing Sunset.

“You’re awake! Goodness, this is great! I’m so happy to see you again, sweetie! How do you feel?”

“Tired,” Sunset rasped. “Sore. And I think a little hungry?” She winced and moved an arm over her stomach. “Nevermind.”

“That’s all natural, dear. Your body needs time to adjust. Just hold on a moment, Sunset, I’ll go get the doctor.” She hurried back out the room, closing the door behind her.

When she left, Pinkie broke into a joyful sob and flung her arms around Sunset again. “We missed you so much, Sunny! We were so worried about you!”

Sunset squirmed but said, “I missed you girls, too. I’m so sorry for putting you through all this. I can’t imagine what you went through.”

“Forget what we went through,” Applejack said, “you’re the one who vanished. Pinkie, let go of the poor girl, she needs to take it easy.”

Pinkie released Sunset and stepped back, looking abashed, but still wearing a bright smile. “Sorry. I’m just so happy! We’re all together again!” She made a small jump, and confetti burst from her hair. “Once you get out of the hospital, I’m going to throw you the best party ever!”

Sunset smiled. “That sounds nice.” She looked around at all of them. “I hope you guys didn’t spend the whole time I was gone moping over me. You still went out and did stuff, right?”

There was a collective silence. Twilight looked away, feeling especially guilty.

“Oh no, girls, you didn’t,” Sunset said with a note of distress. “Please tell me you went out and had some kind of fun. What about grad night? I know how much you were looking forward to that, Rainbow. Wasn’t that supposed to happen around now?”

“Yeah. Last week,” Rainbow said, looking at the floor. “It felt wrong to go though. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

Sunset slid lower in her bed. “Oh. You should have…” She sighed deeply. “I’m sorry.”

Rarity patted her hand. “Don’t apologize, it isn’t your fault. Besides, we still have time to make plenty of other memories together.”

The door opened, and Velvet returned with Doctor Stables. “Sunset Shimmer!” he said briskly. “Good to see you awake! Your friends and family were worried sick.” He looked at the rest of the girls. “I’m sure you all want to catch up and celebrate, but I have to make sure Sunset is healthy and can acclimate properly. You can all come back tomorrow to see her.”

Twilight watched her friends gravitate closer to Sunset first, giving her pats on the shoulder or light hugs again. Pinkie asked, “What flavor cake do you want for your party?”

“After everything I’ve put you girls through, you don’t have to…” Sunset faltered under the fierce glare she received from Pinkie. “Strawberry would be nice.”

Pinkie smiled again. “One triple layered strawberry cake coming up!”

“We’ll come over right after school,” Fluttershy promised, leading her friends out. “We’re so happy to see you again, Sunset!”

Velvet gestured for Twilight to follow, seeing her linger by Sunset’s side. “That means you too, sweetie.”

“Right, yeah. That’s fair.” The last thing Twilight wanted was to be separated from Sunset again. What if she was asleep again come tomorrow? Or what if someone took her away again?

Sunset smiled weakly at her. “I’ll be here when you get back, Twilight.”

Mouth dry, Twilight nodded and said, “Okay.” She stooped down to give Sunset another hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then, steeling her nerves before they had a chance to falter, Twilight uttered three words desperate to be spoken.

“I love you.”

Maybe her emotions hadn't completely settled. But if the worst came to pass, and Sunset was gone again come tomorrow, Twilight wanted Sunset to know how she really felt.

She didn’t wait for Sunset’s response, her nerves reaching their limits. She hurried out the door behind her mother, looking back briefly to see Sunset’s eyes.

They were wide and awake. And very shocked.

*******

Twilight’s three words played in Sunset’s head all throughout the doctor’s tests. He slowly worked all of Sunset’s limbs, restoring their feeling and loosening the stiffness. He tested her general knowledge, then asked her some personal questions about what she could remember. Sunset ran into some trouble here. As within the Soul Lock, some of Sunset memories remained horribly fuzzy or completely missing.

“I love you.”

Those words did nothing to help Sunset’s concentration. She kept picturing Twilight’s face as she spoke them. They had caught Sunset completely off guard. Twilight loves me?

Something stirred in her soul. It left as soon as it came, leaving a sort of empty space where Sunset felt something should have been. Twilight loved her. This should have been cause for euphoria, Sunset thought. Yet, all she could muster was a feeling of gratitude, a dull warmth where something hotter should have stoked.

“Miss Shimmer, did you hear what I said?”

Sunset blinked and turned her head toward Doctor Stables. “I’m sorry. I must have spaced out a little.”

The doctor wrote a note on his clipboard. “I thought as much. Well, Miss Shimmer, you’re generally healthy, though I have some concerns about your mental abilities. This struggle to recall certain memories could prove problematic. We’ll keep monitoring you in between your physical therapy sessions.”

“Okay,” Sunset said politely. Her thoughts quickly turned back to Twilight. She loved Twilight back, didn’t she? Yes, of course she did. She loved all her friends, Twilight most of all. Yet there was something missing every time the word ran through her head. Sunset expected to feel something. She used to feel something, didn’t she?

Perhaps she was still just tired. Having your soul ripped out then placed back in your body couldn’t have been a healthy experience. She just needed time to recover.

Doctor Stables left her room. Sunset felt guilty, having only heard half of his prognosis. She stared at the ceiling, trying not to look directly into the fluorescent lights.

She had made it back. She was safe, for now at least. There was so much she had to tell everyone. Sunset cringed at the thought of being the bearer of such cryptic news. Her friends were all breathing a sigh of relief now. Come tomorrow, they’d be worrying about how to stop Tirek from coming back.

Sunset looked around at the abundance of flowers and balloons decorating her room. The floral aroma masked the sterile smell Sunset had come to expect in a hospital. Piled on her bedside table were cards from well-wishers. Several of them were from Pinkie alone. Sunset’s heart gave a little tremor at the sight of them. Once again, she felt like she should be experiencing something more. She was happy, wasn’t she?

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Twilight.” The words didn’t sound genuine. Sunset knew they were true, but they felt hollow. “I love you,” she said again.

They still sounded paper thin. Sunset couldn’t put emotion into them. Whatever passion was meant to be instilled felt locked up, unable to be expressed.

Sunset pulled the blankets higher and curled against her pillow. She was just tired, that was all. She was just shocked and dazed. She had been through a lot. Tomorrow would be better. She would get to see all her friends again. Her emotions would be in check, and she could tell Twilight how she felt.

Sunset remembered the butterflies that danced in her stomach whenever she thought about Twilight. She couldn’t feel them anymore.

*******

Moondancer stared at her phone, trembling in her hand.

‘Sunset’s awake!’

Twilight’s text bore into Moondancer’s mind. Everything around her went hazy. There was a ringing in her ears. One-by-one, thoughts drifted out of the haze. Emotions tumbled after, turning the idle questions into demands for answers.

How? Why?

The phone dropped from Moondancer’s hand and hit the carpet of her bedroom. This was wrong. This was all wrong. The Archon Amulet burned against her skin beneath her blouse, and the haze turned red.

How? she screamed in her mind. How did she get out? Escape is impossible without outside help! It has to be! Then how did Sunset Shimmer get free? Why did it have to be her? Why, why, why? Why didn’t Mother escape!

Moondancer opened her mouth to scream these questions aloud, but held a hand over herself. If she screamed, someone might hear her. They would think something was wrong. No one could know anything was wrong. Especially Tempest.

The inferno of loathing froze over, replaced by a blizzard of fear. Moondancer’s heart stopped. If Tempest found out…

But how could she? Tempest hadn’t been down to check on the lab in days. She didn’t know Sunset was no longer there. Moondancer had time. She had time to fix this mistake.

A stutterd laugh escaped from her. “Yes, I can fix this.” Heat poured through her again, fueling her burning desire to see Sunset vanish. How could she do it though? Sunset was in the hospital still, protected by doctors and security.

“I’ll send Scarlet!” Moondancer said, steepling her fingers together. “Yes, that’ll do, haha! Burn it all down!”

Some of the red haze cleared. No, no she couldn't do that. She wouldn’t stoop to claiming innocent lives. But how could she get Sunset alone and in the open? Her annoying friends would be circling her like over-protective hawks.

Moondancer paced the length of her room, muttering and gesticulating with her hands. A small voice in the back of her head told her to take off the amulet. The burning was starting to become irritating, and Moondancer was about to oblige, when a new thought struck her.

Sunset knows.

Moondancer didn’t know how much Sunset knew, but if she had been into the Soul Lock and back, she knew about Tirek, potentially about Tempest, and maybe even about Moondancer herself. She went cold again.

“Oh no,” she breathed, “Oh no, oh no, oh no!” If Sunset knew and she was awake, there was a high chance everybody knew now. Moondancer couldn’t know how much they knew, but they knew.

Wait… Moondancer stopped pacing. They knew. Her aunt and uncle knew about Tirek, or would know very soon, and Moondancer hadn’t said a word. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Yes, Tempest would have her hands full now. They could provide a great distraction!

Moondancer resumed her pacing. She still had to deal with Sunset. It would break Twilight’s heart no doubt. A necessary sacrifice. Twilight was young, she would recover eventually. Maybe. Moondancer could help her heal. But she needed a plan for right now! Tempest would find out soon!

The door crashed open, and before Moondancer had time to yell, a cold hand gripped her by the throat, pulled her out the room, and flung her across the hall. Moondancer landed with an almighty crash, her shoulder aching from the impact. Dazed, she couldn’t defend herself as the hand grabbed her throat again and reeled her in to face a wide-eyed Tempest, seething rage swirling behind her pressed lips.

“So apparently,” she hissed, her mouth barely moving, “when I say one thing, your stupid brain translates it into something else.”

Moondancer’s windpipe was being crushed, but Tempest didn’t care. When Moondancer grabbed the shadowy arm holding her up, Tempest just squeezed tighter.

“I went down to the lab yesterday, and guess what I didn’t find?” Tempest eased her grip just enough for Moondancer to choke out a few words.

“Thought… didn’t need… anymore… no use… gave back so… they would stop looking… wouldn’t find anything… just in case.” Every word hurt and brought tears to her eyes.

“You know, I’d almost be inclined to agree with that train of thought, Moondancer. But, do you want to know what happened today?”

Moondancer whimpered.

“Tempest, that’s enough!”

Night Shade hurried down the hall. His face remained stoic, but his quivering eyes kept flickering to Moondancer.

Tempest dropped her to the floor with an irritable growl. Moondancer’s hand jumped to her throat as she took in large gulps of air, coughing and spluttering every few breaths.

Night stopped and looked between them. “What’s going on?”

“Your spoiled wretch of a daughter has made a grievous error that could cost us dearly,” Tempest said, flexing her shadowy fingers. “Sunset Shimmer has escaped from the Soul Lock.”

“But, her body is—”

“At the hospital,” Tempest growled. “Someone thought it generous to return her body to her friends. Otherwise, we could have corrected this with little issue.”

Night looked sharply at Moondancer. “What possessed you to—”

“Her misplaced affections for that useless girl.” Tempest’s shadow arm disappeared into wisps of black smoke. “I knew it was a bad idea to let her go out to school.”

She reached into her shirt and pulled out the Soul Lock, the runes lighting up. “Frankly, I’ve grown tired of pretending she’s useful to us.”

Moondancer backed up against the wall, her eyes wide. “W-wait!”

Night cleared his throat, his stoicism starting to crack. “Tempest, don’t you think that might be a bit much?”

Tempest ignored him, stepping closer to Moondancer. “We have to end this rebellious streak somehow.”

“I can fix it!” Moondancer shouted, ignoring the pain in her throat. “I’ll fix it! I’ll get Sunset’s soul back! I’ll… I’ll get all six of their souls! All the magic ones!”

Tempest regarded her, opal eyes searching for any deceit. She slipped the Soul Lock away. “Seven. I want all seven of them. Yes, Moondancer!” she said harshly as Moondancer opened her mouth to speak up. “I want Twilight Sparkle’s soul too! Bring all of them to me, or I take yours! Are we clear?”

Moondancer closed her eyes and gave a tiny nod of her head.

“No. I want to hear you say it. What are you going to do, Moondancer?”

“I’m… going to bring you seven souls. Including Twilight’s.”

“Good girl. I know you can get work done. You just need the proper motivation.” Tempest stalked off, her boots loud, even against the carpet.

Moondancer opened her eyes. Her father was still there, looking at her with pity. Before he could say anything, Moondancer got up and stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

The amulet blazed against her chest again. The universe just loves to shine providence on you, doesn’t it, Sunset? Well, not for long!

Moondancer gnashed her teeth together and raised her hand. A blood red aura sheathed it. “I’m going to put you in your place, once and for all.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Horse Awakens

19. Hollow Heart

True to their word, her friends came back the next day, bringing the Lulamoons with them. To Sunset’s surprise, Trixie gave her a hug almost as strong as Pinkie’s. She quickly pulled herself off and cleared her throat.

“That was from all of us. Mostly Mom and Dad. Trixie is just glad you’re not a useless vegetable anymore.”

“How ya feelin’ today, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“A little better. Still sore and tired, and I can’t eat solid foods for a little while.” Sunset smiled weakly. “But it could be worse. I’m just glad to be awake again.”

“And we’re so glad to have you back!” Artemis exclaimed. “It’s like the clouds have lifted and the sun is smiling again! We must celebrate the moment you get out of this hospital!”

“I’m already on it!” Pinkie said. “One super-duper, ‘Welcome Back, Sunset, We Missed You a Whole Lot’ party complete with a triple layer strawberry cake and tons of red and yellow balloons, coming up!”

Artemis laughed. “I like this one!”

Sunset ran her fingers back and forth across the blanket Rarity and Fluttershy had made for her. “That sounds great, Pinkie. But, umm, I still have something I need to tell you guys.”

“Yeah, like what happened to you,” Rainbow said. Applejack elbowed her in the arm. “What? She offered!”

“You’re right, I did.” Sunset put her hands together. She really didn’t want to bring down the mood, but they had to know. “It’s long, and I don’t really know why it all happened to me.” She paused, gathering her thoughts.

“I was walking through the park on the way back from Twilight’s house...” She paused, her memory slightly hazy. She remembered leaving in a bad mood, but couldn’t recall why. She shook her head. “That’s when I ran into Shimmer. Which reminds me, I forgot to tell you guys—”

“She’s Lamia,” Rainbow finished. “Yeah, Selena told us.”

Sunset dropped her head lower. “Sorry. I didn’t meant to keep it a secret. She—”

“Blackmailed you,” Rainbow finished again. “It’s cool, Sunset, seriously. Stop apologizing.”

“Right, sorry. I mean… right. Shimmer and I fought, and she won. Then she called some woman named Tempest, who I guess has magic, because she can make portals from darkness or something. They took me to… somewhere, and tried to force me to use my dark magic. It’s a little hazy, but I think they wanted me to turn back into a demon, but I refused.”

She allowed herself a small smile. “I didn’t give in, thanks to all of you.” Her smile fell at the hesitant expressions her friends gave her. “What is it?”

“Nothing, darling!” Rarity said, her voice an octave too high for Sunset’s comfort. “We’re so proud of your effort!”

“We can’t not tell her,” Applejack said.

“Tell me what?”

Applejack ran a hand down her face. “Ah don’t know to put it nicely, Sunset, but when you were gone… you’re demon came around and attacked us.”

The room fell so quiet, even the heart monitor stopped beeping. A quiet, “Oh,” was all Sunset could muster. She didn’t have control over her body during that time. She supposed Tempest could have done whatever she wanted with it, including forcing her to attack her friends.

“It wasn’t you,” Twilight said before Sunset’s tears could start to fall. “I know it wasn’t. You would never attack us, no matter what. So don’t blame yourself.”

Sunset wasn’t one-hundred percent sold, but didn’t have time to dwell on it and prove Twilight wrong. She took a deep breath and continued. “When I refused to cooperate, Tempest pulled out this amulet.” She made a weak furrow of her brow. “This is where things get really weird. The amulet is called the Soul Lock, and it has—”

“The power to take people’s souls,” Artemis finished, all the blood gone from his face. “The instrument of Tirek.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Rainbow made a T with her hands. “Time out. You had your soul taken? That’s why you were in a coma?”

“And who the heck is Tirek?” Applejack asked.

“A dark sorcerer who tried to usurp the gods and become one himself,” Artemis said. “Our ancestors stopped him twice before but... “ He looked over at Sunset. “But how do you know all that?”

“Because when my soul was in there, I met Apalla,” Sunset said gently. “She told me everything.”

Selena caught Artemis as he staggered back, a hand against his chest. “You… you saw…? But she’s dead. She died in a car accident. How is her soul in there?”

“Tempest wanted her husband’s help. Apalla tried to warn him, but Tempest took her soul. I don’t know if she’s using it as leverage against him or not at this point.”

Artemis slouched over like he had been kicked several times in the stomach. “I don’t believe it. Trapped all this time and I didn’t know. And Moondancer… maybe that’s why she’s been so distant ever since.”

Rainbow held a hand up. “Okay, so the soul sucking thing I get is bad. But why does this Tirek guy want them?”

“Souls are the most powerful type of magic,” Sunset said. “Tirek uses that amulet to make himself stronger by feeding on souls. Tempest wants to resurrect him somehow.”

“And if she does, he will bring about the end of all,” Selena said grimly.

“Unless we find the Rainbow of Light,” Artemis added.

Rarity sat down in one of the spare chairs. “Goodness, that’s a lot to take in. I never imagined Sunset going missing would snowball into all of this.”

“Which begs the next question: how did you get out?” Selena asked.

“Apalla helped me,” Sunset said simply. “Well, I guess all of you helped me. The strength of our friendship helped pull me out.”

“Amazing,” Artemis said with a watery smile. He wiped his eyes. “So simple… yet an idea that would easily be overlooked. Apalla would be the one to discover it. She was always more curious about the ‘how’ of magic.”

“Okay. So, this crazy lady named Tempest wants to bring back this crazy sorcerer named Tirek,” Rainbow said. “What do we do about it?”

Artemis straightened up. “We have to find the Rainbow of Light. It’s the only thing capable of stopping him if he is brought back with his full power.”

Pinkie folded her arms and frowned, looking more serious than Sunset was used to seeing from her. “Wait… so if this Tirek meany was here before, and his amulet is super scary and bad… why didn’t you just destroy it? I hear volcanoes are good at stuff like that.”

And in a rare moment of surliness that also caught Sunset off guard, Artemis said in almost a growl, “Contrary to what popular fiction would have you believe, you can’t just destroy magical items you don’t like.”

“Why not? We did with the Sirens’ pendant things,” Rainbow said.

Artemis sighed. “Well, the magic you wield comes from another world entirely. Maybe it works differently there. But here, you can’t just toss things in volcanoes and not expect consequences. The Soul Lock is an extremely complicated piece of magical enchantment. It’s the culmination of hundreds of interweaving spells, and serves as a gate to a special pocket dimension. Trying to break it with raw force could creating a devastating backlash of magic!”

Rainbow gulped. “How devastating?”

“Nuclear bomb levels of devastating,” Artemis said grimly. “Or, it’ll force the pocket dimension to touch the physical plain, and potentially rip apart the surrounding space-time continuum.”

“Okay, so no destroying the Soul Lock,” Applejack said, rubbing the back of a hyperventilating Fluttershy. “Got it. Any idea where we can find that Rainbow of Light thing?”

Trixie shook her head. “It has been lost to our family for generations.” She raised a hand to the ceiling, curling her fingers. “It has been the dream of every Lulamoon since to find it and reclaim our family’s legacy!”

Rarity let out a distressed giggle. “Okay, so, no Rainbow of Light. Do we have a plan B?”

Artemis adjusted his hat. “Find this Tempest character before she can resurrect Tirek. Though, I’m not sure how she plans to go about it. There’s not nearly enough magic to cast something so powerful.”

Sunset saw Trixie’s eyes double in size and her cheeks turn pale. It lasted a split second before she returned to looking like nothing was wrong. No one else seemed to have noticed, and Sunset wanted to inquire what Trixie had thought of, but a sharp glare told her to drop it.

Doctor Stables came in and told them all Sunset still needed plenty of rest. While Sunset did still feel exhausted, she would have preferred their company instead of being alone. They all bid her farewell, promising to return tomorrow, and Twilight kissed her on the cheek. She didn’t say ‘I love you’ again, but Sunset could see it in her eyes. She wanted to say something, anything to Twilight, but her tongue was glued to the top of her mouth. Instead, she smiled and waved her out.

The room seemed impossibly small with everyone gone. It was also too quiet, save for the heart monitor still attached to her. The conversation hadn’t been cheerful, but having all of her friends surround her almost made her feel normal. On her own, all she could think about was the hollow feeling her emotions brought. She had been wrong. A night’s sleep had not made things better.

Perhaps this was just an adverse effect of coming out of the Soul Lock. Maybe Sunset just needed time to readjust. She told herself that was the case, having no other explanation for her stunted emotions or missing memory.

She yawned and flexed her arms. They were still stiff, but she could move them without too much difficulty. She still needed assistance walking down the hall, and her stomach could only handle soft foods like mashed potatoes and creamed corn. But, Doctor Stable said she would be out soon, and that brought a small smile to Sunset’s face.

There was a knock on her door, and Doctor Stables poked his head in. “Sorry to bother you, Miss Shimmer, but you have one more visitor for the day.”

Sunset blinked curiously at him. All of her friends had just left; who else could want to see her?

Opening the door wider, Doctor Stables let in Shining Armor, dressed in his suit and tie, and his detective badge pinned to his chest. The doctor smiled apologetically before closing the door and leaving them alone.

“Hey, Sunset,” Shining said with a smile. He pulled a chair up to her bedside. “How are you?”

“I’m…” The words faded on her breath. She looked down at her hands and sighed. “I don’t know.”

Shining put one hand over hers. “It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot. But you’re a tough fighter. You’ll pull through this too.”

Sunset kept her head down. “Part of me feels like… I’m not really here. It’s… hard to feel things. I should be happy I’m awake and have so many people to greet me. But, I’m just… okay.”

“Maybe you’re still in shock.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

Shining rubbed a thumb against the back of her hand. “Just remember, all of us are here for you. Even me.”

Sunset looked up and offered him a small smile of appreciation. “Thanks.” She could remember his cold attitude toward her a few months ago and felt that, even if she wasn’t in her current state, she wouldn’t begrudge him for it. The relief in his eyes was very sincere.

He removed his hand from hers and sighed, looking away. “That was big brother Shining talking. Officer Shining came here for a more pressing reason.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “You want to know about what happened.”

“Anything you can tell me,” Shining said, soft but firm. “It’s not an interrogation. We just want to know.”

There was a lot Sunset could tell him. But how much would he believe? She could vaguely remember the night she had told him of her origins. She couldn’t remember the events that led up to her sitting in his car, but knew she had told him of her unicorn heritage. Still, this was another layer of strangeness entirely.

Sunset took a deep breath and said, “When I was going home, I…. Shining, even if I tell you, I don’t think you’ll be able to tell anyone else.”

Shining put a hand to his temple. “Oh no. It’s about to get weird, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

He groaned. “Well, tell me anyways. I want to know out concern. I’ll see what I can spin for the rest of the department.”

“All right.” And Sunset launched into an explanation of what had happened, telling him about Lamia being this world’s version of her, Tempest Shadow, and the removal of her soul. She remained vague about Apalla and Tirek, feeling that was too much magic for him.

Shining interrupted occasionally to ask questions, but he remained focused the whole time. When Sunset finished, he let out a slow breath.

“That’s quite the ordeal, Sunset. I’m sorry you had to go through all that. But, I’m even more relieved that you’re okay now.”

“Thank you.” She leaned back in her bed. “So, what now?”

Shining hummed. “Well, I can’t exactly tell everyone your evil twin kidnapped you. That’ll lead to even more questions. No, I think I can pin all of this on Tempest. Sounds like she’s the mastermind anyway.”

Sunset frowned. Concern, easily recognizable cut through her. “Shining, be careful. She’s dangerous. I just got back, I don’t want to think about what would happen to Twilight if you lost your soul.”

Shining stood and smiled appreciatively. “Come on, Sunset. We deal with dangerous criminals all the time.” In a more serious voice he said, “I’ll have them all know not to get to close to her if they spot her. But I figure tracking her down is going to be the hard part.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you where they took me.”

“Hey, no need to apologize. You’ve been through a lot, and gave me a lot of information.”

“Sorry you can’t use it all.”

Shining put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Sunset, stop apologizing; it’s fine.”

“Sor—right.” She cleared her throat. “Glad I could do something useful.”

“A little better,” Shining said slowly. “Get some rest, kiddo. I’ll see you later.”

Sunset waved as he left. With the police and Artemis tracking Tempest down, maybe Tirek would never get the chance to resurface. She then thought of Apalla, waiting in the Soul Lock. Would that mean her sacrifice was in vein?

“Tirek will come again someday.”

Sunset reclined the bed, getting ready for sleep. If they prevented him from coming back now… who would stop him later? If the Soul Lock couldn’t be destroyed, was this cycle endless?

Much like concern, fear made itself well known in Sunset’s stomach.

*******

The hospital released Sunset on Sunday after she could walk up and down the halls without feeling exhausted and could process soft vegetables. True to her word, Pinkie had a party ready for her when she stepped back into the Lulamoon household. She looked up at herself; a large banner with her face on it surrounded by the words ‘Welcome Home.’

Spot was the first to greet her, running around her legs and pawing nonstop while he made whines of joy. Sunset scooped him up and held him close, letting him lick her face nonstop. Twilight, of course, was next to greet Sunset, kissing her on the lips, the one place Spot hadn’t gotten to.

Sunset still hadn’t responded to Twilight’s declaration of love, not only out of uncertainty about her current temperament, but also because there had not been a good time. They had not been alone since Sunset had first woken up.

Sunset wanted to tell Twilight she loved her, yet the way she felt now made it seem like a partial lie. Was idle contentment and half-hearted joy really love?

She snapped out of her thoughts when Twilight took her by the hand and led her deeper into the party. Red and gold streamers and balloons clashed against the blue walls of the house. In the kitchen, a spread of food had been laid out, most of them soft or squishy so Sunset could consume them. On the table sat Sunset’s strawberry cake, pink with white frosting and topped with strawberries.

No one spoke of Tirek or Lamia or Tempest that night. They joked and laughed and danced and ate. Or rather, Sunset passively watched as her friends did most of those things. She ate and listened in on conversations, but didn’t do much talking herself.

“Are you feeling okay?” Twilight asked, bringing her slice of cake.

Sunset took it and poked at the strawberry with her fork. She wanted to be honest, even if she couldn’t put it into words. “I don’t know. I feel… off? Maybe I was asleep too long.”

Twilight rested against Sunset’s shoulder. “You just need a little time to adjust. You’ll get better soon.”

“I hope so.” She took a bite of her cake. The taste seemed a little duller than she remembered.

Flash, Shining, Cadence, and even Maud stopped by to celebrate for a little while, expressing their relief in different ways. Cadence gave Sunset a bone-crushing hug and a smile that one gave when they knew something. Shining also gave her a hug, albeit, much gentler. Flash played her a short song he had wrote. Maud gifted Sunset with rock.

“It’s a sign of affection in many cultures,” she said. She patted Sunset on the shoulder, waved to Pinkie, and left without another word.

Pinkie bounded over and gasped at the rock in Sunset’s hand. “That’s from her personal collection! She must really like you, Sunny!”

“Yaay?”

The party wore down around nine o’clock, with Selena reminding them they still had school in the morning. Sunset saw each of her friends out, receiving a hug from each of them. With Cadence and Shining watching, Twilight kept her kiss short.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she said as she pulled away.

“I’m glad to be back. I’m actually looking forward to school tomorrow.” Having a normal routine again would be a welcome change from sitting and doing nothing most of the day. As all her friends drove away, Sunset returned inside, finding all of the decorations had already vanished.

Artemis twirled his wand before sliding it into his pocket. “That was fun. We should host more parties in the future. Providing we have one.”

“What are we going to do about Tirek?” Trixie asked.

“You—” Artemis pointed strictly at her “—are not going to do anything. Your mother and I will handle this.”

Trixie crossed her arms and huffed. “That’s what you said about the Sirens.”

“Yes, and compared to what might come next, they’re merely an opening act. There is no defense against the Soul Lock. I consider it a miracle Sunset escaped from it. I want you nowhere near this fight if I can help it! Besides, I’m not sure what course of action we have yet.”

Trixie pouted and made a unsatisfactory croak in her throat, but said nothing else. Sunset nodded in agreement, however. She wanted nothing more to do with soul sucking warlocks and the end of the world. She had passed on Apalla’s message, her job was done. Now all she had to worry about were the last weeks of school. She had a lot of homework to catch up on.

Sunset went up to her room, finding it neater than when she had left. Her clothes had been washed, her bed made, and all the dust had been cleared away. She gave a silent thanks to Selena and settled on her bed, Spot accompanying her. She looked over at the princess doll sitting on her dresser.

It looked at her like it wanted to say something. Sunset shook her head, finding the idea ridiculous. Why would a stuffed doll talk to her?

*******

Sunset ran, her heart battering against her chest in an effort to get free. She didn’t know why she was running, or what from. She just knew she had to get away before it got her.

Thick gray fog surrounded Sunset on all sides. Shadows unregulated just beyond the fog: unrecognizable blobs of varying shapes and sizes. In the distance in front of her was a faint light. Sunset ran toward it. She had to reach it at all costs.

The fog grew denser, and the shadows moved closer, still formless. Sunset picked up her speed. It was getting closer. The road in front of her started to crumble, falling away in pieces and chunks. Sunset jumped from one safe spot to another, desperate to keep moving forward.

A faint laugh echoed behind her, but Sunset didn’t dare look back. The light steadily grew nearer. Sunset stretched her hand out.

A hand grabbed the back of her neck and swung her around. Her own face looked back at her, grinning with twisted glee, malice glinting in her eyes. She lifted the golden medallion that was the Soul Lock, and Sunset writhed in pain.

She was being torn in half, splitting apart from her heart! The other her just laughed, growing louder over her screams. The ground fell away, and Sunset dropped into darkness, her body limp and useless. She watched it fall, then held up her soul, examining the cracks in it.

Then, she crushed it.

Sunset bolted upright, clutching her heart. Spot was by her side immediately, rubbing himself against her arm. She gulped down several breaths of air before lying back against the headboard.

“It’s okay, Spot. It’s okay,” she croaked. “I’m…” She was far from okay. She knew she had experienced nightmares before, but not like that. The pain almost felt real, and it magnified the emptiness she felt.

She aimlessly stroked Spot and stared into the darkness. “What’s wrong with me?”

*******

Students fell silent and stared as Sunset walked onto campus. Many of them at least waved and gave her a warm greeting, but the majority looked on in surprise or uncertainty, like they weren’t sure how say hello to someone who had come back from a coma. Their stares got uncomfortable after a while, and Sunset squirmed as she sat down in her history class, feeling everyone’s eyes on her.

“Welcome back, Miss Shimmer,” Mr. Noteworthy said, sparring her only a short glance. “You’ve been gone for a while so see me after class to find out what you’ve missed. Now then…”

Sunset figured she’d be doing that for all of her classes. Rarity was kind enough to let Sunset read over her notes so she at least had an understanding of what they were talking about that day. English was a little easier to integrate back into, and Miss Cheerilee was more sympathetic and willing to help Sunset catch up.

Come lunch, people seemed to have gotten over their initial shock and walked up to the Spectacular Seven’s lunch table to welcome back Sunset. It was touching, but Sunset wished she had something else to say other than ‘thank you.’

She picked at her food with reluctance between interruptions, an action which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the table.

“Sugarcube, you okay?” Applejack asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m… you know… just readjusting.”

Applejack looked far from convinced, but said nothing.

Static fizzled out of the intercom, preceding Principal Celestia’s voice. “Would Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle please report to the principal’s office? Thank you.”

Rainbow snickered. “You’ve been back for a day. What did you two do?”

“Nothing!” Twilight said, looking panicked. “We haven’t done anything! I haven’t done anything! Sunset, did you do something?”

“I don’t think so?”

Rarity waved a hand. “Relax, dears. I’m sure she just wants to personally welcome Sunset back.”

Twilight stood up, taking a deep breath. “You’re right. Sorry, I just never get called to the principal’s office. Come on, Sunnykins.”

Sunset rose as Rainbow let out a guffaw of laughter. She hoped Celestia just wanted to say hello. With her memory acting up, Sunset was worried she had done something to warrant punishment.

As they slipped out the cafeteria, Twilight took Sunset’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. Sunset discovered she still knew what Twilight was trying to convey, even with the emptiness in her.

“I’ll be okay,” Sunset said. She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more.

Celestia’s curtains were open as usual, letting light flood her room. She welcomed the girls with an equally radiant smile, her eyes fixating on Sunset. “Hello, girls. It’s wonderful to see you again, Sunset. I’m so glad you’re back home safe and sound.”

“Thank you, Miss Celestia. It’s really nice to be back.” She gave a quick side glance to Twilight, seeing a faint tremble in her shoulders. “We’re not in trouble, are we?”

“On the contrary. I have exciting news to share with both of you. Which means you can relax, Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight dropped her shoulders and breathed.

“With graduation just around the corner, Vice Principal Luna and I have been going through the student gradebooks to decide who will be our valedictorian and salutatorian for the graduating class.” Celestia focused her gaze on Twilight. “You’ve maintained a nearly straight A+ average since your freshman year at your previous school. It’s safe to say that the title of valedictorian goes to you, Miss Sparkle.”

“R-really?” A giddy smile broke out across Twilight’s face. “I get to be valedictorian? Yes!” She jumped out her chair and started skipping back and forth.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” She quickly scrambled back into her seat and cleared her throat, cheeks burning red. “I mean, thank you. I humbly accept and pledge to keep my grades up all the way until the end.”

Celestia made a soft chuckle before turning to Sunset. “And while you’ve been absent for a few weeks, you were consistently at the top of your class, Sunset. Until Twilight came along at least. More than your grades, you’ve also shown the biggest personal growth of a student I’ve seen in quite some time. If you can catch up in your classes before finals, the position of salutatorian is yours.”

Sunset’s heart made a weak flutter. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. I’d be honored. I’ll try my hardest to catch up on my work, but I completely understand if you give it to someone more deserving.”

Twilight looped an arm around Sunset’s. “Don’t worry, I’ll help her catch up.”

Celestia laughed again. “I had a feeling you would. Both of you are required to give a speech. No longer than five minutes, please. You’ll both get sashes to go with you robes, and you’ll be at the head of the procession and sit at the front of crowd. This is all as long as you keep up your hard work.”

“Don’t worry, we will! Thank you so much for this honor!” Twilight said.

“And thank you for being exemplary students. I’m proud of both of you.” Celestia waved them toward the door. “Now go finish enjoying your lunch.” She looked forlornly at the stack of papers next to her. “I could use a break as well.”

Sunset and Twilight waved as they left. Once in the halls, Twilight jumped as high as she could and shouted, “Yes!” again. “Can you believe it? Out of all the students here, I’m the valedictorian and you’re the salutatorian! It couldn’t be more perfect!”

Sunset cracked a small smile. “Yeah. It’s pretty cool.”

Twilight stopped her celebratory dance and frowned. “You don’t sound that excited.” Her eyes doubled in size. “You’re not mad are you? I didn’t mean to gloat or anything! I know you worked really hard—”

“Twilight, relax, I’m not mad,” Sunset said softly. “I’m really happy for you, honest. You more than deserve this. I should be lucky I get to be salutatorian with all the things I’ve done.” Sunset took one of Twilight’s hands. “Honestly, you’re a perfect choice.”

“Thanks.” Twilight opened her mouth to say more but froze, her eyes widening again. “I have to give a speech. In front of hundreds of people.” Her cheeks turned a faint shade of green. “I change my mind, I don’t want to be valedictorian.”

Sunset paled as well. “Oh wow, almost forgot about that.” She gave a nervous tug on her collar. Public speaking didn’t use to scare her, did it? “I-I’m sure it’ll be fine. We can worry about that later.”

Twilight squeezed her hand. “Y-yeah, you’re right. We have to make sure you pass all your classes first. And Prom is this Saturday, we can’t forget that.”

Only Sunset had. It was hard to conceptualize just how much time had elapsed between her kidnapping and her awakening. The end of the school year was upon them, bringing with it and extra helping of chaos for seniors.

“So… umm…” Twilight twisted back and forth, twirling the skirt she was wearing. “I know it’s implied, but I just want to make sure so I don’t assume anything, so…” She gave Sunset her cutest smile, cheeks painted pink. “Sunset, will you go to Prom with me?”

Sunset nodded, her mouth dry. “Of course I’ll go with you.”

Twilight squeed and flung her arms around Sunset. “It’ll be so much fun! I can’t wait!” She nuzzled Sunset’s neck.

“Yeah. Me neither…”

*******

Their friends jumped at the news of their new honors, with Pinkie wanting to throw another celebration. Sunset politely declined this time, suggesting they save that for the actual graduation party. After school, Sunset followed Twilight home to begin her tutoring session. She had two history chapters to catch up on, an English paper to write, and all of their chemistry, physics, and trigonometry homework to work through. Though Twilight had most of the answers memorized, she made Sunset solve them the hard way. Sunset didn’t complain. How else was she to learn?

Twilight would reward her with a kiss for every problem solved, and when Sunset finished a chapter in her history book, Twilight played Symphony of Angels, the song written just for Sunset, on her violin. Sunset nodded her head along to Twilight’s melody. It didn’t move her to tears like the first time she had heard it. It tried to stir something in Sunset’s heart, but the feeling died before Sunset could fully grasp it. Still, she smiled and clapped when Twilight was done. Regardless of what she felt, it had been a beautiful and well-played piece.

Evening turned to night, and while Sunset was invited to stay for dinner, she chose not to intrude upon the Sparkle’s family time.

“Are you sure?” Velvet asked, taking a casserole out of the oven. “We always have room for you, you know.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Velvet, but I should get home before the Lulamoons worry.”

Shining got up from the couch and grabbed his keys. “I’ll give you a ride.”

Sunset, who had not driven her motorcycle since she woke up, knew better than to argue. Walking home alone sounded like a poor idea anyhow. “Thank you,” she said, following him to the door.

Twilight stopped her at the threshold and gave one last kiss for the day. “I love you,” she said, quiet enough that Shining couldn’t hear.

“I love you, too,” Sunset said shakily, giving Twilight a lopsided smile. She backed off the porch, waving at a furiously blushing and smiling Twilight.

Sunset felt sick with herself. The flutter in her stomach whenever she saw Twilight, the electricity she felt when any part of them touched, the pounding in her heart when Twilight smiled and laughed and blushed. Sunset didn’t feel any of that anymore.

Yet, she had told Twilight she loved her.

Her mind told her it was true. Sunset knew it was true. She just couldn’t feel it. It felt like a cruel lie.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Sunset raised her head, unsure when she had actually got into Shining’s car. He was the last person Sunset could explain this to. “No, I’m just… you know… recovering,” she said weakly.

Shining didn’t press the issue any further. He dropped her off at home and bade her good night, reminding her that things would get better soon. Sunset went inside, Spot’s barking announcing her presence. She joined the Lulamoons just as they sat down for dinner.

“I hear someone is going to be the salutatorian,” Artemis said, winking.

“Oh, yeah. It’s nice.” Sunset helped herself to a plate of salad.

Trixie raised an eyebrow at her. “Nice? That’s all you have to say?”

“What else do you want me to say?”

“Trixie doesn’t know. She just expected you to say more than ‘it’s nice.’”

Sunset shrugged. “I get to give a speech. Twilight’s valedictorian, so that’s pretty cool too. I’m happy about it. There’s not much more to say.” Sunset could have added that she didn’t feel like she deserved it, but thought it best to leave that out.

They enjoyed a quiet family dinner together that Sunset wanted to say she enjoyed wholeheartedly. Yet, like with everything else, it felt stunted. She cleaned her plate off and excused herself to her room so she could get started on her current homework. At least her excitement for that had stayed the same, it being nonexistent.

Tuesday found Sunset feeling much the same. She practiced smiling to herself in the mirror. It looked genuine enough but it never reached her eyes.

Maybe I should talk to my friends about this. And tell them what exactly? She barely understood what was wrong with her. Either way, she couldn’t tell Twilight. That would be admitting that she hadn’t fully meant it when she said ‘I love you.’ And that would break Twilight’s heart.

Her other friends would just tell her it would go away in time, though they would appreciate her opening up to them.

Sunset arrived at school just as a light rain began to fall. May in Canterlot loved to flip-flop between bright sunny skies and gray clouds that brought a quick shower before drifting away.

Today, Sunset got to share all her classes with Twilight. Instead of joy, barbs of guilt dug into her stomach as she remembered the three little words she had spoken. Sunset remembered how she had only wanted to say it when she was one hundred percent sure she meant it. Now, they were just words, thrown out in the same way every other teenager had tossed it so carelessly.

Sunset sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. She put on her content smile and met Twilight by her locker before moving on to their chemistry class.

When Mr. Doodle wasn’t looking, Twilight leaned into Sunset and said, “You know, whenever I’m near you, I undergo anaerobic respiration because you take my breath away.”

Sunset paused her notetaking and looked up. “Um, thanks?” She realized it was supposed to be a pun and made a short giggle.

Twilight looked at her with mild concern, but went back to work, helping Sunset catch up in the areas she had missed. They repeated the group dynamic in physics only without any bad puns.

“I appreciate the help, Twilight,” Sunset said on their way to lunch.

“Of course. I get to help you and do some extra studying at the same time. It’s like solving two equations with one formula.” She looked at Sunset expectantly while she held the cafeteria door open.

“Oh, I get. Good one, Twilight.” Sunset walked through the doors, oblivious to Twilight’s disappointed eyebrow. Sunset had only taken two steps into the cafeteria when someone crashed into her, sending her to the floor in a frenzy of mashed potatoes and salad complete with ranch dressing.

“Oh no! Sunset, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there! Are you okay? Here, let me help you up!” Ditzy pulled Sunset up by the arm, then grabbed a handful of napkins from the nearest table and started trying to clean her jacket off. “I’m so, so, so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it. It was just an accident,” Sunset said, grabbing napkins to speed up the process.

Twilight looked on, her mouth slightly agape. “You’re not mad?”

Sunset wiped a smear of ranch off her sleeve, frowning when it left a gray stain. “No. She didn’t mean to do it. And it’s nothing a little dry cleaning won’t fix.”

“But that’s your…” Twilight snapped her mouth shut. “Right, of course.” She directed Sunset back toward the door. “But I don’t think dry napkins are going to get all of that off. You should go clean up in the bathroom while I help Ditzy clean all this up, okay?”

Sunset looked at herself. A little water would definitely expedite the process. “Yeah, that sounds good.” She gave Twilight a wave and headed for the bathroom.

*******

Twilight kept her word and quickly helped Ditzy clean up the fallen food before rushing over to the table, where her friends had watched the whole debacle transpire. “Girls, I think there’s something wrong with Sunset,” she said in a frantic whisper.

“I’ll say.” Rainbow jerked her head toward Ditzy. “Someone spilled food all over her favorite jacket and she didn’t even yell.”

“She’s certainly been a lot more reserved ever since she woke up,” Rarity said.

“And Ah don’t think Ah’ve heard one sarcastic or snarky comment come outta her mouth,” Applejack added.

Twilight looked back at the door Sunset had walked out of. “She hasn’t groaned at any of my puns, or called me Sparky. I’m starting to worry.”

Rainbow shrugged. “I mean, she did just get her soul back. Maybe there’s some side-effects to that?”

“Should we talk to her about it?” Fluttershy asked.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Rarity said. “But we should choose our words carefully. So, Rainbow, don’t say anything.”

“What; why not?”

Rarity crossed her arms. “Because you have the sensitivity of a cactus and the subtlety of a brick.”

Rainbow huffed and sulked in her chair while they waited for Sunset to return. Before Sunset came back, Trixie walked up to the table, her cheeks puckered in soured though.

She looked at Twilight. “Have you seen or heard from Moondancer recently?”

“No…” Twilight said in a surprised whisper. She hadn’t heard from Moondancer since the night Sunset woke up. In fact, she hadn’t seen her friend at school in the last two days. Twilight wilted in guilt. She had been so focused on Sunset, she had neglected Moondancer.

Trixie made a slight growl in the back of her throat and looked away, muttering under her breath.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Why? Is somethin’ wrong?”

“Maybe.” Trixie leaned over the table and dropped her voice. “Remember when we told you Lamia had stolen something from our house?”

They nodded.

“Father remembered what it was: the Archon Amulet. It boosts the wearer’s natural magic to dangerous levels at the cost of their sanity.”

“But Lamia doesn’t have any magic,” Fluttershy said.

“Exactly.” Trixie jabbed a finger against the table. “And there are only two keys that can get into the chest where the amulet was. My father has one, and Moondancer’s mother had the other. Lamia is working with Tempest, and if Tempest is really working with Night Shade, then there’s a high chance Moondancer is working with her too.”

Rarity furrowed her brow in thought. “You think Lamia somehow got the key and stole the amulet for Moondancer? But why? Moondancer doesn’t have magic either.”

Twilight managed to stifle her gasp, but couldn’t help bite down on her thumb knuckle.

“What’s up, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“N-nothing! I’m just worried about Moondancer!” Twilight said loudly. She cringed, caught between a rock and a hard place. If she told her friends about Moondancer’s magic, she’d be breaking her promise. Not only that, but it would serve to incriminate Moondancer even further.

“Trixie is still putting the pieces together,” Trixie said. “But Father said they would need a lot of magic to resurrect Tirek. The Archon Amulet can give a lot of magic. And Moondancer has been avoiding my family of late. Father has been trying to check in on her, but she won’t respond, and the house appears deserted.”

Twilight bit her knuckle harder. But Moondancer wouldn’t. Unless she was forced to…

Trixie stood up tall. “Just thought you should all be aware. Trixie hopes she’s wrong about all of it.” She walked back to her table, leaving the girls in silence.

“I mean…” Rainbow shrugged. “Wouldn’t surprise me if Moondancer was actually evil. She gives off that vibe, you know?”

Rarity shot her a withering look.

Rainbow blinked. “Okay, I see what you mean.”

Twilight ignored both of them and pulled her phone out, texting Moondancer to ask how she was doing. Moondancer always responded to her texts posthaste.

Sunset walked back through the doors and took her seat next to Twilight. Her jacket still had food stains on it, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Sorry about that. I hope Ditzy didn’t have to pay for a second lunch.” She looked at the concerned frowns worn by everyone present. “What’s wrong?”

A quick telepathic message jumped through the group’s mind. One problem at a time.

“Sunset, dear,” Rarity started slowly, “you know we love and care about you.”

Sunset’s cheeks turned red and her eyes drifted down toward her sack lunch. “I love you guys too.”

“We know, dear. So we want you to be honest with us. Are you feeling all right?”

“Y-yeah.” Sunset lifted her head and forged a smile, though Twilight could see the effort Sunset went through to keep it up. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you’ve been about as quiet as Fluttershy and didn’t flip out when your jacket got ruined.” Rainbow said, ignoring Rarity this time.

Sunset shifted in her seat. “Okay, maybe I haven’t felt like a hundred percent. I’m not feeling bad, but I’m not feeling good either. I’m just…” She pressed her lips together. “It just feels like I’m missing something. Some of my memories are gone and I can’t… I can’t feel happy. I’m content. But that’s as good as I can get.”

Twilight watched her closely. Sunset was deliberately avoiding her eyes. Did that mean she, Twilight, didn’t make her happy? Did that extend to the rest of Sunset’s emotions?

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t think so. Everyone says it’ll just go away on its own, and maybe it will. Other than that…” Sunset gave a half-hearted shrug. “I don’t know what else can be done.”

Twilight put a hand on Sunset’s arm, unsure of what else to do. She was sure Sunset didn’t want to hear everything would be okay again, but she didn’t have any solutions to offer.

“What you need,” Pinkie said, “is something super spectacular to pull you out of your funk!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Let me guess: a party?”

“Not just a party. The party.” Pinkie waved a hand through the air. “Rarity is right: Prom is the most magical night of the year! It’s our last dance together! It’s where true love is declared, friendships are reinforced, and memories are ingrained in our hearts and souls!”

Pinkie stood up on her seat. “And as the head of the Event Committee, and as your best friend, and as a natural born party-planner, I, Pinkamena Diane Pie vow to make Prom night the best night of our young lives! There will be music! There will be dancing! There will be laughter! Someone will probably spike the punch!” She pointed to Sunset. “And you, Sunset Shimmer, will find your flame again!”

Rarity blew her nose into a napkin. “Pinkie, that was beautiful!” she said, unaware of the pink glow surrounding Pinkie.

Applejack and Rainbow took notice, however, and yanked Pinkie off her stool just as she ponied up. They pressed against her from two sides, with Fluttershy backing them up from behind, blocking her from view.

“Heehee! It still tickles! Ooh, ooh, does this mean I get some cool power like Rainbow and Fluttershy? I wonder what it is! Maybe I get to shoot lasers from my eyes, or create giant cupcakes from nothing!”

Rainbow clapped a hand against Pinkie’s mouth. “I almost hope you don’t get a power. You’re crazy enough as it is.”

Twilight wanted to marvel at Pinkie’s transformation, but she already had too many things to worry about. Sunset still looked put out, and Moondancer had not texted her. Still, she made a mental note to herself that, once school was over, she would devote the summer to studying magic.

Pinkie’s transformation timed out and vanished in a burst of light. “Aww. Well, it was fun while it lasted. And I meant every word I said. You girls are gonna get the best Prom ever!”

Sunset smiled, looking a little more earnest than before. “I can’t wait, Pinkie.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: What is Love?

You're all invited to Prom and the Volume II Finale: Phoenix Rising! Be here Friday for part one!

Phoenix Rising II: Crimson Waltz Under the Moon

Memories.

Dozens of memories rushed through Sunset. Painful ones. Things she wished she had forgotten. Broken promises, yells of accusation, rebellion, manipulation, underhanded and petty schemes, and a long fall from power.

They dragged on, one after the other with no respite. Sunset wanted to scream and cry and beg for them to end. She hated that part of herself: the selfish, arrogant, spiteful tyrant who thought the world was her birthright. Sunset tried to raise her arms to block the pour of memories, but it was like someone had strapped iron weights to her wrists.

A scream finally tore its way out of Sunset’s throat as she relived putting on that fated crown and the painful transformation that followed. Her voice echoed back to her, rattling her eardrums, and she finally found the strength to raise her arms and cover her ears.

The memory faded, leaving only a black stain across Sunset’s vision. She closed her eyes and willed the nightmare to end. When she opened them, the darkness remained, an empty void of nothing, save for Scarlet. She too had her claws pressed against her skull. Her eyes opened and she twisted about, flapping her wings to stay airborne, whereas Sunset found firm footing on an unseeable ground.

Scarlet threw her gaze upon Sunset. “Where are we? What did you do? Why did I see all those disgusting, happy memories?”

“Memories,” Sunset said in a daze. “My memories.” She looked at Scarlet, truly seeing her for the first time. So alike, yet so different. Two halves of the same whole. “I understand now.”

“Understand what?” Scarlet lifted her hand, conjuring a fireball to light up the darkness. “Explain what’s going on before I kill you!”

Sunset flinched back for a moment, but clenched her fists and squared her shoulders. “I don’t know how I know, but we’re in the space between the two halves of our souls.” As she said it, Sunset could feel the other half of her emotions, the pieces of joy, excitement, and courage, along with all of her missing anger, guilt, and passion. It flowed from Scarlet’s direction, hitting her like a warm wind. Scarlet winced and dropped the fire from her hand. Sunset could feel empathy, kindness, and love blowing against her back.

Scarlet shook off the emotional gale and flexed her claws. “So what? Is this your little ploy to get me to come back with you? It won’t work! I hate you! And in case you’ve forgotten, you’re terrified of me!” Two orbs of fire appeared over her outstretched palms. “This is finally where we say goodbye.”

Sunset met Scarlet’s advanced, slowly marching forward, feeling the wind bring back her confidence. “You’re right,” she said, the tremble leaving her voice. She forced herself not to look away from Scarlet. “I was terrified of you. I ran from you. I ignored you. I rejected you.”

The orbs of fire dimmed and Scarlet froze, her malicious gleam and victorious smirk disappearing. “What are you doing?”

“Something I should have done a long time ago.” Her voice found an even and confident rhythm. “I did a lot of terrible things in my past. Hurt a lot of people just to get to the top. Sometimes I hurt them just because I could. I’m not proud of it. I came to resent it, hate it. I wanted to bury it and leave it dead, but it always came back to haunt me, so I came to hate it even more.” Sunset raised a hand.

Scarlet started gliding backwards, staying just out of Sunset’s reach. Beads of sweat trickled across her forehead, and she refused to meet Sunset’s eyes. The fireballs fizzled out and scattered into embers. She snapped her fingers, trying to reignite them, but gained only sparks.

“Sometimes I wished I could forget. I hid from you behind my friends, fending you off until I thought I could deal with you.” Sunset moved with more confidence, her voice growing stronger with each step. “But the truth is, I never intended to deal with you. I was going to keep running. I didn’t know if the path would take me anywhere. I still don’t know. But anywhere was better than my past.”

Sunset stopped moving, and so did Scarlet. “They say you should never look back, never look behind you. Just keep moving forward. But sometimes, you need to look behind you to see how far you’ve come—to gain a new perspective on where you are now, and where you need to go.”

Scarlet snarled and lifted her claws, finally forming a writing bundle of flames. She hurled it down at Sunset, grinning maniacally when it made contact.

When the smoke cleared, Sunset still stood with the same determined expression.

“What?” Scarlet screeched. “What do you want from me?”

Sunset’s eyes softened. “You’re a part of me. And while I didn’t want to admit it, you’re a part I need. It’s not what you need to do, it’s what I need to do. Something I should have done when I learned I had friends who accepted me despite my past and wanted to help me grow. Something I should have done when I was on stage, and they told me I had nothing to fear from my magic. I want to accept you. My past.”

A white light engulfed Scarlet’s arms and spread its way across her body. She didn’t scream, or yell, or cry in agony. She just stared at Sunset with wide eyes and an open mouth, until the light covered her completely. Her outline shrank and contorted, remolding itself within the light. The new form touched down on the invisible floor, and when the light faded away, what was left was a small unicorn with an amber coat and a curling mane of crimson and gold. Her eight rayed yellow and red cutie mark was printed on her flank.

The pony Sunset Shimmer sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “You’re a real sap, you know that?”

Sunset smiled. “Yeah. The price of having friends, I guess. You get a little sentimental from time to time.” She took a knee, keeping her hand extended. “What do you say? Think it’s time we stopped fighting ourselves and become friends?”

The little pony turned her head away. “Maybe I like fighting. Maybe I like being alone.”

“Yeah. Being alone is nice. But we both know we’re happier when we’re with someone. And don’t worry. Rainbow and Trixie will give us plenty of fights.” Sunset jerked her head to the side. “And there’s a certain rich girl begging for a beatdown.”

She slowly began to turn her head back to Sunset, hesitation still in her eyes. “What about the future?”

Sunset raised her other hand and made a fist. “We’ll face it together. Once we stop worrying about the past, the future will be no problem. Promise.”

Their eyes met, two sets of teal staring into two halves of their soul. Sunset saw the guilt of her past, the fear of her future, and the crushing loneliness within her pony’s half. To balance it out, she filled her eyes with reassuring warmth, fiery confidence, and the promise of friendship.

The pony swallowed and nodded. She reached her hoof out, tears falling off her face as she did. “I’m sorry I made so much trouble for you.”

Sunset shrugged. “It made me a stronger person. And hey, it’s in the past now. A past I can accept.”

A bright glow blossomed between them when their hoof and hand connected. Pony Sunset smiled and burst into hundreds of gold lights that floated into Sunset. An intense warmth spread throughout her body, like she was on fire from the inside. It was a pleasant fire, comforting like a hearth on a snowy day. She stood up straight and looked at her hands, watching a gold aura overcome her as the dark void became white.

“I accept my past and what I’ve done, and I won’t run from it. But I won’t let it define me...”

*******

Sunset opened her eyes in time to see Lamia fall to the ground, unconscious. Several things happened at once after that.

Her friends shouted her name, and a pair of arms wrapped around her middle, just as the fiery warmth bloomed through her body and burst free. A golden shimmer flowed around her, and the soothing fire now ran across her skin. There was a yelp behind her, and the pair of arms released themselves. Sunset swirled around, finding Twilight being held upright by Applejack. The two of them, along with the others, stared at Sunset with open mouthes.

“What?” Sunset asked.

“Did Sunset just go Super Saiyan and I missed it?” Rainbow yelled. Sunset looked up at her and Moondancer, still hovering in the air.

“The hell’s a Super Saiyan?” Sunset asked, knowing it was probably another dumb pop culture thing.

“Sunset’s back!” Pinkie cheered, jumping into the air. “And she’s got her fire back! Literally!”

Sunset felt a nerve begin to twitch. “What are you talking about?”

Rarity pointed just over Sunset’s shoulder. “Your wings and tail seem to be on fire. Your hair looks amazing though.”

Sunset craned her neck to finally see what everyone was gaping at. Sprouting from her shoulder blades yet somehow not harming one thread on her dress were golden, fiery wings to match the long tail extending off her tailbone. They flickered and danced like flames in a bonfire, and with a single thought, her wings flapped.

“Celestia’s golden horseshoes,” Sunset said in awe. It wasn’t just heat flowing through her—it was power. Similar to the rush she experienced at the Fall Formal, only this time, there was no pain to accompany it—no madness. Just the desire to protect everyone she loved.

A round of sarcastic clapping brought Sunset’s attention back up to Moondancer. “Oh yes, bravo! Once again, the universe bends to your whim! Isn’t she just so special!”

Rainbow balled a fist. “All right, I’m sick of—”

Moondancer struck her in the chest with a bolt of light, sending her back to ground with a look of incomprehension. “Full disclosure: I never liked you either, Rainbow.”

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy ran to her side once again.

The fire around Sunset grew warmer, and with a single flap of her wings, she found herself at eye level with Moondancer. “You can rip my soul out as many times as you like,” Sunset said, her voice hard as steel, “but you don’t touch my friends.”

“Such noble sentiments. But I know what you really are underneath that glamour of light,” Moondancer spat.

“No, I don’t think you do. Yeah, you’ve seen what I used to be. Maybe that’s all you want to see.” Sunset spread her arms and her wings. “But that isn’t me anymore! My name is Sunset Shimmer, and on behalf of my friends, I’m gonna kick your ass!”

Moondancer rolled her eyes, which, Sunset noticed, were quite sunken. “I tried to give you a mercy. You should have stayed in the Soul Lock.” Her mouth split into a maniacal smile. “But this is fine! I’ll prove that your flashy show of power means nothing! I am the leading actress here!”

Light gathered around her open hand and she swiped it through the air, slicing it with a sickle of magic. “This is your last scene, Sunset!”

In hindsight, it might been a good idea to see if I even have powers right now. Sunset dropped herself a few feet to avoid her face getting cut, then frantically flapped her new wings to back away from Moondancer’s rapier. She didn’t think Rarity would forgive her a second time for ruining a dance dress.

Sunset gave a powerful stroke of her wings to open the gap between her and Moondancer. The hot blast of air her wings created forced Moondancer to cover her face, leaving Sunset more time to try out a hunch. She drew upon her unicorn instincts, only instead of channeling her focus to where her horn should be, she directed it to her outstretched hand. Sure enough, a ball of fire burst to life, bright as a miniature sun.

“Hey, Moondancer! Catch!” Sunset lobbed the fireball at her.

Moondancer struck with her rapier, only to have the ball explode upon contact. She fanned the smoke away with her white wings, coughing and covered with soot. Sunset flew through the remaining ash clouds, spun around, and drove her heel into Moondancer’s stomach.

“That’s for Rainbow!” Sunset yelled as Moondancer tumbled back, wheezing. Sunset watched her recover, not daring to look back at Twilight. Sunset could only imagine the range of emotions twisting through her.

Moondancer righted herself, a hateful gleam in her sunken eyes. “How touching. Do you know what happens to people I care about?” A ball of light appeared in her hand, crackling with excess energy. “They get taken away!” She hurled it at Sunset.

It flew too fast to dodge, so Sunset swung her hand out of desperation, watching three scarlet trails follow along a few inches out. Her brief moment of marvel was interrupted when her hand connected against the light ball and rippling static coursed through her body, leaving her numb and her hand singed.

“Let the light burn the darkness!” Moondancer raised her rapier to the crescent moon above, then leveled it at Sunset’s heart. “Let this blade strike true!” She dove for Sunset and was jerked back by a multi-colored handkerchief tied around her ankle. Moondancer looked down. “Trixie, what are you doing?”

“Stopping you from making a mistake!” Trixie tugged on the rope extending out of her wand. “Moondancer, none of this makes any sense! Why are you working with someone who wants to revive Tirek?”

“That, dear cousin, is none of your concern!” Moondancer slashed at the handkerchief, cutting herself free.

Fortunately, Sunset had regained most of the felling in her body. She swung her hand out again, watching claws of fire extend from the space in front of her fingers. “This just keeps getting cooler.” She looked down at her friends, who all looked ready to spring to action. “Don’t worry, girls. I think I got this.”

As Moondancer let out a derisive scoff, Sunset charged at her, forcing her on the defensive. She evaded Sunset’s claws and struck back with her sword, glowing red against the fire.

Moondancer lunged, and Sunset weaved to the side, then swung her hand out, her fire claws missing Moondancer’s head by mere inches. With a gust of her angel wings, Moondancer pushed Sunset back, then aimed her free hand skyward and unleashed another volley of the light flares.

Sunset threw herself back to get out of their range. Thrusting a hand forward, a burst of fire shot from her palm and hit one of the flares, vaporizing it. She alternated hands, throwing pitch after pitch of flame to stop Moondancer’s attacks from reaching her friends. The fire never burned against her palms. Like her wings and tail, it felt pleasant as it left her.

Moondancer fired a quick lance of energy at Sunset during her target practice. Sunset tried to maneuver to the side, but the beam cut a hole through her right wing.

“Augh!” Sunset stumbled, but the hole was quickly covered by more fire and she righted herself. Okay, so I can feel pain with these. Good to know. Lots of learning happening tonight.

Moondancer rose higher in the sky and spread her arms wide. A dozen beads of light popped into existence around her, growing larger by the second. They formed wings and beaks and started to twitter with an otherworldly echo. With a sneer and a point of her blade, the ghostly birds dove at Sunset.

Sunset turned and flew as fast as she could, hearing their tiny wingbeats right behind her. She heard Moondancer give a mad cackle and looked back to see her directing them like a symphony conductor.

The twittering grew louder, and Sunset had to dive to avoid one bird from side-swiping her face. She banked hard left in front of the hotel, forcing two of them to crash into the building where they disintegrated. She was headed straight for the distorted skyline. Furrowing her brow, Sunset pulled herself into a sharp ascension as she got to the edge of the terrace. Three more birds kept going and vanished just over the balcony.

So that’s how it is. Sunset brought herself into a backward loop, seeing the terrace float above her for a second before coming around and heading for the barrier again. This time, she kept going.

It was like passing through a thick veil of mist. Sunset felt wet for a moment, but that was either part of the illusion, or her wings dried her off with impressive speed. The bright lights of the real Canterlot spread out before her; glowing roads and sparkling towers of downtown teemed with life. The real moon glowed above, smiling down on the city. And here Sunset was, soaring above it all.

Her heart swelled. She threw her arms out and let out a whoop of delight. She was free! She was Sunset again! She felt elated and strong and loved and… she just felt!

A dive bombing bird broke her reverie. She spiraled to the left to avoid it and looped back around toward the hotel. From here, it looked like the terrace was dark and empty. She could remember where Moondancer had been floating before though. Rolling over another bird, she shot back toward the barrier, a scarlet trail behind her.

One second, the terrace was dark, then, there was the cool sensation of mist, and Moondancer and everyone else blinked back into existence. Sunset rushed toward Moondancer’s back side then dropped into a steep dive. She heard Moondancer give a pained shout above her.

Moondancer gripped the back of her head while she kicked her legs about. Her remaining birds vanished into wisps of silvery air. She looked down at Sunset with narrowed eyes.

“I… grow… tired of this!” she said between her teeth.

“That makes two of us.” Sunset blasted her with a short flame. Moondancer threw a hasty shield up that blocked only part of the blast. The remainder of it snuck through the cracks and set fire to the sleeves of Moondancer’s dress. She wildly flapped and smacked at it until it went out, leaving a singed hole and an angry welt.

With a wild yell, Moondancer threw herself at Sunset again. Her lunge was lopsided and sluggish, evidently still dazed from her blow to the head. Sunset moved to the side, letting Moondancer stumble past her. She then grabbed Moondancer’s arms and pulled them behind her back, giving them a sharp twist so she dropped her blade.

“You hate me, I get that,” Sunset said. “But Trixie’s right, siding with some soul-stealing warlock? He already took you mom.”

Moondancer thrashed in her grip. “Don’t talk about things you don’t understand!”

Sunset gripped harder. “Listen, I saw her when you shoved me into the medallion. She wanted me to tell you—aaugh!” She released Moondancer and held a hand to her sore nose, finding blood.

“Don’t you dare speak to me about my mother!” Red splotches covered Moondancer’s wet cheeks. “How? How does filth like you crawl out of the darkest abyss, while my mother—who could escape anything—continues to languish there?” She threw a hand above her head and began gathering moonlight.

“She chose to stay! She chose to fight Tirek and stop him!”

“Liar!” The light gathered into another orb, quickly doubling in size. “She loves me! She wouldn’t choose to stay in some dark pit! She would pick me! Somebody has to pick me!”

Sunset clenched a fist, feeling it heat up. “You’re right, she loves you. That’s why she chose to stay. She’s trying to give you a better world.”

“I’m trying to create a better world! And to do that, Tirek must be revived!” The sphere had reached the size of a car and looked like the full moon. “And you must die!” Moondancer flung her arm down, bringing the magic bomb with it.

Let no one say I didn’t try to reason with her. Sunset pushed her hands out, releasing twin jets of fire against the light. They crashed against the surface, sending embers flying in every direction. Sunset could feel the weight of the ball trying to crash down on her and her friends.

“Here’s the finale, Sunset Shimmer!” The glow and wind from the clashing powers cast a lighting across Moondancer’s face that gave her a look of grinning insanity.

Sunset grunted under the magic’s weight. Despite Moondancer’s exhaustion, she still had quite a lot of magic left to throw at Sunset. Cheers floated up to her ears, and she looked over her shoulder to see her friends shouting her name.

“Ah’ve heard enough of her fancy talk!” Applejack said.

“Yes, show that drama queen what’s what!” Rarity added.

Fluttershy let out an impassioned yell.

Sunset grinned. For you girls? Anything.

Her flamethrowers turned gold and pushed the orb in reverse. Moondancer held her position, eyes growing frantic. As the ball edged closer and closer, she finally released her grip on it, ducking as it sailed past her head and high into the sky, where it exploded like a gold and white firework.

Sunset blew the smoke off her hand. “Show’s over, Moondancer.”

Moondancer doubled over, clutching her arm. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps and her ethereal wings flickered, nearly dropping her. Her face contorted in concentration, getting them to fully manifest again, but Sunset knew she had reached her full extent. Around them, Sunset saw the illusion barrier flicker and fade out.

“How… how are you so much stronger than me?” Moondancer asked, her voice heavy with desperation.

Sunset balled her fists by her side as she drifted closer. “I could list a number of reasons. But I’ll give it to you straight: you’re drawing magic from a world still depleted of it. You’re not like the other Lulamoons. Magic doesn’t flow through your veins.”

“Don’t you—”

“So you had to gain it the hard way, didn’t you?” Sunset asked over her. “You trained your soul to tap into this world’s magic. But it’s not enough to stand up to me. My magic comes from my homeworld. It still flows within me.” She held a hand to her heart and grinned. “It doesn’t hurt that I’m drawing on the strongest magic of all. Can you guess what that is?”

Moondancer didn’t answer opting to bare her teeth instead.

“It’s friendship. That’s where I get my strength from.” Sunset raised a hand over her head, a sheath of fire coating her fingers. “So, word of advice, Moondancer...” She brought her arm down, clawing the air and leaving ribbons of light behind.

“Don’t screw with my friends!”

The cry of a phoenix covered Moondancer’s scream and echoed across the night sky. Moondancer stumbled back through the air, her wings fading again until they were mere outlines. She dropped to the rooftop, her wings catching her one last time to break the fall. She pressed her hands against the left side of her face as she hunched over on her knees, shaking and sobbing.

Sunset touched the ground and quickly found herself surrounded by her friends, all trying to avoid her fiery wings. It was Pinkie who latched onto Sunset and gasped, not out of pain, but in satisfaction.

“Your wings make your hugs extra warm now!”

Rainbow ran a finger through Sunset’s wings. “Wow, she’s right. Doesn’t burn.”

With that, Sunset was promptly glomped by all of her friends in the warmest group hug to date. She made an exaggerated eye roll, but smiled.

“I missed you girls.” She allowed herself to enjoy their embrace a moment longer until she could no longer ignore Moondancer’s whimpering sobs. She fidgeted, giving her friends the hint, and was released from their hold.

Twilight kept herself by Sunset’s shoulder as they approached Moondancer. The girl lifted her head, keeping a hand against her face. Sunset could see tips of the cauterized lacerations across the bridge of her nose and her neck.

“D-don’t th-think you’ve b-bested me,” Moondancer said, trying to swallow her tears. She pushed herself up, knees shaking. “This is far from o-over! I will—”

“That’s enough, Moondancer,” a cool voice said.

Sunset and Twilight whipped their heads around to the other end of the courtyard. Tempest stood in front of a swirling vortex of darkness, one arm behind her back while the other sleeve of her jacket wafted in the wind. A spike of fury shot through Sunset, and she hurled a crimson flare at Tempest.

She sidestepped it with a blase look. “I should thank you, Sunset. The magic generated here has been abundant, meaning Moondancer hasn’t made this a complete failure. You continue to show extraordinary expectations.” She looked past Sunset. “Now, Moondancer, return to headquarters before you embarrass yourself any more.” She lifted her hand, and a portal appeared behind Moondancer.

A blue plume of smoke burst up next to Sunset, and out stepped Artemis, wand at the ready. He spun in a half circle, looking from Moondancer, to Sunset, to Trixie, then to Tempest. “What in magic’s name is going on here?”

“Father?” Trixie ran up to him. “What are you doing here?”

“My magic senses suddenly started going haywire and I followed it to here. What is all this?”

“Moondancer,” Tempest barked, “we’re leaving.” She backed into the portal. “Keep up the good work, Spectacular Seven.” The portal faded into wisps behind her.

Artemis turned to Moondancer. “Sweetie, what’s…”

Moondancer backed into her own portal, her visible eye wet with sorrow. “I won’t ask for your forgiveness. But I ask you do not get involved.” Her eye found Twilight, and a lump appeared in her throat. “You’ll understand soon enough.” The portal closed around her and vanished.

A hush fell over the terrace. Sunset looked around, surveying the damage they had caused. Broken columns and tiles, scorched grass, and Lamia laying unconscious.

“Before we go any further,” Artemis said, “are you girls all right?”

Sunset wiped the blood from her nose. “A little bruised. But this is the best I’ve felt in a long time.”

“And after seeing Moondancer get pummeled, I think we’re all feeling pretty good,” Rainbow said. “Ow!” She rubbed her ribs where Applejack had elbowed her. “No offense.”

Twilight didn’t respond. Her eyes rested on the spot where Moondancer had vanished.

The girls took turns explaining the night’s events to Artemis, his expression growing more grim with every sentence. Trixie explained how Moondancer had been using the Archon Amulet Lamia had stolen to increase her magical abilities, and Twilight meekly confirmed that Moondancer had trained herself to be able to wield magic in the first place. Sunset had a grim satisfaction in the fact that she beat Moondancer even with her using magical enhancements.

Artemis let his head fall into an open palm and sighed. “I don’t understand. Why, Moondancer? If you’re in trouble, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Maybe she couldn’t,” Twilight said softly. “Maybe she still can’t.”

“Perhaps. I intended to get to the bottom of this. It’s already spiraling out of control.” He smiled at them. “I’m glad to see all of you got out of this unharmed. Some of you got even stronger.”

Sunset flapped her wings. “Brings up a few more questions than answers, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Yeah, the night could’ve turned out a lot worse than it did,” Applejack said.

Artemis tipped his hat. “And you should enjoy what’s left of it. I’ll see all of you later.”

“Wait!” Sunset pointed at Lamia. “Could you take her with you? I know she’s the one who kidnapped me but… I think she might have been a victim in this, too.”

He tugged on his goatee. “Selena isn’t going to like this.”

“Just for a little while. I just want to talk to her when she wakes up.”

Artemis pulled his wand out. “All right. But that makes her your responsibility. I’m not cleaning up any mess she makes. Lulamoon!” And with another puff of smoke, he and Lamia were gone.

“We should probably get out of here,” Applejack said. “Ah hate leavin’ this place a mess, but there’s no way we could explain what happened.”

Rainbow waved it off. “Please, these people are rich enough to pay for it.”

“And Artemis is right!” Pinkie said. “We still have an hour left before Prom is over! It’ll double as our ‘Sunset is really back and kicks butt’ party!”

Rarity gasped. “And I need to tell Flash we’re all right. Let’s go, girls. If we hurry, we might see who the Prom King and Queen are.”

They moved for the door, but Sunset noticed Twilight lagging behind, her eyes looking out over the horizon. “You girls go ahead. Twilight and I will be there soon,” Sunset said. None of them gave any disagreements. They all just smiled knowingly.

I hate when they do that. She turned back toward Twilight, trying to think of a comforting word. “Hey—ooof!”

Twilight threw herself against Sunset burying her face into the crook of her neck. Sunset held her, feeling warm tears roll down the front of her dress. They stood in embrace on the rooftop, their silence broken only by Twilight’s sniffles.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said, wiping her eyes.

“You keep saying that. What are you sorry for?”

“A lot of things. About Moondancer, about not being able to tell you were missing an actual part of yourself, about not being able to protect you.”

Sunset ran a hand through Twilight’s hair. “None of those things are your fault. So don’t worry about them, okay? I should be apologizing to you about Moondancer. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now.”

Twilight squeezed her eyes closed and pressed her face against Sunset’s neck again. “Confusion mostly. A little betrayal. A little stupid. I thought you were getting along. I had no idea she wanted to…”

“Neither did I. I guess I should apologize again. I kinda lied to you. Moondancer and I never really got along. She was jealous you were dating me, and I… just didn’t like her. We tried to look past it for your sake though, but…”

Twilight shook her head, her hair tickling Sunset. “I guess it doesn’t matter now.” She hiccuped. “Did she really do all this out of jealousy?”

“I think it was only part of it.” Sunset looked off toward the city, spotting Canterlot Tower, the lights turned off for the night. “I think something else is at play.”

“Magic,” Twilight said with a hint of bitterness. “I remember when everything made sense and had rationale. Now… it’s all a confusing mess. Even what I’m feeling is confusing. I should be furious at her but I’m just… sad. And I feel so useless.”

Sunset lifted Twilight’s chin. “You’re not useless. You’re the furthest thing from useless as can be. I’ve told you before, Twilight, you’re amazing. You’re a rare kind of amazing. You don’t have to have magic to be useful; your scientific brain has already done a lot for us.”

She moved her hands down to Twilight’s waist and began to slowly rock from side to side. “The fact that you stood up to Scarlet and Moondancer is amazing on its own. That took courage, and courage isn’t useless.” Sunset added a little foot movement to their rhythm. She moved one hand and placed it in Twilight’s. “While my soul was away, it was dreaming. Do you want to know what my dream was?”

Twilight nodded.

“It was of you. Us being together.” Sunset blushed. She couldn’t give Twilight the full details. Not yet. She didn’t want to get either of their hopes up that far. “And when I was trying to get out, your love for me was what helped me escape.”

A goofy smile broke across Twilight’s face, her cheeks burning brighter than Sunset’s wings. “I just… I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Sunset guided Twilight through more decisive steps and a slow rotation. They moved to a song that played only in their heads. Sunset wanted to think it was Symphony of Angels. “Before when I said it, I couldn’t fully mean it. My heart wasn’t in the words. Or, my soul, really. But now…”

Sunset closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Twilight’s. Twilight moved her arms around Sunset’s neck and hung on like her life depended on it. It felt so similar yet so different from the first kiss they shared at the Winter Ball. That had been a kiss for understanding, for Twilight to know just how honest Sunset’s blossoming feelings were.

This kiss shared that quality, but had its deep passion as well. Her fledgling feelings had evolved from that dance half a year ago. Sunset felt it now. She nibbled Twilight’s lip and explored her mouth, then allowed her to do the same. A radiant heat bloomed in Sunset’s chest as she wrapped her arms around Twilight’s middle. They slowly pulled apart, both of them smiling.

“I love you,” Sunset said breathlessly. Her heart danced in her chest.

Twilight leaned in for a second, shorter kiss then said, “I know.” She laughed when Sunset pinched her side, then rested her head against Sunset’s shoulder as they continued their slow dance.

“Are you scared of heights?” Sunset asked, looking up at the sky. A few light clouds had rolled in.

“Not particularly. Why?”

Sunset scooped Twilight up into her arms. “Hold on tight.” Before Twilight could make any protests, Sunset leaped into the air, giving her wings a powerful beat. The terrace grew smaller and smaller as they headed up toward the moon.

“S-Sunset! Wait! What are we doing?” Twilight kept her arms fiercely locked around Sunset’s neck. This time her life really did depend on it.

“Well, they were still around and I couldn’t go back to the dance with them. I figured, why not have some fun?”

Canterlot stretched out below her, glittering lights of buildings and cars and neon signs. Multicolored stars of different shapes and sizes scattered over the land. Just maybe, this Canterlot had something over hers. Sunset flew higher still, the warmth of her wings keeping the chill away.

Twilight had her face pressed into Sunset’s chest, her eyes squeezed shut. Sunset lowered her head and rubbed Twilight’s cheek with her nose.

“Go ahead, look. I promise, you’re safe.”

Twilight took a chance and peeked down. Her gasp was lost on the wind, but she said, “It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen Canterlot like this.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty incredible.” Sunset closed her eyes, savoring the wind on her face and the excited flutter in her stomach.

They stayed just below the cloud layer. Sunset hoped no one could see them this high, though if any one person did spot them, she felt they would have a hard time being believed. She flew Twilight over downtown, across the countryside, and all the way to the ocean’s shore.

Sunset brought them a little lower so they could hear the waves. The moon glinted against the water, giving it glossy shine that proved hypnotic. As they flew along the coast, Sunset inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the sea.

Twilight looked up from the view and into Sunset’s eyes. A few tears flew out, carried off by the wind. She leaned up and kissed Sunset passionately again.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

********

Moondancer collapsed onto the bottom step in the entrance hall, still clutching her face. The blistering pain renewed itself every time Moondancer so much as twitched. It felt as if someone had pressed three strips of burning metal against her face and wouldn’t move them, no matter how much she begged.

The rest of her didn’t fare much better. Every muscle in her body was tired, and she had a splitting headache. Then, there was her heart, lying in a shattered pile back on the rooftop.

Tempest stood in front of her, something like triumph on her face. “Well, Moondancer, you utterly failed to bring any of the souls you promised.”

Moondancer looked at the floor. This was it. All her plans were about to amount to nothing. At least she would see her mother again.

Tempest began to pace, gesturing lazily with her hand. “And we’ve lost Scarlet. Though I suppose you can’t be blamed entirely for that one. All in all, this has not been a good night for you, has it?”

Moondancer didn’t answer. The heat of the Archon Amulet burned against her skin, but she had expelled all her rage with her last attack.

“But…” Tempest halted. “Your little showdown did manage to generate an unexpected amount of magic. And seeing those girls develop their powers might have given me an idea…”

Moondancer inched her head up, wincing at the movement. Did she dare hope?

“As much as I’d love to do it… taking your soul isn’t going to undo our problems. So yes, Moondancer, you get to live another day.” She knelt before Moondancer, raised her hand, and pressed it against the hand Moondancer was using to cover her face.

She let out a short yell of pain at the pressure. It was what she imagined an animal being branded felt when the poker was pushed into them.

Tempest spoke in a low, smug voice. “Remember this pain next time you think of doing something foolish. Remember the humiliation you just suffered. Then, remember I can make it ten times worse.” Tempest let go and straightened up. “You’re not to have anymore contact with anyone. Period. Not that you have anyone left to talk to outside.”

With a sweep of her cloak, she walked away, passing Night Shade as he stood at the mouth of a corridor. Moondancer paid him no mind. She couldn’t with the tears blurring her eyes.

Night Shade cleared his throat. “Lemon Fresh,” he said sorrowfully to one of the maids. “Fetch some ice and ointment for my daughter.” He turned and followed after Tempest.

When Lemon Fresh bowed and hurried from the room, Moondancer reached into her blouse and ripped off the amulet. A rush of cool air washed over her, flooding her mind with calm thoughts… and regret. She leaned back against the stairs, fighting the sobs building in her throat.

She had been scarred. She had betrayed her family. And she had lost her only friend.

With a quivering sigh, she looked up to the ceiling. I’ll get it all back soon. I just have to survive.

Author's Note

Sunset vs. Moondancer

Phoenix Rising III: Pomp and Circumstance

Sunset and Twilight had returned to Prom just as the final song had ended. They weren’t perturbed in the slightest. They had shared a dance over the ocean; what was the dance floor to them now?

Flash, of course, had been named Prom King, and in a pleasant surprise, Ditzy had been crowned Queen. Rarity had been a little put out, but Sunset assured her that, if she had run, Rarity would have won in a landslide.

The nine of them stayed out until well past midnight, taking the limo to a sweet shoppe not too far from the hotel. They spent half an hour recapping to Flash what had transpired on the roof, and when Sunset saw Twilight emotionally retreating, she changed the topic to their last two weeks of school.

After dessert, they were dropped off one by one, Twilight and Sunset sharing one more kiss while Trixie pretended to gag behind them.

“I’m sorry about Moondancer,” Sunset said as the limo took them home.

Trixie looked out the window, her expression sullen. “So am I. I can’t believe she would side with our mortal enemy. Though, maybe Twilight is right. Maybe she doesn’t have a choice.”

Lamia slept for two days following Prom. Like Artemis had said, Selena did not take immense pleasure in housing the thief, but did so out of kindness to Sunset. They kept her on a cot in the second spare bedroom, filled with a random assortment of extra clothes and other moving boxes that had been left in storage.

Sunset returned home after school on Monday, surprised when Spot was not waiting for her as she opened the front door, but was instead upstairs, barking at the closed door to her room. Sunset opened it and found Lamia lounging on her bed, reading one of her old science notebooks.

“Finally,” she said exasperatedly. She sat up and tossed the notebook away. “Do you know how bored I was waiting for you? You don’t even have a diary or porn magazines to read in here.”

“Why would…” Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “You could at least say thank you. I could have easily sent you to jail.”

“I was getting to that.” Lamia got off the bed and stretched, popping her shoulders. “Oh man, this is the best I’ve felt in a month.” She let out a relieved sigh. “Okay, listen, kid. Your tattle-tailing is the reason I got wrapped up in all this, so in a way, this is all your fault.”

Sunset grit her teeth, feeling a rush of expletives rising to her throat.

Lamia held a hand up. “But, I also admit, maybe I didn’t make some of the best decisions along the way.” She walked over to the window and gazed out it. “I got tired of fighting all these people with magical powers. My luck had turned real sour real fast. They said that if I took that magic you had, it would give me an even playing field. I was dumb enough to listen.”

She turned an eye on Sunset. “They wanted to see if they could put a soul in another body, and I was their guinea pig. I don’t know how you do it. They put that… demon thing inside me and I couldn’t keep a lid on it. All I felt was hatred and jealousy and… it hurt.”

Sunset eased her jaw. “Yeah… it takes a lot out of you. But I’m not fighting with it anymore. I’ve just come to accept it.”

“Hmph. Sounds cheesy.” Lamia crossed her arms. “But what I’m trying to say is yeah, I’m sorry for going a little too far with wanting revenge. And thanks for taking that demon out.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lamia flopped back onto Sunset’s bed. “So why didn’t you send me to jail?”

Sunset picked up the notebook Lamia had tossed and put it away while looking for anything else Lamia had mishandled. “I wanted to hear your side of the story. You were in pain when we came up to the terrace. And I wanted to see what you knew about Tempest and what she’s planning.”

A tense silence fell between them. Sunset turned and saw Lamia had sat up, but was staring fixedly at the carpet, her mouth twisted in a grimace. She raised her hands and ran them down her face.

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to… but I lost control…”

Sunset walked over to her. She held a comforting hand out but was unsure if it was the right gesture. Lamia didn’t notice. She continued on her own.

“Tempest took me around… as Scarlet. She… she would use her find other people with magic and… and take their souls like she took yours. Then…” Lamia’s voice trembled. “Then… she… I… I killed them…. Burned their bodies to ash.”

Sunset dropped her hand. “Oh…” She moved and collapsed onto the bed next to Lamia. Suddenly, she could see the fire in her mind’s eye. It was hazy and distant, like how her memories had been when her soul had been fractured.

An aching sadness pierced Sunset. Mournful tears for the lives lost slid down her face. She dropped her head into her hands. She had committed…

No!

She snapped her head up. No. It had not been her who had done that. She would not feel guilty for a crime she did not commit. Remorseful, yes, but not guilty. Sunset stood up and moved in front of Lamia again.

“You didn’t kill those people,” she said firmly.

Lamia looked up at her, eyes damp. “Yes I—”

“No, you didn’t. Scarlet did. Tempest did. But not you. And not me. Scarlet was a force that belonged fully to neither of us. She had her own will, her own motivation. Yes, she spawned from me and my tampering with powers I didn’t fully understand, and yes, she was used through you. But neither of us had control of her. She was her own entity. So I refuse to believe that I murdered those people. And you should too.”

Lamia stared up at her, not looking as convinced as Sunset could have hoped. Still, she gave a weak nod and took in a composed breath. “Yeah… yeah, sure. All right.”

Sunset didn’t believe her, but left it alone. “What else can you tell me about Tempest and her plans?”

Lamia leaned back on the bed, still looking distracted. “Not much. They kept me in the dark about most things. Even their base. They met a lot in Moondancer’s fancy house, but Tempest would take me somewhere else via her freaky portals. They’ve got like, a lab somewhere underground.”

Cliché villains are cliché.

“And Tempest,” Lamia continued, “man, she’s changed a lot. When I met her, she was just some explorer. She was really frail though. Wheezed and coughed a lot. I don’t know what happened, but whatever power she got is apparently pretty healthy for her. She got a freaky shadow arm out of it."

“You’ve met her before?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Met her in Brazil. She was hunting some super rare snake, and I thought it’d be fun to tag along. Well, we found it, and I thought to myself, ‘this would make a really great pet.’”

“So you stole it,” Sunset deadpanned.

“And named him Jórmangandr.” Lamia folded her arms behind her head. “So yeah, she didn’t take too kindly to that. Forced me to work for her after she caught me stealing stuff for Loony Moony.”

“Yeah, that revenge street runs two ways.”

“Hey, if it helps, I’m done trying to get revenge against you. Load of good it’s done me so far.”

Sunset sat down at her desk. “So, what are you going to do now?”

Lamia glared at the ceiling. “Tempest has my snake. I’m going to get him back, we’re going to steal something, then I’m finally going to retire to Greece.”

Sunset snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“Also, can I crash here for a bit? I’ve got nowhere else to go, and I think Tempest might try to hunt me down in case I ‘know too much.’ I figure here’s probably safest.”

Before Sunset could respond, a voice from down the hall yelled, “Absolutely not!”

*******

The remainder of the semester passed without fanfare. Sunset caught up in all of her classes thanks to Twilight and several more study/violin/make-out sessions that were interrupted by Shining just checking if Sunset still needed anything after her ‘harrowing incident.’ Moondancer no longer showed up to school, and while Sunset wanted to say she didn’t care, her absence left a forebodence.

Artemis tried several times to visit the manor but no one ever answered the door. He had even spied on the house two separate nights, yet neither Moondancer nor her father made an appearance.

With begrudging acceptance, Lamia was allowed to stay with the Lulamoons. Sunset vouched for her, using herself as an example.

“You took me in. And I did some pretty bad things, too.”

“Yes, but you were sorry for it,” Selena argued.

“Hey, I said I was sorry too,” Lamia said. “I didn’t want to get tangled up in all this magical shit.”

“Plus, her manners are terrible,” Selena growled.

Sunset shrugged. “You got me there.”

Lamia made an annoyed sigh. “I promise, I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ll probably be in my room most of the time anyway.”

“It’s not your room,” Selena said, her growl getting lower.

A full hour of negotiation later, and the Lulamoons had a new guest. Out of all the ways her life could have gone, Sunset would have never guessed she’d be sleeping under the same roof as her dimensional counterpart.

Finals week dawned on the seniors of Canterlot High. Accumulated tests of everything they had learned during the past semester stood between them and their caps and gowns. Like at the end of the semesters before, exam anxiety ran high, and nerves were tested.

“Sunset, quiz me!” Twilight shouted during lunch on Monday, shoving her chemistry notebook into Sunset’s hands.

“Didn’t we do this yesterday?”

“Quiz me again! I will not fail my tests and get stripped of my valedictorian status! I already told my parents!”

Rainbow looked up from her own notes, eyes red and bleary. “I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to fail a test.”

“You don’t know that! What if I sit down and just forget everything?”

“Then wouldn’t studying be ultimately pointless?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight began to hyperventilate.

Sunset smacked Pinkie on the head with the notebook. “Sparky, you’re a genius. You’re going to be fine. But if it helps you relax, yes, I’ll quiz you again.”

The exams began the next day, starting with history for Sunset. She looked at the four page, double-sided packet laying on her desk. The solace in this is that I’ll never have to worry about history again.

She looked over at Rarity, gave her an encouraging thumbs up, and set to work. Of course Mr. Noteworthy couldn’t make an easy test. Many of the questions were fill in the blanks or short answers with only a handful of multiple choice. Even with the two hours allotted, Sunset ran the clock down with her precise answers and need to triple check everything.

Her test in English wasn’t as stressful. Two pages of multiple choice and true or false questions followed by a short essay. She finished it with time to spare and studied for her remaining tests after handing it in to Miss Cheerilee.

Wednesday brought the heavy science tests, starting with physics. Even with her abundant studying, the exam left Sunset chewing on the end of her pencil as she re-read each question before writing out an answer. She could feel an oncoming headache by the end of it, and still had chemistry to get through. Lunch would have been a welcome respite, but she spent half of it keeping Twilight calm.

“Fifteen percent of our grade. Fifteen!”

“And you already have a one-hundred,” Sunset said reassuringly. “You’re fine.”

“Yeah, even if you completely tank it, you’d still pass the class,” Rainbow said in a confident voice that told Sunset she was at least trying to be helpful.

After practically spoon feeding Twilight her lunch, it was time for chemistry. They sat next to each other, and Sunset gave Twilight a kiss for good luck before the tests were handed out. Mr. Cranky didn’t pull his punches either. The sheer amount of numbers and letters crammed next to each other was enough to make one’s head spin. The questions were multiple choice, but solving for each of them would take forever.

She took a quick peek at Twilight, seeing her pencil already flying across her scratch sheet of paper. Well, if she can do it, so can I. Sunset put her pencil to the page and got to work, hyperfocusing for the next two hours on the formulas and problems before her, stopping only to chew on her pencil, then pinch herself to get her to quit it.

When Mr. Cranky called time, Sunset dropped her pencil and her head against the desk. She could see Twilight leaning back in her chair, looking quite pleased with herself. When the bell released them for the day, the test was all Twilight could talk about.

“Number twenty-seven really threw me for a loop the way it was worded. Proof that critical reading skills are necessary in all fields, not just English. Oh, but what did you think about number thirty-one? I think a lot of people might get that wrong since you have to correct the formula before plugging it in.”

“You did?” Sunset rubbed the side of her head. “Aw, horsefeathers.”

Twilight patted her on the back. “I’m sure you still did great.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” She lightly punched Twilight’s shoulder. “I told you you were panicking for nothing.”

Twilight pushed up her glasses. “It was not for nothing. That was our hardest class and the test was worth fifteen percent of our final grade. I was panicking the right amount.”

“Whatever you say, babe. So, how’s the speech coming along?” Sunset should have known better than to ask. Twilight stopped walking and looked like a deer in headlights. “And here we go again.”

They spent Wednesday night going over speech drafts for the graduation ceremony before cramming in one last study session for their final classes. By the time Thursday came to an end, and Sunset had finished her econ and trigonometry tests, she hoped she would never see another number in her life.

The halls on Friday were decorated with streamers and confetti in their school colors. Hanging in the rotunda was a banner reading ‘Congratulations, Seniors!’ Yearbooks were handed out in their first class, and the periods were spent trading them around and having them signed.

Sunset and Rarity sat side by side, flipping through the pages of memories. She found Rainbow in five of the sport teams shots, holding a trophy in each one.

“Goodness, look at my hair!” Rarity held the book away from herself. “I knew I should have ran a brush through it one more time! Oh, now I’m going to be haunted by this forever!”

Sunset leaned over and saw Rarity’s picture with the fashion club. “Rarity, your hair looks fine.”

“Do you not see it?” she hissed, shoving the book closer. If Sunset squinted, she could see one small fiber of hair sticking out in the back. “How could I have been so careless? And on picture day, too!” She swooned.

“Rarity, people are only going to know if you point it out to them,” Sunset said, trying to keep from sounding too annoyed.

“But I will always know!”

Let it go, Sunset, you’re fighting an unwinnable battle. She continued browsing the book, finding the page on the Fall Formal. There were several shots from the dance on one side, and on the other, a full picture of Princess Twilight wearing her crown.

Sunset chewed on the inside of her cheek. She let the feelings of guilt and shame run their course. Thinking on that night would always bring an unwelcome twinge. But, one deep breath later, and the thought of everything she had gained from that night, and Sunset was fine again.

Still, as she looked down at Princess Twilight’s photo, lingering resentment still swirled inside her. Something about the princess’s face still ticked her off. The girl who had taken everything from her, beaten her, then left. She went home to Celestia, with a crown and a kingdom to look forward to, while Sunset had to suffer and struggle in this world. Sure, half of her suffering was her own fault, but she had stood tall and cleaned up every mistake, no thanks to the princess. Even with everything she had gone through, Sunset’s animosity toward Princess Twilight couldn’t be snuffed out.

Mr. Noteworthy handed out their grades, pausing to give Sunset a rare, if tiny, smile. “Congratulations, Miss Shimmer. Perhaps you’ll still make something of yourself.”

Old Sunset would have said something snarky. Heck, Sunset from a month ago would have too. This Sunset just took the compliment and turned her paper over, finding an A+ in the box next to history. Rarity squealed beside her, showing off her own A.

Miss Cheerilee gave a short speech on how she would miss all of them before handing their grades back. Her smile to Sunset was much warmer as well, going nicely with her second A+. Before lunch arrived, Sunset had three perfect grades, tying her with Twilight.

“Maybe they’ll switch us at the last second and I’ll be valedictorian,” Sunset said teasingly.

“You’re forgetting that I took six AP classes. You only have five,” Twilight said with a confident smile.

Rainbow waved her report card. “I’m just happy I passed. You know what they say, ‘Cs get degrees.’”

“You’re gonna do so great in college,” Applejack said dryly, showing off her two Bs and an A.

They passed around their yearbooks, writing long, heartfelt messages to each other. In Pinkie’s case, she took up a whole page, explaining in detail how much she loved each of them and what made them special. By the end, half the table was in tears and sharing long hugs.

“You guys are so sentimental it hurts sometimes,” Sunset said, finding herself caught between a sobbing Pinkie and Fluttershy.

“Hello, pot, we’re kettle,” Rarity said, dabbing her eyes.

Sunset and Twilight received their grades from their final classes, A+s for both of them. As the final bell for their high school career rang, Canterlot High burst into jubilant cheers and cries of victory that sang through the halls. Papers and notebooks were tossed into the air, practice for the ceremony tomorrow.

As the girls convened in the rotunda, Sunset took one last look at the trophy case. “Hard to believe we never have to come back here again.”

“It’s very surreal,” Rarity said. “Four years worth of memories are in these halls. Now we’re on to bigger and better things.”

“Yeah.” An honest smile graced Sunset’s lips. “Bigger and better.”

*******

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “Artemis, come on. We’re going to be late.”

The camera flashed again. “Okay, okay, just one more for Trixie. Smile, baby girl!”

Trixie posed and smiled again. “You should enjoy this while it lasts, Sunset. After all, it’s only going to happen once for you.”

“Ha ha.” Sunset smoothed out her blue graduation gown and adjusted the sash over her shoulders. “We can take more pictures after the ceremony. Remember, I have to help lead the procession and give one of the first speeches.”

Selena opened the front door and pointed outside. “She’s right. I’d hate for them to be late today of all days.” She turned her head to the stairs and shouted, “Hurry up and get down here!”

Lamia descended, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and thick sunglasses. “I’m all happy for you, really, but why do I have to go? I didn’t even go to my own graduation.”

“Because I trust you here alone about as far as I can throw you,” Selena said. “Now, march.”

Thanks to Artemis’ insistent picture taking, finding parking around Canterlot High was nearly impossible. They had to park two blocks away and walk at a brisk pace to make it one time. But, the sun was bright and the weather surprisingly cool for the last week of May.

Sunset hurried to the front of the line, waving at all her fellow graduates and watching them dance anxiously as they waited to enter the stadium.

“You’re almost late,” Twilight said. She had done her hair in a braided ponytail today. Her gown also looked a size too big for her, the sleeves completely covering her hands.

“You look like a child.”

Twilight swatted her with her sleeves. “I told them small! Apparently, someone shoved a medium into a small bag, and I got this!” She groaned. “And I’m wearing heels. What if I trip? The whole stadium is going to laugh at me! Then, when I go up there to speak…” Her face paled.

Sunset reached for her hand, having to dig a little for it. “I’ll be with you the whole time. So if you trip, we’ll at least go down together.”

At Twilight’s giggle, the stadium speakers crackled, and Miss Celestia began to speak, welcoming family and friends. A wave of butterflies passed through Sunset’s stomach. She had made it. She had ran out on her studies before she could finish at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. It wasn’t a degree in magic, but the swell of accomplishment rising through her told her these years in the human world hadn’t been completely in vain.

Celestia’s speech ended, and ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ flared to life, uplifting and triumphant. Miss Luna opened the gates to the stadium and picked up the school flag. “Single file behind me,” she said over the rising violins. “Best behavior, all of you.”

Falling in step behind her, hands still locked together, Sunset and Twilight entered the stadium to a congratulatory roars and a storm of applause. The stands were packed to the brim, parents cheering and crying, friends whooping and blowing air horns, and cameras flashing everywhere. Sunset spotted Artemis and Selena, an easy feat with the miniature fireworks coming from Artemis’ wand. Lamia sat next to them, looking bored even with her sunglasses on. She saw Pinkie’s entire family sitting in the front row, all of them stone faced. Twilight’s family sat not too far away, Velvet and Cadence already blowing their noses.

Rows of white chairs lined the football field with a stage set up at the home team’s endzone. The students passed under an archway of balloons to get to their chairs, walking down a blue carpet that matched their gowns. Sunset and Twilight took their place at the front and looked back at their friends, two rows behind them. Pinkie waved enthusiastically and shouted, “Good luck!”

The music hit its crescendo as the last student walked onto the field and sat down. There were a few open chairs left, and doing another quick scan of the students, Sunset knew one of them had been meant for Moondancer.

“Welcome, this year’s graduating class of Canterlot High School!” Celestia said, pausing to allow the students to cheer for themselves. “You have all worked so hard over the course of this interesting year, and that hard work is reflected in the diploma’s you’re about to receive. I am proud of each and every one of you, and know you will go on to create bright futures, not just for yourselves, but for the world around you. Now, to officially welcome you on this momentous day, please welcome your fellow classmate, who we are thrilled to have safe and healthy again, our salutatorian, Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset rose from her seat to an enthusiastic applause. Twilight gave her hand an extra squeeze before letting go, and Celestia gave her a welcoming smile as she walked onto stage and up to the podium. Looking out at the sea of faces, her heart pounded. You can do this. Show how easy this is for Twilight.

“Fellow students, welcome to the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. The road to get here wasn’t easy, and I know for many of you, I made sure it was even harder. I can never apologize enough for how I treated some of you, and I don’t expect all of you to forgive me.” She took a deep breath to ease her still fluttering heart. “It’s a poor excuse, I know, but it’s said that hardships make us stronger. We learn and grow more as people. Maybe the experiences you’ve had over the last four years have taught you something. Maybe you’re stronger people for it. It’s my hope that you are, and that you go out and use that strength for good.”

Sunset raised an empowering fist. “In this last year, I’ve seen how strong you all can be when you come together. You guys are a force for good! You’re Wondercolts! When you set your mind to something, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish!”

She paused and let them cheer again. “I know I’m late in showing it, but I’m thankful for sharing a class with you. There’s a myriad of talent amongst you all, from music, to art, to baking, and more. Don’t let anyone tell you your talents are useless, and don’t let yourself think they’re useless either. Any talent can be an instrument of change for the world. And like Miss Celestia said, you’ll go on to make the world a brighter place.” She let out an extended sigh of relief as the applause rolled in. “Thank you, Canterlot High! For everything!

She stepped off the stage, smiling at Celestia again, and sat down.

Twilight beamed at her. “You sounded so confident.”

“Easy peasy. If I can do it, so can you.”

Twilight looked away, biting her lip.

Celestia spoke a few more words, introduced the board of trustees, and allowed Luna to speak as well.

“And now,” Luna said, gesturing down to the students, “please welcome your valedictorian, Twilight Sparkle!”

As Twilight rose, Sunset gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “You got this, Sparky.”

Twilight let out a short, high-pitched giggle as she approached the microphone. “F-fellow students… I mean, dearest classmates! I’m very happy to see you all here today. Umm…”

Sunset saw her fidget. It’s okay, Sparky. Just breathe. Come on, look at me and breathe. Like Twilight had heard her, their eyes met, and Sunset took a deep breath, prompting Twilight to do the same.

She cleared her throat. “While I’ve only attended Canterlot High this past year, having to say goodbye to all of you is still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Not just because I’m bad at public speaking.” The audience laughed, and Sunset saw the last of the tension leave Twilight’s shoulders. “In less than a year, I’ve met so many new and wonderful people, including five of the best friends anyone could ask for, and a partner who, while frustrating at times, is one of the strongest and most loving people I’ve ever met.”

Sunset lowered her cap over her eyes, trying to hide her red face.

“There was something vastly different about this school compared to my previous one. I felt it when I first walked onto campus. It was friendship. The amount of friendship and compassion in this school is vast and deep. My previous institution was all about competition and reputation. While it isn’t always perfect, here, students work together and are proud of each other’s accomplishments. And as we move forward to the next part of our lives, I hope you’ll all take that with you: the spirit of friendship. Bring it wherever you go. Continue to be honest, show everyone you meet kindness and generosity. Make someone laugh. And stay true to your friends and to yourself.

“The memories I’ve gained here are some of the best in my life. When we part ways and travel down our chosen paths, I’ll look back on our shared time fondly, as I hope you will too. As Shakespeare wrote, ‘parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be ‘morrow.’ While we have to say goodbye today, I’m sure many of us will cross paths again, and I look forward to sharing what we’ve learned in the meantime. Thank you all so much! Go, Wondercolts!”

The round of cheers Twilight got were louder than Sunset’s, not that she minded much. Twilight hurried off the stage, stumbling when she hit the grass, but managing to stay upright. She collapsed into her chair and wiped the sweat off her brow. “I never want to do that again.”

Sunset leaned against her. “You did great, Sparky.”

Celestia returned to the podium, thanked all the speakers, then asked for the first row to stand and line up next to the stage. “With the power vested in me as principal of this institution, I will now confer upon these students who have met all the graduation requirements, proof of their hard work, determination, and perseverance. When I call your name, please step forth and receive your diploma. Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight hurried up the steps, almost tripping again as she got to the top. She accepted the ribbon bound scroll and shook Celestia and Luna’s hands, then walked across the stage, waving to the audience while the music played on in the background.

“Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset stepped up and took her diploma, beaming back at Celestia as they shook hands. “Thanks for everything,” she said.

Celestia let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t thank me. You got this far on your own merits.”

“Not completely on my own.”

“Very true. I wish you nothing but happiness, Sunset.”

Sunset bowed her head and moved on before the tears could surface. Luna gave her a friendly smile as well, congratulating her and wishing her the best. Sunset looked out to the crowd, seeing Artemis let loose another firework.

She returned to her seat and watched her friends walk across the stage, standing and cheering for each of them. Pinkie, in an act that surprised no one, shoved her diploma into her hair and cartwheeled off the stage.

“Nailed it!” she said, bouncing back to her seat.

When the last student received their diploma, the music died down once more, and everyone rose to their feet. Celestia stood before them for the last time. “Students, it is proper tradition that upon receiving your diplomas, you move the tassels on your cap from left to right, signifying the next change in your life.”

Sunset and Twilight faced one another and moved the other’s tassel. “You ready?” Sunset asked. Twilight gave an excited nod.

“I now present the graduating class of Canterlot High! Congratulations!”

As one, the students screamed in elation and extol, and threw their caps into the air. Sunset wrapped Twilight in a hug and swung her around, savoring her shriek of delight. Five others quickly latched onto their hug, and the Spectacular Seven jumped up and down in each others arms while Pinkie sang, “We did it, we did it, we did it!”

Families flooded the field, bringing with them flowers, balloons and more cameras. With the thrum of victory in the air and the jubilant laughter of her friends, Sunset couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. All of their families herded them up to take pictures and hand them gifts of felicitations. Many a mother rained kisses down on their child’s head.

“Mother stop, you’re embarrassing me,” Trixie bemoaned.

“I’m just so proud of you!”

Artemis hooked an arm around Sunset’s neck and pulled her in for a hug. “And it’s thanks to you we got to live to see this moment! You have my undying gratitude, Sunset!”

She still couldn’t find the strength to frown. “Don’t mention it. Just glad I could help.”

“Come on now, let’s get a picture with all your cute little friends!” Artemis released Sunset and ran off to collaborate with the other parents. They migrated to a less crowded space and pressed the girls together, Sunset standing in the middle.

Flash wandered over with a sheepish look. “Mind if I join?”

Rarity hooked him by the arm and pulled him in. “A gentleman for asking, but of course you can join us.”

“All right now, squeeze in everyone,” Artemis said, holding up his camera. “Big smiles! That means you, baby girl!”

Sunset felt Twilight wrap a hand around hers. She gave it a loving squeeze. I don’t know what comes next. We’ll all have to go our separate ways soon. But in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy every second I have!

“Say, ‘graduates!’”

“Graduates!” they all cheered as the flash went off.

*******

Moondancer gave the mask a little bend, making sure it was flexible enough to her liking. Chafing was something she literally couldn’t tolerate. Satisfied with its flexibility, she carefully slipped it onto the left side of her face, wincing at the contact. A few adjustments, and she finally lifted her head to look in the mirror.

A plain white mask with a narrow slit for her eye covered half her face. With its smooth paleness, it almost looked like she was whole again. A tear splashed down onto her vanity, and with a sweep of her arm, she knocked away her collection of makeup and hand mirrors.

She rested the good side of her face in her hand and sighed. Once again, she was a prisoner in her own house. Tempest said she had a mission for her soon, but in the meantime, Moondancer was to go nowhere.

Today would have been graduation day. She should have been on a grassy field, listening to thunderous applause at the completion of her high school career. Now, she didn’t even get that luxury.

Moondancer sighed. She could see Twilight walking across the stage in her mind’s eye. She was proud of her little star. Her thoughts then turned to Sunset, and she dug her nails into her palm. Her eye caught sight of her reflection.

You’ll pay for this, Sunset.

But even that threat felt hollow now. Moondancer relaxed her hand and sighed again. Without the Archon Amulet twisting her thoughts, even her base level of animosity felt lower than usual.

“Does it still hurt?”

She swung around, her tense shoulders falling in disappointment. “Oh, it’s you.”

Night Shade stood in her door, something close to concern on his face. “You’ve been quiet the last few days.”

“I’ve had nothing to say.” Moondancer turned back to her vanity, loathing that she could still see him in the reflection.

He shifted nervously. “I’m… proud of you,” he said slowly.

Moondancer cocked an eyebrow. “Are you now?”

“Today’s graduation day, isn’t it? You’ve finished high school.”

Moondancer studied his reflection. She was surprised he had even been keeping track of such a thing. “It is. But in case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t gone to school in the past three weeks. I failed all of my finals. I did not graduate.”

“It’s the idea that counts,” Night Shade said, more slowly.

Her irritation flared. Moondancer stood up and stormed toward him, practically shoving him out of the way. “No, it does not count. And if you must know, yes, it always hurts.” She continued her march down the hall and turned toward the long flight of stairs leading up to the third floor.

When she got to the top, she looked back to make sure he hadn't followed. Not that he ever did. Moondancer faced the plain door at the end of the short hall. She smoothed out her dress, wanting to look presentable, and turned the silver knob.

The room beyond was beige and plain. The window was open, allowing the curtains to flutter in the breeze. A soft, rhythmic beep filled the quiet space.

Moondancer shut the door behind her. “Hello, Mother.”

Apalla laid in a large bed, her head tilted toward the window. Her wrinkled hands were neatly laid on top of her lap, and an IV extended from her arm.

Moondancer walked around and pulled the only chair up to her mother’s side, looking into her blue eyes. She lifted a hand and ran it through Apalla’s wispy and dry hair. “The orchids are about to bloom again. I’ll bring you some when they do,” she said softly. She brought her hand down to her mother’s sunken cheeks. “You’d like that, right?”

Apalla didn’t answer.

“I… I know I haven’t done the best things. But the end justifies the means. I’ll make the world a better place. I will!” Moondancer’s hand fell, and she looked down at the floor. “I just… I wish…” She clenched a fist.

“Sunset says you chose to stay in the Soul Lock, but she’s wrong! You would have come to see me if you could have, right?” She wiped the tear coming out of her right eye. “Right. That horrible demon. She’s never had to sacrifice anything. She’s never lost anything like I have. Yet she thinks she can lecture and patronize me.”

Moondancer looked up again. “But it’s not over. I won’t give up. I can’t give up.” She tightened her curled hand. “Tirek will be summoned, and when he arrives, I will slay him with my own two hands. The cycle will come to an end. Then, your soul will finally be free, Mother. We can be together again.”

She laid a hand over her mother’s, tears falling onto both of them. “You’re all that’s left for me now. But I’ll fight for you until the very end.”

Volume II

End

Author's Note

Standby for the postscript.

Not interested in the author's commentary? Well, I hope to see you next time for Volume III!

We're almost halfway there, guys...

Volume II Closing Theme

Volume III: Limitless Love—1. The Calm

“Love, the oldest non-primordial magic. Platonic, familial, romantic; it has the power to do amazing things.

“It has the power to do terrible things as well.

“What is it? Where does it come from? Perhaps that’s the beauty of love. It’s incalculable, undefinable. It just is.

“And it’s infinite.”

Volume III

Limitless Love

Sunset Shimmer pulled herself onto the top of the boulder, taking a knee to catch her breath. She wiped the dust off on her jeans then stood and admired the view. To her left, the Unicorn Range fanned out below her. Hills colored in every shade of green rolled on for miles, a turquoise river snaking in between them. On the horizon, she could see a floating metropolis made of the fluffiest white clouds with a rainbow cascading off the side.

But Sunset’s destination lay further ahead of her. Up the rocky slopes of the mountain. She was almost there now.

The purple spires and gold accents of Canterlot were radiant in the afternoon sun. Sunset could reach out and almost touch them, feel the warm, polished stones. It wouldn’t be long now.

Sunset jumped off the boulder and landed on the mountain road. She broke into a run, following the zig zagging path. At this speed, she would be home by sundown.

“You’re really leaving, aren’t you?”

Sunset skidded to a halt and whirled around. Twilight stood in the middle of the road, wearing her prom dress. The stars on her skirt glowed with an ethereal light that made Sunset’s eyes water.

“Twilight, I…” Sunset looked at her girlfriend, then at her home city.

“It’s okay,” Twilight said softly. She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. “I… I always suspected you would want to go home.”

Sunset took a step forward, squinting her eyes as the stars on Twilight’s dress grew brighter. “You could come with me. I could show you all of Equestria. You could see all the magic you want!”

Twilight shook her head. “No. I’m human and you’re not. This is where you belong.”

“That’s not—” But the light had become too intense now. Sunset raised an arm to block the intense glow. “Twilight?”

When the light faded, Twilight was gone.

Sunset ran to the spot where Twilight had stood. Nothing remained, not even the scent of lavender Twilight always wore.

*******

Sunset awoke with her right arm numb from being crushed under her side. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Dreams about Equestria didn’t visit her often, but every time they did, she seemed to get a little closer to home.

Home.

Sunset sat up in bed. Morning light peeked through the curtains of the window across from her. Spot was still curled up at the foot of her bed, ears up and alert. Resting against the headboard, Sunset took a look around what had become her room.

A long string of multicolored lights hung around the otherwise bare blue walls. Unlike most other teenage girls, Sunset didn’t have posters of bands or television shows to put up. However, on the nightstand next to her was a framed photo of her and her friends. Before, it had been them adorned in their dresses from the Winter Ball. Now, everyone was dressed in their cap and gowns, diplomas in hand. Even Trixie and Flash were included.

On Sunset’s desk was her laptop and another framed photo, this one of just her and Twilight. Sunset stood behind her, arms wrapped around Twilight’s shoulder. Their cheeks were smooshed together, upsetting Twilight’s glasses. Twilight, grinning from ear-to-ear, didn’t seem to mind.

Across from the desk was Sunset’s dresser. A potted plant and a pink unicorn plushie sat on top. Sunset hadn’t talked to the stuffed toy in a while. The dresser, once containing a random assortment of clothes, either too small or never worn by anyone in the Lulamoon family, now contained clothes that were decisively Sunset’s. Some of those clothes were even scattered on the carpet.

Yes, this had become her room. The Lulamoon house had become her home. Artemis doted on her, Selena made sure she was fed and had done her homework, Trixie was… Trixie. As loud and obnoxious as she was, Sunset considered her something akin to a sister. They had become as close to family as Sunset had ever had in this world.

Sunset slouched, her head almost touching her pillow again. She loved not living in a derelict old factory anymore. But living with the Lulamoons reminded her she had a family back in Equestria. A mom and dad who probably thought she was dead by now, if they weren’t dead themselves.

Her insides turned to ice. That was a possibility she hadn’t considered before. She could count on Celestia being there when she returned to Equestria. But if her parents had passed on during the time Sunset had been gone…. She tried to not think about it, but such an ugly thought wedged itself firmly at the center of her mind. All the time she missed out on with them. What had they thought of her disappearance? Had they moved on?

And what if they were alive? Could Sunset really just knock on the door of her childhood home and be embraced by loving hooves? Or would the door be slammed in her face?

Another reason to go home, Sunset thought. There were so many loose ends she needed to tie up. But, she had less than two years remaining before the portal opened again. When that time came, Sunset was going to have to make a choice. Stay here with the friends and pseudo-family she had made, or go home to the land of magic and ponies.

Of course, this world had magic now, too. Sunset had magic.

She lifted a hand over her head and slowly rolled her wrist. She had stolen magic, abused it, and paid the price. After that, when she found out this world had magic, she had wanted nothing to do with it. Magic meant power, and power was something she had desired.

Seeing her friends gain magical abilities only reinforced that fear, that uncertainty. If this hybrid magic of earth and Equestria brought out their best features, then it would only bring out Sunset’s worst: the demon from the Fall Formal.

Now, it held no terror for her. No longer was it a warped and twisted version of herself, lying in the shadows of her heart, eager for her to tap into it and lose control. It no longer hid behind veils of self-doubt and uncertainty. It had taken staring down Sirens, Moondancer, and her own demon for Sunset to accept the fact that she was good. Inside and outside, she had changed for the better. At last, she had come to accept her past actions. Yes, she still felt guilty over what she had done in pursuit of revenge and power, but it no longer crippled her. She had learned her lessons, done her best to make up for them, and would strive to be better every chance she got.

Sunset lowered her arm but rose into a sitting position. She had magic again. The defining piece of herself lost when she had crossed worlds. It took on a new form now, a little more limited than her unicorn powers. But she still had it. She could pony up like the rest of her friends, and at prom, she had tapped into something even greater. Rainbow kept referring to it as ‘Super Sayian’ which irked Sunset to no end. Everyone else affectionately called it ‘Phoenix Drive.’ Whether she could do it again was still a mystery.

The idea had run through her head and heart plenty of times over the weeks since prom, but between finals, graduation, and the newest Lulamoon house guest, Lamia, Sunset never had time to really dwell on the ideas of magic. Sitting in bed, it settled over her like a cool wave. She had magic again! She no longer feared losing control! She even felt excited to see what she could do!

Closing her eyes, Sunset concentrated with all her might to pony up. All her friends had gained additional powers with their pony forms, maybe Sunset had too! Or maybe she’d jump straight to her Phoenix Drive.

Bzzt bzzt!

Her phone on her bedside table broke her concentration. Sighing, Sunset looked over and read the message on the screen, her heart giving a little flutter.

‘Hey, would you like to hang out before we see the girls?’

Sunset picked her phone up, simply staring at the message as her dream played in her head again. She had tried to go home, and Twilight had vanished, even as Sunset begged her to come along.

Yes, both worlds had some form of magic now, eliminating one of the variables Sunset had to consider deciding between. But it still left the hardest deciding factor of her staying or going. She loved her friends, she loved the Lulamoons, and she would hate to say goodbye to any of them.

But she loved Twilight Sparkle.

A different Sunset Shimmer would have balked at the fantastical romance this Sunset had for Twilight. They hadn’t been together a whole year! But it was Twilight who drove Sunset to become a better person. It was Twilight who wanted to be Sunset’s friend without any interference from a certain princess.

It was Twilight’s love that helped Sunset pull herself out of the Soul Lock.

The idea she had found her soulmate felt like a fairytale. But it was real to Sunset. And she was sure it was real for Twilight as well. Sunset had no idea if it would last. Twilight was college-bound, and after that, something even greater, world-changing probably. Sunset refused to get in the way of that. Even if they had to become just friends, Sunset would be happy having Twilight in her life. So that was always the deciding factor.

Could Sunset live in a world without Twilight?

She wanted to say ‘no’, but had a feeling that was her heart being overdramatic. She blamed Rarity. Sunset had a life before Twilight, and she was sure she would have one after. Sure, it would be dull, gray, uninspiring, and lacking terrible puns, but she would have one.

Sunset clapped her hands over her eyes and groaned. “Why does this have to be so hard?”

She texted back a quick ‘sure, be over soon’, and put her phone down. Her final decision could wait. She still had two years after all.

Rising out of bed woke Spot up. He stood and stretched himself out before walking to the edge of the mattress, tail wagging as he watched Sunset shamble over to her dresser to pick out clothes to wear for the day.

Today marked the official beginning of summer vacation. Pinkie demanded a group get-together to mark the occasion, though it wasn’t as if any of the Spectacular Seven were going to say no.

Once her clothes were picked out, Sunset showered Spot with affection, petting him and letting him lick her face. She took the unicorn toy from atop her dresser and tossed it around for him, cheering whenever he gave it a hard shake.

When Spot was satisfied with his playtime, Sunset picked up her clothes and stepped into the hall. On the far end were two other bedrooms. The one with it’s door open a crack belonged to Trixie. The other, completely shut, was the spare bedroom Lamia now took residence in. She mostly kept to herself, a relief for Selena who glared anytime Lamia walked into the same room as her.

Sunset couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive though. Lamia didn’t eat with them (another relief for Selena), and any time she did come out, there were thick bags under her eyes.

With all their previous interactions, Sunset had expected Lamia to be, well, more of a nuisance; snarking whenever possible and seeing how many buttons she could push on everyone before they snapped. Sunset postulated that her talk about Scarlet’s actions not being any fault of Lamia’s had not fully convinced the thief.

Sunset made a mental note to try and check up on her later in the day. She moved on to the bathroom, showered, and got dressed. It was a rare morning when Trixie didn’t bang on the bathroom door to coax Sunset to move faster.

Grabbing her phone and slipping her jacket and favorite necklace on, Sunset headed downstairs to the kitchen, finding Selena and Artemis sitting at the island table, speaking in hushed tones. They cut their conversation and straightened up when Sunset walked in.

“Good morning, Sunny!” Artemis said jovially. “What are you up to today?”

“I was heading to Twilight’s for a bit, then going to hang out with the girls,” Sunset said, reaching into the pantry for a granola bar while eyeing the two adults. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Artemis gave her a smile that stretched from ear-to-ear. He smiled so often, Sunset couldn’t tell if this one was forced. “Just boring spouse talk. You’ll understand when you and Twilight get married.”

Sunset froze, her heart hammering in her chest. “I-I mean, th-that’s making a lot of assumptions, isn’t it?”

Selena gave her a rare smirk. “Is it though?”

Pushing away the cozy thoughts of sharing a house and bed with Twilight, Sunset backed out of the kitchen. “See you guys later.”

When she shut the front door behind her, Sunset realized she had played into their ploy to get rid of her. She shrugged it off. If whatever they were talking about was important, they would tell her in time.

She mounted her motorcycle and started the ignition, revving the engine a few times just to hear her baby roar. Giving it a gentle pat, she pulled out of the driveway and onto the suburban streets.

Canterlot was awash with color under the late morning sun. Trees boasting their fully grown emerald leaves stood on either side of Sunset as she raced past them. She caught blurs of red roses and marigolds in gardens, and children wearing vibrant clothes played in front lawns. The sky above was clear and painted a forget-me-not blue. Sunset was tempted to take off her helmet to feel the wind rush against her face and truly appreciate the late spring air.

She parked in front of Twilight’s house, the fountain burbling merrily in the front lawn. Two steps up the porch, the front door swung open, revealing a beaming Twilight.

“I heard your motorcycle from all the way down the street!” Her bright mood was complemented by her bright outfit. She wore a purple skirt decorated with pink starbursts and two little pockets on the front, and a blue and purple striped shirt with a pink ribbon tied into a bow around the collar.

“Someone looks cuter than normal,” Sunset said, nodding in approval. She stepped forward and kissed Twilight on the nose.

Twilight gave a giddy giggle and pulled her inside. “New summer clothes. Mom bought them for me yesterday.”

“You know you’re going to have to shop for yourself eventually, right?”

Twilight looked back at her. “What, you think I can’t pick out my own clothes?”

“Well, every time we’ve gone to the mall, either someone bought something for you, or Rarity had to beat your fashion choices out of your hand.”

“That’s… true… dang it.”

As they crossed through the living room, Sunset noticed the number of boxes stacked in the corners and around the couch. Her stomach squirmed. “You’re not… packing already, are you?”

“Hmm? Oh, no! Those are Shining’s. He and Cadence are moving into a new apartment together after the wedding.”

Sunset let out a discrete sigh of relief. “Right, of course.” She had almost forgotten about the wedding. Cadence had handed her an invitation in January. Now, it was a month away.

Twilight turned to face Sunset, clasping her hands behind her back, and rocking back and forth on her toes. “Umm, I wanted to ask you a long time ago… but, you know… I wasn’t sure if we’d still be…”

“Together?” Sunset finished.

“Yeah…” Twilight rubbed her arm. “Is that wrong? I never doubted our relationship! I just didn’t want to plan something so far in advance when we’d only been dating a couple months! It’s like the whole ‘I love you’ thing! I didn’t want to say anything in case it was too soon, or you didn’t feel as strong, or—”

“Sparky, sweetie, you’re cute when you’re babbling, but you’re babbling.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Right. Um, I just wanted to ask if you were still coming to the wedding… with me… as my date?”

Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. She could have been snarky, but the hopeful light in Twilight’s eyes was too pure to crush, even with playful barbs. “Yes, Twilight, I’m going to the wedding with you.”

“Oh, yay!” It wasn’t Twilight who spoke, but Cadence, coming downstairs. “I was hoping you would come! You and Twilight will be the cutest couple there! Next to me and Shining, of course.”

“Hey, Cadence,” Sunset said with a wave. “How’s the wedding planning going?”

A tired shadow fell over Cadence’s heart-shaped face. “It’s been more work than I expected, and Shining can’t help too much because he’s been taking extra shifts to make sure we can pay for everything, so I’ve had to meet the florist and the photographer and two bands because the first one cancelled on me last month, all by myself; and I can’t even eat my Double-Fudgey Chocolate Chip ice cream to relax because I need to make sure I fit in my wedding dress! Do I look like I’m gaining weight?”

Landmine.

Sunset gave Cadence—who had grown more frantic the more she spoke and now looked like she could break into tears at any moment—a calming smile. “Cadence, you look great. I’m sure everything is going to be fine.”

Cadence took a deep breath, regaining some composure. “You’re right. It’s just a lot to deal with. But, it’s almost over. In fact, I need to call Shining about the seating arrangement. You two have fun!” She hurried into the kitchen before Twilight or Sunset could say anything.

“I’ve been helping when I can,” Twilight said. “I did research into some of the best florists and caterers in town, managed their budget, created their wedding website, but Cadence has been doing most of the work, on top of her job and handling hecklers who want her to marry them instead.”

“Yikes, sounds like a lot.” Sunset wondered if getting married was worth that much undue stress. Sunset made a mental note to discuss eloping with Twilight if they ever made it that far.

Her brain conjured up Twilight in a wedding dress at the top of an altar. Sunset had lived out that fantasy while trapped in the Soul Lock. Yes, it had been a lie, but it had been a lie based on Sunset’s deepest desire.

Maybe a wedding wouldn’t be so bad.

Twilight waved a hand over Sunset’s face. “Sunnykins?”

“Huh? Sorry, just, uh, lost in thought. Did you say something?”

“I was asking if you wanted to come to the lab with me.”

“You mean the garage?”

“Lab!” Twilight stomped her foot against the carpet. “I wanted your help on the inventions I’m making for my scholarships. We can be lab partners!”

“Garage partners.” Sunset laughed as Twilight balled her fists and tried to look angry. “Twilight, break just started. Can’t you just relax for a minute?”

Twilight shook her head. “Nope! I need to get as many scholarships as I can to offset the cost of school. Plus, there are so many ideas I have to work on, and now, I have the time to do it!”

Sunset rolled her neck and sighed. “Sparky, normally, I would share your enthusiasm, but with everything I’ve been through, I just want to enjoy my summer.” Though she still had ideas of testing her magic.

Twilight clapped her hands together and fixed Sunset with wide, sparkling eyes. “Come on, Sunnykins, it’ll be fun! I’ll even do most of the work!”

“Twilight…”

“I do my best work when I’m with you. School may be out, but we still have great chemistry together.”

Sunset gave her an blank stare. She then plucked Twilight’s glasses off and stowed them in her pocket. “You can have these back when you behave.”

“Sunset!”

“Nope!”

Twilight squinted at her. “Seriously, I need those.”

“And I need to not hear bad puns.”

“Sunset, give them back!”

“Mmm, nah.” Sunset started to walk toward the garage.

Twilight put her arms out and felt the air in front of her. “Sunset!”

“Over here.”

“Sunset, please!”

“No.”

“I need those!”

“That’s nice.”

“You’re a jerk!”

“And you’re cute when you’re floundering.”

“Sunset!”

*******

Sunset returned Twilight’s glasses, and to make it up to her, agreed to help with her projects. They spent an hour in the lab, Twilight explaining her first idea of a ‘selfie gyrocopter’ while Sunset, with her slightly better artistic skills, drew up a rough schematic.

Twilight rummaged through her boxes of spare parts to see what she had to work with so far. Her haul wasn't too bad. She found a decent base for the gyrocopter’s body, and a few propellers.

“I’ll write up a list of supplies for Dad to get me from the university labs,” Twilight said as they walked out front. The girls were due to meet at Sugarcube Corner in ten minutes.

“Babe, not that it won't be amazing, but why are you building a selfie gyrocopter?” As narcissistic as Sunset had once been, she found the concept of selfies utterly dumb.

Twilight paused, looking lost in thought. “Well, no one else has made one. Besides…” She toed a crack in the sidewalk, looking abashed. “I like selfies.”

“Of course you do.” Sunset pulled her extra helmet from under her motorcycle seat and handed it over.

With Twilight clinging on for dear life, Sunset rode over to the sweet shop. They found many of their fellow Canterlot alumni inside, and were greeted with smiles and waves. The rest of the Spectacular Seven waited for the couple in their favorite corner, milkshakes already on the table.

Sunset and Twilight slid into the booth and took hold of their milkshakes, strawberry for Sunset and mint chocolate chip for Twilight.

“Told you they’d come together,” Rainbow said, reclined in her seat.

“Great job,” Applejack said, “Ah suppose next you’ll tell me it’s sunny outside.”

Pinkie pulled a gavel from under the table and banged it on the surface. “Now that we are all gathered, I declare the first summer meeting of the Spectacular Seven to come to order! The first item on the docket…” Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she turned her head to Sunset. “What are we going to do for your birthday?”

Sunset inhaled sharply and snorted, feeling a rush of cold, frosty beverage shoot up her nose. She coughed and sputtered while Twilight patted her back. “Wh-what? H-how did you…. When did you—”

Dark glare never faltering, Pinkie said, “I know every birthday of every student in CHS.” Her face lit up like the sun, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “And did you really think we weren’t gonna celebrate your eighteenth birthday? Plus, your first birthday celebrated with us!”

Sunset could have told Pinkie that it wasn’t technically her eighteenth birthday, but decided it was a moot point. She had hoped they could have snuck past her birthday without any fanfare, but leave it to Pinkie to know anyhow.

“When exactly is your birthday, Sunset?” Rarity asked.

“It’s—”

“June 22nd!” Pinkie shouted, beating out Sunset.

It was Twilight’s turn to choke on her milkshake. Sunset hit her hard on the back, getting her to dribble some of her mint chocolate chip shake from her nose. “It is? But, that’s the wedding!”

“Wait a sec,” Rainbow said, “you two have been dating this long, and you didn’t know when Sunset’s birthday was?”

Napkin pressed over over her face, Twilight stammered, “I-it never… she always… I thought…”

“I kinda made it a point not to tell her,” Sunset said, sparing her girlfriend further humiliation. “Honestly, yes, I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday. I…”

Nostalgia washed over her as her mind drifted back to Equestria. Small cakes. A card from her parents. Maybe an extra hour with them before bed if they weren’t too tired. Then, there were the years with Celestia. Hours together in the garden. Extravagant cakes. New books and clothes. Sunset’s stomach turned, nostalgia evolving into longing and sadness.

“My birthdays were never great. And the ones that were… hurt to think about.” She turned in toward Twilight. “I was going to tell you eventually. But, you gave me the invitation to the wedding and I saw what day it was on. That’s Cadence and Shining’s day.”

“But it’s your day, too!” Twilight said, bordering on hysterics. “Now I have less than a month to find a present for you!”

Sunset squeezed Twilight’s hand. “No you don’t. You don’t have to get me anything.” She looked at the rest of her friends. “That goes for all of you. Really, my birthday isn’t that big of a deal.”

“Nothin’ doin’, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a smirk. “Once Pinkie declares you’re gettin’ a party, you’re gettin’ a party. Besides, you’re our best friend. And for everythin’ you’ve done for us, it’s the least we could do.”

“I haven’t done anything to warrant a party,” Sunset said, half exasperated, half bemused. “Everything I did, I did because you all helped me.”

“And we helped you because you mean the world to us,” Rarity said with a leisurely smile. “So, yes, I believe some kind of celebration is warranted.”

Sunset opened her mouth to protest, but one glare from Pinkie shut her up. She knew when she was beat. She wasn’t sure why she tried to argue in the first place. “Fine. But seriously, you girls don’t have to get me anything. Your company is all I need.”

“And she calls us sappy,” Pinkie said with a playful roll of her eyes. “All right, I’ll take care of everything.”

Twilight leaned into Sunset. “I’m going to get you a gift, whether you like it or not,” she whispered.

“Out of everyone here, you’re the last one who needs to get me a gift. And the last one I know I can convince otherwise.”

“As long as you know.”

Pinkie pulled a list from under the table and ticked off a box. “Okay, next on our docket…” A frown pulled at her face. “Should we be doing something about Tempest and Tirek?”

Sunset felt Twilight flinch, despite Pinkie leaving out Moondancer’s name. Her friends’ eyes fell onto her, and Sunset set her milkshake down.

“I think Artemis and Selena are planning something, but I’ve been told not to worry about it right now. I mean, without the Rainbow of Light, there isn’t much we can do, right? We have no idea where Tempest is.”

“Then let’s go find her and lay a smackdown,” Rainbow said, punching a fist into her open palm. “Or Moondancer. I’m not pick—ow!”

Applejack shook her hand out. “While Ah don’t like the idea of sittin’ on our haunches, that might be for the best. Let’s not go lookin’ for trouble we might not be able to handle.”

“But we have superpowers!” Rainbow said with a whine. “Seriously, who could really beat us?”

“The woman with the soul stealing amulet,” Sunset said dryly. “Just because we have magic doesn’t mean we should flaunt it. We’re strong, not invincible.”

Rainbow slumped and crossed her arms. “Killjoys.”

“Look, our presence alone might act as a deterrent. Tempest knows we have magic; that should keep her from trying to do anything drastic. Artemis and Selena can use that time to form a plan.” Sunset leaned back in her seat. “Maybe we can do a little magic practice or something, but honestly, between the Sirens, finals, and having my own soul ripped out, I’m ready for a break.”

Rainbow sat up, looking sheepish. “Yeah, right. You’ve more than earned a little rest.”

“We all have,” Rarity said. She raised her milkshake. “We all deserve a vacation! And it's the last time we’ll all be together before college! So, let’s forget about our troubles for a little bit and enjoy each other's company!”

“And if trouble rears its head…” Sunset allowed herself a cocky smirk. “We’ll hit ‘em with a rainbow.”

The girls cheered and clinked their glasses together: the promise of a summer to remember.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: What's the Opposite of Christmas in July?

Volume III Opening Theme

2. Goodbye and Hello

Sunset returned home as dusk settled over Canterlot. Shutting the front door, she could hear the Lulamoons speaking softly in the kitchen. When she approached the kitchen door, she saw they were all seated at the island counter; Trixie looked very excited, while Selena had her lips pressed tight. Artemis looked over his shoulder at Sunset’s approach and smiled.

“Ah, there you are! Come in, come in!”

Sunset took the open seat next to him. “Am I going to learn what you guys were whispering about earlier?” A world map and a smaller map of Canterlot were laid out across the table.

“There’s nothing left to discuss,” Selena said firmly, glaring at Artemis.

“I care to disagree,” Artemis said. He tapped a part of the Canterlot map, and a shimmery image of Moondancer’s manor blossomed up, rendered in three dimensions. “To my confusion and… sadness, Moondancer, and possibly Night Shade, are working with Tempest. We cannot prove the latter, but we have no reason to doubt his involvement and many reasons to presume it. Either way, all attempts to contact him have failed.”

He tapped another part of the map, and Canterlot Tower sprung up. “Surveillance on their place of business has shown nothing unusual. There’s no trace of magic there. And while there are traces of magic around the manor, every time I go over, it appears to be deserted. And Selena won’t let me go inside.”

Selena held up a finger. “One, that’s breaking and entering. Illegal if you get caught.”

“If,” Artemis said under his breath.

She held up another finger. “Two, have you already forgotten what happened the last time you tried to get information from the enemy?”

Artemis looked at his fingers and flexed them. “No, I haven’t,” he said, like a child who had been told he couldn’t go outside. He perked up. “But, that leads me to my proposal!”

Selena groaned and cupped a hand over her face.

Artemis swept his wand across the table. Both the manor and the tower disappeared, replaced by a sparkling rainbow. “We don’t know how yet, but Tempest wants to bring Tirek back. Our best, foolproof counter is the Rainbow of Light. And yes, it has been lost to the ages!” He twirled his wand in his fingers. “But I’m feeling lucky.”

Selena moved her hand to her temple. “I’m not against looking for the Rainbow. I would just like to have a fall back plan in case you don’t find it.” Her eyes slid over to Trixie. “I also don’t approve—”

“But, Moooom!” Trixie whined. “It’s Trixie’s birthright! Father even says so! I’m almost eighteen, and school’s over! Trixie wants to go!”

Sunset looked between them. “Okay, I'm lost again.”

Artemis held his wand high. “It is a right of passage for every Lulamoon to go out into the world and search for our lost treasure! I did it, my father did it, his mother did it, and her father before her! So on and so forth for a few generations.”

“Right!” Sunset recalled what Apalla had said in the Soul Lock. Every Lulamoon had hoped to find the Rainbow that had been lost by their ancestor.

Selena sighed. “And I understand that. You know I do. I was with you for most of your own pilgrimage. I just… I don’t want my baby girl out there in the middle of who knows what—”

“But I’ll be with Father! And I’m getting better with my own magic! Mother, please!”

“Trixie—”

“I’m not a child anymore!”

“Well you still sound like one with all the whining you’re doing!”

Artemis whispered to Sunset. “As you can see, we’re at a bit of a crossroads here.”

“Where would you even go anyway?” Selena asked, snapping her head toward Artemis. “We turned the world upside down when we searching.”

“Not the whole world.” Artemis tapped the world map with his wand, and several points across multiple continents lit up. “Here are a few places where I’ve heard of potential new leads. Rumors and murmurings, nothing more, but anything is good at this point.”

Selena pressed her lips together until they were white. Sunset recognized the expression from her own mother, the first sign she was becoming aggravated.

“Fine, you have leads, as weak as they may be,” she said stiffly. “But, you’re still not offering another plan in the meantime. You know I hate putting all our eggs in one basket.”

“I mean,” Sunset said slowly, “my friends and I did summon some sort of powerful harmonic avatar at the Battle of the Bands. It shot a rainbow at the Sirens. Could that work?”

Artemis twirled his beard. “I considered that. But, what you have to understand, Sunset, is that the Rainbow of Light is divine magic. A gift from the gods themselves! If Tirek absorbs enough souls, the Rainbow of Light is the only thing that can stop him and set those souls free from their prison.”

Sunset nodded solemnly. “Well, hopefully he never makes it that far. But even then, a blast from us is sure to do something, right?” She quickly wilted under Selena’s heated glare, though Trixie’s enthusiastic thumbs up soothed some of the burn.

“I—am—not—sending—six—teenagers!” Selena said between her teeth, emphasizing each word. “To fight a demigod warlock!”

“I mean, they’re practically adults,” Artemis said gingerly.

Selena fixed her now blistering glare on him and made a growl in her throat that reminded Sunset of an Ursa Major. Artemis quickly pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes.

“Selena, listen,” Sunset said gently, making sure not to meet her eyes. “Outside of this room, my friends and I are the biggest source of magic around. Even if we didn’t want to get involved, at some point, we probably would. And if the world’s in trouble, and we have the power to make a difference, you bet we’re going to try. You’re not sending us to fight anything; we’d be doing it on our own.”

Selena’s voice softened. “Well, yes, but—”

“And this doesn’t have to be the end-all solution. We have time, I know we do. Maybe we can come up with something better. But, if Artemis and Trixie can find the Rainbow of Light, then none of us really have to face Tirek, right? And would you rather have Trixie facing him, or finding the Rainbow?”

Selena snapped her mouth shut. She drummed a finger against the counter, lips still pursed and cheeks slightly puckered. After a full minute, she exhaled and said, “Fine. Fine! Go look for the Rainbow of Light. It is a family tradition.”

“Yes!” Trixie leaped out of her chair and threw her hands in the air. “It begins! The Great and Powerful Trixie’s first death-defying adventure! Watch and be amazed as she does what her ancestors could not, and finds the Rainbow of Light!”

Artemis lightly ruffled Sunset’s hair. “I knew there was a reason we kept you.”

Sunset affectionately brushed his hand away. “Hey, I’m just hoping you find it so my friends don’t have to go up against him.”

Trixie rushed around the table and jumped up and down in front of Artemis. “So? When are we leaving? Where are we going first?”

“Well, we have to pack a few things and make a few arrangements. Say, day after tomorrow?”

Trixie made an excited squee and ran out the kitchen, passing a disheveled looking Lamia on the way. Her pixie cut hair managed to look a mess, and there was a grease stain on her night shirt.

“I just wanted to know if dinner was ready,” she said moodily.

Selena looked ready to unload any remaining animosity from the previous conversation onto Lamia. Sunset cut across the kitchen and took Lamia by the arm, making sure to only touch her sleeve.

“I’m sure it’ll be ready soon. Why don’t we give them some space?” She yanked Lamia out of the kitchen and halfway up the stairs before Lamia took her arm back.

“Oi, what’s with you?”

“What’s with you?” Sunset looked her up and down again, then scrunched her nose. At close proximity, it was evident Lamia hadn’t showered in a few days.

“Nothin’,” she said with a lazy shrug.

“This—” Sunset gestured at her “—does not look like nothing.”

Lamia slapped Sunset’s hand away, making sure to use her sleeve. “No one asked you.”

“Do you remember what I told you a few weeks ago?”

“Yeah, some more junk about friendship and believing in yourself, or the heart of the cards or whatever.”

Sunset shook her head. “I told you not to hold yourself responsible for Scarlet’s actions. They weren’t your fault.”

Lamia glared at her. “Have you ever killed someone?”

Sunset recoiled sightly. “Well, no, but I—”

Lamia was in her face, sunken eyes narrowed. “Well, when you do burn someone to ash, and then get the mental image out of your head, I’ll be all ears to anything you have to say.” She turned and matched up the stairs, and a moment later, Sunset heard the door slam.

She stood on the landing, lost for words and thoughts. Maybe the universal law of suffering didn’t apply just to her, but to every Sunset Shimmer. She carried onto her room, finding Spot asleep on her bed. He woke and wagged his tail at her approach.

“Hey, buddy. Have a nice, lazy day?” As she sat down, Spot climbed into her lap and reached up to lick her neck. Sunset idly scratched him behind the ear as she thought.

Maybe she had never killed anyone, but she had come close. She understood what Lamia was going through to a good extent, but if her doppelganger didn’t want to hear it, there wasn’t much Sunset could do. Maybe this was a hurt she wasn’t equipped to heal. She was no therapist.

She looked down at Spot. “Pets are therapeutic...” Sunset gave him a tight squeeze and carried him down the hall, setting him in front of Lamia’s door. “Be a good boy, okay?”

Spot looked at her, confused. Sunset pat him on the head, rapt on the door, then quickly retreated back to her own room. She heard the door open, a pause, the soft jingle of a collar, and the door close more softly this time.

She didn’t see Spot for the rest of the evening.

*******

Sunset had rarely been inside Trixie’s room. She would normally just knock on Trixie’s door to fetch her for lunch or dinner. But, Tuesday found Sunset lounging on Trixie’s bed as the latter prepared for her adventure.

Trixie’s room resembled Twilight’s, in that the walls were painted purple. But, instead of science posters and bookshelves, Trixie had posters of boy bands, famous magicians, and even one of herself giving a thumbs up with the caption, ‘You’re great!’ The one shelf she did have was stuffed to the brim with CDs and old headphones.

Trixie stood in front of her closet, rifling through her clothes. She pulled out two sets of clothes and turned toward Sunset. “Which do you think makes Trixie look cooler?”

“Shouldn’t you be packing, you know, practical clothing?”

“Trixie is! Looking cool while Trixie saves the day is completely practical!”

“I don’t think you know what practical means.”

“You’re such a buzzkill.” Trixie put the outfits away and rummaged some more. “Are you just mad because you don’t get to go, too?”

Sunset raised her hands behind her head and fell back across the bed. “Nope. I love a good adventure as much as the next person, but I want just a few weeks where I don’t have to worry about anything. Go have fun on your daddy-daughter adventure.”

“Trixie intends to. Just try not to be jealous when we find the Rainbow of Light.” Trixie pulled out a pair of worn jeans and a thick, wool shirt. She laid it on the bed next to Sunset, pulled out her wand, and cried, “Lulamoon!”

The articles of clothing wiggled and started to shrink down to a size for infants. Except, one of the shirt sleeves remained the same size, giving it a very lopsided appearance.

Trixie puckered her lips. “Lulamoon!”

The sleeve shrank down, but stopped at one size larger than the rest of the shirt.

“Hmph. Stupid shirt, how dare you make a mockery of the Great and Powerful Trixie! I’ll deal with you later!” She shoved the shirt and pants into her backpack.

Sunset sat up. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

Trixie put her hands on her hips and stuck her nose up. “Of course Trixie is! What do you take her for?”

Sunset could have said a lot of things, but decided she wanted her and Trixie to leave on good terms. “A great and powerful magician. Just, be careful out there, okay?

Trixie bent down and pinched Sunset’s cheek. “It’s cute that you’re concerned. But Trixie will be just fine. Try not to miss her too much.”

They spent the rest of the day together, and the family shared one last game night. Wednesday dawned, bright and sunny, and Sunset got dressed and headed downstairs. Two large backpacks sat next to the door, and Selena paced the living room, hands behind her back.

“Are you going to be okay?” Sunset asked.

“I…” Selena paused in her pacing. “I’m just…” She inhaled slowly. “They’ll be fine. I know they will be. I just can’t help worrying about them.”

She looked over at Sunset. “I knew Trixie was going to leave the house someday. Go on some wild adventure. That’s who she is. And I’m glad Artemis is going with her, but at the same time, when I pictured this day, he was staying here with me and… I’m glad you’ll still be here, Sunset.”

Sunset blushed and pushed a stray hair to the side.

Trixie and Artemis descended a few minutes later, dressed with their capes and hats. They slung their backpacks over their shoulders and lined up in front of the door, Artemis facing Selena, and Trixie facing Sunset.

A sudden lump formed in Sunset’s throat. This was all happening so quickly. Ever since she had moved in, Trixie had been a constant in her home life. Someone to bicker with, to fight over the bathroom, to beat at board games. Same with Artemis, not counting his brief capture by the Sirens. He had been the one to take her in, give her a warm and loving home. Now, they were both leaving for who knew how long.

Trixie smirked when she saw Sunset’s expression. “Aw, is Sunset going to miss the Great and Powerful Trixie? Yes, she does have that effect on people.”

Sunset rubbed her eye. “Shut up. I… I just realized how much easier getting the bathroom will be, since Lamia never leaves her room.”

“Well, don’t get used to it. Trixie will be back before long. Then, you can bask in her triumph.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait.” Sunset held an arm out, and to her surprise, Trixie flung both arms around her and squeezed affectionately.

Selena stepped forward and straightened Artemis’ collar. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Of course, turtle dove.”

“You’ll call when you can.”

“Count on it.”

“Remember, you’re banned from Egypt.”

“We’re banned from Egypt.”

She tugged on his hat. “I’m not the one traveling.”

Sunset and Trixie broke apart. “What happened in Egypt?” Sunset asked.

“Nothing important,” Artemis said with an airy wave. “I’m sure most of the people have forgotten.”

“I sincerely doubt it.” Selena kissed him on each cheek, then on the lips. “Please keep our daughter safe.”

Artemis put a hand on Trixie’s shoulder. “She’ll be just fine.”

Selena swooped over and kissed Trixie on each cheek, then on the forehead. “Mind your father. And, make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

“Yes, Mother.” Trixie smiled and gave her an extra hug.

“Well, my little moon, it’s time to get going!” Artemis opened to door and led Trixie out. “Farewell family, farewell Canterlot! We shall return as soon as we can, Rainbow of Light in tow!”

They stopped on the front lawn, wands in hand. Sunset and Selena watched from the doorway. With the sun still cresting over head, Artemis and Trixie raised their wands skyward.

“Ready, Trixie?”

“Ready, Father!”

“On the count of three then! One, two, three!”

“Lulamoon!”

With twin columns of blue smoke that coiled around each other, the two of them vanished. The wind pushed the smoke away, leaving the neighborhood clear and quiet. Sunset wondered where they had gone first. Wherever it was, she hoped they stayed safe.

Selena made a sigh only an empty-nesting mother could make. Her face brightened a little when she looked at Sunset. “Well, I guess it’s our job to make sure things stay quiet around here. Come on, we’ll make some breakfast, then I’ll tell you what happened in Egypt.”

*******

Rainbow dribbled the ball down the grass, maintaining perfect control as she came up to the halfway point of the field. The wind brushing across her sweat drenched forehead kept her cool. Even the evenings in Canterlot were growing steadily warmer.

She drew her right foot back and gave the soccer ball a solid kick, sending it straight into the net she had set up. Throwing her arms in the air, she cried, “Another goal made by the incredible Rainbow Dash! The crowd is going wild!” She cupped her hands to her mouth and made hoarse cheering noises.

The field she was practicing in wasn’t very big. She hadn’t gone to Canterlot Park, just to a smaller one up the street from her house. It had a nice field for practicing her foot work, and a large tree she and Fluttershy used to climb when they were little.

Rainbow walked the rest of the field, now covered in shadows, to collect her ball. Another half hour or so, and she’d be ready to call it quits. She tipped the ball onto her foot, kicked it into the air, then started bouncing it on her knees.

“Oooh, she makes it looks so easy!” she said in her announcer voice. “Just look at that control! That’s a dedicated athlete right there!”

Bouncing it hard on her knee, she sent the ball skyward. She got on the other side of it, and when it came back down, she spun on her left foot and gave it a hard kick with her right. It shot straight into the net with such force, it looked like the fibers might snap.

“And she’s done it! Rainbow Dash has won her team the World Cup!” she shouted.

“Nice to see your soccer skills are better than your snowboarding skills.”

Rainbow jumped at the male voice behind her. She swung around, finding a familiar looking young man standing on the sidewalk, illuminated by the last light of day. He had blue skin two shades lighter than his blue hair, spiked and slicked back. His green eyes had a roguish twinkle in them.

“Wait a sec.” Rainbow squinted at him. “You’re that dork from the ski resort.”

“Hey, that’s harsh,” he said, though with his smile and tone, he hardly looked offended. “Glad your arm healed up at least.”

Rainbow gave her shoulder a roll. “Yeah, it’s good as new,” she said coldly. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t directly his fault she had tried to prove she was just as awesome on a snowboard as he was, leading her to crash hard. But, he still had an indirect hand in it. If he hadn’t been such a showoff, Rainbow wouldn’t have had to one up him.

“It’s Rainbow, right?” he asked, keeping his smooth and cordial voice.

“Rainbow Dash to you.”

He grinned and pointed a thumb at himself. “Well, Rainbow Dash, I’m Soarin, in case you forgot.”

“Forgot, yes. Care, no. I’d ask what you’re doing here, but again, don’t care.”

“Yeesh, you’re colder than the mountain,” he said, finally frowning. “Look, I’m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, and I really am glad your arm is feeling better.”

Rainbow turned to get her ball from the net. “Yeah? Well… thanks, I guess.”

“You’re pretty good at soccer.”

“Pfft, I’m more than just good. I’ve got practically a full ride on scholarships thanks to my skills.”

Soarin whistled. “That’s actually really awesome. Congrats.”

Rainbow tucked the soccer ball under her arm and looked at him with less scrutiny. “All right, seriously, what are you doing here?”

Soarin put his hands in his jean pockets and took a few steps onto the grass. “I’m staying with my aunt and uncle for the summer before I sign up for the air force.”

“You wanna join the air force?”

“Yep. Wanted to fly ever since I was a kid.”

“No kidding?” Rainbow broke into a grin. “I thought about joining the air force, too. Flying always seemed like the coolest thing ever! I mean, I wanted to be a stunt pilot first, but Dad said no.”

“What changed your mind?”

Getting wings, Rainbow thought. “Dunno. Just decided it was better I keep my feet on the ground. How else am I gonna show the world my awesome abilities?”

Soarin chuckled. “I see you’re not lacking in confidence. Why don’t you show me more of these ‘awesome abilities’?” He took his hands out of his pockets and bent his knees.

Rainbow snorted. “You serious? What does a snow boy like you know about soccer?”

“Put the ball down and find out.”

Rainbow laughed. “Okay, ice pop. Let’s see what you’re made of.” She tossed the ball up between them. Before it had fully touched the ground, both of them went at it, their ankles connecting with the ball. It smashed between them, but Rainbow, with her deft control, used her heel to pop it over Soarin’s foot and carry it away.

Soarin proved quick on his feet though. As Rainbow ran the length of the field, he stayed right behind her, trying his best to wrest control of the ball. He found an opening as Rainbow turned to head toward the goal. With a slide of his foot, he kicked the ball off to the side, then spun around Rainbow and took control of it.

Rainbow gave an acknowledging “Hmph” as she ran after him, wresting control back and circling around him. Soarin pivoted on his heels and gave chase, running up to Rainbow’s left side.

Pulling a little ahead of her, Soarin kicked out with the back of his heel, just as Rainbow tried to turn the ball away. It ricocheted off her foot and hit the park fence. Both players bolted after it as the ball lazily rolled along the grass.

Soarin reached it first, and paid the price of having Rainbow’s foot collide against his shin. He dribbled the ball back toward the goal, a grin spreading across his face.

Rainbow made a full sliding tackle, knocking the ball clear from Soarin and using her arm to guard her face. Soarin stumbled over her and crashed face-first into the grass while Rainbow jumped to her feet to chase the ball down. She swiftly recovered it and returned to the goal, weaving around Soarin who was still getting up. With a swift kick, she sent the ball sailing into the goal.

“Well, you’re not terrible,” she said, scooping the ball up again.

“You’re not bad yourself,” Soarin said, wiping grass stains off his jeans. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

Rainbow tossed the ball up and began bouncing it on her knees again. “Trust me, you haven’t seen half of my arsenal of awesome!”

Soarin crossed his arms and grinned. “Well, maybe you can show me sometime on a real soccer field.”

Rainbow let the ball drop to the ground, then placed her foot on top of it. “Please, half field or full field, I could take you on. Name a time and place.”

“How about I text you instead?” Soarin pulled a phone from his pocket.

She knew full well what this was, and a loud part of Rainbow’s brain told her it would be better, and funnier, just to kick the ball into Soarin’s groin and walk away. But, she had been issued a challenge, and the louder part of her brain told her to never back down from a challenge. Besides, she could totally cream him.

“Fine, dork.” She snatched the phone out of his hand. “But just to warn you, on top of my soccer and track skills, I’m a red belt.”

Soarin held a hand up. “I’m not up to anything nefarious, I promise. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be a date if you don’t want it to be.”

“Mmhmm.” She handed it back and crossed her arms. “Summer break just started, so I’m free most of the time. Unless I’m hanging out with my friends.”

“Sweet.” Then, quick as lighting, Soarin struck his foot out and snatched the ball out from underneath Rainbow. As she struggled to keep her balance, Soarin kicked the ball up onto his knees, juggled it a few times, then gave it some air. As it came back down, he spun on his left foot and kicked it with his right.

The ball whizzed past Rainbow and straight into the goal.

Soarin held up a peace sign. “See you later, Rainbow Dash.” He turned and strolled out of the park, hands in his pockets.

Rainbow stared at the back of his head, looked to the ball sitting in the goal, then backed to Soarin. Something fluttered weakly in her chest.

“Awesome,” she breathed.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Rainbow Connection

3. The Pen and the Sword

Twilight flipped through her English binder, fondly looking at every A+ marked on her papers. Sure, she had digital copies of most of them backed up on her computer, but she had still saved the hard copies; they were the original proof of her academic success! Though, she reasoned that the overall proof was engraved in her high school GPA and diploma.

She sighed, taking one last look at her critical analysis paper on The Odyssey before closing the binder and dropping it in the ‘throw away’ box.

Her mother had advised her to begin clearing out her old school things as a first step in preparation for her leavetaking. Twilight hadn’t realized just how many notebooks and binders she had filled and hoarded through the years until she dug through her closest. She had things dating back to the sixth grade. While cute and sentimental, those had been easier to discard.

No, it was her materials accumulated from high school that proved harder to part with. Perhaps because she had put even more effort into every one of her assignments knowing that colleges would be looking at them. Or because, instead of working on everything alone, Twilight had begun to collaborate and talk through her ideas with friends. Namely Moondancer up until senior year.

Twilight’s heart tightened. She pushed the thought aside and picked up the next notebook lying on the floor. Her AP Physics notes. That would surely come in handy her first few years in college. She placed it in the ‘keep’ box at the foot of her bed.

Spike wandered into her room, tail wagging as he began sniffing around. He put his paws up on the lip of the ‘keep’ box and stuck his head inside.

“No, Spike, there’s nothing in there for you.”

The box tipped forward, spilling books and binders onto the floor, and startling Spike so much, he jumped onto the bed and pressed himself into Twilight’s side.

She giggled and stroked his head. “Silly puppy.” She reached for a discarded notebook, tore out a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the hall. “Go get it!”

Spike barked and leaped of the bed, chasing the makeshift ball, and chewing on it with fervor once he caught it.

With Spike occupied, Twilight reorganized her ‘keep’ box, then returned to sorting. She got rid of her tenth grade history notes, but kept her advanced chemistry notes from eleventh grade. Looking around at what she wanted to inspect next, Twilight saw a manila folder lying next to her desk. There was a French flag stamped on the front.

“Huh, I never took French,” she said to herself as she picked it up. Thinking on it, she regretted not taking a second language. Opening the folder, she saw papers not written in French, but in English, but they weren’t in her handwriting.

“Oh!” Twilight pulled one out and looked at the tidy signature at the bottom. “Oh…”

Moondancer had signed her name using hearts instead of ‘o’s. Twilight’s throat constricted at the sight of it. She wanted to put the letters down, maybe even drop them in the discard box. She had been trying her hardest not to think about Moondancer. But thinking about Sunset led to thinking about Prom, and thinking about Prom led to…

She was on the second letter before she knew it. She and Moondancer had exchanged over a dozen while Moondancer had been abroad. Moondancer shared tales and descriptions of her time in Paris. From museums to cafés to the people she had met. Every letter included how much she missed Twilight.

“Every day spent without you, I feel as if the sun struggles to rise.”

Twilight let out a bitter laugh. How could she have never seen it? Moondancer had been head-over-heels for her. Of course, Twilight hadn’t realized she liked girls back then. She hadn’t realized she was capable of being romantically interested in anyone.

But every letter penned by Moondancer seemed sincere, full of heart and friendship. It was a complete inverse to what Twilight had witnessed at Prom. Moondancer’s words had been laced with venom, and a hateful fire burned in her eyes. From what Twilight understood, the Archon Amulet caused some amount of insanity. But was that really an excuse for Moondancer’s actions?

Reading her words, Twilight wondered what was truth and what had been fabricated in their friendship. Twilight was only a quarter through the folder now, slowing down to take in Moondancer’s words.

My dearest Little Star,

The tone of this letter must start off as mine usually do: tidings of nothing but happiness and well wishes to you! It’s been only a month, yet my heart aches to see your face again. As lovely as France is, there are seldom people here I can talk to, and even fewer who can hold a conversation. I know you not to be a social butterfly, but your comments and observations on all things material and immaterial are always stimulating.

Now, for the matter at hand. First, pass on my congratulations to your father for his new position at the university. However, I must confess my most immediate distress upon hearing you will not be attending Crystal Prep for our final year! What am I to do without you, Twilight? I know it is for the sake of convenience, but do you truly have to move across town? Even upon my return, it will feel like a massive chasm has opened up between us!

You are my closest and dearest friend. If I am to open my heart completely, you’re really the only friend I have at the academy. The other girls are nice, but I see it in their eyes. They only talk to me for my wealth. And no one in the theater club are truly friends. It is cutthroat, Twilight, cutthroat! With you gone, what catharsis will I have at the end of the day? Who will make me smile? Who will allow me to revel in my occasional dramatics? And who will take care of you in my absence? You are smart and talented—none know more than I, but you hide your face in the crowd (or rather, behind a book). Who will help you shine? Who will make sure you stop reading and eat?

Woe onto me! This will consume my every thought until I return! The most I can do is pray that the stars look after you.

Sigh. To end on brighter news, I shall be visiting the French countryside next week. I shall enclose pictures upon my next letter. I truly do miss you, Twilight, and I hope this new school will be to your liking. Enjoy the remainder of you summer holiday. I eagerly look forward to your next correspondence.

Love,

Moondancer

Sitting in front of the next letter were indeed the pictures Moondancer had promised. They were beautiful shots of valleys, vineyards, and small towns surrounded by green pastures.

Twilight read the letter again. Moondancer had missed her so much that she had transferred schools to follow after Twilight. That was a true mark of friendship, right? Or, had she done it to observe Twilight’s magical friends?

“Who will take care of you in my absence? … Who will help you shine?”

Twilight tightened her grip on the paper. Did Moondancer think she couldn’t take care of herself? Her grip slackened. The truth was, she couldn’t. The next letter reminded her so.

Dearest Twilight

I hope this letter arrives to you with the utmost haste and finds you in much better health than when you sent your last letter. It took me a full hour to compose myself before I could write a response.

Nearly assaulted! I am horrified at the thought! And furious! If I ever find the two culprits, hell shall have no fury! I am eternally thankful to this Sunset Shimmer for her timely intervention, though from how you describe her, I’m a little dubious to her character as well. Perhaps it’s the leather jacket. That’s never a sign of a character with high moral fiber. Still, I will not look this gift horse in the mouth.

Words cannot express how happy I am to know you are physically unharmed. I can only hope the shock isn’t as bad either. Of course you know, I am always here to lend an ear.

I have enclosed pictures of the French countryside. Perhaps they will set your mind at ease if it need be.

Why do I have to be a whole ocean away? You need me to defend you from ruffians like that! I would come home right now if I could! But, alas, I have commitments. I can do nothing more than hope nothing else befalls you.

I miss you dearly. Please, continue sending me letters so I know you are safe. I hope the fall semester goes well for you, my dearest little star.

Love,

Moondancer

Twilight set the letter aside and stared at the floor. Every time she had been in trouble, someone had come to save her. Against those thugs, against Scarlet, against Moondancer. And every time her friends went to battle, Twilight had sit on the side and watch. Had she really helped during the Battle of the Bands? She certainly hadn’t done anything when her magic powered friends were fighting Scarlet. All she had been was a liability.

Magic. In the end, it all came down to magic. Her lack of it… her friends’ excess of it… Moondancer’s loss of control over it.

Twilight stood and walked to her desk. She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out another binder: her notes on magic. Most of it was what Sunset had explained to her about Equestrian magic. She still only had speculation and hypotheses for how magic in this world worked. Twilight flipped through it, seeing question after question she had written down with no answer to follow. And she hadn’t even updated it after the events at Prom. What was that new form Sunset had taken on? How had she acquired it? Had it really been as simple as accepting the events in her past? What gave the Archon Amulet its corrupting influence?

Twilight slammed the binder shut and shoved it away. She didn’t have magic, she barely understood it. How was she supposed to help her friends if Tirek came back? How was she supposed to protect Sunset if Moondancer or Tempest attacked again? She didn’t want to be the damsel in distress! She didn’t want to be the useless sidekick!

Anger bubbled in her stomach. Anger at herself, at the confusing world around her, at Moondancer…

Her eyes fell on the letters again. Why, Moony? What did Sunset ever do to you? Twilight balled her fists. She didn’t want to be angry at Moondancer. But amidst the confusion and sadness and frustration, it was there. She had lied about wanting to be friends with Sunset and tried to kill her.

Twilight picked up the folder again and read through the remaining letters. She had told Moondancer a lot about Sunset, and Moondancer had responded with interest and fond remarks.

“I’m glad you’ve found a new friend! … How nice of her! Give her my thanks! … I hope you and Sunset have a good time at the ball. Try not to have too good of a time though.”

Where had the lie started? Where was the point where Moondancer came to hate Sunset enough to want her dead? Or had it been there since the beginning?

Twilight’s insides tied themselves into knots. She wanted an explanation. She wanted to march to Moondancer’s house and demand one. The way things were now, she doubted Moondancer would tell her anything, even if Twilight got that far.

Instead, Twilight sat at her desk and took out a pen and paper.

“Dear Moondancer,”

She paused. How did she start a letter like this? What did she say first? There were so many emotions swirling together, Twilight couldn’t pick one that stood out the most. She just needed to vent.

So she did. Twilight just wrote. She wrote and wrote, forming run on sentences, using all capital letters, questioning, accusing, rambling until the page was full. Then, she grabbed another paper and filled that one, too. She wrote about things that weren’t directly tied to Moondancer. Her frustrations with magic, with herself, even some about Sunset. Twilight just needed to get everything out.

After three pages of untidy, hastily written script, Twilight let the pen fall onto the desk. She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. She felt a little lighter, a little more clear headed. Frustration still roiled within her, but it felt more manageable.

Twilight looked over what she had written. Some of it was illegible in her haste to write. She crumpled all of it up and threw it into the trash, then took a clean sheet of paper and started again. She wrote slowly, returning to her neat handwriting, and pausing frequently to put her thoughts in order. Twilight made sure she was clear and concise without being to hostile. After a half hour, she had a full page finished.

She read it and re-read it, and while it all sounded good, she actually had no idea if she really wanted to send this. Would Moondancer even get it? And what would it change? Nothing, she supposed, other than telling Moondancer her thoughts and feelings. Would that prompt Moondancer to respond in turn?

There was a soft rapt on her door. Twilight twisted in her seat to find her mother at the threshold. “Sunset’s downstairs waiting for you. I thought I’d give you a heads up in case you weren’t decent.”

“Oh, right. Thanks, Mom.” Twilight had forgotten she and Sunset were supposed to spend time together. She neatly folded the letter and tucked into into the top drawer. That was a decision she could make later, she supposed.

*******

Twilight poked at her mint chocolate chip ice cream. She had eaten half of it, and was now watching the other half slowly melt. The umbrella over their table kept it from becoming a complete puddle in the warm late spring air. She took a small nibble, though her appetite had for it had come and gone.

“It must be quiet without Artemis and Trixie at home,” she said, trying to keep the conversation going.

Sunset, who had gotten a cone today, made a loud slurp on her double scoop of strawberry. “Yeah. Shimmer stays in her room most of the time, so it’s just Selena and I. It’s pretty cool though. She’ll read parts of the newest novel she’s working on and ask for my input. Then, I’ll help her cook dinner. I’m learning how to make pizza from scratch.”

Twilight nodded. “Sounds like fun,” she said, missing her usual enthusiasm.

Sunset lowered her ice cream, revealing her pink stained mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Twilight said, cracking a small smile at Sunset’s mess. She took a napkin and reached over the table to wipe her face.

“Come on, that’s the ‘nothing’ I give when it’s something,” Sunset said after Twilight had finished. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“I know. It’s just…” Twilight put down her spoon and wrung her wrists. “I… You told me I wasn’t useless, but…”

Sunset gave her a doleful look. “Twilight…”

“I feel useless, okay?” Twilight blurted out. “You all have magic and can do these incredible things! And, every time I try to do something, someone has to rescue me! The one time I tried to protect you, you had to save me! I can’t figure out how any of this magic stuff works! I’m just… I’m just kinda here.”

She slumped back in her seat. Apparently, writing out her emotions hadn’t helped as much as she thought. Now she felt frustrated and embarrassed.

Sunset stood up, tossed the rest of her ice cream into the trash, then walked around behind Twilight and wrapped her arms around her.

“First off,” she said softly into Twilight’s ear, “it’s not fair to compare yourself to freakish magical pony girls.”

Twilight didn’t smile.

“Second, like I told you that night, the fact that you didn’t back down from Scarlet, a fire-breathing demon, and Moondancer, your best friend is not the mark of someone useless. That took huge amounts of bravery. And, Sparky, if you hadn’t rescued us from that locked room during the Battle of the Bands, the Sirens would have won. Pinkie’s skull is thick, but I doubt we would have gotten that door open.”

Twilight managed a tiny smile.

“I get it, it’s hard to feel like you’re contributing when you’re surrounded by six girls who can fling magic around. But you’re a genius, Twilight. We built an EMP and a hydroelectric generator out of spare parts. You’re working on a gyrocopter for your scholarship to MIT! You’re one of the few humans who even knows real magic exists!”

Sunset kissed her on the cheek. “And I don’t care how many other Twilight Sparkles there might be out there. You’re the only one for me.”

Twilight leaned against her. Sunset’s words warmed her like a fireplace on a rainy day. She wanted to believe all of it—she really did. But a small voice in her head kept asking, what was she doing here, amongst these superheroes?

“Hey!” Sunset grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to her feet. “Come on, I’ve got an idea that might cheer you up!”

“R-really?” Twilight said, taken aback by Sunset’s sudden enthusiasm. “What?”

“You’ll see when we get there.” Sunset moved her hand to to Twilight’s and led her away from the ice cream shop. They got on her motorcycle, and with a quick ride through the suburbs, came to rest at Sunset’s house.

Twilight took her helmet off and looked up at the blue abode, set apart from the other suburban houses by the wizard tower attached to the back. She followed Sunset up the driveway and through the door. Twilight always took a moment to admire the dozens upon dozens of pictures and tapestries coating every wall of the living room. Despite Trixie’s egocentric nature, her home had a very welcoming atmosphere.

“Selena!” Sunset called.

Twilight heard footsteps come from upstairs, and Selena appeared at the balcony, a pencil tucked behind her ear.

“Is something wrong, Sunset?”

“Not ‘wrong’, no.” She pulled Twilight close to her. “I was just wondering if you could talk to Twilight for a little bit. She’s under the impression you need magic to be useful.”

“Is that so?” Selena gave them a gentle smile as she descended the stairs. “I can see where you might get that idea. Come along, I’ll make some tea for us.”

Twilight and Sunset followed her to the kitchen and took a seat at the island counter while Selena put a pot on the stove. Twilight fidgeted in her seat while she waited. She had never engaged in a prolonged conversation with Selena before. Twilight knew her to be kind, yet something about her made her intimidating. It was similar to Sunset when Twilight had first met her.

Selena put a lid on the pot and faced the girls. “Sunset tells me you were the smartest girl in school, Twilight.”

Cheeks warm, Twilight looked over to Sunset, who was trying to act as nonchalant as possible by looking at her phone.

“I don’t know if I’d say the smartest…” Twilight said. Despite Sunset pretending to ignore her, she felt like she was on stage in front of dozens of people.

“You were the valedictorian,” Selena said simply. “And you two won the science fair.”

“I tried telling her that,” Sunset said under her breath.

“Okay, maybe on paper, my intellect is above average. But, in practical situations, I’m just…”

“Practical?” Selena smiled as her eyebrow rose. “Sweetie, magic is a lot of things: convenient, amusing, and an easy way to cheat the laws of reality. But, practical? I would think not.”

The teapot whistled, and Selena took it off the stove and poured three cups. “There’s a reason I do all the cooking around here. It’s because, despite the great feats Artemis is capable of, he can’t just wave his wand and conjure up a meal.”

Twilight took the warm cup. Despite the temperature outside, holding the hot beverage felt pleasant.

Selena blew the steam off the top of her cup and took a sip. “Magic is a crutch. While I love Artemis and his magic to death, I believe it’s overrated sometimes. It’s something I tried to instill in Trixie, but she was enamored with her father from day one.”

Twilight looked up from her tea. “You’re saying I should be glad I don’t have magic?”

“Well, I don’t know if glad is the word I would use. But you shouldn’t mope about not having it. You have talents all your own that make you valuable.”

“Maybe…. But, they’re not helpful in situations like the Battle of the Bands. I just don’t feel like I’m helping anyone with all these magical problems. I’m not like you. I can’t fight or swing a sword.”

Selena shook her head. “The only one you should be comparing yourself to is you. And from what Sunset tells us, you’re already pretty great.” She took another sip of tea. “That being said, I always believe there’s room for improvement. Would you like me to teach you?”

An excited jolt ran through Twilight. “T-teach me? Like, how to fight?”

“Only if you’d like. Self-defense is always handy. We probably wouldn’t be able to get very far, since you’re setting off for college soon. But, I believe I could give you a strong foundation in swordplay and hand-to-hand that should prove helpful against non-magical threats at the very least.”

The warmth Twilight’s cup radiated had grown into a burn, but she barely registered it. “Yes! That would be wonderful! I mean, if it isn’t an inconvenience. I wouldn’t want to bother you.”

Selena laughed. “It wouldn’t be a bother. It’d be a welcome break from my usual routine of cleaning and writing all day.” She looked over to Sunset. “You’re more than welcome to join us.”

“I might join in,” Sunset said casually. “But, I think this is more for Twilight.” She gave Twilight a wink.

Twilight smiled and looked down at the green tea in her hands. Thanks, Sunnykins. If this goes well, I’ll be able to protect you, too. She blew the steam away and took a careful sip of her tea.

Selena finished her cup and set it aside. “Well, we can begin anytime you’re ready. Just say the word.”

Twilight felt the urge to start now, but held it off. She and Sunset were technically supposed to be on their date right now. “Is tomorrow good?”

“Tomorrow is perfect. I’ll expect you here at noon.”

*******

The rest of the day brightened for Twilight. Butterflies danced in her stomach. She couldn’t wait to train and prove she wasn’t useless in a crisis. Fantasies ran through her head of how she would look with a sword in her hand. She pictured herself fighting off the Sirens while her friends cheered her on.

Even when the sun set and the stars came out, Twilight found herself giddy with anticipation. Sure, she had never had the best hand-eye coordination, and maybe she couldn’t run a lap without needing to sit down, but she was determined to do this!

She pushed her excitement for tomorrow down to focus on the present. To end their day together, Sunset and Twilight had retreated to Twilight’s backyard. Twilight had brought out her telescope for them to look at the stars. They shone brightly tonight, as least, as brightly as suburban lights would allow.

Twilight would point out constellations to Sunset and educate her on their origin and history. Sunset played the part of a good student and nodded attentively, even asking questions from time to time.

“The weird thing is,” Sunset said, looking into the telescope, “in Equestria, we have some of these constellations, too. Canis Major, Ursa Minor. Of course, some of them are also dangerous monsters, but I digress.”

The feeling of jubilation began to flicker as Twilight felt a small headache come on. “But, that doesn’t make any sense. If you can see some of these constellations, your world would have to be in some close proximity to Earth, right?”

Sunset straightened up. “Maybe? Remember, different dimensions, Twilight. Maybe our worlds share the same galaxy, just two different versions of it.”

In place of jubilation, Twilight now had the urge to go to Equestria and study their night sky to compare it to her own. Trans-dimensional astronomy. She could start a whole new field of science!

“Portal’s still closed,” Sunset said, looking into the telescope again.

Twilight jumped. “What, can you read minds now?”

Sunset grinned. “Nah, it’s just written all over your face.”

Twilight huffed. “I can’t help it if I get excited about the possibility of tremendous breakthroughs in the exploration of space.”

“I’ll add that to your list of turn ons then.”

If her eye hadn’t been pressed against the telescope, Twilight would have shoved Sunset. “Big, stupid, jerk,” she grumbled.

“I love you too, Sparky.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Twilight's Master

For those of you who read Across the Shimmering Sea, I can assure you the training sequence and results will be different between these two stories.

I was hoping these two events wouldn't overlap, but here we are.

4. Quiet Contemplations

A bumblebee hovered by the windowsill, its buzzing wings filling in the pauses between Professor Quick Notes drones. It brought with it the refreshing aroma of springtime flowers in bloom.

Keeping her chin in her hand, Moondancer looked out the open window to the back garden. The sun and the smell of flowers tantalized Moondancer to go out and play, but there were two problems with that idea.

One, Professor Quick Note, while not mean, was strict, and never saw the point of holding any of Moondancer’s lessons outside. She was perfectly capable of learning multiplication and division indoors.

Two, she had no one to play with anymore. Not since her mother had gone to sleep like a princess. Moondancer still didn't understand why. The scary lady did something, now her mother was asleep, her father didn't spend time with her anymore, and she couldn't go outside the house, except for the garden.

So, Moondancer had to go to school at home, and talk to the maid and her butler, and learn piano on her own. And yes, Moondancer got more breaks and better food than schools would give, and her maid and butler were nice and asked her how her day was, and she was getting good at piano, but, Moondancer felt like a princess trapped in a tower.

Eyes still on the myriad of flowers waving outside, Moondancer breathed a quiet sigh. It was enough for Professor Quick Note to take notice. He tapped his ruler against the desk, making Moondancer jump in her seat.

“Pay attention, Miss Moondancer. You’ll be having a quiz tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.” Her eyes returned to the blackboard, but her mind continued to wander.

She missed playing pretend with her mother, where her father would sometimes join and be the big, scary dragon or evil knight. She missed having sleepovers with kids from her private school. She missed going to plays and seeing people dressed up in costumes and saying funny words or singing on a stage. Sometimes, she would wrap her blanket over her shoulders and read lines from her Shakespeare book to pass the time.

Professor Quick Note released Moondancer from her math lesson an hour later so she could have lunch. She took her usual seat at the dining room table: the left side of the head. Looking down the long table at the empty seats, Moondancer wondered if they had ever been full. She would love to see that someday; every chair filled and the dining room noisy with laughter. Even before the scary lady came, it had just been her and her parents. Though Moondancer would be happy to eat with them again, too.

Lemon Fresh brought out her lunch and set it before Moondancer. “Here you are, My Lady. How is your day so far?”

Moondancer took a moment to stare at her food. She fixed her mouth into a smile and looked up at Lemon Fresh. “Just fine, thank you for asking,” she lied.

She was getting good at that.

*******

Digging the spade through the soil was as easy as scooping out ice cream from a container. She scooped out a nice hole, set the spade aside, and gently lifted the chrysanthemums into their new home. They would look lovely growing next to the dahlias this summer.

Moondancer covered the roots with soil, then reached for her watering pail and dowsed the flowers in a generous sprinkle. She straightened up and wiped the right side of her face clear of sweat. The left side would just have to suffer, sweltering under her mask.

Summer loomed ever closer, sending warmer weather and clear skies ahead of it. While it was hotter than Moondancer had been prepared for, she remained in her garden, planting, trimming and rearranging the flowers. It was all she had to do at the moment.

It was quiet though. Moondancer had asked her servants not to bother her. She preferred to work in the garden alone. It gave her time to think, to reflect. Thoughts came clearer and easier now that she wasn’t wearing the Archon Amulet anymore.

She got to her feet, wiping the excess dirt off her gloves and apron. She inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet aroma of pollen and freshly watered flowers. Just a little weeding, then she’d be done for the day. She adjusted her sun hat, picked up her flower basket, and moved onto the next section.

Moondancer knelt by the flowers sitting closest to the stream running through her backyard. She took her sheers from the basket and began carefully cutting at the weeds getting too close to her precious babies.

She paused, her hand starting to tremble. The scars on the left side of her face heated up again, magnified by their confinement. She resisted the urge to press a hand against them, knowing it would only make it worse. Instead, she closed her eyes and waited it out.

Sunset’s furious glare awaited her in the darkness.

Moondancer’s eyes snapped open, and she dropped her shears. After several short breaths, her scars’ heat dwindled back to their normal irritating burn.

Why? Why won’t you go away?

Thoughts may have come clearer and easier, but that didn’t stop them from getting tangled or becoming unpleasant.

She had crossed lines. Many of them. She had broken the one solemn vow she had made to herself: never endanger Twilight. Yet, even for just a moment, Moondancer had been ready to sacrifice her to ensure her own survival.

But, that was what she had to do. She had to survive. She had to endure all of this until the day Tirek came back. She hadn’t wanted to give up Twilight, but she didn’t have a choice.

It didn’t stop her from feeling disgusted with herself. She had been wearing the amulet for far too long. It was all moot now. Twilight no doubt hated her.

Moondancer moved her hand to her neck and pulled on the silver chain, fishing a silver heart-shaped locket from her shirt. After month of wearing the amulet, putting this around her neck felt like an old friend returning to embrace her. She kept it cupped in her hands for a moment, running a finger over the smooth facets.

Carefully, she flipped it open. Two photos were tucked inside, windows into the past. One showed a young Moondancer sitting on the shoulders of her mother. Apalla had her wand out and had summoned a stream of butterflies. Little Moondancer was trying her best to catch one.

The older Moondancer looked up to the window on the third floor. She couldn’t see her mother from here, but knew her vacant eyes were on the garden. Returning her gaze to the locket, Moondancer focused on the other picture: Twilight from years past. Like most pictures taken of her, Twilight kept herself hunched trying to make herself as small as possible.

At least you’re safe for now. Moondancer didn’t know how, but one day, she would try to make it up to Twilight if she could.

She gently snapped the locket closed and placed it back in her shirt. While the day was hot, the warmth her jewelry brought was comfortable, pleasing even. Moondancer picked her sheers up, snipped a weed, and laid in the basket.

Of course, I don’t think there’s a gesture grand enough that makes up for trying to take your best friend’s soul. She sighed. The best Moondancer could hope for was that, when it was all over, Twilight would at least understand why.

A bead of sweat trickled into Moondancer’s left eye, and her hand instinctively jumped to her face, stopping just before she touched the mask. As much as it stung, she refused to rub it. Still, the gashes heated up again making Moondancer feel like her face was pressed against a fire.

She gnashed her teeth together, unable to do anything except wait for the flare up to die down. It took several long, agonizing minutes, but the heat reduced itself once more. It happened at random, her scars heating up until Moondancer wanted to cry out in pain.

Yes, she had crossed lines. She was wrong to try and kill Sunset. But this? This was completely unfair. This was additional torment on top of her isolation from the rest of the world and Tempest’s cold threats.

But Sunset got to go home, perfectly happy at the end of the day.

Moondancer sat on her knees, lowering her sheers. “I hate you,” she whispered. “Every time you win, I lose something.”

She didn’t want Sunset dead. No, there were only two people she wanted to die. Moondancer just wanted Sunset to know a loss. But, she also knew better. Even with the Archon Amulet, she had been unable to stand up to Sunset. Without it, Moondancer didn’t stand a chance, and had no desire to try.

The best she could hope for was that someone, someday, would put her in her place.

“Keep winning in the meantime,” Moondancer said, putting away her sheers. “I’ll take any excuse to see Tempest frustrated.”

*******

Sunset heard a knock on the front door half past eleven. She wasn’t surprised in the slightest to find Twilight waiting outside, bouncing from one foot to the other. She had on a plain purple t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. Sunset couldn’t help but smirk.

“You know you’re here early, right?”

“I know! But, I couldn’t really sleep that well because I was so excited and nervous and anxious, so I got up early and started doing some research online for helpful tips about swordplay. Of course, I don’t know which discipline Selena is going to teach me, so I started reading through as many as I could, but I didn’t want to be late so…”

Sunset escorted Twilight into the kitchen and gave her what remained of the egg scramble she and Selena had made. In between bites, Twilight continued to talk about what she had read online.

At a quarter to noon, Selena came downstairs dressed in a blue gi with an ankle length blue skirt. She had a notebook in one hand, and two training swords under her arm.

“Oh, you’re here already,” she said, pleasantly surprised. “Well, if you’re ready, we can start early.”

“Yes!” Twilight shoveled her last forkful of egg into her mouth and jumped to her feet. “I’m ready, sensei!”

Selena laughed. “Just Selena is fine. But…” She leaned forward and inclined her head toward the floor. “It is proper for a teacher and student to bow to one another before each lesson.”

Twilight quickly imitated her, falling into a respectful bow.

“Come along, then. I’ve got our whole lesson planned out.” Selena waved the notebook as she lead Twilight and Sunset to the backyard. Sunset intended to mostly observe. Selena had given her a few sword lessons months ago, but Sunset found she wasn’t much of a sword girl.

Selena stepped off the patio and sat down in the grass, setting her things aside. She pointed to space in front of her, gesturing for Twilight to sit as well. “First, we’ll begin with meditation. I know you’re excited, but I want you to clear your mind. Empty it of all distractions and focus only on your inner self.”

Twilight sat down and crossed her legs, but look at Selena with confusion. “My inner self?”

“The deepest part of yourself. What makes you, you. What you are when you remove all the layers and barriers you put up.”

“Ummm….”

Selena let out a weak chuckle. “Okay, we’ll work up to that. Just focus on your breathing and your heartbeat. Drown out the world until you can only hear those two things.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

Sunset sat down adjacent to them. Meditating was something she could do. She could remember those lessons with Princess Celestia like they were yesterday; the two of them out in the garden or on the balcony of the castle.. She closed her eyes, pushing the past out and trying to reach down to her center.

The world around her fell silent. She could only hear the synchronous breathing of Selena and Twilight, and the occasional gust of wind through her hair. She could feel the sun on her face and the grass on her legs. She breathed slowly, in through her nose, out through her mouth.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had truly meditated. Slowly stripping her excess thoughts away brought a level of peace she didn’t know she could get to. It felt like she was diving into herself, looking for enlightenment. She dove down, past her memories, past her insecurities, until there was only darkness. Not the foreboding or sinister kind. Just an empty space, waiting to be filled.

Sunset breathed again, willing herself deeper. There was something glittering in the darkness. She reached a hand out as she drew nearer. It was warm and familiar. It grew larger, filling the darkness with light.

The warmth blossomed forth, and Sunset felt her pony ears return and her hair lengthen. There was a subtle shift in weight on her forehead as something long poked out of it. A light golden aura enveloped her, shining through her eyelids. Unable to ignore what had just happened, Sunset opened her eyes to find Twilight gaping at her.

“How did you do that?”

Selena opened an eye, looking slightly irritated. It vanished when she saw what had caused Twilight’s distraction. “Hmm…. Meditation is one way to become in tune with one’s soul. Sunset must have reached deep within herself and channeled her magic.”

Sunset looked down at herself, examining her glow. It wasn’t as bright or as warm as her transformation at Prom. She wondered, if she found a way to keep going, could she power up to that again? She held a palm up, trying to conjure a ball of fire. Nothing happened.

Everyone else got powers. Why can’t I do anything in this form?

Twilight stared fixedly at Sunset, then looked to Selena. “Moondancer said she got magic by training and meditating. Is it possible for someone like me to do that, too?”

Selena gave a hesitant nod. “It is. But, that requires years of dedicated training and focus. I would say Moondancer had an easier time because she came from a family of magic users. It’s certainly not impossible though.”

“I see.” Twilight looked down in thought. She straightened up, closed her eyes, and began taking slow steady breaths.

As Selena closed her eyes and joined Twilight, Sunset quietly stood up and excused herself back into the kitchen. Her excitement at the idea of exploring her new magic had dimmed when she saw the self-conscious doubt Twilight carried about her lack of abilities. The last thing Sunset wanted was to look like she was showing off. She also hoped Twilight didn’t have the ridiculous idea of meditating until she gained magic. But when Twilight put her mind to something, it was hard to stop her. Sunset didn’t think it would be dangerous per se, but the thought still left her uneasy.

While Twilight and Selena meditated, Sunset took to cleaning up the kitchen. Curiosity compelled her to try to see if her telekinesis worked. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to get any magical power to manifest.

“What is the point of this then?” she grumbled as she washed out the frying pan. “There’s only so many problems you can solve by shooting rainbows at them.”

She reached up and ran a finger down her horn, feeling the familiar spiral grooves. She had a horn again. It didn't thrum with power as it had in Equestria, but still, just feeling its presence, Sunset felt complete in a way she hadn't since she had stepped through the portal.

Something shuffled into the kitchen behind her. Sunset turned around to find Lamia, hair a mess, clothes filthy, bags still under her eyes. They looked a little smaller though. Spot trailed behind her, wagging his tail as he spotted Sunset.

“Morning, sunshine,” Sunset said as Lamia began rummaging through the cabinets.

Lamia gave an acknowledging grunt as she pulled out a box of cereal. When she turned to actually look at Sunset, she gave something close to a smile. “Nice ears, you look like a furry.”

“Nice shirt, you look like a hobo.”

Lamia held up her middle finger, then went to find milk and a bowl. She set her afternoon breakfast on the counter and looked out into the backyard. “What are housewife and purple smart doing?”

Sunset stacked the last of the dishes into the drying rack. “Selena is teaching Twilight how to use a sword.”

“Oh good, maybe she’ll finally contribute something to your little sentai squad.”

Sunset balled a fist. “She contributes plenty already!”

“Please.” Lamia took a spoonful of her cereal. “The most she does is believe in you guys. She’s like the Heart of the Planeteers.”

“I don’t know what that is, but I feel like that’s an insult.”

Lamia took another bite. “It was.”

“You know, I can still send you to jail.”

“You know, I can still kick your ass.”

Sunset used both her hands to massage her temples. She now knew what other people went through whenever they dealt with her. “Would it kill you to not act like a jerk for ten seconds?”

Lamia was silent for a while, slowly chewing on her cereal. She swallowed and said, “Huh, guess not. But it’s really boring.”

“I hate you.”

“That’s cool. I hate everyone.” She looked outside again. Twilight and Selena were getting to their feet and starting stretching exercises. “So, like, have you banged her yet or what?”

Sunset, who had just poured herself a glass of lemonade, almost dropped the container. “What?”

Lamia looked at her, the corner of her lip curling up. “Have you banged your girlfriend? Genuinely curious. I’m betting yes because the only reason she was looking so hard for you must be because the sex is good.”

Sunset’s cheeks burned. From embarrassment or fury, she couldn’t say. “No, I have not… slept with Twilight yet!”

“Damn, I owe myself ten bucks.” Lamia lifted the bowl to her mouth and took a long slurp. “Nerdy girl like that? I bet she’s into some real kinky shit.”

“Stop,” Sunset growled.

Lamia shrugged. “Just callin’ it as I see it. You should check her computer files. Bet you’ll find some really interesting hen—”

“Lalalalalalala!” Sunset shoved her hands over her ears. “Done listening! You’re dumb and I’m done listening!”

Done with her breakfast, Lamia stood and dropped her bowl into the sink. She scooped up Spot and headed out the kitchen, flashing Sunset a raunchy grin as she left.

Sunset moved her hands from her ears and back to her temples. And here she thought only Pinkie could induce headaches just by talking.

Twilight is not some depraved sex maniac! Sunset thought as she turned to reluctantly clean Lamia’s bowl.

“Tentacles!” Lamia yelled from the stairs.

“I hate you!”

*******

“So, I’m thinking, ‘oh yeah, he’s totally gonna come from the left,’ but at the last second, he feints to the right, throwing me off, then kicks the ball so it curves from the left straight into the goal!”

“Mmmhmm.”

“I mean, I’m awesome and all, but that was pretty cool! Anyway, I beat him 5-4 before we both decide we’re too tired to keep going. So, we just sit and chill for a while. I mean, when he’s not being a total tryhard, Soarin’s actually really cool! I told you he wants to join the air force, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah! He starts telling me about his grandfather! He flew for the army during the war! Oh man, I wish I could have met him! Soarin told me some of the intense stories he used to tell! I mean, if this soccer things doesn’t work out, maybe I could still enlist!”

“You could.”

“Anyways, we talked for like, three hours before I decided to call it quits. But, he asked me to the movies tomorrow, and like, I dunno, I couldn’t say no! I mean, he’s not my level of awesome, but he’s pretty high up there. And, I dunno, maybe… maybe this is a date? Should I call it a date? He’s not bad looking. And he’s good at soccer! And whenever he drops the cool guy act, the way he looks at me… maybe he actually likes me and doesn’t just want to get into my pants? What do you think, ‘Shy?”

Fluttershy paused her knitting. She was halfway through making a kitten-sized sweater. Sure, winter was a long way off, but she wanted to be well stocked for the animal shelter this year. Plus, it gave her a minor distraction from any unwelcome thoughts. But, now that Rainbow had asked her a question, Fluttershy didn’t have a choice but to think.

And did she tell Rainbow her honest thoughts? Fluttershy looked at the phone sitting on her bed. Rainbow was waiting patiently on the other side. Fluttershy wanted to say Rainbow should tell Soarin to go… to go… somewhere far away! But, that would be mean. Rainbow seemed really excited about this boy.

Instead, Fluttershy went with the safe answer. “I think you should do what feels right.”

Rainbow was silent for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right! Okay, so it’s not a date. We’re just going to the movies together. Alone. Totally not a date though! No, if he wants this, he has to earn it! And that’s even if I want him back!”

Fluttershy almost smiled. She had no reason to be worried really. Rainbow had too much pride and self-assurance to be wooed by some meany like Soarin.

“Anyway, what are you up to tonight?” Rainbow asked.

“Just a little bit of knitting. I don’t know what my first semester of college is going to be like, so I’m getting my winter wear out of the way now.”

“Smart. Don’t worry about it too much though. I hear freshman year is pretty easy as long as you don’t go out and party all the time. But, you’re a party animal, so you might have trouble.”

Fluttershy giggled. “You know me.”

“Yeah. Oh, hey! Soarin just texted me! Hahaha! He sent me a meme of one of my favorite soccer players! Oh man, it’s actually really hilarious! Hang on, I gotta send something back.”

Fluttershy poked herself with the knitting needle. Her mouth fell to a thin line, and she felt something very peculiar stirring in her heart. Rainbow had never been excited about a boy before. When she had taken Thunderlane out for the Winter Ball, it had been a date of convenience—just to prove a point. Sure, it had stung Fluttershy in other ways, but not like what she was feeling now. It was like someone was slowly driving a nail into her heart, and that nail was dripping hot liquid into her stomach.

“Okay, I’m back,” Rainbow announced. “What were we talking about?”

“College parties,” Fluttershy said in a perfectly calm voice.

“Right. I mean, I’m definitely gonna go to at least one. Just to say I did, you know? I mean, being on the soccer team, we’ll probably have plenty of parties, but I’m talking one of those huge fraternity parties! The kind you tell your kid not to go to! I wanna see someone running through the hall in nothing but a bedsheet shouting, ‘toga!’”

“I don’t know. Those parties are dangerous for girls.”

“I know that. I’m not stupid. If someone offers me a cup of anything, I tell ‘em, no. I’m only drinking stuff from cans, and they aren’t leaving my sight once I open them. And if any guy gets too friendly, swift kick to the crotch.”

“That’s a good plan, but—”

“Hang on, Soarin’s texting me again.”

Fluttershy jerked her hand again and poked herself. The hot liquid made her stomach rumble very unpleasantly. She couldn’t understand why. She knew this was a possibility. Maybe a slim one, but a possibility nonetheless. Still, hearing Soarin’s name made her brow furrow. He was the reason Rainbow had hurt herself. Now, he had the gall to try and get close to her?

It made Fluttershy peeved at the very least.

But, if it had been any other boy, Fluttershy knew she’d probably still be feeling the same way. She didn’t like it. And she couldn’t understand why she felt it. Maybe because, until it actually happened, Fluttershy could pretend, could dream, could hope. Now, that dream was ending, and Fluttershy had no choice but to wake up to reality.

“Back again, sorry about that. Where were we?”

All of Fluttershy’s insides squirmed. “Actually, Rainbow, it’s almost nine. I should be getting ready for bed.”

“Right, yeah. Man, you and Twilight are such early sleepers. All right, talk to you later, ‘Shy.”

“Good night, Rainbow.” Fluttershy ended the call, then pushed her phone underneath her pillow. She set aside her half made sweater and stared out into space.

There was nothing she could do. Rainbow had all the obvious signs of having a crush on Soarin. Fluttershy couldn’t intervene into something like that. Well… if she told Rainbow she really didn’t like Soarin, maybe she would change her mind. But Fluttershy didn’t have the heart. Rainbow seemed happy and excited. Fluttershy couldn’t stand in the way of that.

Her heart fluttered sadly.

Besides, even if Fluttershy did something now, another boy would come along while Rainbow was at college. Or on tour with her soccer team. Fluttershy couldn’t stop the inevitable.

She looked up to her dresser, where a picture of a younger her and Rainbow was framed. She had pigtails back then, and Rainbow’s hair was shorter. Both of them were smiling. Rainbow had one of her bottom teeth missing.

Aside from their rocky two years apart, Fluttershy had always had Rainbow beside her. She was ready to let Rainbow go and be the awesome athlete Fluttershy knew she was. But, after all these years, Fluttershy still wasn’t ready for this.

Rainbow was dating someone.

*******

Sunset kept a gentle hand on Twilight’s shoulder as she shambled up Pinkie’s driveway.

“Everything’s sore,” Twilight whined.

“I know, baby.”

Two days of sword training had left Twilight visibly exhausted. From the way she limped and sagged, Sunset knew Twilight had used every muscle in her body. Given that Twilight’s exercise routine prior to this was non-existent, Sunset was impressed she was even standing.

From what Sunset had observed, Selena was a kind, but firm instructor, having Twilight perfect her stance and the way she held her practice blade until it was ingrained in Twilight’s muscle memory. She taught her own hybrid of sword techniques. She said the foundation was built on the practices of Kendo, but had mixes of several other types of swordplay she had learned over the years.

For someone with no athletic skill, Twilight kept up well enough. Though, with the way she clung to Sunset, maybe she needed to take the lessons even slower.

The Spectacular Seven were set to have a movie marathon, graciously hosted by Pinkie. While she would be providing homemade pizzas, the other girls pitched in by agreeing to bring snacks and sodas. Sunset carried a liter of root beer and a large bag of chips under her arms. They were the only thing stopping her from carrying Twilight the rest of the way.

“Sunnykins, can I have a massage when we’re watching the movie?”

“Of course you can.”

Twilight raised her arm to ring the doorbell, then dropped it like a limp noodle. “Ow.”

The door swung open, and Pinkie popped her head out. “Yaay! Sunlight’s here!”

“Come again?” Sunset asked.

“Sunlight! It’s your ship name! See, because Sunset and Twilight make Sunlight! Isn’t it cute?” Pinkie smiled wide.

Sunset gently pushed Twilight inside. “Sure it is, Pinkie,” she said, just to placate her.

“I keep telling her it won’t catch on,” Rainbow said from the couch, already snacking on a bowl of popcorn.

Twilight collapsed onto the couch next to Rainbow and let out a sigh of relief.

“What’s up with you?”

“Selena’s teaching her how to use a sword,” Sunset said, setting her party contributions down on the snack table.

“The egghead’s finally getting some exercise? Cool.”

Fluttershy walked in from the kitchen, holding two glasses of water. “Here, Twilight. You look like you need this more than I do.” She handed one glass to her and the other to Rainbow.

Twilight took it and drank it all in one gulp. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I’m enjoying the lessons, really. I just forgot, having no previous physical conditioning makes this really hard.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Rainbow tossed a kernel into the air and caught it with her mouth.

The doorbell rang again, announcing the arrival of Rarity and Applejack.

“Sorry we’re late,” Rarity said, helping to carry a case full of apple cider, “we had to help Granny Smith with some chores around the farm.”

“Ah helped. You sat and watched.”

“I provided morale and encouragement. And I daresay it worked. You finished your chores in record time.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “So, what do we wanna watch first?”

Rainbow looked over the spread of DVDs on the table in front of the television. “Well, it’s not late enough to watch a horror flick.”

Fluttershy, who was laying out a mass of blankets for everyone, pressed one against her mouth. “C-can we not do scary movies today?”

“So, how about an action movie?” Rainbow asked, not hearing Fluttershy. “Or a spy flick?”

Rarity took a pillow and got comfortable on the blankets. “I’ll watch anything, so long as we see at least one romance before the night is over.”

“Sci-fi,” Twilight groaned from the couch. Sunset leaned over and started rubbing her shoulders.

“Well, there’s no way we’re gettin’ through seven movies in one evenin’,” Applejack reasoned, joining Rainbow at the DVD table. “So, we’ll have to double up on some genres.”

They picked one that promised action and comedy first, though they talked over the first half as they caught each other up on the weeks they had.

“So, Rainbow, tell us about your date with this Soarin,” Rarity said with her cat-like smile.

“It wasn’t a date,” Rainbow said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “We just went to the movies together.”

“Mmhmm.” Rarity smiled wider. “And how was it?”

Rainbow took a handful of popcorn and shoved it in her mouth. “Its wash aweshome.”

Rarity squealed, hugging her pillow tight. “I never thought this day would come! Rainbow Dash has a boyfriend!”

“I do not!”

“Then who have you been texting the last two hours?” Pinkie asked, carrying a pizza from the kitchen.

“My dad!”

Applejack smirked. “Is your dad spelled ‘Soarin’ in your phone?”

“No one likes a screen peeker, A.J!”

“Rainbow’s got a boyfriend! Rainbow’s got a boyfriend!” Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack sang.

Sunset, who was still massaging Twilight, saw Fluttershy shift uncomfortably and retreat into the nest of blankets she had built. “Yo, guys, can’t hear the movie.”

The girls quieted down some, thought Sunset could see Fluttershy had mentally checked out already. Her eyes were to the floor, and she hadn’t touched her slice of pizza. Sunset had a hunch, but would have to wait until later to ask what was wrong.

They finished the first movie and took a quick break to refill the snack bowl and use the bathroom. Just as their romantic sci-fi movie started, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Pinkie sang. She leapt over the huddle of blankets and landed with a pirouette before sliding across the wood floor to the front door.

“Hellooooo…” The ‘o’ dragged out, becoming quieter and quieter until Pinkie fell silent, her mouth still opened.

The silence spread to the rest of the girls as they turned to the front door, every eye wide with shock and horror at the three figures standing on Pinkie’s porch. Applejack and Rainbow jumped to their feet, fists clenched tightly. Fluttershy made a squeal and dived under the blankets. Twilight clapped her hands over her ears, and Rarity helped by clapping her hands over Twilight’s.

Sunset slowly rose as well, unsure of which she should be feeling first, shock or fury. Her whole body tingled warmly, and she had a feeling if she tried hard enough, she might be able to pony up, possibly go even beyond that.

“What the hell,” she said slow and evenly, her eyes fixed on the girl in the front, “are you doing here?”

Adagio Dazzle rubbed her shoulder and looked away, her lips pressed tight. Aria stood with her arms crossed, torso turned away from the door. Sonata stood further back, holding her arm behind her back.

No one, neither the Sirens nor the Spectacular Seven, looked like they wanted to be there.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Titles: What a Girl Wants

5. Encore

Sunset watched Adagio suck on her teeth before slowly opening her mouth. “We…” Her whole face puckered.

“Either spit it out or get lost,” Rainbow growled, a blue aura already shimmering around her.

Adagio narrowed her magenta eyes, sizing each of them up. Sunset stared her down, taking note of the hunger in her stare. Something else stirred in her eyes as well. Desperation?

Curling her nails into her palm, Adagio spoke, her throat convulsing as she choked the words out. “Fine. We… would like… your…” She shuddered. “Help.”

Seven pairs of eyes stared against three as their owners tried to make sense of the situation unfolding. Sunset, struck dumb by the request, felt her initial surge of anger fade. The Sirens wanted help? From them?

No one moved. No one blinked. Even the movie seemed muted in the stunned silence.

Rarity, ever the diplomat, broke the tension with a simple, “What?”

Adagio clenched her teeth together. “We would like your help.”

Silence. Shorter this time.

“And why the hell should we help you?” Rainbow asked.

“We’re clearly desperate if we’re asking you losers for help,” Aria said.

“Yeah, calling us losers, off to a great start,” Rainbow snapped back. “Get lost before we rainbow friendship laser you again.”

Adagio clapped her hands together, a pained smile on her face. “Fine, you want us to acknowledge the elephant in the room? We will. We’re sorry we tried to take over the world and turn everyone into our slaves. There, happy?”

“No!” Twilight and Rainbow shouted.

Their collective yell snapped Sunset out of her befuddlement. Instead of contemplating the best order in which to punch the Sirens like she had been before Adagio claimed they needed help, Sunset took a better look at them. Gone were their flashy clothes and jewelry. Instead, they were all dressed in sweatpants and baggy sweatshirts that looked a little worse for wear. None of them looked malnourished or hurt, though Sonata’s eyes were red, like she had been crying.

Aria sneered like the seven were being unreasonable. “What do you want from us? We said sorry.”

“You call that an apology?” Applejack said, outraged. “Do y’all have any idea what you put us all through? You expect us just to let it go ‘cause you said ‘sorry’? Ah bet y’all don’t even mean it!”

“We’re new to the whole apologizing thing, okay?” Adagio said. “That’s why we came to you in the first place.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Adagio sucked on her teeth again. “Look, this is the third time we lost. Only this time, it’s permanent,” she growled.

“Yeah, no hard feelings there,” Aria muttered.

Adagio shot her a dangerous look. “And we decided that, maybe there’s some value to all that friendship and kindness junk people keep spouting at us.”

“Plus, we’re outta money and really hungry,” Sonata whined.

Sunset’s eyebrow rose higher, rivaling Applejack’s. “So you came to us—the ones who beat you and took away your magic—to…?”

Adagio shrugged like even she wasn't wholly positive. “Teach us about friendship or something? I dunno! Look, we really don't have anywhere else to turn!”

“Our desperation should be obvious if we're coming to you guys,” Aria said. “Really scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

“Again, not helping yourselves!” Rainbow said.

Adagio groaned irritably. “What, do you want us to beg? Please. There, happy?”

Applejack's eyebrow took its rightful place as the highest in the room. “Y’all call that beggin’?”

“Pretty please?” Sonata tried.

“You don't get it, do you?” Rainbow threw a hand out, nearly smacking the blanket Fluttershy was peeking out of. “You really expect us to help you after what you did to us? You kidnapped our friend’s dad, brainwashed the entire city, made us fight with each other, and to top it off, you turned into flying monsters and tried to kill us!”

A chord struck hard inside Sunset, reverberating through her entire body. The vibration sent her back to almost a year ago, where Rainbow had given an eerily similar speech to her in Sugarcube Corner. Sunset looked at the Sirens again, and it was as if someone had peeled away the curtain and showed her an old self-portrait.

“Sure, when you say it like that, anything can sound bad,” Adagio said with a smile. Sunset thought it was supposed to be playful, but any smile Adagio gave looked predatory.

Several of the girls looked ready to yell, but Sunset put her hand up to stop them. “Look, give us a few minutes to really talk about this, okay? You’re dropping a lot on us at once.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said flatly, already regretting what she was about to do. “Pinkie, shut the door.”

Pinkie swung the door close and turned to her friends, eyes unfocused and a crooked smile on her face. “Girls, I think the Sirens are at the door,” she said in an even higher pitched voice than usual.

“We noticed,” Sunset said. “Now--”

“There is no blazin’ way Ah’m makin’ friends with those… those monsters!”

Sunset flinched. “I understand your anger, but--”

“They’re up to something,” Rainbow said, pointing an accusatory finger at the door. “I’m not buying their ‘we’re sorry’ act for a second! The minute we let our guard down, bam! They hit us with something!”

“That's definitely a possibility. But--”

“I am not getting hypnotized by magic again!” Twilight yelled.

“You guys are right,” Sunset said loudly before anyone else could add fuel to the fire. “They might be up to something and we probably shouldn't trust them.”

Rainbow scowled. “Why do I feel like there's a ‘but’ coming?”

Sunset gave her a guilty smile. “I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. Doesn’t what they did sound… you know… familiar?”

Rarity moved to sit on the arm of the couch. “Darling, you can't compare yourself to them! You only… I mean, they… you were just… they tried to...” She grew quiet as her expression became distant. “Oh…”

“You were actually sorry for what you did,” Applejack argued. “Look at them! They ain’t sorry in the slightest.”

“Girls, initially, I was only sorry I lost. Come on, let’s all be real for a second. Minus Pinkie, if Princess Twilight hadn’t asked you girls to help me, would you have tried to be my friend?” Just asking the question aloud made Sunset’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

Twilight shot her hand in the air.

“You don’t count either, Sparky.”

Twilight lowered her hand.

Three of her remaining friends looked away, abashed. “Come on, Sunset,” Rainbow said, “you really gotta put us on the spot like that?”

“All I’m saying is, if the princess hadn’t asked you, you all would have said the same things about me if I had come to you asking for forgiveness. And remember, I didn’t. You guys just decided to be annoyingly persistent—love you all, by the way, thank you for being so annoying.”

Fluttershy lifted her head from her blanket. “What are you saying, Sunset?”

Sunset gestured to the front door. “I’m saying, yeah, they’re bad at showing it. But what if they really are sorry? What if they want to turn over a new leaf?”

“Counterpoint!” Twilight said, shooting her hand into the air again. “Why us?”

“Because we’re the bestest friends in existence?” Pinkie said.

“You’re not supposed to help her!” Twilight fumed.

Sunset gave Pinkie a thumbs up. “Who else is going to take them in? Besides, if they are up to something, this will give us an excuse to keep an eye on them.”

“Exactly,” Applejack spoke up. “We’ve got magic! The thing they don’t have anymore and are probably looking to get back! Rainbow’s right—what if this is some kind of trap?”

“What if they’re working for Tempest Shadow?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’ll check!” Pinkie said. She opened the door, where the Sirens were still standing. “Are you guys working for Tempest Shadow?”

Adagio and Aria shared a look while Sonata stared into space. “No?” Adagio said, confused.

“Cool, thanks!” Pinkie slammed the door on them. “They don’t know her!”

Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, Sunset. Stop playing devil’s advocate and just tell us how you feel.”

Sunset tapped her fingers together. There were a number of feelings swirling in her that she hadn’t realized she had until a few minutes ago. She shifted her weight from one foot to the next while she tried to coax these feelings to manifest into words.

“Look, I just… I didn’t want to be redeemed. Well… maybe deep, deep down I did. I didn’t want to make friends. Making friends meant everything I had believed in, everything I had taught myself… every habit my teacher tried to get me to break… it was all wrong. When I agreed to be your friend at the beginning…” Sunset squeezed her fingers together.

“It was just to get rid of the penance the Elements had given me.” She let go of her fingers and straightened her back. “But, I learned. I learned friendship wasn’t so bad. And then, I learned to love it. I just feel like, if I got a second chance when I didn’t even want one, shouldn’t we give one to people who do? Even if they don’t look like they mean it, shouldn’t we at least give them the chance to prove they do?”

She opened her mouth to say more, but the rest of the words wouldn’t come. Her friends looked on expectantly, Rainbow looking defiant with her hands still clenched. They all remained silent though, and Sunset felt herself wilting under the weight of her heart.

Rarity kept her eyes closed in contemplative thought. Once again, Sunset was reminded of their initial meeting at Sugarcube Corner. Her eyes opened, and she looked at Sunset, and in an instant, Sunset knew Rarity had read her like a book, pulling out the last emotions and words Sunset hadn’t been able to voice.

She stood up, walked over and took Sunset’s hands, their eyes remaining locked the entire time. With the same calm, even, and clear voice she had used in their first meeting, Rarity spoke.

“You asked us before if we wanted to be your friends out of our own volition or because of a promise with the princess. And we told you both. All of us saw you had the potential to become something better. Now, I never liked the idea of starting a friendship based on only a promise, but perhaps Princess Twilight vouching for you was the push we needed to try.

“You’re right. The circumstances between you and the Sirens are similar. Parallels even. And I would be lying if I said I was enthusiastic about the idea. But to turn them away would be a double-standard, and I care too much to do that to you. So, if you really think we should help them, then I will try my best.”

Sunset squeezed Rarity’s hands. “Thank you,” she said over the lump in her throat.

Applejack sighed. “Well, can’t argue with a speech like that. If you really think they want to start over, Ah suppose we can at least see if there’s some good in them.”

Pinkie bounced and pumped her fist to the sky. “Whoohoo! Time to make some meanies into friends again!”

Fluttershy fully emerged from her soft cocoon. “Okay, Sunset, I trust you.”

Rainbow shook her head. “I want it down on paper that I think this is a bad idea. Yeah, we reformed Sunset and it turns out, she’s pretty awesome. There’s no way we’re gonna get lucky twice.”

Everyone looked over to Twilight, huddled on the couch, her back to the group.

“I…” She slowly exhaled from her nose and looked over her shoulder to Sunset. Her eyes were glossy and couldn’t hold focus.

“I love you, and yes, maybe this is some kind of double-standard, and I’m sorry! But we saw what they were capable of! We almost broke up because of them! I just don’t see them turning good.”

She turned away and pulled her knees to her chest. “But everyone else is on board, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Sunset walked over and knelt beside the couch, gently laying a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I get it, you don’t have any reason to trust them. I’m not asking you to; not yet. Trust me instead. I won’t let them do anything to you. And again, if they’re still evil, we’ll just blast them with a rainbow laser.”

Twilight didn’t meet her eyes. She gave a slow nod, then rolled her shoulder, signaling Sunset to move away.

Sunset retracted her hand, already having second thoughts about this plan. “Well, I guess it’s settled. I’m not saying to let your guard down. Just… keep an open mind. And remember how I acted when you started trying to be my friend.”

Everyone took a moment to compose themselves, save for Rainbow and Twilight who remained scowling and curled in on themselves respectively.

“Let them in, Pinkie,” Sunset said.

“Aye aye, captain!” Pinkie swung the door open. “Congratulations! You are hereby the newest friendship students of the Spectacular Seven!”

“‘Friendship students’?” Aria shuddered. “I’m starting to wonder if this is worth it.”

“That makes two of us!” Rainbow yelled across the room.

Sunset’s shoulders fell. Off to a great start.

The Sirens stepped over the threshold, examining Pinkie’s house with disinterest. Despite their moment of prep, no one looked genuinely happy to have them inside. Even Pinkie’s smile gave the occasional nervous twitch. The closer the Sirens got to the living room, the thicker the tension became.

They stopped at the divide between the foyer and the living room. Pinkie retreated toward her friends, crossing from the wood floor to the carpet. There was a short standoff between the two parties before Sunset took a step forward, straddling the divide.

“Sooo… welcome,” Sunset said, shifting awkwardly. It occurred to her that she had never before initiated the friendship process. Either she had been forced into it, or she had been trying to make amends for past mistakes. How were you supposed to start a friendship?

Adagio looked at her, unimpressed. “Yeah. What do we do now?”

Sunset looked back at her friends, receiving hapless shrugs. Great assist, guys! “Well, we were watching a movie. You wanna join us?”

Aria rolled her neck and sighed. “I guess. It better not be lame though.”

The Sirens stepped into the living room, officially breaking the sanctuary of the Spectacular Seven. Everyone shuffled around to find their seats while trying to accommodate for their new guests. Aria dropped into the seat Rainbow had previously occupied, prompting Rainbow to glare at her, then at Sunset like it was her fault.

Sonata seated herself on the floor, close to the table. All the while she eyed the hot pizza, her hand twitching.

Pinkie sat down next to her. “You can have some if you want.”

“Really?” Sonata looked like Pinkie had descended from heaven to offer manna. At a single nod from Pinkie, she took a slice of mushroom and basil pizza and shoved half of it into her mouth.

“Try not to choke,” Aria said dully. “Circe forbid you make me happy.”

Sonata stuck out her tongue, coated in processed food, at Aria.

Rarity fanned herself, looking like she was about to have a heart attack. “Clearly, etiquette lessons are also in order.”

Adagio waved a lazy hand. “Don’t mind them. They’re idiots.”

“Takes one to know one!” Sonata said, reaching for her second slice.

Rainbow turned her head to Sunset again, her expression now saying, ‘This is definitely your fault.’

Sunset clapped her hands together. “Come on, let’s all get cozy and finish the movie!”

Adagio settled for a seat on the blankets, getting uncomfortably close to Fluttershy. “What’s wrong?” she asked in a false, simpering voice. “Sunset said we should get comfy, right?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Nope!” Rainbow yelled. She wedged herself in between Fluttershy and Adagio, giving the latter a vicious glare. “Don’t you dare.”

“What?” Adagio said with a sultry smile. “I was just trying to get to know her better.”

“Keep trying and I’ll introduce you to my fist.”

“Oh my, take me on a date first.”

“Movie!” Sunset yelled while Rainbow recoiled, mortified. “Where’s the remote? We need to rewind!”

Twilight picked it up and roughly handed it to her, her lips drawn dangerously thin. Sunset tried to smile, but under Twilight’s withering glare, it came out as a grimace.

With all ten girls situated, they started the movie again. Twilight sat on Sunset’s lap, but kept herself hunched forward, withdrawn from any other physical contact. Everyone remained relatively quiet aside from Aria’s frequent comments that the movie was dumb, and Sonata wondering where she could get a laser gun and a spaceship.

“For the last time, none of this is real, stupid,” Aria said, slouched so far in her seat, she was staring at the ceiling.

“Oh yeah? Then why was the president in it?”

“He wasn’t the real president.”

Sonata gasped. “You mean they cloned him?”

The movie came to an end, and Sunset could still feel the tension in the room was as high as the rafters. She needed something better than a movie to break the ice. Of course, the ice she was attempting to break might as well have been an arctic sheet.

“How about we take a break from movies for a sec? Who’s up for a game?”

“Oooh, I love games!” Sonata cheered.

“So do I!” said Pinkie.

“Ah don’t think there’s a game big enough for the ten of us,” Applejack said.

“I have four controllers!” Pinkie said, leaping to her feet. “We can take turns playing Power Pony Pummel!”

Aria lifted herself into a proper sitting position. “Fighting games? I’m down.”

Rainbow cracked her knuckles. “So am I.”

Rarity pulled out her nail file and sighed. “Oh boy, here we go.”

Pinkie set up the GameStationX in a matter of minutes, with her, Aria, Rainbow, and Applejack taking the first turn. Power Pony Pummel was one of the few games Sunset enjoyed watching and playing. The Power Ponies were a popular comic back in Equestria, and while she never read it, it was nice to see something so familiar in this world.

Of course, these masked superheroes weren’t actually ponies, they were only called that because their powers came from a pantheon of horse gods. Sunset also enjoyed the chance to release any pent up aggression by knocking her friends off stages with overpowered moves.

Sunset knew Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack to be pretty good players, but Aria was making quick work of them, even when they tried to team up on her. Her character High Heel dodged behind Zapp and delivered a powerful kick, knocking her off the stage and taking Rainbow down to her last life.

Rainbow unleashed a murderous growl as her character respawned. “I will end you!”

“You’ll die trying,” Aria said, smiling for the first time since her arrival. And true to her word, she knocked Rainbow out of the game first before wiping the floor with Pinkie and Applejack.

“Whoo! Go, Ari!” Sonata cheered, throwing her hands into the air.

Aria shrugged casually. “Anyone here wanna give me a real challenge?”

“I wanna go again!” Rainbow said, selecting Zapp on the character screen.

Applejack held up her controller. “Ah know when Ah’m beat. Anyone else wanna take a crack at it?”

Sunset took the controller. With Twilight still on her lap, she had to play around her, craning her neck to see the screen. Pinkie handed her controller to Sonata, whose fingers were still covered in pizza grease.

While not expecting to win, Sunset had hoped she’d last longer than she did. As it turned out, Sonata was almost as good as Aria. Playing as the Mane-iac, Sunset got a few good hits in, but was ultimately the first to fall. Rainbow went next, losing to Sonata this time, leaving the two Sirens to duke it out. And like before, Aria took the match.

“Aaagh!” Rainbow tossed her controller to the side and crossed her arms in a huff. “This game is dumb.”

“Way to show your maturity level, Dash,” Sunset deadpanned.

Aria took a deep breath and grinned in satisfaction. “I don’t know about you, but I feel much closer, friend.”

“Can it!” Rainbow said, not bothering to look at her.

“It’s getting late,” Rarity said. “Perhaps we should wrap things up?”

“Aww, but I still have pizza dough left,” Pinkie said.

“We can save it for the next party.”

Adagio stood and stretched, sticking her chest out. “So, this party’s over. Is this the part where we go out and get drinks?”

“None of us are twenty-one,” Applejack said.

“So?”

“We’re not going bar hopping,” Sunset said flatly.

“You goodie-goodies are no fun. Fine, what are we going to do?”

Applejack stood up and started collecting bags of chips. “It’s just as we said: we’re wrapping things up and goin’ home.”

Adagio looked outside. “The sun is just setting, and you’re all going home?”

“Because you three are a major drain on all of us,” Rainbow said with venom. No one disagreed with her.

The corners of Adagio’s mouth twitched upward. “Wow. And I thought you girls were the epitome of friendship or whatever.”

“It’s an adjustment,” Rarity said calmly. “Making friends with your past enemies takes time.”

Sunset smiled to herself, remembering all the activities she had gone through before she even considered calling the girls friends.

“So, what do we do in the meantime?” Aria asked.

“Go home,” Rainbow said.

The Sirens exchanged an anxious look with each other. “Yeah, here's the thing…” Adagio began.

Sunset’s shoulders tensed.

“We don't have anywhere to go. Our agent broke ties with us after we… lost our voices,” Adagio said, her voice bordering on a growl.

“Then our money dried up, so they kicked us out of our mansion,” Aria finished.

“Nope!” Rainbow sprung to her feet. “I know where this is going, and the answer is no! There's no way you're staying with any of us!”

“But it would be like a giant sleepover!” Sonata said.

“None of us have the time, room, or desire to host the three of you,” Twilight said. Her cold look drifted from the Sirens to Sunset. “Right?”

Sunset flinched and looked away. “Yeah. I'm sure we can think of something though.”

Sitting on her knees, Sonata looked up Sunset with huge purple eyes. “Please don't make us go back to the streets.”

Applejack jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “There's a homeless shelter two towns over.”

“We got kicked out of one because Aria was being be-lig-er-ent,” Sonata said, stumbling over the last word.

A lightbulb went off in Sunset’s head. “I know where they can stay for free.”

Adagio crossed her arms. “As long as it has a shower.”

*******

“You have to be joking.”

The Spectacular Seven and the Sirens climbed out of their cars and stood in front of a familiar factory warehouse. Rust had built up along the edges of the garage door, and the high windows were still brown. The ‘scheduled for demolition' sign had fallen to the ground.

“Nope,” Rainbow said with a triumphant grin. “This is your new home. If Sunset can live here, so can you.”

“You lived here?” Adagio asked. “First of all, why? Second of all, why don't you anymore?”

“I’ll explain later,” Sunset said breezily. She knew the Sirens knew about their Equestrian magic, but was sure they didn’t know she was from Equestria. She’d hold onto that knowledge for a little while longer. “Come on, let's take a tour of your new place.”

Aria crossed her arms. “I’m not taking a step in that dump.”

Sunset shrugged. “Fine. Sleep on the street then.” She sauntered toward the alleyway, seeing Aria’s shadow clench a fist before moving behind her. There was a delicious irony in making the Sirens sleep in her old hovel. They had been proud, power-hungry, lavish living villains, laid low by a rainbow.

Sunset wanted to help them if they genuinely wanted help. But, she’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t sore about the Battle of the Bands. Her friends had been right: the Sirens had made them all suffer for almost a month. A cynical part of Sunset thought even this was too good for them.

Just because she was giving the Sirens a second chance didn't mean she had to be nice about it all the time.

The blue door didn’t stick like it had during winter, and the hall lights popped to life when Sunset flipped the switch. Good signs so far. Most of the girls stayed outside, leaving the Sirens to follow close behind Sunset, with Rainbow bringing up the rear. Sunset showed them the kitchen first.

“You’ve got a fridge, a microwave, and a sink. My old hot plate might still be in one of the cabinets.” Sunset opened a few of the cabinet doors. “Aha! Here it is! Now, you can cook ramen.”

“You’re mocking us, aren’t you?” Adagio asked.

“Of course not!” Sunset’s smile didn't show her teeth.

Adagio lifted an eyebrow.

“Okay, maybe just a little bit. But, to be fair, you guys made our lives miserable and then tried to kill us.”

“We said sorry,” Aria grumbled.

“You said ‘sorry’,” Rainbow commented from the doorway. “Jury's out on whether or not you meant it.”

Sunset showed them the factory floor, then brought them upstairs to the office. The television Lamia had installed during her tenure was still there.

“It might be a little cramped, but you’ll make do. If it helps, my friends and I can buy you groceries and basic necessities,” Sunset said. She ignored the groan Rainbow made behind her.

Adagio threw her arms out. “You can't seriously expect us to live like this! Do you know who we are?”

“Eighties rejects who came to us begging for help?” Rainbow said with an impish grin.

Aria rolled up a sleeve. “That's it!”

Adagio stepped in front of her, and Sunset stepped in front of Rainbow. “Look, it's the best we’ve got for you right now. You three literally showed up out of nowhere. If you behave, and if we can work out some arrangements, maybe you’ll be able to graduate from this to something nicer.”

Sonata flopped onto the dusty old mattress. “We get this whole place to ourselves! I'm not complaining!”

“Fine!” Adagio harrumphed. “We’ll put up with this for now.”

Sunset nodded. “Good. We’ll be back to check up on you and get groceries tomorrow.”

“Try not to burn the place down,” Rainbow said. “Otherwise, you're sleeping on the streets.”

Aria flipped her a finger, and Rainbow mirrored her. With that, she and Sunset took their leave. Outside, dusk had settled, leaving their friends in shadows.

“Welp, so much for having a relaxing summer,” Applejack said. “We’re gonna be babysittin’ them the whole time.”

“Do you think they'll be okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ain’t them you should be worried about,” Applejack said. “Ah know you’ve got the best intentions, Sunset, but Ah’m still uneasy about this.”

“I know no one’s happy about this. But it was like this with me too, right?”

Rainbow crossed her arms and kicked the dirt. “Maybe, but something about this feels different.”

Rarity pushed her hand away as she exhaled. “How about we retire for the day? I think we all need time to sort out our thoughts and feelings.”

And like that, the girls began to depart, traces of uncertainty lingering in the air. Sunset drove Twilight back home. Neither said anything until she pulled into the driveway.

Twilight hopped off the motorcycle and handed her helmet to Sunset. She kept her eyes averted, even when she spoke. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Sunset stowed the extra helmet away. “No, but someone has to do it. And I’ll take full blame if this all goes wrong.”

“That’s not…” Twilight sighed. “Nevermind. I need time to think. See you tomorrow.”

“Twilight?” Sunset watched her retreat into the house. With a tired groan, she started her motorcycle and turned out into the street.

Great, look what you’ve done. You should have just said no. She tilted her head left. But, everyone deserves a second chance, right? She tilted her head right. Not at the cost of your friends’ happiness.

Sunset pulled into the Lulamoon driveway. “Well, it’s already done. We’re all just going to have to make the best of it.” She took off her helmet.

“Now… how do I tell Selena?”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Feels Like They Stood at That Door for Six Months!

We're back! Updates might be a little shaky for a sec. I also made a few changes to this volume's earlier chapters. You can re-read through them if you like, but you can peek at this blog to get a bullet version.

I really shouldn't ask since I put this story on hiatus for so long, but if you'd like, support me on Ko-fi!

6. Hypocrites and Handouts

“I’m sorry, what?”

Sunset was glad Selena had at least put down the cutlery knife before spinning to face her; her expression clearly said she had heard Sunset loud and clear, but was giving her one chance to say something else.

Sunset’s survival instincts told her to take it, but...

“The Sirens showed up and… well, they asked for help? So, I thought my friends and I would, you know, help them?” The kitchen felt much smaller with Selena looming over her.

“They just ‘showed up’ and asked you for help?” Selena asked, her voice razor thin.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking—”

“And you said yes?” Her voice cracked.

“I believe everyone deserves a second chance!” Sunset took a step back, the heat from Selena’s eyes growing too intense for her.

Selena snapped them shut and took a deep breath. “Sunset, you sweet, sweet, altruistic girl. You have good intentions.” Her eyes flew open again, and the inferno raged. “But the Sirens are monsters who can’t be redeemed, and you’re naive for thinking anything otherwise!”

“But, Selena—”

“If twenty years on an island didn’t teach them anything, nothing will!”

“Not necessarily—”

“You girls have magic! They clearly want it! I don’t know what game they’re playing, but that is the end goal! Where are they, Sunset? I’m going to get my sword and gut them like the fishes they are!”

“Hang on!” Sunset threw her arms out. “Look, I get it, they did bad things, I was there! But, the ex-demon living in your house would like to remind you that… I’m an ex-demon living in your house.”

The fire in Selena’s eyes cooled a little. “Sunset...”

“Listen, my people believe in two things: banishment and friendship. We already tried banishment, so why don’t we try friendship? Even if they are plotting something, maybe they’ll change their minds if we treat them as friends instead of enemies and sweet Celestia, I sound like the stupid princess now!” Sunset stuck her tongue out.

“I’m sorry?”

Sunset waved a hand. “Not important. The point is, from personal experience, I’ve learned that people can change. I’m not asking you to do anything, just making you aware of what I’m trying to do.”

“And as your somewhat legal guardian, veteran adventurer, magic amateur, and woman who cares about your well-being, I think this is a bad idea.”

“You’re not the only one.” Sunset wrung her wrists. “But, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing I had turned away someone who was in the same position I was once in.”

Selena turned back to the vegetables on the cutting board, but Sunset saw her hard expression melt like butter. “Like I said, you’re a sweet child, Sunset. I sympathize with where you’re coming from, truly. Just—”

“I’ll be careful. I’ll have all my friends to help me, too. We’ll blast them with a rainbow alicorn if need be, and if that doesn’t work, you can poke them with your sword.”

With her back turned, it was impossible to make out Selena’s expression, but Sunset felt there might have been a hint of a smile. Selena picked up the knife and resumed dicing. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.”

Her tone was neither cold nor angry, but it gave a clear signal that the conversation was over. Sunset excused herself and made for the stairs.

“Be careful. Please.”

Sunset tried to put on a casual grin. “You know me. I’m always careful.” When Selena didn’t answer, Sunset shoved her hands into her pockets and continued upstairs. “And now, I’m the only one with a sense of humor in this house.”

*******

Sunset woke up early the next day. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering how long it would be before the bags returned.

Was she doing the right thing? No, that wasn’t the question; of course she was doing the right thing. Trying to help someone was always the right thing. She glared at Princess Twilight.

“A dimension away and you’re rubbing off on me. I hate you.”

“But it’s nice being a good person! And it’s only fair. Someone gave you a second chance, now do it for someone else!”

“I know!” Sunset pressed her palms against her eyes. She had to help them. It was only fair.

But did she want to be friends with them? Help them and show that being kind and honest was better than taking over the world, sure. But friends?

Had the girls felt similarly all those months ago?

She placed herself in the position of her friends at the end of the Fall Formal. They had to make friends with the girl who had made them miserable for the majority of their high school lives. But they did it because a friend asked. Of course, said friend never had to be directly involved; she got to go home and be a princess.

Sunset breathed in and breathed out her lingering resentment.

Rainbow certainly hadn’t wanted to be friends with her. And Applejack and Fluttershy were wary. But Pinkie and Rarity put in an honest effort from the start.

And Sunset herself had no real intention of being their friends. They were a means to an end. Now, she couldn’t imagine a world without them.

“Friendship is a process,” Princess Twilight squeaked softly. “It starts at different places, but can always grow stronger and more true over time. Enemies can become friends. It will just take more effort. You’re proof of that.”

Sunset climbed out of bed. “I just hope my friends and I have the energy to put in that effort.” Sunset couldn’t deny the appeal of punching the Sirens in the face for the Battle of the Bands, even if it would set this prospective friendship back. She practiced a few of the meditative breathing exercises Selena had taught her.

“It’s okay to still be mad,” she said between breaths. “First, let them prove they’re sorry. Then, forgive. Don’t forget. But don’t be your friends and keep reminding them every week. Tough love, Sunset. Give them some tough love.”

Feeling lighter, Sunset picked up her phone and opened the group chat.

‘Anyone want to help me get groceries for the Sirens?’

Rainbow responded first. ‘Pass.’

‘I’ll help, sugarcube,’ Applejack typed.

‘Sure!’ Pinkie replied.

‘No thank you,’ Fluttershy texted.

“Of course!” Rarity responded.

Sunset took a shower while waiting for Twilight to text back, but she never did. She was spared the trouble of messaging her again when a knock came from downstairs. Sunset hurried down and opened the door, finding Twilight dressed in comfortable clothes again, but with shoulders tense.

“Hey, Twilight.” Sunset gave an awkward wave. “You, um, get the group text?”

She nodded. “Sorry, I can’t go. I have practice with Selena today.”

“Right, yeah.” Sunset moved to the side to let her in. Twilight stepped across the threshold, gave Sunset a quick kiss, then proceeded to the kitchen. Sunset watched her go, wanting to go after her, but knew now wasn’t the right time.

“Right… talk to you later then,” she said after Twilight had left the living room. Sunset pressed a hand to her forehead. “Day one: already regretting this.”

She took her motorcycle down to the factory. The fact that it wasn’t on fire was a good sign. Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity joined her not long after, and the four of them knocked on the door in the alley.

Adagio wrenched it open and glared at them. “It’s about time you showed up.”

Applejack bristled and snorted. “Listen here, ya spoiled—”

“We’re here now, so get your sisters and we can go,” Sunset cut across. She took a deep breath and added, “Please.”

Adagio turned her head and shouted down the hall. “Come on, losers, we’re going shopping!”

Sonata and Aria slouched into view. None of them had changed clothes from yesterday, but they looked a little less disheveled.

“Why didn’t you tell us this place had no hot water?” Aria growled.

“Slipped my mind.” Sunset turned and gestured for them to follow. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Doubtful,” Adagio said.

They broke into two separate cars. Applejack took Sunset, Aria, and Adagio, while Rarity drove Pinkie and Sonata. Sunset used the rear-view mirror to check on the two Sirens every other minute. Both of them just sat with their arms crossed, glaring moodily out the windows.

The plan had originally been to take the Sirens to a discount clothing store, but Rarity had showed rather strong opinions on the matter before they left.

"If we want to be cheap, let’s at least take them to a thrift shop. There is style in 99c. Discount is just outmoded cloth retailers can't put to the fire!"

The nearest thrift store was unfortunately on the other side of town, so it was a long and silent drive for the four girls. Sunset had a feeling Rarity’s car was a bit more lively.

Well, time to put what you’ve learned into practice. Sunset looked in the mirror again. “So, uhh… have you girls been in Canterlot this whole time after… you know… ?”

“The Battle of the Bands where you stripped us of our voices and magic?” Aria asked, slumping into her seat.

“Yeah, that.”

“Our house was out-of-state,” Adagio said, still glaring out the window. “Once we were evicted, we had to walk or hitchhike our way here. And since the media told the world we’re hacks who tricked everyone, it wasn’t an easy journey.”

“Don’t blame us for that,” Applejack said. “Not our fault y’all sound like banshees without your magic.”

Aria bolted upright, but Adagio gripped her shoulder and forced her to stay in her seat. While Aria fumed, Adagio said, “With all that country music I’m sure you listen to, you wouldn’t know a good voice if it kicked you in the teeth.”

Applejack gripped the wheel hard enough to turn her knuckles white. “Ah swear, if Ah weren’t driving…”

Sunset placed a hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “We get it, the battle is a sore spot for you. Literally everything leading up to it was a sore spot for us. So let’s call it even.”

Aria snorted but leaned back into her seat again. Her eyes bore into the back of Applejack’s chair.

Sunset chewed on her tongue in thought. Casual conversation that won’t lead to road rage.

“So, Aria, you’re pretty good at Power Pony Pummel. Any other games you like to play?”

Aria gave a bored eye roll. “Horror, shooters. Anything with lots of gore.”

“I think you and Rainbow would get along pretty well.”

“Sure we would.”

“How about you, Adagio?” Sunset moved on, trying to keep her voice peppy. “Do you have any hobbies or fun things you like?”

“Hair and make-up, making fun of people for their bad hair and make-up, poker, horse betting. Online shopping was fun while it lasted. And getting people to do what I want. Though that last one isn’t so much a hobby as it is something that just happens.” She gave that smile where Sunset thought she was trying to make a joke, but her sharp teeth made it dangerous.

“Well, maybe you should talk to Rarity. She has an eye for fashion and make-up.”

Adagio snorted. “I saw what you were wearing during the tournament. If those were her designs, I can’t wait to see them at the discount clothing stores.”

Applejack hunched forward, her teeth furiously clenched. “Just wait till we get out the car,” she grumbled.

“Be honest, A.J., “Sunset whispered. “Was I this bad?”

Applejack closed her mouth and mulled it over. “You were a different kind of frustrating. You just didn’t want to hang out with us. This? I’d take five of you from back then over this.”

Whether or not it was supposed to be a compliment, it did make Sunset feel a little better.

Thankfully, Applejack didn’t pounce on either Siren when the group pulled up to the thrift store. As expected, Pinkie and Sonata approached, all smiles and talking like they had known each other for years.

“And to this day, I’m still hunting down that leprechaun!”

“I knew you couldn’t trust short people with beards! I hope you find him, Pinkie! Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out, too!”

Rarity had a single hair out of place on her otherwise perfectly combed coiffure, and a lopsided smile. She slid over to Sunset and Applejack, not taking her eyes off her two passengers.

“I love Pinkie to death,” she said in a light whisper, her voice cracking, “but I don’t think I can handle two of them.”

“You got the better deal,” Applejack said, staring straight ahead at the store. “Trust me.”

‘Yesterday’s Treasures’ was fairly large. The front of the building was painted like a gilded treasure chest, and rhinestone dresses and beaded necklaces hung in the windows. The inside was well lit by lamps from every decade, including lava lamps sitting near a rack of tie-dye shirts.

“Remember, we’re just here to get a few outfits for each of you,” Sunset said firmly. “Nothing else.”

“Awwww.” Sonata climbed off the giant beanbag she had flopped onto.

“How do we know they ain’t just tryin’ to mooch off us?” Applejack asked as they moved toward the clothing aisles.

“We’re making them live in a rundown factory with limited electricity and water, and buying them frozen dinners and cheap clothes. I’d hardly call this mooching.”

“We’re still the ones payin’ for it.”

“Didn’t you guys buy me things when I explicitly told you not to?”

Applejack smiled for the first time that day. “That was ‘cause we liked you by then. And it was just things to spruce up your livin’ space.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile too. “Don’t worry; we’ll find a way to make them pay it back somehow. Or, maybe we’ll like them enough where it won’t matter.”

“Ah admire your optimism, sugarplum, but let’s wait to see if these eggs even get laid before we start countin’ chickens.”

As Applejack turned down a different aisle, Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. Countryisms and puns. I wonder which will kill me first?

Sunset found Rarity and Aria in the 70s clothing section. Rarity held a black shirt with torn sleeves and a large skull on the front in one hand, and a pair of black pants with torn leggings and studded belt loops in the other.

“Hmm. You know, I’ve never really dabbled in the punk genre of fashion. I must say, there’s a certain rebellious allure to it,” Rarity said, appraising it with her fashionista eyes.

Aria gave a nonchalant shrug. “Yeah, it’s cool, or whatever. Needs a vest to go with it.” She noticed Sunset standing nearby and furrowed her brow. “Oh yeah. This is the only compliment you’re getting from me, but that’s a sick jacket.”

Sunset straightened out her collar. “Thanks.” She loved her jacket dearly, but with the warming weather, it was becoming harder to justify wearing it. Even in the air conditioned store, Sunset felt sweat building under her arms.

With Rarity aiding Aria, Sunset wandered through the store until she spotted Sonata and Pinkie marveling at a collection of old video games.

“Sunset, look!” Pinkie held up a thick, gray cartridge. “They have a copy of the original Pat, the Baker! In mint condition! It has the fabled thirteenth level that they removed from later versions because it was said to be impossible to beat!”

She grinned in a fiendish manner. “Challenge accepted!”

“Pinkie, we’re getting clothes, not video games.”

“Por qué no lòs dos?”

Sunset groaned and pinched her nose again.

“I don’t know what she said, but I agree with Pinkie!” Sonata said, waving another game in the air.

Sunset snatched the game from Sonata and set it back. “Clothes. Buy. Now.” She pointed to the clothing aisles.

“Awww,” both girls sighed. Hanging their heads, they started forward, until Pinkie pointed out a collection of large stuffed animals and ran toward them, Sonata right behind her.

Sunset cupped a hand over her eyes. “I’m babysitting. I’m babysitting children today.” She pulled her hand down her face and carried on, running into Applejack and Adagio next. Sunset’s only consolation was that they weren’t trying to kill each other.

Yet.

“Everything in this shop is terrible at worst and mediocre at best.” Adagio picked up a psychedelic shirt with a peace sign. “I can’t believe I’ve gone from designer to this.”

“Ah think it suits you,” Applejack said with her smuggest grin. “It matches your hair.”

Adagio lowered the shirt and looked at her with an equally contempt smile. “Like your accent matches your IQ?”

Applejack clenched a fist. “You know what, you poofy-haired snake?”

“Do tell, country hick.”

Sunset stood between them and thrust her arms out. “Both of you knock it off before I dropkick you! Adagio, buy the stupid shirt. Applejack, stop antagonizing her if you can’t take what she dishes back.” She pointed at each of them in turn.

“Someone’s snippy today,” Adagio said, licking her lips. “For someone who wants to help us, you don’t seem like you’re enjoying it.”

“You’re not exactly making it easy for me.”

“And you’re making us live in a derelict factory and buy trash for clothes. So I guess we’re all unhappy.” Adagio crossed her arms.

Sunset’s head tilted to one side, a sharp pop coming from her neck. She gave Adagio a crooked smile. “Well, once you adopt a better attitude, maybe we’ll upgrade you to our deluxe factory suite.”

Against her better judgement, she left Applejack and Adagio to check up on Rarity and Aria again. Rarity was squatting next to a display of trading cards, but Aria was nowhere in sight.

“Rarity?”

She looked over her shoulder and hopped to her feet at Sunset’s approach. “Look, I think I found the perfect gift for Rainbow! It’s a series of holographic player cards from the 1982 World Cup!” She fanned out seven soccer cards, each shimmering under the store lights.

Sunset jumped. “Ah, horsefeathers! I still need a present for her!” Rainbow’s birthday was less than a week away, and Sunset still had no idea what to gift her. She seemed to hoard video games and soccer memorabilia.

She swatted the thought away. “Later! Rarity, where’s Aria?”

“Oh, I let her pick out the rest of her wardrobe on her own. She has incredible taste really.” Rarity returned to the card display while Sunset stalked off to find her query.

Two aisles over, said query was in a game of tug-a-war with an older woman over a spiked purple vest.

“Give it up, granny, I saw it first!”

“My granddaughter has wanted a vest like this all year!”

“Like I care! Do you know who I am?”

“No!”

Sunset ran over and helped the old woman pull the vest free from Aria’s grasp. “I am so sorry about that, ma’am! She’s uhh… just cranky without her coffee.”

The old woman sniffed indignantly and walked off, leaving Aria to get in Sunset’s face.

“The hell? I saw it first!”

Sunset stepped back and pressed her hands together in front of her mouth. “Okay, friendship lesson number one.” She threw her arms out to her sides. “You don’t pick fights with old ladies over clothes!”

Aria jabbed a thumb at herself. “But I saw it first. I was reaching for it when that old crone nabbed it from me.”

“Then you should have politely told her that, not fought her for it!” Sunset pressed a hand to the side of her head, feeling a headache rapidly coming on. “Just go finish shopping.”

Aria rolled her eyes and stormed off.

Sunset leaned against an armoire and continued nursing her headache. “This is going to be harder than I thought.” It was especially difficult without Twilight here to keep her calm. She let out a longing sigh.

“I miss Twilight.”

*******

Perspiration coated her face, particularly gathered on her forehead, acting as an adhesive for her bangs. An itchy and irritating adhesive. The positive was that it stopped most of the sweat from running into her eyes.

Teeth grit, shoulders tense, stance wide, Twilight held her wooden training sword out in front of her, awaiting Selena’s next command. Every muscle in her anatomy burned. Her sleep had been restless, her breakfast had been light, and now she was exerting herself in an extreme she had not felt since sophomore year gym class.

Narrowed eyes focused on the tip of her blade. She wouldn’t stop. She would learn how to fight. And if the Sirens tried to do anything to her friends…

“Strike!”

Twilight took a single step forward and brought her practice blade down in a decisive swing. She returned to her resting position, the sword out in front of her again. Her eyes found her focal point, locking her into concentrating.

“Again!”

She took another step and swung again in a perfect arc. Don’t think about Sunset. Don’t think about the Sirens. Don’t think about the hypocrisy. Twilight lifted the sword again and saw the tip.

“Again!”

She stepped and swung again, letting out an empowered “Yah!”

Selena’s expressionless face finally yielded a smile, the first one since Twilight had greeted her two hours ago. “Very good. You’re a quick learner, Twilight. Let’s take a break here.”

Twilight shook her head, allowing a few beads of sweat to sneak past her bangs and run down her face. “I can keep going.”

Soft fingers gripped her shoulder. “Your resolve is admirable. But ceaseless training will win you nothing but a broken body.”

As Selena’s grip slackened, so did Twilight’s grip on her sword. Her shoulders sagged and she let out a loud gasp she hadn’t known she was holding onto. Her body agreed with her teacher: rest was good. These muscles were new and very inexperienced. Her mind, however, wanted the distraction. Swordplay required focus, and Twilight needed focus.

But as Selena handed her a cold water bottle, Twilight heard the thoughts creeping back to the forefront of her mind. Why is Sunset trying to make friends with the Sirens? Does she not remember what they did to us? I want to trust her! I can’t let anything bad happen to her! What if I get hypnotized again? Am I a bad person for holding a double-standard? What does Sunset think about me?

“You seem troubled, Twilight.”

Twilight blinked. She had a tight grip on her water bottle and hadn’t looked up since she lowered her sword. She looked at Selena, finding the same concern her own mother gave when Twilight was in a mood.

“It’s… I’m just…”

“Thinking about the Sirens?”

She nodded.

Selena set her practice sword down on the patio, then moved to the grass and sat down, cross-legged. Twilight mimicked her, only instead of cross-legged, she pulled her knees up under her chin.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t have reservations about Sunset’s decision as well. I’ve fought with the Sirens. I’ve seen what they can do. Twice now.” Selena folded her hands in her lap. “Sunset’s a good girl, but I think she’s in over her head this time.”

Twilight looked at her water bottle again. The cool dew against her hand was a welcome contrast to the warm sweat still on her face. ‘Reservations' was an understatement. Twilight wanted to scream her frustration out. But the fact that she felt frustrated just made her feel guilty instead.

“Are we hypocrites then?” Twilight moved the cool bottle to her other hand. “Sunset was bad before but… when I met her, she saved my life. Then I found out about all the bad things she did. I didn’t believe it at first. I couldn’t believe she had turned into a demon, even if she did act sour and mean. I still wanted to be her friend. Now she wants to do it with the Sirens and I just… I can’t let go of what they did to everyone!”

Twilight gripped the bottle, hearing the plastic crinkle. She could still remember what she felt under the Sirens’ influence. The amplification of it to irrational levels. The spiteful words she had spat at her friends, at Sunset. Anger, inadequacy, inferiority to her friends and their powers.

All those emotions sitting in her heart. She didn’t need the Sirens help to feel them.

Selena sat perfectly still, eyes closed in a meditative state. “Maybe we are hypocrites. But could anyone blame us? We’ve both been wronged by them. We both came close to losing people we care about.”

“But Sunset did the same thing!” Twilight sucked in a shuddering breath. She focused on a particularly long blade of grass near the hem of her sock. “She did the same thing…”

Selena didn’t give a response.

Twilight had heard the story several times. She had seen the monster Sunset had become. She thought she had reconciled that, added it to the list of quirks Sunset had and loved her anyway. So why, looking at it from this facet, did it bother her so much?

“After everything she did, the girls still wanted to help her and be her friend. And so did I.”

Twilight had also seen the regret Sunset had for that night. The pain and fear and tears in her eyes. She had shown remorse, something the Sirens didn’t have. Of course, Twilight hadn’t really given them the chance. It had only been a day.

But did she want to give them a chance?

“We can’t allow fear to rule us.”

Twilight tore her eyes away from the blade of grass and looked at Selena, the picture of poise. She reminded Twilight of all the wise swordmasters from the animes Shining would watch.

“Let us accept the fact that we are being hypocritical in our treatment of the Sirens. Let’s breath it in.” She took a deep breath, and Twilight followed suit. “Now, breath it out.”

They both exhaled. Twilight wouldn’t say she felt better, but the knot in her chest did loosen.

“This hypocrisy only remains true if we don’t give them a chance. I recall hearing Sunset was very rough around the edges during the first stages of her reformation. It will be harder for both of us, but we must at least allow them one chance to prove they’re sincere.”

Twilight inhaled and exhaled again. “I know you’re right. But it’s easier said than done. I’m scared they’ll do something to Sunset… or me.” She put one hand over her heart and the other against her forehead, mixing cool condensation with warm perspiration. “You don’t know what it’s like to feel all these negative emotions and not even know you’re being manipulated until after it’s gone.”

“I do not. I’m blessed with a high mental fortitude to guard against their magic. However, I am confidant they’ve lost that power when their amulets broke.”

“But what if they didn’t?” Twilight clenched her chest, the knot tightening again. “I-I don’t want to fight with my friends again! Not like that!” She whipped her head toward Selena.

“Teach me how to protect my mind! Please!”

Selena placed a hand over the one Twilight had against her chest. “Breathe, Twilight. Tranquility in, fear out.”

Twilight did as she was told, the knot untying again.

“I can start your training, but it takes years of dedicated focus to reach that level.”

“I’ll do it. Whatever it takes.”

Selena turned her body to fully face Twilight. “Very well. The process is very akin to meditating. You will need to focus your mind and soul and push out all distractions. First, close your eyes.”

Twilight took one more deep breath before plunging into the darkness of her mind. The outlines of Selena and the rest of the backyard faded away, leaving only the fuzzy static and shapeless blobs that always danced inside her eyelids.

“Relax your mind. Push away all thoughts.”

Easier said than done. Twilight immediately berated herself for already failing Selena’s instructions. She focused on the darkness, trying to stop every errant thought that snuck into her head. The faster she mastered this, the sooner she could be sure the Sirens or anything else would never be able to control her again.

Still, she couldn’t believe she was meditating to protect her mind against magical influence. She had never been against meditating per se; studies had shown that mental relaxation and calm stimulation actually boosted productivity and was good for a healthy lifestyle. But there were no studies proving it was effective for magical training. Of course there wasn’t; magic wasn’t supposed to exist!

Twilight wondered if she could lead the field in that. Meditation for magical gain. Of course, people would call her a crackpot at worst and psuedo-science at best. The entire scientific community would mock her.

She thought about all the notes on magic back in her room. She needed to continue that research. If she could find a way to measure it with available means, make magic work for someone like her, it could start a brand new branch of science entirely! She could develop tools and technology to help not just her friends, but the world at large! She could—

“You’re not focusing, Twilight.”

Twilight snapped her eyes open, wincing at the bright sun above them. Selena’s eyes were still closed, but there was a knowing smirk on her lips. Twilight’s cheeks reddened. “Right, sorry.”

“I know it’s hard for a mind like yours, but you need to put away your curiosity, your tangential thoughts, your fears. Just clear your mind and breathe.”

“Okay.” Twilight closed her eyes again, watching the sun splotches fade into the darkness. She listened to the wind, hearing it rustle the grass and shake a wind-chime two yards over. Thinking of the wind-chime made her think of windmills and designs for more efficient clean energy projects. But, she willed herself to focus. She listened to her heartbeat, calm again with her extended rest. She thought about Fluttershy’s healing magic, and if it could be harnessed for far-reaching medical purposes. But, like the thought before it, Twilight breathed it out.

She thought about Sunset, she thought about her friends, she thought magic, she thought about the Sirens. Then, one by one, she let all of them drop away to the back of her mind. They tried to climb back up, and some of them succeeded for a short while, but Twilight gently pushed them away.

She would master this for her friends. She would not let the Sirens beat her again.

*******

Tempest snapped the laptop shut and massaged the spot above her eyes. Those stupid graphs and charts never made any sense. A map she could read just fine, but throw calculations and percentages on there…

She leaned back in her rolling chair, easing away from the desk and turning to the large window behind her. Out in the manor’s garden was Moondancer, sitting under the gazebo, idly stirring a cup of tea. Tempest could see her sigh and rest the good side of her face in her hand.

Stop acting like you’re in prison. I could only dream of living someplace like this when I was a child. Tempest turned the chair to the side and faced one of the walls of books. She slipped her hand into her pocket and produced her phone. With a mental sigh, she selected a number from her short list of contacts and waited.

On the third ring, Tempest heard the crackle of static before the loud clacking of keys filled the room. A mechanical hum filled the background, along with the faintest echo of jazz music. It continued for several seconds with no one saying anything.

Then, before Tempest could shout her name, a woman’s jovial voice asked, “You still can’t read my graphs?”

This time, Tempest outwardly sighed. “I was an archeologist, not a mathematician.”

“I am not a mathematician,” the woman said, the typing of keys halting. “I am a bio-engineer and physicist with a minor in psychology, thank you very much.” The clacking continued.

Tempest gave her an extra second to cool down. “Just give me the facts.”

“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” she said, her voice upbeat again.

Tempest’s stoic mask inched toward a frown. “Fine, let’s get the bad news out of the way.”

“Well…” The typing paused. “While the magical bursts from the battle with those Sirens and Moondancer’s stint at the dance did generate a generous amount of magic, both bursts were only temporary. We gathered a lot but… we’re still a long ways from our goal.”

“How long?”

Heels clicked against metal tiles. “If that level of magic was being churned out continuously, we’d be done in a day. But as it stands, it’d take about… two years.”

“Two years?” Tempest gripped the phone, feeling a surge of anger that wasn’t quite all her own. Wisps of shadows gathered around her left shoulder.

“To be fair, that’s half the time it would have taken without those… Spectacular Seven? Those girls that keep blasting magic everywhere.”

Tempest flared her nostrils. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Because I know you hate bad news and I wanted to be totally sure?”

Acceptable answers. “Why is it taking so long? Those weren’t the numbers you gave when we first started.”

The jazz music got a little louder, and Tempest could hear a pencil scratching against paper. “Well, like I already told Moondancer, the DNA samples she got in France weren’t as sufficient as I had first thought. And despite these ‘Spectacular Seven’ girls running around with this new type of magic, it’s still not producing enough residual magic for us to absorb and compensate for the lack of building material. So, we either need more DNA, or a lot more magic.”

Even that girl’s successes are still failures! Absolutely worthless! Tempest tucked the phone between her shoulder and cheek and used her free hand to pull at her eyelids. Perhaps she had been a bit too preemptive in having Scarlet get rid of the other magician families. Where was she supposed to get large quantities of magic? She supposed it would be easier to find more DNA samples, but the ones she had sent Moondancer to obtain had proved to be a hassle just to track down.

Tempest grit her teeth. Lord Tirek would not wait two years for his body to be restored. There had to be a way. “What about the idea I discussed with you earlier?”

“And that’s where the good news comes in!” More heels against metal, and the clacking keys returned. “Like I said, if we could funnel the magic from these girls continuously, we’d be done in a day. You wanted to harness their powers, and I found a way to do it. Theoretically at least.”

“Go on.”

“The Staff of Sacanas!”

“... And?”

“It’s an ancient relic that, in theory, has the ability to drain the magic from magical creatures or objects.”

Tempest drummed her fingers against her armrest. “How is that different from the Mana Absorbers?”

“Those only attract ambient magic: the natural magic that flows through the world. Or, you know, what’s left. This, ohoho, this drains the magic from its target and stores it in its central crystal! That magic can then be redirected! Think of it as a much more refined version of my Mana Absorbers.”

Tempest felt herself starting to smile again. “So you’re saying with this staff, we could drain the Spectacular Seven of their magic and feed it into Lord Tirek’s revival pod?”

“Heck, drain enough magic, we might not even need the pod. We could complete the revival spell without any scientific augmentations. Although part of me still wants to try…”

Tempest smiled in earnest. “So, where is this staff?”

“Hm?”

“The staff. Where is it?”

“Oh! Right! No idea!”

Tempest facepalmed. She didn’t know what else she had expected.

“Don’t worry. Give me a few days to really do some digging and I’m sure I can find a few leads. You know, if it exists at all. Which I’m sure it does!” she added hastily, no doubt hearing the growl Tempest made.

“You have forty-eight hours.”

“Done and done!” A chair cushion squeaked. “Now, on the tiny chance the staff doesn’t exist or work, might I suggest the contingency plan I offered up? At least as a temporary solution. The experiment with Sunset and Scarlet proved to be… mostly successful.”

Tempest rotated her chair and looked out the window again. Moondancer was still sitting in her woebegone state. “True. But Lord Tirek will not be pleased.”

“Temporary. We need all the magic we can get, and that body has magic in it. The whole process would go faster if Lord Tirek were here with us.”

The Soul Lock sitting against the base of Tempest’s throat pulsed, and she placed her hand against it. I know, My Lord, but it would only be temporary. Your body shall be reconstructed, I promise.

She continued to eye Moondancer, watching her take a slow sip of her tea. Then, Tempest broke into a venomous smile.

“Very well, we’ll set it up as a contingency plan. But I want information on this staff first, understood?”

“Completely! Magic staff and soul splicing, coming up!”

Tempest hung up and placed the phone back in her pocket. She turned her chair back to the front of the study and smiled calmly at Night Shade, standing on the other side of the desk.

“I did not give you permission to use my study.” Beneath his tired voice and neutral facade, Tempest could hear traces of anger.

“You weren’t here and the door was open. I thought I would make myself at home.”

“This is not your home.”

Tempest pressed a finger against the golden amulet and raised her chin. “Would you like to do something about it?”

Night Shade snorted and looked past her out the window. “You’re only tough because of that dark magic you flaunt so much.”

Is that the hint of a spine growing? Tempest smirked and raised her eyebrow. We can’t have that, now can we?

She stood from her chair and raised her right arm to stretch.

Her shadow arm lunged from her left shoulder and grabbed Shade around the neck, pinning him to the wall. Tempest’s smirk widened as the small ember of defiance in his eyes died.

“Well, it’s a good thing I do have this ‘dark magic,’ isn’t it?” Tempest released him, letting him fall to the carpet, rubbing his neck. She turned one last time to the garden.

“Go fetch your daughter. I have a task for her.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: How to Train Your Siren

7. The Great Laser Offensive

Sunset slammed the door behind her and leaned against the frame.

It’s just day one. Remember your first day? Your jacket got eaten by a goat and you screamed at Fluttershy. All in all, this wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Sure, Aria had nearly fought an old lady, and yes, there was a near shoplifting incident at the grocery store. But, Sunset remembered that they had been evil a lot longer than she had. The Sirens had a longer hill to climb. That still didn’t stop the headache pounding at the front of her skull.

“Hey.”

Sunset looked down from the ceiling, delighted to find Twilight standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She gave an awkward smile and a wave.

“Hey.” Sunset set down the bag she had been holding and moved toward her. Twilight met her halfway and they hugged, Twilight resting her head in the crook of Sunset’s neck. Twilight was a lavender-scented balm, her touch instantly ebbing Sunset’s headache.

“How was practice?”

“It was good.” Twilight pulled out of Sunset’s embrace but held onto her arms. She took a breath and held it for a few seconds before speaking. “Listen, I know I’m being a hypocrite in not wanting to give the Sirens a chance. I’m just… scared of what they could do to us… to me.”

Sunset gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “No, I get it. I’m sorry I kinda guilt tripped you all into going along with this. I just couldn’t turn away someone asking for help. They went through the same things I did. I guess I just wanted to stop myself from being a hypocrite. But, maybe that makes me selfish.”

“It doesn’t.” Twilight sighed. “It makes you incredible. You can empathize with them. I can’t. But I can empathize with you, wanting to help someone really sour and mean.”

Sunset chuckled.

Twilight slid back into their embrace, resting her head against Sunset again. “I’m scared; I can admit that. And I’m not ready to forgive or trust them. But I trust you. So, if you think reforming them is the best thing to do, then I’ll go along with it for now.”

“That’s all I’m asking. I won’t make you do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” Sunset cleared her throat. “But, I did think of a good social activity that might help push things in the right direction.”

Twilight looked up at her. “What?”

“We could invite them to Rainbow’s birthday?”The look Twilight gave over her glasses already spoke volumes. “No?”

“Oh boy.” Twilight closed her eyes, taking a moment for herself. “It’s not up to me. It’s her birthday, so if she says she’s fine with it, then so am I.”

Sunset kissed Twilight’s forehead. “It’s just laser tag. It should be fine. Maybe. But, if any of them personally hurt you, I’ll snap their necks. I won’t need a rainbow.”

“Maybe don’t snap their necks? You know I don’t advocate for violence.”

“Didn’t you punch someone while I was unconscious? And you’re learning swordplay.”

Twilight’s blushed. “That was a one-time, heat of the moment thing! And this is just for self-defense, or if some monster shows up!”

Sunset gave her a vixenish smile. “One-time, huh? Need I remind you about Lyra?”

Twilight turned even redder. “W-well, yeah, b-but…”

Sunset nipped at her nose. “I like it when you get fired up over me.”

“Really?”

“Oh cool, are you two about to start making out?” a dry voice said from the top of the stairs. “Can I take pics? I’m sure I can sell them for a good price.”

The bubble of mirth building inside Sunset popped instantly. Shimmer leaned against the banister, a phone raised in one hand.

“I’ll call it ‘lesbians in love’,” she said with a bored smile.

Sunset gave her an aggravated glare. “You are literally the worst.”

“Awww, you think I care about your opinion.”

Twilight shuffled away from Sunset and toward the door. “I should probably head home; it’s getting late. It was, uh… nice to see you again, Shimmer.”

“No need to lie to spare my feelings.” Shimmer turned back for her room. “See you around, Slippy.”

Sunset cocked her head. “Slippy?”

Face pink again, Twilight mumbled, “Don’t worry about it.” She opened the front door, letting in a gust of cool evening air. Sunset walked her out, kissing her one more time on the porch.

“See you tomorrow?”

Twilight nodded eagerly. “We should do some more work on my scholarship projects. Oh, and don’t forget to get Rainbow a birthday present!”

Sunset waved a hand. “Relax, I’ll just get her a mirror. She loves herself enough, should be the perfect gift.”

Twilight snorted and gave Sunset a light punch on the arm as she turned for home.

“You really like hitting people, don’t you?”

“No, I just like hitting on you!” Twilight called over her shoulder.

Sunset thought for a second, then facepalmed.

*******

“Sooo… is this one a date?”

Rainbow bit into her churro and mulled it over, shifting the pastry from one side of her mouth to the other. She swallowed, licked up the cinnamon and sugar coating her lips, and said, “Nope.”

Soarin gave a low whistle. “You are one tough customer.” He bit into his own churro, trying not to smile with food in his mouth. “Guess that’s another thing I like about you.”

Rainbow snorted. “Don’t think flattering me will get me to change my mind.” She retraced their path from the mall’s food court back to the corridors of shops. All around them were couples holding hands, leaning against one another, even kissing in public. Rainbow rolled her eyes at it all, shoving her free hand into her pocket.

Yes, Soarin was cool, and Rainbow was having a great time with him, and maybe she had thought about calling him her boyfriend. But she really didn’t want to give her friends that satisfaction.

Not yet at least.

Soarin seemed understanding so far. The soccer match, the movies, now their trip to the mall. He would ask, but wouldn’t press it when Rainbow said no, they weren’t on date. His laid back personality seemed almost too laid back sometimes. Rainbow couldn’t help but wonder if she was being lured into a false sense of security.

Well, she still had an ace up her sleeve if Soarin ever dared to try something funny.

She looked over to Soarin, finding him holding his churro to his mouth like a horn. He blew into it and made trumpeting noises, side-eyeing Rainbow all the while.

Rainbow tried to hold back her amusement, but it came out as a loud snort, then she doubled over, clutching her sides. “You’re such a dork!”

“Not much fun being cool all the time. Gotta show I’m more than just a handsome face and awesome athlete.”

Rainbow straightened up and punched his shoulder, still laughing. “Athletic and handsome, sure, but you’re never cool.”

Soarin smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. “So you think I’m handsome?”

“I never said that!” Rainbow felt her cheeks burn and shoved more of her pastry into her mouth. “You’re average at best.” A spray of cinnamon accompanied her words.

“Whatever you say, Dash.” He brushed a hand through his spiky hair. “You’re not the only one with an abundance of confidence. I know ladies sigh when I go by.”

“Yeah, ‘cause they’re relieved you didn’t stop and hit on them.”

Soarin elbowed her in the arm, and they both shared another laugh. Their aimless wandering took them past all the clothing and perfume stores, places Rainbow only trode when she was with her group of friends and dragged inside by Rarity. Being with Soarin had the advantage of avoiding all those overly girly places in favor of cool stores like the comic shop or sporting outlets. Not that she couldn’t go there with Applejack or Fluttershy. But there was something different about talking sports and superheroes with Soarin.

Rainbow’s heart did that stupid fluttering thing again.

As they neared the arcade on the third floor, Rainbow cleared her throat. “Now, don’t get the wrong idea or anything, but…” She looked away, hoping Soarin couldn’t see the red in her cheeks.

“Iwantyoutocometomybirthdayparty.”

Soarin chuckled. “Gonna have to run that by me one more time.”

Rainbow stomped her foot. “I know you heard me. I want you to come to my birthday party. It’s on Saturday at the laser tag arena.”

Soarin opened his mouth, but Rainbow cut across him. “Don’t get any ideas just yet! It’s still not a date! If you do want to date me, you have to be cool with my friends!”

Truth be told, Rainbow did have another reason to invite Soarin to her party. Sunset really wanted to bring the Sirens along as part of her effort to ‘reform’ them. Rainbow needed as many cool people there to offset the negative vibes the three fish-girls were sure to bring.

She also had a feeling Soarin would be good in a fight if it came down to it.

Still, denying him a date for a fourth time? She looked his away, expecting him to look exasperated at the least.

Soarin popped the last of his churro into his mouth and tossed the wax paper into the nearest trash can. He slipped his hands into his pockets and relaxed his shoulders, looking like the textbook definition of nonchalant. “You know what, that sounds fair. Your friends seem pretty cool anyhow.”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “All right, I gotta ask, what’s up with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Every time I tell you we’re not on a date, you’re just cool with it. You don’t bug me about it, you don’t get angry, you don’t even make fun of me. I thought I would have had to flip you over my shoulder by now.”

Soarin shrugged and gave a good-natured smile. “Hey, just because I’m a lady killer doesn’t mean I don’t know how to respect boundaries. No means no. The thing is, you haven’t said no yet.”

“Keep saying dumb things like ‘lady killer’ and I’ll let my foot do the talking.” Rainbow marched into the arcade, eager to kick his butt in something. Maybe she hadn’t said no, but she certainly hadn’t said yes.

Even if her heart was still doing that stupid flutter thing.

*******

The Great Laser Offensive, or GLO Arena, looked more like a refurbished warehouse than a respectable place of entertainment. It rested downtown, in the shadow of the larger skyscrapers and apartment highrises. The initials glowed a neon green, their frequent flickering telling customers they needed to be changed. The windows were covered in blackout curtains and the walls were the color of rust with occasional splotches of gray paint to cover the graffiti of the week.

Looks could be deceiving, as the Spectacular Seven well knew. Over their winter break, they had visited GLO several times and honed their laser tag skills. Now, they were set to do battle again after a long intermission.

Sunset and Twilight arrived to find Rainbow, her dad, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie already waiting. GLO’s lobby was a complete 180 from the outside of the building. Though it smelled like cafeteria pizza, the silver carpets were vacuumed and spotless. Fake windows lined the chrome painted walls, giving out-of-this-world views of stars and distant planets. Futuristic diodes and nodules criss-crossed between the window panels. From the ceiling hung a silver spaceship that reminded Sunset of the fighters in Star Wars.

“Happy birthday, Dash!” Sunset said, setting her present down on the table next to the others. She had gotten Rainbow a full scale poster of the upcoming Power Ponies movie.

Rainbow, wearing a silver crown on her head, grinned. “Thanks! Today is gonna be so awesome!”

Twilight leaned toward Sunset and said behind her hand. “I can’t wait until she opens my gift. I got her a word of the day calendar. Hopefully it’ll improve her vocabulary.”

“I still can’t believe you wanted to spend your eighteenth birthday party playing laser tag,” Rarity said. “I would have thought you wanted something bigger.”

“Laser tag is great!” Rainbow said defensively. “Especially when I’m playing with you guys. Besides, we couldn’t afford getting tickets for everyone to go to the amusement park. This is the next best thing.”

Flash arrived next, surprising Sunset. As far as she knew, he and Rainbow didn’t interact too much. But, they shared a fistbump and Flash handed her a giftbag before sitting down and kissing Rarity on the cheek.

Must be a guitarist thing.

Applejack arrived with the Sirens. All of them, save Sonata, wore aggravated expressions. Sunset thanked Celestia none of them had come to blows.

Yet.

Applejack marched up to Sunset and held her hand out. Sunset sighed and slapped a twenty dollar bill into Applejack’s palm.

“I appreciate it!” Sunset said, giving Applejack a wide, gracious smile.

“Mmhmm,” was her only retort as she turned away.

Adagio took her place. “Remind me again why we’re here?”

Sunset crossed her arms. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you have something better to do today? I mean, other than stay cooped up in your room.”

“Let me rephrase that then. What are we doing here?”

“It’s Rainbow’s birthday. We’re here to celebrate it with her. You know, as friends? Pizza, cake, laser tag; it’ll be fun.”

Aria stepped over, looking as thoroughly unimpressed as always. Sunset wondered if her face was just stuck like that. “Yeah, Apple-bumpkin mentioned lasers on the way here—”

Sunset heard Applejack snort like a bull.

“—but no one’s explained what this ‘laser tag’ is.”

“Don’t worry,” Sunset said with a grin. “I’m sure it’s something even you three will appreciate.”

Adagio glanced around, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “I hope so. So far, this looks like a party place for eight-year olds. Which I guess is in character for you children.”

Tempering her urge to hit Adagio upside the head, Sunset walked over to Rainbow, which proved to be a poor move. Rainbow looked at her, eyebrow raised and mouth thin.

“It’ll be fine! Laser tag is a great way to get some aggression out and make some friends at the same time.”

“Well, you’re right about one of those things.”

Soarin arrived last. Sunset hadn’t seen him since their mountain vacation where he had either been dressed in a uniform to manage the ski lodge, or bundled up like the rest of them while skiing. Here, he was dressed in casual jeans and a gray short-sleeved shirt. He was much leaner than Sunset was expecting.

Two things happened when he entered the building. First, Rainbow ran over to greet him, face pink with an eager smile. The second she took Soarin by the hand, Fluttershy stood up and excused herself to the bathroom with a quiet mumble, her eyes to the floor the whole time.

No one else seemed to have notice her leave, they were all grinning and sniggering at Rainbow as she brought Soarin closer to the group.

It was easy to put two and two together. The answer it gave Sunset left her anxious, however. Before she could go check on Fluttershy, Rainbow Blaze called them all together.

“All right, gang, here’s the plan. You’ve got two games before we break for lunch. After that, we have to beat it before a bunch of seven-year olds swarm the place.”

Sunset heard Adagio snigger.

“You sure you don’t want to play with us, Dad?” Rainbow asked. She was standing very close to Soarin.

Rainbow Blaze noticed as well. He gave Soarin a scowl that reminded Sunset of Twilight’s dad. False intimidation, Sunset called it. “No, I’m just here to make sure you lot don’t get into trouble. And to guard the presents.”

He narrowed his eyes, transitioning from false intimidation to the true form Sunset was used to receiving from Shining. “So keep out of trouble.”

Soarin tugged at his collar. “Yes, sir.”

They were then herded off into the room designed to be an airlock. It was dimmer than the lobby, allowing the nodules on the walls to glow green and yellow. A holographic map of the arena shone on the wall next to a faintly glowing model of the vest and gun they would be using.

A lanky young man with hair the same shade and brightness as the sign outside jumped up onto a small podium next to the map.

“Hi, everyone! I’m Spectrum Shift!” He pointed to the neon name badge on his shirt. “Welcome to GLO Arena! So, who here has never done this before?”

Soarin and the Sirens raised their hands. Aria, of course, added an extra eye roll.

“Cool! Well, you’re about to have a far-out time!”

Sunset now felt Aria’s eye roll might have been justified.

“I’ll go over the rules real quick, then you guys can get in there!” He picked up the vest and slipped it over his head. “So, this is your combat vest. There are four areas on the vest that the laser gun can shoot at: both shoulders, the front, and the back.”

As he spoke, the four hit spots lit up and started to flash orange.

“If you get shot, your vest will power down for a few seconds, meaning you also cannot fire back. The best thing to do at this point is scope the area and wait.” Spectrum unholstered the gun from the side of the vest and lifted it over his head. “This is your laser gun. It must be held with both hands at all times. If not, you won’t be able to fire. Any questions?”

When no one said anything, he gave them a thumbs up and hopped off the podium. “Cool. Once inside, no running, no jumping, and no crawling on the ground. Remember, it is dark inside, so be careful.” He pushed the next door open and led them into the arena’s antechamber, where green vests were lined against the walls.

Everyone fanned out to select their laser vest, trying to find the one with the least amount of sweat absorbed into the straps. As Sunset picked one up, she saw Fluttershy quietly slide into the room, keeping to the back corner. Her eyes occasionally flickered toward Soarin and Rainbow, and Sunset was shocked and almost scared to see the closest thing to disdain Fluttershy had ever displayed.

Sunset slung her vest on and hung back toward Fluttershy. “Hey, you okay?”

Fluttershy looked at Sunset with a smile that showed off all of her teeth. She almost never smiled like that. “What do you mean? I’m fine.”

“It’s just…” She fidgeted under Fluttershy’s unusual smile. “You seem a little…” Fluttershy smiled harder at her, making Sunset step back. “Okay. Just remember, I’m here if you want to talk.”

“You’re so nice, Sunset,” Fluttershy said in an almost robotic tone. “But I’m fine. Really.”

“Right then.” Sunset buckled her vest and tightening the shoulder straps. She rejoined her friends congregating at the door to the arena, snatching looks at Fluttershy every few seconds. She was now glaring daggers at Soarin, who was helping Rainbow with her vest. Coming from Fluttershy, they were blunt daggers, but they pierced all the same.

“Good luck in there, you’re gonna need it!”

Sunset snapped her head, finding Twilight watching her with a competitive grin. “Oh, uh, yeah, you too.”

When everyone was geared up, Spectrum opened the door to the arena proper and ushered them into the darkness. A thin layer of fog covered the floor and laser rays flashed from above. The corridor split into two directions with multicolored lines running along the walls. The girls split up at the fork, scrabbling over each other to get to an optimal attack position in the arena. Sunset went left, sparing one last look over her shoulder at Fluttershy who had gone right.

“The game will begin in ten seconds.”

Sunset shook her shoulders out and took a deep breath. Come on, Sunset. We’re here to have fun. And make sure the Sirens don’t burn the place down. We can talk to Fluttershy afterward. Maybe this’ll make her feel better. A weight settled onto her chest. The Sirens, Twilight, now Fluttershy. Was it too much to ask that all her friends stayed happy?

The corridor widened into a large, open space with more corridors twisting deeper into the facility and a ramp leading to the second floor. Rainbow and Applejack power-walked upstairs, shoulders grinding against each other the entire time. Sunset ducked into another corridor, finally finding herself alone.

“Five… four… three…”

She took one more deep breath to steel herself. Head in the game. Sunset Shimmer is still a winner.

“Two… one… game start.”

A chord on a synth guitar rang through the arena, followed by a steady base and a keytar. Their vests stopped flashing and settled on a solid neon green. Sunset gripped her gun, one hand on the trigger, the other holding the barrel.

Okay, Rainbow and Applejack will definitely deal the first blow to each other. Neither of them is going to retreat, so one of them is as good as gone. That takes care of one of the best players, and there’s a good chance the winner will still be missing a stock. That just leaves Flash and Twilight as real major concerns.

There was also Pinkie to worry about. She, like in everything else she participated in, was an unpredictable wild card. Sunset usually just hoped someone got to her first.

It was hard to hear footsteps over the synth music, and impossible to see shadows in the darkness. Sunset moved slow, peered around every corner before taking them, and checked over her shoulder every five seconds. She exited a corridor and found herself in an open rectangular space full of low walls with holes cut into them and pillars scattered about. The closest exit was halfway down the room, perpendicular to her position.

Sunset had taken three steps in when she heard laser fire from the other end. She dropped into a crouch, hiding beneath one of the circular windows. The laser fire continued, and Sunset raised her head enough to see Soarin’s pack go off.

“Player terminated,” it droned.

Soarin gave a weak chuckle. “Heh, good job, Flutter… shy…”

Turning her head, Sunset saw Fluttershy already stalking off in the other direction. Well, that’s disconcerting.

Sunset stood once Soarin left the room, only to duck again when another gun went off. She peeked around the corner this time, seeing a pair of studded boots retreat behind a wall.

Aria.

Sunset was sure Aria had never played laser tag before, but had a feeling any game with a gun would come naturally to the Siren. Sunset pointed her gun at the wall and fired a few probing shots. As she retreated, she heard Aria return a single blast.

Okay, she’s after precision. Sunset looked straight ahead. Her nearest form of shelter was a narrow pillar a leap away. It was less cover, but the angle would allow her to see Aria. Sunset took a step back, breathed in, and ran for it, turning and taking a shot at Aria’s position as she crossed the opening.

Aria leaned out from her cover and fired at Sunset as she passed. Both their shots missed. Sunset pressed herself against the pillar, hearing an extra laser shot. She leaned out and took a quick blast before hiding again, hearing the sweet sound of a laser pack powering down.

A curse and a shuffle of footsteps told Sunset Aria had changed positions, most likely to a spot she could retaliate from. Sunset swung around the pillar and moved forward, taking Aria’s previous spot. Unfortunately, she had no idea where Aria was hiding now.

Best to just leave and finish her off later. Sunset turned toward the exiting corridor, in time to see Aria move into her peripheral vision. Sunset’s pack was down before she could even contemplate retaliation. The lights went off, and cool voice droned, “Point lost.”

Crap! Sunset broke left and hid behind another pillar, but Aria had her pinned now. As the footsteps closed in, Sunset’s pack came back on. It was time to make a final stand.

Unsure of which side of the pillar Aria would be on, Sunset took a gamble and chose left. Her decision proved to be poor, as she pointed her gun at nothing. She pivoted left to find Aria, but the Siren’s vest was already off.

“Player terminated.”

Sunset moved back behind the pillar as several shots rang through the room. She heard a giggle and a scurry of footsteps before Aria spoke, sounding more disgruntled than usual.

“Thanks a lot, Sonata. I almost had Sunset out before you shot me.”

“You’re just mad ‘cause I lasted longer than you!” Sonata chirped.

Sunset swung around the pillar, aiming over Aria’s shoulder, and shot several times, hitting Sonata in the chest.

“Player terminated.”

“Awwwwww!”

Aria snorted and rolled her eyes. “Way to give your position away, stupid.”

“You’re stupid!”

Sunset turned to leave them to their bickering, which echoed into the corridor she stepped into. Two Sirens down, Soarin, and either Applejack or Rainbow. There’s still a lot of dangerous competition left. And I’ve only got one stock. Good odds.

Sunset paused at the threshold of the next room: another large area with half walls and alcoves set up. In addition, however, were several mirrors hanging on corners and in random parts of the ceiling.

Twilight’s favorite territory.

Having aced her physics class, Sunset knew the power of light refraction. Twilight knew it as well, and loved to exploit it. From her current position, Sunset didn’t think she was in any danger, but she couldn’t stand in the threshold forever.

Footsteps behind her told Sunset she didn’t have a choice. She broke left and ducked into an alcove, hoping she wasn’t in Twilight’s line of sight.

Flash walked into the room, gun held high. Before he could look left, Sunset shot and hit the sensor in his gun, shutting him down. He turned to retreat, jumped, then turned again and ran further into the room. Sunset’s question was answered before she could ask it. Rarity jogged into the room, her gun trained on Flash.

Sunset grinned and blasted her too, savoring the sound of a disarmed vest.

Rarity looked in her direction and gasped before running to find a place to hide. Sunset knew she had to move too, before Rarity or Flash came back on the offensive. Though the fact that she hadn’t been shot at by Twilight told her either she was in a safe position from the mirrors, or Twilight wasn’t in the room.

Sunset moved out of her corner just as a storm of lasers went off. She pressed herself to the wall, keeping to the shadows as she crept closer to the battle being waged. Halfway down the room, she could see Rarity crouched behind a low wall, rising up to shoot wildly at Flash who was holed up in another corner. Meanwhile, Pinkie had entered the battle, leaning out of another adjacent hallway, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she fired haphazardly into the room.

She caught sight of Sunset and pointed her gun. Sunset leaped for cover as the lasers flew, narrowly avoiding the barrage. She pressed herself against a pillar, feeling a rush of deja vu. The hailstorm didn’t let up, but Sunset wasn’t sure if it was still aimed in her direction. She inched her neck out, but could no longer see Pinkie from her hiding spot.

“Oh, drat!” Rarity wailed.

One down. Sunset took the opportunity to swing out and take several shots at where she knew Pinkie was standing. Only, Pinkie was no longer there.

Sunset pressed herself against her pillar again, heart hammering. She looked right and left, finding no trace of the pink-haired one. With a deep breath, Sunset rolled around the pillar again, firing rapidly, but hitting nothing. As she moved her finger from the trigger, Pinkie popped up from behind the wall Rarity had used as refuge.

In the second it took for Pinkie to grin and shout, “Booyah!” Sunset swung her arm around and had her finger on the trigger again.

Two shots went off, and two computer voices said, “Player terminated.”

Sunset’s vest went dark, save for the center which continued to flash the message. She tilted her head back and groaned. “Dang it, Pinkie, I was on a roll.”

Pinkie pointed to her own darkened vest. “So was I. I beat Fluttershy and Adagio.”

Rarity lifted herself up and dusted her skirt off. “I suppose I’m just grateful I lasted as long as I did.”

Flash walked out from a narrow alcove. “You all did good. But there’s only room for one in the winner’s circle.” He gave his signature trying-to-be-cool smile.

“And it’s not gonna be you,” Sunset quipped.

“Wanna bet?” His pack powered down, leaving only the ‘Player terminated’ message illuminated in the darkness.

Sunset crossed her arms and grinned. “So, what do I win?”

Twilight jogged past them, a competitive glint in her eyes. “Never let your guard down,” she said, moving into the next room.

Sunset couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride at seeing her normally reserved girlfriend displaying her competitive spirit. “Bet you she wins this round.”

“Nooooo!” Twilight cried from down the hall.

Flash copied Sunset’s arm cross. “So, what do I win?”

“Shut up.”

A buzzer sounded throughout the arena, and everyone’s laser vest blinked orange. “The match is over.” a voice droned from the overhead speakers. “All players, please walk toward the exit. Repeat, the match is over…”

Sunset clipped her gun to the vest and strolled back toward the equipment room with everyone else. Rainbow and Twilight were already there, looking triumphant and abashed respectively.

“The birthday girl wins!” Rainbow cheered, punching a fist into the air. “Poor Twi here never saw it coming.”

Twilight pressed a hand against her eyes. “Right after I told Flash not to drop his guard. She was waiting right around the corner for me.”

Sunset patted her shoulder. “Eh, let her have it. It’s her birthday after all.”

They rejoined the rest of their friends in the lobby. While the Dazzlings stood apart from everyone else, Sunset was surprised to see grins on their faces that weren’t scheming or hostile. However, she also noticed that Fluttershy was missing again.

Rainbow strolled toward her dad, pointing her thumbs toward herself. “First victory of the day goes to me!”

Rainbow Blaze chuckled and ruffled her hair. “Way to go. I’m sure none of your friends intentionally threw the match because it was your birthday.” He gave a wink to the rest of the group.

Rainbow whipped her head toward them, face pale. “You guys didn’t… did you?”

Applejack smirked and tipped her hat back. “Guess you’ll find out if you win the second round.”

With a ten minute break, everyone took a moment to sit down or air themselves out. The low ventilation of the arena combined with the heft of their vests left everyone uncomfortably sweaty.

Twilight fanned her face and said to Sunset, “I’m going to get a drink and use the bathroom.”

“Okay.” Sunset tugged at her shirt collar. “Yeah, I think I’m going to step outside for a sec.”

They traded a quick kiss and went their separate ways. Sunset passed Rainbow, Soarin, and Applejack, engrossed in a conversation. Applejack was grinning devilishly at the faint blush on Rainbow’s cheeks. That only fueled Sunset’s desire to talk to Fluttershy.

Lo and behold, she was sitting on the curb outside, chin resting on her knees. Sunset sat down next to her and followed her gaze. A ladybug was lazily hovering over the black tar.

“Fluttershy,” Sunset said softly, “I know something’s wrong. And I have a good feeling on what it is. I’m not going to pressure you to say anything, but I want you to know you can open up about anything. I’ll understand, or at least, I’ll try to.”

Fluttershy didn’t look away from the ladybug. It drifted closer and eventually landed on the back of her hand. She lifted it to eye level. “I’m…” Her voice faltered. She rotated her hand as the bug crawled over to her palm.

“I have… a…” Her voice dropped into an inaudible whisper, but Sunset had spent enough time around Fluttershy to hear her even at her quietest.

“How long?” Sunset asked.

Fluttershy lifted her hand up. The ladybug flew away. “Since we were kids.”

Sunset frowned. “Fluttershy, why didn’t you ever tell her?”

Fluttershy turned her head away. “I couldn’t. I was always too scared. And when rumors started that she might… that maybe she liked girls… she was so adamant that she didn’t.”

“I see.” Sunset mulled her words over. The only crush she had ever truly had was Twilight, and she had never been rejected before, even non-directly. To harbor feelings for someone for years only to see them in the arms of someone else...

Sunset blanched. She had heard this story before. She had lived this story, albeit from a different angle.

“You should still tell her how you feel, Fluttershy. If anything, just to get it off your chest.”

Fluttershy shook her head.

“Listen, I’ve seen what happens if you just hold those feelings in.” An image of Moondancer flashed in her mind. “And I’ve seen the way you’ve been glaring at Soarin.”

“I have not!” Fluttershy said loudly, raising her head.

Sunset leaned a hand against her shoulder. “You have. It’s fine. Trust me, I know a thing or two about jealousy. But that’s why you need to tell Rainbow how you feel, before it turns into something… worse.”

Fluttershy sank her head back onto her knees. “I can’t. I don’t want to mess up our friendship. Or her relationship. She deserves to be happy.”

“You deserve to be happy too. And if you don’t let go of this one way or the other, it will damage your friendship.”

Fluttershy said nothing. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged herself. Sunset scooted a little closer.

“If you and Rainbow have been friends this long, then this won’t tear you apart. You’re not asking her to do anything; you’re just telling her how you feel.”

She shook her head.

Sunset sighed. “Okay. I’m not going to make you do anything you’re not comfortable with. But, I think you’ll feel better talking to Rainbow instead of keeping all this to yourself.”

Fluttershy finally looked at Sunset, eyes wet with unfallen tears. “Thank you, Sunset.”

“Yeah, anytime.”

*******

Twilight ran her hands together under the faucet until all the soap suds were gone. She splashed a little on her face to wipe away the sweat built up.

The bathroom door opened, and Twilight startled seeing Adagio walk up behind her in the mirror’s reflection. She appreciated herself in the mirror next to Twilight.

“This would pass as decent entertainment if it didn’t make you sweat as much,” Adagio said dryly.

Twilight rolled her eyes and reached for a paper towel. “So sorry this doesn’t live up to your expectations.”

“Relax,” Adagio said, fluffing her hair. “I’m still having fun. A little. As much fun as one can have at a place for toddlers.”

Twilight balled the paper up. “You have a terrible way of showing it.”

“We all can’t be as… perky as you,” Adagio said, eyeing Twilight’s figure in the mirror.

Twilight shuddered at Adagio’s gaze. She felt like she was being judged. Just as Twilight turned away to leave, Adagio spoke again in a devil-may-care voice.

“So, have you slept with Sunset yet?”

Twilight jumped and fumbled with her paper. “What?”

Adagio spun and leaned against the sink, a smirk on her lips and a purr in her voice. “Have you had sex with Sunset?”

Twilight felt like she was back in the arena. “Th-that’s none of your business!”

“Okay, so it’s a no.” Adagio’s smile grew. “Better hurry up on that before she gets bored.”

Glasses fogged from the heat radiating from her face, Twilight said, “Sunset isn’t like that! Where we are in our relationship is perfectly fine!”

“Sure it is.” Adagio examined the back of her nails. “I mean, you two are cute together, even I can admit that. But, face it, for someone like Sunset, you’re a little… bland, don’t you think?”

Twilight glanced down at her outfit. A simple, one-piece purple dress with a blue collar and cuffs. It was practical and comfortable, and… Twilight shook her head. “I am not bland!”

“Cute, schoolgirl nerd? Has never had sex before?” Adagio made a throaty chuckle. “There’s an innocent purity to you that I’m sure other girls, and every guy, would love, but compared to the leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, firecracker, well…. Don’t you think she deserves someone more her speed?”

“Her speed?”

Adagio leaned forward. “You know, someone more… relatable?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Twilight was up in her face before she knew what was happening. “Don’t you dare try anything with Sunset!”

“Oh my, it looks like there’s a fighter behind those glasses! Guess you’re more than just a cute face.”

Twilight yanked her glasses off to give Adagio the full force of her glare, even if the Siren was an orange blurry blob. “I’m warning you, if you try anything with Sunset—”

Adagio threw her head back and laughed. “And you go right back to being cute. Don’t think you can actually intimidate me, little girl. Magic or no magic, I promise you, you can’t beat me. And I know you know it too.”

Twilight’s stomach knotted. She didn’t want to give Adagio an inch, but she was right: if it came to it, this wasn’t a battle Twilight could win. But that’s why she was training. And even if she couldn’t win, she refused to roll over!

Adagio continued to smile. “Oh, relax. I have no interest in your girlfriend. She’s still too much of a goodie two-shoes for me, even if she does have a bite to her.” She took a deep breath and strutted past Twilight. “But, I wasn’t lying when I said she might like someone more her speed. Cute and nerdy is only fun for so long.”

She left the bathroom, leaving Twilight to fume. Stop it! She’s just trying to get under your skin! Sunset wouldn’t leave you like that! Twilight closed her eyes, remembering the night of Prom, and the flight Sunset had taken her on after their love confession.

No, Sunset wouldn’t dump her for someone like Adagio. Twilight looked down at her outfit again, picked out by her mother because Twilight still couldn’t do it herself. Meanwhile, Sunset had great fashion sense and could pull off almost any look she wanted.

Sunset was cool and empathetic and brave and fierce and smart… and magical.

The familiar tendrils of insecurity crept up and strangled Twilight’s self-confidence. Why did Sunset pick her? Twilight was… smart. That’s it. That’s all Twilight had to her identity: the smart girl surrounded by magical beings.

Twilight shook her head again. Stop! That’s why you’re studying magic. That’s why you’re learning swordplay. Adagio’s wrong! Twilight marched out to the lobby, repeating to herself that Adagio was wrong about her. She wasn’t boring, she wasn’t just a cute nerd. She’d prove it by winning the next game!

*******

“All right, second verse, same as the first!” Rainbow said, grabbing a vest. “And none of you better go easy on me!”

That’s not gonna happen, Twilight internally growled, unclipping her gun. She shot a glare in Adagio’s direction. It was returned with a wink and a full-toothed smile. Twilight strangled her gun, turning her knuckles white.

Sunset walked up next to her, fumbling with the back strap. “Can you help me with this one? It’s being dumb.”

Twilight’s body loosened up. “Sure thing.” She gave the strap a hard tug and slipped it into the buckle. “There.”

“Thanks, babe.”

Babe.

Twilight could have told Sunset what transpired in the bathroom. Sunset would have been all over Adagio. But to what end? All that would prove was that Adagio had gotten under Twilight’s skin and she couldn’t fight her own battles. No, that was what Adagio wanted. She, Twilight, wasn’t useless or afraid! She couldn’t fight Adagio physically, but she could beat her in laser tag!

Spectrum opened the doors, and everyone filed into the arena once more. Twilight’s eyes took their time adjusting to the sudden darkness. She went right at the fork, keeping pace with Sunset. With a wink and a nudge, they separated at the next corridor, Twilight heading up the ramp while Sunset banked into one of the open room.

“Three… two… one… Game start.”

Twilight’s vest lit up green, and the synth music played, masking all but the heaviest footsteps. Still, she knew the probability of her coming up the ramp alone was low. She twisted around and pointed her gun, waiting for her first opponent to show up, hoping it was Adagio.

Instead, Rarity rose up the ramp, letting out a yelp as Twilight shot and deactivated her. She turned tail and ran back down, letting out another yelp when she got to the bottom. Someone else had been waiting for her.

One down. Twilight retreated into a darker corner, away from the flashing neon lights. She held her breath, waiting for whoever had finished off Rarity to walk by. A minute went by, but no one came.

Either they’re waiting for me to come to them, or they moved on. Twilight leaned out of her corner, making sure no one was about to pop around the corner before fully emerging.

The second floor rested mostly on the support structures of the first floor, leaving it with less walls to hide behind. Conversely, it made it harder to accidentally run into an opponent, and it was a quick way to get from one side of the arena to the other.

Twilight looked over the railing to one of the open rooms below. She could see the top of Pinkie’s head, but none of her weak points.

Something moved in the corner of Twilight’s eye. She turned and fired just as her pack shut down, but her shot hadn’t been wasted. Across the floor, Rainbow cursed and hid behind one of the few walls. Twilight retreated back to her corner while she waited for her vest to power up.

More shots rang out, though whether it was across from her or below, Twilight couldn’t tell. There were no mirrors for her to rely on in this section. She peeked around the corner to find Applejack backing up toward her, firing on the spot where Rainbow was hiding. Twilight took the easy opportunity, though she was surprised when she heard “player terminated.”

“Dagnabbit!” Applejack cursed, spinning around to face Twilight. “Second time Ah’m out in the first five minutes!”

Rainbow popped up and took a shot at Twilight, no doubt thinking she would be distracted by Applejack’s outburst, but Twilight was ready for her. She dodged right and pelleted Rainbow with return fire, hitting the sensor in her shoulder.

“Player terminated.”

“Crap!” Rainbow threw her hands up and marched toward Twilight and Applejack.

“Well, does that answer your question of if we were goin’ easy on ya?” Applejack asked smugly.

“Shut up, you lost, too.”

Twilight scooted around them. “Excuse me, I’ve got a game to win!”

“Go get em, sugarcube!”

Twilight made her way across the floor and eased down a ramp, being extra cautious as got to the landing. She could hear the sounds of battle in the next room. Creeping a little further, she found one of the trusty mirrors hanging in a corner, reflecting the unfolding struggle.

Fluttershy was bombarding a single spot, stepping closer with every pull of her trigger. Twilight could make out a tuft of solid blue hair. It wasn’t spikey enough to be Flash, leaving only Soarin as Fluttershy’s prey.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this aggressive.

Soarin tried to maneuver around the low wall he positioned himself behind, but Fluttershy was too quick for him.

“Player terminated.”

“Heh, got me again,” Soarin said, rising to full height. He made another uncomfortable chuckle as Fluttershy walked off. Twilight couldn’t see her expression, but she had a feeling it wasn’t positive.

Twilight entered the room as Soarin exited. It was the same room she had found Sunset and Flash in last game, and one of her favorites. Deciding to leave Fluttershy alone for now, Twilight positioned herself behind a pillar near the center of the room. Moving around it gave her access to both exits and the mirrors hanging in the corners.

She already found a target approaching on her first sweep: Sonata, creeping down the east corridor. Pointing her gun at the mirror over head, Twilight took a few steps to her right, leaned forward, and fired. A second later came the satisfying sound of Sonata’s dying vest. Instead of retreating, Sonata ran into the room, giving Twilight only a split second to hide behind the pillar again.

Sonata ran passed her, only noticing Twilight when she checked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened with horror as her pack came back on just in time for Twilight to shoot her again.

“Player terminated.”

“Awwwww,” Sonata whined. “You guys are too good at this.”

She clipped her gun and made her way to the exit, leaving Twilight alone again. With at least five people out, the odds of someone stumbling into her were diminishing. Staying in one place might be a good idea defensively, but Twilight wanted to the winner, not just the survivor. Sunset would find that much more impressive.

Twilight made to follow Sonata, but a reflection in the mirror made her pause. Instead of trying to discern the proper angle for a refraction shot, Twilight stood her ground and held her gun out.

Sunset turned the corner, unable to pull the trigger fast enough on Twilight. The lights on her vest flickered and dimmed, but didn’t go out. “Point lost.”

Unsurprisingly, Sunset didn’t retreat. She moved counterclockwise, easing toward cover while keeping a bead on Twilight. Twilight moved with her, holding a steady gaze. Sunset flashed her notorious competitive grin.

With a light hum, Sunset’s vest came back to life. She shot at Twilight and lunged right, taking shelter behind the pillar. Twilight ducked and returned fire as she ran behind a low wall. To her right was one of the mirrors, wherein she could see Sunset. Sunset could also see her, however, and was lining her gun up for the perfect shot.

Twilight frog hopped out of range as Sunset’s laser went off. That left her exposed to Sunset’s direct attacks, and Twilight narrowly avoided getting tagged out as she pressed herself against the wall again. She fired rapidly at the mirror, forgoing any sense of aim. She swung around to her other side in time to see Sunset come into her line of sight. They both fired and tried to lunge out of the way of the other’s shots, Twilight hitting the floor with her shoulder.

“Player terminated.”

But it wasn’t Twilight who had been powered down. She brought herself into a sitting position, taking a hand off her gun to nurse her shoulder.

“You okay?” Sunset knelt next to her. “I’m glad you’re into this, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a little bruise.” Twilight stood up and rolled it out. “See?”

Sunset grinned. “Well, I think you’re one of the last ones left. Snatch a win for me, okay?” She winked and headed out.

Twilight took the corridor opposite of her. She had personally seen to the defeat of four players. Rarity and Soarin were out. That left six players maximum, but Twilight had a feeling that number was much less. The last two players she had to be worried about were Pinkie and Flash.

Another large room. Twilight carefully navigated her way forward, but there didn’t appear to be anyone else. Her nerves tightened. This was the worst part of the game: a hide-and-seek match in the dark with a handful of people. Before, Twilight knew she had a high chance of finding at least one person per room. She double-checked over her shoulder. Nothing.

Heart beating a little faster, she took the nearest ramp upstairs, staying in a low crouch. Perhaps it would be better to pick one spot and stay there. But, if her opponent did the same thing, the game would go nowhere.

The second floor was empty at first glance. Twilight thought to give a test shot to coax someone out, but that would also give her position away. She tugged on the collar of her shirt, despising the humidity of the arena.

Come on, just a few more targets and you win! That’ll show Adagio you—

“Boo.”

Zap!

“Player terminated.”

Twilight’s body locked up as her brain processed the sound of defeat, and the voice of her defeater. Slowly, she turned around, begging to see anyone other than who she expected.

Adagio looked down at her with her usual predatory grin. “I win.”

“The match is over. All players, please proceed to the exit.”

Still smiling, Adagio slid past Twilight. “You know, this game is pretty fun.”

Twilight watched her go, body numb from shock. Second place again. To Adagio of all people. Rainbow she could stand, but Adagio? She had never played before today!

Don’t be a sore loser. You’re better than that, the rational half of her brain told her.

I’m not mad I lost, I’m mad I lost to Adagio! the emotional half yelled.

Twilight marched out of the arena, fists balled and lips pursed. Adagio was still in the equipment room, putting her vest up.

“Aww, you’re not mad, are you, Sparky? It’s just a game.”

“Don’t call me Sparky.” Twilight slipped her vest off and walked into the lobby, savoring the blast of cool air that washed over her.

Sunset rushed up to her with a napkin and started dabbing away the sweat on Twilight’s brow. “You almost had it, Sparky. You got the most hits though by a long shot.”

There was some comfort to be had in that at least. She may have lost to Adagio, but she outperformed her. Twilight slid her eyes past Sunset to find the Sirens grouped together by the cake and pizza.

“Way to go, Dagi!” Sonata cheered.

“Yeah, I can’t believe you beat those Lamebooms,” Aria snarked with a grin.

Adagio examined her fingernails with a casual smile. “It was just pure talent.”

Twilight’s annoyment must have been written on her face, for Sunset gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, “Ignore them. You’re the one with real talent.”

It was cliché relationship talk, but Twilight took it nonetheless. After all, Sunset was wiping her forehead, not Adagio’s.

Twilight exhaled, breathing out some of the inferiority building up inside her. Adagio was wrong: she, Twilight, wasn’t boring. But she had a lot to do make sure she stayed interesting and relevant to Sunset and her friends.

I’ll show Adagio there really is a fighter behind these glasses.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Prismatic Panic

Me: This is gonna be the funnest chapter yet!
Three Months Later: This chapter is like pulling teeth!

8. On the Cusp of Summer

All in all, Sunset considered laser tag a moderate success. The Sirens weren’t any closer to being friends with anyone per se, but everyone had managed to get through the day with minimal insults while having a relatively good time. Twilight continued to look put out after the match and she shot Adagio a heated glare every few minutes while everyone had pizza and cake.

Sunset scooped a fingerful of frosting and tapped Twilight’s nose. “Don’t let her get under your skin, Sparky. It was a lucky break, that’s all.”

Twilight went cross-eyed as she looked at her frosted nose. She wiped it off and forced a smile. “Yeah. You’re right. I just…” She gave a small pout. “I really wanted to beat her.”

“You’re starting to sound like me,” Sunset said with a chuckle.

Twilight leaned closer and smiled mischievously. “You are a bad influence.”

Sunset poked her in the ribs, getting a laugh out of her. “Would some science cheer you up? We could go work on your little project after this.”

“That would be fun. I think we’re almost done with it, too.”

Satisfied, Sunset returned to her cake. Near the end of the table, Fluttershy sat closed off to everyone else. She made herself as small as possible while she poked at her cake, her long bangs hiding her eyes. Sunset considered sitting next to her but decided against it. Ultimately, that was a battle Fluttershy had to fight for herself.

When everyone had eaten their fill of cake, Rainbow tore into her presents. She squeed over the poster Sunset had got her and gave a half-hearted ‘yaay’ over Twilight’s word calender. With new running shoes, video games, and trading cards, Sunset thought Rainbow scored a pretty good haul.

A large flock of ten-year-olds and their parents signaled it was time for the teenagers to leave. They gathered up the presents and leftovers and shuffled out, being eyed with envy by the children as they departed.

“That was so much fun!” Pinkie said, bouncing away from the doors.

“You guys have a lame definition of fun,” Aria said.

“And what exactly passes as fun for you?” Rainbow snapped.

“Death metal concerts, late night clubs, horror movies, video games…” Aria counted off on her fingers.

“Well, some of those things could be arranged,” Rarity said civilly.

“So, what are we gonna do now?” Sonata asked.

“Go home,” Applejack said.

Adagio threw her head back and groaned. “What is with you girls and going home so early? You just turned eighteen! Live it up a little!”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “Yeah? What did you have in mind?”

Adagio looked over Rainbow’s shoulder where Blaze was putting things away in the car. She leaned closer and said in a hushed voice, “We know a club with a pretty lenient bouncer. A few fake IDs and you’re in.”

“And where would we even get fake IDs?”

Aria grinned. “I know a guy.”

Rainbow shook her head. “We’re not—

“Let’s do it!” Pinkie said.

Rainbow snapped her head in Pinkie’s direction. “What? Why?”

“Because I’ve always wanted to have a fake ID!” She thrust a hip to the side and put a peace sign up to her eye. “I’ll be Gypsy Danger.”

Sunset clapped a hand over Pinkie’s mouth. “No one is getting fake IDs or sneaking into clubs. Look, I’m all for late-night fun, but we’re not doing something illegal.”

Adagio crossed her arms and tittered. “The most fun things in life are often illegal.”

“They really aren’t.”

Adagio flashed a tiny smile. “That’s because you don’t know the meaning of the word. You girls are too afraid to stay out past your bedtimes.”

“We are not!” Pinkie protested.

“Oh yeah?” Aria asked, raising a challenging eyebrow. “Prove it.”

“How?” Applejack asked.

Aria grinned in a way that made Sunset feel they had played into her hands. “There’s a rumor that there’s an old chateau in the Everfree Forest. Been abandoned for years. I bet you’re all too chicken to spend the night.”

“One night in the Everfree Forest?” Rainbow blew a raspberry. “Please, that’ll be easy.”

“Wouldn’t that be trespassing?” Twilight asked. Adagio gave her a smirk, like Twilight was proving her point. “B-but, we’ve already kinda trespassed before with the factory, so I guess it doesn’t really matter in this case.”

“Then it’s settled,” Adagio said. “A little camping trip this weekend. I can’t wait.” It was hard to miss the bite of sarcasm.

“Neither can I,” Sunset said, matching Adagio’s snark. “Come on, Sparky, let’s go home. Happy birthday, Dash,” she said with a little more bite than she meant to. She and Twilight retreated to her motorcycle and took off down the street.

Sunset could almost relate to Adagio and her sisters. Not too long ago, she would have found laser tag and simple friendly meet-ups dull and pointless. And half of her friends were eighteen now. Perhaps there was something more mature they could do that could meet the Sirens halfway. Something that didn’t involve breaking the law.

But the old part of Sunset liked the idea of doing something she wasn’t supposed to. She had forged a reputation of skirting, subverting and outright breaking the rules. It was the reason she was in this world to begin with. But, while the idea of participating in a little teenage rebellion for old times sake made her grin mischievously, she wasn’t willing to drag her friends into it.

On the other hand, rule-bending and a semi-illegal camping trip might get the Sirens to open up a little.

Or, it’ll encourage more of their bad habits.

All too soon, she and Twilight were back in the suburbs. The sun was just beginning to sink behind the houses, casting an orange tinge upon the world. Sunset parked in front of Twilight’s house and dismounted, shaking her hair out after taking off her helmet.

“Are we really going to go out into the Everfree Forest? At night? With the Sirens?”

Hearing the plan out loud, Sunset could see the folly in it. Creepy old house in the middle of the forest at night with three former enemies. It practically screamed disaster zone. At the same time, Sunset couldn’t imagine what kind of trap the Sirens could have laid out for them in two days. And it was still seven on three if push came to shove.

“Don’t worry, Sparky. We’ll leave when it’s still light out and make sure they never leave our sights. And I seriously doubt they’ve rigged a trap in an old house just to try and get rid of us.”

“I wouldn’t put it past them.” Twilight started up the driveway, arms crossed. “I just feel like we’re walking a dangerous line. I know you want to help them, but they also have to want to help themselves.”

Sunset followed after her, thinking of how to rebuttal. She wholly acknowledged Twilight’s reluctance to this trip, but also felt giving the Sirens a little ground might loosen them up. If this wasn’t some convoluted scheme.

“This is as long a leash I plan to give them. If they screw this up, we kick them to the curb.”

Twilight heaved a sigh that told Sunset she would go along with this but was far from happy about it.

Spike waited beyond the front door to greet Twilight like always, and Mrs. Velvet sat on the living room couch, a bowl of popcorn beside her.

“Hello, girls.” She paused to take a bite of popcorn, eyes glued to the T.V. screen. It was a cold case mystery about a whole family that had disappeared. “How was the party?”

“It was fine,” Twilight said, taking her shoes off. “I got second place both times.”

“You did better than me,” Sunset said, trying to elevate herself back into Twilight’s good graces.

“Sounds like fun,” Mrs. Velvet said. “So, what are you two up to now?”

Twilight looked at Sunset, her features softening. “Well, you did say we could go to the lab—”

“Garage.” Sunset couldn’t help herself.

“Lab. And continue working on my gyrocopter.” Twilight gave Sunset a little jab.

“Sure, Sparky. Sounds like fun.”

Mrs. Velvet nodded, still enraptured by her program. “Just don’t burn down the garage.”

“Lab!”

“Sure it is, sweetie.”

Twilight huffed and stomped toward the garage. The display of defiance lost most of its ferocity on account that she was in her socks.

*******

For the late afternoon and well into the evening, Sunset and Twilight sat at the workbench, wiring circuit boards and writing preliminary code. Spike kept them company, forcing them to take a break every fifteen minutes or so to give him belly rubs, lest he start barking.

The duo worked and toiled until at last…

“Bwahaha! It works!”

“Sparky, you built it. Of course it works.”

Hovering before them, five propellers whirring simultaneously, was the preliminary version of Twilight’s selfie gyro-drone. The main body was naked, showing off its mass of wires and circuit boards surrounding a central fan. It had four arms, each ending with a propeller. The camera lens was a little crooked, but the sensory lights blinked a positive green.

Twilight backed away from it, gasping in delight when the camera rotated to follow her movements. “Basic mobility appears functional.” She leaned left and right, the camera following her every move. She then posed, sticking her hand out and making a victory sign.

The gyroscope made a little click then turned its camera toward Sunset. She stood from her stool and posed too, putting one hand on her hip and the other behind her head.

Click.

Twilight ran forward and gently took hold of it. Opposite of the camera was a small screen to check the photos. “Yes! It worked! Two successful selfies! We did it!”

Something sparked inside the circuitry, and an ember flickered to life.

“Gah!” Both girls cried. Sunset ran and grabbed the fire extinguisher by the door. She aimed the nozzle at the sparking gyrocopter and gave a quick squeeze, blasting a cover of foam over the device.

Twilight fanned the fumes and wiped the foam away. She pressed her face as close to her machine as possible without touching it. “It was working so well! One of the circuit boards must have overheated… or maybe the propeller is scraping against the inner plating and creating sparks from the friction. Ugh, this is gonna set me back a whole day!”

“Oh no, not a whole day! Heaven forbid!” Sunset set the extinguisher back and patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Every great invention has a few setbacks. We built this in less than two days over the course of a week. Pretty sure that beats our previous feat of the hydroelectric generator; be happy about that.”

Twilight reached for a screwdriver and pulled her magnifying goggles over her eyes. “I know. I just want this to be done as soon as possible. Not only am I going to enter it to the Young Robotics Scholarship, I want to have it up and running before our next outing. This is the first summer I get to spend with friends. Last summer, Moondancer—”

Twilight froze, slackening her grip on the screwdriver.

It was the first time the name ‘Moondancer’ had left Twilight’s lips since graduation. Sunset never knew how to broach the topic, or even if she should. She had thoughts and feelings on Moondancer she was sure Twilight didn’t want to hear, and wasn’t sure she could engage that conversation without injecting some of those emotions even if they were justified. In the end, Sunset knew she had to let Twilight start the conversation and thereby dictate the direction it would go when she was ready.

All Sunset could do was remind Twilight that she was here, even if Twilight just wanted her to shut up and listen. She put a hand on Twilight’s back and said softly, “It’s okay, Twi.”

She felt Twilight inhale and speak in a soft voice, “Last summer, Moondancer was in France. The summer before that, I went to space camp. One of us was always busy during the summer. And before her, I didn’t have any friends.”

Lifting her head and raising her goggles, Twilight revealed a determined smile. “But this year is going to be different. I’m going to learn swordplay, study magic, make new inventions, and hang out with you and the girls. I’m going to make as many summer memories as possible before college.”

Sunset moved her arm around Twilight’s waist, eager to talk about this rather than Moondancer. She rested her mouth near Twilight’s ear. “Well, I know a good way to start.” She kissed Twilight’s neck.

Twilight pressed a hand to her mouth and giggled. “Your kisses are so electrifying.”

Sunset moved her mouth away and groaned. “Why are you like this?”

“Don’t you mean, wire you like this?”

“Twilight!”

“I love you!”

*******

After being subjected to several more bad puns as they cleaned up, Sunset and Twilight retreated out of the garage, enticed by a delectable smell wafting from the kitchen.

“Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?” Twilight asked, hanging onto Sunset’s arm.

Sunset’s stomach gave a short rumble. “Sure, I think I can hang around this time.”

Twilight’s happy smile broke when they walked into the dining room, finding Shining kneeling next to Cadence, who had her face planted into the table, shoulders shaking from her muffled sobs.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight half-shouted.

Shining opened his mouth, but Cadence sat up from her defeated posture, mascara running down her face. “Everything!” she sobbed.

Shining rubbed the back of his neck. “The band kinda canceled on us.”

“This close to the wedding?” Sunset asked, incredulous on Cadence’s behalf.

“Apparently, they chose now of all times to have a falling out,” Shining said.

“I don’t know what to do!” Cadence wailed. “The wedding is in two weeks! I can’t find a band in two weeks! And now, my dress is snug because I decided to have that last bit of Double-Fudgey Chocolate Chip ice cream, even though I told myself I shouldn’t! I don’t have time to work it off now! Who wants to watch a fat bride waddle down the aisle without music to distract them?”

She dropped her face against the table, unconsolable. Shining rubbed her back, and said, “Sweetheart, you’re far from fat.” But Cadence just made a loud sob. Shining gave the girls a look that pleaded for help.

Sunset couldn’t bear the sight. If anyone deserved to have a nice wedding, it was Cadence. But finding a band in two weeks was a challenge—

A band... duh!

“Um, Cadence,” Sunset said over the woman’s crying. “I’d have to double-check with my friends first, but I don’t see why they’d say no. We could play at your wedding.”

Cadence snapped her head up and looked at Sunset like she was an angel who had spontaneously appeared in the room. “You have a band,” she whispered like it was a revelation.

She was in Sunset’s face before she could blink, her hands clasped in front of her. “You won the Battle of the Bands! You girls are pretty good! Oh, Sunset, please play at my wedding! I’ll do anything! You girls can stay at the hotel! You’re all friends of Twily anyway! Oh, please oh please oh please oh please!”

“Woah, Cadence, calm down!” Sunset said, holding her hands up and taking a step back to reclaim some personal space. “We’ll do it! You don’t have to do anything. I mean, the hotel thing sounds nice—”

Cadence swept her up into a suffocating hug. “Oh, thank you, Sunset! You’re the best future-wife-of-my-sister-in-law I could have asked for!”

Sunset’s blushed. “That’s making a bit of an assumption, isn’t it?”

Shining crossed his arms and smirked. “Is it though?”

Sunset declined to answer, trying not to get invested in the idea of sharing the rest of her life with Twilight. Cadence finally released her, and she stumbled back next to an equally red Twilight.

Cadence cleaned up her face, and dinner was served within the hour: roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. Mrs. Velvet warmed up a can of cream of corn as well just for Sunset to substitute the chicken. Sunset had sat down for dinner with the Sparkles a number of times since that fateful Thanksgiving a year ago. None of them had been as awkward as that night, and Sunset silently thanked the family for never bringing it up.

“It’s so sweet of you to offer your band for the wedding,” Mrs. Velvet said.

“Seems you have a knack for helping this family when we really need it,” Night Light said with a warm chuckle.

Sunset blushed again. “Well, that help goes two ways.” She glanced at Twilight, looking down at her own plate and trying to hide a smile. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her help.”

I also wouldn’t have my soul, but that’s on a need to know basis.

Cadence, back to her peppy, romantic self, put her hands on her cheeks and d’aawwd. “Just the cutest!”

“We’re going to miss having you over for dinner when Twilight’s off at MIT,” Mrs. Velvet said.

Sunset tried her hardest to not visibly deflate in front of them. “Heh, right.”

Night Light looked at her. “Actually, I don’t think you ever told us where you’re going, Sunset.”

“Oh, umm, I’m just gonna go to the community college for a bit,” she lied. “I don’t really know what I want to do with my life yet, so, no sense in wasting all that money on a university.”

The last part was at least true. The future no longer scared Sunset as it had in the past, but it was still a cloud of uncertainty. She had two years to kill before having to choose between which world she would permanently reside in, and she had no idea how to fill that time. Even if she wanted to go to college, she couldn’t with her convenient lack of legal documents. As much as she was going to miss her friends, she still envied they had options to consider for their futures.

Night smiled approvingly. “That sounds reasonable. Well, I partner with some of the other astronomy professors there, so maybe we’ll see each other.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Sunset said, smiling through her deception. She hated it but felt it was better and easier than telling the truth. Shining was still warming up to the idea that Sunset hailed from another dimension.

Dinner concluded and the adults bade Sunset good night as Twilight walked her outside. Crickets chirped merrily in the night, to which Spike responded with a loud bark.

Twilight slipped a hand into Sunset’s. “Thank you for helping Cadence. I just hope the girls agree, too.”

Sunset scratched the side of her face. “Yeah, me too. I feel a little bad for volunteering them. But, I don’t see why they would say no. It’s just one encore performance.”

Twilight used her free hand to play with one of her tresses. “Any room for a violin this time?”

Sunset pulled her close. “I think we can accommodate.”

A smile. Then Twilight leaned up and pressed her lips to Sunset’s. The cricket song fell away, and all Sunset heard was the delighted hum Twilight made in the back of her throat. It was moments like these that Sunset wished lasted forever. Where she didn’t have to worry about Sirens or Moondancer or the future. Just her and Twilight, the best girlfriend she could have asked for.

Their soft kiss dragged on until neither of them could breathe. They pulled away, smiling as they both regained their lost oxygen.

“I should probably head home before Selena worries,” Sunset said, adjust Twilight’s crooked glasses.

“Yeah, probably. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah.” They hesitated, neither one of them wanting to leave the other’s embrace. Sunset leaned down and gave Twilight another kiss before pulling apart and walking away. She started her motorcycle and gave a final smile and wave before putting her helmet on and riding off.

A surreal image of Twilight in a wedding dress occupied Sunset’s thoughts all the way home. Sunset didn’t want to bet the entire aspect of staying in this world on it, but if there was a future where her and Twilight were married…

Would make the choice a lot easier.

Sunset arrived back at the Lulamoon house and was greeted by Spot the minute she stepped through the door. He circled her ankles and pawed at her legs until she picked him up. “Hello, my favorite puppy. How are you?”

Spot licked her nose.

Sunset made her way upstairs, tiptoeing past Shimmer’s room. She was still riding the high from Twilight’s kiss and didn’t want her doppelganger to ruin it. Sunset had her hand on her bedroom door when a voice spoke behind her.

“So, I hear you’re trying to make friends with those stupid divas. Do you try and help everyone who’s tried to kill you?”

Heaving a sigh, Sunset turned around. Shimmer was at least wearing clean pajamas today. “It’s called being a nice person.”

“Didn’t they try to cause the apocalypse or something?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but yeah. They asked for a second chance, and I decided to give them one.”

Shimmer shook her head. “You are way too forgiving. Not that I care, since I hate them for ruining my life, but how’s this little reformation thing working out so far?”

Sunset wanted to stop and point out it was because she was so forgiving that Shimmer had a place to stay, but knew she wouldn’t care much. “It’s… progressing. I don’t know. It’s hard to get them to engage with my friends and the stuff we like to do.”

“That makes sense. I imagine French braiding each other’s hair and sharing compliments isn’t the pinnacle of fun.”

“That’s not what we do!”

“Tea parties and knitting circles then.”

Sunset set Spot on the carpet and crossed her arms. “Tell me, have you even had a friend before?”

Shimmer’s devil-may-care look morphed into one of thoughtful confusion before transitioning back to nonchalance. “Nope, don’t think so. Wouldn’t call old gang members friends, and Tempest wants me dead. Though… I mean, if Jörmungandr counts… I cared a lot about him… still do,” she said, casting her eyes to the floor.

Resisting the urge to unleash a snarky comment about Shimmer actually caring about something, Sunset said, “I didn’t have any friends either until last year. From the outside, yeah, it looks dumb and cheesy and a waste of time, but without them, that hate and resentment you had to experience—”

Shimmer dug her nails into her arm.

“—I never would have let go of that. I’d still be bitter, spiteful, and angry. Maybe even worse.” Sunset took a short breath. “Look, I’ll stop before I get preachy. Really trying to avoid that. I’m just saying, if you’ve never had a friend before, maybe give it a try. Life tends to suck less with them.”

Leaning against the doorframe, Shimmer didn’t respond immediately. One hand still dug into her arm, and she chewed the inside of her cheek. “Hypothetically,” she said slowly, “if I did want to make friends, how would I do that? Lamia is a wanted criminal, and we have an uncanny resemblance, you and I.”

Sunset pointed to Shimmer’s pixie haircut. “I dunno, with that style, you might be able to pass as my cousin or something.”

“Sure, sure. And then, who exactly would I be ‘friends’ with?”

“Well, you could start with my friends and I until you find some of your own.”

Shimmer let out a bark of laughter. “Two problems with that idea. One: I’m too old and too cool to be hanging with you kiddies. Two: again, I hate the Sirens.”

Sunset held her palms up. “I don’t know what to tell you then. Go join a club or something. But, if I’m being honest, you and the Sirens have a lot in common.”

“Sure we do. I’m not sharing the same room with the Sirens unless I get to deck one of them in the face.” Shimmer turned on her heel and retreated into her room. The door shut softly, however, compared to the usual slam she gave it.

Likewise, Sunset finally got to claim some peace of mind in her own room. She kicked off her boots and laid on her bed, letting Spot lick her cheek. She had a strong feeling that if they could all drop their egos and mellow out just a little, Shimmer and the Sirens would make decent friends.

Which, in turn, could be bad for everyone else.

The idea of Adagio and Shimmer plotting together soured the idea of Sunset playing friendship matchmaker. For now, she’d just worry about her own friends getting along with them.

*******

Sunset started her morning with a group text. She pondered the best way to bring up her preemptive volunteering to her friends as she laid in bed, phone out in front of her.

‘Hey, guys. Soooo…’

A minute later, Rainbow texted back, ‘Oh no, what did you do now?’

‘Nothing bad! Look, Cadence’s wedding band canceled on her, so I might have kinda sorta volunteered us to play instead.’

An ellipsis bubble came up on screen from Rainbow and Applejack, but before Sunset could see what they wrote, her phoned buzzed and Rarity’s picture took over the screen.

Sunset tapped the answer button. “Hello?”

“Sunset,” Rarity said in a breathless whisper, “are you telling me we get to perform and attend a wedding? A celebrity wedding?”

“Umm…” Sunset held the phone away from her ear, dreading what was about to happen next. “Yes?”

Rarity’s shrill shriek still managed to pierce Sunset’s eardrum. It grew more distant until Sunset could just barely hear her in the background.

There was a crackle of static, then a younger but familiar voice came over the line. “Sunset, why is Rarity running in circles and screaming?”

“Hi, Sweetie Belle. I just told her we were going to be playing at a wedding.”

“Awww, you guys have all the fun!”

The phone crackled again, and Rarity came back on. “Okay, okay, I’m fine! Everything is fine! Everything is fantastic! We’re going to perform at a wedding! … I need to make everyone outfits!”

The line went dead. Sunset shrugged and returned to reading the text messages.

‘Heck yeah, we’ll play at the wedding!’ Rainbow replied.

‘I’m guessing I still can’t play my banjo?’ Applejack asked.

Sunset typed a simple, ‘No.’

As she got out of bed and grabbed her clothes, Pinke responded, ‘OMG! A wedding! That’s gonna be so much FUN! Of course we’ll play!’ She then sent a long line of emojis.

The conversation continued while Sunset took a shower and got dressed. Everyone was on board with the plan, though Fluttershy had only texted a simple, ‘Okay,’ and had been silent ever since.

While her friends chatted, Sunset fixed herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, finishing just as Twilight rang the doorbell. Sunset let her in, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.

“Looks like everyone’s taking the news well,” Twilight said. She had on a simple blue shirt and shorts.

“Told you it’d be fine.” Sunset led her to the backyard where Selena was already waiting, two swords lying in the grass behind her.

Twilight bowed deeply and Selena mimicked her, smiling affectionately. “Welcome back, my pupil,” Selena said. She took a seat on the grass and gestured for Twilight to sit down across from her.

“Let’s begin with our usual meditation. Sunset, would you like to join us today?” Selena asked.

The last time Sunset meditated, she had ponied up. She wanted to do it again, but didn’t want to distract Twilight. On the other hand, she did want to observe Twilight’s training. Usually, she occupied herself with something else until Twilight was done.

“Sure, I can stick around.” She’d just have to be careful to not pony up this time. She took a seat on a patch of grass between Selena and Twilight.

Selena folded her hands in her laps and closed her eyes. “Clear your mind, Twilight. Focus on your breathing.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Twilight copied Selena and breathed slowly through her nose.

Sunset closed her eyes as well, focusing on the rhythmic beating of her heart. Okay, this is as deep as you need to go. No need to try and pony up right now. Even though I still have no idea what my powers are. Or how to get back to phoenix mode. But, you can do that on your own time.

She tried to let her mind wander from topic to topic, like their forest expedition the day after next, or the wedding and how she’d be dancing with Twilight at the reception. She fought the giddy smile creeping up on her, trying to at least keep her face neutral. But seeing Twilight in her prom dress as the two of them danced in a beautiful reception hall sparked a warmth in Sunset’s heart. The reception hall turned into an altar, and Twilight’s prom dress evolved into a wedding gown.

Stop it. It’s way too early to be thinking about that. But the fantasy stayed firmly at the front of her mind. She supposed she couldn’t blame herself. Deep down, she wanted so badly to stay with Twilight. Yet, she longed to return to Equestria as well.

Sunset’s brain rewrote the scene so that both she and Twilight were ponies standing before Princess Celestia. It was ridiculous now. Twilight would never want to live in Equestria and leave the human world behind. But just being able to show Twilight Equestria’s beauty and magic would be a dream come true. Taking her to Neighagra Falls or the royal palace or Cloudsdale. Sunset showing off her innate magical prowess! Twilight learning all about the wonders of magic!

The warmth from her heart spread through the rest of her body, and before Sunset could stop it, she felt her pony ears and horn sprout on top of her head and her hair lengthen into a ponytail.

Crap! She opened an eye, relieved to see Twilight was too deep in concentration to notice. Sunset thought to move, but that would be more distracting than waiting for the meditation session to end.

I was trying not to pony up! How did I do this? Sunset spent the rest of her time trying to piece the mystery together. The other girls ponied up when they felt in tune with their element. But Sunset didn’t have an element. Did she?

A deep breath from Selena told Sunset the meditation session was over. “Very good, Twilight.”

Twilight opened her eyes and caught sight of Sunset. She jumped to her feet and pointed. “When, how, why?”

“Five minutes ago, I don’t know, and I don’t know,” Sunset responded. “I was trying not to be in tune with anything.”

“Twilight, focus,” Selena said, calm but firm. “Keep your mind on your training.”

Twilight stopped her gaping and straightened her posture. “Right. Sorry.” Her eyes flicked a few times in Sunset’s direction before lasering in on Selena.

Sunset excused herself and moved onto the patio, taking a seat at the lawn table just outside Twilight’s peripheral.

Selena clasped her hands behind her back and appraised Twilight with a critical look. “While your stamina and arm strength still need refining, you pick up on technique remarkably well. We still need to work on your foot placement and balance, but other than that, I think you’re ready to begin practice with real blades.”

Twilight let out a squee Sunset could hear from her seat.

“I thought about what type of sword would be best for you to get a handle on,” Selena said. “Based on your arm and wrist strength, it would have to be something light.” She gestured down to the swords lying on the grass. Both of them had intricately designed handguards: crossing strips of metal that looked like the weave of a basket. One was gold and the other was silver.

Selena picked up the gold sword and drew it from its sheath. “This is a basket-hilted sword, specifically a schiavona. While a rapier is primarily for thrusting, this is a cut and thrust sword. It has a little extra weight, but I think with proper conditioning, you can handle it.” She turned away from Twilight and gave the schiavona a few quick slashes, then twirled it in her palm and sheathed it.

“We’ll see how you do with transitioning from practice swords to this, then we’ll work on endurance training.” Selena gestured for Twilight to take up the silver-hilted sword.

Twilight took hold of it, running her fingers along the basket design. The hilt was so well protected, Sunset could hardly see it. Twilight withdrew the blade and held it in her hand, weighing the metal.

“What do you think?” Selena asked.

Twilight squared her shoulders. “I can do it.”

“Good.”

They stepped onto the patio, leaving the sheaths on the grass. Twilight took up her sword stance, holding the blade in front of her in her right hand and raising her left behind her head. She glanced back at Sunset for just a second before snapping forward again.

Selena walked around her, making adjustments to Twilight’s arm height and foot posture. “Remember, just because the blade is heavier doesn’t mean you have to squeeze it tighter. Keep your wrist loose. Now, let’s start with your movements.”

Twilight stepped forward, keeping her back straight and sword steady. She advanced forward, then backed up, occasionally inching her neck around to steal a glance at Sunset. She advanced again, then began to step from side-to-side, pausing to realign herself whenever her body fell out of synch.

Sunset noticed every time Twilight stepped, her feet tried to point inward toward each other. She chalked it up to Twilight’s subconscious habit of standing pigeon-toed half the time.

“Not bad,” Selena said after ten minutes of watching Twilight’s footwork. “Let’s work on your changes of engagement next.”

Twilight had already worked up a layer of sweat on her forehead. She readjusted her grip and brought her arm across her chest, then rotated her wrist and pointed the sword down. Sunset could hear the sword give a light rattle, even after Twilight had finished moving.

“Focus, Twilight,” Selena said.

The rattle stopped, and Twilight changed engagements again. Sunset didn’t know much about swordplay, but thought Twilight looked impressive. She could see what little muscle Twilight had in her arm giving it their all. Twilight continued rotating her wrist and moving her arm, looking perfect in Sunset’s eyes, until she tried to steal a glance Sunset. The rattling started again.

“Twilight, you’re not breathing,” Selena admonished.

Twilight took a sharp inhale of air. “Sorry.”

Sunset creased her brow. She couldn’t be sure, but with Twilight sneaking so many looks at her, Sunset had a feeling Twilight wasn’t usually this unfocused during her training.

As they began to work on strikes and thrusts, Sunset quietly excused herself back into the kitchen. She could feel Twilight’s eyes on her as she retreated inside. With a sigh, Sunset wandered to the fridge to look for a late morning snack.

Sorry, Sparky. You’re probably better of if I’m not watching. Still, that left Sunset with several hours of free time she didn’t know how to spend. She pulled an apple out of the fridge and closed the door, jumping when she found Shimmer just beyond it.

Shimmer raised an eyebrow. “Déja Vu,” she said in a bored tone.

Sunset reached up and felt her pony ears. “Oh, right, they’re still there.” She stepped out of the way to let Shimmer grab the milk. “What, no snappy insult today?”

“Meh. I can only call you a furry so many times before it stops being funny.” Shimmer grabbed a box of cereal from the cabinet and poured herself a bowl.

“Surprisingly mature of you.”

“But I am curious. Are those unicorn parts a turn on for book girl out there? Because if so, I know what her fetish is.”

“And I spoke too soon.” Sunset sighed into her apple before taking a bite. “Do you have something against Twilight, or do you just enjoy being a jerk?”

Shimmer took a bite of her breakfast. “Not really. She’s a textbook definition of a nerd; it’s hard not to make fun of her.” She took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “But, credit where credit is due: at least she’s trying to improve herself.”

While she didn’t like it, part of Sunset couldn’t blame her doppelganger. If she had met Twilight before the Fall Formal, Sunset would have viciously mocked her and shoved her into lockers left and right. Still, only she was allowed to make fun of Twilight. Sunset was about to tell Shimmer as much when the back door slid open.

Twilight came inside, glistening with sweat and rolling her wrist. “I just came to get a drink of water.”

“I’ll get it for you!” Sunset said, setting her apple down. She could hear Shimmer’s eye roll. Ignoring it, she fetched Twilight’s water and handed it to her.

“Thanks. The weight difference between the practice sword and a real one isn’t a lot, but I can really feel it.” Twilight rolled her wrist again.

Sunset reached out and gently curled her fingers around Twilight’s wrist. A line of heat raced up through her arm and straight into her heart—her soul. The line tugged, like she, Sunset, who she was and everything that made her, was connected to something. Before she could ponder or even let go of Twilight, the world vanished in a pool of white light before coming back into focus. Only, Sunset wasn’t in the kitchen.

She stood on the patio, trying her hardest to keep her focus, but her curiosity kept spiking. Her head turned toward the right, but she gritted her teeth and focused on the sword in her hand. Practice now, magic later. She had to get better. Not just for her own sake, but for her friends. For Sunset!

She shifted her arm, her wrist trembling. Sunset was watching right now. She had to make sure she didn’t make a fool out of herself. But she couldn’t look like she was trying too hard! She wanted Sunset to leave. She wanted her to stay and watch.

Her head turned to the right again, just enough to see crimson and gold locks against a black jacket. Her heart hammered faster and her wrist trembled even more.

“Twilight, focus.”

“Sunset!”

Sunset ripped her hand away from Twilight and staggered back. The blazing tether snapped, and Sunset felt her soul settle into place. A flash of light popped over her head, and she felt her ears and hair return to normal and her horn vanish.

“You okay, mini-me? Or should I call a priest?”

Sunset didn’t register Shimmer’s voice. She took in a shuddering breath. What she had seen… what she had felt. The whole experience left her feeling like an exposed nerve.

Determination. Self-consciousness. Conviction. Love.

So much love.

Her eyes found Twilight, staring back at her with that love Sunset had been fully embraced in—lived first hand through Twilight’s eyes.

Twilight gingerly laid a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Sunset’s thoughts started to line up. It had been a similar experience to when she and Shimmer made physical contact. Sunset had seen through her eyes, felt her feelings. But they hadn’t been this… raw before. This direct. Part of her could still feel Twilight—her emotions, her desires.

She looked at Twilight. “Wait… did you see anything?”

“No? Sunset, what happened? Your eyes just started glowing white and you were frozen in place.”

“Yeah, it was pretty freaky,” Shimmer’s usual disinterested tone had a slight edge to it.

Sunset ignored her and focused on Twilight. Why hadn’t Twilight seen anything? The connection always went two ways. “I… I saw you practicing, just now. Except it was from your point of view. And I could… feel what you were feeling.”

Twilight lifted a hand to her temple. “You… read my mind?” she asked, a note of betrayal in her voice.

“No.” Sunset laid a hand over Twilight’s. “I think I read your soul.”

Twilight turned beet red. “Th-that’s not much better! What did you read?”

“Well, I saw how much you want to get better for us.” Sunset’s own cheeks flushed and her heart hammered. “And… I felt how much you really care about me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade.”

“O-oh. I... I mean, it's...okay?" Twilight's shoulders relaxed just a fraction. "And everything you felt is true. I love you."

“I love you too.”

A bowl scraped against the table, and Shimmer walked out muttering, “Yuri anime bullshit,” under her breath.

Both Sunset and Twilight quietly chuckled. Twilight finished her glass of water and set it aside. “I have so many questions. But, I have to get back to Selena.”

Sunset kissed her on the forehead, not minding the sweat. “Go. We have all summer to figure it out.”

Twilight gave a firm nod. “Right.” She rolled her wrist again and took a deep breath before heading back to the backyard, leaving Sunset alone to ponder.

She had caught a glimpse of Twilight’s soul. Was that her power? But she had done something similar with Shimmer and hadn’t been in her ponied up form then. And what happened to her phoenix powers?

Sunset looked out the window, where Twilight and Selena were already positioning themselves to cross swords. Between magical mysteries, science projects, swordplay, and the Sirens, it was going to be a very busy summer.

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Up next, something new for SS! A two-part(?) mini-arc!

9. Everfree Expedition

Magical research, it seemed, would have to wait. Selena worked Twilight hard with conditioning exercises and sword routines, to the point where when they finally finished, Twilight could barely remember Sunset’s pony up had happened only a few hours ago. The couple spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching movies until Twilight dozed off, head tucked into the crook of Sunset’s neck.

Sunset poked her awake when the sun’s light got low. “C’mon, Sparky. I need to take you home and I would rather have you awake when you’re on my bike.”

Twilight groaned and sat up. “My muscles hate me.”

“Yeah, but just think, by the time summer ends, you’ll be buffer than me.” Sunset flexed, showing off the small amount of muscle definition she had.

Twilight stuck her tongue out. “I don’t want to be buff. Do you know how hard it is to keep that muscle mass into your middle ages? It’s just going to turn into extra fat.”

“Not if you keep exercising.”

“You and I both know I’ll have more important things to do.”

Sunset snickered. “Can’t argue there, future Nobel Prize-winning president of NASA.”

“Administrator,” Twilight corrected before pecking Sunset on the cheek. She got to her feet, letting out a groan as she did. “I’m going to take a hot bath and go to bed. I have to do this again tomorrow.”

“You could take a break, you know.”

“Our little camping trip will be my break,” Twilight said. The slight bitterness in her tone told Sunset she still wasn’t thrilled at the idea.

Once Twilight had her shoes on, Sunset practically carried her to the motorcycle and drove her home. They kissed and waved goodnight and Sunset returned, spending the rest of her evening helping Selena cook dinner. Tonight was curry night.

“Twilight told me about the little excursion you girls are going on,” Selena said, adding seasoning to the pot.

Sunset paused her dicing of potatoes, grateful she had the big knife this time. “Oh, uhh, yeah. I just thought, maybe if we did something the Dazzlings actually liked, they’d open up a little more.”

“And that train of thought led you to think going into the Everfree Forest alone for a day would do the trick?”

Sunset flinched. Selena didn’t have to raise her voice for her words to ring loudly in Sunset’s ears. “There’s seven of us against them, and they’re out of magic. And like I told Twilight, I seriously doubt they ran into the forest to set up some convoluted trap just to get rid of us.”

Selena stirred the pot. “That naivety is going to get you killed someday,” she said bluntly.

Sunset flinched again, almost cutting her thumb off in the process. “Even if they are planning something, I know my friends and I can handle it.”

As she brought the potatoes over to tip into the curry, Selena said, “I have half a mind to go with you. But, I know how young people are when there’s an old person in the group.”

“You’re not that old, Selena,” Sunset scoffed.

Selena cracked a smile. “You’re sweet. But, I don’t think the Sirens would ‘open up’ if I was around.” She stirred the pot again, a savory and spicy aroma wafting through the kitchen. “If you’re not home by noon on the dot on Sunday, I’m marching into that forest and I’m bringing swords.”

“Understood.”

Getting parental permission for everyone else proved easier than Sunset expected. Her friends just happened to forget including the part about staying in an abandoned house and had simplified it to camping. From what the girls told Sunset, there had been few objections, just warnings to take extra batteries for flashlights and stay near the trails.

Friday came, and despite her sore muscles, Twilight showed up for practice. Sunset watched from the window, tempted to meditate on her own and pony up again. She wanted to test her powers, but the hurt look Twilight had given her after finding out Sunset had been in her soul, delved into the most sacred part of a person, stopped her. It was the ultimate breach of privacy, no matter how much Twilight loved her. No doubt, Twilight would still want to test it to some capacity, but it would probably be a while before that happened.

There was also the feeling after, of being exposed to emotions and ideas that weren’t her own, then snapping back to her own body. Disorienting was the best way Sunset could describe it, but even that seemed too simple to convey the sensation.

Instead of watching her girlfriend spar and distracting her when Twilight inevitably looked through the screen door, Sunset focused herself elsewhere. She packed her bag for tomorrow, chatted with Rarity over the phone, then played with Spot. At a quarter to three, she came downstairs to fix herself some lunch and found Twilight and Selena wrapping up their practice.

Selena wrapped Twilight’s schiavona in a white cloth and held it in both hands. “You’ve only been practicing for two days now, and your form still needs some work. Normally, I wouldn’t hand off a potentially lethal weapon to a teenager.”

She took a step closer to Twilight, looking down at her with a look Sunset recognized from her countless interactions with Princess Celestia. Pride. Trust. And seeing potential no one else recognized.

“But, you’re smart, you’re responsible, and you’re surrounded by untrustworthy creatures. I entrust this sword to you, Twilight Sparkle with the hope that you’ll take it with you tomorrow, and the hope you won’t have to use it.” Selena handed the wrapped sword to Twilight.

She took it in her outstretched hands, pulling it in and hugging it to her chest. “I… I don’t know what to say, Miss Selena,” Twilight said, the wind taken from her. “Thank you. I promise I’ll take good care of it, and be responsible!”

Selena smiled. “I am certain you will.” She bowed, and Twilight bowed back, her glasses slipping off her sweaty nose.

“Here.” Sunset reached down and slid them back onto her face. She beamed proudly and patted Twilight on the back. “Look at my girlfriend. She’s a swordfighter now.”

“Still in training,” Twilight added. “I should probably go rest up for tomorrow. And find a place to hide this. I, umm, haven’t exactly mentioned to my parents I’m taking sword lessons.”

*******

Saturday arrived, and with her sleeping bag and pack of essentials slung over her back, Sunset headed downstairs. Both Shimmer and Selena sat at the kitchen table, and to Sunset’s surprise, they weren’t giving each other looks of disdain.

“Do everyone a favor and make sure those Dazzlings get eaten by something,” Shimmer said, taking a sip of coffee. “Don’t care by what, as long as they don’t come back.”

“Just be careful, Sunset,” Selena said, giving Shimmer an unreadable look. “I’m not advocating for anyone dying, but if worse comes to worst, I advise you to practice the art of self-preservation.”

“Geez, you guys are morbid. Everything’s gonna be fine!” Sunset gave them a two-finger salute. “See ya later!”

She left the house and waited in the driveway until Rarity pulled up, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight already piled in. Sunset could see Twilight’s sword nestled between her legs. She perfectly understood the gesture Selena had made yesterday, but, and Celestia forbid it ever came to this, Sunset wasn’t sure if Twilight had it in her to actually stab someone.

“Good morning, Sunset!” Rarity greeted.

Sunset slid into the car, sandwiching Pinkie between her and Twilight. “Morning, girls.”

“Sunny, have you seen Twilight’s sword? It’s super cool!” Pinkie gushed.

“Let’s just hope you don’t have to use it,” Rarity said, pulling back onto the street. “Carrying that around would clash with your entire aesthetic. Although, ‘intelligent swordswoman’ would be an interesting motif to work with. Hmmm…”

Pinkie spoke up again as Rarity lapsed into contemplative thought. “I did some internet reading on the chateau! Which, let me say, is a super fun word to say. Chateau, chateau, chateau! Anyway, they say it was built a hundred years ago by some rich family who wanted to live away from the city! But, by chopping down the trees in the forest, they angered the magic spirit living within! To appease it, they sacrificed a virgin maiden, but now, her ghost haunts the house and every full moon, she stalks the forest in search of victims to drag into the netherworld!”

Fluttershy made a quiet, “Eeep!” from the front seat.

Sunset kept her eyes on the passing scenery. “Pinkie, I think you’ve got a few stories crossed there.”

They left behind the paved streets of the city and drove along the dusty, country road. A mile past Sweet Apple Acres, the road came to an end in a small dirt lot. Applejack was already waiting for them.

While Sunset had only packed her sleeping bag and a backpack half full of things she would need for the night, Rarity unloaded a large suitcase from the trunk of her car.

“Rarity, we’re goin’ in there for one day,” Applejack moaned.

“Yes, that’s why I brought the small suitcase.”

Rainbow arrived twenty minutes later, bringing the Sirens and… Soarin with her. Sunset didn’t remember inviting him. By the look on Fluttershy’s face, she didn’t remember either. As Soarin got out of the car, Fluttershy moved as close to the forest as she could get.

“Ah’m surprised y’all even suggested this,” Applejack said to the singing sisters. “Ah didn’t think fancy pop stars like you would want to sleep on the dirty ground.”

“You forced us to live in a warehouse,” Adagio said flatly. “We can’t sink any lower.”

Rainbow, meanwhile, walked up to Sunset and held out her hand. Sunset sighed and forked over a twenty into Rainbow’s waiting palm.

This reformation thing is literally costing me now.

With everyone assembled, the group headed off into Everfree Forest, Rarity taking up the rear with her cumbersome suitcase. Despite being the middle of the afternoon, once they were under the thick canopy of the forest, light fell in short supply. With branches twisting tightly together and an abundance of thick leaves, only the strongest sun rays pierced through and made it down to the forest floor.

Applejack led them, single file down the closest thing one could consider a path. It was just worn enough to distinguish it from the rest of the loamy earth, but roots and holes still littered it, making it a cautious trek.

This was only Sunset’s second time in Everfree. The first time, she had picked berries with Applejack and helped the CMC not fall to their deaths. From that one instance, she understood why people seldom came here. Even in this new region, it was still dark and tightly packed. Insects chittered all around them, and an occasional rustling bush told her there was always something bigger just waiting around the corner.

Twilight held her hand the entire time, her other hand gripping her sword. While Sunset didn’t think anything life-threatening lived in the forest, it was still a nice reassurance that they had a bonafide weapon.

Everyone made small talk as they hiked. Soarin and Rainbow walked side-by-side, holding hands and snickering at something the other one had said. Fluttershy stayed near the front with Applejack, pausing once in a while to point out a bug or plant.

Pinkie and Sonata talked the most and the loudest, subjecting everyone to their game of ‘I spy’. By the way they interacted, Sunset would have sworn they had known each other for years.

“I spy with my little eye… something blue!” Pinkie shouted.

“Hmmm… is it… Rainbow Dash?” Sonata asked.

“Nope!”

“Oh, is it that stream over there?”

“Hey, I didn’t even see that! Good eye, Sonnie! But, nope!”

Aria growled. “Is it you once you run out of oxygen and die?”

“No threatening friends!” Sunset called back.

“Yeah, Aria, no threatening friends,” Sonata said in a mocking tone.

“Then it’s a good thing I hate all of you.”

Sonata stuck her tongue out. “Ignore her; she’s always a big grump.”

“Because you’re literally, the worst!”

“No, you are!”

Adagio pinched the bridge of her nose. “Great Leviathan, why was I stuck with them?”

“Excuse me!” Rarity yelled. Everyone turned to see she was still back quite a ways. “Could someone help me, please? My bag seems to be stuck.”

Sonata pointed to Rarity’s luggage. “Oh, is it her big bag?”

Pinkie shook her head. “Nope!”

“Then I give up. What is it?”

“It’s you, silly!” Pinkie booped her on the nose.

“Awwww!”

Aria gripped the sides of her face and pulled. “I’ll go back and help her just to get away from you two before I shoot myself!” She stomped back toward Rarity, who looked apprehensive. Sunset watched Aria heft her suitcase off from whatever had caught on it, then thrust it back into Rarity’s hands and gestured her forward.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since they entered the forest, but Sunset felt they had been walking for an hour at least. Her legs were starting to feel the strain of trudging along the uneven path.

Who builds one house out here in the first place?

Sunset scooted up toward Applejack who had the map. “Are we almost there?”

“Should be close if this old map is tellin’ the truth.” Applejack folded it and slipped it away. “Otherwise, we walked out here for nothin’.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say for nothing.” Sunset looked over her shoulder. Pinkie and Sonata were dueling each other with branches. “If only the other two were as easy to crack.”

“If the other two were anything like Sonata, Ah don’t think the Battle of the Bands would have even happened. Hard to believe they’re sisters.”

With twenty more minutes of walking, the ground started to slope upwards, the narrow, root-infested path widening up into a more discernible road. It wasn’t by much, but it was enough to remove the claustrophobic feeling the forest constantly gave. Through gaps in the trees, Sunset could see a clearing and the first signs of a structure.

They broke through the tree line and entered the open space, a large hillside with a rolling field of grass. At the top stood a faded brown house, three stories tall with arched roofs and Victorian style windows and accents. It made Sunset think of Moondancer’s manor if it had been left to rot for years on end.

Most of the windows were shuttered and boarded. Several panes had fallen from the roof. Moss grew up the sides of the house, giving it a more earthy feel. One of the steps leading up to the porch was broken, and the front door looked like it wasn’t sitting on its hinges properly. Old police tape hung lazily in front of if.

Fluttershy backed up to stand behind Sunset. “Well, this was a fun nature hike. Maybe we should turn around and go back home now. The tape says keep out anyway.”

Sunset patted Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s just one night, ‘Shy. And we’ll be here with you the entire time. Besides, you’ve faced scary things before.”

“That doesn’t mean I liked it,” she whimpered.

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Adagio said, stepping up behind her. “I’m sure the ‘magic of friendship’ will keep all the ghosts and zombies away.” Adagio paused… then let out a short shriek.

Fluttershy screamed and jumped a foot into the air. “What? Where? Why?”

Adagio doubled-over laughing. “I can’t believe how easy that was! Ow!” She rubbed her arm and gave Rainbow a venomous glare.

“Leave her alone,” Rainbow growled.

Adagio said nothing, choosing to turn her nose up and march toward the house. Sunset was at least happy to note the pleasant blush on Fluttershy’s face. The moment was ruined when Soarin stepped up beside her.

“You okay?” he asked in a completely cordial voice.

“Fine,” Fluttershy said stiffly. She turned on her heel and followed after Adagio.

The sun was beginning to set as the group got to the top of the hill and climbed the steps of the old chateau. They groaned ominously under their weight, going so far as to make a few popping noises.

Sunset pulled the police tape away and gave the knob a turn and a push. It opened with the lightest of ease. What is with people abandoning places and not locking the door?

What was once a magnificent foyer was now a dark and dust-covered room. The green rug that had run from the entrance to the top of the stairs had been mostly consumed by rats and moths, leaving only tattered scraps behind. Potters that had once held plants were knocked over, the dirt they had contained spilled onto the floor, white and fossilized. Cobwebs hung in every corner, and Sunset could hear something scurrying around in the shadows.

The entire house carried the smell of mold and dirt. A cold draft blew in from parts unknown, perplexing Sunset since the weather outside was mild at worst.

Rarity hung in the threshold, scrunching her nose in a variety of ways. “We… have to stay in here? I knew you said it was abandoned, but I didn’t think it would be this…” She gagged and fanned a hand in front of her face. “Fluttershy is right, we should go home.”

Aria pushed past her. “No way, I did not put up with them—” She jerked a thumb at Sonata and Pinkie. “—just to turn around and go back.”

“A little dirt ain’t gonna kill ya, Rares,” Applejack said, sitting her bag down in the middle of the room.

“Hmph.” Rarity rolled her suitcase in. “It will ruin my clothes. And my sleeping bag. And woe betide you, Applejack if I wake up and it’s in my hair. I’m holding you personally responsible!”

Twilight rubbed her nose. “Dirt or no, I at least wish it didn’t smell so bad.” She sneezed.

“If we leave the front door open for a while, it might air this place out a little,” Soarin said.

“Hey, guys! We found the kitchen!” Pinkie called from a door on the right of the stairs. “And there’s still cans of food in here!”

Applejack’s eyes bugged out. “Wait, Pinkie, don’t eat those!” She sprinted into the kitchen.

Sunset unrolled her sleeping bag close to the front wall and next to Twilight’s. “Well, we’re here. Feel free to go look around, but be careful, and make sure you go with someone. This place is a little dangerous.”

“Whatever you say, mom,” Aria said. She pointed to Rarity. “You, prissy princess. You’re with me.”

A bead of sweat ran down Rarity’s forehead. “Er, why me?”

“You’re the only one who hasn’t annoyed me yet.”

“Oh… I feel… flattered.” Rarity shot a pleading look to Sunset, but Sunset just smiled and waved her off. The pleading look turned into a glower, but Rarity relented and followed Aria up the grand staircase.

“Bet you there’s a library in a place like this,” Sunset said to Twilight. “Wanna go look for it?”

Twilight made a tiny squee. “Yes! Hopefully they’re not in too bad a condition.”

Adagio strutted over to them. “Oh, that sounds like fun! I think I’ll tag along.” She smirked. “What? You said we shouldn’t wander off on our own.”

Sunset broke into a pained smile and said through her teeth, “Yes, I did. Sure, Adagio, you can come with.”

Still smirking, Adagio turned for the stairs.

Sunset cupped a hand over her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s… fine,” Twilight said in a tired voice. She took Sunset’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “Just don’t leave me alone with her.”

“Never.”

They grabbed flashlights from their bags and followed Adagio up the stairs, moving right at the landing, opposite from Aria and Rarity. Like the forest, the sun had a hard time penetrating the house through the wood boards and grime encrusted windows.

Old landscape portraits hung on the walls, some of them covered in graffiti from older intruders, others slashed to ribbons.

“I hear tell of an angry ghost that haunts this place,” Adagio said airily. “It likes to prey on virgins.”

“There’s no such thing as—” Twilight snapped her lips shut and pursed.

“What? No such thing as ghosts? I assure you they’re real. And they’re usually quite vengeful. Good luck using your little sword on that.”

Twilight had hooked the scabbard through a belt loop on her hiking shorts. She reflexively gripped the pommel.

Adagio clucked her tongue. “Odd you brought a weapon for a supposedly friendly sleepover. Someone might get the impression you don’t trust me.”

“I don’t,” Twilight said coldly.

“Hmmhmm. Probably wise.”

Sunset gave Adagio a warning glance, then pushed open a random door. Inside was an old billiards table, its balls scattered around the room. There was a small bookshelf off to the side, and a cabinet full of empty liquor bottles across from it. A full body mirror stood in the corner, surprisingly still intact. An old decorative lamp was knocked over onto a faded rug. Portraits and paintings covered the walls, giving the room a crowded feeling.

Flashlights on, the girls spread out inside, Twilight moving toward the bookshelf. Dust and cobwebs coated the few books it held. She pulled one out, dusted the cover off, and shined her light on it. “‘Economic Principles, First Edition’.”

“Must have been a business family,” Sunset said, searching for all of the billiard balls. She flinched at the unholy squeak the liquor cabinet made as Adagio forced it open.

“Oooh, look!” She pulled a perfectly preserved bottle out. “‘1901’. You think it’s still good?”

“Drink it and find out,” Twilight mumbled, still picking through the books.

Adagio gave it a little shake. “Maybe I’ll let Sonata try it. Besides, I brought my own booze.”

Sunset snapped her head up. “You brought alcohol?”

“Just because you’re not allowed to drink doesn’t mean we have to limit ourselves.”

“How did you afford drinks?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to,” Adagio said casually.

Sunset groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe you.”

“Oh please, don’t act like you’ve never stolen something before. You’re not as pure as the rest of those little snowflakes.”

“Don’t call them snowflakes,” Sunset growled, unable to argue Adagio’s other point.

Adagio held a hand up. “Fine, fine. I’m sorry. I’m just saying, you’re so much more exciting; I don’t know why you try to downplay it so much.”

Sunset ignored her and joined Twilight by the bookshelf. She leaned in and said softly, “If you wanna give her a little poke, I won’t say anything.”

“She’s making it really tempting.” Twilight put the book up and moved over to the mirror. Sunset reached to pick another book, and froze when Twilight let out a short scream.

“What is it?”

Twilight stared at the open door. “I saw something move!”

“Adagio?” Sunset narrowed her eyes.

She was still picking through the cabinet. “It wasn’t me.”

Sunset made a note of skepticism in her throat and stepped outside the room. She looked right and left, but found nothing out of the ordinary. “Hello?” No answer from one of the others. With how dim the hallway was, she couldn’t say it was a trick of the light. While she didn’t subscribe to either Pinkie or Adagio’s stories of vicious ghosts, perhaps there was something here.

“Come on,” Sunset said with a wave of her hand. “Let’s keep exploring.”

*******

Rarity sighed. “It’s a shame. This seems like it would have been a lovely home. For the time, at least.” She stopped and ran a hand down one of the few curtains remaining to frame the windows. She would never have used velvet drapes of this thickness, even in a Victorian home. She then gagged at the amount of dust on her fingers and wiped them clean on the paper towel she held onto.

“Meh, I’ve seen better,” Aria said, swinging her flashlight around. “It’s less tacky than I expected though. Lots of dark colors. I prefer Neo-Gothic style.”

“Oh! You know Gothic style architecture?”

Aria shrugged. “Well, I lived through it, so yeah.”

Rarity froze mid-step. “You… lived through the Gothic Revival period?”

“Yeah. Got shoved into this stupid world like, halfway through the Georgian era. Got to feed off a lot of wars around then, so that was cool, I guess.” She said all of this with such casual disinterest, Rarity couldn’t tell if she was joking.

“Um, Aria, forgive me, I know how rude it is to ask someone their age, but… how old are you, exactly?”

“I dunno. Lost track around your first world war.”

Rarity’s mind was trying to comprehend several things at once. “So… you and your sisters are immortal?”

“I don’t know. You broke our gemstones—the source of or magic and powers, so who knows what’s gonna happen now!” Aria stomped into the next room.

Rarity flinched and hurried after her. Aria had entered a crowded bedroom. The bed took up most of the left wall, and the right was covered by a writing desk and a large armoire. Rarity’s mind first went to how well the cherry red carpet complimented the cherrywood furniture. She pushed it away and focused on Aria, picking moodily through the desk drawers.

“Listen. I will not apologize for doing the right thing and stopping you and your sisters from brainwashing my friends and family and taking over the world,” Rarity said firmly. “While it’s never our intention to cut someone’s lifespan short, I have a hard time drawing sympathy for someone who has yet to show remorse for their actions. If you are mortal now, suffice to say, you brought it upon yourselves.”

Aria turned and gave her a burning look, and for a moment, Rarity was afraid she might have overstepped her bounds. She stood her ground, however, refusing to be intimidated, but inwardly prayed it wouldn’t come to a fight.

Unfortunately, Aria slammed the drawer shut, forcing Rarity to flinch and put her hands up in a defensive position. However, instead of striking at Rarity’s show of fear, Aria gave a rare, non-threatening smirk.

“Heh, for one of those frilly dress-makers, you’re almost kinda cool.”

Rarity lowered her hands. “Oh, well, thank—”

Aria was in her face, jabbing a finger into her collarbone. “But don’t think I’m going to apologize for needing to eat. Sirens feed off negative emotion, it’s what we do. And don’t expect me to just get over not being immortal anymore. We were awesome and powerful until you and those Lulamoons came along.”

Rarity took a step back. “Well then, I suppose we are at an impasse if neither of us is going to apologize. Though I will ask you to respect my personal boundaries.”

Aria crossed her arms. “As long as we know where we stand.” She pivoted on her heel and returned to investigate the armoire, while Rarity stood in thought.

It’s going to be hard to make friends with them if they don’t let go of that battle. Sunset didn’t hold onto her loss that long. Not outwardly at least. Rarity wanted to mend this bridge so she could probe Aria’s familiarity with old architecture. If the Siren really was hundreds of years old, she was a potential font of artistic knowledge.

“Woah, cool!”

Rarity snapped out of her doldrum and wandered over to Aria and the armoire. She peered in, seeing a collection of old, moth-eaten dresses pushed to both sides to reveal the back of the wardrobe where words were carved into the wood.

GET OUT.

Rarity screamed and jumped back.

Aria rolled her eyes. “Relax. Some dumb kid probably scratched that in as a prank.”

“Not that!” Rarity reached in and pulled a silver gown out, lamenting at the torn ruffles and eaten hem. “This dress was once beautiful but now look at it!”

“You’re more concerned about the dress than the cryptic words?”

“Well, like you said, it’s probably just some childish prank,” Rarity said, giving a closer examination of the dress. “Oh, look at the poor thing. Taken down in its prime. I bet you were only worn once before you were left to languish in here.”

Aria shook her head and moved back to the desk. “You’re really straddling the line between cool and dumb.”

But Rarity was hardly listening. As she looked at the gown, designs began forming in her mind of modern renovations to the overall aesthetic. Rarity then looked up and stared at the paintings around the room, some of them depicting men and women in formal Victorian era clothing. What if she created a modern revival of these designs? Perhaps even sprinkle in a few Neo-Gothic elements?

A buzz of inspiration ran up her spine. “Aria, tell me: what would you think if I moved the drapery to the sides and gave the front a more silk sheek look?”

Aria side-eyed the dress. “I don’t know, I hated the get-ups back then. They were too restricting and not dark enough.”

Rarity drummed her fingers against her chin. “Hmmm, punk Victorian. I’ve never tried that before. It could be bold. It could be experimental. It could be Canterlot’s next big thing! Aria, you’re a genius!”

Aria straightened up and gave Rarity her full attention. “I am?”

“Yes! You just struck inspirational gold! Victorian style gowns and dresses with modern punk elements. It’s not entirely new, but with my artistic flare, it could go places!” Rarity gave the dress a wave, scattering dust everywhere. “I would love to hear some of your opinions though! I don’t know nearly enough about punk style as I could.”

To Rarity’s surprise, Aria was actually blushing. It was faint, but there. “You want my opinion?”

“Of course! You’ve got a great fashion sense.”

Aria looked away and tugged on one of her pigtails. “Huh. No one’s really asked for my opinion before.”

Rarity lowered the dress. “What do you mean?”

Aria kicked a mothball and shoved her hands in her pockets. “Adagio’s always been the leader. It’s always been her ideas, her goals, her schemes. She gives orders, she never takes them. The only time she’ll consider listening to me is when she’s desperate.”

“Oh, I see.” Even with the little time Rarity had spent around Adagio, she could tell the head Siren was the kind of leader who didn’t take input from her subordinates. Aria’s gloomy and aggressive attitude began to make more sense.

Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that from me. I promise to value your opinions.”

“Don’t make it sappy.” Aria took her hands out of her pockets. “I guess I could help with your dumb fashion project. I don’t have anything better to do. But I’m not wearing any dresses.”

“You might change your mind once you see them!” Rarity jumped forward and took Aria by the arm. “Now come on! My sketchbook is downstairs!”

“Hey, woah! What happened to that personal space crap?” Aria yelled as Rarity dragged her forward.

“No time for that We must strike the iron while it’s hot!”

*******

Rainbow flailed her arms, brushing more cobwebs away. “This place would be cooler if there weren’t so many stupid webs around!”

Soarin chuckled. “Here, you missed a spot.” He reached over and pulled some out of Rainbow’s hair.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” He and Rainbow stood side-by-side in the narrow hallway of the third floor. A single beam of sunlight shone down through a crack in the roof. Their flashlights still provided the majority of illumination.

Rainbow swatted yet another web as she reached to open one of the doors. She hesitated. “What are the odds it’s booby-trapped?”

“Pfft. Who would booby trap a place like this?”

“Someone trying to hide a secret.”

Soarin reached past her and opened the door. When nothing happened, he spread his arms and grinned. “See?”

“Hey, you never know.” Rainbow walked into the room, swinging her flashlight around. Boxes, covered furniture, and miscellaneous objects were scattered about with no rhyme or reason.

Rainbow was about to write it off as a boring storage room when her eye spotted something in the corner. “Oh, awesome!” She navigated her way across the maze of objects.

Soarin followed close behind. “Is that a suit of armor?”

Rainbow approached it with an eager grin. Indeed, a full suit of gray medieval armor including a poleaxe as tall as Rainbow stood tucked away in the corner. Thin spider webs hung in its visor, and the plume on its helm was more gray than red now.

“Why is there medieval armor in a house built in the late 1800s?” Soarin asked.

“Who cares? It’s awesome!” Rainbow reached up and grabbed the helmet. She twisted and turned it, trying to wrest it from its body. The whole suit made teeth grinding screeching and squealing sounds as Rainbow rattled it.

Soarin winced and clamped a hand over his ear. “Please be careful.”

“Of what?” Rainbow popped the helmet off and began dusting it with her shirt. “I can’t believe no one snagged this yet.”

She froze and cocked her head toward the boarded window. A muffled sound came from somewhere on the grounds below. She swore it was a wolf howling. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Soarin asked, shifting his eyes left and right.

Rainbow strained her ears to hear it again, but all was silent. She brushed it away, finished cleaning the inside of the helmet, and shoved it onto her head.

“Geez, It’s tighter than I thought.” Her nose itched, and she let out a powerful sneeze. “Okay, that’s enough.”

She tried to pull the helmet off, finding it a tougher feat than she anticipated. She tugged harder, feeling the back get caught on her ponytail. With a grunt, she pulled it forward, stumbling back as she did. She felt the cold armor against her back shake unsteadily, and Soarin shouted before Rainbow felt herself tackled to the floor.

There was a mighty crash! Followed closely by a loud thunk of something blunt hitting and becoming embedded in the wooden floor.

Rainbow finally slid her head free of the dumb helm. She sat up, finding Soarin lying across her lap, a smear of dust across his shirt. Just behind him, the axe had swung down into the floor.

Soarin glanced at her. “Um, you okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” Rainbow said, unsure why her cheeks were burning. “You realize the axe would have hit the helmet, right?”

“Better safe than sorry.” Soarin rolled onto his butt and dusted off his front. “I’d hate to see a great athlete cut down in her prime. Literally.”

Rainbow stood up and tossed the helmet away. “Admit it, you just used that as an excuse for some dumb romance cliché where you rescue me from getting hurt so I make out with you.”

Soarin arched his eyebrows. “Did it work?”

She gave him a kick to the shins. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough to make him flinch.

“Hey, hey, I was kidding! The only place I’m gonna tackle you is on the football field.”

Rainbow turned away so he couldn’t see the dirty smirk on her face. “Uh-huh. Sure.” She navigated her way back to the door. Other than the armor, this room was just a collection of old junk. Rainbow didn’t feel like digging through all of them in the vain attempt to find something else cool. That was for eggheads like Twilight and Sunset.

She waited for Soarin in the hall, impatiently tapping her foot as he dawdled, still wiping his shirt clean. When he finally joined her, Rainbow grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in, kissing him on the lips. It wasn’t for very long, just five, maybe seven seconds. Still, it was long enough for her heart to jump into overdrive, like she was on the last leg of a relay race.

Rainbow pushed him back and crossed her arms, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. “There. Next time you want a kiss, just ask.”

Soarin, with a dazed and goofy expression, just nodded before breaking into a full smile. Rainbow walked past him before it spread to her. She didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Sure, pressing her lips against Soarin’s was nice, and his breath tasted like spearmint, which was refreshing. But she didn’t get why couples loved doing it all the time, everywhere.

That wasn’t to say she wasn’t going to kiss him again.

*******

Dusk settled over the forest, and while Sunset hadn’t thought it possible, the interior of the house managed to become even dimmer. She, Twilight, and Adagio descended the stairs, finding Applejack had set up a kerosene lamp in the middle of the foyer. While bright, it exaggerated their shadows to gangly giants that flickered and danced along the floor and walls.

Sunset was surprised to see Rarity and Aria huddled together over Rarity’s sketchbook. Rarity scribbled furiously, then showed it to Aria who shrugged and murmured something, sending Rarity back into a drawing frenzy. Fluttershy kept close to Applejack, her eyes flickering up to the stairs every few seconds while she ran her hands through her hair.

“Find anythin’ interestin’?” Applejack asked.

“Depends on your definition of ‘interesting’,” Adagio said, sitting down on her sleeping bag.

Twilight held a book up. “We found the library, but these books are a bit dry, even for me.”

Sunset silently remarked how that hadn’t stopped her from taking one. Either her face gave away more than she intended, or Twilight knew her so well that she could tell what Sunset was thinking. She gave Sunset a playful glower and nudged her with the book.

They settled on Sunset’s sleeping bag, Twilight resting her head in Sunset’s lap as she began to read. Sunset glanced toward the kitchen, hearing nothing from beyond the swinging door. “Where’d Pinkie and Sonata go?”

Applejack pointed down the opposite hall. “They went explorin’ a little bit ago. Haven’t seen ‘em since.”

“Given it’s Sonata, I should probably be concerned,” Adagio said, any trace of concern far from her voice.

“Eh, she’ll be fine,” Aria said.

Rainbow and Soarin came down a few minutes later, smudges of dust and dirt on their clothes. “For a big fancy house, there’s not a lot here,” Rainbow quipped. “Most of it’s just boring junk. I mean, except for the armor we found, but it tried to drop an axe on me, sooo…”

“Me and Applejack explored the garden,” Fluttershy said. “It was still really pretty, even with all the weeds growing. There’s a lovely family of opossums living in one of the oak trees.”

“Also found the door to the cellar,” Applejack added. “Too bad it was locked tighter than a jar of Zap Apple Jam on the off season.”

“That’s probably where they’re keeping the bodies,” Aria said with a macabre smile. Rarity then held up her sketchbook and Aria chewed the inside of her cheek before giving an approving nod. “It’s cool, I guess.”

Rarity squeed with excitement and flipped the page over before racing her pen across it. Sunset wasn’t one-hundred percent sure what had happened between them, but was delighted to see Aria connecting with someone.

Rainbow sat down on her sleeping bag next to Soarin. The two leaned against one another, their hands overlaid. The simple action got Rarity to look up from her drawings and give a silent squeal of delight. Fluttershy stared pointedly at her boots.

“Meh,” Rainbow said, “I almost wish there was a ghost or something. I knew coming here would be easy.”

“I don’t know,” Adagio said coyly, spinning a finger through her curls. “Twilight thought she saw a ghost in the billiard room. And Sunset jumped a foot when we were in the library.”

Twilight turned a page in her book. “I don’t know what I saw, but I doubt it was a ghost.”

Sunset stroked Twilight’s hair as she reflected. She had thought she had seen a large shadow in the corner of her eye while in the library, only for it to vanish when she tried looking directly at it. She knew better than to dismiss the idea of supernatural activities. Afterall, there had been the wolf spirit on the mountain during spring break. They had been told it was evil, only to be proven wrong. So, while a twinge of paranoia ran up Sunset’s spine, she didn’t buy into malicious ghosts just yet.

When the last orange glow of evening faded away from the gaps in the boarded windows, Sunset began to grow worried over Pinkie and Sonata. The house wasn’t that big. She opened her mouth to ask Twilight’s opinion, but looking down, she found the bookworm had her eyes closed, the book rising and falling slowly as it rested against her chest.

Waking Twilight felt like a capital crime, especially when she looked so cute. Eh, I’m sure those two are fine.

A bloodcurdling scream made the hairs on Sunset’s neck shoot up and her heart miss several beats. It sounded distant but very much real. Fluttershy screamed in turn, jumping into Applejack’s lap. Rainbow jumped to her feet and raised her fists, wildly looking around the room.

Twilight let out a loud yelp and shot up, flailing her arms and smacking Sunset in the nose. “Who—what—where? Ah, Sunset! I’m so sorry!”

Sunset rubbed her nose, thankful it wasn’t bleeding. “It’s fine.”

Rarity fanned herself, managing to look paler than normal. “Good heavens, what on earth was that?”

“D-do you th-think it was P-Pinkie or Sonata? Maybe something got them!” Fluttershy asked, arms locked around Applejack.

“Relax,” Soarin said, still lounging on his blanket. “I’m pretty sure nothing’s got them.”

“You don’t know that!” Rainbow shouted. “We have to find Pinkie!”

Adagio raised an eyebrow. “And Sonata?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Sunset got up. “We’ll split into three teams, one for each floor. Rainbow, Soarin, Fluttershy, you get the first floor. Rarity, Applejack, and Aria, take the second. Me, Twilight, and Adagio will take the third. Stay together, and if you find anything, call me.”

“Right!” Everyone else scrambled up and put their shoes back on and grabbed their flashlights. With Adagio and Twilight in tow, Sunset led them up the main stairs, around a corner, and up a narrower flight to the third floor. Thanks to the boarded windows and the warm evening, the air was hot and humid. Thin beams of orange light broke through the darkness, reflecting off brass ornaments and picture frames.

“What do you think could have happened?” Twilight whispered.

“I don’t know,” Sunset said, ignoring the nervous flutter in her stomach. “Hopefully, Pinkie just ran into a spider or something.”

“Knowing Sonata, it’s probably something inane,” Adagio said, flicking her flashlight.

They pulled open one of the doors and poked into a spare bedroom. White cloth covered most of the furniture, startling Sunset into mistaking them for ghosts when she first shined her light on them.

“Pinkie? Sonata?” When neither responded, Sunset pulled out and carried on down the hall. “They can’t have gotten far.”

“Unless something got to them,” Adagio said. There was the thinnest trace of unease in her voice.

Sunset said nothing. She, sadly, couldn’t rule out that possibility. But why would a supernatural force be after them? Well, we are kinda trespassing. That’d do it.

They entered into the library once again, a large, circular room that took up most of the third floor. There were two stand-alone bookshelves in the center, then the entire back wall served as a third, curving one. Most of the books were gone or molding, filling the air with the scent of musty pages. Like everywhere else, the carpet had been eaten by rats and moths, and cobwebs filled the spaces between books. It was a sad sight to behold.

As Sunset stepped inside, she felt a slight chill in the air, just enough to get her attention. She was liking this place less and less by the second. “Pinkie,” she called softly, afraid she could wake something else. “Sonata? Answer me, please!”

They fanned out, casting their light into the corners and behind the bookshelves. Nothing.

Thunk!

“Eeeep!”

Sunset turned around and ran to Twilight’s side. “What, what is it?”

Twilight shook like a leaf. Her flashlight pointed down at a book that had fallen. It appeared to be some sort of fiction book. Ominously, it had landed on a page that read, Chapter X: Final Warning.

Adagio looked over their shoulders, her face unreadable. “So, I don’t actually believe in ghosts… but, that’s definitely a sign something in here doesn’t like us.”

Sunset pulled Twilight away. “Ghost or evil spirit, or whatever, we need to at least find Pinkie and Sonata before we think of trying to run back through the forest at night, which might be a worse idea than staying here.”

Twilight gave her hand a nervous squeeze. “I don’t know. Dealing with physical creatures we can at least hit seems like a better alternative than fighting spirits. From a completely scientific point of view.”

They retreated from the library, but only had a storage room left to check, and it proved empty. Adagio took interest in the medieval axe on the floor. Feeling drastically unsafe with Adagio wielding any kind of weapon, Sunset ordered her to leave it.

“Well, they’re not here,” Sunset said, shutting the door after Adagio had skulked out. “Hopefully, one of the others—”

Another scream ripped through the night, making all of them jump. It seemed to come from everywhere, bouncing through the old corridor and off the wooden walls. Sunset couldn’t say it sounded like Pinkie, and she had no idea how Sonata sounded when she screamed.

It subsided, leaving the floor hauntingly quiet.

“Back to the first floor, now!” Sunset commanded.

*******

Naturally, the kitchen was the first place Rainbow thought to check for clues of Pinkie’s whereabouts. It was much colder here than the rest of the house, owing to the use of stone floors instead of wood. A wide brick countertop took up the center of the room. On one end was a brick oven that Rainbow thought would be awesome to use for cooking a pizza. On the other side of the room was an old cast iron stove and oven.

Several cabinets had been opened and rummaged through, probably from Pinkie and Sonata’s earlier exploration. Aside from a bag of hardened sugar, Rainbow didn’t see any trace of her hyperactive friend.

“So, uhh, what exactly is the deal with you girls and those three… sisters, are they?” Soarin asked as he peeked into one of the cabinets. “Between the laser tag match and today, it kinda feels like you guys don’t like each other.”

“We don’t,” Fluttershy said rather cooly. In fact, that was coolest Rainbow had ever heard her. She knew Fluttershy wasn’t fond of the Sirens, but wow.

“Yeah, it’s kinda hard to explain,” Rainbow said. “They did some bad stuff in the past, but now they said they wanna make up for it and be our friends. Personally, I’m still leaning on it being total BS. But, Sunset thinks we should give them a chance.”

Soarin whistled. “You girls lead some exciting lives, dontcha? What’d they do?”

“That’s on a need to know basis,” Fluttershy said, the coldness in her voice dropping to sub-zero. “And we have more important things to do right now.”

She walked back into the foyer, leaving Rainbow to scratch her head in confusion. She could rarely recall Fluttershy being so grouchy. She must really be worried about Pinkie. Rainbow was right behind her, but Soarin caught her arm and held her just in front of the door.

Rainbow looked back at him. “Hey, I know I said if you wanted a kiss, just ask, but now isn’t—”

Soarin shook his head. “Look, maybe I pried too far asking what happened between you girls and those three, but…” he dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’m starting to get the feeling Fluttershy doesn’t like me.”

“What?” Rainbow snorted. “You must be crazy, Fluttershy’s just upset about what’s going on, and I can’t say I blame her. But I doubt she doesn’t like you.”

“I don’t know, Dash. She seems to give me the evil eye every time I look at her. And I’m pretty sure she was targeting only me during laser tag.”

“Fluttershy doesn't have a mean bone in her body.” Rainbow tapped Soarin’s skull. “Trust me, you’re imagining it. Now come on.”

They crossed back into the foyer. Fluttershy was waiting in the light of the lamp, arms crossed and foot tapping. Rainbow thought she might have seen a slight glower in their direction, but dismissed it as a trick of the bright light. The only person Fluttershy glowered at was her brother.

The garden was the next place to look. Overgrown with weeds and vines and rotting leaves, it gave off an overpowering odor, and made Rainbow feel she had walked back into the heart of the forest. Stone columns leading to the center had crumbled, and the fat cherubs that had perched on top had fallen to the ground. An empty basin sat in the back, filled with moss and dried up lily pads, evidence that it had once been a pool.

Off to the side was a cellar door, but a thick iron bolt and chain stopped Rainbow from opening it. “I swear, if they’re down there…”

“But how?” Fluttershy asked.

“I dunno. Ghosts can do some pretty freaky things, right?”

Soarin shook his head. “There’s no ghost.”

Fluttershy gave him quite the skeptical eye. “How do you know?”

Soarin gave her a winning smile. “Just trust me. If there was something bad happening, I’d know. I’m pretty sure Pinkie and Sonata are both fine.”

Fluttershy continued to look unimpressed.

Huh… maybe there is something up with her.

With the back gate rusted over and impossible to open, the trio walked back into the house. The parlor on the left-hand side of the stairs was empty, leaving just a bedroom, and the laundry room to explore. Rainbow doubted Pinkie was simply hiding in either location.

She was spared from having to check when a second horrid scream assaulted her ears. Fluttershy clamped down onto her arm, shaking like a leaf. Soarin looked unsettled, but far from panicked.

Fluttershy stammered, “Wh-where is that c-c-coming from?”

“I can’t tell,” Rainbow said, a nervous sweat running down the back of her neck. “Come on, we should check in with the others.”

They doubled back to the entrance, and Rainbow pulled her phone out to call Sunset. Footsteps tromping down the stairs interrupted her. Rarity and Applejack came down, looking frazzled.

“We lost Aria!” Rarity cried.

“What? How?” Rainbow asked.

“We don’t know,” Applejack said, looking around wildly. “She was right behind us the whole time, Ah swear. The next thing we know, she’s gone and someone’s screaming again.”

Sunset led Twilight and Adagio down the stairs. “We heard more screaming! Is everyone okay?” Sunset asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. “We lost Aria.”

Adagio glared at them. “How did you lose Aria? Sonata I can understand, but Aria isn’t dumb enough to wander off on her own!”

“Where could she even have gone?” Sunset asked, throwing her hands in the air. Everyone cast an uneasy glance around at each other. Sunset pressed a hand to her eye. “Don’t tell me we’re all on the ghost theory.”

“I’m not,” Soarin said.

“I was joking before,” Adagio said. She furrowed her brow and glared upwards. “Now, I don’t know what to believe.”

Sunset tapped her foot. “We need to get to the bottom of this. Has anyone seen anything remotely useful or suspicious?”

“We’ve already searched most of the house,” Applejack said. “The only place left is the cellar, but it’s locked tight.”

“There has to be another way in there,” Rainbow said.

Twilight paced the floor. “Umm, well… a house this old might have a dumbwaiter somewhere that they used to move things between floors. It might link to the basement, if they have one, and if it still works.”

“Well, it’s the only thing we can do for now,” Rarity said with uncertainty. “Has anyone seen anything that could be the dumbwaiter?”

“Well, we haven’t checked the laundry room yet,” Soarin said.

Without another word, everyone moved down the hall toward the laundry room. It was narrow, and consisted of a large wash basin and an old clothesline. A door was set into the wall near the back, but instead of a knob, it had a handle at the bottom to slide it up.

Rainbow, with some difficulty, pulled it open, dust spraying down upon her head. Beyond was a dark, brick shaft with two ropes hanging down into the darkness. Next to the opening was a lever. Rainbow pulled it and heard something clicking and whirring above her. The ropes shuddered, and something large started to grind its way up from the depths.

A small steel compartment, big enough for perhaps two of them to squeeze into rose up to greet them. It shuddered to a stop, giving a nervous creak.

“So…” Rarity tapped her fingers together. “Who wants to go into the creepy basement first?”

Sunset gripped her flashlight. “I’ll go.”

Twilight grabbed her hand. “Then I’m going with you.”

Sunset smiled at her. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Adagio stuck her tongue out. “We get it, you’re a cute couple. Just go down there and see if the rest of our party is or isn’t dead.”

*******

Sunset climbed up and into the service cart, helping Twilight in after her. They gave a nod to Applejack, who lifted the lever and lowered them into the inky blackness. Their flashlights kept the small space lit, but there was nothing to see other than the brick shaft.

“Do you really think they’re down here?” Twilight asked.

“Let’s hope so. Otherwise, we’re gonna have a real problem on our hands.” Sunset had dealt with many things the people of this world would call supernatural, but she had no idea how to handle a ghost.

The cart shuddered to a stop. Breaking up the brick inlays was another wooden door. Sunset reached for the latch and pulled it open. Her eyes couldn’t pierce the darkness beyond, but her flashlight could. She spotted the boiler in the back, behind broken furniture and moldy boxes.

Sunset climbed out, stretching her already cramped up legs. Twilight stretched her back, eliciting a small pop. “Pinkie?” she called, waving her flashlight around.

The boiler made a small hiss, making both girls jump into each other's arms. Sunset gave a nervous chuckle. “Kinda reminds me of the science fair, right?”

“Y-yeah. A little bit.”

They pulled apart and stepped further in, eyes peeled for their friends. Nothing seemed to stir, but Sunset swore she could feel a presence down here. She and Twilight slowly crossed the room, stepping over shattered glass and splintered wood.

A shriek rang out behind them, paralyzing them with fear before Twilight swung around, pulling her sword free from its sheath and giving a wild swing, eyes closed.

Sunset jumped to the side to avoid getting cut to ribbons. She wasn’t the only one. Standing behind them were three figures dressed with hideous, monstrous faces, mouths hanging open and full of sharp teeth. They kept a wide berth from Twilight’s swings.

“Stay back!” Twilight yelled. “I’m warning you!”

One of the masks gave a very familiar chortle. “Okay, I think we scared them enough.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Pinkie?”

The three figures took off their faces, revealing Pinkie and the two missing Sirens. “Gotcha!” Pinkie said with a wide grin.

A sharp, needling pain burrowed into the front of Sunset’s skull. “Are you telling me,” she said, trying to keep her voice even, “this was all a prank?”

“Duh,” Sonata said, putting a hand on her hip. “Like, a scary house in the middle of some spooky forest? How could we not prank you?”

“But, the screaming we heard—“

Aria pulled a tape recorder from her pocket and hit the play button. Sunset and Twilight flinched as the loud scream assaulted their ears again. “That dumbwaiter has some good acoustics. You can hear it all through the house.”

Twilight sheathed her sword and stamped her foot. “I can’t believe you would do that to us! Actually, I can believe it. At least, I can believe you two would!” She pointed accusingly at the Sirens. “Pinkie, how could you?”

Pinkie’s smile wilted a little. “I thought it would be funny. An early Halloween prank.”

“It’s June!”

Pinkie’s frown deepened. “Well, I thought it would be fun. It’s fun to be scared sometimes, right?”

“Pinkie…” Sunset dug her fingers into her temple. “We were worried sick! We thought…”

Aria scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Do you seriously believe this place is haunted? Get real. And don’t get mad at her, it was our idea. Sonata talked her into it.”

Sunset gave her a curious appraisal. Aria standing up for Pinkie? Perhaps they were making some real progress. She took a deep breath to drive away her oncoming headache. “Look, let’s just get out of here.”

Twilight turned her flashlight toward the service elevator. “It’s gonna take a few trips.”

“You two go up first,” Sunset growled, pointing to Aria and Sonata.

They shrugged and climbed into the dumbwaiter. Sunset pulled the lever and sent them on their way before rounding on Pinkie.

She looked at Sunset with her big blue eyes, lower lip sticking out just a fraction. “Come on, guys. It’s not really that bad, is it?”

Sunset knew she was getting soft if that little pout was enough to cool some of her frustrations. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be a parent. “Pinkie, I’m glad you had fun, but—”

“What if you were really hurt or kidnapped!” Twilight yelled, throwing her hands in the air. “What if the Sirens had been tricking you and they brought you down here to… to…”

“But they didn’t,” Pinkie argued.

“But we didn’t know that!”

Sunset wondered if their shouting carried up to the ground floor. Before she pondered it too long, the dumbwaiter returned, and Sunset sent Pinkie and Twilight up. Both girls had their arms folded over their chests, Twilight fuming and Pinkie looking like a reprimanded six-year-old. Sunset honestly couldn’t decide if she was angry or relieved. Of course there hadn’t been a ghost. She felt dumb for not evening thinking it could have all been a prank. But Twilight was right: what if something had gone wrong? But it hadn’t.

The boiler hissed again, making Sunset jump. The twinge of paranoia returned as she cast her light around the room again. Old, broken furniture laid around in various heaps, turning what would be a wide space into a cluttered labyrinth. Large kegs stood off to one side, and a shelf of old wine bottles sat above them. Water dripped from the roof into puddles, creating a light rhythm of noise. Aside from the cellar entrance, there was another door across from Sunset made out of metal. It looked out of place among the wood and stone.

Nothing else seemed peculiar in any way. Yet, the hairs on Sunset’s neck refused to go down. She jumped again when the dumbwaiter creaked its way back down to her. With one last uneasy glance, she climbed in and rapt on the ceiling. A second later, she was hoisted up. She rose to a round of arguing.

“... the least you two idiots could have done was told me about it!” Adagio yelled.

“It sold better if you weren’t in the know,” Aria said matter-of-factly. “Plus, you would have said it was dumb.”

“That’s because it was dumb!”

“Aww,” Sonata cooed. “Were you worried about us?”

“Only because I need you two to pay rent if we ever get out of that stupid factory.”

“See, Aria? I knew she loved us!”

The dumbwaiter creaked to a halt in time for Sunset to see Sonata open her arms and step toward Adagio. “Come on, Dagi, bring it in!”

“Touch me and I will rip off your arms and beat you with them,” Adagio said coldly.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Adagio… about the prank, not… that.” Twilight said. shuddering. “That was really dumb! What if you were actually in trouble, Pinkie?”

“But I wasn’t! Come on, Dashie, you have to admit, it was pretty funny, right?” Pinkie said, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“No, it wasn’t,” Rainbow growled.

“It kinda was,” Soarin said.

“Dude, whose side are you on?”

“Okay, okay, everyone just take a deep breath,” Sunset said, fumbling out of the dumbwaiter and into the crowded laundry room. She dusted the dirt off her shirt. “Look, what the three of them did was irresponsible and they could have been hurt. But, creepy house in the middle of the woods? You guys have to admit, it was a pretty good prank.”

Twilight crossed her arms and huffed. Fluttershy and Adagio did likewise, Adagio adding an additional eye roll. Everyone else relaxed their shoulders a tad, and Applejack even smiled.

“Ah mean, Ah don’t like it. But it was pretty well done. Scared the tar outta me.”

Rainbow blew her bangs out of her face. “Yeah, I guess.” She punched Pinkie’s shoulder and gave her a devilish grin. “You realize, this means war, right?”

Pinkie regained her smile and jumped up and down.

Fluttershy let out a pained whine. “Please, no more pranks tonight.”

Sunset took a calm breath, feeling the tension slowly dissolve. Adagio still looked agitated, but it was hardly different from her usual expression. Twilight yielded a sigh, her facial features softening ever-so-slightly.

Putting a hand on Twilight’s back, Sunset led the group out of the room. “Come on, let’s get some food. This prank has left me starving.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Paranormal Activities

This has no right to be the longest chapter yet in this story. But here we are.

10. A Night in the Woods

Dinner consisted of pre-made sandwiches, canned ravioli, and chips. Having enjoyed Selena’s cooking for the better part of seven months now, Sunset couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed. It was also nostalgic since she had lived off of simple meals prior to moving in with the Lulamoons.

Twilight had defrosted more after eating, though she refused to find any amusement in Pinkie and the Sirens’ antics. Likewise, Adagio still wore her sour expression as she sat alone on the bottom step of the grand staircase. Sunset wondered if she could get Twilight and Adagio to bond over their mutual disgruntlement, but knew better than to try and push that.

A few moths found their way to the kerosene lamp in the middle of the room. With the dim lighting and their own shadows creeping over them on the walls, Pinkie decided to double-down on her scare tactics and recount the full story of the chateau she had read online in her own Pinkie fashion.

“So! In the secret basement hidden beneath the normal basement, the family of this chateau sacrificed the young virgin on the altar to appease the spirit of the forest!” Pinkie raised her hands over her head, curling her fingers in dramatic fashion. “But, while the forest spirit left them alone, the virgin’s spirit was left restless and angry! To get revenge on those who killed her, she drifted through these very halls, taking on different forms and tricking the family members in following her to their dooms! One-by-one, they were dragged screaming into the netherworld to be tormented for all eternity!”

Fluttershy had zipped herself shut in her sleeping bag. Sunset could see it trembling in the flickering light. Other than Sonata, who hung onto every word, no one else seemed particularly impressed by Pinkie. Still, the Spectacular Seven clapped in good nature, and Pinkie took a bow.

“They say she still haunts the forest in search of more victims,” Pinkie concluded, dropping onto her sleeping bag.

“Particularly virgins,” Adagio said. She looked in Sunset and Twilight’s direction and wiggled her eyebrows.

Sunset rolled her eyes as hard as she could. “Can we drop the virgin thing? It’s gotten old real fast.”

Aria loudly bit into a potato chip. “Anyone else got any more lame scary stories?”

“Oooh, oooh, Sunset, tell the one about Nightmare Moon,” Pinkie said.

Sonata cocked her head. “What’s a Nightmare Moon?”

“Yes, Pinkie,” Sunset said, giving her a steely look. “What’s a Nightmare Moon?”

“It’s that one story you told us on Halloween about Equestria and their spooky—ow! What?” She looked at Applejack who had jabbed her in the side.

Adagio pointed at Sunset. “I knew it was you! You’re the one from Equestria!”

Sunset facepalmed. “Dammit, Pinkie.”

“What’s Equestria?” Soarin asked. Nobody answered him.

“How did you get here?” Adagio asked.

“And why are you here?” Aria asked.

“The how doesn’t matter, because there’s no way to get back,” Sunset said. “As for the why, call it self-exile.”

“You exiled yourself to this disgusting world of all places?” Adagio asked, unconvinced.

“I didn’t know I was going to get sent here specifically when I left.”

“No, seriously, what are we talking about?” Soarin asked, a little louder.

Rainbow patted his shoulder. “Heh, uh, it’s really not important. Sunset’s just from a really far away country.”

Sunset didn’t really care if Soarin knew about her identity, her focus was on Adagio. The two girls stared at each other from across the room, Adagio’s face stoic and her eyes inscrutable. They may have been without magic, but Sunset still didn’t trust the Sirens with the knowledge that she was also from Equestria. If the Sirens thought they had any chance of returning, they now knew Sunset was tied to it.

Adagio looked away first. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter anyway. Who knows what going home would do to us without our gems.”

Sunset wanted to ask what she meant, but Soarin looked vastly confused already and she didn’t want any more interruptions from him.

“Maybe we should call it a night,” Applejack said. “There’s not much we can do now anyhow.”

“Pffft, says you.” Aria got up and grabbed her flashlight. “I’m gonna go explore some more. I bet the house is cooler at night.”

No one stopped her from marching up the stairs. Sunset thought to give a cautionary warning, but if there was something there, Aria could probably handle it.

Everyone else changed into their pajamas and slipped into their sleeping bags. Tucked away in the corner, Twilight scooted her sleeping bag as close to Sunset as she could. Sunset was about to offer to just share one but realized it was far too warm for that.

“I still don’t know what a Nightmare Moon is,” Sonata commented from across the room.

“I’ll tell you later,” Sunset said, resting her head next to Twilight’s. She also didn’t think Fluttershy could handle another scary story. The poor girl had barely opened her sleeping bag, probably for air more than anything.

“G’night, y’all,” Applejack said, turning the kerosene lamp down to a dull glow.

Sunset could just make out Twilight’s starry eyes in the darkness. They were the last thing she saw before closing her own eyes and getting comfortable against her pillow. Her sleeping bag wasn’t very thick, so she could feel the wood beneath her, hard and cold. It took a while, but she finally got into a position where she could fall asleep. Her mind wandered off, touching the neverland between reality and dreams.

She couldn’t have been asleep long before her ears picked up the creaking of wood. Sunset thought it was Aria coming back downstairs, but when she opened an eye, she caught a shaft of silver light stretching across the floor before disappearing with another faint creak.

Sunset lifted her head and glanced about. She counted all of her friends tucked away safely, Applejack with her hat over her face, Rarity wearing a sleeping mask and snoring softly. Aria was still absent, and now, Adagio was gone as well.

Curiosity more than concern drove Sunset to shuffle from her sleeping bag and sneak toward the door. She looked over her shoulder, making sure Twilight hadn’t been roused. She still slumbered, a hand stretched out, no doubt looking for Sunset’s.

Sunset smiled to herself and slipped out the door. Adagio sat on the bottom porch step, a bottle of beer in her hand with another one resting beside her. Sunset approached, stepping carefully to avoid getting a splinter. Adagio didn’t acknowledge Sunset’s presence until she sat down beside her.

“Is this the part where you lecture me about drinking?” Adagio asked dryly. She kept her head tilted back, eyes up at the canvas of stars. With no city lights to drown them out, they glittered in abundance.

“No, I don’t care as long as you don’t do anything stupid. Though I will ask you don’t go stealing anymore.”

“I make no promises.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “You know, for someone claiming they wanted to change, you have a funny way of showing it.”

“Well, none of you are lying in a puddle of your own blood, so I would say I’ve already changed a lot.” Adagio took a long sip of her drink.

Sunset breathed deep through her nose. “What exactly is your deal here? You say you want to be friends, yet you spend half the time antagonizing mine and the other half sulking.” She breathed out again, already drawing parallels to herself.

Adagio took another sip. “It’s not my fault your friends are thin-skinned and boring. This has been the most exciting thing that’s happened with you girls and it was mostly due to Aria and Sonata being stupid.”

“Maybe if you actually engaged with them instead of riling them up you might have a better time. Look at Sonata.”

“Sonata will make conversation with homeless men on the streets, so forgive me if I don’t follow her example.”

Sunset chewed her tongue for a moment. “Okay, I’ll level with you. When I first started learning friendship, I acted a lot like how you did.”

Adagio raised an eyebrow. “You mean you weren’t always pals with the goodie-two-shoes group?”

“No, I wasn’t. I spent two years making their lives hell and one night trying to murder them.” The usual feeling of guilt was still there, but it persisted for a far shorter time than it used to.

Adagio turned her body to Sunset, eyes wide with interest. “I mean, I pegged you for a rebel, but never to that extreme. You just get more interesting by the day. Though that begs the question of how and why you’re friends with them.” She jerked her head toward the door. “Or why you’re dating the shut-in.”

“She’s not a shut-in!” Sunset winced and brought her voice back down. “It’s a long story. But I used to be just like you and your sisters: power-hungry, vindictive, and not caring about who I hurt to get what I want. And, like you, I lost.”

Sunset looked down and pressed her hands together. “I was furious at first. I was so close to getting what I wanted only for it to backfire and then get beaten by some sappy girls and their friendship powers. To add insult to injury, I had to be friends with them, or at least, become a better person, and they were the only ones willing to give me a chance. And yeah, I snarked and yelled and insulted them every chance I got, but it didn’t help in the end.”

“Well, you’re buddy-buddy with them now, so clearly, something went right,” Adagio said. She finished her beer, tossed the bottle aside, and reached for the second one.

“Yeah, I realized they were the only people in the world willing to put up with me, despite everything I did to them. It started off because of a promise they made to someone else, but they genuinely started to care about me. I thought it was pity at first, but I used to think anyone showing any sympathy to me was pity. I decided that, if they were going to try and be my friends, the least I could do was meet them halfway.”

Adagio absently nodded her head. “Cute story. Real heartwarming. I’m guessing the moral here is you want me to try harder at friendship?”

“That would be a nice start.” It was hard for Sunset to keep the bite out of her voice. “I get where you’re coming from, it’s hard to let go of your pride and adjust to a new way of thinking. But fighting it is just making it harder on yourself and wearing everyone’s patience thin. I’m the one who vouched for you three because I see myself in you. I think the three of you can become better people. But if you keep making this more difficult than it needs to be, I’m not afraid to kick you to the curb for my friends’ sake.”

Adagio swished her bottle, an oddly bemused look on her face. “That sounds like an ultimatum.”

“It is. I want to help you, Adagio, but you have to meet me halfway.”

She tilted her head back to the stars, quiet as she mulled over Sunset’s words. “I loathe having to rely on someone else for my survival. I was taught that the only thing creatures respect in the world is power. Either you had it and you ruled, or you didn’t and you groveled. I was promised power and had it denied to me again and again. So yes, Sunset, adjusting to this disgusting new way of life is hard. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not chomping at the bit to get to know you and your ring of rainbow airheads.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat.

Adagio tilted her head toward her, nonplussed. “I just said it was hard. What do you want from me?”

“An effort!” Sunset shouted, clenching a fist.

Adagio inhaled deeply then let out an irritable sigh. “Fine, I’ll try to play nice, if only so you won’t lecture me again. Really killing my buzz.” She took a long sip of her beer.

Sunset leaned back on her arms and looked at the line of trees surrounding them on all sides, stretching on into the dark of night. “Believe me, this isn’t fun for either of us.” Anytime Sunset had to get preachy, she remembered Princess Twilight standing over her in the crater, lecturing in that condescending tone. Friendship advocate she may be now, Sunset tried to take as few pages from the princess’s book as possible.

“How long did it take for you to stop being a jerk to your friends?”

“About a month? I’m trying to speed up the process a little for everyone’s sake.”

Adagio scoffed. “I think—” She paused and straightened up, looking around and running her tongue over her lips. “There’s magic…”

Sunset rolled her shoulders. “Well, yeah, my friends are sleeping in the—”

“No.” Adagio stood up, leaving her bottle on the step. “Your magic tastes like sugar and rainbows. This is… different.”

A scream tore through the night, making Sunset jump to her feet. But unlike the previous screams that faded out, this one was cut short after scant seconds.

Adagio spun toward the house. “Aria!” She sprinted up the steps and threw the door open, Sunset right on her heels. Everyone was up, looking groggy or annoyed.

“It wasn’t funny the first time and it’s not funny now!” Twilight shouted, groping for her glasses.

“Seriously, Pinkie, I wanna sleep,” Rainbow said.

Pinkie put her hands up. “Don’t look at me. I only knew about the first prank.”

“Sonata?” Rarity asked with a warning tone.

“I mean, I was gonna put someone’s hand in warm water so they’d wet themselves, but that’s it.”

“And I’ve been with Adagio this whole time,” Sunset said, a knot of fear tightening in her stomach.

Twilight arched her eyebrows high. “Why were you with Adagio?”

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist, we were just talking,” Adagio snapped.

“What did I just say about antagonizing my friends?” Sunset snapped back.

“People, focus!” Applejack shouted. “If this isn’t a prank, then Aria might be in serious trouble.”

Soarin yawned. “Once again, I seriously doubt—”

The howl of a wolf drifted through the front doors, making Soarin pale. “Okay… we might have a problem.”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “You’re scared of a wolf but not blood-curdling screams?”

Sunset snapped her fingers. “Get your shoes on and grab your flashlights. We’re only making two teams this time.” Everyone broke away to grab their things. Sunset slipped her boots on and checked her phone, seeing it was just after midnight.

The two teams consisted of Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Soarin, and Fluttershy who would search the bottom level of the mansion and the grounds, and Sunset, Twilight, Adagio, Pinkie, and Sonata, who were tasked with the upper floors.

“Phones on at all times, don’t stray from your group, watch your backs,” Sunset said firmly. “Last chance to admit this is a prank, because if it is, Twilight gets to skewer you.”

Twilight fidgeted with her schiavona, trying to clip it to her pajamas. In the end, she decided to just hold onto it. When no one spoke up, Sunset bid the other party farewell and led her group up into the shadows of the second floor.

Déjà freaking Vu. She flipped her flashlight on and roved it around the hall, four other lights mimicking her movements behind her. “Aria, come out or say something. Otherwise, if this is a prank—”

“I’m going to beat you within an inch of your life!” Adagio shouted down the corridor.

“Are you always violent with them?” Twilight asked, aghast.

“Fear and violence are the best way to keep subordinates in check,” Adagio replied like it was an obvious fact.

Sunset held a hand up. “As much as I’d love to point out how wrong you are, stop talking. I think I hear something…”

The girls held their breath, embracing the eerie silence of the dark house. From just beyond the range of their lights came a rough shuffling noise, like something heavy was being dragged across the carpet. It carried on, growing fainter until it was replaced by the brief low hum of static.

Twilight huddled closer to Sunset, her flashlight hand trembling. “A-Aria… was that you?”

Nothing responded.

Sunset crept forward, Twilight glued to her side. The darkness continued to yield, but aside from the moth-eaten curtains and graffitied portraits, their lights revealed nothing that could have made that dragging and humming noise.

“Wait!” Sunset’s flashlight shone over a silver object lying in the middle of the hall. She stepped closer to pick it up and held it out for everyone to see. “It’s Aria’s flashlight.”

Adagio snatched it from her and examined it, then turned it on. The light shone up and illuminated the ceiling. “Well, it still works…”

“Umm, guys?” Pinkie asked in a higher-pitched voice than normal. “What do you call a male lamia?”

“You don’t,” Adagio said, casting her light deeper down the hall. “They don’t exist.”

“Oh….Well, you might want to tell him that.”

A cold wind brushed the back of Sunset’s neck, and she debated if it was worth turning around to see what Pinkie was talking about. An unintelligible babble from Sonata tipped the scales in curiosity’s favor, and Sunset swiveled around and shone her flashlight forward.

Fear and confusion mingled together, creating static in Sunset’s brain as she tried to make sense of the creature twenty paces from her. From the waist down, it was a black snake with white stripes and a smooth underbelly. The top half, however, was that of a well-toned man, completely bald and lacking ears. He had red reptilian eyes and sharp fangs protruding from his upper lip.

“Sn… sna…. sna…” Twilight shook like a leaf, her eyes fixated on the monster’s lower half.

“I have… so many questions,” Adagio said in a shaky whisper.

The snake man let out a cross between a hiss and a roar, jumpstarting everyone else’s reaction of screaming. It propelled itself across the ground faster than Sunset would have thought possible, sliding its bottom half back and forth. As it drew near, Adagio’s scream shot up several decibels, forcing the girls to cover their ears. Her voice cracked and warbled and distorted, becoming the antithesis of anything that could be considered pleasant sounding. Even with her hands squeezed against her skull, Sunset could still hear the wail piercing her eardrums and making her light-headed. At this point, she would take a drowning cat over Adagio’s scream.

The caterwaul drew the snake man to a halt as well. It let out a hiss that was lost in the din before retreating and turning toward the outside wall. Its entire body became translucent, leaving only a white outline of its figure. With another silent hiss, it flew into the wall, vanishing like the wind.

Adagio took a breath and doubled-over, coughing and hacking. Sunset slowly removed her hands from her ears, thoughts swimming as fast as the room around her. She held onto Twilight, who looked equally stunned and terrified.

Sonata rubbed her ears like she was trying to get dirt free. “Ow. Dagi, why didn’t you warn me you were gonna do that?”

Adagio straightened up and glared at her. “Why didn’t you help?”

“Hold up!” Sunset said loudly, her ears still ringing. “What the hell just happened?”

“The house is haunted by a ghost snake man!” Pinkie yelled, her eyes slowly coming back into focus.

“Even by our logic, that doesn’t make sense!”

“Yeah, well it still happened,” Adagio snapped. “And I bet that thing did something to Aria!”

“Which means, we have to hunt it down. Great,” Sunset said listlessly.

“We h-have to hunt d-down a sn-snake monster? At night?” Twilight asked in a mousy voice. Her face was unusually pale.

Adagio glared at her. “What, you bring a sword with you to fend us off, but now you’re scared to fight a real monster?”

“N-no!” Twilight clenched a fist, but the show of determination didn’t reach her eyes.

Sunset stepped between them. “Not the time, Adagio,” she said with a cold warning. “And after we find Aria, we are going to talk about that scream of yours. For now, Pinkie, call Applejack and tell her we saw… whatever we just saw.”

Pinkie nodded and pulled her cellphone out of her hair. As she dialed up the other party, Sunset scooted Twilight away a few paces and said in a hushed tone, “You okay? You seem a little more shaken than the rest of us.”

Twilight tried to smile in a vain attempt to brush it off, but she quit halfway, slumping her shoulders instead and running a thumb over her sword hilt. “I… umm… I’m…” She mumbled something and looked down at her shoes.

“What?”

“I’m scared of snakes,” she said louder, face pink.

Sunset blinked. “Oh. I mean, that makes sense. A lot of people are—”

“No, I’m terrified of them. It’s… it’s borderline phobia.” Twilight’s shoulders shook as she spoke, starting slow, but picking up into a breathless pace. “I… we went to the zoo for my sixth birthday and there was an incident in the reptile room—my mom told me not to lean on the glass but I didn’t listen—it fell and the snake got out and jumped at me—”

Sunset put a gentle arm around Twilight as she hyperventilated, fanning her face. “Okay, it’s okay. I get it. Seeing a half-snake monster must have been… uncomfortable at the least. But we won’t let it get to you. We’re all here, together.” Sunset wasn’t sure what else to say in a situation like this. Having fears was one thing; she didn’t know what it was like to harbor a crippling phobia.

She disliked spiders. Vehemently. She did not have a phobia of them.

Twilight got her breathing under control and ran a hand across her eyes. “No, I can do this. It’s… it’s not even a full snake. I’m not going to let it scare me.”

“Guys,” Pinkie piped up. “Applejack’s not answering.”

Before her words could set in, a resounding bang could be heard from outside.

*******

Applejack opened the door from the kitchen to the garden and led her group out into a mild night. A light breeze wafted over them, keeping them cool as they searched the dark grounds. Crumbling marble pillars lined the middle of the garden, leading to a dried fountain filled with dead leaves. Broken cherub statues littered the grass, and whatever had been growing in the planters and dirt patches were now strangled by weeds. The door to the cellar sat tucked away adjacent to the back door, its dark green paint peeling.

“I swear, she better not be in the basement plotting something again,” Rainbow grumbled.

They had searched all the rooms on the ground floor before stepping outside. Rarity called Aria’s name, but no one responded. An old oak tree loomed over the group, blocking most of the moonlight. Even with their flashlights, there were plenty of tight, dark spaces for someone to lurk in.

Soarin approached an old, dilapidated shed. The wood was rotted and stained from being exposed to the elements. He reached out and grabbed the handle, hesitating and looking off to the distance before wrenching it open. The rotting wood made a teeth-grinding screech as it flew open, and Soarin let out a cough, waving his hand to clear the wood dust.

Rarity looked away from the thick bushes lining the garden walls. “Anything in there we should be worried about?”

“Nope,” Soarin said, sticking his head in. “Just some old tools and fertilizer.”

Applejack huffed and adjusted her hat. “Well, Ah hate to say it, but it looks like someone’s gonna have to go into the basement again.” She paused at the howl of a nearby wolf, which, when she thought about it, was odd. Wolves weren’t known to live in Everfree Forest. Odder still was the way Soarin grew tense and frantically looked around.

Rainbow took notice as well and gave him an unimpressed look. “Dude, it’s just a wolf. Calm down.”

Soarin shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. “Yeah… just, uh… be careful. Watch where you step.”

Applejack was too tired to deliver her signature skeptical eyebrow raise. Even rolling her eyes felt like a chore. She knelt by the cellar door and gave the thick padlock binding the handles a tug. Despite the years, the metal and chains proved to be pretty sturdy. If she was in her ponied-up state, Applejack was sure she could tear the lock off. In the meantime, they’d have to retreat to the dumbwaiter.

An ear-splitting scream made everyone jump and Fluttershy shriek in turn, though hers was drowned out by the prolonged wail. It came from the upper floors of the old house, but even through the walls, it pounded against Applejack’s head.

It finally petered out. Everyone stood rooted in place until Rainbow shouted, “The heck was that?”

Soarin rubbed his ears. “It sounded like someone trying to murder a drowning cat.”

Applejack tightened her grip on her flashlight. She took a deep breath to settle her heart and shake out her nerves. “Come on, y’all,” she said, moving back to the kitchen door, “let’s check in with the others and—”

Her breath caught in her throat as she opened the door straight into a pair of bloody red eyes looking down at her. A forked tongue flicked out between a set of long, pointed teeth, dripping with a purple liquid. Applejack took in the humanoid top half and the serpentine bottom and decided, it didn’t need to make sense, she just needed to get as far away as possible.

A ball-peen hammer flew past her head and struck the snake man in the chest. It barely flinched, letting out an annoyed hiss instead, but it allowed Applejack to restart her fight or flight commands and jump back with a cry of, “What in tarnation is that thing?”

It lunged at her, and Applejack threw herself out of the way, crashing onto the ground before scrambling next to Fluttershy, hiding behind one of the pillars. The snake man twisted its body toward them and rose to lunge again, but Soarin threw a rusty screwdriver at it, nailing it in the head. The beast hissed and changed directions, raising its clawed hands as it slithered toward Soarin.

A loud snarl preceded a glowing body of light as it leaped over the garden wall and straight into the snake monster. There was a short tussle before their new ally pinned the snake to the ground, and Applejack got a good look at it.

Its entire body shone a pearly white, like it was made from the purest snow. Its eyes were a piercing blue and narrowed at the monster pinned under its paw. The white wolf snarled, bristling its fur and keeping its teeth an inch from the snake man’s neck.

Fluttershy and Applejack gasped at the same time. “It’s the wolf from the mountains!” Fluttershy said in awe.

“The heck is it doin’ here?” Applejack asked.

“Harbinger, its tail!” Soarin yelled.

Too late. The snake’s tail reached up behind the wolf and grabbed its hind leg. Harbinger tried to snap its head forward to bite into the snake’s neck, but its tail proved faster, yanking the wolf away and throwing it against a pillar.

Just as the snake man pulled itself up, a lightning blue blur smashed into its chest, sending it flying into the cellar door with a mighty crash. Amazingly, the lock was still intact. The snake got up again, hissed at the party, then sank through the door, turning a ghostly sheen as it melted away.

Rainbow hovered over the spot it had vanished, fists clenched. She spun in midair and looked at the group. “You guys okay?”

“I think so?” Rarity said, looking dazed. “I’m still trying to process what happened.”

“I’m still hoping I’m in a really bad dream,” Fluttershy whimpered.

Soarin knelt next to the white wolf, stroking its back as it got back to its feet. “You okay?” He smiled in relief when Harbinger let out a short bark and straightened its back.

Rainbow zipped over to him, pointing accusingly. “You have magic!”

Soarin whipped around and looked at her floating in the air. “You have magic! And wings!”

“You have a ghost wolf!”

Applejack walked between them. “Okay, there’s clearly a lot goin’ on here. And as curious as Ah am mahself, explanations can wait. We gotta find Aria, quick!”

“Wh-what if the snake man has her?” Fluttershy asked, eyeing the cellar door.

Soarin put a hand on Harbinger’s head, and for a moment, his eyes glowed the same piercing blue as the wolf’s. “She says Aria is somewhere below us. Alive, or she was when Harbinger saw her.”

Applejack grit her teeth. She wouldn’t lie: she still had a sore spot with the Sirens; they had nearly torn her friends and family apart.

None of them need to die for it though. ‘Specially by some snake freak. Applejack squared her shoulders. Her grudge could wait until after Aria was safe.

A warmth blossomed in her chest and spread outward, engulfing her entire body. Her pony ears sprouted on top of her head, and her ponytail doubled in length. She also felt an amazing surge of strength flood her arms and legs. Without a word, she strolled over to the cellar door, grabbed the padlock, and yanked it off with a hearty tug, her fingers making indents in the metal.

She heard Soarin whistle behind her. “I know you said your friends were cool, but this is on a whole new level.”

Applejack ignored him and reached for the phone in her pocket, hesitating as her finger brushed against it. She had just destroyed a metal lock with ease, who’s to say she wouldn’t accidentally crush her phone? This was only the third time she had used her super-strength. “Somebody call Sunset and make sure they’re all right.”

“No need,” Sunset’s voice came from the chateau door. She led her group of five out into the garden and stared at the shining wolf, Rainbow hovering in the air, and Applejack holding the manhandled lock. “What happened?”

“Some snake dude appeared and tried to kill us!” Rainbow shouted.

“You guys saw him too?” Sonata asked.

“What the hell is going on in this house?” Adagio yelled, turning her head skyward.

“Ah don’t know, and Ah don’t wanna stick around long enough to find out.” Applejack pointed to the cellar. “Aria’s somewhere down there. Let’s find her and get the heck outta dodge.”

*******

Nine girls, one boy, and a spirit wolf filed down the steps into the basement. With ten flashlights and a luminescent wolf, it was almost daytime in the crowded space. Even then, with all their lights and eyes, they saw no sign of Aria or the monster.

Sunset navigated them around the maze of discarded furniture and kegs. What the hell is going on? With all the questions buzzing in her head, that one made a prominent recurrence. Though they can wait until we get Aria back and get the heck out of here.

It didn’t stop the tirade of questions, but having that singular goal made it easier to concentrate.

The group stopped in front of the metal door, sealed into the wall with thick rivets. “If Aria’s down here, this is the only place left to check,” Sunset said. She tried the handle, unsurprised to find it locked.

“‘Scuse me, sugarcube,” Applejack said, squeezing down the line that had formed. She stretched her leg out, raised her boot, then slammed it against the door, leaving a sizable dent. She shifted her feet and kicked again, letting out a loud, “Ha!” as she did.

The door weakly swung open, letting an eerily chilly draft brush over the group. Beyond the threshold was a dark and flat earthen tunnel.

“Does anyone else wanna ask why there’s an underground tunnel beneath an old mansion in the middle of the woods?” Rainbow asked.

“I have an ever-growing list of questions to ask when this is over,” Twilight said.

Sunset looked up and saw a string of mining lights hanging from the ceiling. Reaching just past the door, her hand found a light switch and she flicked it on. Several pops ran down the corridor, and only the lamp hanging over them flickered to life.

“These had to have been installed later than the rest of the house,” Twilight mused. “These lights are more modern. Not by much, but still.”

A warm tingle washed over Sunset’s leg. She looked down to see Harbinger strut forward out of the ring of light. She looked back at the group with a scrutinizing glare, then resumed her stride.

“She wants us to follow,” Soarin said.

“Yeah, I picked up on that,” Sunset said, following after the wolf. The tunnel was narrow and dipped occasionally, forcing everyone to walk in a careful single-file. They followed Harbinger’s glowing form down the twisting corridors, turning corner after corner. When they came to a branch in the pathway Harbinger continued on without hesitation.

“Who dug out these tunnels and why?” Rarity asked, keeping her voice to a hushed whisper.

“And where the heck do they lead?” Rainbow asked as they turned left at an intersection.

“You know,” Pinkie said in her nervous, higher-pitch, “I was just kidding about the secret basement and the virgin sacrifices… but maybe this really leads to some dark altar to the netherworld.”

Sunset would have told her to stop being ridiculous, but since they had all come in contact with a phantom snake hybrid, anything seemed possible at the moment. The chill down her spine and the goosebumps rising on her skin told Sunset their weird night was far from over.

While she needed everyone to be as quiet as possible to keep an ear out for anything suspicious, Sunset hated the smothering silence the tunnels gave. Even their shoes against the gravel sounded muffled. Though their abundance of light kept the darkness at bay, Sunset had to brace herself every time they turned a corner, half expecting to find the snake… or something worse.

Harbinger stopped and took an aggressive stance, a growl rising from her throat. Sunset looked ahead, trying to see beyond the range of her flashlight. When she squinted, she could faintly make out the outline of a man with an elongated torso. A single hiss was enough to make the hairs on Sunset’s neck stand at attention.

With a snarl, Harbinger charged forward and pounced, slamming into her prey. Both her and the snake took on a translucent sheen and sunk into the floor, yet Sunset could still hear their barking and hissing.

Soarin ran to the spot Harbinger had vanished and tapped the ground. “Har?” He twisted around as a short howl came from within the walls.

Fluttershy yelped as a loud hiss came from the other wall. She pressed her fingers to her mouth and chattered her teeth. “Wh-what do we do now?”

“The wolf seemed to know where it was goin’,” Applejack said. “Ah guess we keep followin’ the path.”

A task easier said than done. Sunset took two steps forward then jumped when her flashlight sputtered and died. Soarin’s quickly followed suit, then one-by-one, every other light flickered and faded out, leaving only the soft, radiant glows from Rainbow and Applejack. It wasn’t much, but it beat being plunged into darkness.

“Oh, this just keeps getting better!” Adagio snarked.

“No one panic,” Sunset said, feeling Twilight tighten her grip on her arm. Another hiss and snarl came from the walls, and Sunset caught a glance of an incorporeal tail.

Rainbow moved up front, keeping an arm extended to give a few extra inches of illumination. Applejack took up the rear, constantly looking over her shoulder. The rest of the party packed themselves together, shuffling down the tunnel and flinching at every sound coming from just beyond their sight.

Harbinger dropped from the ceiling a few scant inches from Rainbow’s face and fell through the floor, chased by the snake man with its fangs on full display. Sunset saw Soarin wince and move a hand over his heart.

“Augh!” Rainbow snorted. “I hate that we can’t do anything! Stupid ghost… spirit… thing!”

“Ah just wanna get Aria and get out,” Applejack said from the back. “Magic-powered humans Ah can handle. Ghosts are on a different level of weird.”

Soarin took a sharp intake of breath and doubled over, putting his hands on his knees. Rainbow dropped to his side.

“Hey, you okay?”

He shook his head. “I’ll be fine, but I think Harbinger is hurt.” He saw the confused look on Rainbow’s face and said, “Long story short, she’s tied to my spirit. I feel her pain, but I don’t think it physically hurts me.”

Rarity made a nervous gulp. “But, if your wolf friend is hurt, that means…”

Soarin straightened up and continued forward. “We should get out of here as fast as—”

The lamia flew from the wall, turning solid just long enough to slam into Soarin before turning ghostly again and carrying him through the opposite wall, all before Soarin could even scream. Rainbow pounced and slammed her fist into the spot they had disappeared.

“Soarin!” she screeched over everyone else’s gasps and swears.

Sunset saw a flash of light go off behind her, and a dome of interlocked diamond shields rose from the ground and encircled the girls. She turned and looked at Rarity, now sporting her pony ears and horn, and looking very nervous.

She looked at the wall of diamonds and poked her horn. “I… didn’t intend to do that.”

Rainbow punched the shimmering wall. “Turn it off! We have to save Soarin!”

“And Aria!” Adagio shouted, shooting Rainbow a venomous glare.

Rainbow ignored her, too busy pushing against the barrier. Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her hands out. One-by-one, the diamonds melted away, and Rainbow tore down the hall at supersonic speed.

“Rainbow, wait!” Sunset called after her. She got an impassioned yell in response. Muttering a curse under her breath, Sunset ran forward, tugging Twilight along. Through the darkness, Sunset could just make out Rainbow’s glowing outline.

It grew brighter as Sunset ran closer, darting and weaving around a foe Sunset couldn’t make out yet. The tunnel finally came to an end and opened up into a circular den that deepened the chill running through Sunset.

Melted candle wicks sat on rocks lining the perimeter of the room. Numerous faded spell circles were etched into the hard-packed dirt and filled with strange symbols and letters Sunset had never seen. What ominously looked like old bloodstains took up the center of many of the circles. In the back was a slightly raised dais of black stone, whereupon Aria sat slumped against the wall, eyes closed. Soarin sat next to her, still awake but teeth grit together in pain.

Rainbow threw a flurry of punches at the snake monster, yelling as her rapid-fire fists either went through it or missed entirely. The lamia snatched her by the wrists and flung her toward the wall. Rainbow hit it with a painful thud and slid down to the ground, but jumped back to her feet and charged again. The snake dove into the floor, and Rainbow, riding her momentum, sped into the opposite wall and collapsed to the floor.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy sprinted toward her, sprouting ears and wings as she moved.

Sunset, meanwhile, ran over and knelt beside Soarin. “You all right?”

Soarin grimaced. “Thing… bit me. Poison numbed… everything. Can’t move.”

“Horsefeathers,” Sunset said under her breath. She looked at Fluttershy, holding her hands over Rainbow, a pink glow enveloping both of them. Sunset chewed the inside of her cheek as she pondered. “Hang on, Soarin, I might have an idea.”

Rainbow grunted as Fluttershy pulled her to her feet. “Thanks, ‘Shy.” She rubbed the blood off her nose and looked around. “Where’d that stupid ghost snake go?”

The rest of their friends had circled up in the center of the room, backs pressed tightly together. Beyond their collective breathing, the room was silent, devoid of any hissing or slithering.

“Let’s get out of here before it decides to come back,” Sunset said. “Fluttershy, I need you to heal Aria and Soarin of their poison.”

“Oh, um, well…” Fluttershy looked at her hands. “I can try, but I don’t know if it’ll work.”

Sunset watched her approach the two unconscious teenagers. Cuts and broken bones were one thing, but if Fluttershy couldn’t neutralize the poison, Sunset didn’t think they could make it back to civilization before the unthinkable happened.

Fluttershy looked between Aria and Soarin, biting her lip before turning and placing her hands on Aria. A pink glow emanated from her palms and flowed over the Siren until her entire body was bathed in the light. Fluttershy pulled her hands away; the glow lingered for a few seconds before absorbing into Aria’s skin.

She remained still, her breath labored and uneven. Fluttershy clasped her hands to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

Then, Aria gave a wet cough. She rolled onto her side, lifted her head, and spat out a mouthful of purplish fluid. She coughed and spat some more before sitting up, and resting a hand against her head.

“That sucked.”

“Aria!” Sonata cheered, breaking the circle to run toward her.

The lamia burst from the ground and loomed over Sonata, fangs bared. She froze, eyes wide as the snake struck at her.

Twilight shoved her out of the way and held her sword up in a parallel block. The snake clamped down on the blade and ripped it from Twilight’s hands, tossing it toward the wall.

“Twilight!” Sunset yelled, feeling a warm wave roll through her body, and her pony ears sprout atop her head.

It was Twilight’s turn to freeze up, eyes quivering in horror, failing to even blink. A small whimper escaped her open mouth. Yet, the snake didn’t strike. It looked down at Twilight, drops of blood falling from the roof of its mouth.

Every muscle in the room tensed, waiting for a move to be made. Rainbow broke first, charging and leaping at the monster with her shoulder. She caught it in the side with enough force to bowl it over and snap Twilight out of her trance. She backpedaled into Rarity who held her up when her legs buckled.

The snake coiled up and glared at Rainbow. Undaunted, Rainbow raised her fists and widened her stance. The snake leaned back to strike, but Pinkie reacted first, bouncing into the air with her pony assets on display and a ball of swirling colors in her hand. With a powerful pitch, it whizzed through the air, whistling like a firecracker and detonating against the monster’s head with a bang and a pop. There was a flash of colors, and the snake man collided against the wall, rolled onto the floor, and ceased to move.

The den fell silent again as everyone waited for the snake to move or sink into the floor. When it remained still for half a minute, Adagio let out a loud sigh and pressed a hand to her eyes. “I was not prepared for today.”

“None of us were,” Applejack said.

Soarin coughed and every eye fell on him. “Uhh, Fluttershy, could you do that healing thing, please?”

Fluttershy jumped and gasped. “Oh, um, right! S-sorry!” She knelt by his side and placed her hands on his shoulder. A pink glow washed over him and sank into his skin. Then, like Aria, he turned his head away and spat up the toxin.

Sunset walked over to Twilight, still being held by Rarity. “You okay?”

Twilight shook her head and pushed herself into Sunset’s embrace, burying her face in Sunset’s shoulder. The instant Sunset had wrapped her arms around Twilight, a burst of heat hit her chest then concentrated in her soul. It thrummed, and Sunset saw the cave disappear in a flash of white.

“Twily, please don’t lean against the glass like that,” her mother warned. But she couldn’t help it! She couldn’t see the northern water snake from all the way back there! The enclosure was so small and dark; she couldn’t even find it with its camouflage.

She pressed her nose against the glass, fogging it and her glasses up with her breathing. She could still barely see the snake. If only she could get just a little closer—

There was a lurch and scraping noise, and the panel of glass fell forward into the small, marshy space. She heard an angry hiss as the snake slithered into view, rapidly flicking its tongue. She backed up a few paces, but that didn’t stop the snake from rearing up and bearing its fangs. She turned on her heel to run just as the snake sprung out of its pen.

Then, she stood in front of the half-man, half-snake monstrosity, disarmed and now helpless to fight back. She couldn’t decide which emotion had more control, fear or shame. All that training had been for nothing. She was going to get killed by her worst nightmare because she tried to save one of the people she hated the most.

Sunset blinked, tearing herself free of the vision. The heat in her chest vanished and her soul stopped thrumming. She was back in the cave, Twilight still pressed into her shoulder. Rarity and Adagio both stared at her, opening their mouths to pelt her with questions. Sunset threw a finger up to her lip. If Twilight hadn’t noticed, it was better she stayed blissfully unaware for now.

Soarin climbed to his feet and dusted his pants off. “Okay, so I’ve got like, a million questions to ask. The first being, what should we do with that?” He nodded at the unmoving snake.

Adagio jerked a thumb to Twilight’s discarded sword. “Stab it through the heart and hope it's not immortal.”

Rainbow raised her hand. “I second that!”

“Thirded!” Applejack said.

“Dibs.” Aria stood up and approached the sword. A loud bark froze her in place.

Sunset looked down the corridor. Harbinger padded forward, looking no worse for wear. Sunset wondered if it was because she was a spirit wolf or because Fluttershy had healed Soarin. She brushed past the group, leaving a trail of warm air in her wake.

Harbinger stopped at the body of the snake and sniffed it. Her ears flicked twice and she turned her head to fix Soarin with her piercing gaze.

“I mean, yeah, it’s not normal, just look at it,” he said.

Harbinger growled.

“Ooooh. That makes more sense. Kinda.”

Sunset felt a burst of hot air as Twilight sighed into her. “He talks to a ghost wolf. Of course he can.”

“She’s a spirit, not a ghost,” Soarin gently corrected. “And she says this thing isn’t supposed to look like this. There’s some serious black magic on it.”

Applejack looked dubiously at it. “Ah mean, that’s bad, but what does she want us to do about it?”

Soarin exchanged a look with Harbinger. “She says one of you can fix it.”

Rainbow looked from Fluttershy to Sunset. “Uhh, can you heal black magic?”

Sunset creased her brow. “Well, first of all, that would open up the age-old topic of what is considered to be ‘black magic’, as opposed to just normal magic used for bad purposes. Secondly, if we did classify this as ‘black magic’, we’d be trying to purify it, not heal it—and Fluttershy already has her hands on it.”

Fluttershy leaned over the creature, gingerly laying her fingers on its arm. She shuddered, but the pink glow spread from her fingertips and across the snake’s form. She pulled away, watching with everyone on bated breath. The glow faded out. Seconds passed, but nothing seemed to happen.

Something tugged at Sunset’s soul, a feeling not unlike when she had gone into her trances. When Fluttershy reached toward the creature and her hands began to glow again, Sunset felt the warmth in her chest pulse and swell.

She gently tapped Twilight’s back and slowly pulled away from her. Behind her smudged glasses, Twilight’s eyes were red and bleary.

“I’ll be back in a sec, okay?” Sunset said softly. She pecked Twilight on the nose and backed away. Twilight didn’t protest, but she looked far from okay with the idea.

Sunset spun on her heel as she approached Fluttershy. Standing before the snake, she could indeed feel a magical presence coming off it. It felt sickly and slimy, and made Sunset want to take a hot shower.

Fluttershy looked up at Sunset. “Harbinger is right. I… I felt something when I touched it. It’s in pain. But, I don’t know how to help.”

Sunset placed a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Maybe we can—”

Fluttershy let out a gasp, and the magical aura surrounding her flared intensely, forcing Sunset to look away. When the light dimmed and the spots left her eyes, Sunset peeked them open to see… Fluttershy looking exactly the same. She had a look of awe on her face as she flexed her fingers.

“Sunset, I feel… really good! I don’t know what you did, but I feel incredible!”

Sunset looked down at her own hand, still aglow from her own powers. “Umm, you’re welcome? I don’t think I did anything though.”

But Fluttershy had turned her focus back to the snake. She placed both her hands on his arm and closed her eyes. The usual pink glow spread over him, brighter than before. Then, it turned a luminescent white, nearly blinding Sunset again. The light covered the snake’s entire body, turning it into a white silhouette.

The entire room gasped as the monster began to shrink down. It’s arms faded away, its torso shrank, its head reshaped itself. Fluttershy kept her hands on it the entire time, smiling as it returned to its original shape.

When the light faded away, gone was the hybrid ghost that had terrorized them. In its place was a sleeping snake, black with white stripes running across its back. It was still four feet long and looked like it could strangle any of them if it really wanted to, but it was a far cry from its previous monstrous form.

“I was gonna suggest we try the rainbow, but that works too,” Sunset said.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Fluttershy cooed. “Who would do this to you?”

“More importantly, why?” Sunset asked under her breath.

Aria leaned in, Twilight’s sword hanging lazily in one hand. “Sonata, does that snake look familiar to you?”

Sonata eased forward and looked over Aria’s shoulder. She gasped. “That’s the snake that tried to bite us when we went to steal the Crystal Heart!”

Sunset’s eyes flew open as she took a second look at the snake. She had only seen it once, but it had been coiled around the same heart the Sirens has desired. “Jörmungandr!”

“Bless you!” Sonata said.

“You know this snake?” Aria asked.

“You could say I’m familiar with its owner.”

Aria growled. “It’s owner stopped us from getting the Crystal Heart.”

“Which we can all agree was for the best,” Applejack said loudly.

“More importantly,” Rarity said even louder before Aria could retort, “why was it turned into some monster hiding under the chateau?”

“Maybe it was the spirit of the forest demanding more sacrifices, so it tried to kidnap us poor virgins to place on the altar of the netherworld!” Pinkie cried.

“Bold of you to assume we’re all virgins,” Adagio said.

Rainbow opened her mouth, no doubt to quip, but Sunset raised her voice over her. “Ignoring the fact that Pinkie’s story might have some validity seeing as we’re standing in some occult cave, I say we get the heck out of here before any more weird things happen.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Applejack said, turning for the tunnel. Harbinger overtook her, sparing a single glance over her shoulder before forging ahead.

Fluttershy gently picked up Jörmungandr, draping him over her shoulders and supporting his head.

Aria gave her an incredulous stare. “You’re seriously taking that thing with you?”

“It doesn’t deserve to stay down here where it could starve. And I’m sure it’s owner misses it terribly.”

Actually, she does, Sunset wordlessly remarked. As Fluttershy moved to join the precession, Sunset plucked the sword from Aria’s grasp. Aria shoved her hands into her pockets and sulked away.

Sunset handed the sword to Twilight who eyed it with dejection before taking and sheathing it. Sunset almost pulled Twilight into a hug but remembered her powers were still active and had no desire to breach Twilight’s soul or do whatever she did to Fluttershy on her.

She settled for simply asking, “How are you doing?”

Twilight shook her head. “I just want to go home and sleep.”

“Yeah, I understand.” A flash of light came from atop Sunset’s head, and a wave of exhaustion hit her, causing her to stagger. Twilight caught her by the arm and kept her upright. “Whoa… yeah, sleep sounds really good right now.”

Twilight leaned on her arm as they followed everyone out of the cavern, taking up the rear and separating themselves from Fluttershy and Jörmungandr by at least three people.

“All right, snow boy,” Rainbow said, hovering next to Soarin. “How do you have magic?”

“I could be asking you that same question. More importantly, why do you have horse ears and bird wings?”

“They’re pegasus wings, and I asked you first.”

Soarin put his hands up in a nonchalant shrug. “Don’t know if I’d call it magic, but Harbinger’s been following my family around for generations. We all have some kinda connection to her. She looks out for us and makes sure we stay safe. I guess she was pretty worried about me if she followed me down the mountain.”

“Aww, I wish I had a spirit animal,” Pinkie whined. “I love Gummy, but he never fights evil ghosts to keep me safe. Or does he…?”

“All right, your turn,” Soarin said. “There has to be a rad story behind the glowing and the superpowers.”

Rainbow looked back at Sunset. Sunset rolled her eyes and nodded her head. No point in keeping secrets now.

“It’s kinda a long story,” Rainbow said. “Basically, Sunset came from another world and brought magic here, and now we all have it because we’re awesome and represent the aspects of friendship! I mean, the superpowers are still kinda new. Before, we could just get together and shoot a super rainbow laser.”

“Man, that has my story beat by a mile,” Soarin said with a grin. “I’m guessing the monster attacks are new too?”

“Seriously, the hell was up with that?” Aria asked. “One second, I’m minding my own business, the next thing I know, snake boy has his fangs in me!”

“I don’t know,” Sunset said with a frown. “Someone with access to a lot of dark magic corrupted a snake of all things and left it here. More importantly, it’s a snake some of us are familiar with.”

“And didn’t Tempest have it last?” Twilight asked. Her voice was low and tired, but everyone heard her question clear as day.

Rarity looked over her shoulder. “You think Tempest set this up as a sort of trap? How would she know we were going to be out here in the first place?”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the Sirens.

Adagio didn’t bother looking back at her. “Get off our case! We told you before, we don’t even know who Tempest is!”

“Call it a magical feeling,” Applejack said, “but I’m near positive she’s telling the truth.”

Sunset slowly exhaled. If anything, that only concerned her more.

*******

Moondancer gently rolled the crystal sphere in the palm of her hand. It had gone dark after Pinkie Pie flung what looked like a firework straight into Jörmungandr’s face and cut the connection.

“Oh well,” she sighed, idly kicking her feet against the chateau’s chimney. She had done what she had been told. She had gathered data and more from this excursion. A boy with a spirit animal and the Sirens were now allied with the Spectacular Seven.

They certainly grew more interesting by the day. Their magic was not of earth’s, so how was it steadily growing stronger? If they continued to grow, could they possibly…?

Moondancer shook her head. No, they were far too inexperienced. And if the Sirens were still walking about scot-free, the rainbow Moondancer has seen at the Battle of the Bands was no better than the fabled Rainbow of Light.

Besides, if they fought Tirek, Twilight would get involved, and Moondancer still wanted to believe she could avoid that future.

“I’m sorry to give you such a fright, Twily,” she said, remembering the abject terror in Twilight’s eyes when Jörmungandr stared her down. “Though, you already hate me, don’t you? What does it matter now?”

She looked up to the moon and stars twinkling overhead. “So, this is what I do now? Hide in the shadows and spy on would-be heroes?” She shook her head. At least she got to get some fresh air outside the manor. She supposed she ought to enjoy it. Who knew when Tempest would return.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Sunset Shimmer and Occult Den of Secrets

Yes, this is poorer quality than usual.
Yes, this arc has gone on too long.
Yes, this volume has gone on too long.
I will be done with this volume by Summer's End!

12. Sworn to the Sword

It was early morning when Sunset and her friends trudged back through the Everfree Forest. It had been an uneasy night, even with Harbinger standing guard. But between sleeping huddled together in the haunted house and walking two miles through the forest at night, staying in the house won out only because they had a guardian now.

Packing up had been a quick and subdued affair, done as soon as the sun had risen over the trees. The second everyone had their stuff together, they hurried down the hill and into the forest, none of them sparing the old chateau a second glance.

Even with the subdued conversations and groggy attitudes everyone kept as they marched back home, Twilight’s withdrawn nature was palpable. Head bowed and hand fidgeting against her sword, Twilight looked removed from the world. Her brow occasionally creased and her mouth moved wordlessly, but she made no interactions with the group.

Sunset wanted to reach out to her, even if it was just a gentle tap on the shoulder. But, the aura Twilight let off told Sunset she didn’t even want the usual touches of affection. So, Sunset kept her peace but remained close to Twilight’s side, hoping her storm cloud would evaporate soon.

They took up the front of the procession while Fluttershy volunteered to remain near the back, Jörmungandr draped over her shoulders again. The snake was still asleep, having not stirred all night.

Applejack cleared her throat. “So, uhh, should we talk about what happened?”

“A magic snake tried to eat us, and you girls plus a spirit wolf stopped it,” Adagio deadpanned. “There, recap over. Now, I personally never want to talk about last night ever again.”

“Actually, that reminds me…” Sunset looked over her shoulder. “Mind explaining that wailing from last night?”

“Oh look, we’re still talking about it.” Adagio crossed her arms. “Well, since you broke our gemstones and destroyed our voices, we can’t sing. However, we found our natural Siren abilities still have some use, even with our damaged vocal cords. We can make quite the racket when we scream.”

“It’s even worse if we do it at the same time,” Aria said, doubling back to help Rarity, struggling again with her suitcase. “Seriously though, I don’t wanna talk about last night for like, a week.”

“Aww, it wasn’t that bad,” Sonata said. “We were like the stars in a horror movie! And none of us died! Oh, oh, we should like, totally tell Hollywood about what happened so they make a movie about us!”

Pinkie gasped. “That sounds super awesome! Sonnie, you’re a genius!”

“For realsies?”

“Not by any stretch of the imagination,” Adagio said under her breath.

Just behind her, Soarin and Rainbow were engrossed in conversation. Despite last night’s exhausting events and marginal amount of sleep, Rainbow was full of energy.

“So, like, if you have an awesome spirit wolf that fights for you, why don’t you go like, fight crime and stuff?”

Soarin shrugged. “I mean, she already patrols the mountain and has helped save people there. That counts right?”

“I mean, yeah, but like, go stop bank robbers or serial killers. Cool things like that!”

“I didn’t even know Harbinger would follow me down here. She kinda does whatever she wants. I mean…” Soarin spread his arms and looked around. “I don’t even know where she went.”

While Harbinger had prowled the grounds while they slept, come morning, the white wolf had vanished. Soarin continued, “Besides, why don’t you use your powers to stop crime.”

Rainbow grinned and ran her knuckles against her chest. “Well, not to brag but, me and my friends have already saved the world twice.”

Soarin grinned in interest. “Oh? Do tell.”

“Don’t,” Sunset, Twilight, and Adagio all said in unison.

They finally reached the edge of the forest, their cars waiting for them just off the road. Everyone paused for a quick breather before packing their things. Living only a mile away, Applejack bid everyone farewell and trudged down the dirt road, bag slung over her shoulder.

Aria tossed her bag into the back of Rainbow’s car. “Well, Rainbooms—”

“Spectacular Seven,” Pinkie corrected.

Aria rolled her eyes. “Like it matters. Despite nearly dying, this trip wasn’t awful.”

“I had fun!” Sonata chirped.

This time, Adagio rolled her eyes but said nothing.

“Well, I’m glad someone enjoyed themselves,” Rarity said. “Oh, and I’ll call you about the dresses, Aria!”

“I don’t have a phone.”

“Oh. Well, we’ll work something out!”

Adagio raised an eyebrow at Aria, who gave a bored shrug before climbing into her seat. Pinkie and Sonata hugged it out like they weren’t going to see each other for months. Soarin jumped into the front seat while Rainbow cautiously approached Fluttershy, Jörmungandr still snoozing around her.

“So, arts and crafts fair tomorrow, yeah?” Rainbow barely kept a lid on her lack of enthusiasm.

Fluttershy, however, looked the happiest Sunset had seen her days. She eagerly nodded her head. “One o’clock! I’m even participating in the yarn-off this year!”

Rainbow at least managed a genuine encouraging smile. “Awesome. See ya then.”

She drove off with Soarin and the Sirens, while the remaining girls shoved their things around Rarity’s suitcase and filed themselves into the car.

“Uhh, why don’t you take the front seat, Twilight,” Sunset said.

Twilight gave an unreadable look to Fluttershy and the snake but gave Sunset a glance that said, ‘thank you,’ before taking her seat. From her spot in the back, Sunset could see Twilight sitting rigid as stone the entire way home.

Rarity pulled up to Sunset’s house first. Sunset got out, carefully taking Jörmungandr from Fluttershy and praying he stayed asleep for five more minutes. Twilight also got out of the car, murmuring a thank you to Rarity before grabbing hers and Sunset’s bags.

“Uhh, are you sure you want to come inside right now?” Sunset asked, keeping Jörmungandr’s head up.

Twilight only nodded before walking up to the front porch. Her demeanor wasn’t cold, but it made Sunset shiver all the same. She bade the girls farewell and hurried to the front door.

“Selena, I’m home!” Sunset stepped into the living room and deposited Jörmungandr onto the couch. “Shimmer, I’ve got something that belongs to you!”

Selena came downstairs first, still dressed in her pajamas and robe with Spot trotting behind her. She paused on the landing and raised an eyebrow at the snake on her sofa before finishing her descent and standing in front of Sunset and Twilight with her hands on her hips.

“You’re home earlier than I expected. And I see you’ve brought a guest.”

“Yeah, so, crazy story about what happened yesterday,” Sunset began. “See—”

“Jorgey!”

Shimmer hustled down the stairs and dived next to the couch. She stared slack-jawed at Jörmungandr who finally lifted his head up. He flicked his tongue at Shimmer and slid forward, coiling himself around her shoulders.

“How—when—why?” Shimmer shook her head, and Sunset caught a tear fly away from her eyes. “I don’t care! Look at you, my wittle baby! Did that creepy bitch hurt you?”

“Hiissss.”

Selena looked from the oddly heartwarming scene of a woman and her snake back to Sunset. “You brought the snake here?”

“I mean, it’s hers.”

“You brought the venomous snake here, to the thief living in my house,” she deadpanned.

Sunset paused and frowned. “Okay, when you say it like that…”

“Oh, relax,” Shimmer said, wearing her pet like a scarf. “We’re not gonna do anything. To you guys, anyway. Now that I have my partner in crime back, we might go steal something to put money back in my account.”

Selena gave Sunset a withering ‘look-what-you’ve-done’ glare. “You won’t be stealing anything while you’re under my roof.”

Shimmer gave a noncommittal grunt, focusing more on scratching Jörmungandr under the chin. “How the heck did you even find him?” she asked Sunset.

“Again, crazy story about our trip yesterday.” Sunset sat down on the couch, joined by Twilight who had Spot curled in her arms. “So, good news first, the Sirens didn’t try to kill us!”

“They did try to scare us half to death,” Twilight muttered under her breath.

Sunset acknowledged her with a pause before continuing. “Bad news… we found a magically corrupted half-snake man that tried to kill us and may have been sent by Tempest Shadow.”

“What?” Selena asked, her face caught between incredulous and dumbfounded.

Shimmer snorted. “Seriously, a half-snake man? Now you’re just making shit up.”

“I wish it was made up,” Twilight said bitterly. “It attacked us and paralyzed Aria and Soarin.”

Selena gave a concerned frown. “How did you beat it?”

“We had help from a wolf spirit.”

Shimmer threw her hands up. “Seriously?”

Sunset ignored her. “Our magic also kicked in, so that helped. Fluttershy healed everyone, including the monster and, well, it reverted back to…” She gestured to Jörmungandr.

Shimmer looked from her pet to Sunset and made a derisive snort. “You’re telling me the supposed monster you fought was actually my Jorgey?”

Sunset crossed her arms. “You’ve seen magic before; why are you being so skeptical?”

“Half-snake man and spirit wolf,” Shimmer enunciated slowly. “That’s ridiculous, even by your standards.”

“Believe me, I know. But, that’s what happened. Give me a reason why I would make it up.”

Shimmer pursed her lips, at a loss for words. She turned on her heel and marched upstairs. “I hate magic.”

Selena steepled her fingers in front of her mouth. “I’m glad you’re both all right, and… I’m glad I was wrong about the Sirens. However, this disturbs me even more. Tempest Shadow has enough magic to corrupt normal creatures, and either she knew you would be in the forest, or just released it there for simple chaos. Odds are, it’s the first idea.”

Sunset nodded. “She’s spying on us.”

“And until we figure out how, you all need to be more careful. No more unnecessary risks like forest expeditions just to make friends with the Sirens.”

“Understood.”

“Good.” Selena’s expression softened. “Now, are you sure you’re both okay? You look unharmed, but I can’t imagine running into a monster in the middle of a dark forest was pleasant.”

Sunset looked over to Twilight. Her shoulders had loosened up when Jörmungandr left the room, but her face remained forlorn. Sunset opened her mouth, ready to speak for her, but Twilight set Spot to the side and stood up, removing her sword from her belt loop.

Twilight spoke in a soft, reserved tone. “When we faced the monster… I froze up. I just stood there stammering. And the second time we found it... it disarmed me. I forgot everything you taught me.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and held her sword out.

“I’m sorry, Miss Selena. I’m not ready to use this sword. I let you down.”

Sunset stood up and put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Sparky, you’re oversimplifying it. It only disarmed you because you saved Sonata. And you were staring down your worst nightmare; it’s not your fault.”

But Twilight kept her eyes forward and her arm extended. Selena looked back at her with a neutral gaze. She raised her hand and pressed her palm against the hilt of the sword, gently pushing it back toward Twilight and giving a small shake of her head.

“You haven’t let me down, Twilight. If what Sunset said is true, then you’ve done the noblest thing a sword wielder can do: protect someone else. And you did it while facing a great fear. If anything, I’m proud of you, my student.”

Twilight looked down at her sword. “But… I was still—”

“You’ve been practicing for less than a month, Twilight. No one is expecting you to be a master and start cutting off monster heads. You will keep that sword, and we’ll keep practicing.” Selena gave a wise smile Sunset knew all too well.

Gripping her sword tight, Twilight looked up into Selena’s eyes. “Can we continue right now?”

“You’re not tired?”

“No.”

Sunset knew that was a lie, but Twilight had that burning look in her eyes whenever she was dead set on an objective. She watched Selena turn for the kitchen, gesturing at Twilight to follow. She took two steps, then turned back to Sunset.

“I’m sorry.” Her determined gaze was replaced by desperation, and she fidgeted with her sword. “I just… that snake made me feel so… useless. I thought I was finally contributing something to the group, and then that thing shows up, and I just froze and start having flashbacks, and I didn’t know what to do—”

Sunset closed the short gap between them and kissed Twilight on the lips, shutting her up. She held them together until Twilight’s quick breathing slowed. Sunset pulled away and cupped a hand to Twilight’s cheek. “I’ll keep saying it until you believe me: you’re not useless. You helped save someone’s life. So please, stop thinking you don’t contribute anything to this group.”

Twilight leaned into her hand. “I’m trying, really.”

“I know. If training with Selena makes you feel better in any way then go do it. Just, try not to push yourself too hard right now.”

“Okay.” Twilight leaned up and kissed Sunset again. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just being you.”

Sunset snorted and softly pushed Twilight away. “Get going, you sappy, sword-wielding dork.”

Twilight smiled, the first genuine one in the last twenty-four hours. She hurried after Selena, leaving Sunset alone in the living room until Spot reminded her he was still on the couch. She scooped him into her arms and headed upstairs, eager to take a long shower.

Sunset had her hand on her bedroom door when Shimmer coughed behind her. She still had Jörmungandr draped around her neck.

“Listen…” Shimmer sucked her teeth. “Magical weirdness aside… I guess I owe you a thanks. You brought back my Jorgey.” She held her hands up. “And I don’t wanna know any more details about what happened last night! Don’t care how you did it, I’m just glad you did. So, you know… thanks.”

Once again, Sunset resisted the urge to make a sarcastic remark about Shimmer showing compassion, and instead just smiled and nodded. “No problem. Just… promise you’ll keep him away from my dog.”

Shimmer scratched her snake under his chin. “Oh don’t worry, Jorgey only eats bugs and rodents, don’t you, sweet boy?” she cooed. “You don’t have any rats around here, do you?”

“You’re on your own for that.”

*******

Twilight flinched from the force and the sound of Selena’s sword clashing against hers. Despite switching to dulled practice blades, the metal still rang sharply against Twilight’s eardrums. She eased a foot back and disengaged her attack before bringing her blade up on the other side of Selena’s. She pushed against Twilight with superior force, knocking her sword back before striking.

Block! Backstep! Counter! Keep your eyes on her! Remember your foot placement!

Fifty thoughts and instructions simultaneously ran through Twilight’s head as she dueled her mentor. She parried Selena’s next attack and extended her arm for a lunge, but Selena sidestepped with grace and slapped the flat side of her sword against Twilight’s waist.

“Ow!” Twilight scrambled back into a defensive stance, ignoring the sting of metal. She wiped the sweat from her brow and tightened the grip on her sword.

“You’re thinking too hard, Twilight,” Selena said, circling her. “Let your moves flow together.”

Easy for you to say, she snarked inwardly. Twilight took a deep breath to relax her shoulders then advanced. She struck high, extending her blade near Selena’s shoulder, but was quickly parried and countered by Selena moving under her guard and lunging. Twilight stepped back and blocked the strike, flinching again at the collision of their swords.

Parry! Go around her guard! Thrust! Back up! Foot placement! Wrist placement!

“Still thinking too hard, Twilight.” Selena gracefully out stepped another of Twilight’s thrusts then moved to catch Twilight on her right side. Twilight snapped her wrist down and caught the blade just before the blunted tip nicked her.

Selena smiled. “Better.” She stepped back, allowing Twilight to press her attack.

Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to move on instinct instead of following the instructions of her hyper-focused thoughts. Yet the second she eased off her focus, Sunset would wander into her thoughts and she would fumble, or worse, the snake would slither in and she would tremble. Twilight didn’t know how to not think about something. The best she could do was streamline her thoughts into quick commands and make desperate, improvised actions when she fell into a vulnerable position.

She and Selena danced back and forth across the backyard, Selena scoring hit after hit every time Twilight thought too hard or moved on the wrong instinct. With every hit from Selena, Twilight swung her sword a little harder, moving as fast as her sword would let her.

Selena smacked Twilight’s left arm, and Twilight brought her sword across for a horizontal slash. Selena moved under her arm and stopped the strike before extending her wrist and poking Twilight in the chest. Twilight jumped back and prepared herself for another round, but Selena sheathed her sword and dusted her hands.

“That’s enough for today.”

Twilight’s sword arm went limp, a relief for her aching shoulder. She shook it out and said, “I can keep going.”

“That wasn’t a suggestion,” Selena said, calm but firm. “You’re tired and you’re growing frustrated, which both make for sloppy form and further irritation. Despite what you may tell yourself, you’ve reached your limit for today.”

Before Twilight could argue a counterpoint, her biology betrayed her and a yawn forced its way out of her mouth. She followed up with a grumble and a curt sheathing of her sword. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Selena handed her a water bottle. “As I said before, your resolve is admirable, but you need to learn to bend or else you’ll break.”

Twilight took a long drink instead of answering. She needed to get better as fast as possible. If Tempest could just make monsters now, who knew when they would be attacked again? Still, the burn in her muscles and the calluses forming on her palms told her a break would be wise.

“May I come back tomorrow?”

“Only if you promise to get some rest tonight,” Selena said with a stern wag of her finger. “And make sure to do some meditation before bed.”

Twilight bowed. “Yes, Ma’am. Thank you.” She gathered her schiavona and headed inside, both relieved and disappointed Sunset hadn’t been watching from the kitchen. Instead, Sunset lay strewn out on the couch, fast asleep with Spot curled on her stomach.

Biting down on her thumb, Twilight stifled a giggle. Even with a lock of hair over her face and her mouth slightly open, Sunset looked like an angel. Twilight wanted to wake her up, still feeling like she had more to say about last night, but Sunset looked at peace.

I have to get stronger. For you. So you won’t have to keep protecting me.

Twilight gently brushed Sunset’s hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. “See you tomorrow, Sunnykins,” she whispered. She let herself out the door, closing it slowly and quietly.

Sword clutched at her side, Twilight made her way home. She could feel her arms stiffening and sore spots forming all over from being struck by Selena. A hot bath, then back at it tomorrow. She would train all summer if she had to. The next time she stared down a monster, she would not flinch!

It was only a twenty-minute walk home, but in that short span of time, the exhaustion from yesterday crept up and tackled her, adding to the weight of her weariness from practice. Her feet and knees ached from walking, and she yawned every other minute.

Instead of entering through the front door, Twilight opened the side gate and used her key to unlock the door to her lab. She carefully waded through the dark until she found the light switch, stinging her eyes with the quick transition. Twilight stowed her sword behind her workbench, where her fully completed selfie gyro-drone sat. She had finished up her video for the project yesterday morning and e-mailed it to the scholarship committee.

One down, a bunch to go! Twilight still had a full list of possible scholarships to apply to. She needed all the money she could get if she wanted her three master's degrees and doctorate.

Sword hidden away, Twilight retreated out the side door and circled back around to the front. Until she found a way to explain she was taking sword lessons to her parents, Twilight tried to keep any trace of it a secret, and no one but her ventured into the lab.

“I’m home!” she called as she stepped into the entryway. She had just enough time to slip her shoes off before Spike ran around the corner and jumped at her legs.

“Hi, buddy!” Twilight picked him up and held him close to her face, some of her weariness melting away as he licked her nose. “Hehehe! Were you good while I was gone?”

Spike wagged his tail and moved on to licking Twilight’s cheek.

“There you are!” Velvet stuck her head out from the kitchen. “I was starting to get a little worried.”

“Hi, Mom.” Twilight set Spike down. “Sorry, I stopped by Sunset’s house and, um, relaxed for a little bit.”

Her mom dried her hands on a towel as she approached. “You could have called, you know. Ugh, you smell like the forest, too. I’m guessing you had a good time.”

“It was… an experience,” Twilight said, keeping her face as straight as she could. “But you’re right, I could really use a wash.” She scooted around her mother, eager to get upstairs before any more questions were asked.

She was halfway up the stairs when her mom called up to her. “Remember, your grandma is flying in on Thursday.”

Twilight looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised in concern. “Which one?”

Her mom’s sigh was all the answer she needed. Grandma Golden Light, her dad’s mother, was the most critical, judgemental person Twilight knew. Her default response to everything was, ‘you can do better.’ And Twilight would have to stand her for at least a week.

“Just remember,” Velvet said, “no matter what she says or even implies, we still love and support you, sweetheart. You’ve done a great job so far.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Mom.” She finished her climb upstairs, Spike on her heels. No one outside her parents and brother knew she was a lesbian, and while they had been open and supportive of her relationship with Sunset, Twilight knew she wouldn’t be so lucky with her entire family. Her strategy was to subtly ease everyone into it. She was dead set on having Sunset attend the wedding with her, but wouldn’t draw attention to the fact that Sunset was her partner. And everyone would be too distracted by Shining and Cadence’s courtship, no one would ask too many questions anyway. The heteronormative standard could continue!

Twilight stepped into her room and closed the door. Was that too cowardly of a plan? Twilight didn’t want to make Sunset feel ashamed to be dating her. But she couldn’t just jump on a table and shout to the reception hall she was in love with another woman. One, her social anxiety would rather see her murdered before doing something like that. Announcing herself as a candidate for Princess of the Winter Ball had been nerve-wracking enough. And two, that would hog the spotlight from her brother and Cadence. It was their wedding day, not Twilight’s coming out day.

“Ugh, Spike, what do I do? I can’t just walk in there going, ‘hey, everyone, this is my girlfriend!’ But I don’t want to not do that in case Sunset thinks I’m trying to hide us! But I invited her to the wedding, so she wouldn’t think that anyway, right?” Twilight pulled on her collar, feeling her shirt constrict her breathing.

Spike rubbed his back on the carpet, pausing to listen to Twilight’s rant before resuming his roll.

“Okay, if anyone asks, I’ll tell them. And I’ll hold Sunset’s hand! We’ll just act like it’s a regular public date! Except it’s my family. Who will be silently judging me.” Twilight fanned her face. “It’ll be fine! Everything will be fine!”

Hundreds of eyes narrowed in her direction as she stood next to the altar. They continued to stare as she and her friends played during the reception. Whispers and pointed fingers followed her as she clung to Sunset’s arm.

Twilight desperately fanned her face, taking rapid, short breaths. “Deal with it later! Deal with it later! Everything will be fine! Science! Where’s my idea list?” She dropped down into her desk chair and flung a drawer open. Lying on top was one of the numerous notepads she had around her room.

Flipping it over, Twilight read her own tidy scribbles. “Motorcycle repair kit, magnetic chessboard…” She smacked the pad to her head. She still needed to get Sunset a birthday gift!

“Deal with it later!” She tossed the list aside and kept digging, throwing things out haphazardly. She needed something to distract her from her anxiety, not cause her more! Her hand finally brushed against another notebook, and she pulled it out in triumph. “How did you get buried so far down?”

It didn’t matter. Twilight flipped through it, looking at blueprints and simple blurbs of ideas, feeling her heart slow back to its normal bpm. So many potential ideas to work on! But where to start?

A rustling on the floor behind her pulled her out of her notes. Twilight turned around to see Spike chewing the corner of a neatly folded paper she had tossed away during her search.

“Spike, no, don’t eat that!” She grabbed the other end and tried to pull it out, but Spike gave a playful growl and pulled back, wagging his tail. Twilight reached over and scratched behind his ear, causing him to thump his leg and let go of the paper.

Twilight unfolded it, curious to see what Spike had decided to chew on. “...Oh.”

Just as her anxiety dipped, a new pain formed in her chest. Taking up sword practice with Selena had driven this letter from her mind. Twilight traced a finger around the heading and ran a thumb down the margin as she read her own words.

“Moondancer…” Twilight looked at the letter as a whole, still on the fence as to send it or not.

She gasped and jumped over to her calendar, pressing a finger against the day’s date. She looked at the letter in a new light. Moondancer turned eighteen today. Twilight wondered how she was spending it. If things had been different, would they be spending it together?

In another universe, would she be having anxiety over taking Moondancer to the wedding instead of Sunset?

Twilight shook her head of what-ifs. Moondancer had made her choice. Twilight read her own letter again. Was that choice made completely of her own free will though? Perhaps Twilight would never know. But, if there was a chance…

She got up, scribbled an extra line onto the letter, and folded it up again before neatly placing it in an envelope.

Twilight had made her choice.

*******

Rainbow rolled the control stick and mashed the A button, grinning in satisfaction as High Heel flew across the stage. She bounced and punched a fist in the air when Zapp landed an aerial smash and knocked off High Heel’s last life.

“Ha! Suck on that!” Rainbow shook her hand out as she watched the victory screen. Since the Sirens seemed to be hanging around for the foreseeable future, a Power Ponies rematch with Aria was inevitable, and Rainbow was determined to put her in her place. Second place.

Rainbow set the CPU to its highest difficulty and started the next match. She had just electrocuted High Heel when her phone started buzzing. She paused the game long enough to slip the phone between her ear and shoulder. “Hello?”

“Hey, Dash,” Soarin said.

Rainbow’s stomach gave a small flip. “Yo, whaddup?” she said, trying to keep casual.

“Nothing much. Whatcha up to?”

“I’m kicking High Heel’s ass!” Rainbow grinned as said character flew across the screen.

“Power Ponies? Awesome! You’ll have to play me some time.”

“Sure, whenever you’re in the mood for a whuppin’.”

Soarin laughed. “We’ll see. Anyway, you like medieval stuff, right?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Only the cool stuff. Knights, mutton, those giant catapults.”

“What about jousting?”

“Oh yeah, that’s pretty cool too! Oh. come on, that totally missed!” Rainbow grumbled as she lost a life thanks to one of High Heel’s cheap stun moves.

Soarin laughed again. “Well, there’s a jousting tournament happening and I thought, maybe we could go. Maybe as a date?”

Rainbow could hear his stupid eyebrow wiggle. Still, a jousting tournament? “I’m listening.”

“It’ll be fun. There’s more than jousting there, too. They’ve got a blacksmith forging actual swords and lances, an archery range, and I’m pretty sure we can buy some turkey legs. It’s not mutton, but it’s the next best thing.”

Rainbow scrunched her face. Talking with Soarin was throwing off her game. She had one stock left while the CPU still had all three. She could see the tournament laid out in her head, watching guys in armor charge at each other on horseback with awesome lances at the ready. And Twilight wouldn’t be there to give some lecture about how any of it was ‘supposed’ to work.

“All right, I’m in! And fine, it can be a date.”

“Sweetness! Tomorrow at Rockhoof Field. See you around noon?”

Rainbow nodded. “Sounds good. Just don’t expect any mushy, couple-y stuff like holding hands.”

“You held my hand in the forest,” Soarin said, sounding supremely smug.

“Shut up, that didn’t count!”

“Didn’t it?”

“See you tomorrow!” Rainbow dropped the phone from her shoulder and quickly hit the ‘end call’ button before focusing on her game again.

Wait... Something itched in the back of Rainbow’s brain. Rockhoof Field is at Six Pillar Park… and didn’t I have something else—

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow was supposed to go to the arts and crafts fair at Meadowbrook Garden across from the field... tomorrow.

High Heel delivered a downward kick to Zapp and knocked her into the oblivion below the stage. Rainbow dropped her controller and pressed her hands to her eyes.

“Aw… crap…”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Do it for Her

Yes, Twilight is Connie. Which makes Sunset Steven.... which I am totally fine with.

13. Different Kinds of Love

Six Pillar Park was seven-hundred acres of fields, gardens, museums, and running trails situated on the western edge of Canterlot City. Rainbow loved to run the Flash Magnus trail on the weekends; a scenic and winding eight-mile tour that took her around the perimeter of the park. Other than that, she had never actually stepped foot onto its grounds.

She had a feeling she would get to see a lot of it today.

Rainbow pulled into a parking space near Rockhoof Field and leaned back in her seat. “Okay, Dash, you can do this. You just have to be in two places at once!” She slumped down and let out a slow groan.

She hadn’t called Soarin back to cancel. Looking up the website, today was the last day of the fair, and who knew if Rainbow would be back in Canterlot next summer. Plus, she really wanted to see people get knocked off their horses. Getting to see it with Soarin would be even better.

But there was no way in hell she could cancel on Fluttershy. As boring as an arts and crafts fair sounded, Rainbow refused to bail, especially if Fluttershy was stepping out of her comfort zone and participating in a competition.

So, Rainbow decided she would do the best thing she could: do both at once! That way, she didn’t have to choose!

“Okay, I have a whole hour to spend with Soarin before meeting Fluttershy at the crafts fair. I’ll just say I need to go to the bathroom, hang with Fluttershy for a little bit, then switch back. I get to hang out with both of them and neither has to know about the other!”

Rainbow dug her palm into her forehead. “I hate sitcoms.”

Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of the car and stretched her arms. The sooner this day was over, the better. A line of trees separated the parking lot from the field, and Rainbow could already hear the sounds of the fair on the far side. She shoved her hands in her pockets and strode onward.

Crossing the tree line, Rainbow rested her eyes on the coolest, lamest thing she had ever seen. Medieval tents were planted across the field, adding splashes of blue and yellow to a green and brown plain. People walked around dressed up in gowns and old leather armor. She could see a stone forge on the far side of the field, smoke puffing out of the chimney. The sound of a hammer hitting steel rang out over people playing lutes and harps. Adjacent to Rainbow was the jousting ring, a wide dirt arena split by a wooden fence running down the center, and encircled by wooden stands. Early arrivals were already picking seats as close to the fence as possible.

Someone walked by in poorly made knight armor, and Rainbow scoffed. “This is a step away from one of those nerd conventions.”

“Didn’t you go to a gaming convention once?”

“Gah!” Rainbow jumped and spun around, finding Soarin with his hands in his pockets and grinning like he was the coolest person at the fair. “Don’t sneak up on me like that! And I meant like, those nerdy sci-fi conventions. Video games are cool.”

He gave a humorous shrug. “Whatever you say, Dash.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned to go, until a thought struck her and she spun back, making a full 360. She punched Soarin’s shoulder and said, “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? Today’s the last day!”

Soarin held his hands up. “Hey, I didn’t know about it until I got home yesterday. I definitely would have preferred this over the camping trip. Not that I didn’t have fun! Just… you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, come on,” Rainbow grumbled. “You owe me a turkey leg.”

A few roaming clouds kept the field from getting too hot as the couple wandered around. They passed by vendors and cosplayers trying their best to speak in Old English, which Rainbow and Soarin snickered at as they walked away.

“Didst thou hearest their accents?” Soarin asked in a posh noble’s voice. “They art embarrassing thine selves.”

“Not as much as thou art embarrassing thyself, dingus,” Rainbow said with a grin. She laughed when Soarin elbowed her. “Look, there’s the turkey legs!”

“Don’t you mean, the turkey legs art there over yonder?”

“Shut up.”

Seeing the humongous turkey legs up close, Rainbow decided it would be best to split one. The hickory-smoked hunks of meat were almost as big as her face. Rainbow bit into it and hummed in satisfaction. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. If they ate like this all the time back then, medieval times couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Kings ate like that,” Soarin pointed out. “We’d most likely be peasants, so we’d eat moldy bread and cheese or starve.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get all egghead on me. That’s Twilight’s job.”

They wandered about the fair, trading off the turkey leg as they stopped at the more interesting stalls. Most of them were just shops peddling trinkets or other foods. Rainbow’s eye caught sight of a tent with dragon-themed antiquities, including a skull mask.

“Ooh, this would look so sick hanging in my room!” She held it up to her face and examined the pointed teeth.

Soarin looked at the price tag hanging off one of the horns. “You got two-hundred dollars?”

Rainbow quickly put it down. “Seriously?” she asked the peddler.

“Hey, that’s a discount price! It’s a real dragon skull!” he said.

“Sure, and I’m a princess.” Rainbow took a large bite of her turkey leg and moved on, trying to find anything else that wasn’t jewelry or gemstones. Soarin, however, had stopped at a fancy metalwork stand selling silver accessories.

“Come take a look!” the shop keeper said. “Real silver! It’ll look great on your girlfriend and protect her from werewolves.”

“You guys really lean into this stuff, huh?” Rainbow asked.

Soarin picked up a pair of star-shaped earrings. “You think Fluttershy would like these?”

Rainbow’s stomach turned and her shoulders tensed. “What? Why?”

“I don’t know. I thought a present would maybe help get me on her good side.”

Rainbow let out a quiet sigh and relaxed her shoulders. “You’re still on that? Dude, I know she was a bit agitated, but we were kinda dealing with a situation. Why would she not like you?”

Soarin weighed the earrings in his hand, keeping his eyes on them instead of Rainbow. “I’m not… one-hundred percent sure. But, I’ve just got this feeling, okay? I just want to put out an olive branch.”

“I still think you’re crazy.” Having known Fluttershy since first grade, Rainbow knew she was practically incapable of disliking someone. She was either friendly, polite, or afraid. Zephyr Breeze was the only person to cause her any actual irritation, and Fluttershy still loved him. For some reason.

And why would Fluttershy single out Soarin of all people? At best, she was just being protective of Rainbow. Rainbow would probably be even worse if Fluttershy had a boyfriend.

But, the concentrated look Soarin had told Rainbow he wasn’t about to drop it. She sighed and started scanning the display of jewelry. “If you really want to get something nice for her, you can’t go wrong with butterflies. It’s kinda her thing.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Soarin set the earrings down and picked up a silver bracelet. He turned it over in his hand and held it out to Rainbow. “What about this?”

Between the two steel bands was a woven vine pattern interspersed with butterflies. They had tiny, glimmering beads embroidered in their wings that sparkled in the sunlight.

Rainbow nodded in satisfaction. “That’ll do. So, what are you going to get me?”

Soarin smirked as he walked over to the cash register. “I already got you that turkey leg; don’t push it.”

Rainbow stuck her tongue out before taking another bite of her meal. It was almost gone now, just a slab of bone and cartilage.

With the bracelet paid for (Soarin wouldn’t say how much) and the turkey devoured, the two slowly made their way back toward the arena, aimlessly browsing more of the shop tents on the way there. Rainbow checked the time on her phone, 12:54. The jousting started at two, giving her the perfect window to sneak over and spend time with Fluttershy.

She cleared her throat to catch Soarin’s attention. “Yo, I’m gonna go use the bathroom. Why don’t you go grab us some seats?”

“Sure thing.” Soarin gave her a thumbs up and walked off toward the stands. Rainbow headed toward the bathroom to at least keep up the pretense, and find a safe place to pony up.

She ran behind the bathroom building and double-checked to make sure the coast was clear. She closed her eyes and squared her shoulders, feeling the magic well up inside her.

Come on… loyalty, awesomeness, magic! Rainbow had taken to practicing trying to pony up just to see if she could on command. It wasn’t easy, and sometimes left her with a headache. But being able to run back and forth across the part at super speed would make or break her plan.

A tingle ran across her skin, a good sign so far. She squeezed her eyelids, concentrating as hard as she could without resorting to screaming. The tingle rose into a warm breeze, and her wings sprouted from her back with a flash of blue sparks.

“Ha!” Rainbow punched the air. She bounced on her toes before dropping into a runner’s start position. It was a straight, easy shot over the hill and across the parking lot. Rainbow dug her foot into the ground and shot off, kicking up a cloud of dirt in her wake.

The wind whipped her face but never proved to be a hindrance. The world was reduced to a spread of blurry images as Rainbow raced across the field and through the parking lot. This was freedom! Running at one-hundred miles-per-hour, the exhilaration and adrenaline flowing through her veins. Rainbow let out a quick, “Whoop!” of delight.

Her magical super speed must have also given her a sixth sense when it came to avoiding objects. She narrowly avoided colliding with a car backing up, leaping over it and clearing a hundred yards in a single bound.

Rainbow left the parking lot and tore down the sidewalk, grinding her heels to a stop behind a wide tree just off the path. A twenty minute walk reduced to a ten second run. Rainbow couldn’t help but grin smugly. “All right, now here comes the hard part.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated again, this time willing her pony features and powers to go away. She envisioned herself as back to normal and calmed her thoughts. Normal, lame, boring. Come on…

The warm wind blew over her again, this time removing all her magical accessories, leaving her with the exhaustion that always came after ponying up. Rainbow took a deep breath and shook it off. She could be tired later.

“Phase one, complete.” She stepped out from behind the tree and followed the path toward the crafts fair. “Suck it, T.V.!”

The Meadowbrook Garden area of the park was a large thoroughfare flanked on both sides by winding paths decorated with an abundance of flowers and trees. The air held a constant fragrance of blooming flowers and palm leaves that made Rainbow’s nose itch. The thoroughfare itself was lined with stalls occupied with a variety of arts and crafts supplies, from rolls of yarn to clay sculptures to canvases surrounded by buckets of paint. Being condensed onto one street instead of spread out across an entire field, the fair felt more packed than the medieval festival, and Rainbow had to dart and weave her way through the crowd.

She found Fluttershy just off the main road, sitting next to a patch of yellow and white chrysanthemums. Dressed in a blue sundress with a pink bag over her shoulder and a daffodil in her hair, Rainbow took a moment to take it in. She looked really nice today.

“Hey, ‘Shy.”

Fluttershy jumped up, her eyes shining with glee. “Rainbow, you’re here!” She threw her arms around Rainbow’s shoulders and gave an affectionate squeeze, hanging on for several seconds.

Rainbow gave an embarrassed laugh. “Uh, yeah, of course I am.”

Fluttershy let go and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, her cheeks pink. “Sorry. I, um… I’m just happy to spend the day with you. It feels like we haven’t spent time together in a while.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s always been as a group recently.” Rainbow gave her a confident grin. “But, today’s all about you! We can do whatever you want here!”

Lifting her head, there was unbridled joy in Fluttershy’s eyes. Rainbow didn’t think a simple arts and crafts festival had meant so much to Fluttershy. Her insides squirmed as she remembered Soarin waiting for her on the other side of the park. She shooed the thought away and smiled harder.

Everything’s gonna be fine!

Fluttershy took her by the hand and pulled her back into the crowd. “Let’s go! There’s a really cute felt stand I want to look at!”

“Yeah, great!” Rainbow said between her teeth. Her boredom radar was already going crazy. But, she grinned and bore it, trying her hardest to pay attention as Fluttershy explained the use of felt in crafting. Next, she was dragged to a large tent stuffed to the brim with rolls of yarns.

Fluttershy squeed and picked up a bundle. “They have the perfect shade of red I needed for the Yarn-Off! It’s bring your own yarn, so I was a little worried I wouldn't have the perfect materials. I’m making a very special project for the competition.”

“Sounds awesome. So, is there a prize for winning?”

“A gold ribbon, and the satisfaction you made something!” Fluttershy smiled.

Rainbow shrugged. She couldn’t see Fluttershy competing in anything for an actual prize anyway. “Well, like I said before, I’m real proud of you for doing this.”

Fluttershy blushed again. “Thanks. I’m only doing it because you’re here with me. Otherwise, I could never knit on stage with all those people watching me.” She shuddered.

Rainbow clapped her on the back. “You’ll do fine. So, what’s this special project you’re making?”

“Heehee.” Fluttershy gave her a coy glance. “It’s a secret.”

By that teasing smile, Rainbow had a feeling whatever the secret was, it was probably for her. But, she didn’t press Fluttershy any further. Once the yarn was purchased, they moved on to a line of how-to tables, where young kids were painting masks and learning to make figures from pipe cleaners.

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow expectantly, but Rainbow crossed her arms and turned her head away. “No way, ‘Shy. I’m not seven.”

“Please, Dashie?”

Rainbow closed her eyes and twisted her entire body away. Any time Fluttershy used the nickname ‘Dashie' it was followed by an abuse of her huge and pleading blue eyes. Fluttershy hardly ever used it, but Rainbow lost every time she did.

“Just for a little bit?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“You might enjoy it.”

“Doubt it.”

There was a pause before Fluttershy spoke again, the tiniest quiver in her voice. “But, you said we could do whatever I wanted today…”

Rainbow peeked an eye open. Fluttershy had stuck her lower lip out, turning her pleading look from effective to potent. Doubly so for using Rainbow’s own words against her.

When did she learn to do that? Rainbow gave a relenting sigh and held her arm out, allowing Fluttershy to grab it and lead her to a table. Rainbow decided to work with the pipe cleaners; they were less messy than paint and Rainbow could half-ass the work by insisting she had no idea what she was doing, which wasn’t a total lie.

Rainbow twisted a few pipes together and made a decent stick figure. To her left, Fluttershy was hunched over her work, carefully folding and weaving pipes to make a rose in bloom. On Rainbow’s right, a young girl was making what appeared to be a dragonfly.

She caught sight of Rainbow staring and looked at the stick figure sitting on the table. She smiled in smug satisfaction. “Nice work, amateur.”

“Can it, kid,” Rainbow said out of the corner of her mouth. She scowled at her own creation. If a fifth-grader could make a dragonfly, then so could she!

Rainbow grabbed more pipes and started again, stealing glances at the other girl’s dragonfly for a sense of direction. She pressed her teeth against her tongue as she bound the piping together as tight as she could and growled when some of them tried to unwind.

After forcing on the wings and gluing on the eyes, Rainbow leaned back from her new creation. It was an oblong and lumpy orange thing with uneven wings and eyes looking in different directions. Rainbow looked over to the young girl with her slender green dragonfly. She looked back at Rainbow’s and snickered.

Rainbow stuck her tongue out.

“Here, Rainbow.”

Rainbow turned to her other side to find Fluttershy holding out the rose she had made. If it wasn’t for the velvet texture, it could have been mistaken for real. “Do you like it?”

“Uh, duh. That looks amazing!”

Fluttershy reached up and tucked it into Rainbow’s hair. “I want you to have it.”

Rainbow’s cheeks burned. “Heh, thanks, ‘Shy.” Rainbow held up her lumpy dragonfly. “Uh, I made this. It’s not great, but, um, you can have it if you want.”

Fluttershy eagerly took it with both hands and cooed. “Awww! I think it’s perfect, Rainbow!”

While Fluttershy carefully set it on her shoulder, Rainbow caught the little girl pretending to gag. She subtly kicked the back of the kid’s chair before steering Fluttershy away. They resumed tent browsing, admiring paint pieces and wood carvings.

Rainbow found a moment to check the time while Fluttershy gushed over a raccoon statue. 1:05.

“Crap!” Rainbow shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Uhhh, I gotta go use the bathroom! Breakfast isn’t agreeing with me anymore!”

Fluttershy reached for her handbag. “Do you need some medicine? I think I might have something in here that could help.”

Rainbow waved a hand. “Nah, just gotta go take care of business. I’ll be back soon.” She shot a finger gun before hurrying back down the thoroughfare until she found a secluded spot off the path to pony up again.

Loyalty, friendship, yadda yadda, come on! The warm wind blew through her, and her magic burst forth, though it didn’t energize her like it usually did. She took a deep breath and shook herself out before racing back across the parking lot and over the hill, coming to a stop behind the bathroom.

With another exertion of will, Rainbow powered down, and the exhaustion hit her like a brick. She stumbled against the wall and gasped for air. It was like the distance she ran caught up to her all at once.

“Okay, not a good sign. I can handle this though. No biggie.” She pushed herself off the wall and marched across the fair, ignoring the wobble in her legs. Halfway to the jousting arena, she remembered the rose sitting in her hair and carefully moved it to her pocket.

The stands were full and rowdy by the time Rainbow arrived. Soarin waved her down from his spot in the third row. He handed her a bag of popcorn as she took her seat.

“Yeesh, what took so long?”

“Don’t worry about it. Besides—” She scrunched her nose and said in her best Rarity impression, “It’s impolite to ask a lady about her bathroom business.”

Soarin opened his mouth, a smarmy grin on his face.

“You say I’m not a lady and I’ll punch you in the throat.”

Soarin snickered before quieting down and listening to the medieval emcee who was halfway through explaining the rules.

“Points are only awarded when the knights hit the grated shoulder pad of their opponent!” he shouted into the mic. “One point for a simple tap! Five points if the lance breaks! Ten points if the opponent is knocked off their horse!”

The crowd gave an excited cheer.

“Now, to introduce our contenders! Hailing from our own beautiful kingdom of Canterlot, defender of the weak, giver to the poor, one of the bravest knights to grace our land! Lords and ladies, please stand and cheer for the great Steel Heart!”

Rainbow and Soarin got to their feet and clapped with everyone else as a raven-haired man charged into the arena on a white horse. His purple and gold armor gleamed in the sunlight, matched only by the radiant smile he gave the crowd. He led his horse once around the perimeter before taking a spot on the right end of the arena.

“And now…” the announcer dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “hailing from parts unknown, this dreaded warrior preys on the weak and helpless and leaves chaos in his wake. He is the scourge of the surrounding kingdoms, here to bring ruin to our merriment. Can the brave Steel Heart put a stop to his nefarious plans? Enter, the Black Knight!”

The armor the Black Knight wore was as dark as the horse he rode in on. The crowd booed and jeered as he entered, his helmet already donned. He gave no acknowledgment of the crowd’s dismissal.

“Is it bad I kinda want the Black Knight to win?” Rainbow asked.

“You would,” Soarin said.

Steel Heart beat a fist against his armor. “You shall not have this day, Black Knight! I pledge that no harm shall befall this audience while I still draw breath!”

“I care not for your platitudes,” the Black Knight said in a gravely deep voice. “Many a knight made the same pledge; they all ended up skewered on my lance.”

“Then may the gods grant me favor today that I might be the one to finally strike you down!” Steel Heart put on his helmet and grabbed the lance his squire handed him.

Rainbow shoved a fistful of popcorn into her mouth. She hadn’t expected jousting to be as cheesy as wrestling, but she loved it.

“Champions, there will be eight rounds! The knight with the most points at the end wins! Lances at the ready!”

Both knights lowered their weapons and adjusted the grip on their horses' reins.

“Charge!”

The horses let out a whinny as their riders drove them forward. They rode at each other from opposite sides of the fences, crossing the tips of their lances over. Steel Heart’s lance made contact first, shattering against the grated padding on the Black Knight’s shoulder. The Black Knight wobbled but remained upright.

The crowd stood and cheered as Steel Heart was awarded five points and the two riders reset their positions.

“Ready to surrender?” Steel Heart called.

“Please, tis but a flesh wound,” the Black Knight said dismissively.

They charged again, with the Black Knight scoring a single touch. They reset and rode again, this time, the Black Knight broke his lance against Steel Heart’s padding, putting him up one point.

Rainbow bounced on the edge of her seat as they charged at each other for the fourth round. With a racketing bash Steel Heart’s wooden lance crashed again the Black Knight and tossed him down into the dirt. The crowd exploded with cheers and applause, while Rainbow groaned and sat back in her seat.

“Shouldn’t you be cheering for the good guy, since, you know, you’re a good guy?” Soarin asked.

“I would if he wasn’t so stereotypical ‘nice-guy-who-always-does-the-right-thing’ white knight.”

Soarin wiggled his eyebrow. “So you like bad boys?”

Rainbow gagged. “No! I just don’t like guys that are cartoonishly nice and ‘chivalrous’,” she said in air quotes. She side-eyed Soarin. “You just barely avoid that category.”

Soarin gave her a playful shove. “Gee, thanks.”

Rainbow grinned and shoved him back.

The fifth and sixth rounds saw the Black Knight score five more points each, putting the score at fifteen to sixteen in the Black Knight’s favor.

“Last chance to back away, knave!” the Black Knight said.

“And let you run amok? Never!” Steel Heart declared, lowering his lance to charge. His horse broke into a gallop, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The Black Knight met him halfway down the track, their lances crossing over one another once again. Steel Heart missed, going under the Black Knight’s arm. The Black Knight, however, struck true, his lance snapping in half against the shoulder pad. Steel Heart wobbled dangerously, leaning off the side of his horse.

Everyone sucked in a deep breath, watching as he desperately clung to his horse’s reins. With a great heave, he righted himself, and everyone around Rainbow sighed in relief.

Rainbow grinned in triumph. “The only way he can win now is if he knocks the Black Knight off again.”

“Totally possible,” Soarin said, his fists clenched in excitement.

“You can do it, Steel Heart!” someone behind Rainbow yelled. The stands erupted in screams and chants of encouragement.

Steel Heart raised his lance to the crowd before facing his opponent for the last joust. The cheers faded as the knights squared off. The Black Knight weighed his new lance in his hand before leveling it in front of him.

Rainbow crossed her fingers and scooted to the edge of her seat. Her leg vibrated, and it took her a second to realize it was her phone, not the buzz of excitement. She pulled it from her pocket and checked the screen.

‘Are you okay? The Yarn-Off is starting soon.’

A loud crash and an eruption of wild cheering forced Rainbow to snap her head up. Laying in the dirt was the Black Knight while Steel Heart did a victory lap. Rainbow groaned, more disappointed from having missed the finishing blow than the Black Knight losing.

“That was awesome!” Soarin punched the air. “Sorry your bad boy didn’t win.”

Rainbow shoved her phone away. “It’s whatever. The whole thing is probably staged anyway.”

“You mean like wrestling?”

She pressed a finger against his lips. “Oi, you’re not supposed to say it out loud,” she hissed.

Soarin kissed her finger. “My bad.” He nodded his head toward the exit. “Come on, let’s head out while he’s making his wrap-up speech.”

Indeed, Steel Heart was playing up his role and delivering a speech about justice and believing in yourself and other things Rainbow could read off the back of a cereal box.

As they walked away from the arena, Soarin asked, “So, what do you wanna do now? I kinda wanna go see the blacksmith.”

“Yeah, that sounds awesome!” Rainbow took two steps before she remembered the text message. “Uhh, before that, bathroom’s calling. Be back in a sec!”

She ran off before Soarin could respond. Compared to the high speeds she had been moving at before, her basic run was sluggish and awkward. She reached the bathroom and closed her eyes, drawing on her magic for a third time.

Her skin tingled, but did nothing else. She grunted and dug her shoes into the dirt, but still, nothing came up.

Come on! I can’t miss the start of Fluttershy’s competition!

In a weak fizzle of lights, her wings appeared, but Rainbow doubled-over, feeling the exhaustion that only came when she turned her magic off. Her muscles felt stiff and she struggled to get a decent breath in.

“All right, I get it. The lesson here is, don’t abuse my magic powers. It’s for a good reason though!” She gritted her teeth and broke into her super sprint.

Ten seconds later, she was back in the garden. It didn’t take much to turn her powers off, but Rainbow stayed in place for a minute to get her strength back. When she deemed herself good enough, she pulled the flower Fluttershy had crafted and stuck it back on her head and made her way back to the thoroughfare, eyes roaming for Fluttershy.

Rainbow found her at the end of the road in front of a small stage that had been erected. Fluttershy’s sigh of relief melted into a worried gasp as Rainbow drew near.

“Are you okay? You look pale! And you’re out of breath!”

Rainbow gave an airy wave. “I’m fine. Trust me, it’s nothing. What’s important is how you’re feeling.”

Fluttershy didn’t look wholly convinced but said, “I think I’m all right. There’s m-more people here than I thought there would be though.”

Rainbow looked around. Lawn chairs had been set up in front of the stage. While most of them were filled, the total still didn’t look like even a third of the crowd from the joust. But three strangers could be as good as a thousand to Fluttershy on a bad day.

“Don’t worry about them. In fact, pretend they’re not even there. Just put all your attention into your knitting and you’ll do great!”

Fluttershy gave a strong nod. “Complete focus. I can do that.”

“Yeah, you can!” Rainbow gave her a thumbs-up.

Fluttershy flung her arms around Rainbow in a quick but tight hug. When she let go, her cheeks were flushed again. “Thanks for being here, Rainbow.” She turned and hurried behind the stage.

Rainbow scratched her head. She’s been acting… odd today. She shrugged it off and took a seat in the front row. Nine desks had been crammed onto the stage, a pair of knitting needles resting on each of them. An elderly woman walked onto the stage, her gray hair tied into a bun and held together by a pair of golden needles.

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to this year's Yarn-Off.” Despite the mic in her hand, she sounded like a librarian using their indoor voice. She allowed the audience to give a polite applause before continuing. “Thank you. We have nine entrants this year competing for our grand prize: the golden stitch ribbon. The participants will have forty-five minutes to knit whatever they can. Our judges will determine the winner based on design, quality, and completion. Now, without further ado, here are our contestants.”

The audience gave another round of polite applause as the knitters stepped onto stage. Rainbow had to restrain herself from cheering when Fluttershy came out. They took their seats, Fluttershy on the far right end. She had her new bundle of crimson red yard, a smaller bundle of white, and a bundle of multi-colored strings.

“If everyone is ready, you may begin when the bell goes off.”

As soon as everyone was comfortable, a small bell chimed and they all grabbed their knitting needles and set to work. They stitched at a breakneck speed, their needle clicking the only sound across the venue. Fluttershy kept her eyes on her string, brows furrowed in concentration.

Unable to shout out words of encouragement, Rainbow could only watch. She turned her head, seeing the rest of the audience watching with utter intrigue. Some of them were even taking notes. Rainbow looked back at the stage. Other than their speed, she couldn’t see anything impressive about this.

People come and watch this every year? She pushed down a bored sigh and slumped in her seat. She knew what she was signing up for when she agreed to come with Fluttershy, but she never could have expected something this boring.

Has it been forty-five minutes yet? She discreetly checked her phone. It had only been three. Uuuuggghhh!

If anyone else had asked Rainbow to come to an event like this, she would have bluntly said no. But as much as Rainbow loved Fluttershy, right now, Rainbow desperately wished to be back at the medieval fair. Or anywhere else really.

Time slowly chipped away. Rainbow’s leg bounced and vibrated as she slouched in her chair, trying her hardest to not look at her phone again. With hardly anything to focus on, her mind wandered back across the park, where Soarin waited for her return. Her insides squirmed. She had already ditched him for an hour, now she had to add forty-five minutes on top of that.

Fluttershy hadn’t looked up once from her project. Judging by the length and the tassels hanging off the end, Rainbow guessed it was a scarf. With that look of concentration in Fluttershy’s eyes, Rainbow wondered if she would even notice someone leaving. Rainbow could sneak over to Soarin and spend a little more time with him. If her powers allowed it. Ponying up the last time had been quite the strain. And besides, even if she left now, she would only have thirty minutes before having to zip over to the garden again.

Rainbow bit her lip. No, it would be better to just wait it out. This was the main attraction for the arts and crafts thing anyway. Once it was over, Rainbow could just say she was ready to call it quits and head home.

She just had to survive half an hour of mind-crushing boredom.

Fluttershy began adding little multicolored rainbows to her scarf, cementing Rainbow’s idea the project was meant for her. Fluttershy finally snuck a glance up from her work, and Rainbow flashed her a smile and a thumbs up. She smiled back and resumed her knitting, working faster than ever.

The minutes dragged on with Rainbow fidgeting in her chair, dreaming of video games and soccer and not sitting there watching people knit. Fluttershy set her needles down and folded her scarf, just as the bell went off. Rainbow bolted upright and let out a loud sigh of relief that was mostly drowned out by the applause around her.

“We will now begin the judging,” the librarian announcer said as three more people walked onto the stage, clipboards in hand.

Fluttershy stood perfectly still, trying her best to imitate a rock. Rainbow could see her neck twitch every time she swallowed though. The judges held up her scarf and gently ran their finger against it, murmuring to themselves all the while. They set it down and moved onto the next in line. Fluttershy dropped her shoulders but still made little movement.

Finally, after ten minutes of judging, the announcer picked up her mic again. “We have the results! The winner of this year’s Yarn-Off is…”

Rainbow locked eyes with Fluttershy and crossed her fingers. Fluttershy copied her.

“... Coco Pommel for her French beret!”

Two competitors down from Fluttershy, a young woman with a two-toned blue bob cut tried to hide her meek smile behind her perfectly woven purple and gold beret. The judges handed her the gold ribbon, forcing her to move her hands and show off her bright pink cheeks.

The other competitors took a moment to congratulate Coco before exiting the stage. Fluttershy climbed down from the front and met Rainbow in the stands.

Rainbow stood up and patted her shoulder. “Sorry you didn’t win, ‘Shy.”

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled. “It’s fine. She made a very lovely design. Besides, it was never about winning or losing. Like I said, it’s about the satisfaction of knowing you made something.” She held up one end of her scarf.

“Heh. Well, you’ve at least got a better attitude than me when it comes to competitions. Nice work up there.”

“Yeah, you did some great work!”

Rainbow’s blood ran cold at the new voice behind her. Her stomach writhed in terror as she turned around and found Soarin, looking far less angry than she imagined he would be in this scenario.

“Eh heh heh… Soarin! What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked, her voice cracking.

“Well, you ran off to the bathrooms, so I was gonna follow and wait outside, but I saw a very familiar blue streak run off over the hill, so I followed it. Why didn’t you tell me Fluttershy was doing a thing today? I would have been more than happy to take a break to watch.”

If Rainbow thought her blood was cold, the scowl on Fluttershy’s face was colder. Teeth pressed together, she asked, “What do you mean, ‘take a break’?”

Soarin’s expression quickly fell from bemused to concerned. “Uh, me and Rainbow were on a date over at the medieval fair...” He trailed off at the sight of Fluttershy’s scowl descending into a hateful leer.

“No you weren’t,” Fluttershy said in a calm voice that did not match her current expression. “Rainbow was spending the day with me. Weren’t you, Dashie?”

Rainbow wanted to die. She wanted lightning to strike her and die. Caught between Fluttershy’s burning gaze and Soarin’s confused stare, all she could do was force a laugh out of her dry throat. “Ha haaaa! So, funny story! Like, hilarious! I, ummm, may have accidentally planned to hang out with both of you on the same day! So, I kinda… you know, hung out with both of you! See, funny!”

Soarin slowly exhaled and arched his eyebrows. “Really, Dash? That’s the dumbest trick in the book.”

“Well… you know… I just…”

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow like a puppy who had been kicked. Tears already began flowing down her cheeks. “B-but you said today was all about me. We… we planned this for weeks!”

Rainbow winced, a stabbing pain shooting through her heart. “Fluttershy, I—”

“You lied to me!” she yelled.

“No, I just—”

“I thought we could have at least one more day together, just the two of us! I could pretend just one more time it was only us!” Fluttershy sobbed. “But even when I think you picked me, you still picked him!”

Fluttershy’s broken and pained expression hardened back to its fiery glower. She thrust a finger at Soarin and screeched. “This is all your fault you… you… homewrecker!”

Soarin reeled back. “Wait, what?”

Rainbow tried to lay a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Fluttershy, calm down—”

“No! It’s obvious you like him more than me! If you want him, fine, I won’t stop you!” Face red and blotchy, hair frazzled, Fluttershy turned and ran. She paused and shouted, “I hope you two are very happy together!” By the break in her voice, Rainbow didn’t think she meant it.

“Fluttershy, wait!” Rainbow tried to run after her, ignoring the remnants of the crowd staring and whispering at the commotion. She only made it twenty feet from the stage when she felt winded and rested her hands on her knees. Her legs felt like rubber and her heart tried to slam its way out of her chest.

Soarin walked up behind her as she stood tall again. Rainbow tried to meet his eyes, but Soarin looked away. “Rainbow… you uh… you two should really have a talk.”

“Soarin…”

“Call me later, yeah?” He turned and walked off, devoid of his usual swagger.

Rainbow stood at the end of the thoroughfare, watching her best friend and her boyfriend walk off, while everyone else watched her. Now she knew how the characters in those sitcoms felt.

She placed a hand against her pounding heart and breathed in a deep sigh. “Aww… crap…”

*******

Fluttershy didn’t realize how far up she was until she finally looked down. The grass was a bajillion miles away now. She pressed her tiny frame against the tree and squeezed her eyes shut. She shouldn’t have followed that squirrel; no squirrel was worth this, no matter how cute.

How was she supposed to get down? Maybe if she yelled loud enough, her parents would hear her. She took a deep breath and squeaked at the top of her lungs.

“Help…”

She peeked an eye open, hoping to see her mom or dad running down the field. But no one appeared. Fluttershy didn’t think she could yell any louder. What was she going to do now?

“Hey!”

Very carefully, Fluttershy moved her head and glanced down. Right below her was a blue girl with rainbow hair tied in a ponytail. She had bandages on her knee and cheek, like some of the bullies at school. Fluttershy dug her nails into the tree. Was the girl going to beat her up if she managed to get down?

“Do you need help?” the girl called up in a scratchy voice.

Fluttershy merely trembled against the tree. Even if she said yes, what was that girl going to do? She looked shorter than Fluttershy. Too nervous to move her head again, Fluttershy squeaked out a tiny, “No.”

“Are you sure? You look kinda stuck.”

“Umm…”

“Don’t worry, I can help you get down!” The girl sounded really confident, and she had a reassuring smile that showed she was missing one of her bottom teeth.

Fluttershy raised her eyes to search the park. She couldn’t see anyone else from this angle. If she ever wanted to get down, she supposed she had no choice but to trust the girl below her. “O-okay.”

“Awesome! Okay, just move a little bit to your left. Just a little bit.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes again and slowly shuffled against the tree, the bark scratching against her play clothes and her bare arms.

“Okay, now, there’s a branch right below your left foot! You can reach it!”

Easing her left foot down, Fluttershy found there was indeed a sturdy branch below her. She brought her right foot down next, balancing herself on the branch while still hugging the tree.

“Now slide over and sit down.”

Fluttershy did as she was told, dangling her legs over the side of the branch. She could finally look around without feeling like she was about to fall to her doom. The ground was still a long ways away though, but the other girl stood right beneath her, arms outstretched.

“Okay, I’m gonna need you to trust me. Just fall and I’ll catch you.”

A low, “Eeeep,” escaped Fluttershy’s throat. She’d die falling from this height! And how could she trust this stranger to catch her? They’d only just met!

But the girl remained firmly in her spot, still holding her arms out with a determined expression on her face. “I know it’s scary, but I promise, I’ll catch you.”

Fluttershy trembled again, rocking back and forth against the branch. She still couldn’t see her parents, and she didn’t dare look behind her in case she lost her balance. Her nervous rocking and shaking threw her off balance anyway. She wildly flung her arms to try and right herself, but only propelled herself forward and fell off the branch.

Her scream only lasted two seconds before she fell onto something soft and rolled onto the grass. She sat up and looked around, seeing the other girl sit up and shake the grass out her hair. She flashed Fluttershy a toothy smile.

“See? That wasn’t so bad! Oh!” She grabbed Fluttershy’s arm and pulled it forward. A small cut was bleeding just below where her arm bent. “Hang on, I’ll go get a band-aid from my dad!”

Before Fluttershy could say anything, the girl was up and sprinting across the park. She was really fast. Fluttershy looked back at the cut. It didn’t hurt, in fact, she probably wouldn’t have noticed it if the girl hadn’t said anything.

Speaking of, the fast girl returned a short minute later with the promised band-aid. She unpeeled it and stuck it over the cut. It was pink and had a smiley face on it. “There you go! You feeling okay?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Cool! Hey, what’s your name anyway?”

“Umm… I’m Fluttershy,” she said meekly.

“I’m Rainbow Dash! You wanna go play together?”

Fluttershy blinked. Usually, whenever someone asked her to play, she said no. But something about this girl, with her purple eyes and fun smile, compelled Fluttershy to say yes. And she had saved her from a tree after all.

“Okay,” Fluttershy said.

Rainbow took hold of Fluttershy’s arm and pulled her to her feet. “Awesome! C’mon, let’s go!” She pulled Fluttershy along.

Fluttershy’s longer legs were the reason she could keep up with Rainbow’s quick pace. As they raced across the field, Rainbow listed off all the things they could do together. Fluttershy wasn’t too keen on many of them, as they involved more swinging and climbing. But, she had never had a friend before. She smiled, thinking maybe, this Rainbow Dash could make things a little less scary.

*******

“So, let me see if I have this straight. Instead of trying to talk to either one of them like a normal person and reschedule, you decided to abuse your powers and try and be in two places at once?”

Rainbow groaned into her pillow.

“That is textbook levels of dumb!” Sunset said loudly. “Which is impressive for you; normally, your dumb ideas at least think outside the box!”

Rainbow lifted her face so she could at least see Sunset scowling at her, arms crossed and foot tapping against the carpet. The second she had thrust Rainbow’s bedroom door open, Rainbow regretted texting her.

“You know, I was kinda hoping you were here to cheer me up a little,” she said, words partially muffled by her pillow.

“Then I guess that’s two times you’ve been wrong today,” Sunset snapped. “I’m not going to coddle you, Dash. Despite what your grades may say, I know you’re not this dumb. So spill it: why did you do it?”

Rainbow rolled onto her back and clasped her hands over her eyes. “I don’t know, okay? I guess I didn’t want to have to choose! I feel terrible every time I have to cancel something with Fluttershy because of practice! And I didn’t want to cancel with Soarin! He’s my…” She trailed off, moving her hands to cover her mouth.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Your boyfriend. Yes, the mighty Rainbow Dash has fallen in love. So what?”

“So, I can’t turn my best friend down for my boyfriend! That’s not cool! But I couldn’t turn down my boyfriend for Fluttershy either!” Rainbow groaned and sat up, running her hands through her messy hair. “I hated having to choose.”

Sunset sighed, her head gaze softening a little. “Look, Rainbow, I get it. But they’re both reasonable people. I’m sure they would have understood if you just talked to them.”

Rainbow dropped her cheek into her palm. “Maybe. I don’t know. Like, when Soarin found out, he just had that whole ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look and stuff. Fluttershy… she actually yelled at me and Soarin before running off. Like, she’s sensitive, I know that better than anyone. But this felt… different.”

She cringed, seeing Fluttershy’s red cheeks and the tears running down her face as she raised her voice before turning and sprinting away. Rainbow could count on one hand the number of times Fluttershy had yelled at anything that wasn’t a sports game, and none of them had been directed at her. She looked over at Sunset for an answer.

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck and looked out the window to the evening light. “I mean, she had the impression she was spending the whole day with you. She’s obviously hurt.”

“I know, but it’s Fluttershy. She never yells.” Rainbow shifted her cheek to her other hand. The confrontation replayed in her mind; Fluttershy screaming at her and Soarin. She had called him a homewrecker and accused Rainbow of picking him over Fluttershy. Maybe Soarin’s feelings of Fluttershy disliking him hadn’t been unfounded. Rainbow couldn’t understand why though, or why Fluttershy had given such an extreme reaction.

“I could pretend just one more time it was only us!”

Rainbow blinked. Noooo… no way… The pieces were there… but it was too crazy to actually be true.

But what if… What if…

But why now? She’s never been jealous of anyone else I hung out with!

Because you never called any of them your boyfriend, you dingus!

Rainbow snapped her head up. “Sunset, you’re gay!”

“Bisexual,” Sunset said, sharply raising her eyebrow. “What’s your point?”

“Well, like, gay people can spot other gay people, right? That whole ‘gaydar’ thing!”

Sunset let out a long and low sigh as she rubbed the space between her eyes. “I’m going to pretend that sentence didn’t happen. What exactly are you trying to say, Dash?”

Rainbow stood up, mind and heart racing. “Does… do you think Fluttershy like… likes me?”

“Uhh,” Sunset’s exasperation quickly jumped to surprise. She looked out the window again. “That’s something you should ask her, not me.”

That was all Rainbow needed to hear. She grabbed the sides of her head and paced in front of her bed. “Aw, crap! How did I not see that? I’m a freaking idiot!”

Sunset raised her hands placatingly. “Whoa, Dash. Maybe you’re a little oblivious, but it’s not like Fluttershy was making it obvious.”

Rainbow ignored her, pacing faster. “All those times I ranted to her about Cloud Kicker hitting on me, and she just sat there and nodded! Why would she even like me? I… I ditched her for half of high school!”

“Well, you of all people should know how forgiving she is.”

“That doesn’t make it better!” Rainbow collapsed onto the side of her bed and buried her face in her hands. “I’ve really done it this time! Fluttershy’s liked me for who knows how long, and I go and start dating Soarin right in front of her! Ugh! And this stupid double date thing I tried to pull! She must hate me now!”

Sunset sat down next to her. “As much as I’d love to grill you more about your stunt today, I think you’ve already learned your lesson. Look, I’m sure Fluttershy doesn’t hate you. I don’t know if that’s possible for her.”

“She clearly doesn’t like Soarin.”

“Maybe. But, I think she only doesn’t like him because she hasn’t been able to express her real feelings for you. You have to go talk to her, Dash, for everyone’s sake.”

Rainbow hunched her shoulders. “But I already hurt her. What if I just make it worse?”

“She’s already in pain. And if you avoid her, that’ll make it worse. Just talk to her and tell her the truth. At the very least, you’ll give her closure.” Sunset paused. “Do you have any feelings for her?”

Rainbow closed her eyes, trying to feel anything at the thought of Fluttershy. Happiness, confidence, the desire to punch anyone who made her cry. But none of the stomach tingling, heart-thumping emotions that came when she hung out with Soarin.

“I love her but… not in the way I think she wants me to.”

Sunset put a hand on Rainbow’s back. “Listen, it’s probably going to hurt. But the longer you wait, the more its going to fester. Don’t… don’t let Fluttershy end up like Moondancer.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened and she hopped to her feet. It was probably a one in a million chance, but Rainbow wasn’t about to risk it. “You’re right. I’m off to talk to her right now. I just hope I’ll know what to say.”

“You know her best, Rainbow.” Sunset gave an encouraging smile. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

*******

Fluttershy’s house was the easiest on the block to spot. It was a buttercream yellow in a sea of blues, grays, and whites, with a beautiful flowerbed in front of the porch, and planters hanging from the second-story windows.

Rainbow pulled into the driveway and took a deep breath. With all the games and races she had done, her stomach had never squirmed this badly before. She had thought hard about what she was going to say to Fluttershy, but none of it felt meaningful.

All right, I’ll just wing it. A terrible plan probably, but Rainbow knew she wasn’t good with mushy stuff. If she tried to think of a heartfelt speech, she’d be sitting there all evening.

She got out the car and stepped up onto the front porch, covered in bird feeders and more potted plants. She gave the doorbell a ring and hoped Fluttershy hadn’t told her parents to keep her from ever coming inside again.

To Rainbow’s dismay, it wasn’t either of Fluttershy’s parents who answered, but her thin and gangly younger brother, Zephyr Breeze. He had his long blonde hair pulled into a top knot, and a scraggly beard was starting to grow in.

He leaned against the door frame and turned his lips up into what Rainbow guessed was supposed to be a smolder. “Well, if it isn’t Rainbow Dash,” he said, bobbing his head back and forth with each syllable. “Here to grace me with your amazing presence?”

“You wish, dweeb. Is Fluttershy here?”

Zephyr frowned. “Yeah. She came home crying and shut herself in her room. Won’t tell anyone why.” He tried to smolder again. “Did she refuse to give you her blessing when you admitted you were head over heels for me.”

“Ew! For the last time, me and you will never happen! Now, move!” Rainbow elbowed her way past him and headed straight for the stairs. She paused at the top to shake off the agitation Zephyr always managed to bring up in her before moving onto Fluttershy’s door and knocking gently.

“Fluttershy, it’s me. Can we talk, please?”

Rainbow heard a familiar, “Eeep!” before a rustle of blankets, a few footsteps, and a closet door slamming shut. She groaned and threw the room door open.

Fluttershy’s room was a pink sanctuary of plants and animals. Her bunny Angel sat on the bed, nibbling a carrot and glaring at Rainbow. A cat was curled up on the pillow. Two gerbils were snoozing in a cage on Fluttershy’s desk, and a parakeet hung from a perch over a large, potted sunflower. Miniature ferns grew from the top of the wardrobe, and if Fluttershy pushed her window open, she could reach the planters outside.

Rainbow shut the door behind her. Across from her was the closet, covered in posters of puppies and kittens. “Fluttershy, please come out and talk to me.”

She heard a sniffle, but nothing more.

“Please don’t make me say it,” Rainbow groaned. Covering one of her eyes.

Silence.

“Fluttershy, please come out of the closet!”

“No.”

“Fine, then I’m coming in there!” Rainbow marched over and pulled the closet door open. Fluttershy sat huddled against the back, the top of her head hidden by the bottoms of blouses and dresses. She pulled her long hair over her face, then pressed herself against her knees.

Rainbow took a seat opposite of her. “Fluttershy, I’m really, really sorry about today. I should have just told Soarin I had already made plans instead of trying to make both of you happy at once. I’ll make it up to you somehow, okay?”

“Okay,” Fluttershy mumbled into her knees.

A pregnant pause hung between them. “Just okay?” Rainbow asked.

“Mhmm.”

“You forgive me?” Rainbow asked again, skepticism rising.

“Yes.”

“... Could you look at me when you say that?”

Fluttershy shook her head.

“Please, talk to me! Heck, yell at me! I’ve earned it! Tell me I’ve been a crappy friend—I know I’ve been one! You deserve better than me!” Rainbow dug her nails into her palm. “Come on, just say it…. You shouldn’t keep all that bottled up.”

Fluttershy shook like a leaf and hugged herself as tight as she could.

“Fluttershy, please!”

“I like you, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy screamed, throwing her head up. “I’ve liked you since middle school! You were always there for me! You always stood up for me! You always told me to just do my best! You made me want to be brave! You’re the reason I can raise my voice and cheer at soccer matches and track meets! You’re the reason I want to protect things that can’t protect themselves! You’re great and amazing and I’ve wanted to tell you for the longest time, but I couldn’t because I knew! I always knew! But when it was just us, I could at least pretend sometimes! Pretend you liked me the way I… I…”

She broke into uncontrollable sobs and buried her face again. Rainbow could only watch, stunned into silence. Fluttershy had harbored a crush on her for six years. And all that time, Rainbow had been walking around, forcefully refuting she wasn’t gay every time someone insinuated. She may as well have been slapping Fluttershy in the face.

Rainbow instinctively reached a hand out, but pulled it back. She waited for Fluttershy’s sobs to calm down a little before speaking in a hoarse voice, “You’re wrong. I wasn’t always there for you. Halfway through freshman year, I started pushing you away. I don’t have an excuse for it. I know you said you forgave me for it. But it just makes me think you should have someone who isn’t just going to walk away from you.”

“You came back.”

“I should have never left in the first place!” Rainbow rubbed her eyes. She was deflecting from the real issue. “Fluttershy, it’s so awesome to hear you say all that stuff about me, and that you… you feel all those things about me. But, I’m… I’m not—”

“Don’t say it!” Fluttershy clapped her hands over her ears. “I know.”

“No, you don’t.” Rainbow crawled over and squeezed next to Fluttershy, leaving an inch of space between them. “You’ve always been there for me, cheering me on and cheering me up. You’re the nicest, sweetest person in the world. You make me want to be, you know, a little less abrasive to people. You make me want to be my best! I go into all my games with so much confidence because I know you’re there cheering for me! You’re great and amazing and I don’t think I tell you that enough!”

Fluttershy turned her head, fixing Rainbow with her puffy red eyes. “Really?”

“Really. I’m sorry I never noticed your feelings before. And I’m sorry if I hurt you with anything I said. And I’m really sorry about today. It was supposed to be about you. Because you’re my best friend. Heck, you’re more than that! There’s not a word cool enough to describe what you mean to me! Yeah, I like Soarin, but you mean more to me than any boy out there. If they want to be with me, they have to be cool with you.”

Fluttershy leaned over and buried her face in Rainbow’s shoulder. “That m-means a lot,” she said, choking back more tears. “But that’s not fair to you. I didn’t want to come between you and Soarin because I saw how happy he made you. It’s not fair for you to sacrifice your happiness for me.”

“Yeah, but I’m not happy unless you are.”

Fluttershy shook her head, brushing her hair against Rainbow’s nose. “I can’t do that. I’m just being a… a jealous meany-pants.”

Rainbow snorted.

“I was just mad you were dating someone who wasn’t me. I never gave him a chance. I… I promise to at least try and be his friend first.”

Rainbow inwardly sighed in relief. She had hoped Fluttershy would at least try. But she meant what she said: she would pick Fluttershy over any boy, even Soarin.

“Thanks, Fluttershy.” Rainbow wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. Fluttershy snuggled closer and sniffled. Gently, Rainbow gave her a kiss on the forehead. “How do you feel?”

Fluttershy took her time answering. “A little better. I’m still sad I can’t be… with you. But, I’m happy I finally told you.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I don’t love you… you know, like that. But I do love you, like, super crazy. Me and you are like this—” Rainbow held two fingers up and crossed them. “And I swear, I’m gonna be there for you, no matter what, till the end of time.”

Fluttershy smiled, a pleasant blush on her cheeks. “Thank you, Dashie.” She stayed in Rainbow’s embrace for several minutes. Rainbow didn’t mind; she was just happy to have the air between them cleared.

Eventually, Fluttershy got up and pulled Rainbow to her feet. She walked over to her bed and reached under her pillow, pulling out the crimson scarf from the Yarn-Off.

“Here,” Fluttershy said, holding it out to Rainbow. “You probably guessed, but I made this for you.”

Rainbow took it into her hands, awing at how soft it felt. Rainbow colored lightning bolts dropping from white clouds ran down the center, and the tassels alternated between red and white. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Rainbow swore she saw the entire thing shimmer and glow for a split second.

She wrapped it around her neck and beamed at Fluttershy. “I’m gonna wear it every day!”

Fluttershy gave a radiant smile. “Yay.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Double Dash

14. The Letter

“So, Selena has no idea what the staff does?”

Sunset stretched her arms over her head. “Nope. Artemis just warped it over in the middle of the night while we were gone. He later sent a note telling her to keep it locked up in the study until he got back. Apparently, he and Trixie ran into Tempest when they found it.”

Twilight made a concerned hum. “That is worrying. It can’t be good if she wants it.” She looked at Sunset from the corner of her eyes. “Any chance I could take a look at it?”

“How about we wait until after Artemis sees it first?”

The two of them walked back to Twilight’s house after an early morning sword practice. Sunset held onto Twilight’s sword while Twilight continuously tried to stretch out her shoulder.

“I guess that’s reasonable,” Twilight said, failing to hide her disappointment.

Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. “We can research some other magical phenomena. Would that make you happy?”

“Yes!” Twilight said with a skip, briefly wincing afterward. “We haven’t done any magical research in a long time; I’ve really fallen behind.”

Sunset was happy to slip back into a somewhat normal routine. Between graduation, the Sirens, and Rainbow being dumb, it had been hard to find a steady groove. Sure, she had to make a few concessions with Twilight’s new sword practice, but at least they still had time to spend together. With the sky clear and the sun shining bright, Sunset personally wanted to spend the day outside. But, if Twilight wanted to study magic, Sunset could oblige.

They reached Twilight’s house, and she made her usual routine of running to hide her sword in the garage before coming back around and entering through the front. “Dad, I’m back!” Twilight called, stepping into the front hall. She froze mid-step, and Sunset tumbled into her back.

“Hmph, is that how you announce yourself? Just barging in, hooting and hollering?” an old, husky voice said. “No respect, not even in your own house.”

Sunset gathered herself and looked over Twilight’s shoulder. A plump, elderly woman sat at the dining table, eyes narrowed in the girl’s direction. She had her gray hair tied into a tight bun and her skin was the same shade of purple as Twilight.

“Grandma Golden Light,” Twilight said, a nervous quiver in her voice. “Hi! How was your flight?”

“Terrible. Slow to take off and slow to pull in. And all these new security measures… in my day, you just showed your ID and walked through.” Golden Light paused and honed her hawk-like eyes on Sunset. “Well, don’t just stand in the doorway; it’s impolite! Introduce yourself!”

Sunset scrambled forward and stood as straight as she could. “Uh, I’m Sunset Shimmer, Twilight’s—”

“Friend! Best friend!” Twilight smiled widely and tapped her fingers together. Sunset raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Golden Light continued to glare at her. “You need to tie that hair up or cut it. It’s not professional.”

“Okay?” Sunset said slowly, disliking this woman more and more as the seconds wore on.

“And what’s with that jacket? Are you in some kind of gang? Is she a bad influence on you, Twilight?”

Sunset narrowed her eyes. “I’m not in a gang, and I’ll have you know, I was our class’s salutatorian.”

Golden Light sniffed. “Well, it’s not like it was a private and prestigious school like Twilight’s old one. I don’t understand why you had to switch. It’s only an hour bus ride from here, I checked. I used to walk an hour to school each day.”

Sunset popped her jaw, ready to retort, but Shining hurried into the room, a bowl of spaghetti in his hand. “Here you are, Grandma.” He set it on the placemat in front of her.

“Is it heated all the way through?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Golden Light turned and began twirling her pasta onto her fork. “You’re such a good boy, Shining. I can’t believe you’re settling for a disk jockey.”

“She’s the most popular radio show host in the city,” Shining said, trying not to press his teeth together.

Golden Light sniffed again. “She plays music over the radio. There’s plenty of far more respectable positions for a woman like her. I was a principal. At least you two are doing things worthwhile.”

“Yep!” Twilight said loudly, grabbing Sunset by the arm. “In fact, I’m about to go do more worthwhile things right now. Gotta get those scholarships! We’ll be in the lab, Shiny!”

As Twilight pulled Sunset forward, she caught the look in Shining’s eye that said, ‘please don’t leave me alone.’ Rounding the corner to the kitchen, Sunset heard Golden Light mutter, “Could have gone to Harvard.”

They hurried into the garage, and Twilight shut the door behind them before sighing and leaning against it. “I forgot she’d be here today.”

“She seems…” Sunset chewed on her tongue.

“Go ahead and say it.”

“Twilight, I hate her.”

Twilight massaged her temple. “She needs everything to be perfect, and even then, it’s still never good enough. She’s the most judgmental person in my entire family. And my great uncle Gavel is a judge!”

Sunset laid her arms atop one another. “Is that why you panicked and introduced me as your ‘friend’?” She made sure not to sound accusatory.

“Sorry, I panicked.” Twilight rubbed her shoulder. “No one outside my immediate family knows about my orientation, or that I have a girlfriend. I’ve been mentally readying myself to slowly come out at the wedding. I wasn’t prepared for you to meet her here.”

Sunset walked over and rested her hand over Twilight’s. “I never really worried about presenting myself. Both because I don’t care what anyone else thinks, and because in Equestria, gender norms are a lot more fluid than here. Go at your own pace, okay? The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable.”

Twilight groaned and tilted her head back. “And that’s why I want to tell everyone you’re my girlfriend! You’re just so… so…” She brought her head forward and kissed Sunset on the lips. “Perfect.”

“You and I both know that’s not true,” Sunset said, unable to get the giddy smirk off her face.

“Well, you’re close enough for me.”

Sunset leaned forward and kissed her back. “Same to you, Sparky. Now, do you wanna make out, or study magic?”

“Who says we can’t do both?”

*******

Moondancer reached and plucked a single piece of popcorn from the bowl before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes were fixated on the television screen before her. She still couldn’t believe she had watched so much of this silly, low-budget, science fiction show. But, Twilight adored it, and Moondancer could understand why, even if it was dated.

As visually unimpressive as it was, Moondancer wasn’t about to complain. She and Twilight sat on the couch, leaning against one another, a bowl of popcorn balanced between them.

“So these… Tarains…?”

“Tamarian,” Twilight corrected.

“Yes, these Tamarians only speak in allegories?”

“Correct!”

Moondancer took another kernel. “Fascinating. But, I can see several flaws in this language, even if you did grow up with it. If you had never heard the story the allegory was from, you would have no idea what someone was saying to you. Conversely, even if you had, allegories can have many different meanings.”

Twilight nodded, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth. She had enough manners to chew and swallow before speaking. “True, but I suppose it would be like someone using a word or phrase you haven’t heard before in our world.”

“Yes, but trying to learn the context behind it would take a considerable more amount of time.”

“Touché.”

Moondancer smiled and snuggled a little closer onto Twilight. She adored their time together, no matter what they did. Six years with no interaction with children her age, and now, she had been rewarded with this brilliant and adorable flower. She willed her fluttering heart to be still. Perhaps there would be time later to become something more. For now, Moondancer just wanted to savor this genuine friendship.

The episode ended, and the credits crawled across the screen. Twilight rested her head against the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “What do you think aliens are really like, Moony?”

Moondancer tilted her head back as well. “I know not. But, I’m certain that if anyone can find the answer, it is you, little star.”

Twilight made a sad chuckle. “You know I can’t ever be an astronaut.”

“You don’t have to leave our fair planet to make such discoveries. Perhaps you’ll be the one to pick up long-distance frequencies.” Moondancer sat up and splayed out her fingers. “Or, you shall be the lead designer of our first interstellar spaceship! They shall name it after you: the ‘Twilight Voyager’! Your name shall live on forever, sung through the cosmos for the brilliant mind I know you to have!”

Twilight’s laugh was more earnest this time. “Thanks, Moony.”

“Think nothing of it. I speak only the truth.”

They were five minutes into the next episode when Mrs. Velvet poked her head into the room. “Moondancer, your, er, driver is here to pick you up.”

Moondancer stifled a sigh. “Very well. Thank you, Mrs. Velvet.” She got to her feet and raised her arms over her head to stretch. “We will have to continue our Star Trekking another time.”

Twilight paused the T.V. and got up as well. “Yeah. I wish you could stay longer. Oh, we should have another sleepover this weekend!”

“That sounds lovely! I shall ask my father if it’s allowable.” Moondancer slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag before heading to the front door. Porter stood on the porch, greeting her with a polite smile and a tip of his hat. Moondancer turned and gave Twilight a goodbye hug.

“When Odysseus returns to Penelope in Ithaca,” Moondancer said before releasing Twilight.

Twilight looked confused for a moment before her face broke into a wide, glowing smile. Moondancer gave a short curtsey and made her leave. Porter opened the door of the limo for her, and she settled in.

The warm bubble she had been carrying popped immediately when she saw who was sitting across from her.

Tempest had one leg crossed over the other, hand resting in her lap. “Having fun?” she asked in her usual, aloof tone.

“I was,” Moondancer said coldly. “What do you want?”

“I’m here to make sure you aren’t jeopardizing any of our plans. I still think it was a terrible idea to let you attend school, private or otherwise.”

Moondancer crossed her arms. “I haven’t breathed a word about your scheme to anyone. No one would believe me if I did.”

Tempest remained stone-faced. “You’re getting awfully close to that girl.”

“I’m allowed to have a friend, aren’t I?”

Tempest snorted. “Sure, keep your little playmate. Just remember…” She tapped a finger against the golden amulet around her neck. “If I find out you’ve said too much, she and you can go meet your dear mother.”

Moondancer bared her teeth but said nothing. Tempest didn’t need to threaten her; Moondancer had no intention of bringing Twilight into this conflict. She had finally found a friend, and she would do anything to keep Twilight safe.

*******

Laying on her bed, staring up at the canopy, Moondancer knew she could be making better use of her time. The garden had been tended to for the day. She didn’t feel like practicing the piano. She could read a book. Or maybe see her mother.

Moondancer cringed at the last idea. Going upstairs meant chancing another encounter with her father, and she had no desire or energy to do that.

A sigh left her lips. Lying in her room with nothing to do and no one to talk to… it reminded her too much of the time before she met Twilight. Oh, how she wished she could go back to the golden era where she could see her little star whenever she wanted. Freedom; delicious, intoxicating freedom.

Knock knock knock. “Lady Moondacer?” an old voice called through her door.

Moondancer groaned and forced herself into a sitting position before rolling out of bed. It was unladylike, but she dragged her feet across the carpet and opened up the door. “Yes, Porter?”

He held an envelope in his hand. “This arrived in the mail for you. It had no name, however, so I must admit, I am wary of it. I thought I should inform you before I throw it out.”

Moondancer gave the envelope a quick inspection. Her heart froze when she saw the handwriting on the front spelling out her name. She knew that penwork anywhere. “N-no! I will take the letter, Porter, thank you.”

She practically snatched it from his hand, taking it into her own trembling ones. “Um, please, do not tell anyone else about this.”

Porter gave her a confused look, but bowed.

“Thank you.” She shut the door quickly, mentally apologizing to him for her curtness. She ran back to her bed and tore the letter open, heart drumming in her chest. Twilight had wrote to her? Given her correspondence after all these weeks?

She froze before reading it. What if it was a formal declaration of the end of their friendship? What if she had just written to tell Moondancer what she already knew: that Twilight would never forgive her, no matter what. What if Twilight had found out about Jörmangandr and Moondancer’s involvement?

Moondancer set the letter on the bedside table. She couldn’t do it. Even if she already knew in her heart that Twilight was against her, she couldn’t bear to see it written out.

I should just throw it away. I don’t need another physical reminder of my treachery.

But it was a letter from Twilight, possibly the last letter she would ever receive. It had its own sweet sentimental value, even if the reasons why it was sent were grim. Twilight saw fit to write to her, that alone was cause for celebration, bittersweet as it was.

There was also the slim and meager chance that it wasn’t a letter of rejection. Moondancer shook her head. There was nothing else that could be in that letter. Twilight was sweet and altruistic, seeing the best in people. But even she wasn’t that pure-hearted.

Moondancer paced the floor, sparing a glance at the letter every time she turned. To read or not to read? She had nothing to lose. Of course, she had absolutely nothing to gain either. If she didn’t count potential heartbreak.

Her blisters seared with heat, and she yelled, pressing her hand against her mask at the surprise pain. The angry, burning welts contextualized the dilemma for Moondancer, at least. Whatever was in the letter couldn’t hurt more than this.

When the heat settled again, Moondancer took the letter into her shaking fingers. She sat on the edge of the bed, took a deep breath to settle her stomach, and began to read.

Dear Moondancer,

Writing this is… hard. I vented all of my feelings beforehand in a rough draft, and this is still hard. But I’m writing it anyway because I feel like I have to. I have things I need to say.

I’m hurt. That is the premise of my entire missive. Moondancer, you were my first friend, my best friend. You meant the world to me. So, seeing what you did, what you tried to do, what you’re a part of… I’m confused and angry. I re-read all of the letters you wrote to me while you were in France, how you were happy someone had come to my aid when I needed it, and that I had a friend to talk to while you were gone.

That made what happened at Prom hurt even more. Seeing how much you hated Sunset, how much you wanted to hurt her. And not just her, the rest of my friends… even me. Did you hate Sunset from the beginning? How much of that was the Archon Amulet and how much was you?

How could you do such a thing? What did Sunset do to deserve so much hatred? I told you how much she meant to me. She helped me when I needed it the most. I know now you liked me, but I thought you would be happy for me. This can’t just be jealousy—there has to be more here than that; something you won’t or can’t tell me. So, as angry and hurt as I am, I have to ask:

Are you okay?

That doesn’t absolve you of anything you’ve done. But I’ve seen Tempest Shadow. I know what she wants to do. And I can’t believe you would go along with it so willingly. You’re in trouble, I know you are.

I’m not ready to forgive you. I don’t know if I ever will be. But, in honor of our friendship, I still want to help you if I can. But you have to tell me what’s wrong. No lies, no secrets, no half-truths. Of course, I don’t know if you can. I don’t know how much trouble you’re in. I don’t know if you’ll even get this letter.

Even after writing this, I have so many emotions. I think, above all else, I’m sad. I’m sad that you resorted to such drastic and evil measures. I’m sad that I don’t know if I can ever trust you again. I’m sad that you might be in trouble.

If you are, and if you can, tell me. I’ll try to help you one more time.

Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Happy birthday.

The second half of the letter had been increasingly difficult to read due to the tears spilling from Moondancer’s eyes. She had been wrong; Twilight’s words hurt far more than the scars on her face, stinging now because of her tears.

Not a single exclamation point; just calm, collected anger. A quiet storm pulsing with electricity. Moondancer was left numb. She didn’t know what to focus on first. Of course her actions had caused Twilight pain, but the way she had written it out… Moondancer felt ill. She had shattered the trust Twilight had placed in her. It didn’t come as a surprise but it hurt all the same.

She cringed, seeing her actions at Prom replay in her head. Yes, Moondancer hadn’t quite been in her right mind, but the emotions she felt that night still came from her, even if the amulet dredged them up and amplified them to unhealthy levels. Even if she had been under orders, a reasonable human being would have refused and taken the fall instead of turning on her friend.

But I had to survive.

That didn’t excuse her actions, or wash away the grime of guilt covering her. Though the feeling of filth was why she still hadn’t put on the Archon Amulet since that night. She needed to find other ways to achieve her goal; ones that didn’t consist of her sinking even further into the mud.

It was too little too late though. The Spectacular Seven viewed her as an enemy. Perhaps it was better that way. Though, part of her regretted some of the potential friendships she had thrown away. Rarity seemed like a great girl. And Fluttershy had a gentle purity to her that Moondancer found attractive. She was also quite knowledgeable on plants and animals.

And then there was Sunset.

Moondancer clenched the letter, creating a deep crease. She regretted the parts she had played in stealing Sunset’s soul. She regretted hurting Twilight as a result. But that regret couldn’t drown out the hatred she felt for the succubus.

Sunset Shimmer. She had everything. She had come from virtually nowhere, stolen Twilight, moved in with Moondancer’s family, wielded incredible magical power. Her entire existence mocked Moondancer. No, there wasn’t a force on earth that could get Moondancer to change her mind about that. Perhaps Sunset wasn’t evil like she first thought, but she was still an interloper who had no place here.

Moondancer’s grip slackened. She raised the letter and read it through again.

Are you okay?

No. She wasn’t. Moondancer hadn’t been ‘okay’ in years. Nothing was okay. But she couldn’t tell Twilight that. She had wanted to keep Twilight as far away from this as possible. She supposed that was impossible now. But the less people who knew about her plan, the less chance of Tempest finding out. And Moondancer refused to give Tempest any more reasons to target Twilight.

Moondancer kept her eyes on the last lines of the letter. The desire to respond in any capacity burned like a fever. How she longed to talk to Twilight again. Given her way, she would spill all of her secrets. She would do anything to get Twilight to trust her again. But that wasn’t possible. Moondancer doubted it ever would be.

No, she wasn’t okay. And no, Twilight couldn’t help her. No one could.

She gave the letter one last glance, running a finger over the P.S. Twilight had scribbled in. Even after all of that, Twilight had remembered her birthday. Moondancer wanted to see that as a spark of hope, but she knew better.

She neatly folded the paper, flattening out the crease she had made, and tucked it under her pillow. Moondancer stood up to pace again. She was more restless than before now. Guilt would be eating at her heart for the rest of the day, and gloom sat heavy on her shoulders.

What was she to do now? She really wanted to write back to Twilight, even if it was just a simple hello, just to acknowledge that she had gotten the letter. But Twilight would be furious no doubt unless Moondancer wrote back something of substance; something that answered at least one of her questions.

What else could she do then? She had nothing to tend to, no one to talk to. She was trapped in this house, cut off from the outside world, with only her thoughts to accompany her.

The walls of her room loomed closer. She could hear the words of Twilight’s letter from under her pillow. They were loud, and matched up with the hurt look Twilight had given her.

She, Moondancer had been a bad friend. She had been a terrible friend. She didn’t need the letter yelling at her.

Maybe you do. Maybe you need another reminder of just how far down this slope you’ve fallen.

Moondancer’s chest tightened. Breathing was becoming a hassle, and her head felt light. Everything I’ve done has been to save the world. To save my mother!

At the cost of what? Innocent lives? Friendship? Your face?

Her left cheek prickled. Moondancer pushed it all away. She needed air. She needed to get away. She wanted to go outside and be free, even for just a moment.

And Tempest wasn’t here to stop her.

There was, of course, that nagging feeling that she somehow was watching Moondancer. But now, Moondancer didn’t care. She could make it quick, just as long as she got away for a little bit. She needed to get new seeds for her garden anyway, that would be her excuse.

Moondancer inhaled deep, clearing the blockage in her chest. She slipped her shoes on and pushed her room door open. She found Porter in drawing room, dusting one of the bookshelves.

“Porter, I would like to go into town please.”

Porter looked at her, a little unsure. “Is that, err, wise, My Lady?”

“It’s just one errand. No one has to know as long as we’re quick.”

Porter put his duster away and bowed. “Very well, Lady Moondancer.”

*******

They took the town car instead of the limo to be a little more discreet. Moondancer watched the elegant houses transition into more mundane living spaces. Sparkling fountains became tiny birdbaths, and four-car garages were reduced to just one.

The Upper Villa was primarily just real estate property for homes and condos. The closest shopping center was at the foot of the hill, but it lacked a quality flower store, meaning they had to drive a bit further into town.

Moondancer didn’t mind. Just watching the scenery fly past took away the claustrophobic feeling her manor had been imposing on her over the last month. The last time she had snuck out, it had been under the cover of darkness to do Tempest’s bidding. Right now, she could relax and enjoy herself.

Well, enjoy herself as much as she could with Twilight’s barbed words still nettling her. She wanted to tell Porter to take her to Twilight’s house, but the creeping idea that Tempest was somehow watching her gave her pause, even if she knew it was impossible. Furthermore, there was the likely possibility Twilight was with Sunset, and Moondancer had no desire to speak to her.

A simple drive would have to suffice. Canterlot was bathed in shades of green, from the emerald leaved trees, to the jade moss creeping up older buildings, to the yellowing lawns taking the brunt of the late spring sun.

The car pulled into the lot of a small shopping outlet on the edge of the middle-class suburbs. Moondancer had been here a few times with Twilight. There was a comic book store her brother would drag them into when he chaperoned them, and a candy store they would indulge in from time to time.

Moondancer stepped out, promising Porter she would return shortly. It was a warm day, but a pleasant breeze kept it from being uncomfortable. A few people stared at her as she passed, but Moondancer paid them little mind. She was used to the spotlight. Sure, it wasn’t positive this time, but she knew no one was bold enough to actually approach her.

‘Green Thumb’ was a mom and pop shop next to a convenience store and the comic shop. Moondancer had come here ever since she was a little girl with her mother. Rows of seeds, fertilizers, and pots greeted her, with houseplants sitting on shelves in front of the windows. It smelled of freshly churned dirt and budding flowers.

“Moondancer!” a cheery older voice called from the cash register. “It’s been a long— oh sweetheart, what happened to you?”

Despite telling herself she didn’t care what others thought and was prepared for the ogling and questions, Moondancer still reflexively put a hand against her mask. “Hello, Mrs. Flora. It’s nothing, really, just a little mishap.”

Mrs. Flora was the grandmother of the shop. She had flyaway gray hair that Moondancer could tell had once been a vibrant pink, and large eyes magnified buy her spectacles. She gave Moondancer a disapproving frown.

“That looks like more than just a ‘little mishap.’

Moondancer stepped closer, as to not drag the rest of the store into the conversation. “I had a disastrous run-in with a very angry avian. I assure you though, all will be well.”

Mrs. Flora narrowed her eyes. “Well… I at least hope whoever owned that bird is giving you some sort of compensation.”

“We’re working something out.”

Expression softening, Mrs. Flora said, “Good. Well, birds aside, how are you, dear? You haven’t come in in some time.”

“I’m fine,” Moondancer said, a lie so easy, she could tell it in her sleep. “School and work kept me busy, so I haven’t had time to visit my favorite store.”

“Oh that’s right! You’re all graduated now, aren’t you? Oh, congratulations!”

Moondancer smiled, easier when she only had to use half her face. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Flora clapped her hands. “So, what are you going to do next?”

“I’m going to take a year off to really think about what I want to do. Work for the family business for a while and earn my keep.”

“That’s a good plan,” Flora said with a nod. “College is expensive, even for someone like you. But, that’s future talk; what can I do for you today?”

Moondancer wandered toward the aisles. “Just seed hunting today. Whatever strikes my fancy.”

“Well, if you need any help, you know where I am.”

Moondancer nodded in gratitude before turning her attention to the rows and rows of seed packets. Summer was a week away, and she needed to finish rearranging the garden. Something to compliment the dahlias already growing. Perhaps even grow a few things on the balcony.

Gloriosas? Mmmm, a little bland. Oh, but zinnias have such a variety of colors. That could be fun. And I can never say no to a patch of sunflowers.

She pulled the packs from their shelves, genuinely smiling as she did. She could picture the arrangement in her head, seeing a palette of colors blooming in her backyard. Maybe she could grow some lavender near the gazebo.

Moondancer cringed sharply, dropping the bag of lavender seeds onto the floor. Twilight, and the delightful lavender scent she always wore burst into the forefront of Moondancer’s mind, and thinking of Twilight brought about thoughts of her letter.

Her smile faded. The store felt smaller than Moondancer remembered. Her thoughts were getting loud again. She didn’t deserve to plant lavenders after what she did to Twilight. More than that, as she looked down at the seeds, Moondancer knew she couldn’t plant these. Not without feeling this guilt.

When her fingers stopped shaking, Moondancer scooped the bag up and tucked it back onto the shelf. What she had now would suffice. It would keep her busy for a day or two.

“Moondancer?” a gentle and confused voice said.

Moondancer stiffened. She turned her head, breath catching in her throat.

Fluttershy stood at the other end of the aisle, a basket full of fertilizer over her arm. Her doe eyes were wide, and Moondancer could see apprehension, confusion, and a little fear.

“Umm… hello, Fluttershy.” Moondancer gave her a small wave.

“Umm… hi.” Fluttershy shuffled in place. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Moondancer held her seeds up. “I, um, come here for my gardening supplies. I wanted to finish my summer arrangement.”

“Oh… I see.”

It was Moondancer’s turn to fidget. She could usually throw a guard up and establish some sort of performance, but she had never expected to run into any of Twilight’s friends here. And Fluttershy’s soft and fearful eyes made it harder.

“What brings you here?” Moondancer asked.

Fluttershy held her basket up. “Umm, I get my garden supplies from here, too.”

“Oh, I remember. You like to garden as well.”

“Yes, I help my mother with hers.”

Moondancer gave herself a sad smile. “I see. I used to do the same thing with my mother.”

Fluttershy gave a small nod. Both girls stood in place, occasionally fidgeting. Moondancer still couldn’t pick up her persona. She really hadn’t needed it since Prom.

Prom.

There was no doubt Prom was what Fluttershy had on her mind. She was sizing Moondancer up, deciding on whether to run and call her friends or not. She, Moondancer, was still the villain in Fluttershy’s eyes, and for good reason. Though Moondancer had to admit, Fluttershy was remaining surprisingly composed for the situation she was in.

Deciding now would be the best time to leave while the air was thick with awkward apprehension, Moondacer turned toward the register. “Well… it was nice to see you, Fluttershy. Take care.” A bit flippant, but it wasn’t like Fluttershy expected anything else from her.

“Wait,” Fluttershy said, quiet but surprisingly firm.

Moondancer turned back around. “Yes?”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Why… why are you really here?”

Moondancer just held the seeds up.

“But, you’re… you’re…” Fluttershy fidgeted again, looking around like the words she wanted were printed on one of the fertilizer labels.

“I’m what?” Moondancer asked softly. “A villain? A monster? Even monsters have hobbies, sweet Fluttershy.”

“N-no, that’s not what I…” She straightened her back and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She exhaled and opened them, revealing a sudden confidence that beguiled Moondancer more than her simpering eyes had. “You tried to hurt us. You did hurt Sunset. Twilight trusted you.”

Moondancer flinched hard, nearly dropping her items. It was like hearing the letter read out to her. She composed herself as best she could and said, “Yes, I did. I know.”

Fluttershy looked away again, her eyes settling on the lavender seeds Moondancer had put away. She fidgeted again, and just before Moondancer could finally pivot and walk away, she said, “I… I, um… I know how you feel, a little.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have a friend who I love very much but…” Fluttershy tapped her toe against the tiled floor. “She’s with someone else now.”

Moondancer clenched a fist and quickly released it. “I see. And how does that make you feel?”

Fluttershy wiped her eyes then looked back at Moondancer. “It hurt. A lot. I was even mean to the person she started dating… but that was wrong. Instead, I told her how I felt. It still hurts a little. Maybe I won’t be okay today, but I will be someday. And we’re going to keep being friends. I guess, in the end, I’m just happy she’s happy.”

Moondancer closed her eyes and eased into a smile. “You’re a kind and altruistic soul, Fluttershy. I hope you never lose that. Far better to take the high road than to do what I did.”

“But, why? Why did you do all of that? Do you really hate Sunset that much?”

Once again, Moondancer could hear Twilight’s letter, those exact words. She kept her eyes closed and said, “That’s not for you to know. I have my reasons, and though it means very little, I never intended for you to get caught in the crossfire.”

“That doesn’t excuse what you did.” Fluttershy sounded more like a disappointed parent than someone who had personally been harmed.

It was enough to get Moondancer to open her eyes, only to look away, unable to withstand Fluttershy’s withering glare. “I know. Of course, I wasn’t quite… in the right state of mind… but you’re right. It’s a moot point.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy didn’t respond immediately. Moondancer was about to use the pause as an out to finally walk away, but Fluttershy spoke just as she turned her foot. “Would you do it again?”

“Come again?”

“If you could do it again, would you? A lot of people say they’re sorry without meaning it. They’re sorry they got in trouble. My mom says, if someone’s really sorry, they would change their actions.”

Would she change anything? A better question was could she change anything. The premise would still be the same: her soul or theirs. Moondancer had to survive. She hated to think that way, weighing her life against someone else’s, but she was the only one who could defeat Tirek. It was all for a greater good.

If she could change things, she wouldn’t have tried to kill Sunset. Moondancer’s hatred of her ran deep, but death may have been a bit extreme, especially if it harmed Twilight in the process.

Moondancer clenched her free hand. She never would have attacked Twilight. Tempest’s orders be damned.

A tear snuck out of the corner of her eye. She wiped it away and said, “Only parts. I guess… I’m not as sorry as I thought.”

Yet, guilt and sorrow weighed her down like a lead balloon. It turned her stomach and sent goosebumps up her arms. The letter… this girl… today seemed fit to rub Moondancer’s mistakes in her face. She couldn’t stand to be in Fluttershy’s presence any longer. Her aura, her eyes, all they did was amplify the negativity eating Moondancer.

She turned away again. “I should go.” Fluttershy didn’t stop her thankfully. Moondancer presented her purchases to Mrs. Flora.

“There you go, sweetheart,” she said, putting everything into a paper bag. “You be sure to visit more often, okay?”

Moondancer gave her a small bow. “I will, I promise. Thank you for everything today.” She turned to go, and had a hand on the door when Fluttershy called out to her.

“Moondancer, wait.”

Against her better judgment, Moondancer paused and looked over her shoulder.

Gone was the burst of confidence Fluttershy had. Her shoulders were hunched, and she kept her hands pressed together in front of her chest. She looked like a flower in need of sunlight.

Eyes looking everywhere but at Moondancer, Fluttershy asked, “Do you… um… Moondancer, do you need help?”

Moondancer stiffened. Again, she could see Twilight’s letter before her eyes. I’ll try to help you one more time.

Twilight she could almost understand. Underneath her shy exterior was a compassionate soul. She still felt compelled by their friendship to at least offer a hand. But Fluttershy? Fluttershy hardly knew her. The last time Fluttershy had seen her, Moondancer tried to take her soul. Yet, she wanted to help?

It was hard, but Moondancer looked into Fluttershy’s eyes. Indeed, she could see the same level of compassion she had come to love in Twilight. It was actually quite astonishing. But, why? Why would Fluttershy offer to help? Moondancer had burned her bridges. Yet Fluttershy, and Twilight… even her father to some extent...

Another tear streaked down her face, followed closely by another. Her heart constricted, and her shoulders shook. It was like when she had spent the day with her uncle. Moondancer nearly broke, wanting so bad to spill everything she had been keeping secret. All her hopes and plans and lies made in desperation.

She quickly wiped her eyes. Even if she said yes, what could they do? What could anyone do? Sure, Fluttershy and her friends had flashy powers. With some training, perhaps they could serve as a notable distraction. But the rainbow they had… it reminded Moondancer of the stories of the Rainbow of Light. If it was anything similar, she couldn’t allow them to use it against Tirek. It would just be another seal, another stall until he found a way to come back again.

No, Moondancer had to end it. And she was the only one with that power.

Even still, a small part of her, the eight-year-old who had watched her mother fall to the floor, screaming as she stared into those lifeless eyes, she begged Moondancer to take the hand offered to her.

But she knew she couldn’t do that. Not now, not after everything she had already sacrificed to get this far. But perhaps, she could find a small middle ground. A small atonement for her actions at Prom.

Moondancer took a step toward Fluttershy and said in a soft voice, “Did you know magic used to be prevalent in this world? Abundant even. Then, it all just disappeared. Now, you girls are one of the last great sources of magic. Every time you do your extraordinary feats, the world seems to resonate and put out a little magic of its own.”

She dropped her voice even lower. “Imagine what someone could do if the world’s magic returned. Or if they could harness a direct source... if they could take yours for their own. Such great and terrible spells could be cast.”

Moondancer stepped back, watching Fluttershy rapidly blink her eyes. “You cannot help me, Fluttershy. I suggest you look after yourself and your friends.” She turned and pushed the door open.

“Moondancer…”

“I do regret that I cannot count myself among them.” Moondancer stepped into the afternoon air, leaving Fluttershy behind.

*******

She had just put on her sun hat and made it into the garden when she heard the whoosh of shadows gathering behind her. Moondancer braced herself and turned around, watching Tempest step out of her portal.

“Was your little excursion successful? You were gone a while,” Moondancer said, feigning interest.

Tempest narrowed her eyes. “Unfortunately, your uncle and cousin interfered with my plans. They sent the staff off to some unknown location, though I’m beginning to suspect where it might actually be.”

“Fascinating.” Moondancer picked up her spade and seed packets, and moved over to one of the small plots of barren earth.

“Well? I gave you a task to complete while I was gone. Or are you so incompetent, you couldn’t even do this simple thing?”

Moondancer stabbed the spade down and hauled up a larger chunk of earth than she intended. “I did your dirty work. ‘Spy on the Spectacular Seven and see if their powers develop.’ I even found an opportunity to test your little black magic experiment on them.”

“And?” Tempest asked, tapping her boot.

“From what I’ve seen, their powers only manifest when they’re in danger. The only development I saw was that they somehow managed to expel the magic you poured into that poor snake. And before you ask, no, I don’t know how. The connection orb went dark before it happened.”

Tempest growled. “No matter. As long as they’re still outputting magic. Anything else?”

Moondancer tore open a packet of seeds and placed one in the freshly dug hole. “They made friends with a boy who has magic that manifests as a guardian wolf spirit, and the Sirens. Though, ‘friends’ might be a bit of a stretch with the latter three. So would ‘allies’ actually.”

“Oh?” Tempest stepped through the dahlias, crushing them underfoot as she approached Moondancer, ignoring the outrage on her face. “Tell me more about this supposed alliance.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Path to Isolation

15. Canterlot Chronicles

“Because love’s in bloom!

“A beautiful bride, a handsome groom!

“I said love’s in bloom!

“You’re starting a life and making room

“For us!”

“For us!” six voices echoed after Sunset. Rainbow’s guitar and Twilight’s violin faded out, and the girls gave a celebratory cheer.

Sunset lowered her microphone and breathed deep to refill her lungs, taking in the rustic scent of hay and animal feed. “That was great, girls! I think we’re ready for the wedding.”

“Heck yeah, we are!” Rainbow cheered, pumping a fist.

Rarity fanned herself. “I still can’t believe we get to play at a wedding! What a way to officially start summer! I can’t wait to show you all the designs I’ve made for your outfits!”

Sunset took a seat on a hay bale, fidgeting to get comfortable against the straw. With the Sirens occupying the factory, the girls had to fall back to Sweet Apple Acres to practice. Sunset also had to put in a few calls to get a hold of Principal Celestia so they could borrow the keytar and bass guitar for their band. Despite not having played for months, everyone fell back into good form pretty quick, even more impressive with their new additions of Sunset on vocals and Twilight playing her violin.

Rainbow pulled her guitar over her head and adjusted her red scarf, then plopped down onto a hay bale. “I can’t wait for all the food! Weddings always have awesome stuff to eat. Plus, we get to stay at a fancy hotel for free!”

“Make sure you thank Cadence for getting us rooms,” Sunset said. “She could have just as easily made us carpool there. And don’t do anything dumb, Dash.”

“Why are you singling me out?”

“You know why.”

Rainbow huffed and crossed her arms. She hadn’t told anyone else what had transpired at Six Pillar Park a few days ago, so Sunset had kept her peace as well. But not even Sunset was privy to what happened between Rainbow and Fluttershy afterward. Judging by the new scarf Rainbow wore and the familiar look she and Fluttershy had shared when Applejack asked if Rainbow was too hot wearing it, Sunset suspected it had gone as well as it could have. Ultimately, she was just glad there weren’t any rifts in their friendship circle.

Pinkie slouched over her drums, twirling her drumstick around her fingers. “So, what now?”

“Well, we’ve gone through our set, practiced the bridal chorus.” Sunset shrugged. “I think we’re good until the rehearsal.”

“Sounds good to me,” Applejack said, shaking out her hand. “Ah forgot how much sweat you can work up playin’ an instrument. Y’all sit tight, Ah’ll get us some ciders to cool off.”

“You’re the best, A.J.!” Rainbow shouted as Applejack left the barn.

She returned in short order with a box of cold Sweet Apple Cider and handed one out to everyone before relaxing on a hay bale and taking a long sip of her own. “Ahh, now this is what Ah imagined our summer being like.”

“It has been pretty crazy so far, huh?” Pinkie said before finishing her drink in one gulp.

Sunset turned her face from the group and took a long sip of her cider.

Rarity cleared her throat. “Crazy or not, we’ve all had a good time for the most part. And we’ve done the right thing by helping the Sirens.”

Pinkie jumped up from her seat. “Abso-posi-lutely! Me and Sonata have a whole day of funnerifc things planned out for tomorrow!”

Rainbow shrugged. “I guess it hasn’t been the most egregious thing to happen to us.”

Twilight straightened up and beamed at Rainbow. “You’ve been using my word of the day calendar!”

“You can’t prove that!”

“Umm,” Fluttershy’s soft voice broke over the girls' amused snorts and snickers. She kept her eyes on her bottle and rolled it between her hands. “I’m happy the Sirens are starting to become our friends, but… I, um… I ran into Moondancer the other day.”

Twilight dropped her bottle onto the ground, the amber liquid spilling out onto the dirt. “You saw her?”

Rainbow was on her feet. “Did she hurt you?”

“No, no, she didn’t,” Fluttershy said hastily. “We just talked. I met her at the local flower shop I go to. She was buying seeds for her garden.”

Sunset watched Twilight’s throat constrict as she no doubt fought the urge to shout a thousand questions at once. She took a quivering breath and asked, “How is she?”

Fluttershy moved her eyes to the floor. “I don’t know. She seems… sad.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Please, it’s just more of her acting.”

“I don’t think it is,” Fluttershy said with a little more confidence. “She… she told me something. She said…” Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut. “There used to be a lot of magic in the world. Then, it all disappeared, and now, we have the most magic. Every time we do something, the world creates more magic, too.”

Applejack tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. But she also said if someone could harness the world’s magic or take ours, they could do really bad things with it.”

“She’s trying to warn us!” Twilight said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Yeah, real helpful warning that was,” Rainbow said, crossing her arms. “We already know the bad guys wanna resurrect that Tirek dude. Obviously, they need magic for it. How else do you bring back a dead guy?”

Sunset was up from her seat now, making short paces between her friends. “Yes, we knew what they wanted, but we didn’t know how they were going to get it.”

“There was the Archon Amulet though,” Twilight pointed out. “Trixie said it gave the user dangerous amounts of magic.”

“Maybe.” Sunset pressed a hand to her chin. “But we’re talking about resurrection. Even back in Equestria, that kind of magic doesn’t exist. Although, Tirek’s soul is still on the mortal plane, it’s just in the Soul Lock.”

Rainbow held her hands up. “So, what, they just want to bring back his body?”

“That would be less difficult. But if the Archon Amulet was so powerful, why isn’t Tirek walking around yet?”

Twilight stood up and began pacing opposite of Sunset. “You’re thinking it wasn’t enough magic?”

“Something along those lines,” Sunset said. “It was strong, but I beat Moondancer with that phoenix form. It stands to reason Tempest would want the strongest magic she could possibly get, i.e., us.”

“She wants to take your magic to bring back Tirek!”

“Yes, but the question is how? You can’t just drain someone’s magic.”

“But what if you could? What if there was an artifact that did that?”

“You’re thinking about that staff?”

“Artemis said Tempest wanted it—”

“And Selena hasn’t figured out what it does yet—”

“But what if it can somehow take someone’s magic—”

“It would be Tempest’s weapon of choice in attacking us—”

“Only if our hypothesis is true—”

“It’s not something I’m sure I want to test though—”

“Oi!” Rainbow shouted. “Would the two nerds care to fill the rest of us in?”

Sunset blinked. She and Twilight were a foot apart, Twilight’s hands clenched in eagerness from their brain meld. The two of them blushed and faced the rest of the group, all of them looking bemused save for Rainbow who stared at them flatly.

“Sorry,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“Artemis sent over a staff he and Trixie found and rescued from Tempest. If Moondancer really is giving us a hint and Tempest wants to steal our magic, there’s a high chance this might be how she wants to do it,” Sunset said.

“So then, should we test it?” Applejack asked.

Sunset shook her head. “Too risky. If it does absorb magic in some capacity, we don’t know if it’ll take a little or all of it, or if there’s a possibility to get it back.”

“Well, it’s a good thing it’s in our possession then,” Rarity said.

Twilight folded an arm and rested her elbow on it, pressing her cheek into her hand. “I wish there was some way we could test our hypothesis though.”

“Either way, we should tell Selena,” Sunset said, pulling her phone out for a text. “I don’t think Tempest is dumb enough to come after her in the middle of the suburbs, but better safe than sorry.”

The mood slowly alleviated into lighter topics as the afternoon wore on. Sunset noted that the seven of them hadn’t had a normal, jovial session like this since their movie night when the Sirens first showed up. Sunset remembered when she avowed she didn’t care about making friends beyond her core group. While that stance had eroded a bit, and Sunset was glad to help others like her reform themselves, she enjoyed the close-knit circle the seven of them shared.

The sun melted into the horizon, bleeding shades of oranges and pinks across the sky. Packing up their instruments and sharing their goodbyes, the girls parted ways. Sunset and Twilight trudged down the dirt road to where Sunset had left her bike.

Twilight took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, a wistful smile on her face. “Moondancer tried to help us. Maybe she’s still good after all. Maybe she…” She trailed off.

Sunset made herself busy by fishing their helmets from under the seat. Letting vague information slip didn’t exactly absolve Moondancer of her crimes of conspiring to steal their souls and attempted murder. Sunset’s shoulder gave a slight twitch.

Still, for the precarious situation Moondancer could be in, Sunset couldn’t deny she had proven to be of some help. And in no way did she want to take away any belief Twilight still had in her friend.

Sunset held a helmet out to Twilight. “As much as I dislike her, I hope you’re right.”

Twilight continued to smile as she took the helmet and looked at her reflection. “Me too.”

*******

Sunset was relieved to find that not all of Twilight’s family was as belligerent as Golden Light. Picking Twilight up the next morning so they could spend the day together, Sunset met her maternal grandparents, Twilight Jazz and Orion.

Twilight Jazz was a faded gray with silver hair and highlights like Twilight’s that had managed to keep most of their pink coloring despite her aging. Orion was a dull gold and balding, though he sported an impressive silver beard.

“Grandma, Grandpa, this is Sunset,” Twilight said, leading Sunset into the living room.

Orion stood from the couch and gave Sunset a firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, Sunset.”

Jazz followed suit, shaking with both hands. “It’s nice to meet you!” She added in a whisper, “We know Twilight has a hard time making friends.”

Twilight cupped a hand over her eyes.

“Nice to meet you both as well,” Sunset said, smiling at Twilight’s expense.

“I hear you and your little friends are going to be the wedding band?” Jazz asked.

Sunset nodded. “The old band dropped out last second, so we’re here to help out.”

“Aww, how sweet. Twilight and Cadence are lucky to have friends like you.”

Orion sat down again. “So, what are you girls up to today?”

Twilight smiled brightly. “We’re just going to hang out today. Get some ice cream, talk, stuff like that.”

Jazz smiled, though to Sunset it looked more like a sly smirk. “Well, you girls have fun and enjoy yourselves.”

“Thanks, Nana, we will!” Twilight gave a wave and ushered Sunset out of the room and back toward the front door. The second it closed behind them, she took Sunset’s hand and gave it a warm squeeze. “I’m sorry—”

“Stop,” Sunset cut over, squeezing back. “I already told you, go at your own pace. Besides, you can make it up by buying the ice cream today.”

Twilight leaned against her. “Deal. Do you think we can walk there today? It’s nice out.”

Indeed, it was a picturesque day with not a cloud to be found. With the summer solstice only days away, it also meant the heat had turned up, forcing Sunset to finally retire her leather jacket to the closet. It had been a sad parting, placing it on a hanger and leaving it behind in the dark, but Sunset couldn’t stand sweating through her clothes. Still, her arms felt bare and exposed without the comfort of leather embracing them.

She and Twilight walked down the block, hand in hand, dappled in leaf-shaped shadows from the flourishing trees overhead. The strong scent of pollen wafted through the air, tickling Sunset’s nose. In between their chatter and tousle of leaves, birds made themselves known with a chorus of chirps.

Even with the threat of Tirek and Tempest hanging over their heads, Sunset walked with a content smile on her face. Fleeting as she knew it was, all of her friends were happy, and Twilight was beside her on a beautiful day. Things were as perfect as they could be.

Twilight gestured emphatically with her free hand as she spoke, her expression oscillating between excitement and frustration. “I keep running comparisons between the laws of magic you’ve explained to me from Equestria and the observations of magic I’ve seen here. While some things line up, others don’t. The biggest example is yours and Rarity’s magic. You said unicorns can be versed in various kinds of spells like levitation or even weather manipulation. But Rarity can only manifest hard-light force fields, and you… I’m still not sure if there’s a technical term for what you can do.”

“Some form of empathic soul connection,” Sunset said breezily, relaxed by the warm air.

“And you told me that’s pretty unheard of back in Equestria.”

“From what I remember, yeah. I don’t recall any unicorn tapping into another pony’s soul. Not for positive reasons anyway.”

“And then there’s Artemis and Trixie who seemingly have magic in their veins as a genetic inheritance. They can cast a whole range of spells, but you’re all limited to one ability. It doesn’t make any sense! Equestrian magic seems to at least have laws it abides by! The magic here is wildly inconsistent!”

“Maybe there is a consistency, you just haven’t found the pattern yet?”

Twilight pushed her hand against her chin. “Maybe. I am still short on sufficient data from this world’s magic. If only Artemis or Trixie was still here.”

Sunset reached over with her free hand and gave Twilight’s hair a gentle stroke. “In the meantime, why don’t you keep focusing on things that do make sense. I know you’ve still got some science projects to work on.”

Twilight gave a giddy hop. “Actually yes! I’m currently developing code for a mobile hydraulic arm. It’ll be like an extra assistant in the lab and can handle some of the more dangerous objects I could potentially be working with.”

“Wow,” Sunset said, eyes wide. “That sounds impressive.”

“Thanks. It’ll probably take a while though. The code is pretty complex. Plus, even with my dad’s connections, it’ll take forever to get all the parts I need.”

“You know, there is the junkyard. Plenty of good finds there. It’s where I got my bike.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out. “I’m not going dumpster diving for machine parts… yet.” She sighed wistfully. “Imagine if I had a professional lab to work in! With top of the line technology and equipment! The things I could build! Maybe then I could make some sort of magic reader, just to see the output of magic you girls release every time you pony up.”

They approached familiar ground as they crossed the street and stepped onto Canterlot High’s campus. Coming near the horse statue, both of them slowed their gait, their eyes drawn toward the marble base. Sunset stopped, eyes moving from the statue to the building itself.

“It’s weird knowing I don’t have to come back here anymore,” Sunset said. “My entire time in this world revolved around this school.”

“I think that’s how a lot of teenagers feel when they graduate,” Twilight said, half-joking.

Sunset cracked a smile, even as she slid her hand out from Twilight’s. She walked around the statue to the front of its base and stared at her reflection, squinting her eyes to try and see past it. She pressed her hand against the cold, polished surface and closed her eyes. She could feel the magic the statue held; small, pulsing tingles that ran up her fingertips. Allowing that magic to flow through her, Sunset concentrated and tried to pierce the veil between dimensions.

Just the smallest peek. Just to know it’s still there.

Try as she might, she couldn’t see anything, not even the swirling rainbow vortex that served as the bridge. It made sense, she supposed. When she used to spy on Princess Celestia, it had always been at night on this side of the portal. Sunset opened her eyes, keeping her palm pressed to the marble. She wondered if there was even the smallest chance that Celestia was right on the other side, looking back at her.

A warm hand touched her shoulder, and Sunset looked back at Twilight. She pulled away from the statue and took Twilight’s hand. “Sorry.”

“You’re homesick, I get it. I mean, I don’t get it, but… you know what I mean,” Twilight finished with a mumble, cheeks turning pink.

Sunset giggled. “I do.” Her mirth evaporated just as quick as it came. Her eyes darted to the portal again. “I don’t know why. I have everything I could want right here. But… I keep dreaming about Equestria. I keep thinking about my parents and Princess Celestia. It’s still a long time before I’ll even have a chance to see them again.”

“You’ll see them again,” Twilight said, squeezing Sunset’s hand before moving her arms down and hugging Sunset’s waist. “Then, you can tell them everything you’ve accomplished here.”

Sunset looked at the back of her hand. Had her accomplishments outweighed her failures yet? She had certainly come a very long way. And even if they didn’t, her parents would at least be proud of the road she was on now.

She returned Twilight’s hug, resting her chin on her girlfriend’s forehead. “When I do, I hope you’re there with me.”

“Do you think they’d like me?”

“Trust me, they’d love you.” Sunset kissed her on the nose. “Enough ruminating for the day. You still owe me ice cream.”

Twilight broke their embrace and took her hand again, leading them away from the statue and the school. “You sure you’re okay?” she asked, casting that caring and inquisitive look Sunset loved so much.

Sunset squeezed her hand. “When you’re around, I’m always okay.”

*******

Rarity waited with bated breath, clutching her fists near her chest and bobbing up and down on her toes.

Aria flipped through the sketchbook, her face locked in her usual disinterested gaze. Her eyes roved over the designs, the corners of her lips occasionally twitching, from approval or mockery, Rarity couldn’t tell. Aria took her time, stretching the minutes into a painful eternity.

Finally, as Rarity was about to burst, Aria flipped the book shut and handed it back to her. “Not bad. You know, for frilly dresses.”

Rarity took the sketchbook and squeezed it against her chest, squeeing in delight and relief. She had quickly learned that a ‘not bad’ from Aria translated to ‘I like it, good job.’

Walking across her workshop to her desk, Rarity stored the notebook away. “I can’t wait to get started on these Victorian-style dresses! They’ll be all the rage here in Canterlot, I just know it! But first, I need to finish up all of our wedding dresses.”

Aria took a seat on the fitting stage. “Right. So, why am I still here then?”

Rarity moved to the back of the room and pulled out a coat rack of half-finished gowns. “Well, I would still love to have your input. You have a very keen sense of fashion. Plus, I love having company while I work. And don’t tell me you’d rather be sitting in that dank, dusty factory. Lord knows we tried our hardest to keep Sunset out of there.”

Aria gave a noncommittal shrug. “I guess. It does beat having to put up with Sonata’s blathering.”

“You gave me some insight on why you have a… contentious relationship with Adagio, but you also don’t seem to care much for Sonata either. I get she can be a little… spacy, but if I didn’t know better, I would think you didn’t like her.”

“I only don’t like her when she does and says stupid stuff… which is most of the time.” Aria crossed her arms and kicked her boots against the stage. “Look, being stuck between the megalomaniac and the ditz leaves you with really little patience. But we’re the last of our kind, so we kinda have to stick together.”

Rarity had set Rainbow’s wedding gown on her workbench, needle in hand, when she paused and looked over her shoulder. “You’re the last of the Sirens?”

“Unfortunately. Though, you can barely call us Sirens since we can’t even sing anymore.”

Rarity winced at the acrid tone in Aria’s voice. Part of her wanted to inquire more, but they were already in dangerous waters. She fit the needle through a seam and began to stitch it closed. “I know what it’s like to deal with bothersome sisters. I can’t tell you how many times Sweetie Belle has gotten under my skin. But at the end of the day, you’re still family. Sonata was worried sick about you when you disappeared that night in the forest. So was Adagio, even if she tried to hide it.”

She heard Aria huff. “It’s not like I don’t… you know… care about them. They just make it really hard sometimes. Especially Adagio. As annoying as Sonata is, at least she doesn’t talk down to me.”

“You know…” Rarity set her needle down and turned her chair to face Aria. “When I think I’ve gone too long being mad at Sweetie, I make a list of all the positive things she’s done for me, or all the good times we’ve had together. It helps reaffirm the bond we share as sisters.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “You guys really lean hard into this friendship and love stuff, don’t you?”

“Perhaps because we don’t feed off negativity and spite,” Rarity said dryly.

“Hey, it’s not like we want to, we just do. And Sirens aren’t exactly the nurturing type.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t have it in you to try.”

Aria pursed her lips. “Watch it, Rarity; you’re starting to slide into the annoying category.”

Rarity held her hands up. “All I’m trying to do is make life easier for you. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And honestly, it takes more energy to hate something than to love it.”

“I told you, I don’t hate my sisters. Their existence just irritates me.” Aria paused and furrowed her brow. “Okay fine, maybe you have a point. But you try living with the same two people for over six hundred years—twenty of those spent on a deserted island with no escape.”

“That does sound challenging, yes.” Rarity tugged at her collar. “But, consider this another benefit of making friends: you can spend time away from Sonata and Adagio and get to meet new people, change up your routine. It’ll make you appreciate them more when you do spend time with them.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” Aria said, unconvinced.

The conversation lulled for a while as Rarity put the finishing touches on Rainbow’s dress. She held it aloft and examined it, squinting her eyes with critical focus and turning it over several times. When it passed her inspection, she turned to Aria and held it out to her. “What do you think? I started with Rainbow’s because I think you and her have similar tastes when it comes to desiring minimum frou-frou in your outfits.”

Aria stood and crossed the room to get a better look. Rainbow’s dress was a midnight blue, one-shoulder, form-fitting gown with sharp, angular ruffles that started from the midriff and moved down to the knees.

“I went for a more simplistic design and tried to keep it from looking too ‘soft’. I think the ruffles compliment her sharp bangs. What do you think?”

Keeping one hand on her chin, Aria circled around it, showing a bit more active interest than when she had looked at the sketches. “You should add a black sash around the middle. Gives it another layer of boldness.”

Rarity nodded, already envisioning the new addition. “She does like to be bold. Thank you, Aria. Once again, your eye for fashion is impeccable.”

Aria flashed her an aloof smile. She coughed and said, “You think I could… I dunno, maybe add the sash in?”

An excited gleam in her eye, Rarity handed the dress over. “I would be delighted if you did!”

*******

Fluttershy inhaled one last time to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She tried to put on a smile, but couldn’t muster the energy. Her eyes wandered to Rainbow walking beside her, wearing her own nervous smile.

Best behavior, Fluttershy. You’re doing this for Rainbow.

She had meant what she said to Moondancer: she was happy for Rainbow. She only wanted the best for her oldest and closest friend. That didn’t stop the unpleasant twists her stomach gave when she thought about Soarin. Jealousy didn’t disappear overnight, she knew that. But the lingering feelings made it harder to do what she was about to do.

She and Rainbow walked down the street to the local movie theater. Rounding the corner, Fluttershy’s eyes locked onto Soarin immediately. He leaned against a large stone planter, hands in his pockets, looking as cool and calm as he always did. Fluttershy puckered then quickly unpuckered her lips before Soarin noticed them and waved, hesitating a fraction when he spotted Fluttershy.

She stopped a good three feet away, while Rainbow marched forward sucking in a deep breath and coming to a halt half-a-foot from Soarin’s face.

“Uh, hey,” Soarin said, looking nervous. “I thought—”

“We are,” Rainbow cut in. “But we need to, like, talk talk. First, I’m sorry I… you know, double-dipped, I guess. I shouldn’t have tried to go on a date with you and hang out with Fluttershy at the same time. Neither of you deserved that. Just wanted to say it in person.”

“I mean, it’s cool, I guess, but—”

“Not done. Second, I really want to date you. I’ll even call it dating from here on in. Boyfriend and girlfriend. But, you have to be cool with Fluttershy, too. We’re like, a package deal.” Rainbow sounded out of breath, and beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.

“I’m willing to do that, yeah, but…” Soarin’s eye darted in Fluttershy’s direction.

Fluttershy squared her shoulders and stepped forward. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. And was mean to you. It’s really not like me. I was just… jealous.” She exhaled and dropped her shoulders, gazing down at her boots. “And I didn’t know how to express my feelings.”

Soarin put a hand up. “Listen, you two are tight, I can see that. The last thing I want to do is come between you—”

“No,” Fluttershy said firmly, lifting her head again. “The last thing I want to do is come between the two of you. Rainbow really likes you. And she’s never liked any boy before. I don’t want to be the reason that’s taken away from her. So, while I maybe don’t particularly enjoy spending time with you, I promise to not be mean or malicious. And I would like to try and become friends.”

Her heart hammered in her chest, and her stomach clenched uncomfortably, but she didn’t look away from Soarin. He, in turn, looked at her with awe that slowly shifted to admiration. Rainbow looked between them, visibly wound tight, lips pressed together.

Soarin reached into his back pocket and pulled out the silver bracelet he had purchased at the fair. “I got this for you as a sort of peace treaty ‘cause I had a feeling you didn’t like me a whole lot. I was gonna give it to Rainbow to give to you, but since you’re here… maybe we can use this to symbolize starting over?”

Fluttershy took the bracelet in her hands, gingerly turning it over and admiring the vines and butterflies. “Thank you, Soarin,” she said earnestly. “It’s lovely.”

She slid it on her wrist and raised it up to the sunlight. It even gave off a faint prismatic shimmer. A warm heat replaced the twisting knots in her stomach, and she beamed at Rainbow and Soarin.

Rainbow let out the breath she had been holding, her body loosening up. She then punched the air with a triumphant smile and wrapped her arms around Soarin and Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Awesome! Totally awesome! Max awesomeness!”

Soarin chuckled. “One step at a time. You guys still up for a movie?”

“That sounds nice,” Fluttershy said.

“Cool, I’ll get the tickets. My treat.” Soarin slid out from under Rainbow’s embrace and made for the ticket line.

One arm still around Fluttershy’s shoulder, Rainbow asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” Fluttershy said. “You and Soarin are happy; that’s what matters.”

“Stop that,” Rainbow said, hugging her tighter. “Your happiness is just as important, I told you that. And you’ll find someone. Whoever it is, they’ll be lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, Dashie.”

“And when you do start dating someone, I’m gonna scrutinize the heck out of them.”

Fluttershy first blinked at Rainbow’s correct use of the word ‘scrutinize’, then giggled. “That’s fair.”

Soarin walked back over, waving the tickets. “All set. Shall we head in?”

Rainbow grinned and reached for his hand, grasping it tightly. “Totally!” She then looped her other arm through Fluttershy’s and pulled her close.

Fluttershy’s pulse quickened and heat rose to her cheeks. She tried to stare at the floor, but a gentle shake made her meet Rainbow’s eyes and see the familial love within them. Her cheeks cooled and her heart returned to its normal speed.

The three of them walked toward the lobby, Rainbow talking excitedly about their upcoming movie. Soarin and Fluttershy shared a laugh at her excitement, exchanging their first mutually friendly glance.

Yes, Fluttershy thought, I think I’ll be okay.

*******

Pinkie squinted through her binoculars, casting her gaze over the park from her treetop vantage point. Everything seemed peaceful and innocent. Children played on the playset while their parents watched from the nearby benches. A family of ducks made laps around the little pond. Pinkie watched them for a while, the smallest one struggling to keep up with its family. The momma always doubled-back for it though.

Super cute! No, Focus! Pinkie snapped her gaze back to the fields of grass and tall pine trees. Wherever there was laughter and merriment, they were surely somewhere nearby.

Focusing her center of balance so she didn’t tumble off the branch again, Pinkie raised a walkie-talkie to her mouth. “This is Pink Ranger, suspect is still not found. How is your search going? Over.”

A crackle of static came from the speaker. “This is Blue Ranger. Nothing on my end. Over… wait, why do we always have to say ‘over’? Over.”

Pinkie’s eyebrows knit together. “You know, I don’t know. It’s what they do in all the movies. Over.”

“Roger copy! Over.”

Pinkie returned to her stakeout. It was a lot more fun now that she had someone to talk to. And it finally gave her an excuse to use her walkie-talkies! She guessed since everyone had a phone, they were kinda pointless, but they were so retro and spy-like! And since Sonata didn’t have a phone—

“Oh, oh! Pinkie, code L! Over!”

“What, where?” Pinkie twisted and turned, wildly snapping her head trying to find their target. “I don’t—whoa!” Her excited rocking sent her tumbling out of the tree. The fall wasn’t too long, and her poofy hair stopped a possible concussion, but the impact still left her stunned.

“Pinkie, are you okay? What happened? …Over!”

She rolled to her feet and shook herself out. “I’m fine! Where’s code L? Over.”

“On the park bench next to the pound! On your right… wait… my right? Uhh… hang on…” There came muffled rustling from over the speaker before Sonata returned. “My right!”

Pinkie lifted her binoculars in the appropriate direction. Sitting on a bench not far from the little duckies was a portly man with a short but bushy black beard and a bowler hat. She could see him speaking on his phone, waving a hand enthusiastically. Pinkie pressed her tongue between her lips as she appraised the man. Maaayybee… buuuut…

“I’m going in for a closer look,” Pinkie whispered into her talkie. “Watch my six, over.”

“Umm… what does that mean?”

“I think it means keep an eye on my booty.”

“...Okay, if you say so!”

Stealth mode, activate! Pinkie dove and rolled across the grass, tumbling over herself until she infiltrated a thick bush. She poked her head out, spotting a child staring at her with wonder. She raised a finger to her lips and winked before ducking back into the bush and sprinting out, keeping low to the ground. With a slide, she took refuge behind a thick tree behind the bench where the man still sat. The hope in Pinkie's chest immediately dimmed when she heard him speak into his phone.

“Yeah, I told the man, I says to him, I says, buddy, ya work with me, and you’ll get everything ya want an’ more. Badda bing, he signs the deal.”

Pinkie stuck her tongue out and lifted her walkie-talkie. “False alarm, Blue Ranger. He’s from New York. No way he’s a leprechaun.”

“Awwww.”

Leaving the ranting New Yorker behind, Pinkie walked around the pond and approached the bush Sonata was staked out in. She poked her head up and started pulling leaves from her hair.

Pinkie pulled her from the bush and assisted her. “Thanks for coming leprechaun hunting with me, Sonnie. Sunset never wants to help me, no matter how much I ask.”

“But it’s so much fun! Even if we didn’t find one this time.”

A low rumble interrupted their conversation, followed by another one… then another. Both girls looked down at their stomachs, Pinkie becoming acutely aware of how empty it was.

Sonata giggled. “They’re talking to each other!”

Pinkie put her hands on her stomach and squished her belly button. “Pinkie, feeeeed meeee!” she said in a gravelly growl.

Sonata mimicked her, giving her tummy a slightly higher pitch. “We demand tribute! Bring us sushi!”

“Oooh, sushi sounds good! But there’s no good sushi places around Canterlot.”

“Awwww.”

Pinkie tapped a finger to her lip. “Hmmm… I know a good taco place though!”

Sonata frowned. “I’ve never had a taco before. Are they good?”

A loud gasp jumped from Pinkie’s throat. “You’ve never had a taco before?”

“Nope. We almost went one time, but the smell made Adagio nauseous, so we left before we even ordered.”

Pinkie grabbed Sonata by the shoulders. “It’s a life-changing experience! Imagine beef or chicken, dusted with spices that make your mouth tingle with flavor! Then, add lettuce and tomatoes freshly cut! The savory taste of pico de gallo! Sour cream, guacamole, topped off with a light layer of cheese! All stacked between a crunchy, hardshell tortilla! Or even a soft tortilla! Or even rolled into a burrito!”

Stars danced in Sonata’s eyes and a thin line of drool hung from her lower lip. She grabbed Pinkie’s shoulders in turn and shook them. “I want it, Pinkie! I want it so bad!”

“Then we’re going to Taco Town!”

Both of them jumped in the air and screamed in delight before racing across the field, catching the eye of every other park-goer as they continued to laugh and squee. They made it back to Pinkie’s car, buckled up, and peeled out of the parking lot.

“Taco Town! Taco Town!

“We got the best Mex all around!

“When you’re here, you’ll never frown!

“Come on down to Taco Town!” Pinkie sang, having memorized their commercial jingle. She switched on the radio, just in time to hear Coloratura start her newest single. Pinkie sang along, watching Sonata quietly bob her head from the corner of her eye.

Pinkie stopped singing halfway through the song. Was she being insensitive, belting out a pop song when Sonata couldn’t sing at all anymore? She fell into a hum instead, trying not to think too hard about it. They were supposed to be having fun!

The sight of Taco Town a block ahead kept Pinkie in high spirits. It was a simple box with a large taco on top. Pinkie zoomed into the parking lot and screeched to a quick stop, lining up perfectly in the parking stall.

“I hope you’re hungry, Sonnie, ‘cause I’m thinking grande fiesta platter!” Pinkie hopped out of the car and shut the door with her hip. “It’s got everything you need! Tacos, burritos, nachos!”

She bent her knees to spring for the door and was halfway through her jump when a thought dawned on her. With her momentum cut short, Pinkie flailed her arms to keep from falling onto her face. Saving herself from an embarrassing dive, Pinkie shoved her hands into her skirt pockets.

“Uh oh…”

She moved a hand to her wild mass of hair and rooted around, feeling many things, including Gummy who was snacking on some crackers, but nothing that felt like her wallet.

Sonata walked up beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“I… maaay have forgotten my money at home.” Pinkie gave her a sheepish grin.

Sonata shrugged. “It’s okay. We can just take money from someone else.”

Pinkie gasped. “Sonnie! That’s bad! You can’t just steal money from people!”

“But, like, we do it all the time.”

“You can’t! That’s mean! And illegal!”

Sonata blinked at her like the idea had never crossed her mind. “I mean, I guess? But, Adagio said it’s not really stealing since humans have so much of it anyway.”

Pinkie flailed her arms. “Not everyone does! And that doesn’t make it okay!” She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. “Sonnie, stealing is wrong and you shouldn’t do it. You wouldn’t like it if someone did that to you.”

She cocked her head to the side. “I guess. You stole our voices and we weren’t happy about that. But now, we steal money from people so we can survive, so it’s kinda fair, right?” She said all of it with such casual air, like she was discussing the weather.

A cold sweat coated the back of Pinkie’s neck. Her left shoulder pinched, and she felt slightly queasy: signs that only occurred when she was entering an uncomfortable conversation. She felt bad messing up Sonata’s voice, but if they hadn’t, the Sirens were going to take over the world! But she didn’t want to drag that up again like they had with Sunset and her mean demon side. Plus, the Sirens were homeless and poor now, and it was kinda their fault...

Pinkie shook her head. “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” she said, gentle but firm.

Sonata rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll just use plan B, then.”

“What’s plan—?” But Sonata was already strolling into the fast-food joint. Pinkie lagged for a moment, feeling an odd tingle at the base of her spine. She followed after Sonata but lurked by the door, just in case they would need to make a quick escape.

With only a smattering of customers around, there was no line to wait in, allowing Sonata to saunter straight to the counter. The young man behind the register gave her a placid smile. “Welcome to Taco Town.”

“Hi!” Sonata said, returning to her bubbly demeanor. “Can I have the grande fiesta platter? And a side of fish tacos! And a shrimp burrito!”

The cashier chuckled as he hit the buttons on the register. “That’s a lot of food for one person.”

“Are you saying someone like me can’t finish it?” Sonata asked, a sudden edge to her voice.

“N-no,” the young man said, his smile slipping. “I’ve seen plenty of girls your size eat that much.”

“Girls of my size?” Sonata said louder, turning a few heads.

The boy was sweating now. “Y-you know, just… nice, slim, pretty girls.”

Sonata gasped. “That’s sexual harassment!”

He was red now. Pinkie felt her own cheeks blush from second-hand embarrassment. “N-no it isn’t! I’ve seen… uhh… bigger girls eat that much, too!”

“And I bet you made mean comments to them!”

“I didn’t it, I swear!”

Sonata leaned in close. “Maybe I should talk to your manager about how you treat your girl customers.”

The cashier put his hands together. “Please don’t!” he said in a desperate whisper. “I really need to keep this job! Uhh, here, the meal’s free!”

Sonata immediately straightened up and said in her chipper voice, “Aww, really? Thank you! Make it a to-go order!”

After a money-less transaction and picking up the large bag of food, Sonata turned to Pinkie with a bright smile and headed out the door. Pinkie walked after her, mouth slightly ajar.

“Sonata, what was that?” she asked, sliding into the driver’s seat.

“I learned it from Adagio! I didn’t think it would be that easy though!” She reached into the greasy bag and pulled out her first taco, licking her lips as she unwrapped it.

Pinkie snatched it and the bag, a heavy frown weighing down her face. “Sonata, good people aren’t supposed to do things like that.”

“Why not?” Sonata asked, looking genuinely confused. “You told me not to steal, so I didn’t. He gave it to me.”

“After you lied and made him feel bad!”

“Well, duh!” Sonata splayed her arms out. “That’s what we do. We’re good at manipulating people to get stuff even without our magic. We have to be whenever our powers aren’t strong enough to put people fully under our spell. Especially now since they’re gone.”

Pinkie’s frown deepened as her nausea increased. Not even the alluring smell of tacos could settle her stomach. She tapped a finger against the side of her noggin. Sunset was better at these conversations. Any of her friends would be better here. Pinkie never had to scold people; her sisters were always well-behaved.

Looking at the steering wheel, Pinkie said slowly, “That was a really mean thing you did, Sonnie.”

“But, like, we do it all the time,” Sonata protested.

“That doesn’t make it okay! You’re supposed to be nice to people, not make them feel bad! How would you like it if someone said lies about you and made you feel bad?”

Sonata looked down at her lap, her nonchalant gaze dissolving into a thoughtful frown. Pinkie’s heart sank in turn. She opened her mouth to say sorry but caught herself. This was supposed to be a teaching lesson.

The Siren inhaled and scrunched her nose before her frown deepened. “Aria and Adagio make me feel bad.”

Pinkie turned her whole body toward Sonata. “They do?”

Sonata nodded. “Me and Aria fight all the time, and I think it’s usually playful? But sometimes, she’s really just mean to me. And both of them always call me stupid and yell at me. I know I’m not super smart, but I really don’t like being called dumb. They’re not as bad when we’re all teaming up on someone else though.”

Pinkie rubbed the tears from her eyes. “Sonnie, family isn’t supposed to make you feel bad. Ever. They’re supposed to encourage you and compliment you and make you laugh and feel safe and happy!”

“I guess.” Sonata rubbed her arm. “But it’s the only place I belong. Adagio says I would die on the street if I tried to leave. And they’re still my family.”

“They might be your family…” Pinkie reached over and pulled Sonata into a tight hug, mentally apologizing for the tears she spilled onto her back. “But you have friends now, too. And I won’t treat you that way.”

Warm tears slipped down the back of Pinkie’s neck. Sonata made a soft hiccup. “Really?”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”

Sonata wrapped her arms around Pinkie and squeezed back. “I don’t get it. You were mad at me. But you’re still being nice to me.”

Pinkie smiled, mostly to herself. “That’s what friends do. Just because I was mad doesn’t mean I should be mean to you.”

“Even after all that stuff we did to you and your friends?”

“Even after all that,” Pinkie said, her chipper tone returning. “I believe in second chances.”

Sonata gave a short sob and hugged Pinkie tighter. “Friends are really nice!”

They sat in each other’s embrace until Sonata got all her tears out and pulled away. She wiped her eyes and looked at the bag of food still sitting in Pinkie’s lap. “I should… go give that back, shouldn’t I? Is that something good friends do?”

“Not just good friends, good people.” Pinkie held the bag up. “But, uhh, I don’t think fast-food people are allowed to take back the food.”

“Soooo, does that mean we can keep it?” Sonata asked, flashing Pinkie large puppy-dog eyes.

“Nope,” she said with a shake of her head. “It would only taste like guilt.”

Sonata slowly reached a hand for the food. “But we can’t just throw it away.”

Pinkie hummed in thought. It would be an awful waste of food to just toss it. She snapped her fingers and set the bag on the back seat. “We’ll take it to the homeless shelter! I’m sure someone there will appreciate it a whole bunch!”

Sonata sighed and slumped in her seat. “I guess that’s the nice thing to do. But now, we don’t get to have any tacos.”

“Not exactly.” Pinkie held out the partially unwrapped taco she had confiscated. “I don’t think anyone will notice one taco missing. And being a good friend means doing small things to make another friend happy. Especially when they’ve learned a lesson.”

Sonata’s eyes sparkled. She sat up and took the taco, cradling it in her hands before taking a bite. She chewed slowly and methodically, filling the car with the sounds of a crunching tortilla. When she finished the first bite, Sonata turned to Pinkie, crumbs decorating her lips.

“Pinkie,” she said in the most serious tone Pinkie had heard, “this is the greatest thing I have ever tasted.”

Pinkie let out a small squee. “I knew you would love them! Oh, oh! I might have some taco supplies at my house! We can go and make them! Homemade tacos taste even better!”

“For realsies? Then what are we waiting for!”

Pinkie started her car and peeled out the parking lot. “Let’s go make friendship tacos!”

“Friendship tacos!” Sonata cheered.

*******

The drive back to the farm was uncomfortable to say the least. Applejack wanted to play music but felt that would be a perfect opening for Adagio to bring up the Battle of the Bands again. Applejack was trying hard not to open old wounds. She thought maybe playing country music would be a happy medium, but quickly figured Adagio would just assault her with snarky comments. She got enough of that from Sunset.

So, the two women sat in silence from the factory all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack had no idea what kind of small talk to engage in. Between the three Sirens, she felt like she had drawn the short stick in trying to help Adagio.

“Remind me what the point of this excursion is?” Adagio asked. She had an elbow propped up on the open window and stared at the dirt road before them, absolute boredom in her eyes.

“It’s to get you outta that dusty factory. Gives you a chance to socialize more. You can spend some time with me and mah family.”

“Joy. A day with the hillbillies.”

Applejack pressed her lips together but said nothing. It was just another comment from a long line of people who loved to make fun of her family. Just because they owned a farm and had a little southern drawl. She wasn’t going to let it get under her skin, especially when she had a feeling Adagio was doing it on purpose.

The truck turned onto the long stretch of road leading up to the farm. Applejack slowed to a stop near the house. “This’ll go a lot smoother if you come out here with an open mind,” she said, setting the breaks.

“Yeah, sure,” Adagio said, opening the door.

“Ah mean it,” Applejack warned. “Ah want to help you and your sisters, but Ah ain’t afraid to kick you to the curb, neither.”

“Fine, fine.” Adagio put one hand over her heart and raised the other. “I promise to be a good little girl and stay on my best behavior.”

Applejack couldn’t help but be reminded of Sunset when she first tried to turn over a new leaf. Every other sentence the girl said dripped with sarcasm, and everything she did was done with reluctance. Applejack had had her doubts, but kept pursuing Sunset’s friendship out of respect for the princess, and because she saw a decent person buried real deep in there.

The whole situation was an odd case of déjà vu. Sunset had vouched on the Siren’s behalf, and as Sunset had pointed out, they had come to them for help. Still, Applejack wasn’t quite sure if she could see a good person beneath Adagio’s aloof exterior. She cared for her sisters to some extent, something Applejack could certainly respect. Whether that care was driven from love or a need to have someone to control was still up in the air.

Applejack got out of the truck and stretched her arms over her head, taking in the warm sunlight. With all of the trees in bloom across the orchard, the entire farm smelled fragrant and floral. It made Applejack want to dance.

“So, what’s on the agenda, Apple Bumpkin?" Adagio asked, fanning herself. “Please tell me it involves shade.”

Ignoring the bumpkin comment, Applejack said, “Ah was thinkin’ at the very least, we could go down to the pond and do some fishin’. Nice chance to just relax and talk.”

“Fishing?” Adagio asked, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

“Yeah.” Applejack tugged on her ponytail. “Uuhhh, that ain’t offensive or anythin’ to you, is it?”

Adagio snorted. “Just because we lived in the water doesn’t make us fish. Fishing just sounds like a waste of time.”

Applejack huffed and moved her hands to her hips. “Don’t knock it 'til you’ve tried it. ‘Sides, whatever we catch, Granny Smith can fry it up for some good old fashioned home cooking.”

At the mention of fish fry, the briefest flash of interest shone in Adagio’s eyes. She covered it up with a blink and a lazy roll of her shoulders. “Fine. I guess it barely beats out sitting in a dark room alone.”

Lord almighty, she sounds just like Sunset used to. Applejack hoped the similarities between the two would make this easier. “Let me get the fishin’ poles and tackle box from the house and we can skedaddle.”

“Please never use the word ‘skedaddle’ ever again,” Adagio grumbled, following Applejack up the patio steps and into the house.

The homely scent of old leather couches and wood polish hung in the air as Applejack led Adagio to the living room. The green walls were occupied by pictures of the Apple Family, interspersed with oil paintings of orchards and vineyards.

Apple Bloom was strewn out across the couch, holding her handheld gaming system over her face. Her eyes glanced over to the newcomers before shifting back to her game… before she scrambled up from the couch and pointed to Adagio.

“You’re Adagio Dazzle!” she shouted. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Ah don’t know if Ah like or hate you.”

“If I had my way, you’d be adoring me right now.”

Apple Bloom looked at her older sister. “Didn’t you say her and her sisters were using some black magic to make people do whatever they wanted for them? Why is she in our house?”

Applejack rustled through the closest, pulling out an old box that had mud crusted into it. “Because, she and her sisters came to us lookin’ for help, and we don’t turn people away who are tryin’ to change for the better.”

“So, she’s another charity case?”

Adagio flared her nostrils. “Excuse me?”

Applejack ran over and covered Apple Bloom’s mouth. “What have Ah told you about usin’ that term?” She looked at Adagio with an apologetic smile. “You’re not a charity case. We honestly want to help you out.”

“Mhmm.” Adagio leaned against the door, eyes narrowed in Apple Bloom’s direction.

When Apple Bloom had control of her mouth again, she asked, “So, is it true then? Y’all have freaky voodoo powers like Sunset Shimmer?”

Applejack facepalmed.

“Sunset has freaky voodoo powers?” Adagio asked, the corner of her lips lifting into a smile.

“Yeah, she turned into this demon-thing and brainwashed everyone at the school before mah sister and her friends stopped her. Most of the students try to just pretend it was a bad dream or someone spiked the punch at the dance.” Apple Bloom noticed the furious glare Applejack leveled in her direction. “What?”

“That answers so many questions and yet raises a dozen more,” Adagio said, her smile widening. Maybe it was because anytime she smiled, it looked like she was up to something, but Applejack founded it unnerving nonetheless.

“Sunset doesn’t have those powers anymore and is a much better person,” Applejack said pointedly. “Just like the Dazzlings don’t have their powers anymore and are trying to be better people, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, friendship and magic and whatever,” Adagio said, returning to her sour countenance.

As Applejack pulled two fishing poles from the closet, Apple Bloom took notice and said, “Hey, Ah wanna go fishin’, too!”

“Are you gonna behave instead of runnin’ your mouth the entire time?”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Yes.”

“Roll those eyes again and Ah’ll change mah mind. Go find your pole.”

Apple Bloom marched into the closet and started to rummage. Applejack was positive she had rolled her eyes again anyway, but let it slide. Once Apple Bloom had her pole, the three girls headed out, Adagio carrying the remaining two fishing poles while Applejack carried the tacklebox.

The sun’s heat increased as they approached mid-afternoon, but once the group reached the winding path that led through the orchard, they found relief under the eaves of the blossoming apple trees. Applejack led the way, carrying the old tackle box on one shoulder while she hummed a country tune.

“So, your family owns this entire farm?” Adagio asked.

“Yep!” Applejack said proudly. “Fifty acres that’s been in the family for five generations countin’ me, A.B., and Big Mac.”

“Sounds surprisingly lucrative for an apple farm.”

“We grow more than just apples,” Apple Bloom said in a far kinder tone than Applejack would have given. “That’s just our main product. We got lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins around Halloween! But our apple cider is what we’re really known for!”

“I see. And who’s next in line to inherit such a profitable business?”

If Applejack didn’t know any better, she would have sworn there was actual oil dripping from Adagio’s voice. “Big Mac’s the eldest, so he’s in charge. But we’re a family. We run it together.”

“How sweet. Is that what you want to do, Apple Bloom? Be a farmer like your siblings?”

“Ah dunno yet. It’s fun and all, but Ah’m not sure if Ah want to be here mah whole life.”

“And that’s fine,” Applejack said. She glanced over her shoulder and gave Adagio a smug smile. “You can be whatever you want, s’long as you remember your roots. And it ain’t illegal.”

Adagio clicked her tongue but said nothing.

The dirt path rose and fell with the hills the trees planted themselves on. Eventually, it flattened out and wound into a cozy glade where the fishing pond took up most of the empty space. It looked wide enough to engulf the house and the main barn and deep enough to submerge them, too. A gap in the trees above cast a shaft of sunlight onto the water, making the ripples sparkle. A large, flat boulder sat on the banks closest to them, the perfect spot to sit and cast their lines.

Applejack walked up and set the box in the damp grass next to the rock. She heard insects buzzing nearby, tempting her to spring for live bait instead of just using the leftovers and lures in the tackle box. Perhaps if one came closer on its own. She didn’t feel like expending the extra energy today.

They got their fishing poles set up and took a seat on the flat rock, Adagio trying to distance herself as much as she could. Applejack drew her arm back and cast her line, satisfied with how far she managed to fling it. The bobber bounced near the middle of the pond, riding the tiny waves its impact had created.

Apple Bloom and Adagio followed suit, the former getting close to Applejack while the latter landed closer to the shore. Adagio grunted and reeled her line back in before trying again, getting a little more distance.

Applejack kept a thumb on the reel and leaned back on her other hand, letting out a content sigh.

“So now what?” Adagio asked.

“Now, we just sit and talk until the fish bites.”

“Absolutely riveting.”

“C’mon, it ain’t that bad,” Apple Bloom said cheerily. “Lots of excitin’ things happen while we’re out here. Remember that one time a deer came up to us?”

Applejack smiled fondly. “We all stood so still, it came up and licked Big Mac’s cheek.”

“And then there was the time you almost caught Otto!”

“Who’s Otto?” Adagio asked.

Applejack gave her line a little tug. “He’s the biggest, oldest fish in this pond. Always seen, never caught. Broken our lines more times then we care to count.”

Adagio rested an elbow on her knee and dropped her cheek into her palm. “So is this really all you guys do for fun?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “We got horseback ridin’, square dancin’ hikin’, archery…”

“Archery?”

Applejack snorted. “No offense, but Ah don’t trust you enough yet to be around any sort of weapon.”

“Probably wise. Although I think I’d shoot myself first out of boredom.”

“Why is it so hard for you to just enjoy the simple things?”

“If by ‘simple’ you mean scraping to make a living or sitting and doing nothing, I’d say it’s very hard.” Adagio turned her head and fixed Applejack with an intense glare. “In case you forgot, I used to actually be somebody.”

“Well, maybe you need this to teach you some humility.”

Adagio hunched her shoulders. Her knuckles turned white from her grip on the fishing pole. “Don’t talk to me about humility. I’ve been laid low more times than you can imagine. I was promised a kingdom, only to see it wiped out. I intended to have a feast, and instead, I get banished to a magicless dimension where I have to suck on scraps to survive.”

She looked at Applejack again, fury blazing in her eyes. “I finally find a meal ticket that could sate the stabbing hunger I’ve felt for centuries, only to have it snatched away by three human morons, and then get stuck on an island with two bigger morons for two decades! And when the Crystal Heart is finally in our grasp, when I’m on the cusp of triumph, you girls pull off the biggest upset I’ve ever seen and beat us at our best!”

Now on her feet, Adagio looked down at Applejack, lips pulled back to bare all of her teeth. “I don’t need these constant losses to be humble! Not when what should have been mine in the first place was ripped away from me! You may be content to wallow in the mud, but I have actual aspirations! Unlike most of your kind, I refuse to settle for second place!”

Applejack raised her voice. “Just because you think yourself so high and mighty doesn’t mean the rest of us have to act like you are! Maybe if you actually showed a bit of respect and kindness instead of trying to rile everyone up, people might help you instead of havin’ to knock you down a peg!”

Apple Bloom put a hand on Applejack’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “Listen, Ah don’t understand everythin’ that’s goin’ on here, but—”

“No, you don’t!” Adagio shouted. “So do me a favor, and keep your trap shut!”

“No one yells at mah little sister that way!” Applejack shouted, jumping to her feet.

Adagio’s line gave a sharp tug, jerking her arm toward the pond. She cried in alarm, grabbing her pole with both hands and digging her shoes into the grass. Whatever she had caught gave another vicious tug, yanking her off her feet and down into the bank. She slid across the mud before having the sense to let go.

The pole flew into the water, vanishing below the surface. In its place rose the backside of large gray fish, spraying flecks of pond water everywhere as it breached before diving back into the depths.

Applejack reeled in her own line and set her pole aside. She kept her eyes on Adagio, still lying face-first in the mud. Applejack knew she should have felt bad, but seeing Adagio faceplant after her tirade was more cathartic than anything.

Apple Bloom, being the better person, stepped gingerly toward Adagio and knelt beside her. “Umm… are you all right? We got some towels back at the house if you wanna clean off.”

Adagio pushed herself out of the mud and grass. Her glare was strong enough to send Apple Bloom peddling back behind her big sister. With the back of her hands, Adagio wiped as much mud off her face as she could, then walked past the two Apples.

“Adagio—” Apple Bloom began.

“Shut up!” she roared. “I don’t want to hear another word from either of you two country hicks!” She stomped away, dripping mud with every step.

Applejack bit her tongue to stop herself from making any remark whatsoever. She was positive Adagio would come back swinging if she said something, and Applejack didn’t want to expose her sister to any violence. She was also too enamored by the feeling of déjà vu running through her from Adagio storming off. Applejack remembered when Sunset had stormed off at the street fair after the goat had eaten part of her jacket. If Sunset could still be friends with them after that, hopefully history would repeat itself with Adagio.

“Did we mess somethin’ up?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No.” Applejack sighed. “She just has a lot of pride to let go of before she’s ready to make some friends.”

*******

Sonata shut the factory door behind her and skipped down the hall, humming a merry tune she and Pinkie had made up. Today had been one of the funnest days she had ever had! And she had only been mean to one person this time!

She hopped up the stairs, hearing her sisters’ loud voices at the top. Her happy song petered out as she drew near, recognizing the serious, angry tones being used.

“—told you this wouldn’t work, Adagio, but like always, you never listen!”

“It was working just fine until you had to start actually being friends with them!”

Sonata poked her head into their shared bedroom. It was just two sleeping bags and an old mattress, one wardrobe, and a desk. Adagio and Aria stood facing off under the only light bulb the room had to offer. Aria was scowling, Adagio was snarling, and Sonata could feel her stomach dropping.

“Well, the alternative was to do what you did and completely blow up at them! Now, we’ll be lucky if they actually want to spend time with us again! Not that it matters!”

“Umm…” Sonata stepped into the room, flinching when both her sisters snapped their heads toward her, eyes narrowed in annoyance. “What’s going on?”

“Oh nothing,” Aria said with a wave of her hand. “Adagio just managed to botch her own plan!”

“It’s not my fault I got stuck with the worst of those seven idiots!”

“Of course, because nothing is ever your fault.”

Adagio bared her teeth. “Watch it, Aria.”

Aria threw her hands up. “No! Don’t get mad at me because your plan sucks! You want us to put on this balancing act of pretending to be friends with them and then feed off whatever negativity we can stir up, and then you go and screw yourself over!”

“Like you’re doing a better job, making stupid dresses with that fashion has-been!”

“It doesn’t matter anyway if I am doing a better job! We’re feeding off the barest scraps of magic from them, and I’m freaking starving!”

“And you think I’m not?”

Sonata tilted her head and put a hand to her stomach. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but the constant ache that accompanied her wherever she went was gone. "I think I’m full,” she said softly.

“Maybe you’d get some more magic out of them if you stopped playing nice with Rarity!” Adagio yelled.

Aria balled her fists. “I’m not ‘playing nice’ with her! It’s not my fault their blood is literally filled with rainbows and puppies! It’s hard to actually get them to stay mad at anything! Then again, you managed to do that pretty well!”

“Guys?” Sonata said, watching her sisters close the already thin gap between them until there was only an inch of space between their foreheads.

“I don’t see you coming up with a better plan!” Adagio snapped.

“Because you never ask me for one!”

“Well then, here you go, Aria! Wow me with your brilliant scheme!”

“Guys!” Sonata yelled, stepping in the middle of them.

“What?” they yelled back, their glares fixed on her again.

Sonata flinched, and raised her hands, just in case one of them tried to thump her. When the open palm never came, she eased from her defensive stance. “I… um… I’m not hungry.”

Aria stared blankly at her. “What?”

“Like, I’m not full full. But, I’m not starving anymore. And not just the physical hunger, ‘cause me and Pinkie made tacos which were totally amazing! But, like, the magic hunger is really small now.”

Adagio narrowed her eyes. “That’s impossible.”

“Unless she royally pissed off the dumb one,” Aria said.

“Pinkie isn’t dumb,” Sonata said, stamping her foot. “And I only made her a little mad earlier. But, that tasted really bad. But now, I’m not hungry.”

Aria flicked her on the forehead. It didn’t hurt, but Sonata still recoiled. “You’re just too dumb to realize you’re hungry.”

Sonata swatted Aria’s hand away. “Stop calling me dumb!”

“Then stop acting like it! There’s no way you’re actually full!”

“How would you know?”

“If we’re still starving of magic, there’s no way you’ve found enough to be full,” Adagio said heatedly.

Thump thump thump!

All three Sirens jumped at the pounding coming from downstairs. None of them made any noise. The sun had well set, and Sonata doubted any of the Spectacular Seven would visit them at night. The thumping came again, loud and demanding.

Adagio reached behind the mattress and drew out a metal pipe. She looked at the others and pressed a finger to her lips before gesturing for them to follow her down the stairs. Sonata stopped on the bottom step while Aria and Adagio continued to the door. Holding the pipe behind her back, Adagio wrenched it open.

Standing in the shadow of the doorway was a lean woman dressed in a blue suit with a dark coat draped over her shoulders. Her purple mohawk took up most of the space on her head. There was a bemused look in her hard blue eyes. As curious as the woman was, Sonata’s gaze was drawn toward the golden triangular amulet around her neck.

“Good evening,” the woman said in the same silky voice Sonata heard Adagio use when she wanted something from a stranger. “You must be the Sirens Sisters.”

Sonata saw Adagio squeeze the pipe and say, “Who’s asking?”

The woman gave a smirk that sent a chill down Sonata’s spine. “My name is Tempest Shadow. I have it on good authority that the three of you are very hungry.”

“What’s it to you?” Aria spat.

Tempest continued to smirk. “What if I told you I could help you get your powers back and sate your magical hunger?”

Adagio gave a derisive snort. “And why the hell should we listen to some random cretin?”

“Because this 'cretin' has something that might interest you.”

Sonata heard Tempest’s cloak rustle, but from her position on the stairs, she couldn’t see what was produced. Whatever it was, it got a sharp gasp from Aria, and Adagio dropped the pipe to the floor with a loud clatter.

Adagio reached a hand out, but Tempest snatched her arm away and stepped back. “Easy there. The magic of my lord can ensure you each get one. All I need from you are a few small favors.”

Sonata stepped up to Adagio’s shoulder and looked at whatever had captivated her sister’s attention. She in turn sharply inhaled, holding a hand to the base of her neck.

Floating in Tempest’s palm, flickering in and out like a projection, was a replica of their gemstones.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Adventures in Siren-Sitting

This is the longest chapter I've written since Sunset of Time.

Also, I apologize to any New Yorkers. That accent hurt me as well.

16. Blood is Thicker

Even with all the strange things Sunset had done so far, sitting down for dinner with her dimensional counterpart still ranked high on her list.

While Shimmer still preferred to keep to herself and stay locked in the guest bedroom, now that she had Jörmungandr, she popped out far more frequently and had a… slightly better attitude. Today seemed to be another step forward for her. While she had made herself scarce throughout most of the day, Shimmer appeared in the kitchen around dinnertime, dressed in sweatpants and a clean tank top.

Sunset had just set plates for herself and Selena and was pulling the lasagna out of the oven. “Need something?”

Hands in her pockets, Shimmer shrugged. “Not really? I was just kinda wondering if… you know, I could eat with you guys?”

Sunset deferred to Selena, who kept her eyes on the salad she was tossing. “None of your vulgarity or smart attitude at the dinner table.”

Shimmer rolled her eyes. “Sounds just like my mom,” she muttered.

“What did I just say?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Shimmer took a seat and Sunset set an extra plate and utensils in front of her.

“Why the sudden change?” Sunset asked. “Usually, you just eat in your room.”

Shimmer twirled her fork. “Boredom, I guess. And, you know… it’s been a while since I actually sat down and had a meal with other people. A real long while. Thought it might be nice.”

Selena set the food on the table and took a seat. “Perhaps if you weren’t an international thief with a toxic attitude, you’d have more opportunities to have a family meal.”

“Sorry, I stopped listening after ‘international thief with a toxic attitude’. Sounds like the opening to a sick cartoon about me, and I’m all for it.”

Sunset released a suffering sigh and cut herself a slice of lasagna. Without Artemis and Trixie, dinners were quiet affairs. Sunset and Selena made small talk or bounced ideas around for Selena’s books, but their conversations lacked the energy their absent family members brought. She counted the seconds until Shimmer bemoaned how boring dinner was because of it.

They sat in silence, enjoying the meal. Sunset thought she had done a very good job this time seasoning her lasagna. It was vegetarian of course; spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, and olives with an extra layer of cheese. Selena gave her a nod of approval after eating a forkful.

Sunset shifted her eyes to Shimmer. She had gotten used to seeing a near mirror image of herself walking around the house, yet seeing her sitting at the dinner table gave Sunset an odd, almost out-of-body experience. Like she herself wasn’t really here, she was just a spectator watching a version of herself with a pixie-cut eat lasagna. She could see the disappointment on Shimmer’s face as she cut through her meal.

“I get it, you used to be a horse. Doesn’t mean you have to deprive the rest of us of meat,” Shimmer said sourly before biting into her piece of lasagna.

“Vegetarianism is a very healthy lifestyle choice,” Selena said stiffly, keeping her eyes on her plate. “If it really bothers you so much, there’s some chicken breasts in the freezer. You can cook them yourself.”

“Meh. Too much work.” Shimmer stabbed at an olive. “So, do you still crave hay and stuff?”

“No,” Sunset lied, desperately craving a hay burger. “And I doubt my stomach would process it the same way I did as a pony.”

Spot made himself known by pressing a paw against Sunset’s chair and pushing his nose into her lap. She appeased him by giving a tiny piece of the lasagna noodle. He lapped it up, wagging his tail and eyeing for more.

“No, silly puppy, you have food in your bowl.” She gently pushed him down, then watched as he moved on and tried the same ploy with Selena.

“How’s making friends with the Dazzlings going?” Shimmer asked.

Sunset pulled her eyes away from Spot. “It’s, uh…”

Yesterday evening, she had gotten a text from Applejack telling her Adagio’s experience at the farm. Applejack seemed reasonably calm about the whole thing, leaving Sunset to worry more about Adagio, and just how far this had set her back. On the other hand, Rarity and Pinkie seemed to have had a good time with Aria and Sonata respectively. Sonata had erred a little, but Pinkie managed to set her straight.

“We’re making progress with two out of three, so that’s good. Right?” She looked at Selena.

“If you think what you’re doing is right, then yes, so far so good,” she said. It was the closest thing Sunset would get to validation for the night.

“Guess you’ve got a knack for turning enemies into friends,” Shimmer said before finishing her plate.

“Maybe. My friends are doing most of the heavy lifting here. I’m kinda just the mediator between them and the Dazzlings.”

Shimmer rolled her eyes and picked her plate up. “You’re annoyingly humble sometimes. Thanks for dinner, I guess.” She stood up and dropped her plate in the sink, then skulled back upstairs, hands in her pockets.

“Fascinating how you two are the same person but so radically different,” Selena said, standing up as well.

“We weren't that different too long ago,” Sunset said, her mind drifting back to older days again. “If I can change, then she can, too.”

“If she wants to.” Selena gave Sunset a loving pat on the head. “Dinner was excellent, by the way.”

Sunset blushed. “Thanks.”

Knock knock knock.

“I’ll get it,” Sunset said, pushing herself away from the table. She couldn’t think of who would be calling on them so late in the evening. She had one foot across the threshold to the living room when Selena grabbed her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the kitchen window. “What?”

Her nose twitched. “I feel something. I don’t know if it’s bad or good, just be careful opening the door.”

Sunset nodded and proceeded to the entryway, Selena’s eyes on her back. She looked through the peephole, surprised to see all three Sirens crowded on the porch. Still, she took Selena’s advice and opened the door slowly, poking her head from the gap. She felt an odd pressure on her ears, like someone was pressing earmuffs against them.

“What’s up, guys?” Sunset asked. Her voice sounded normal, yet she couldn’t shake the earmuff feeling. She also couldn’t recall telling the Sirens where she lived.

All three of them looked dour, Sonata in particular. It was hard to tell in the dark, but her eyes looked red and puffy. Adagio said in a grim tone, “Can we talk? It’s really important.”

“Uhh…” Sunset looked over her shoulder to Selena, watching with sharp interest.

“We ran into Tempest Shadow.”

Sunset snapped her head back. “What?”

“Well, more like, she found us,” Aria said.

“Crap. Yeah, come inside.” Sunset stepped aside and allowed them entry, gesturing them toward the couch. How had Tempest found the Sirens? Maybe Selena was right and they were being tracked. Were her friends in danger of being attacked at any moment?

She and Selena stood on the other side of the coffee table separating them from the Sirens. Sonata fidgeted, keeping her eyes on her hands.

“What did Tempest want with you?” Sunset asked. “Did she hurt you?”

Aria tensed and sucked in a short breath as Adagio spoke. “No, she didn’t. She… she said…” Her eyes slid toward Sonata.

Sunset watched Sonata lift her face toward her sisters, something passing between them. She swallowed a lump in her throat and looked forward again. From the corner of Sunset’s eye, she saw Selena shift like she was about to lunge.

She never got the chance.

All three Sirens opened their mouths, and a piercing wail rocked the house, three times worse than what Sunset heard in the chateau when Adagio had performed solo. The glass in the table shattered, spraying shards everywhere. Sunset’s eardrums burst, filling her canals with warm liquid. She didn’t have time to lift her hands to block out the wild cacophony. A splitting headache threatened to tear her brain in half. Her vision spiraled into darkness, and she crashed to the floor, feeling flecks of glass bite into her skin as she blacked out.

*******

Shimmer bobbed her head to the music blasting from her headphones. Back pressed against the headboard of her bed, laptop balanced on her knees, she clacked away at the keyboard, smiling as she mouthed the lyrics to herself. She occasionally took a break to stroke Jörmungandr on his head. The snake was curled around her shoulders as usual, head resting in his mistress’s lap.

“Oooh, triple encryption. They think that’s going to keep us out. Isn’t that cute, Jorgey?”

Jörmungandr flicked his tongue.

With her partner in crime back, Shimmer felt inspired to steal again. She couldn’t go rob any banks or museums without drawing attention to herself and possibly incurring Tempest’s wrath. And she had to admit, it was nice having a roof over her head and people to bother when she got bored. So instead, she flexed her hacking skills, stealing information from people or corporations and selling it to the highest bidder. It was slow, tedious work, but it kept her entertained and would fill her account up eventually.

She thought about giving some of her earnings to the Lulamoons as thanks for letting her squat in their house. But Selena would ask where she had gotten it from and then have a cow if Shimmer told her.

Maybe I’ll just buy them something expensive. If they really feel bad, they can just return it.

Concerns for another day. Right now, she had firewalls to tear down.

A shrill, echoing scream overrode Shimmer’s music, drowning out the soft hip-hop and filling her ears with an agonizing high-note in stereo. Jörmungandr thrashed around her neck, and Shimmer in turn writhed and knocked her laptop away. She pressed her headphones harder against her ears to make the caterwaul stop.

Eventually, it did, leaving Shimmer with a drum pounding on the front of her skull, and her music faded, like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. She took off her headphones and snapped her fingers next to her ears. A dull thump rather than the sharp click she was used to.

She climbed off the bed and got to her feet, lurching as a wave of vertigo hit her. She slumped against the wall and breathed deeply while she waited for the room to stop spinning.

What the hell happened? Shimmer pushed herself upright and braced a hand against the door as the floor settled into place. Her headache dulled to a slow tapping, and she tried to process a few more coherent thoughts. That wasn’t normal. And it didn’t come from my headphones. Crap, are we under attack?

She glanced at her bed. Jorgey was tightly curled on himself, head whipping back and forth. Shimmer knew it was best to leave him alone in case he struck at her in panic.

Tightening her center of balance, Shimmer pulled her door open and poked her head outside. The hall was dark and her hearing remained muffled. She crept forward, using the shaft of light her bedroom cast across the floor as a guide. She poked her head around the corner and saw someone come out of the study. The intruder turned her head and locked eyes with Shimmer.

With her headache dwindling, Shimmer remembered the girl’s name as Aria, one of those damn Dazzlings. In her hand was an odd staff with a white crystal at the top. Shimmer narrowed her eyes. She didn’t care too much about the Lulamoons beyond them giving her bed and breakfast, but she’d be damned if she let the Dazzlings steal from them!

Aria’s eyes widened and she shouted something that sounded like, “There’s two of them?”

Shimmer charged at her. With two fingers, she jabbed at Aria’s shoulder, missing by a hair when Aria twisted her body to the side. She then swung the staff into Shimmer’s waist, but the thief wrapped a hand around the base and gave a sharp tug to wrench it from Aria’s grasp.

Aria held fast. She pulled back while trying to kick Shimmer’s shins. Shimmer got her other hand around the staff and jumped back, trying to pull Aria off balance. Like Shimmer, Aria held her ground. Instead of fruitlessly pulling, Shimmer shoved the staff forward toward Aria’s throat.

The Dazzlings fell back, but turned the momentum into a backwards roll and jumped up to her feet. She turned and vaulted over the banister, dropping down to the first floor. Shimmer ran and looked over the railing, gasping at the sight of Sunset, Selena, and Spot all laying on the ground, unmoving. The other two Dazzlings loomed over them.

Shimmer felt her vocal cords vibrate as she shouted, “You’re dead!” Her own voice still sounded distant. Like Aira, she vaulted over the stairs and landed in a crouch before striking at the closest target with a closed fist.

Sonata blocked Shimmer’s punch with the side of her arm and retaliated with a strike of her own. Shimmer grabbed her arm, stepped and turned her back in toward Sonata, then lifted with all her might and flung the girl over her shoulder and onto the ground.

A hard kick to the head sent Shimmer stumbling backwards into the hallway next to the stairs. She got to her knees in time to see Adagio aiming another kick for her face. Shimmer arched her back, becoming almost parallel to the floor to avoid getting hit. She then rolled onto her side and struck her legs out, catching Adagio in the back of the shins and sending her to the ground while Shimmer spun and jumped back to her feet.

Adagio rolled back and hopped up from the ground, blocking Shimmer’s fist with a surprisingly fast reaction time. She then threw a series of quick jabs, Shimmer blocking all of them before she found an opening and returned fire. Again, Adagio proved faster than she looked. She struck back, and their fists connected; the impact sent jolts of pain across Shimmer’s knuckles. She disengaged as Adagio aimed a high kick for her jaw, and delivered her own roundhouse kick to Adagio’s shoulder, knocking her into the wall.

Aria was right there to take her sister’s place. She tossed the staff back to Sonata and swung her fist for Shimmer’s face. Shimmer shoved it away but got cut across the cheek by the opposite fist. Aria followed up with a fast jab to Shimmer’s nose.

Crick!

Shimmer staggered back, blood dribbling onto her lip. She flipped back to avoid getting sucker-punched again. Aria didn’t close in after her. Instead, she sucked in a quick breath and let out a piercing wail, just like the one Shimmer heard upstairs. She dropped to her knees and clutched her ears, her headache making a resurgence.

The scream stopped, but the floor beneath Shimmer rocked like a boat on the ocean. She tried to get up, but a boot cracked against the side of her head and sent her into the wall, dropping a picture frame onto her.

“We’re done here,” a muffled Adagio said.

Shimmer cracked her eyes open to see them retreating for the door. With their backs turned, none of them noticed Selena pushing herself to her feet, blood dripping from her ears. She held a hand to her head and staggered, unfortunately catching Adagio’s attention. The sisters fanned out around Selena.

Adagio attacked from the front and Aria from the left. Selena raised her arms and bore the brunt of their blows, weaving out of the way when she could. In quick succession, she ducked under Adagio’s swing, palm struck her in the throat, and jabbed an elbow into Aria’s chest. Selena took a half-step back and delivered a roundhouse kick to Adagio’s shoulder, throwing her back toward the door. She returned her attention to Aria, but Sonata stepped up from behind and cracked the bottom of the staff against the back of Selena’s head. She stumbled hard, but still blocked Aria from socking her in the face.

Shimmer grit her teeth and stood up. Her nose and head throbbed in pain, but she dashed and jumped over Sunset’s prone body to land next to Sonata. Shimmer aimed a kick at Sonata’s hand to get her to drop the staff. Sonata danced to the side and jabbed the crystal at Shimmer’s stomach. She took the blow, feeling the crystal puncture her skin. Ignoring the pain, she hammered the side of her fist into Sonata’s cheek. Sonata tumbled back onto the couch, and Shimmer ripped the staff from her hands.

Adagio tried to rush at her, but Selena intercepted by grabbing Adagio’s arm and swinging her around into Aria. They both crashed into the wall, sending more pictures and portraits to the ground. Aria snatched one and flung it at Selena, who caught it and threw it over her shoulder, almost hitting Shimmer in the head. That brief distraction was all Aria and Adagio needed to close the distance to Selena and attack her in a joint flurry of blows.

Shimmer jumped over the ruins of the coffee table, but Sonata grabbed her ankle and pulled, forcing Shimmer to land on the metal base. The impact forced the staff from her hands, and it landed next to Sunset.

Sonata jumped over Shimmer and grabbed the staff. Shimmer grabbed her leg. With a firm hold, she pulled Sonata down and herself up. Sonata dropped to a knee and swung the staff back, whacking Shimmer on the arm. She ignored it and struck two fingers out to hit the back of Sonata’s neck; a single strike to shut down her entire nervous system.

Adagio, appearing from nowhere, snapped her hand out and grabbed Shimmer’s index and middle finger. With a violent twist, both of them snapped out of place. Lances of pain shot through her hand, amplified by the slightest twitch. Her scream was cut short by a decisive punch to the cheek, sending her to the floor, right on top of Sunset.

Selena delivered a firm kick to Aria’s abdomen, shoving her toward the front door. Before she could put her leg down, Adagio swept the other one, dropping Selena onto her back. She tried to bounce up, but all three Dazzlings kicked her back down.

“Tell Sunset it’s nothing personal,” Adagio said, opening the front door.

Shimmer punched the ground and got to her feet, gnashing her teeth at the throbbing pain in her fingers. Selena was on her feet as well, rushing out the front door. The women ran out into the front yard, an eerie silence pressing on Shimmer’s already damaged ears.

The Dazzlings were across the lawn and heading for a swirling black portal in the middle of the road. Selena slid to a stop at the edge of the grass. She reached down and wrenched up one of the little lanterns illuminating the front path. With a furious snarl, she hurled it, clocking Sonata in the back of the head just as she dove into the portal.

She looked back at Selena and Shimmer, tears in her eyes as the portal closed and vanished.

Shimmer backed up and slumped against the doorframe. With her adrenaline fading, the pain in her hand reached new heights. She pressed to her chest and used her other hand to pinch herself to try and draw some of the pain away.

Selena marched back into the house, eyes intense and brow creased. Shimmer shuddered as she passed by. Even if Selena probably couldn’t hear right now, making a crack seemed ill-advised. Shimmer looked out across the neighborhood. Everything else seemed peaceful, with half of the houses already dark for the night. Had none of them heard the racket the fighting made?

Nose wrinkled, Shimmer turned inside and closed the door with her shoulder. Selena was lifting Sunset off the floor and resting her on the couch. Shimmer felt she should be furious with her little doppelganger. This was, ultimately, her fault. She had been dumb enough to try and help the Dazzlings. Yet, instead of anger, all Shimmer had was pity. Well, pity for Sunset. She was still flaming furious at those three bitches.

While Selena attended Sunset, Shimmer knelt beside Spot and pulled him into her lap. He was still breathing, though blood trickled from his ears as well.

Oh great. Is everyone in this house going to be deaf now? She looked over to Selena, now marching upstairs. “You can’t hear me, can you?” Shimmer shouted.

Selena kept climbing.

“Just peachy.” Shimmer scooted against the stairs. She let her crippled hand rest at her side while she stroked Spot with the other.

Selena returned a minute later with a small, plain bottle and a handful of cotton balls. She had two pieces stuffed into her ears.

She approached Sunset and tilted the girl’s head. From the bottle, she poured a few drops of clear liquid into Sunset’s ears, then stuffed a cotton ball in and turned her over to repeat the process. When Selena finished, she walked over and knelt beside Shimmer.

“Give me your hand,” she said loudly.

Shimmer raised an eyebrow but did as she was told. Selena gently took her by the wrist and poured a few drops from the bottle onto Shimmer’s two broken fingers. A warm tingle ran through her entire hand, concentrating at the knuckles currently out of place. Shimmer winced as the snapped back in, but pain evaporated instantly.

She sighed in relief. “Thanks.”

Selena pulled the cotton from her ears. “You’re welcome.”

“Wait, you can hear again? What is this stuff?”

Selena dabbed the liquid onto her finger and brushed it against Shimmer’s nose. “Water from a magic spring in the Himalayas. It can cure most injuries, including ruptured eardrums.”

Like her fingers, Shimmer’s nose popped back into place with a warm and soothing tingle. “Finally, magic has a good use.”

Selena took Spot into her lap and dabbed his ears with the medicine as well. When she finished, she sat back and let out a long and tired sigh.

Shimmer nodded in agreement. “That royally sucked.”

“That’s surprisingly mild coming from you.” Selena massaged her eyelids. “I can’t believe those damn Sirens were working for Tempest.”

“What?” Shimmer snapped her head toward the door. “So, Tempest knows where you live now?”

“I’d be surprised if she hadn’t already known.” Selena gave Shimmer a composed look. “Relax. She herself can’t get to us here. Artemis has wards to keep out most black magic.”

Shimmer gave a vague wave of her hand. “Then how did those freaks get in?”

“Probably because they themselves don’t have magic anymore. Or at least, magic that would be detected as malicious. It’s not a perfect system by any means.”

Shimmer dropped her hand. Her eyes were still on the front door. Maybe it was time for her to vanish again. But Tempest lurked out there, and Shimmer needed protection. Even if they had been compromised, what place was safer than with the Lulamoons? And was she ready to be alone again?

The soulless black sclera and twisted laughter in the back of her head told her no.

“Thank you, by the way.”

Pulling her eyes from the door, Shimmer looked at Selena. “Huh?”

“Thank you for trying to help. I honestly didn’t expect something like that from you.”

“Ye of little faith, give me some credit. I technically live here, too, might as well defend it.” She snorted. “Fat lotta good it did.”

Selena looked over to Sunset, resting on the couch. “At the very least, she was right about you being able to change.”

Shimmer let out another sigh, watching her doppelganger sleep. “Can’t win ‘em all, kid.”

*******

Sonata furiously tried to wipe away her tears as she and her sisters exited the swirling portal. Yes, the lamp had hurt, but the seething glare Selena had given them as they ran hurt way more. By tomorrow, Pinkie would know about what had happened, and she would look at Sonata with the same glare.

The portal dropped them out in a magnificent entrance hall. Polished marble floors greeted them, reflecting the enormous chandelier hanging above them. Watercolor portraits hung from the mahogany walls. In front of them rose a grand staircase with red velvet carpeting.

Aria rubbed the bruises on her arm. “I swear, Adagio, this had better be worth it.”

Sonata looked at the staff in her hands. Their old voices back. Fans adoring them. A real house to sleep in. Was it worth throwing away her friendship with Pinkie?

Adagio roved her eyes around the hall. “Trust me, it will be.”

It had to be, right? Because Adagio always knew what was best for them. Sonata had tried to plead her case on why they should turn down Tempest’s offer. Even Aria had been highly skeptical. But Adagio won out like she always did. It would be best for all three of them. Sonata was so certain she had been full after playing with Pinkie. Yet, her sisters were starving. And she would be a bad Siren if she let the rest of her family starve.

Maybe she could convince Pinkie they could still be friends. Sonata shook her head. Pinkie had said firmly good people didn’t steal. They had stolen and hurt another friend in the process. Pinkie probably wouldn’t give a third chance to her.

Tempest walked into view at the top of the staircase. She looked down at them with a wry smile. “Very good, ladies. There wasn’t too much trouble I hope.”

“There was another Sunset there,” Aria spat. “The heck was that about?”

Tempest scowled for a moment. “From what I understand, Sunset hails from another dimension. Everyone in this world has a counterpart over there. You encountered the native Sunset.”

“Fascinating,” Adagio said dryly. “We got what you wanted, now give us our reward.”

With a wave of her hand, Tempest conjured a red gemstone from thin air. It floated down the stairs and came to hover in front of Adagio. She snatched it, eyes burning with hunger.

Aria looked longingly at it as well before addressing Tempest. “Well?”

“You’ll get the others when your whole task is complete,” Tempest said coolly. “You should know that these aren’t as powerful as your original gems.”

“It’ll do for now.” Adagio closed her hand around it and clutched it to the base of her throat. “So, all we have to do is stir up some trouble and get the Rainbooms to fight us?”

“Spectacular Seven,” Sonata whispered.

“No one cares,” Adagio snapped.

“Correct,” Tempest said. “Bring out their magic, then steal as much as you can. Try not to kill them. Lord Tirek would still like their souls when this is all over.”

Aria narrowed her eyes. “You expect us to go up against all of them at once?”

“Moondancer will be there to help break them up. And I’m sure you three can be creative. Just be sure to bring me back the staff.” Tempest turned and headed back down the hall. “Feel free to take any of the spare bedrooms on the second floor.”

As soon as Tempest was out of earshot, Aria grabbed Adagio’s arm. “I don’t like this. Are we seriously taking orders from some hag?”

“Better than starving and sleeping in a factory like peasants!” Adagio snapped. She held the gem between her fingers. “I don’t trust her either, but look! She already gave us one. We do this, we can come out on top. We can still win!”

“You mean you can still win.”

“I’m doing this for our sake!” Adagio walked over and snatched the staff from Sonata. “So both of you shut up and follow my lead.” She stomped up the stairs.

Aria shoved her hands in her pockets. “Your lead is why we’re in this mess in the first place,” she grumbled before stalking up the stairs as well.

Sonata stood alone. She hugged her elbows and looked at her reflection on the polished floor. She had followed Adagio all these years. Every time it looked like they were about to win, something happened so they always lost. What was different about this time?

She felt a rumble of hunger. Not from her stomach, but from the core of her body. Maybe she had imagined being full. Had playing with Pinkie just been a big enough distraction that Sonata could ignore the usual emptiness?

“You can still leave.”

Sonata jumped and whipped her head to the right. Coming from an adjacent hall was a young woman with half a mask on her face. The half that was visible looked really familiar. Perhaps she had been in the Battle of the Bands? She looked extremely bored.

“It’s not too late. You’re nothing but a pawn to Tempest. You can run, and she won’t care.”

Sonata looked at the massive front doors behind her. “I… I can’t. They’re my family. We’re supposed to stick together. And… I don’t have anywhere else to go. My friends probably hate me now.”

“Sometimes, it’s better to choose reason over family, though I understand wholeheartedly why you would choose the latter.” The young woman headed up the grand stairs, keeping a hand on the banister. “Though, if your friends are the same girls I’m thinking of… don’t discount them just yet. They’re surprisingly loving.”

She continued on her way, leaving Sonata alone again with her thoughts.

Friends? Or family?

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Scream and Shout

This chapter was so long, I split it in two! 12,000 words, guys! I try not to go over 9k for chapters nowadays. I'm sure a lot of you out there adore seeing the word count in the double-digits but as a reader, it makes me hesitate now because it just seems daunting, mostly because I try to read chapters in one sitting. Yes, I know we have a bookmark function. Anyway, I try not to have chapters go on too long unless they have to. The way 'Canterlot Chronicles' was formed in my head, I needed to cycle through all of the girls' stories in one chapter. 'Different Kinds of Love', I wanted to wrap up the bulk of that plotline in one go.

Uhhh, the point is, long chapters are cool, but I try not to make them too long so they're more digestable. Y'all got an extra chapter technically. Four chapters left in the volume!

17. The Weight of Redemption

A soft weight on her stomach and several wet kisses against her cheek roused Sunset from her slumber. The last vestiges of a headache kept her from opening her eyes just yet. She reached a hand out and found Spot, giving him a loving scritch behind the ear.

A fluffy and itchy pressure in her ears drove her to crack her eyes open. She sat up and repositioned Spot into her lap, then reached for her ears and pulled a cotton ball free. She cringed at the sight of dried blood on one side.

How did… Sunset cringed again as her headache gave one last pound to the front of her brain before leaving. She remembered inviting the Sirens in… and then getting an earful of their horrid screaming.

She slumped against the couch and looked at the broken table in front of her. The glass had already been vacuumed up. Sunset could hear activity in the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the windows. She had been knocked out for the entire night. Selena was probably cooking something, no doubt furious at Sunset.

She had been wrong. She thought she could help the Sirens. She thought they had wanted to change. She thought they were making good progress. And she had been wrong.

A chill ran through her body and her heart sank into her stomach. Her mind replayed last night over and over again. Adagio had mentioned Tempest Shadow, and Sunset could quickly surmise how that meeting had ended. Her brain then jumped to the hypothesis she and Twilight shared. If the Sirens had shown up here after talking to Tempest, Sunset knew what they had been after.

She dropped her face into her hands. This was all her fault. Selena had been right. Twilight had been right. The Sirens had just been using them. She dug her palms into her eyes. She didn’t deserve to cry about this.

“Sunset?”

Sunset moved one hand and looked at Selena. She was drying her hands on a dishtowel, watching Sunset with far less scorn than she expected.

“How are you feeling? Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” Sunset mumbled. She pulled the other cotton ball from her ear then returned her face to her hands. “Go on. Yell at me. I was wrong.”

“I wish you weren’t.”

The couch shifted, and Sunset felt Selena wrap an arm around her shoulder. “You had the best intentions. But some people don’t want to change.”

Sunset frowned inside her hands. She hadn’t wanted to change. She had been forced to change. If the Elements hadn’t intervened, would she have ended up like the Sirens? The thought sunk her heart even deeper.

Selena pulled her into a full hug. “I’m not mad at you, Sunset. You tried to do a good thing.”

“And it blew up in our faces,” Sunset said bitterly. “They took the staff, didn’t they?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Great. Perfect. Wonderful.” Sunset pulled herself from Selena’s embrace and scooped Spot into her arms. “I’ll be upstairs in my room, regretting my life choices.”

“Would you at least like some breakfast first?”

“Not hungry.” Sunset stood and trudged up the stairs, shoulders hunched. Her stomach did feel empty, but she had no desire to fill it. She passed Shimmer’s door, spotting the woman lounging on her bed, Jörmungandr resting on her stomach.

Shimmer turned her head to Sunset. Surprisingly, she didn’t look angry. She gave a short sigh and said, “Sorry, kiddo.”

Sunset sighed in turn and retreated to her room. She set Spot on the bed and collapsed into her computer chair, resting her face on her desk. Her mind went through everything that had happened between the Sirens showing up on Pinkie’s doorstep and last night.

Where had she gone wrong? Did she not spend enough time with them? Did she pawn the responsibility off on her friends? But Pinkie and Sonata had bonded so naturally. And Rarity chose to spend time with Aria. Maybe she, Sunset, should have spent her alone time with Adagio instead of running off with Twilight and leaving it to Applejack. Not that Applejack wasn’t reliable! Maybe Sunset just would have been better suited. She felt like she had almost gotten through to her in the forest. Maybe?

What am I supposed to tell the others? What am I going to tell Twilight?

Twilight wasn’t the ‘I told you so’ type, but for something this big, Sunset thought it would be justified. Then again, Selena and Shimmer hadn’t called Sunset out, so she doubted Twilight would. She wished someone would yell at her though. She had let three villains walk into their lives, aggravate her friends, wreck her home, and steal from her foster family.

Sunset closed her eyes and groaned. “Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!” Just because the Sirens were in a similar situation didn’t mean things would play out the same. There was one major variable that made all the difference.

Sunset huddled against her desk, riding wave after wave of emotion, oscillating between crushed and furious as her mind spiraled downward, treading ground she thought she had left behind.

A gentle knock came from the door, and Sunset cracked an eye open. Her wall clock told her she had been here an hour already. “Come in,” she mumbled into the desk.

The door swung open and in came all of her friends. Her bedroom was sizable, but with six more girls and a dog, it was a tight fit, especially when said girls all looked like they wanted to pile Sunset in a group hug.

Sunset didn’t bother lifting her head. “How did you find out?”

Rarity closed the door behind them. “Selena texted Twilight, and Twilight texted the rest of us. How are you feeling?”

“Well, I’m not dead. So you know, that’s cool.”

Twilight knelt beside Sunset and placed a hand on her leg. “I’m sorry, Sunset. I know—”

“Stop.” Sunset squeezed her eyes closed and turned her head away. “Just stop. Half of you warned me this was a bad idea. Can someone please just chew me out? Go ahead, Rainbow. I know you’re dying to do it.”

She heard a light shuffle of feet before Rainbow said, “I mean, sure, I said that at the beginning. But, I dunno. It looked like they were being sincere somewhere down the road.”

Pinkie sniffled. “I don’t want to believe it. Tempest forced them to do it. She had to! There’s no way Sonnie would go back to being bad! We made friendship tacos!”

Sunset considered the possibility they had been coerced. Tempest was pretty terrifying. But then why not ask for help? The Sirens had been on her doorstep, they had already mentioned Tempest’s name. And they were already at rock bottom. Sunset doubted Tempest needed to twist their arm to comply.

“Maybe,” Applejack said, beating Sunset to the punch. “But from the way Adagio talked when Ah was with her, Ah doubt Tempest is forcin’ them to do anythin’. More like she has somethin’ they really want and were willin’ to sell us down the river for.”

“What could be better than friendship?” Pinkie cried.

“Power,” Sunset said reflexively. She stared vacantly out her window. “Who needs friends when you could have all your old power back?”

“I suppose…” Rarity said slowly. “I could see Tempest tempting them with something like that. But I do see Pinkie’s point as well. Aria may have a hard exterior, but I really felt like we were starting to connect.”

“You’d be surprised at how quick someone can change their mind if you offer something they really want,” Sunset said.

Twilight moved her hand to rest on top of Sunset’s. “Are you okay?”

“Just… thinking.” Sunset lifted her head but continued to stare out the window. “If things had been a little different… would I have ended up like the Sirens?”

“Of course not,” Rarity said. “You wanted to change.”

“No,” Sunset said with a bitter laugh. “No I didn’t. I had to change. If the Elements hadn’t put a penance on me, I never would have even put myself in a position to be better. I would have avoided you girls like the plague! And if by some miracle you girls did get me to start spending time with you and someone like Tempest came along, I would have stabbed you in the back in a heartbeat!”

Sunset spun in her chair to face her friends. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she had a pained smile plastered on her face. “Don’t you see the difference here? The Sirens never had their free will subverted! I did! We’re virtually the same! People like us don’t change! Not unless we’re forced to!”

Twilight slid her hand away but kept a pained gaze on Sunset. “That’s not true. You did change. You became a better person.”

“Yeah, at metaphorical gun point!” Sunset grabbed the sides of her hair and pulled. “This is why the Elements made me obedient! Because I was so terrible, I would have done exactly what the Sirens just did!”

“But you didn’t,” Applejack argued.

“Because I couldn’t!” Sunset shot up from her chair and sent it tumbling back toward the wall. “I was forced into being a good person because I couldn’t change on my own!”

“Sunset—” Fluttershy tried to interject.

“Sure, the princess asked you to be my friends, but I never would have said yes to any of your hangouts if the Elements hadn’t forced me to do it!” Sunset said louder, heart pounding and chest tightening.

“Sunset—” Rarity tried to speak.

“The Sirens came to us of their own volition, and they still turned out evil! What does that say about me? All of my changes are based off a curse subverting my free will half the time! This entire friendship is based off that! I’m no better than the Sirens!”

“Sunset!” Twilight, back on her feet, grabbed Sunset by the hand and stared into her eyes. “Calm. Down.”

“But—but I—everything—”

Twilight squeezed a little harder pressing her thumb into Sunset’s palm. “Calm.”

Sunset choked out a few broken sobs before managing to take a deep breath. She curled her hand around Twilight’s and breathed again. Her heart and thoughts slowed. Fluttershy wheeled her chair back, and Sunset collapsed into it.

“R-right. Calm. Okay. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She blinked, as if coming out of a daze. “I… I lost it a little for a sec, huh?”

“It’s understandable, dear,” Rarity said. She stepped over and rubbed Sunset’s shoulder. “We know how hard you were advocating for them.”

Sunset rubbed her tears away. “It’s just… if they failed… then that means I would have failed, too.”

“That ain’t true,” Applejack said. “Think, what exactly did that curse make you do?”

“Tell the truth and help people when they said ‘please’ or ‘do me a favor’ or ‘would you kindly.’ Basically, the antithesis of how I used to treat people by lying and manipulating them.”

“Exactly. There weren’t anythin’ there sayin’ you had to be friends with us. Or even be nice to us. Sure, the Elements were a bit heavy-handed in punishin’ you, but it was just to get you to let go of some of that pride and selfishness. You decided to change in the end.”

Sunset looked down at the floor. “I guess.”

Twilight took Sunset’s other hand. “Sunset, really think: when did you decide to change? Forget about whether or not you were there because of the Elements. When did you decide you wanted to be a better person?”

Sunset lifted her head and looked at Twilight. The answer came instantly. “At Halloween. When we talked in the kitchen.” As she said it, she remembered their conversation and all the emotions that came with it in vivid detail.

Twilight beamed at her and reached up to wipe away a few extra tears. “See? You felt remorse that night. You apologized for all those things you did. Applejack is right: the Elements just pushed you into a better place.”

Fluttershy stepped over and put a hand next to Rarity’s on Sunset’s shoulder. “You didn’t have to apologize to me at the animal shelter.”

Applejack tipped her hat. “You didn’t have to help me save Apple Bloom and her friends.”

Rainbow grinned at her. “And you totally could have ditched me to fight Gilda alone.”

Pinkie flopped from the bed and hugged Sunset’s legs. “You had every chance to ruin the Winter Ball! But you didn’t! You made it the best dance ever!”

Rarity nodded. “I know our friendship didn’t start out in the most conventional fashion, but what matters is where we are now. Where you are now. You’re a better person, Sunset. Don’t doubt that for a second. Maybe you needed a little help, but we all do when we want to improve ourselves. And you made the conscious decision to do that.”

Sunset wiped new tears falling from her eyes. “Man, I hate crying,” she said with a wet laugh. “Thanks, you guys. I’m sorry I fell apart like that.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Fluttershy said, “to pick you back up.”

Pinkie climbed higher and wrapped her arms around Sunset’s waist. “Group hug!”

Sunset was well beyond the point of even pretending she didn’t enjoy their group hugs. Her friends came in, awkwardly mashing themselves together around Sunset’s chair. A delightful warmth bloomed in her heart, then spread throughout the rest of her body.

Several smaller lights flashed at once to create a blinding luminescence that Sunset had to shield her eyes from to avoid being blinded. Spot started barking, and Twilight wiggled her way free from the mass of hugging humans.

She put a hand on her chin and squinted her eyes. “Hmm. It is strange though, isn’t it?”

The remaining six broke the hug, all of them glowing and showing off their pony features.

“What is?” Rainbow asked.

“Like Sunset said: the Elements gave her an extra punishment, but it doesn’t seem to have done anything to the Sirens.”

“Well, I’m not sure if what we used against the Sirens was actually the Elements.” Sunset tilted her head toward the ceiling, remembering the astral alicorn that had appeared in the clouds. “Maybe it was? It was definitely harmonious. But, I digress. That blast took away their voices. Maybe that was their punishment?”

Rainbow jumped and hovered in the air. “Without their voices, maybe the Elements or whatever was hoping they’d treat people like equals instead of food.”

Applejack crossed her arms. “Clearly, that didn’t work.”

“I would like to think it did, until someone interfered,” Rarity said glumly.

“What are we going to do about them?” Pinkie asked, her hair losing some of its volume.

The group turned their eyes to Sunset. She rested her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. “I don’t know. We have no way of knowing what their next move is. The best we can do is stay on guard.”

Twilight gave a nervous fidget. “You don’t think they’d attack the wedding, do you?”

Sunset furrowed her brow. “I didn’t think I’d get attacked in my own home. I wouldn’t put anything past Tempest now.”

“But, your brother already has some police security there,” Applejack said reassuringly. “Between them and us, what could the Sirens do without magic? Ah don’t think they could take an entire security force.”

“I hope you’re right,” Twilight said.

“Speaking of the wedding,” Rarity said, forcing some pep into her voice, “we all have to get ready for the rehearsal tomorrow, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” Pinkie said, lacking her usual pep. “I just don’t like the idea of possibly being attacked by Sonata.”

Sunset stood up and gave Pinkie a tight hug. “I know how much it hurts. Let’s just try and enjoy the wedding for now. Keep your guard up just in case. And afterward, we can worry about the Sirens.”

“Okay,” Pinke mumbled into Sunset’s shoulder.

Twilight stepped up to Sunset once Pinkie had let go. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Yeah, thanks to all of you. A little shaken, but I’ll be fine.”

“Rarity’s right, we should probably get goin’ so we’re set for tomorrow,” Applejack said. She took a look at Rainbow, still hovering in the air. “Er, after all our pony things disappear.”

*******

Sunset came downstairs the next morning with a small bag packed. She found Selena pacing the length of the living room. Sunset set her bag on the bottom step and cleared her throat. “Everything okay?”

Selena stopped and looked at her. “I don’t know. I’m thinking about this whole wedding situation. Part of me thinks the Sirens wouldn’t be dumb enough to attack a hotel filled with people and police. Unless that’s exactly what they intend to do. But I can’t fathom why. And I can’t tell you not to go.”

“You could come with us. I don’t think the whole hotel is booked.”

“And leave Shimmer here unattended?”

“Hey, I thought we had shared a moment the other night!”

Both Sunset and Selena looked up to see Shimmer leaning on the balcony. Selena crossed her arms and said, “Just because I trust you more doesn’t mean I trust you completely.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

Selena looked back at Sunset. “And on the off chance that they want us to leave the house completely unguarded, I should stay here.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Twilight has her sword, and you have your powers. Promise me you’ll be careful. Never let your guard down. I know you’re supposed to be having a good time but stay alert. And text me often.”

Sunset leaned in and wrapped her arms around Selena. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

“I can’t help but worry; I’m a mother. To two magically gifted children. Who are magnets for trouble.” Selena hugged Sunset back and laughed softly. “Oh, teenage me would be dumbfounded.”

Sunset’s heart skipped several beats at Selena’s casual acceptance of Sunset as one of her children. Her brain failed to come up with an adequate response, so Sunset just hugged harder.

Selena patted her shoulder and pulled away. “All right. Off you go. Be careful.”

“Promise.” Sunset grabbed her back and headed for the front door.

“And remember,” Shimmer shouted, “the bride and groom aren’t the only ones allowed to have sex during the wedding!”

Sunset heard Selena give an exasperated groan as the door shut behind her. Rarity’s car sat in the driveway. Sunset tossed her bag in the back and hopped into the passenger seat.

“Sunset, do me a favor and pinch me,” Rarity said in a dreamy tone. Sunset did as she was told and pinched Rarity’s arm. Rarity flinched, then yelled in delight and clapped her hands. “Yes! I’m not dreaming! We’re going to a celebrity wedding! Sure, it’s just a local celebrity, but it still counts!”

Rarity pulled onto the street and headed for the freeway. Their destination was the Crystal Lake Resort, almost two hours north of the city. They put on the radio to pass the time, and both girls jumped when they heard a familiar voice come from the speakers.

“Yo, Canterlot, it’s Vinyl Scratch, still filling in for Cadence! It’s almost time for her big day, so just gonna give a shout out to the coolest boss in the world! Hope your wedding day is great! Also, I’ve been asked, again to remind you guys that any party crashers will be arrested. She’s already taken, guys, freakin’ chill.”

“You know, I think this is the most I’ve ever heard her speak,” Rarity said.

It was an odd contrast, hearing Vinyl’s rough and exuberant voice followed by slow, calming love ballads. Nonetheless, Sunset was glad one of their classmates had already found a position in their field of choice.

Rarity bounced through different stations when she got bored with the love songs. Sunset heard five Countess Coloratura hits across three stations on their trip.

“Sorry,” Rarity said, catching Sunset’s eye-roll after the latest one ended. “I’m just a really big fan. I’ve been trying for ages to get tickets for her upcoming show here in Canterlot.”

Sunset waved a hand. “Don’t mind me. I’ve never been a fan of mainstream music. I just don’t see what all the fuss is about over her.”

Rarity looked ready to launch into an explanation, but let out a little gasp when their exit came up. “We’re almost there! Oooh, I can’t wait to see it! I’ve heard the resort is five stars! And the lake is supposed to be crystal clear!”

“Hence the name,” Sunset said with a dry smile.

The highway had taken them around the base of the mountains that bordered Canterlot, but their new road pulled them into a sea of evergreen trees. The sun flittered between the tall boughs, and the loamy scent of lichen and moss filled the car. The road snaked its way through the forest, devoid of the motor activity the freeway had displayed. They had passed only ten cars by Sunset’s count.

Someone honked behind them, and Sunset turned in her seat to see Applejack’s truck. Pinkie hung out the passenger window, waving.

The path opened up to a grassy field that sloped down to a massive lake, blue as the sky above. Trees and mountains bordered the opposite shore, turning the view into something from a still portrait.

A single structure stood on the lakeshore. The central building stretched twelve-stories high and had a front sloping roof. The rest of it curved out from the central tower to make a U-shape; the side buildings reached up to the seventh floor. Pointed spires rose up at both ends, level with the primary building.

The overall structure was a calm baby blue, matching the lake behind it; its purple roof and spires with gold accents gave it a storybook-like quality. The walls looked impossibly smooth, like they were made from marble or even crystal. The side facing the lake had balconies for every room on each floor, all of them with golden railings. Glass made up the front of the main building, allowing sunlight to flood the central atrium.

Rarity held her mouth open in a silent, joyous scream. Sunset couldn’t imagine how much it cost to stay here for a night, let alone host a wedding. They pulled into the parking lot, Applejack pulling to a stop in the stall next to them.

Pinkie got out and gestured emphatically at the hotel. “It’s so shiny! And huge! We get to have a wedding here!”

Rarity vocalized the scream she had held back. “I know! It’s everything I could have dreamed of! Just look at that view!”

Applejack let out a long whistle. “Ah would love to wake up to this every mornin’.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy arrived a minute later. The six of them stood and enjoyed the scenery and cool air that blew in from the lake.

“This is gonna be the best wedding ever until one of us gets married,” Rainbow declared.

“My bet’s on Rarity getting married first,” Pinkie said as the group moved toward the front entrance.

“Really? I’m picking Sunset and Twilight,” Rainbow said.

Sunset’s stomach did a somersault and her cheeks burned.

Pinkie shook her head. “She and Twilight will be too busy getting like, a bajillion degrees to actually have a wedding.”

Applejack bobbed her head. “Ah can see that. They’d be the type to be engaged forever but not actually hitched.”

“You know, I’m standing right here,” Sunset growled.

Rarity winked at her. “We know.”

The girls walked through the hotel courtyard, following the smooth, granite path inlaid with blue cresting waves. Green leafy flamingos stretched their necks over the girls as they neared the central building. Large tropical flowers were planted between the topiary birds. Sunset might have thought she was on an island if she hadn’t just seen the lake.

The glass doors to the lobby slid open. A cool blast from the AC hit everyone’s face as they stepped onto the gold-flecked white marble floors. The ceiling was rather low, held up by Greek ionic columns spread out at wide intervals.

The reception counter sat off to the right, and Sunset could already see one of the well-dressed concierges wrinkle his nose at the appearance of six teenagers.

“Um, did Cadence say what name we check-in under?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh, girls, over here!” Twilight entered the lobby from an adjacent hall, accompanied by Cadence. The two of them hurried over, Cadence looking especially haggard.

“Good, you’re here. I was starting to get worried,” she said, out-of-breath. “The rehearsal’s in an hour. It shouldn’t take long; it’s really just a quick run through to make sure everyone knows their places and cues, so if you make a mistake here, it’s really not important, as long as it’s only here and not during the actual ceremony. Not that I’m expecting you to make a mistake! You girls did so well during the Battle of the Bands! Except for that one time! So, just… don’t do that! Um, here, I’ll go get your keys for your rooms!”

She hurried over to the reception desk. Sunset followed her with her eyes before looking at Twilight. “Is she going to be okay?”

Twilight gave a ‘so-so’ motion with her hand. “She’s really been doing most of the wedding planning by herself. She wants it to be perfect. So, that on top of family on top of the paparazzi trying to sneak in on top of a few desperate fans still trying to woo her, she’s a little… over-extended.”

“Probably shouldn’t mention the Sirens then,” Rainbow said.

Twilight shook her head. “I warned Shining. He’s already told the security detail to be on the lookout for anyone else looking extra-suspicious. Hopefully, that’ll deter the Sirens.”

Cadence returned and handed a key card to Sunset and Applejack. “The old band needed two rooms to accommodate all of them, so I just shifted it to be under your names. I’m sure you girls can figure out sleeping arrangements, okay?” She gave them a broad, slightly manic smile.

“Yep,” Sunset said, trying to balance Cadence out by giving her a calm, reassuring smile of her own.

“Perfect! Super glad you’re all here! Really, thank you so much for being my band! Now, get your instruments and meet my parents on the far side of the atrium,” she said with a little more snippiness than Sunset was sure she meant to have.

Cadence turned and hurried away, calling for her mom. Twilight gave them an apologetic smile before hurrying after her.

“Well, let’s try to make this as easy as possible for her,” Applejack said.

“Agreed,” Rarity said. “And remember, keep your magic under wraps. Rainbow.”

“Quit singling me out!”

Applejack had carried all their instruments over in her truck. With the hotel staff carrying Pinkie’s drum set, they returned to meet the rest of the wedding party. The front lobby opened up into the central atrium, stretching to the top of the hotel. The light coming from the front glass window gave everything an immaculate golden glitter. A massive fountain sat in the middle: a circular pool of water flanked by a dozen silver swans, necks raised and water flowing from their beaks. A golden three-tiered fountain rose from the center. Lily pads drifted on the surface, and Sunset saw small fish flitting under them as the group passed.

People stood on the inner balconies overlooking the atrium. Most looked like typical residents just trying to get a peek at the wedding-goers, but a few of them wore sunglasses and had a microphone on their shoulder.

Cadence’s parents, Mr. Elm and Mrs. Rose waited by the back exit. Sunset had only met them once, when she spent an awkward Thanksgiving with Twilight’s family. They, however, remembered her fondly and gave her a warm greeting.

“Thank you so much for helping Cadence,” Rose said, generously shaking Sunset’s hand. She stood a head taller than Sunset with a pale green complexion and her red hair tied into a neat bun.

Elm nodded. “She sounded so relieved when she told us she had found a new band on such short notice.” He stood at Sunset’s height and had mahogany-colored skin. His short green hair was neatly combed back and his beard was trimmed short.

Sunset gave off a few ‘You’re welcome’s and ‘no problem’s as they headed down a hall to the backside of the hotel. Everyone stepped out onto a white granite balcony with curving steps that led down to a wide courtyard lined with more Greek colonnades. Streams of garland spiraled up the pillars and hung over the entablature. White and pink flowers bloomed along the large green leaves.

Rows of chairs were set up between the columns. A pink carpet ran down the center aisle and carried on over a small stretch of grass. It came to a stop at the foot of a gazebo, sitting on a short cliff that overlooked the lake. A small bandstand stood just off to the side.

Elm and Rose were kind enough to help the group set up their instruments and run through a soundcheck. Before returning upstairs, they explained the wedding procession and all the cues they would need.

“One of the hotel staff will be on the balcony to give you the signal to start,” Rose said. “Thank you again so much for doing this.”

“Believe me, it’s our pleasure,” Rarity said with a giddy smile.

Sunset stood off to the side, watching the balcony. Since the bridal march didn’t have any lyrics, her job was easy until they played at the reception.

The rehearsal itself went smoothly. A few of the early arrivals took their seats; Twilight Jazz and Orion sitting on one side of the aisle, and Golden Light sitting alone on the other. The Spectacular Seven started to play when the officiant stepped out first, a middle-aged man with a kind smile and wrinkles under his eyes. Followed behind him was, Sunset assumed, the flower girl, a small five-year-old miming tossing flowers behind her.

Then came the actual wedding party, starting with Shining escorted by his mother and ending with Cadence on the arm of her father. Everyone took their places, and the officiant checked the microphones.

They worked through the recession next, Cadence and Shining leading the party out while the Spectacular Seven played. Sunset stayed with them until the last guest entered the hotel. The staff then hurried along to help move Pinkie’s drums to the reception hall.

Said hall took up the ground floor of the left tower. It was a huge, circular room with a number of round tables taking up the front, leaving the back open as a dance floor. An empty buffet table took up one wall, and another bandstand stood across from it.

To Sunset’s slight dismay, there was organized seating. She and her friends had a table to themselves near the bandstand, but Twilight sat at the main table at the front.

When everyone took their seats, Sunset saw Cadence give a deep sigh of relief. Shining leaned into her and whispered into her ear before kissing her forehead.

Cadence smiled. She stood and addressed the small crowd. “Thank you for bearing with that little rehearsal. I think we’re all set for tomorrow. And as a treat for us, I’ve gotten the hotel to give us a little late lunch catering.”

As she said it, the waitstaff came in with trays full of sandwiches, a large salad bowl, and pitchers of water and lemonade. Sunset’s stomach growled, reminding her that she had accidentally forgone breakfast.

Twilight snuck over to join her friends once everyone had grabbed a plate of food. “You girls sounded really good out there!”

Rainbow took a huge bite of her sandwich. “We got dish inda bag!”

“Hmph. The least you could do while you’re here is act like you aren’t children,” an old voice droned.

Sunset looked to her left, her spirits dropping like a rock at the sight of Golden Light. The older woman had her narrowed sights on Rainbow, particularly her hair.

“Beg pardon, but, who are you?” Applejack asked.

“Girls, this is my grandmother on my dad’s side,” Twilight said with a strained smile.

Golden Light shook her head. “I don’t know how my grandson got convinced it was a good idea hiring a bunch of teenagers to play a wedding. I’ll tell you right now, this is a respectable occasion, and you better treat it as such.”

Rainbow dropped her sandwich and pressed her palms against the table. “Okay, lady, first of all—mmmph!”

Applejack covered Rainbow’s face with her hat. “We promise to be on our best behavior, ma’am,” she said, her own smile pulling tight against her face.

“I would expect so.” Golden looked over at Sunset. Sunset had a feeling her default expression was disapproval. “You especially better be on your best behavior. Don’t think I didn’t see that motorcycle when you first stopped by our house.” She turned and hobbled away, aided by her cane. “How Twilight got mixed up with hoodlums, I’ll never understand.”

Something hot stirred inside Sunset’s chest. It rolled through her body like a wave of heat, different from when she normally ponied up. She didn’t pay it too much mind, however; she was busy trying to melt Golden’s back. She also wasn’t aware of how hard she was clenching her jaw until Twilight tapped her shoulder.

“Sunset, stop! You’re glowing!”

Sunset looked down at her arms, seeing the golden aura shimmering over them. She grabbed her cup of water and took a deep gulp before exhaling. The aura and heat faded away, and Sunset slumped in her seat.

“Wow,” Pinkie said, “and I thought my parents could be strict sometimes.”

“Hate her,” Rainbow said flatly, having been released from Applejack’s hat. “Hate her so much. No offense, Twi.”

“No, it’s…” Twilight rested an arm on the table and buried her face in it. “Uuugh, she’s terrible. I don’t know how my dad lived with it.”

Sunset rubbed her back. “You’ll get through this. It’s just two more days.”

“Two long days.”

“Come now, let’s not let one person stop our fun,” Rarity said. “I say we finish our meals and go see the lake! Let’s make the most of our time here!”

Pinkie raised her glass. “Yeah! Super fun wedding adventure!”

Twilight sat up and grabbed her glass. “You’re right. We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves. Here’s to a great weekend!”

The girls all clinked their glasses together and finished their meals. It was late in the evening when they left the hotel and trekked down the path to the lakefront. The sun had dipped behind the mountains, leaving behind a pink and orange glow to light the world before night completely took over. Sailboats and paddleboards were coming to dock at a small pier further west from the wedding courtyard.

The girls walked along the edge of the lake, between the thin sandbar and the slopes leading up to the forest. They found a cache of smooth rocks and started skipping stones across the surface of the water.

Twilight took her time in selecting hers, picking one up, sharply analyzing it and turning it over in her hand before adding it to her pile or dropping it back on the ground.

“There’s actual science applied to skipping stones, you know,” she said, selecting a flat one. “I didn’t memorize the entire article because I never thought it would be relevant, but I do remember the key takeaways.”

“Leave it to the egghead to take something like skipping stones and apply science to it,” Rainbow said, juggling a rock in her hand.

Twilight either ignored her or didn’t hear. She made an L with her hand and examined the lake. “Accounting for the uneven surface of the water and the size of the stone… assuming the velocity lies on a symmetry plane of the same stone… proportional to the surface of the moving object... mass density of fluid…”

Sunset could see the formulas running through Twilight’s head. “I used to shove nerds like her into lockers. Now, this is the highlight of my day.”

“And the magic angle is twenty degrees!” Twilight exclaimed. She stepped up to the edge of the water and shifted her arm back. “Now, set my shoulder, aim for two rotations per second, apply the right amount of torque, and…”

She threw her arm out and flicked her wrist. The stone caught air and sailed over the water, skipping the surface once before sinking to the bottom.

Twilight rubbed the top of her head. “Hmm… maybe I should read the paper again. I might still have it on my phone.”

Rainbow slung her stone out, getting it to hit the water six times before being submerged. “Or, you could just be good at it.”

Pinke snapped her wrist, and her rock shot out across the lake, skipping twelve times before disappearing.

“Or, you could just be Pinkie,” Applejack said with a smug grin in Rainbow’s direction.

“Maud taught me!”

They spent the next hour trying to beat Pinkie’s record. Sunset applied some of Twilight’s scientific method to her approach, accounting for the stone’s rotation and the twenty-degree angle. The rest she left up to chance. She managed to get a good four skips in. When Twilight stopped trying to overthink things, she got her stone to skip three times.

A bright full moon reflected off the surface of the lake and guided the girls back to the hotel. Spotlights aimed at the building made the polished walls glow, furthering its crystal aesthetic. The girls grabbed their bags from their cars and made their way to their rooms. Cadence had gotten their rooms next to each other on the seventh floor.

Sunset, Rarity, and Pinkie took one room, while Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack took the other. Twilight had a single down on the second floor near the rest of her family.

“Sunset, I’m so sorry to bug you,” Rarity said as they got comfortable in their room, “but I think I left my makeup bag in the car. Could you run down and get it for me? I need to make sure all our outfits are nice and tucked away for tomorrow.”

Nabbing Rarity’s keys from the table, Sunset gave her a two-finger salute. “Sure, be back in a sec.”

The view of the atrium from the seventh floor was just as amazing as the view from the ground. With the sun gone, large, sunflower shaped lamp posts hanging from the walls bathed the central building in a soft golden light. Someone was playing a grand piano, sending soft, jazzy notes through the open hallways. The elevator had a glass door, so Sunset could herself draw level with the bubbling fountain.

She was halfway around it when she saw Shining standing between two swans, staring into the rippling water. She made sure to clear her throat as she walked up behind him.

“Nervous?”

Shining turned around, hands stuffed into his pockets. His shaggy hair looked more ruffled than usual. Still, he smiled at her. “Nervous? The day before my wedding? Of course I am. But, it’s a good kind of nervous, you know? I’ve wanted to be with Cadence since high school.”

“I’m happy for both of you. And I hope things turn out well.”

“Thanks.” Shining took one of his hands and ran a sweaty palm down the side of his face. “It’s exciting and terrifying and great and daunting all at the same time. But I guess that’s life in a nutshell. Now, I get to share it with someone.”

Twilight flashed through Sunset’s mind. “Yeah…”

Shining took a breath and shook his hands out. “How are you doing?”

“Me?” Sunset blinked. “I’m fine. You know, just, happy to be here.”

“Yeah. Who would have thought that the girl I pulled over on her motorcycle would save my wedding.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You’re over-exaggerating. We haven’t saved anything, just lent a hand.”

Shining stuck a hand out. “It’s appreciated nonetheless.”

Sunset reached out to take it, but Shining surprised her with a powerful hug. She couldn’t help but laugh. “I like you a lot more when you’re not doing the overprotective big brother bit.”

Shining released her and coughed into his hand. “That, uh, reminds me.”

“Crap, I had to say something, didn’t I?”

“It’s not bad or anything! I mean… well… it’s just…” A pink tinge rose to his cheeks. “Listen, I know where we are and what’s happening can lead to some… stuff going on. And you and Twilight seem pretty serious, so…”

Sunset’s cheeks were aflame. She sputtered, “What? I—we—I wasn’t—that hadn’t even crossed my mind!”

“Oh! Um… good!” Shining’s face was coated in sweat. “Great! I mean… it’s not like I could stop you. I was just going… but if you weren’t even… uh…”

“Good night, Shining!” Sunset said loudly. She turned on her heel and stalked toward the front entrance with long, quick strides. She let the night air cool her down as she tried to drive out fantasies involving Twilight.

That wasn’t to say she didn’t want to sleep with Twilight. She did. Badly. But she would never do anything she thought would make Twilight uncomfortable. And with everything else going on, plus the fact that they had never had the opportunity, that desire had laid dormant. Usually. Now, they were at a hotel and Twilight had a room all to herself and she was going to be dressed up tomorrow and—

Sunset swore loudly and stomped toward Rarity’s car. She found the makeup bag in the backseat, slammed the door shut, and marched back to the hotel. She fanned herself one last time before returning to her room, trying to distract herself with any thought that wasn’t Twilight laying on a bed.

“I’m taking a cold shower tonight,” she said. She pressed her keycard to the door and pushed the handle in.

“Surprise!”

Sunset jumped back and took a fighting stance before her brain processed what was actually happening. All of her friends were gathered under a banner reading ‘Happy Birthday, Sunset’. The same words were drawn on the red and orange birthday cake sitting on the coffee table in front of them. A small pile of brightly wrapped gifts sat on Sunset’s bed.

“And you thought we forgot,” Pinkie said with uncharacteristic smugness.

“Was kinda hoping, yeah,” Sunset said breathlessly. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “I told you, you girls didn’t have to do anything.”

“And we told you we would anyway because you’re our friend!” Pinkie said.

“Since we’ll be so busy tomorrow, we decided to celebrate it tonight,” Fluttershy said.

Applejack spread her arms out. “And we know you didn’t want anything big, so this is it. Just food, games, and us.”

Sunset looked at her friends, at the candles on this birthday cake, and at the presents. Several memories crowded her mind at once. From her parents giving her a tired ‘happy birthday’ and a single slice of cake before crawling into bed, to them having the energy to sing the entire song and gift her the book she had wanted all year. From Celestia leading her into the castle garden to present her with a whole mouthwatering cake and a new telescope, to the strained picnic they shared, where Sunset had the gall to bring up the damn mirror again.

To the three birthdays she had ignored in this world, treating them like any other day.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked. She stepped around the table and put a hand on Sunset’s arm.

Sunset cleared the lump in her throat. “Y-yeah. It’s just… it’s been a while since I had a good birthday, and…” She laughed, and a few tears leaked down her cheeks. “I hate you girls so much for this.”

Applejack gave a cheeky grin. “Now that’s a boldface lie if Ah’ve ever heard one.”

Room service arrived with a large veggie pizza, and the girls sat down and played card and board games until a quarter to midnight. Sunset beat Rainbow in three rounds of Battleship, then lost to Twilight in a short game of chess.

Sunset ran her hands down her face. “Someday I’m going to beat you.”

“Statistically, yes,” Twilight said, still smiling in triumph. “But I’m going to make sure that day is far off.”

With five minutes to Sunset’s actual birthday, Pinkie lit the candles on the cake, and everyone gathered around to sing. Sunset kept her eyes close the entire time, a watery smile on her face.

I’ve gotten way too sentimental this past year.

She blew out the candles the moment the song was done, remembering only after the fact that she was supposed to make a wish. A few ideas ran through her head, but her heart settled on what it usually wished for: seeing Celestia one more time.

Once the cake had been cut and everyone had their take of chocolate and strawberry-filled slices of heaven, Sunset opened her presents.

Rainbow tossed Sunset her phone. “Happy birthday!”

Sunset stared at it, then at Rainbow, unaware she had taken it in the first place. “What did you do?”

“I downloaded three-hundred of the best rock songs of all time into your playlist. You’re welcome.”

Fluttershy got Sunset a pair of silver sun-shaped earrings to match her necklace. Pinkie got her a handmade mug painted red and gold with a large smiling sun on the front. Applejack gave her a hand-crafted binder full of an assortment of recipes, from casseroles to pasta to pies.

“Ah heard you’ve gotten into cookin’. That there’s a collection of some of the Apple Family’s best homemade foods. All vegetarian, of course.”

Rarity went last, presenting a thin box to Sunset. She pressed her palms to her cheeks and squealed, “I bought this a month ago! You don’t know how much agony I went through keeping it to myself!”

Sunset opened the box and pushed the tissue paper aside to find a new leather vest waiting for her. She lifted it out of the box, her mouth agape. “Rarity, this is…” She ran a finger over one of the gold spikes adorning the collar.

In one fluid motion, Sunset threw the vest over her shoulders and ran to examine herself in the mirror. “Hell yes! Rarity, it’s perfect!”

Rarity sighed, looking pleased with herself. “I knew that jacket would be too hot for you, so I thought this would make a nice substitute.”

Sunset hugged her new leather vest, then looked back at all her friends. “Thanks, girls. All of these gifts are amazing.”

Fluttershy looked over to Twilight. “Wait, where’s your gift?”

“It’s, um, not ready yet,” Twilight said, cheeks a faint pink. “I’m still working on it.”

Sunset walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be great.”

Twilight blushed harder. “W-we should probably all get to bed. The wedding’s in the afternoon, but there’s still a lot of prep work to do.”

“Twi’s right,” Applejack said. “Let’s get some shut-eye before we bug any of our neighbors.”

“Dibs on the couch!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing onto the sofa.

“Pinke, these are queen-sized beds. You know we can share them,” Rarity said.

Sunset saw the rest of her friends make their exit. Twilight paused in the doorway and kissed Sunset on the lips.

“Do you want me to walk you down?” Sunset asked.

“N-no, it’s fine,” Twilight said, her cheeks still rosy. “I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Yeah. Thanks for the birthday. It’s the best one I’ve had in a while.”

Twilight leaned up and kissed her again, longer and harder. Sunset lifted a hand and cupped Twilight’s cheek as she pushed her tongue deeper into Twilight’s mouth. She knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to French kiss her girlfriend in the middle of the hall where anybody could see them, but Sunset didn’t care. It was her birthday, after all.

Twilight pulled away first, glasses fogged. “Love you,” she said in a breathless whisper.

“Love you, too.” Sunset watched her turn and go, feeling the need for that cold shower again. She turned back into her room. Both Rarity and Pinkie looked at her with coquettish smiles.

“Shut up.”

*******

Twilight closed her room door behind her, face still hot. She brought a hand to her chest and breathed in, then pushed it away and exhaled. She would need a good book to distract her before bed, otherwise, she’d never get to sleep with all the thoughts racing through her head. Among other places.

She knelt by her suitcase laid out at the foot of her bed. Even with a book, sleep might be impossible. Tomorrow was going to be huge. Her brother was getting married. She and Cadence were officially going to be sisters!

Twilight pulled her pajamas free, her hand brushing against the hilt of her sword buried beneath them. The dreamy smile on her face drooped. Today had gone well, but what if the Sirens were plotting something for tomorrow? Twilight couldn’t see why they would, but couldn’t shake the possibility.

She wished Sunset had been right, and the Sirens had changed for the better. Most of the signs pointed to their improvement. Twilight scowled. Adagio had seemed unwilling to budge though. At least Twilight had an excuse to pay her back for laser tag now.

Twilight stood and practiced her breathing exercise again. “You’re letting her get under your skin, Twilight. That’s exactly what she wants. You’re better than that. Sunset picked you.”

She knelt down and fished a book out. As she set it on the bed, something moved in the corner of her eye. She swiveled her head and jumped at the sight of a humanoid shadow sitting on her balcony railing. She immediately pulled her sword out and slowly moved toward the door.

It opened without a sound. Twilight’s balcony looked over both the lake and the forest, giving her a panoramic view of everything the resort had to offer. The full moon illuminated the lake waves lapping against the shore. It would have been peaceful if not for the silhouetted figure before her.

Twilight’s hand trembled as she grasped the hilt of her sword, edging it out of its scabbard. She stepped fully onto the balcony, the stranger's features becoming recognizable the longer she stared. Their long hair fluttered in the breeze, waving back and forth against the hem of their shirt. Twilight could see the red and purple coloring to it, and her hand trembled harder.

“Moondancer?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

Moondancer looked over her shoulder, one purple eye drinking Twilight in. She gave a small smile.

“Hello, little star.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Unintended Consequences of Writing About Somone Having Their Will Subverted for 200,000 Words.

Alternate Alternate Chapter Title: Trust Love

Dearest friends, you are hereby cordially invited to the wedding of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza! Festivities shall commence Friday, August 21st, and continue throughout the weekend. We hope to see you in attendance for the Volume III finale, 'The Longest Day'!

Thank you to Jay and Marwile for a little extra assistance for this chapter! :heart:

The Longest Day I: Our Choices

Sunset woke with a start, the growl of a rabid beast besieging her otherwise pleasant dream. It snarled again as she opened her eyes and winced at the bright light pouring in from the window. She grabbed her phone for self-defense, sitting up and looking about for the monster.

The ‘monster’ made a gurgle and a snort before rolling over on the couch. Pinkie snored again, this time partially muffled by her pillow.

Sunset relaxed her shoulders. Pinkie must have been exhausted to snore this loudly. Rarity didn’t seem perturbed. She was still fast asleep with her face-mask on. Sunset squinted her eyes. She could faintly see the earplugs through Rarity’s hair.

Thanks for sharing!

Her phone told her it was close to ten. Sunset supposed she ought to get up now and start getting ready. Seven hours wasn’t as long to prepare as some would think, especially with someone like Rarity who was a stickler for perfect presentation.

“Come on, girls, time to get up,” Sunset said half-heartedly as she dragged herself from bed. Pinkie gave a startled snort, but Rarity didn’t budge. Sunset gave her a firm nudge.

“Mmhmm, I’m up, I’m up,” she said groggily.

Pinkie sat up, her hair messier than normal. “Is it breakfast time?”

“We have leftover cake,” Sunset said. She fished her toothbrush from her bag and stepped into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, her hair was a knotted mess. It would take hours just to get it untangled. Toothbrush in one hand, comb in the other, she underwent the task of making herself presentable, wincing at every knot she yanked.

She had just gotten her hair to semi-presentable when someone knocked on their room door. Sunset stuck her head out of the bathroom and saw Pinkie open the door for Applejack. Loud murmurings drifted in from the hall behind her.

“Y’all might wanna get a move on and get dressed,” Applejack said, wearing her clothes from yesterday. “Ah think we got ourselves a situation.”

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked.

“Ah think you need to hear it yourselves.”

Sunset shared a worried look with Pinkie and Rarity, now up and fully awake. They scrambled and threw clothes on—Sunset slipping on her new leather vest—then followed Applejack to one of the balconies overlooking the indoor fountain.

Both families of the wedding party looked to be squaring off; cousins and other relatives Sunset wasn’t familiar with yelled at one another with wild hand gesticulations. Night Light and Elm appeared to be trying to calm some of them down, while Velvet and Rose stood next to Shining. He was slouched in a chair, staring at something in his palm.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Sunset said. Fluttershy and Rainbow joined the group, and they all took the elevator down to the ground floor.

The commotion was much more pronounced in person. Sunset couldn’t make out a single word being said with everyone shouting over each other. The hotel staff had stepped in, trying to mitigate the situation with little results.

Sunset pushed her way through the crowd to reach Shining and his mom. Rose had stepped off to the side; she held her phone to her ear and was biting hard on her thumb.

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked, looking between Shining and Velvet.

Shining didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at her. His sunken eyes were locked on whatever was in his palm. Sunset tilted her head and saw it was a ring, and her heart dropped into her stomach.

Velvet had her eyes on the ring too. She swallowed hard before addressing the girls. “It, um… well Cadence appears to have, um… left.”

“When you say, ‘left’...?” Sunset dreaded the answer she knew she was about to hear.

“She called off the wedding,” Shining said hoarsely. “She… she knocked on my door, told me about… every time I had messed up or disappointed her… why I wasn’t a good match… dropped the ring on the floor... and left.”

Fluttershy threw her hands over her mouth. “Shining, I’m so sorry!”

“I’m sure this is just one giant misunderstanding,” Rarity said, forcing a short laugh, a strained smile plastered on her face. “I’m sure… you know people get cold feet before their big day… she just needs to collect herself.”

Shining didn’t acknowledge her. He hadn’t so much as twitched since the girls had arrived. He was a statue, one that looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch. Sunset had never seen him so defeated.

Rose walked back over, wringing her hands. “I can’t get a hold of her. We all drove together, so she can’t have left, but... I have no idea where she could be.” Her breathing quickened.

Velvet reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Just relax, Rose. We’ll find her, then we can work this whole thing out.”

Sunset looked at the amassed crowd. Standing within it, she could hear accusations, blames, and defenses being thrown every which way. There was a notable voice missing, however.

“Where’s Twilight?”

Velvet stretched her neck to look for her daughter in the sea of faces. “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her all morning, actually. She didn’t stay with you last night?”

The question had been asked innocently enough, but Sunset couldn’t help but respond in a defensive tone, “No, she went back to her room.”

Thankfully, Velvet didn’t look phased. “I’m going to go check on her. I’ll be right back, okay, sweetheart?” She gave Shining a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Yeah, okay.” His eyes never left the ring.

“I’ll go with you,” Sunset said. She turned back to her friends and dropped her voice to a whisper. “You girls stay here and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

“You think the Sirens did somethin’?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know at this point, but I find it hard to believe Cadence of all people would back out of her wedding at the last second.” Sunset squeezed past them and fell into step next to Velvet.

“Cadence wasn’t acting odd or anything yesterday, was she?” Velvet asked as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Sunset shook her head. “She seemed a little stressed, but that’s natural, right?”

“Right. That’s what I thought, too. Something doesn’t add up.”

No, it doesn’t. Sunset’s gut told her the Sirens were at work, but she had no proof. Why would they target Cadence in the first place? And how would they make her break-off the wedding? Blackmail? Unless Twilight and I were completely wrong about what the staff does...

They reached Twilight’s room, and Velvet rapt her knuckles on the door. “Sweetie, it’s me. We have a bit of an emergency. Can we talk?”

No one responded.

Sunset gave a few knocks. “Sparky, you in there?”

When no one came to the door, Velvet reached into her pocket and pulled out a keycard. “I kept the spare key, just in case of emergencies like this.” She swiped it and pushed the door open.

The room was empty. Twilight’s suitcase sat at the foot of her bed, most of its contents still neatly folded. A book and a pair of pajamas laid on the blanket which was otherwise untouched. In fact, nothing looked out of place, like Twilight had never been here to begin with.

“Twilight?” Velvet asked, concern creeping into her voice. She pulled open the closet door and poked into the bathroom. “Sweetheart?”

Sunset looked about, trying to keep her breathing even. The balcony door was open just a crack, and Sunset ran toward it, throwing it open and looking over the side of the gold railing. There was nothing but grass below her.

“Twilight!” Sunset yelled to the sky. She cupped a hand to her ears, but a response never came. She walked back into the room, where Velvet paced in front of the bed, fanning her face.

“Okay, Twilight is gone, Cadence is gone, but that’s no reason to panic,” she said hysterically. “If they’re both gone, that means they’re likely together, right?”

Sunset hoped that was a rhetorical question. She pulled out her phone and speed-dialed Twilight. It rang, getting Sunset’s hopes up, then dropped them with each successive buzz. They hit rock bottom when her voicemail came on. Sunset stowed her phone away and leaned against the bed. If Twilight had run off with Cadence, Sunset was positive Twilight would have said something—left a note or a voicemail.

Where else could she be? The Sirens targeting Twilight made more sense, but there was no sign of a struggle. Aside from the book and pajamas, it was like Twilight had walked in, opened the balcony door, and vanished without a trace, leaving everything else undisturbed.

“Okay,” Velvet said, taking in a few deep breaths. “Okay, I’m going to go check in with everyone else. Maybe someone has seen Twilight around. Let’s just stay calm and think this through.”

She appeared to be mostly talking to herself, but Sunset did her best to fight her own rising dread. But something wasn’t adding up, and it was that inability to see a pattern that put Sunset on edge. She followed Velvet out of the room and back down to the fountain. Shining still had not moved.

“Where’s Twilight?” Rarity asked, looking nervous.

Sunset bit her lip. “I… we’re not sure.”

“We lost Twilight, too?” Rainbow asked loudly. Several heads turned toward them, and the crowd’s agitation began to flare.

“Twilight’s gone, too?”

“What kind of wedding is this?”

“Has she been kidnapped?”

“We lost the bride and the maid of honor?”

Sunset wanted to be mad at Rainbow, but everyone was going to find out sooner or later anyway. “Yes, Twilight’s gone. It looked like she barely touched her room,” she said, keeping a bite of agitation in her voice.

Applejack made a low rumble in her throat. “Cadence broke-off the weddin’ and walked away, and Twilight just plum vanished. Somethin’ stinks worse here than a week-old pig pen.”

“The question is, what?” Sunset held her hands out. “There’s no signs of a fight in Twilight’s room, and it sounds like Cadence left of her own volition. I seriously doubt it was cold feet though.”

“Maybe the Sirens kidnapped Twilight and used her to blackmail Cadence?” Fluttershy offered.

“But why blackmail Cadence when they could blackmail us?” Rainbow asked.

“We’re not going to get any answers standing around here,” Rarity said firmly. “Let’s check the area. Maybe we’ll find clues, or even the girls themselves.”

They all nodded and weaved their way through the crowd, currently being pacified by Velvet. Other occupants of the hotel ogled and gossiped at the quarreling families, looking on from the in-hotel restaurant or the balconies on the upper floors. Even the concierges at the front desk muttered behind their hands to one another. It reminded Sunset of the fights she orchestrated in the halls of Canterlot High. Two students yelling or even fighting it out, igniting the gossip circles and further dividing the school.

Guilt later. Twilight, now!

The morning sun shone brightly outside, given free reign by the unobstructed sky. The girls escaped the confines of the hotel courtyard and paused at the mouth of the parking lot. The forest stretched out to their left while the mountain range loomed up on their right.

“Where do we start looking?” Pinkie asked, standing on her tiptoes.

Sunset looked at the wide stretch of land the hotel occupied, then at the treeline. “We’ll split up. One group can search around the hotel, the other can sweep through the forest.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Rarity asked. “The forest is big, and if the Sirens are around somewhere…”

“We won’t be going too deep, not until we’re sure the grounds are clear.” Sunset rubbed her ear. “And if the Sirens do try and ambush us, their only method of attacking is screaming really loud. Better we have another group in reserve who could track that down.”

Rarity pursed her lips but nodded. They broke into two teams: Sunset, Rainbow, and Fluttershy venturing off to the forest, while Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie would remain around the hotel.

“If you find anything suspicious, call,” Sunset said, holding up her phone. “Check-in in an hour, even if you have nothing.”

“Roger,” Applejack said, tipping her hat.

Sunset turned for the forest, flanked by Rainbow and Fluttershy. Twilight has to be somewhere around here. And if the Sirens hurt her in any way…

A smoldering heat rose in Sunset’s chest.

*******

Twilight wasn’t sure what woke her up first, the twittering birds, or the itch on her legs. She moved her arm over to scratch it, bruising against soft blades of grass as she did. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, finding not her hotel room, but a tight clearing surrounded by tall pine trees.

She quickly climbed to her feet, breathing hard as she examined herself. She was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. Nothing felt out of place or disturbed. She didn’t feel nausea or pain. Looking about, Twilight found her schiavona laying by the base of the tree behind her.

Moondancer!

Twilight remembered seeing Moondancer on her balcony before everything went dark. Had she been kidnapped? If so, where was Moondancer?

“Hello?” Twilight eased her way to her sword and picked it up, keeping a hand on the hilt. “Moondancer?”

“Up here, little star.”

Twilight turned her gaze to the branches above. Moondancer sat with her back resting on the trunk of the tree, one knee up to her chest. She kept her eyes on the forest beyond. A hundred emotions hit Twilight at once. Everything mashed together until it was all incomprehensible. Did she scream? Cry? Run for help? Tell Moondancer she missed her?

Instead, what tumbled out of her mouth was, “What are you doing up there?”

Moondancer gave a small shrug of her shoulders. “Darmok on the ocean. The beast at Tanagra.”

Twilight’s breath caught. The chaotic storm in her mind cleared into a vision of her and Moondancer on the couch, watching a marathon of Star Trek. “I’m surprised you remember that.”

Moondancer’s eye shifted toward Twilight, but the rest of her continued to face straight ahead. “You explained the significance of those allegories with such passion, how could I not? What’s important to you is important to me, little star.”

“Except Sunset,” Twilight said automatically.

Moondancer frowned and turned her face away. “Yes, I…” She exhaled. “I should have told you how I felt a long time ago. You were the only true bright spot in my life. But you were so shy and reserved. I was afraid… if I told you the truth, you would flee. Then Sunset came along the moment I stepped away and… I let jealousy and bitterness overwhelm me.”

Twilight tightened her grip on her sword. “That was more than just jealousy at Prom.” She watched Moondancer cringe.

“Perhaps. But that was the basis for… most of my actions.” She finally turned her face toward Twilight, half of it obscured by a porcelain white mask. Twilight could see the tail ends of blistered scar tissue on the bridge of her nose and the underside of her cheekbone. The exposed half of Moondancer’s face lacked its usual makeup, exposing faint bags under her eye.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Perhaps you’ll find this a hollow apology. I regret my actions deeply, and I do not wish death upon Sunset. But I still loathe her with all of my being. You, however… I can never begin to apologize enough for what I almost did to you.”

A second wave of emotions overtook Twilight. Like before, it was impossible to settle on just one or think of what to say next. How could Twilight accept Moondancer’s apology when she still felt so much vitriol toward Sunset? Twilight squared her shoulders, her mouth set in a thin line.

“If you’re really sorry, then tell me what’s going on. Why would you side with Tempest? I… I still want to help you, Moondancer, because I know this isn’t you. But you have to let me!”

“Ever the kind and compassionate soul,” Moondancer said with a longing smile. She swung her legs over the branch and pushed herself out of the tree. She gently floated down, barely making a sound as she touched onto the grass. “I received your letter. I thought you would have outright hated me. Yet, you still care. Even now.”

Twilight’s fingers relaxed on her hilt. “You were my first real friend. My best friend. I don’t know if we can ever go back to that. But like I wrote, in honor of our friendship, I want to help you if you’ll let me.”

Moondancer rubbed her eye. “It used to be that you just being my friend was enough. Just having you by my side, shining with your brilliant light was all I needed. You were never supposed to be dragged into all of this—this world of magic and monsters.”

“Well, I’m here now, and I’m not going to run away. I’m going to help my friends stop Tempest and Tirek, even…” Twilight’s throat constricted. “Even if it means fighting you.”

“I know.”

A soft breeze blew through the trees and rustled the pine needles over the girls’ heads. Only a yard of grass separated them, but Twilight looked at Moondancer from the opposite side of a chasm. So much had changed in such a short span of time. Twilight wanted things to go back to normal. She wanted to return to a world where things made sense. A world where she and her friends weren’t constantly in danger from magical mayhem. A world where she wasn’t staring down Moondancer with a sword in hand.

“Twilight,” she said, “I want to tell you everything. I really do. But I can’t.”

“Moondancer…”

“Unless…” Moondancer held her hand out, and a silver rapier materialized in a flash. “I know so many secrets, but I also value my life,” she said in an aloof manner, eyes casually glancing around the glade. “Why, if I were forced into a life-threatening position and the only way out was to talk, I suppose I would have no choice but to let something slip.”

Twilight tightened the grip on her sword hilt again. Was she really going to do this? Could she really do this? Twilight had less than a month of sword practice, and Moondancer had been training for who knows how long. And did she really want to raise a sword against her best friend?

What other choice do I have? It was either fight Moondancer with the slim hope of learning something useful, or sit here and wait to be rescued.

A bell went off in Twilight’s mind at the thought. She was in danger again. Her friends were no doubt looking for her. If they found her now…

No! I refuse to be the damsel in distress this time! She pulled her sword free and tossed the sheath away. “Fine, Moondancer, I’ll fight you! Then, you’re going to tell me everything!”

Moondancer held her sword out in front of her. She eased a foot forward, raised her free hand over her head, and bent her knees. “I certainly hope so,” she said with a flicker of a smile.

*******

Pinkie shoved her face through the hedge, ignoring the twigs and leaves scratching her cheeks. She popped through the other side, finding the tennis courts occupied by a single couple. She pulled her head back and picked the leaves from her hair.

“Nope. Nothing over there.” They had only been searching for thirty minutes, and the hotel grounds were a big place. But Pinkie wasn’t too optimistic about finding Twilight or Cadence. It had been hard to keep her optimism constantly up over the last few days.

She still held out hope that Sonata and her sisters were being forced into doing all these bad things—that they wanted to be good. But they had already hurt Sunset. If they had taken and hurt Twilight or Cadence too, Pinkie didn’t know if she could keep excusing them.

But Sonata had been so happy when they were in the kitchen, cooking and laughing and eating together. It didn’t make sense to throw it all away.

“Pinkie.” Two fingers snapped next to her ear. She turned her head to see Applejack lower her hand and look at Pinkie with a frown. “You okay, sugarcube?”

Pinkie slumped her shoulders as she watched Rarity walk further down the path wrapping around the building. “I dunno. I want to find Twilight and Cadence, but I’m scared we’ll also find Sonata.”

Applejack gave a heavy sigh. “Ah know this ain’t easy to hear, but not everyone is like Sunset. Some people don’t wanna change.”

“Maybe,” Pinkie mumbled. She had met some really stubborn people, Sunset included. Maybe there were people out there worse than them, who didn’t want to change and wanted to stay mean. But she was positive Sonata wanted to change—was changing.

She tailed Applejack and Rarity, moving from the tennis courts to the picnic field. They passed by other family members combing the area for any signs of the missing women. From a short hill in the middle of the field, they could see the lake docks and the people renting canoes and jet skis.

“You don’t think Cadence rowed out to the other side of the lake, do you?” Pinkie asked.

“I hope not,” Rarity said. “We’d never be able to find her.”

“Come on,” Applejack said, turning away from the lake. “There must be more places we haven’t checked yet.”

They followed the path back to the front side of the hotel. One of the security officers was pushing out someone who looked like a tabloid journalist. Pinkie could tell because he had that sleazy, ‘I-want-to-know-people’s-secrets-and-expose-them-for-money-even-if-half-of-them-aren’t-true’ smile. Pinkie hoped none of the paparazzi caught wind of what happened. Cadence would never be able to live it down.

“Maybe we should start looking in the forest as well,” Rarity suggested. “I don’t think we’re going to find anything here.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah. Let’s—” Her hair vibrated, and something pulled her right shoulder forward. She snapped her eyes toward the edge of the forest, closer to the mountain range. That’s where she saw them: Sonata pulling Cadence by the arm and vanishing into the trees.

Pinkie broke into a sprint, kicking up gravel as she crossed the parking lot. Rarity and Applejack’s cries fell on deaf ears. She had to catch Sonata, had to know why—had to know if any of their time together meant anything.

Applejack caught up to her and said between breaths, “Pinkie, what did you see? Who are we chasin’?”

“Sonata and Cadence!” They broke into the forest, hard pavement giving way to soft dirt and grass. Pinkie had no idea where to go from here, but something kept her moving, guiding her through the trees. Dry pine needles crunched underfoot and heavy breathing filled the air. More than once, she almost lost her footing from the uneven ground or an exposed root.

“Pinkie, where are we even… going?” Rarity’s voice petered out as Pinkie finally came to a stop at the mouth of a cave dug into the side of a tall hill.

Pinkie took a second to catch her breath, then pointed to the sloping tunnel. “There.” She could feel it.

Applejack reached into her pocket. “Ah don’t like this one bit. Let’s get the others and—Pinkie, wait!”

But she was already sliding down the cave path, narrowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The tunnel opened to a rough, circular cavern. Rocky shelves protruded from the walls and long stalagmites rose from the uneven ground.

All three Sirens stood on a small ledge near the back. Aria held what Pinkie guessed was the Staff of Sacanas that Sunset and Twilight talked about. Sonata stood off to the side, holding an arm behind her back and trying not to meet Pinkie’s eyes. Adagio stood between them, something red gleaming around her neck.

Pinkie jumped back, nearly crashing into Rarity. “Uh oh!”

“What—?” Rarity looked over Pinkie’s shoulder and her eyes widened. “But… how?”

“A little gift from our new benefactor,” Adagio said, stroking her gem with a finger.

Applejack grinded her teeth. “And all it took was stabbin’ us in the back!”

“We do what we have to to survive in this world.” Adagio balled her fists. “You don’t know what it’s like to be constantly starving. I’ll take a meal over friendship any day.”

“That’s why you kidnapped Cadence, isn’t it?” Rarity asked, pointing an accusatory finger. “To stir up negativity and then feed on it!”

Aria snapped her fingers. “Bingo.”

“It wasn’t easy getting past security and putting her under our control, but I’d say it was worth it,” Adagio said. She inhaled and smiled in satisfaction.

Applejack flared her nostrils. “Where is she?”

Aria airily waved a hand. “Don’t worry. She’s just wandering around deeper in the cave. We didn’t hurt her or anything.”

Pinkie looked off to the side, seeing a narrow passage between two large rocks. She looked back at Sonata, staring at the floor. “Sonnie, you’re really okay with this?”

She didn’t answer immediately. She scuffed the tip of her shoe against the earth and bit her lip. “I… we already… they’re my sisters, so—”

“Sisters don’t force you to do things you don’t want to do!” Pinkie yelled, tears dripping down her face. “They’re not mean to you. They don’t insult you! Sonata, please!”

“Leave her alone!” Adagio snapped. “Good sisters listen to their elders who know what’s best for them. Otherwise, they get punished. Besides, Sonata knows she wouldn’t last five minutes without us.”

“You know that’s not true!” Pinkie shouted to Sonata. “You’re your own person! You’re better than this!” She looked at all three Sirens. “You’re all better than this!”

Aria shifted uncomfortably, but Adagio just sneered. “Enough of your high and mighty attitudes! You think everything can be solved by the ‘magic of friendship’! Friendship isn’t going to feed us!” She took a fighting stance.

“You took away our voices. You took away our means of survival. It’s only fair we take something of yours now.”

Applejack raised her fists. An orange glow enveloped her body, and pony ears sprouted from her head. “Fine, if it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get.”

A horn sprouted from Rarity’s forehead. She held her hands out and created two hexagonal shields. “Aria, you don’t have to do this. Like Pinkie said: you’re better than this.”

Aria tightened her grip on the staff. “Sorry, Rarity. But we have to do what we have to do.”

Pinkie’s powers didn’t manifest. There was no warm, tingling feeling that made her giggle. She didn’t feel the urge to burst into song or dance with joy. There was only a rock sitting where her heart was supposed to be. “Sonnie, please don’t make us do this.”

Sonata wiped her eyes and finally looked up at Pinkie. She tried to glower, but it only came across as a grimace.

“Talk time’s over. Let’s get the show started.” Adagio snapped her fingers.

Aria made a hard roll of her eyes but held the staff over her head. The white crystal took on a bright hue, illuminating the cave and forcing Pinkie to cup a hand over her eyes. The light dimmed, and Aria pointed the crystal at Applejack. It gave out a soft hum, then fired a beam of light straight for her chest.

*******

Twilight and Moondancer circled one another, sizing each other up. Twilight made a constant effort to make sure her heels remained perpendicularly aligned. She readjusted her fingers around her guard and rolled her shoulders. She would have to be flawless if she wanted to best Moondancer. Their swords hadn’t even clashed, yet beads of sweat were forming on Twilight’s forehead.

Moondancer was in striking distance. Twilight wondered if her best strategy would be to attack Moondancer’s left side, where her view was more obstructed thanks to her mask. Or would that be too underhanded? Maybe she could—

Moondancer took a step and a swing. Twilight blocked it in the nick of time, the blade coming uncomfortably close to her shoulder. Moondancer disengaged and struck again, but Twilight was more prepared this time, deflecting the attack and pushing it away before following-up with a thrust of her own.

Living up to her name, Moondancer gracefully backpedaled away. She re-engaged on Twilight’s right side, striking low. Twilight turned her wrist out and down to catch the blade, then flicked it away and swung horizontally. Moondancer’s quick agility kept her out of harm’s reach. She stepped back again and smiled in delight.

“Very good, Twilight. Aunt Selena is teaching you well. Of course, you’ve always excelled at anything you put your mind to.”

“Don’t compliment me when I’m mad at you.” Twilight took a measured step forward and lunged again. Her blade bounced off Moondancer’s, letting off a metallic ping that bounced between the trees. Both girls came back to en garde and circled each other again.

Twilight examined Moondancer closely. The way she carried herself, each step she took; all of it was done with little effort. Meanwhile, Twilight was still putting in a conscious effort not to trip over her own two feet. Selena told her to let her actions flow into each other. But how could she do that when she still needed to mentally break down her actions to make sure she did them right?

Moondancer stepped and swiped at Twilight’s left side this time. Twilight weaved out of the way and countered with a slash of her own. Moondancer parried and rolled Twilight’s sword to the side, then struck at her shoulder. Twilight surprised herself with how quickly she was able to swing her arm back and repel Moondancer’s attack.

Follow-up!

Twilight pushed forward and attacked Moondancer’s left side. She made an impressive block, then sidestepped and aimed her sword for Twilight’s waist. Twilight watched the blade approach in slow motion. She lurched her sword arm with as much force as she could, knocking Moondancer’s arm over her head. Twilight turned to the flat side of her blade and swung for Moondancer’s hip.

Like a bolt of silver lightning, Moondancer brought her sword down and parried Twilight’s blow, knocking the blade into the dirt. Twilight jumped back, heart-pounding after that burst of speed Moondancer displayed.

Moondancer stood at en garde, her rapier resting lazily in her hand. She watched Twilight with an amused smile.

Twilight tightened her grip and jumped forward, aiming for Moondancer’s left side again. Moondancer parried and turned Twilight’s blade down before extending into a thrust. Time slowed again as Twilight saw the tip of the blade aimed at her gut. She jumped to the side, escaping with only a tear in her shirt, and countered with a thrust of her own.

Moondancer’s lightning reflexes kept her away again. She parried, disengaged, and waited for Twilight to make another move. With narrowed eyes and clenched teeth, Twilight struck again.

Attack in quarte! Parry! Move back! Parry! Under her guard! Thrust!

Twilight knew she was hyper-focusing. Her cognizance just below her surface thoughts told her she wasn’t letting her attacks flow into each other. But breaking down her actions was how she moved from one move to the next. It may not have been as fluid as Selena had tried to instruct, but it was the only way she could keep pace with Moondancer.

The two duelists moved about the clearing in a semi-graceful dance. Twilight would initiate the attack, and Moondancer would block or redirect them before countering with a more elegant version of Twilight’s moves. Every time she got close to getting hit, Twilight’s reflexes would jump into high gear, and she would parry Moondancer at the last second.

They retreated from each other again and resumed their pacing. Twilight breathed hard, sweat running down her forehead and her arm trembling from her repeated clashes. She could see the rise and fall of Moondancer’s chest, but she was otherwise taking their fight in stride.

She has the stamina. And the skill. But there has to be a way to win. Twilight looked past Moondancer. She stood near the edge of the clearing, a wide pine tree looming right behind her. Maybe if I can pin her…

Twilight pressed forward and brought her schiavona down vertically. Moondancer eased a foot back as she raised her rapier to block. The clash rang through the forest; the force of the vibration made Twilight wince. She wasn’t sure how much more her arm could take.

Moondancer pushed Twilight’s blade up and away and brought her arm back around for an upward strike. Twilight leveled her sword to block, but the impact force pushed her off balance. She teetered on her back foot, sword pointed skyward. Her eyes followed the point of Moondancer’s blade, waiting for it to cut across her.

Instead of bringing her arm back down or transitioning into a lunge, Moondancer followed through and brought her arm all the way around again, giving ample time for Twilight to hastily recover and block the next swing.

Did she throw that attack?

Twilight pressed forward, slowly pushing Moondancer back toward the tree. That soft smile never left Moondancer’s face, even as her heel came up on a root. Twilight narrowed her eyes and put as much force into her next swing as she could. The collision against Moondancer’s sword rattled her bones, but it was worth it to see Moondancer’s smile fade, even for a second.

Her back hit the tree, and she held her arms out as Twilight pointed her blade at her neck. Moondancer made a throaty giggle. “Très magnifique, Twilight. You have me cornered.”

“No, I don’t,” Twilight said between labored breaths. “You let me win.”

Moondancer frowned, but her eyes looked over Twilight’s head. “I certainly did n—”

“Yes, you did! You slowed down every time you were about to hit me! You deliberately missed!” Twilight yelled. Her eyes stung; from sweat or tears, she couldn’t say. “You were never taking this seriously! You were never taking me seriously!”

“Twilight,” Moondancer said in a weak voice, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Twilight took three large steps back and came to en garde. “Fight me.”

Moondancer eased off the tree, her sword limp in her hand. “Twilight—”

“I don’t need you to coddle me!” Twilight said, raising her voice again. “I’m not some fragile flower! I’m not helpless!”

“Of course you aren’t—”

“Then take this seriously and fight me!”

Moondancer breathed a quiet sigh from her nose. Mouth set in a thin line, she raised her sword to Twilight. “Fine.”

Twilight blinked.

Moondancer was in her face, her sword coming from the left. Twilight, blocked it, but the sheer force of the blow numbed her hand. Moondancer struck again, her sword leaving a trail of silver as it sliced the air. Twilight barely fended it off, but Moondancer just came at her again. Twilight couldn’t keep up—her brain couldn’t even relay instructions to combat this lightning-fast offensive.

With a final swing, Moondancer knocked Twilight’s blade from her hand. She slid forward, raised a palm, and unleashed a blast of white energy. It felt like a large fist had punched Twilight square in the chest. She flew and landed on her back, gasping for air as she stared at the blue sky between the trees.

Of course, she seethed. She knew that victory had been too easy. One month of training, and she actually thought she could stand on Moondancer’s level? On any of her friends’ level? Still, Twilight had hoped. Maybe through sheer determination and will, she could have won.

But, no. Sword prowess or not, Moondancer still had magic on her side. Twilight was simply beneath her. Ribs aching, Twilight sat up, making out Moondancer through her watery vision.

Moondancer’s sword disappeared in a glitter of light. She turned her face away. “You put up a good fight, Twilight.”

“Don’t patronize me,” she spat. “You could have won at any time.”

“I didn’t want to.”

A cold chill ran down Twilight’s spine. A whoosh of wind made her turn her head to the right to see a dark portal appear between two trees. From it emerged the woman she had seen at Prom, a black traveling cloak over her shoulders.

Tempest Shadow.

Moondancer’s whole body froze. She stared wide-eyed at Tempest. The dark woman barely gave her a second glance. Her eyes were on Twilight.

“Hmm. I’m disappointed. I would have thought at least one of your friends would have come to save you by now.”

“I don’t need saving!” Twilight winced at her sore ribs.

Tempest smirked. “I’m starting to see why you like her, Moondancer. She’s got a little fire in her eyes.”

“Why are you here?” Moondancer asked, a faint quiver in her voice.

“I just came to make sure you were doing your job. And to see if those girls had shown up yet.” Tempest tapped a golden amulet around her neck, odd lines etched into its surface. “I’m owed a few souls.”

Twilight stared at Tempest, at the haughty smirk she wore: a smirk that oozed self-importance. This is all her fault! Sunset losing her soul! My friends being in danger! Moondancer betraying me!

With a surge of adrenaline, Twilight jumped to her feet and scooped up her sword. Tempest was unarmed. One good strike and Twilight could end this for good! She could make up for losing to Moondancer. She ran at Tempest, blade drawn back…

This time, the fist that connected with Twilight was made of iron. She flew across the clearing and crashed into a tree before crumpling into a heap.

“Twilight!” Moondancer shrieked.

Twilight propped herself up on her arms, gasping in pain as her ribs shifted. She raised her head to see Tempest looking down at her.

“Your bravery is sadly misplaced, girl,” Tempest said with an amused smirk. She lifted up the gold amulet.

“Tempest, please,” Moondancer said, holding her hands out. “Please, leave her alone.”

“I’m not going to hurt her. I do need to get the others’ attention though. Just one scream.” The lines on the amulet lit up.

Twilight stared, transfixed. Her heart pulsed. No, not her heart. Her soul. The pulse reverberated through her entire being.

What is this?

A warm blanket settled over her as hundreds of memories flooded her mind. Playing with her big brother, staying up late and reading a book under the covers, her dad bringing home a new puppy for Christmas, drinking tea with Moondancer, sleeping over with her friends.

Every memory of Sunset.

Someone tore the blanket off, exposing Twilight to a bitter cold. A voice whispered in her head, growing louder every time it spoke, repeating the same word over and over again.

Useless.

What good was her academic record in a world full of magic? She was surrounded by super-powered humans and magic casters. What business did she have here other than being a liability?

“Aw, are you feeling a little inadequate, Twilight?” Tempest said from far away.

“N-no… I…”

The chill bit deeper, making her tremble. Twilight could see Sunset rising off the stage, embracing her harmonic magic and singing her heart out. This was what her friends had been working toward. And Twilight had almost ruined it because she had been entranced by the Sirens.

“Is that resentment I see buried deep in there?”

“No,” Twilight moaned.

But it was true. She was stuck hiding in a stone culvert while her friends fought for their lives against a winged demon that called itself Sunset. She wanted to help. Instead, she was magicless and defenseless. Why couldn’t she have even just a little magic so she could help?

“You let your friends do all the fighting for you? Tsk, tsk.”

“I want to fight too!” Twilight sobbed. “I just can’t!”

She had tried to stand up to Moondancer at Prom, only to be swatted away. And again, just now. Even with her sword training, she was still…

Useless.

Pointless inventions. Magical studies that went nowhere. What good was any of it? Spectacular Seven? What did she bring to the table other than encouragement and hypotheses?

“Face it, Twilight. Compared to all your friends, you’re nothing,” Tempest whispered. “I know how that feels. To be powerless, helpless. Treated and regarded as inferior. Lord Tirek promises power to humans like you and me.”

“Tempest, stop it!” Moondancer screamed.

“I’m only telling her the truth.”

The truth.

Twilight stared into the glowing lines. They waved hypnotically, making sigils and runes Twilight couldn’t understand. But they spoke the truth. In a growing world of magic, she was useless. She was—

A golden blur delivered a haymaker straight into Tempest’s jaw. She blasted through the clearing, bouncing against the dirt before coming to rest at the base of a tree.

The trance around Twilight broke, and she gulped down a lungful of air, ignoring the sharp pains in her center. The cold eating at her slowly ebbed away, though the echos of ‘useless’ still rang in her core. Blinking away her tears, she looked up at her rescuer.

Hair burning bright and curling over her shoulders like it was alive, wings and tail dancing with scarlet flames, and a golden aura shining brighter than ever before.

Sunset stood over her, eyes narrowed in Tempest’s direction and filled with a wrathful fire.

Author's Note

Twilight vs. Moondancer

The Longest Day II: Change

The white beam struck Applejack in her chest. She cried out in surprise and dropped to one knee, her pony features fading in and out of the world. The white beam turned orange and its flow pulled back toward the staff.

“Applejack!” Rarity cried. She threw a shield out between Applejack and the beam. The shield cut the laser off, but it violently flickered before dissolving like sugar in water, breaking into hundreds of tiny purple light particles. Pinkie watched as said particles drifted into the beam and were pulled into the staff.

Rarity swooned and held a hand to her forehead. “What… what was that?”

Applejack woozily climbed back to her feet. Her pony ears returned to a solid-state, but her aura was dimmer than before.

“What did you do to me?” she said, breathing hard.

Aria rolled her eyes. “I’m not some lame supervillain. If you can’t figure it out, I’m not gonna tell you.” She pointed the staff at Applejack again, but Rarity conjured another diamond shield and hurled it at Aria.

She ducked, but the shield bounced off the cave wall and slammed into the back of her head. She stumbled forward off the short ledge and onto her knees. Applejack ran forward, fist reared back.

Adagio opened her mouth in Applejack’s direction and screamed. Pinkie could see the soundwaves ripple through the air. She covered her ears as the scream ricocheted around the cavern and drilled into her eardrums. Applejack took the full blast and was thrown onto the floor.

Aria got up and rubbed her ear, glaring briefly at Adagio before pointing the staff at Applejack again. Rarity threw her arms up, and a circle of interlocked diamonds rose around Aria, encasing her in a sparkling blue dome. Aria fired the staff anyway, and like before, Rarity’s magical prison flickered and slowly fizzled out. Every hexagon broke down into pieces of light and was absorbed into the staff.

Rarity gasped and fell to her knees. “Are you… are you draining our magic?”

“Like we said…” Adagio smiled, showing all of her teeth. “You took something of ours. Now, we’re taking something of yours.”

Pinkie looked at Rarity and Applejack struggling to get back up. She then looked at Sonata, who had once again averted her gaze.

“Sonata, you have to stop this!” Pinkie shouted. A faint tingle ran through her body, like her pony features wanted to come forth.

Sonata weakly shook her head. “We… we’ll all get our voices back—”

“What’s the point? Why do all you bad guys want power if everyone hates you or is just brainwashed at the end? Pick a better life, please!”

Sonata huddled in on herself and looked back at her sisters. Adagio’s eyes burned with vitriol, but Aria bit the inside of her cheek and looked at the staff in her hands.

Applejack used that moment to charge and swing a fist for Aria. The Siren ducked, yelping as Applejack’s fist smashed into the cave wall, leaving an impressive indent.

Rarity hurled two hand-sized shields at Adagio. Adagio sidestepped and ducked out of their range, then let out a powerful wail at the third, larger one Rarity had conjured. The soundwave slowed it down but it still plowed into Adagio, throwing her back against the wall.

With all the commotion, no one heard the scrape of gravel or noticed a new shadow until a deep voice called, “Freeze!”

Applejack whipped her head back toward the mouth of the cave tunnel. “Shining?” Her momentary distraction allowed Aria to jab the staff into her abdomen and drain more magic, dropping Applejack to her knees again.

Shining pointed a gun at Aria, who immediately backed away and held her hands up, but kept her fingers curled around the staff.

“Drop the weapon!” Shining ordered.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaa—”

Rarity lifted her hands and clapped them together, and another dome burst from the ground and encaged Adagio, cutting off her song. “Cadence is deeper in the cave! Go find her!”

Shining kept his gun trained on Aria but gave a concerned look to Rarity. “But—”

“Shining, this is just a bit out of your depth, I’m afraid!” Rarity cringed, feeling her shield starting to falter as Adagio screamed louder. “We will handle this! Go and save your bride!”

“I’m not just going to leave you girls unattended!”

Rarity’s shield shattered and Adagio’s wail reverberated through the whole cavern, the force slamming into everyone’s ears. Aria recovered first. She pointed the staff at Shining, and instead of a beam of light, a ball of energy formed at the tip, growing to the size of an apple before firing.

Shining jumped and rolled to the side. He ended in a crouch and fired his gun at Aria. The shot missed but Aria still threw herself to the floor. She pointed the staff at Shining again, but Applejack rolled on top of her and pinned her arm down.

“Go!” she yelled, voice cracking.

“Sonata, do something, you moron!” Aria yelled.

Shining moved for the narrow passage, but Sonata moved from the ledge to block him. Pinkie jumped in front of her and threw her arms out.

“Sonata, don’t, please!”

Sonata swallowed and slowly put her fists up. “Pinkie, I don’t want to fight you.”

“Then don’t!”

“I have to!”

“No you don’t!” Pinkie cried. “You can make the right choice!”

“Sonata!” Adagio bellowed as she ducked under Rarity’s shield.

Sonata looked fearfully at her before looking back at Pinkie. Shining shuffled into the passage behind her. Sonata stepped forward, but Pinkie refused to budge.

“Sonnie…”

Sonata hiccuped. “I’m sorry!” She aimed a high kick at Pinkie.

*******

Anger.

Righteous, justified anger.

That was the trigger for Sunset’s fire—what gave her burning wings and tail life. They exploded forth the second she saw Twilight at Tempest’s mercy. She hadn’t thought, she hadn’t planned. She only desired to slam her fist into Tempest as hard as possible; a desire that her instincts fulfilled before she was fully cognizant of what happened.

She watched Tempest eat dirt and slam into a tree, pine needles raining down on her head. To her credit, she got back up almost instantly.

“Ah, there you are, Sunset,” she said, wiping blood off her lip.

Sunset could see her own golden aura flare up as her anger continued to spike. The air around her shimmered from the heat waves she exuded. She turned her head. Twilight looked up at her in awe through the tears in her eyes.

“Everything’s gonna be fine,” Sunset said softly. As soon as she finished, a chromatic blur skidded to a stop beside her.

“Tempest?” Rainbow looked to the side. “Moondancer? The heck is going on here?”

Sunset hadn’t even noticed Moondancer until now. She was slowly backing up toward the trees, a hand on her mask. She looked almost panicked. Sunset disregarded her. She had only one target.

Tempest finished dusting herself off, looking unperturbed. “You truly have some fascinating powers, Sunset. It’s too bad you won’t put them to better use.”

Sunset widened her stance and lifted her fists.

“What? No witty retort or snarky comment? I hear tell you’re full of them.”

“Go to hell!”

Fire roaring through her veins, Sunset punched her fist forward. A ball of flames erupted from just beyond her knuckles and sped toward Tempest.

Her shadow hand whipped free from her cloak and slashed through it, reducing it to ribbons. She ran forward and reached her arm out, claws extended.

Sunset ran to meet her, eyes wide with fury. She raked a hand through the air and three burning talons followed right after, slashing Tempest’s shadow arm and disrupting it. Tempest dragged her heels to a stop and hissed in pain as the shadows gathered themselves and reformed.

She snapped her gaze to Moondancer. “Don’t just stand there, idiot!”

Sunset fixed a heated gaze on her. “Try it!”

Moondancer eased a foot back, her good eye looking wildly between Sunset and Tempest. Biting her lip, she slowly lifted a hand and produced an orb of light that struggled to stay in existence.

A rainbow smashed into her and sent her into the foliage between the trees. Rainbow stopped and gave Sunset a thumbs up. “I’ll handle her. Fluttershy, get Twilight to safety!”

Fluttershy hovered down from the trees, looking angelic as she descended. She knelt beside Twilight and rested a hand on her back and bathed her in a soft pink glow.

Tempest aimed her palm toward them and fired an orb of dark energy. Sunset threw a fireball to intercept it. The projectiles collided and exploded, leaving behind a cloud of thick smoke. Sunset threw another one at Tempest, letting out a furious roar as it left her hand.

Tempest batted it down and caught the grass ablaze. She swung her arm horizontally and a black crescent sliced through the air toward Sunset.

She threw her arms up and felt her wings fold forward to defend her as well. The wave of energy struck against them and Sunset grimaced at the cold, electric sting she could actually feel, like her wings were a physical part of her. She uncurled them and held her hands out, unleashing a barrage of fireballs.

Tempest raised her hands and a black forcefield rose from the earth and encased her. Every fireball hit the shield and dissipated, but Sunset kept firing anyway. A section of the forcefield rippled, and a black tendril whipped out to strike Sunset.

She slashed at it with her flaming talons, rebuking it once before it lunged again and struck her across the face. Ignoring the sting, she jumped into the air and put her hands together. Fire streamed from her palms, completely engulfing Tempest’s shadow dome. Embers leaped from the pillar and struck the surrounding brush, catching more of the clearing on fire.

Sunset quickly let up as the fire began to eat the trunk of a tree. As soon as she did, a dozen black needles broke from the earth to impale her. With a single flap of her wings, she rocketed up higher into the boughs of the trees. The needles stopped reaching for her, but Tempest emerged from her cocoon and fired a volley of dark blasts. Sunset narrowly weaved and spun around the projectiles, most of them coming within a hair’s breadth. Her wings reacted to her every thought, but having wings was still a novel concept. She knew she was flailing more than flying half the time.

She conjured a ball of fire and hurled it toward the earth. A shadow ball intercepted it and created another explosion that threw smoke and embers through the treetops. Sunset rose higher and broke through the tree line, watching the smoke curl past her.

I’m going to set the whole forest on fire if I don’t end this soon!

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tempest had tried to steal Twilight’s soul; Sunset had every right to be angry. But that didn’t mean she had to be reckless.

Concentrate, Sunset. Don’t let her outplay you.

Sunset opened her eyes and circled around the clearing, using the smoke as cover. She dove down and wreathed her hand in fire as she came behind Tempest.

Tempest turned at the last second and threw her shadow hand out to grab Sunset’s. Sunset raised her other fist and slugged Tempest across the cheek. As she staggered back, Sunset twisted in the air and planted both her feet into Tempest’s chest. Tempest hit the ground but used the momentum to roll backward and jump to her feet, just in time to block a fireball.

She spread her arms and the surrounding shadows of the trees pooled toward her, gathering beneath her boots. Several black tendrils rose from the darkness, whipping about wildly. With a thrust of her hand, two of them lunged at Sunset.

Sunset slashed at them with her phoenix claws, cutting them back for a moment before they struck again. Sunset burned one, but another coiled around her wrist. It squeezed with such force, Sunset’s hand went numb and she could feel her wrist about to snap. Another tendril grabbed her other arm and pulled her down, pinning her to the ground. Sunset struggled to break free, feeling her joints pop and crack. She tried to conjure magic from her horn, only to realize she didn’t have a horn in this form.

Twilight charged forward, brandishing her sword over her head. She brought it down and cleaved both tendrils in half, disrupting them long enough for Sunset to snatch her arms back. A black coil reached for Twilight, but Sunset blasted it with a gout of fire, roaring as she unleashed it.

“Twilight, get out of here!” Sunset shouted.

“No!” Twilight swung her blade through another shadow tendril. She pivoted on her heel and sliced another before a third grabbed her sword wrist and twisted it. Twilight dropped her weapon, and another tendril wrapped around her neck and held her aloft.

Sunset aimed a blast directly for Tempest, but the witch moved Twilight into the line of fire.

“I would think carefully about your next move,” she said smugly, moving her arms to and fro to control the circle of shadows around her; the conductor of a dark orchestra.

Twilight scrabbled at the tangible shadow choking her, glaring defiantly at it. “Just… shoot her,” she gasped.

Sunset held her attack. Twilight couldn’t see the needlepoint tendril at the back of her head.

A shower of pine cones fell upon Tempest, momentarily distracting her as she gazed up at Fluttershy flying overhead.

Sunset stepped to the side and sliced the air with her hand, pushing out a sickle of fire that cut Twilight free. She grabbed her sword and jumped out of Tempest’s reach.

Smoke swirled around them. What had once been small patches of fire had grown into conflagrations, burning bushes and rising up the trees.

“Twilight, why didn’t you leave?” Sunset asked in a low voice.

“I am not going to run away while you fight for your life!”

Tempest curled her lips in a patronizing smirk. “How sickeningly cute. But, I’d suggest you listen to her, Twilight. You’re not cut out for this.”

Twilight bared her teeth in the most vicious snarl Sunset had ever seen on her. “Strong words for someone so dependent on magic!” she yelled.

“Oh? You think you could take me in a regular duel?”

“Yes!”

Tempest chuckled. “Sorry, but I’m not inclined to oblige. After being blessed with power, why would I stoop myself to your level?”

“Coward,” Twilight spat.

“Pragmatist.”

Sunset lobbed another ball of fire at Tempest while her eyes were on Twilight. Tempest turned her head and saw the flames at the last second. She threw her arm up as the fireball detonated, throwing her toward a tree. She rotated in midair and planted her boots against the trunk, then sprang off it and back toward Sunset, her shadow arm morphing into a serrated blade.

Sunset dropped to the ground and watched Tempest fly overhead, her blade taking a few hairs from Sunset’s flaming mane. Sunset shot off two more projectiles as Tempest hit the ground in a crouch. A black shield popped up around her, repelling both blasts.

Twilight sprinted past Sunset and made a vertical slice at Tempest. She blocked it with her black blade and forced Twilight back, but Twilight swung and clashed with her again.

Sunset ran up beside Twilight and slashed at Tempest. Tempest raised her normal arm, and a small black shield appeared to take the blow. She then raked her hand through the air, and three shadow talons tried to swipe at Sunset. With another swipe of her hand, Sunset’s fire claws met Tempest’s and they canceled each other out.

Tempest jumped back, upsetting Twilight’s balance. As she tried to right herself, Tempest thrust her palm at a burning bush beside herself. The fire reared up and lashed at Twilight.

Sunset stepped forward and slid her hands in front of the stream of fire, pushing it away and around Twilight before redirecting it back at Tempest.

As it rushed toward her face, Tempest thrust her hand skyward, and the fire followed suit, lighting the boughs of the trees ablaze.

Sunset had to shield her eyes from the soot raining down. An orange haze obscured the battlefield, and smoke plumed from the trees. Sunset didn’t feel any of the heat. Twilight, on the other hand, was coughing and wiping sweat from her face.

Snap!

Sunset grabbed Twilight and pulled her back as a thick burning branch plummeted to the ground between them and Tempest. Twilight yanked herself free from Sunset’s hold and ran at Tempest again.

Tempest sidestepped both of Twilight’s frantic slashes, then slammed her boot into Twilight’s abdomen. Twilight fell onto the burning branch, her clothes catching fire instantly. She screamed and rolled away, dropping her schiavona to pat out the flames.

“Twilight!” Sunset moved to help her, but an arc of black lightning cut past her, nicking her shoulder and numbing her left arm for a brief moment.

“You have more important things to worry about,” Tempest said. Electricity crackled at her fingertips.

*******

Pinkie hopped, ducked, and evaded all of Sonata’s swings. It wasn’t particularly hard; they were telegraphed and slow. Pinkie still hadn’t ponied up. She hadn’t even swung back. She couldn't.

From the corner of her eye, she watched Rarity desperately block Adagio’s lightning-quick, up-close attacks, and Applejack, whose aura was almost nonexistent, narrowly avoid the blasts from Aria’s staff.

A rare, cynical part of Pinkie’s mind wondered if all of this was pointless. The Sirens had already hurt her friends. Sonata had hurt her. Maybe they were all past the point of no return.

No! I can at least save Sonata! I know I can! A bubbling warmth tried to spread through her, but Pinkie pushed it down.

Face twisted with pain and regret, Sonata unleashed a flurry of fast punches. Pinkie took the brunt of them with her forearms, shrugging them off until Sonata surprised her with a kick to the side and a shove to the ground.

Sonata looked down at her, eyes wet. “Just let us take your magic and you don’t have to get hurt,” she said, voice trembling.

“You already hurt us!” Pinkie said. “We’re supposed to be friends!”

Sonata kicked at Pinkie’s head, but Pinkie grabbed her ankle and flipped her onto her back. “I know you don’t really want this, Sonnie!”

“Shut up!” Sonata yanked her foot back and jumped back up. Pinkie rose to meet her, quickly ducking under a ferocious spin kick.

Rarity yelled, and Pinkie twisted around to see her fall to her knees. Aria and Adagio had switched targets: Applejack was fending Adagio off while Aria drained Rarity of her magic.

Pinkie ran toward Rarity, but Sonata hooked her boot around Pinkie’s ankle and sent her toppling to the ground again. Her chin hit the earth hard, and she bit into the inside of her cheek, unleashing a gush of blood. She gagged and swallowed it down; she had bigger concerns. Rarity’s ears and horn were quickly fading, and Rarity herself looked like she was about to faint.

Spotting a rock just within arms reach, Pinkie snatched it and hurled it at Aria, catching her right in the forehead.

With a curse, Aria dropped the staff and clasped her hands over the new wound. Rarity was freed from the beam’s hold. She swooned, catching herself before she fell over. Spotting the staff a few feet from her, she made a wide lunge for it, but Aria stomped a boot onto the handle.

Pinkie tried to get up to help, but Sonata body-slammed her back to the floor. Fortunately, she wasn’t all too heavy. Pinkie bucked Sonata off and got to her feet, but Sonata grabbed her by the arm, swung her around and slammed her against a stalagmite.

“Sonata…” Pinkie coughed, feeling a bruise against her spine. “Look at what you guys are doing!”

Adagio slammed a fist into Applejack’s jaw. Applejack stood her ground and retaliated with an uppercut, managing to throw Adagio back despite her diminished strength. Adagio wiped the blood from her mouth, then cartwheeled forward to gain momentum and dropkick Applejack.

Rarity had pulled the staff from under Aria’s boot and had gotten back to her feet. She twirled and jabbed the staff, keeping Aria at bay until the Siren let out a short, earsplitting scream. Rarity froze and cried out in pain, and Aria snatched the staff back and swept Rarity’s legs.

Pinkie pushed herself off the stalagmite and threw an arm up as Sonata swung at her again. “Do you really wanna be the bad guys again?”

“No! Yes…” Sonata squeezed her fists and punched again. “I don’t know!”

“Yes, you do!” Pinkie tumbled out of the way. “You’re a good person—I know you are!”

“And they’re my family!” Sonata leveled a kick at Pinkie’s shin’s, but Pinkie just shrugged it off. “We need food and they want their voices back and I’m supposed to help them!”

“You can find a better way to do it!” This time, when Sonata threw her fist forward, Pinkie caught it. “I told you: you have friends now! We can find a different way!”

Sonata let out an anguished cry as she punched with her free hand. “Stop!”

Pinkie caught it and slowly lowered her fists. “We don’t have to fight.”

Sonata’s entire body shook. She sniffled and hiccuped, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Y-you’re really not gonna give up on me, are you?”

Pinkie shook her head, scattering her own tears. “You can still change. I know you can. I believe in you.”

And Sonata crumpled. A long wail rose from her throat as she threw herself fully into Pinkie’s embrace and buried her face into the crook of Pinkie’s neck.

“I’m sorry! I’m super, super, sorry! You’re right, I don’t wanna be the bad guy anymore! I wanna be your friend! But I don’t wanna abandon my sisters! But I don’t wanna do mean things anymore if it means we can’t play together! I’m sorry, Pinkie! I really, really mean it this time!”

Pinkie let out a happy sob and rested her head on top of Sonata’s. “It’s okay. I believe in third chances, too.”

“I can’t believe this!” Adagio yelled, kicking Applejack in the stomach. “Actually, I can. Only you could be this much of an idiot, Sonata!”

“Stop calling her stupid!” Pinkie yelled back. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Her ears bloomed to life and her hair extended as the warmth of laughter lifted her heart up.

“I will when she stops acting like it!” Adagio stomped her boot onto Applejack’s shoulder, pinning her to the dirt. “Are you really going to turn your back on your sisters?”

Sonata pulled herself from Pinkie and turned to look at Adagio. “I don’t want to. But now, I’m super positive! When I was with Pinkie, I felt full! I don’t know how, but they can feed us without us trying to make them miserable!”

“Enough of your prattle! Aria, take the pink one’s magic.”

Aria, digging a knee into Rarity’s back, pointed the staff at Pinkie, but Sonata stood firm and held out her arms.

“Move, Sonata!”

“No! Pinkie’s right: we don’t have to do this! That creepy hag was probably gonna stab us in the back anyway!”

“Not if we stab her first!” Adagio said. “Sonata, move, or you’re in for the beating of a lifetime!”

Sonata stomped her foot into the dirt and puffed her chest out.

Adagio grinded her teeth. “Aria, drain her magic, too!”

Aria lowered the staff an inch and tilted her head toward Adagio. “Seriously?”

“If she wants to defend these cretins, she deserves to suffer the consequences! More power for us!”

“We can make a better life, Aria!” Sonata pleaded. “We can change for realsies this time!”

“Aria, I gave you an order!”

Aria narrowed her eyes, pointing the staff toward Sonata for a few more seconds before she lowered her arm and looked Adagio in the eyes. “I’m not shooting Sonata.”

A vein bulged in Adagio’s temple. “What was that?”

“You can order me to do a lot of things, Adagio…” Aria took her knee of Rarity and stood up. “But I’m not going to shoot my own sister.”

“Aww, Aria!” Sonata cooed.

“Don’t read into that!”

Adagio dug her nails into her palm. Her face was so red, Pinkie thought there was a real chance she would explode. “So this is how you two repay me for guiding you for over half a millennium? You’re both going to throw this away now? When we’re about to win?”

“Yeah, for a second!” Aria shouted. “And then something will come along and make us lose like we always do! Every time you make a plan, it manages to backfire on us somewhere down the road, and we end up with less than what we had! We lost Equestria, we lost our freedom, we lost our voices! I’m sick of losing, Adagio!”

Adagio jabbed a finger at her. “Maybe if you two didn’t screw up all the time and ruin my plans, we wouldn’t have lost so many times!”

“And there it is!” Aria made a sweeping gesture with her arms. “It’s always your plan, but the minute something goes wrong, it’s always our fault! Me and Sonata do most of the work anyway, and all you do is give commands and reap the benefits! You’ve always been looking out for yourself! We’re not a team! We’re your servants!”

“Of course you’re my servants! I’m your princess!”

Aria set her mouth in a thin line. “Not anymore.” She spun the staff so the crystal pointed toward the hard ground, then raised it over her head.

Adagio took her boot off Applejack’s shoulder and reached a hand out. “Wait, don’t—”

Aria brought the staff down and smashed it into the earth.

*******

Sunset tucked her wings together and corkscrewed between two branches. They exploded a second later, throwing shrapnel onto Sunset’s back. She banked around a tree and rose into a smoke plume. Covering her mouth with one arm, she dropped firebombs hoping one would hit Tempest.

Likewise, blasts of electricity erupted through the cloud, dancing close enough to where Sunset could feel the static against her skin. Lungs reaching their limit, Sunset dove out of the cloud, rolling to avoid a lance of solid shadow that jut from the earth below. She raised her hand for another attack, but Twilight charged at Tempest from the right.

Shirt and skirt badly burned and hair coming undone, Twilight thrust her sword for Tempest’s throat. Tempest pivoted on her heel and met Twilight’s sword with her own dark blade. She twisted Twilight’s sword around and forced it from her hand. From her normal palm, Tempest fired a black beam; Twilight narrowly avoided it by spinning away on her back foot.

Sunset intervened, turning as she descended and planted her boot into Tempest’s chest. She flew back, digging her claws into the earth to keep herself upright. Sunset pointed a finger at an already burning branch above Tempest’s head and sent it falling with a single shot.

Tempest snatched it out of the air and hurled it at Twilight and Sunset. Twilight jumped behind Sunset, and Sunset cut the branch clean in half with her talons, revealing a bolt of black energy coming at her. It struck Sunset squarely in the chest, and she flew back into Twilight and sent them both hurdling against the dried-out grass.

Sunset gasped and tried to brace herself on one arm. Her chest fluctuated rapidly between blistering hot and freezing cold, and felt like someone was crushing her rib cage. Twilight struggled beneath her, but Sunset could barely move. She gritted her teeth as Tempest strutted toward them.

“Thank you for all your help, Sunset. But I think we’re just about done here.” She raised her hand. “You lose.”

Sunset flexed her fingers. “You should know… despite me trying to be a better person… I’m a real sore loser!”

A ribbon of fire snaked out from her palm, across the grass, and around Tempest’s ankle. With a disgruntled roar, Sunset jerked her entire body to the left, moving the fire whip and flinging Tempest into another tree. Burning pine cones dropped onto her, setting her hair and cloak on fire.

As Tempest tried to put the flames out, Sunset rolled off Twilight who then jumped up and helped Sunset back to her feet.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked. She turned and coughed, waving off a cloud of smoke.

“No. This has gotten out of control.”

Tempest put out the last ember on her shoulder just in time to have Rainbow shoulder tackle her as she ran by and slid to a stop in front of the two girls.

“Guys, this fire is getting real bad!” she said over the rising crackle of burning wood.

“We’re aware,” Twilight said sharply.

Moondancer stumbled out of a charred bush, mask askew and hair mussed up. She spotted Tempest and dashed to her boss’s side. “I suggest we leave now! This fire is going to draw too much attention!”

Tempest glared at her but said, “I suppose you’re right.” She put a hand around the Soul Lock and lifted it toward the girls. “Time to end this.”

Sunset could see the runes on the amulet begin to glow, could feel her soul shaking in fear. She threw her arms out to her sides, and a wall of fire erupted between the two parties. Sunset lifted her arms higher, and the flames climbed as well.

“Sunset, you’re just making it worse!” Rainbow shouted.

Sunset ignored her. She pulled her arms back then thrust them forward, pushing the wall toward Moondancer and Tempest. She could no longer see them beyond the flames.

Despite the heat, a cold air rose the hairs on the back of her neck. Sunset whirled around and punched her fist forward, a stream of fire blasting between Twilight and Rainbow. The inferno hit Tempest in the shoulder just as she emerged from her portal. She let out a howl of pain and pressed her hand over the burn.

“Well played, Sunset,” she said through gritted teeth. “You live for today.” She stepped back into the swirling vortex and vanished.

Sunset dropped to one knee and clutched her chest, still feeling like she had been kicked by a mule. Twilight knelt by her side, coated in sweat and grime.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow took to the air and zipped through the branches. “Fluttershy!”

She appeared a moment later, a bird nest in one hand and two chittering squirrels in the other. Her face was a mask of soot. “I can’t save all these animals!” she said desperately. “We need to put the fire out!”

Sunset took a short inhale, trying not to breathe in the smoke. “I have an idea,” she said, rising back to a standing position. “Stand back. Way back.”

Twilight nodded. She leaped through a gap in the flames and exited the clearing. Sunset waited a moment, then closed her eyes. She thought of when she had guided the flames away from Twilight and back at Tempest.

If I can do that, maybe…

She raised her hands and furrowed her brow. The pain in her chest burned, but she fought through it and willed all of the fire toward herself. She had created these flames. They were hers to wield. They would yield to her.

Sunset opened her eyes. All around her, the fire swirled and pulled toward her outstretched hands. Thick ribbons of flames coiled around her body, weaving and dancing as they waited for instructions. The coils grew larger and longer as more fire coalesced, vacuumed off the trees and bushes. Ash and smoke wafted in the void left behind.

The clearing glowed an intense red and orange. Standing in the center of the burning maelstrom, Sunset had to squint her eyes. She couldn’t see anything but the streams of her power, but she could still feel more fire gathering toward her. She lowered one hand and lifted the other above her head.

All of the fire raced up and condensed together into a single molten sphere. The last embers pulled away from the cindered forest and into the fireball. When the streams faded away, Sunset kicked off from the ground and rose through the gap in the trees. Clear of the forest, she served up the fireball and punched it as hard as she could.

It sailed higher and higher, growing smaller against the endless blue backdrop of sky until it detonated in a burning red ring. Sunset lifted an arm over her face as the heatwave washed over her and stung her eyes. She lowered herself back to the ground; the second she touched the grass, her wings and tail vanished and her hair fell back around her shoulders.

The pain in her chest magnified, and she fell to the ground with a shocked gasp. It was like Tempest had just blasted her again at point-blank range. She struggled to breathe, taking in short, shallow gasps instead.

Someone placed a hand on her back, and a soothing wave washed over her body. All of her exhaustion melted away, and the pain dulled until it was just an ache. Sunset gave a tired laugh. “I don’t know where we’d be without you, Fluttershy.”

“Dead,” Rainbow said bluntly. “We’d be dead.”

Fluttershy blushed as she moved to lay her hands on Twilight.

Sunset gazed upon the scorched forest around them. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been; there were charred bushes, and entire swathes of undergrowth had been burned away, but the trees themselves remained mostly intact, just blackened at their trunks. Still, Sunset hung her head. Driving Tempest away by burning part of a forest wasn’t what she’d call a victory.

I need training.

Twilight gathered up her sword and sheath and stood over Sunset. “We should leave. Someone had to have seen all the fire and smoke.” She offered a hand down to Sunset.

“And if we were fighting Tempest and Moondancer, the others probably ran into the Sirens,” Rainbow added.

“You’re right.” Sunset let Twilight pull her up. “Let’s hope they can handle themselves. And that they found Cadence.”

“I’ll run ahead and see if they’re anywhere nearby,” Rainbow said before zipping away. Fluttershy remained behind, keeping just behind Sunset and Twilight.

They marched out of the burned section of the forest and returned to greener and livelier corridors. Twilight kept her head bowed as they walked, an easy sign something was wrong. One of her sleeves had been completely burned off. Sunset rested a hand on the pinker skin of Twilight’s bare shoulder.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Twilight kept her eyes averted. She opened her mouth, almost starting a sentence before clenching her teeth. Sunset let her take her time. She moved a little closer and began tidying Twilight’s hair, pulling it back into its ponytail.

“Moondancer…” Twilight said with both longing and resentment. “She promised to tell me everything if I beat her in a duel… but I lost. She had been holding back the entire time.” Twilight gnashed her teeth again, bitterness oozing from her voice.

“I don’t know why I thought I could beat her. And then Tempest showed up and…” Tears ran down her cheeks, wiping away some of the soot. “Even with a sword, I’m still useless.”

“Twilight Sparkle, you are not useless or worthless or lacking in any way, and I never want to hear you say that ever again,” Sunset said with a serious glare.

“Sunset, you had to come to my rescue again!”

“Because you went up against a soul-sucking psychopath with shadow magic!” Sunset stopped and took hold of Twilight’s shoulders. “Twilight, you couldn’t fight her alone. I couldn’t fight her alone. We won because we worked together. There were several times where I would have died if you hadn’t intervened.”

She moved her hands down to Twilight’s arms. “And I came to your rescue because I love you. Not because I think you’re useless and can’t take care of yourself. If that had been anyone else, you would have won.”

Twilight looked away, eyebrows knitted. “You mean if it was anyone who didn’t have magic.”

“I… guess?” Sunset said slowly. She winced as Twilight twisted herself out of her grasp.

“I keep trying to keep up with everyone and their magic…” She looked down at her sword. “Maybe it’s all just pointless.”

“Twilight…” It wasn't Sunset who spoke, but Fluttershy. “You shouldn’t give up now. You’ve only been practicing for a month. I know it seems unfair, I know it feels like you’ll never catch up, but that’s how it feels whenever you pick up any new skill. Our magic is temporary—”

Even as she said it, her ears and wings faded away. “—but what you’re learning is permanent and practical.”

“I suppose so,” Twilight said.

Sunset put a gentle hand on her arm. Twilight didn’t pull away, but she didn’t look at Sunset either. “Come on, let’s get back to the hotel. It’s been a long day.”

Twilight sighed. “And it’s only noon.”

*******

There was no release of magic upon impact. With a loud crack the crystal merely broke into large shards that scattered across the floor. Each piece of crystal still shone with the powers it had already absorbed.

At the same moment of impact, Applejack snatched Adagio’s leg and from her spot on the floor, lifted the Siren overhead and slammed her against the hard earth. Still holding Adagio’s ankle, Applejack got up and tossed Adagio into the back wall.

“Don’t think that makes up for what y’all did,” Applejack grunted. “But it’s a good start.”

Adagio rolled onto the floor, her hand coming to rest near one of the shard fragments. She pounced on it and climbed to her feet, pointing the shard at the group in front of her. “I can’t believe you two would turn your backs on me after everything we’ve been through!”

Sonata lowered her arms at last. “You can come with us. We can still be together.”

“And content myself with being some powerless nobody?” Adagio hissed, spit flying from her mouth. “I was meant to rule over lesser beings like them! We were meant to rule! You would forsake everything we are just to be friends with them?”

Sonata held her head up high. “Yes.”

Aria rolled her neck. “‘Friends’ is a strong word…”

“Traitors,” Adagio said with a dangerous growl. “Both of you. Miserable traitors!” The shard in her hand lit up, and a bolt of light shot toward Aria.

With a hot ball of energy forming in her hand, Pinkie leaned out from behind Sonata and chucked it at Adagio’s attack. They collided in the air, leaving behind a brilliant pink and blue firework.

Adagio aimed at Pinkie and fired the draining beam.

There was a quick patter of shoes followed by a, “Hyyah!” as Cadence charged, jumped, and landed a flying kick into the side of Adagio’s head. She skidded across the ground, and the absorption beam fizzled out before it touched Pinkie.

“That’s for trying to turn me against my husband!” Cadence yelled. She turned her head to Sonata and Aria, shooting them a venomous stare.

Pinkie hugged Sonata. “They’re on our side!”

“For now,” Applejack murmured.

Shining ran up beside Cadence, keeping his gun homed on Adagio. “Drop… whatever that is and put your hands up.”

Up on one knee, Adagio clutched the shard to her chest and growled. She glared at Shining before her eyes snapped to something behind him.

Pinkie followed her gaze, and a chill wind blew down her own spine. A black portal appeared from thin air on the ledge where the Sirens had once stood. Standing in its threshold was Tempest Shadow, covered in dust and ash, and an angry blister on her right shoulder.

Shining turned his gun on her, hesitating at the sight before him. He quickly regained his composure and shouted, “Freeze!”

Tempest paid him no mind. Her eyes moved from Adagio, to the other Sirens standing with the Spectacular Seven, to the crystal shards lying scattered about. Her calm demeanor melted with each passing second until her lips were pulled back in a silent snarl.

She looked about, spotting a shard a few feet from her portal. Pinkie spotted it, too. She lobbed a firework at Tempest as the shadow woman pointed a finger at the shard and it zipped toward her. Tempest caught the shard in one hand and raised another made of shifting shadows to block Pinkie’s attack. The impact shoved her back into the portal, and it began closing around her.

“Wait!” Adagio shouted.

Tempest gave her one last glare. “Useless,” she spat before vanishing.

Adagio stared absently at the spot the portal had been. Her hand fell limply to her side, but she kept her crystal piece clutched firmly between her fingers.

Shining turned back to her. “I said drop the object.”

Adagio didn’t hear him. Her absent stare was now one of disbelief. Pinkie could see a hundred thoughts racing behind her wide eyes.

“Dagi…?” Sonata said softly.

Adagio opened her mouth a fraction, sucking in a tiny breath.

An earth-shaking wail tore from her throat, dropping everyone to the ground and forcing them to cover their ears. Pinkie’s eardrums thumped hard, threatening to burst. Her vision spun and a headache hammered her brain.

Adagio held her scream and backed toward the exit. Shining tried to reach for his gun, but couldn’t tear his hands from his ears. When Adagio got to the bottom of the tunnel’s slope, she raised her shard and fired a beam against the ceiling.

The cave trembled, dropping stalactites and debris down on everyone’s head. Adagio’s scream stopped, leaving only the sound of crumbling stone. She bolted for the entrance, sparing one last glance over her shoulder.

Shining tried to charge after her, but a rock dropped in front of him and nearly crushed his foot. “C’mon, we’re getting out of here!”

The girls rallied behind him, and they pushed their way up the tunnel, but the thunder of falling stone drove them to a halt. In front of them, the mouth of the cave crumbled inward, and rolling boulders tumbled toward them.

Rarity jumped to the front and held her hands up, crafting a barrier, and stopping the rocks in their tracks. She dug her heels into the dirt, the rocks pressing against her. “I don’t know how long I can hold it!”

“You won’t have to!” Applejack shouted. She moved in front of Rarity and placed her hands on the shield. With a roar and a flash of her aura, she pushed forward, dragging the rocks back up the slope.

Cadence stared open-mouth at the two magical girls before her. “I now one-hundred percent believe everything you told me,” she whispered to Shining.

“Honestly, I was still on the fence until today,” he said.

Applejack and Rarity slowly cleared the path with their combined construct and strength acting as a human-made bulldozer. With a final punch from Applejack, the rocks cleared, and daylight reached their eyes once more.

Rarity put the shield down and fell against the grass, her magic extinguished. Applejack joined her, breathing hard. Pinkie planted herself between them, lifting them both into sitting positions to give them the strongest hug she could muster.

“Are you guys okay?”

Applejack gave a weary nod. “Just plum exhausted is all. Ah feel like Ah could sleep for a week.”

“Make that two,” Rarity said, laying down against the grass again when Pinkie let go.

Sonata slumped toward them, holding a hand behind her back. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Aria pursed her lips and turned away. “Yeah… I’m sorry, too. Between Adagio and Tempest… it was just really hard to say no, you know?”

Cadence crossed her arms. “Your apology is noted, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that you three kidnapped me and almost ruined my wedding!”

“And that’s before we add breaking and entering, theft, possession of a dangerous weapon, and assault,” Shining added.

Pinkie jumped over and wrapped her arms around his legs. “Please don’t send them to jail! They’re good people now, honest and for real this time! And Adagio made them do it, right?” She looked back at the duo.

Aria shrugged. “We could pin this all on her.”

Shining gently tried to shake Pinkie off. “Even still—”

“Please, please, please, please, please!” Pinkie squeezed harder. “They can’t prove that they’ve changed if you arrest them!”

“I—”

“Also, they did save your lives,” Aria said. “You could do them a favor by not sending us to jail.”

“That’s not how the justice system works!”

Pinkie stuck her lower lip out and widened her eyes. “Please don’t take away my new friend!”

Cadence uncrossed her arms and softened her expression. “Maybe there’s something you could do for them, Shiny? They’re banned from the wedding though!”

Shining rubbed his eyes. “Okay, okay. I can see if I can get away with just charging them as being accomplices. I still have to send them down to the station.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Figures. First time I decide to do something good and I get arrested.”

“One good deed doesn’t make up for everything else you did today,” Applejack said.

Pinkie removed herself from Shining legs and rose up to hug his middle. “Thank you, Shining! Thank you, thank you!”

Sonata hugged him from the other side. “Yeah! Thank you so much!”

Shining squirmed. “Don’t thank me just yet. You’re still both under arrest.”

Pinkie and Sonata let him go and instead embraced each other, holding on tight.

“Thanks for not giving up on me,” Sonata whispered.

Pinkie smiled, tearing up again. “That’s what friends are for.”

Author's Note

It's never too late to make a Change.

The Longest Day III: Dearly Beloved

Sunset put one foot on the main road, then grabbed Twilight and jumped back behind a tree, nearly tripping over Fluttershy as she did.

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

Sunset poked her head around the trunk and pointed. A group of bystanders stood in the hotel parking lot, talking loudly and pointing toward the forest. Sunset could spot a few of Twilight’s family members mixed in.

“It’s gonna be real hard to sneak back into the hotel now,” Sunset said.

Twilight looked down at her clothes. “We need to think of something. There’s no way I can explain this to my parents.”

Rainbow zoomed over to them, digging her heels into the dirt to come to a stop. “I haven’t... found anyone else yet. Maybe... they’re inside,” she said between breaths. In a flash, her ears and wings were gone, and she doubled over with her hands on her knees.

“Whoa… guess I was more exhausted than I thought.”

“Probably for the best. Sneaking inside is already gonna be tough. We don’t need you in pony form and bringing more attention to us,” Sunset said. She pointed to the other side of the road. “Maybe we can sneak the long way around. The crowd might disperse on the way.”

“It’s as good a plan as any,” Twilight said, resigned. She followed Sunset’s lead and quickly skirted across the main road, ducking behind more trees.

They kept themselves hidden in the foliage, sticking close to the leaf-covered slopes that preceded the mountains towering over them. Sunset paused and looked over her shoulder. Through a gap in the trees, she could see the last wisps of smoke curling off the scorched grove.

The hills and trees curved back toward the resort. The group followed the bend, passing through a small, rocky outcropping where they spotted—

“Shiny? Cadence?” Twilight ran toward a group of figures just ahead at the mouth of a cave.

“Twilight!” Shining ran toward her, slowing down as he got a closer look at the state of her attire. “What… what happened? Are you alright? …Is that a sword?”

Twilight tried to hide her schiavona behind her back. “It’s a long story?” She tried to smile.

“Girls, girls!” Pinkie emphatically waved her hand. “Guess what?”

Sunset saw Rarity and Applejack sitting on the ground, looking exhausted, then saw Aria sulking off to the side before spotting Sonata hiding behind Pinkie’s hair. Sunset narrowed her eyes and felt her phoenix fire run through her again. “No…”

Pinkie’s wave turned into a desperate flail of her arms as Sunset stomped toward her. “Wait, wait! Everything’s fine now! We worked it all out!”

“I vouched for them, and they turn around and break my eardrums and steal from my adopted family!” Sunset’s chest still ached, and while she could feel the heat of her powers, they weren’t manifesting. That wasn’t going to stop her from planting a boot in someone’s teeth.

“I know they did bad things,” Pinkie said frantically, “but they did good things, too! Aria broke the staff so Adagio couldn’t take our magic anymore!”

Sunset stopped her march and glared at Aria.

Aria gave a noncommittal nod. “I just got tired of her bullshit.”

“That doesn’t make up for what you did!” Twilight shouted. “Sunset trusted you!”

Sonata stepped out from behind Pinkie. “We know! We’re really sorry! We’ll make up for it, we promise!”

Sunset raised a fist. “Yeah? I’ve got one way you can start!”

Shining slid over and put his hands on her shoulders. “You’re angry, I get it. I’ve got a lot of feelings right now, too. But they’ve already agreed to turn themselves in.”

“And you believe them?”

“They haven’t run away yet.”

“And trust me, the temptation is there,” Aria snarked.

Sunset fixed her with a burning gaze. “So then, where’s Adagio?”

Shining pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at the ground. “She got away.”

“Of course she did!” Twilight shouted, throwing her hands up.

Rarity stood up and lifted her hands in a calming manner. “Look, a lot has happened and we’re all a little frazzled.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Applejack muttered.

“The point,” Rarity punctuated, “is that we all need to collect ourselves for a moment.”

Silence descended upon the group. Sunset continued to glare at the two remaining Sirens throughout most of it. Neither of them returned her gaze. A piece of her wanted to believe Pinkie, that they had really turned over a new leaf this time. But she hadn’t been there—she had no proof other than word of mouth. Another piece couldn’t help but draw more comparisons to herself. How many times had she messed up on her road to redemption?

Of course, she had never assaulted anyone. Except Gilda, but she started it.

Sunset turned away. She exhaled and felt the fire in her blood cool. She didn’t have the energy to process all of this right now; she would just have to trust her friends.

Cadence clapped her hands. “Okay! Introspection time is over! We’re supposed to be having a wedding in a few hours!” Her face paled. “Oh god, how am I supposed to explain why I almost called it off? A bunch of singing monsters brainwashed me? And I got rescued by magical teenagers?”

Her eye twitched. “I’m surrounded by magical teenagers.”

“If you could not mention the magic part, that would be great,” Sunset said.

Shining walked over to Cadence and took her hand. “We’ll figure out something. Together.” He slipped his other hand into his pocket and pulled the ring out.

“That’s what marriage is, right? Figuring it out together from now on,” he said, sliding it onto her finger.

Sunset couldn’t help but look in Twilight’s direction. Twilight met her eyes. They both blushed and looked away.

Cadence sniffled and threw her arms around Shining’s neck. “Yes! Together! For the rest of our lives!”

Aria made a gagging gesture and Rarity backhanded her shoulder, tears welling up in her eyes.

Applejack jumped to her feet. “Well, c’mon then! Let’s get you two hitched!”

Arm in arm, Shining and Cadence led the group from the forest and back to the hotel. The crowd had dispersed from the parking lot, but now a small group stood right in the middle of the courtyard, blocking the main entrance.

So much for sneaking in, Sunset thought.

“Twilight!”

“Cadence!”

Velvet and Rose broke away from the group and sprinted forward to pull their respective daughters into an embrace. Velvet pulled away first, appraising Twilight with the worried look only a mother could give.

“Where were you? What happened? … Is that a sword?”

Twilight squirmed, unable to look her mom in the eyes. “Ummm, you see…”

“Twilight tried to stop desperate fans in the forest!” Sunset blurted out. “They tried to start a fire… to stop the wedding?” She inwardly winced at her own questioning inflection.

Velvet looked between Sunset and Twilight. “She… you… that was horribly reckless! And it doesn’t explain why you have a sword!”

“I knew it! I knew she had fallen into some bad influences!”

Sunset tightened her core, physically and mentally suppressing herself from powering up as Golden Light hobbled forward, looking even more ornery than usual.

“Riding motorcycles and carrying weapons! Look at what these hooligans have done to her!”

Cadence broke from her mother’s arms and marched forward. “Hey! These ‘hooligans’ just saved my wedding!”

Rose held a hand to her heart and made a quiet sigh. “Oh thank god, there’s still a wedding.”

Golden pointed a sharp nail at Cadence. “You’re no better than the rest of them! Breaking my grandson’s heart the day of the wedding and trying to run away!”

Shining stepped forward. “That was just a giant misunderstanding influenced by… outside forces.” He shifted his eyes to Sonata and Aria, standing off to the side.

“And how do you know these ‘outside forces’ aren’t going to ‘influence’ her again? You deserve better than a disk jockey who might run out on you at the drop of a hat.”

Cadence and Rose opened their mouths to retort, but Twilight beat both of them to the draw. “Just because you can’t see the real value in people doesn’t mean we all have to stoop to your level!”

Golden rounded on her. “Excuse you?”

“No, excuse you!” Twilight said loudly, her face red. “You’ve demeaned and made assumptions about everyone since you got here! Yes, this is a sword! I’ve been learning how to defend myself for situations like this! These ‘hooligans’ are not only my best friends, they’re some of the best people in the world who accept me for who I am! Cadence is wise, caring, funny, loving and an all-around incredible person! She was the best babysitter and she’s going to be an even better wife and sister-in-law!”

Twilight finally inhaled, but she wasn’t finished. “We just risked our lives to save this wedding and everyone here, so now, we’re going to go have a beautiful ceremony, Shining and Cadence are finally going to get married, I’m going to dance with my girlfriend, and we’re all going to have a good time after this horrible morning! Either stop your nagging and enjoy the wedding, or leave!”

Everyone slowly panned from Twilight and her blotchy and tear-stricken face to Golden Light, with her lips pursed and her eyes wide. It would have been dead silent if Aria wasn’t trying and failing to hold in snorts of laughter.

A few tense beats passed. Twilight looked ready to fall apart at the softest word, while Shining and Cadence had their focus lasered on Golden, ready to fight for Twilight at the drop of a pin.

Golden sniffed and turned on her heel, clicking her cane against the pavement. “Well, at least someone has a backbone in this family.” She hobbled away, parting the crowd without a single word.

Twilight dropped her sword and collapsed into her mom’s arms. “I just yelled at grandma,” she said, dazed. Her chest rapidly rose and fell. “I just yelled at grandma!”

Velvet hugged her tight and ran a hand through her hair. “Sshh, sshh, it’s fine. You’re fine. I don’t think your father is going to be mad. Everything you said was true.”

Sunset stepped up and slid her hand into Twilight’s. “You were real brave right there, Sparky.”

“Yeah, way to put that old bat in her place—ow!” Rainbow glared at Applejack. “What? We’re all thinking it.”

Twilight gained control of her breathing, but her eyes were dilated and a fine layer of sweat coated her face. Velvet eased her upright but kept a hand on her shoulders.

“Let’s get you inside so you can lay down for a little bit. I need to check you for injuries anyway.”

Twilight squeezed Sunset’s hand before she was pulled away. Her throat convulsed like she wanted to say something, but it couldn’t reach her lips.

“It’s okay,” Sunset said. “Go get some rest. I’ll see you in a bit.” She watched Twilight nod before being steered into the hotel.

Rose wiped her brow. “Well, hopefully that’s the last of the wedding drama. Come on, Cady, let's get you ready. We’re behind schedule as is.”

Cadence brightened immensely. “Yes! Let’s go! Ugh, I can’t believe the whole morning got wasted! But it’s fine! Everything’s fine now!” She brought a hand to her chest and inhaled, then pushed it away and exhaled. She spun on her heel and gave Shining a kiss on both cheeks.

“I’ll see you at the altar.”

Shining gave her a goofy smile. “Uh-huh.”

Cadence then swooped over and gave Sunset a kiss on the cheek as well.

Sunset pressed a hand on where her lips had been. “What was that for?”

“For giving Twilight so much courage. She never would have done anything like that a year ago.” Cadence looked at the rest of the Spectacular Seven. “That goes for all of you as well. You’re the best thing to happen to her.”

Applejack tipped her hat. “The least we could do for everythin’ she’s done for us.”

Cadence flashed them one more grateful smile before grabbing hold of her mom and running back inside.

Shining picked up Twilight’s fallen sword and turned it over in his hands. “How long has Twilight been practicing with a sword?”

His tone was more curious than accusatory. Still, Sunset couldn’t help but remain apprehensive. “About a month. Selena’s teaching her, and she’s really good at it.”

Shining didn’t answer right away. He looked over his shoulder at the Sirens first, then locked eyes with Sunset. “How often do you guys run into all these… magical situations?”

“Less than you’d think, but more than I’d like.”

“I see.” Shining let out a long, tired breath and raised his head to the sky. “Every part of me wants to say no and find some way to forbid her from going on these… otherworldly adventures and facing potentially dangerous threats. But that would be counterproductive to everything that just happened here. And she’s not my little sister anymore. She’s grown.”

He sighed again and handed the sword to Sunset. “Just promise me something? Promise me you’ll keep her safe?”

Sunset held the sword firmly in her hands. “I swear on my life.”

“I hope it never comes to that.” He turned and addressed Sonata and Aria. “All right, let me find an officer to get you two out of here.”

Aria put her hands on her hips. “You promise to try and get us off easy?”

“Only if you swear not to do anything funny.”

Sonata hunched her shoulders. “Awww. Does that mean no knock-knock jokes?”

Aria slapped a palm against her face. “Can we have separate cells?”

Shining gave them a concerned look, then leaned toward Sunset. “Am I making a mistake here?”

“I honestly can’t tell you anymore.”

“Right. Uhh, just keep an eye on them for a sec. I’ll be back.”

As Shining walked away, Pinkie ran up to Sonata and took her by the hands. “Don’t worry! I’m sure Shining will be super fair and make sure you guys get to go free! We’ll get to play again real soon!”

“I know.” Sonata used her shoulder to wipe away a tear. “I’m still gonna miss you.”

“I’m gonna miss you, too,” Pinkie said, tearing up.

Sonata took her hands back and slipped one of her spiked bracelets. It might have been a trick of the light, but Sunset thought it shimmered for a moment.

“I want you to have this. This one’s my lucky one, so it’s extra special.” Sonata slipped it onto Pinkie’s wrist. “Just so you have something to remember me by.”

Pinkie looked at it in awe, then pressed it against her heart. “It’s the bestest gift you could’ve given me.”

Sonata tilted her head to one side. “Really?”

“I mean, any gift would have been the bestest because it came from you.”

“Awww!” They embraced again.

As much as Sunset wanted to hold a grudge, seeing Pinkie this happy with Sonata brought a smile to her face.

Aria skulked up to Rarity, hands shoved deep in her pockets. “Again, sorry about… you know… trying to take your magic and stuff. And despite what you might think, I wasn’t faking everything. Making dresses with you... wasn’t the worst, I guess.”

Rarity gave a good-natured smirk. “I had fun, too. And after the way you stood up to Adagio… I think I can say, apology accepted.”

Aria rolled her eyes and turned away. “You girls are way too forgiving.”

“Tell me about it,” Rainbow said.

Shining returned with two officers. They handcuffed Aria and Sonata and led them to a squad car. Sonata waved enthusiastically to Pinkie one last time before getting in.

The police car drove off and Sunset relaxed her shoulders. “We beat Tempest, hopefully reformed two Sirens, and saved a wedding, all before lunch. Good job, team.”

“You fought Tempest?” Rarity asked, aghast.

“And Moondancer,” Rainbow added. She looked impressively at her knuckles. “I punched her in the face.”

“Sounds like we got some stories to swap later,” Applejack said.

“Yes, later.” Rarity pointed a finger at the front door. “All of you, upstairs, now! Get showered and get ready to be blown away by your outfits!”

*******

Tempest sat down in a rolling chair, hissing at the slight movement her right shoulder made as she came down. She dropped the crystal shard into her lap then twisted her chair about. The office was empty, not including the houseplant sitting on the desk next to the open laptop. A window next to the closed door looked out to the laboratory beyond, where a handful of people in white coats bustled back and forth.

She looked down at the shard and clenched her jaw. Why was it so hard to find reliable help now? She gave those damn Sirens one job, and they managed to blow it! She’d be angrier if this burn didn’t hurt so much.

There was a soft click as the door opened up. “Oh, what a coincidence! I just went to check our magical readings! I’m guessing that sudden spike was your doing?”

Tempest looked up at the newcomer. A sugary smile rested on her lilac face. Her purple and teal hair was pulled into a ponytail with bangs that fell across her forehead. A white lab coat hung loosely over her shoulders and a pair of goggles hung from her neck.

“Did that spike actually move the needle at all?”

Starlight Glimmer raised her arms in a hapless shrug. “Well, you maybe shaved off a month or two. But I told you, unless these magical outbursts can be maintained for a long period of time, there still isn’t enough residual magic in the world to fuel something like this.”

Tempest squeezed her fist, gasping and wincing at her burn. “I suppose that’s better than nothing,” she growled.

Starlight leaned over and examined the laceration marring Tempest’s shoulder. “You should probably do something about that.”

Tempest glared at her. “My healing magic isn’t working. Do you have any spare vials of the rejuvenating liquid?”

“Of course I do.” Starlight walked around to her desk and pressed a button on her personal intercom. “Party Favor?”

“Yes, Ma’am?” a voice responded a moment later.

“Could you bring up a vial of RL-IV to my office, please?”

“Right away!”

Starlight straightened up and folded her hands behind her back. “Tell me, how did you end up with such a burn? With Lord Tirek literally around your neck, I thought you were invincible.”

With her tone the perfect blend of sweet and curious, it was hard to detect any sarcasm. Tempest clicked her tongue. “Sunset Shimmer has better reflexes than I expected.”

“I see.” Starlight’s eyes drifted down to the shard in Tempest’s lap, and she finally frowned. “Please don’t tell me…”

“The Sirens managed to break the Staff of Sanacas!” Tempest seethed, then cringed as her shoulder burned. “This was as much as I could recover.”

She gingerly picked it up and held it out to Starlight. The scientist took it and weighed it in her hand, pursing her lips. She paced back and forth around Tempest’s chair, holding the crystal up to the light.

“There’s still magic inside of it,” she said, eyes widening in awe. “It still retained its functionality!”

“Truly?”

“Yes! Though, I doubt it could hold the same level of magic as it could if it were whole. But, I can still use this to some degree. At the very least, it gives me something to study!”

“So, what does this do for our timetable?”

Starlight looked past the crystal and gave Tempest a flat stare. “You just handed this to me. Could you be patient and let me actually do my work first?”

The door opened up before Tempest could snap back. A young man, presumably Party Favor, walked in with a tray, a vial of cerulean liquid resting on top.

“Here you are, Doctor Glimmer,” he squeaked, presenting the tray.

Starlight took the vial and gave Party Favor a loving pat on the head. “Thank you very much. You may go.” She ushered him out with a wave of her hand.

Tempest materialized her shadow arm and snatched the potion from Starlight, ignoring her grunt of displeasure. She twisted the cap off and poured the cool liquid over her shoulder. It sank into her skin, easing some of the constant burn. However, as the seconds passed, the blistered skin refused to heal or even scar over.

“Damnit, what did that girl do to me?”

“Fascinating,” Starlight said. “Her fire must be magical in nature. Yet, neither your magic nor my science could fix it. It’s almost like a curse.”

Tempest snorted. As much as she hated to admit it, she could empathize with Moondancer and her burned face now. She rolled her shoulder. The pain was more tolerable but still stung considerably.

“Well, since that plan was a moderate failure,” Tempest admitted, gripping the arm of her chair, “It’s time to move on to our contingency plan. How soon can you be ready?”

Starlight curled her lips into a devious smile, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Very soon.”

“Perfect.” Tempest stood up and opened a portal. “I’ll go get our subject ready. Lord Tirek will be revived.”

*******

Sunset let Pinkie shower first. She chose to lay down on the bed and decompress for a moment. Her thoughts slowed and she closed her eyes. A pain still lingered in her chest, and now that she laid on her bed, a blanket of exhaustion fell over her.

Tempest, the Sirens, her growing powers. Everything flashed through her mind, but nothing stuck. Even Twilight was hazy in her thoughts, though Sunset’s heart still went out to her.

Rarity bustled about, pulling out the garment bags from the closet and running back and forth between the rooms. She hummed in delight and spun around with her arms over her head.

“How do you have so much energy? Didn’t Aria drain your magic?” Sunset asked.

“She could have drained me dry but she could never touch my excitement for today! Seeing you girls dressed in your best and getting to play the bride and groom down the aisle are what give me life!”

“Glad someone still has energy.”

Sunset heard the bathroom door burst open and cracked an eye to see Pinkie wearing a sleek and glossy pink gown. It was sleeveless and had ruffles around the waist. Sunset wasn’t used to seeing Pinkie wear something so form-fitting. Usually, her dresses were large and poofy. Speaking of poofy, Pinkie’s hair was pulled back into a large ponytail with only a single, large tress left to hang over her face.

Pinkie spun into the center of the room. “Wheee! I feel super pretty, Rarity!”

“Just what I wanted to hear. Well, chop-chop, Sunset. Into the shower you go.”

Sunset groaned but pulled herself off the bed, taking the garment bag with her. She peeled off her soot-covered clothes and hopped into the shower. The hot water fell over her shoulders and massaged some of the tension away. She lifted her face to the shower head to let the hot droplets rouse her from her groggy state.

Okay. Overthink and critically analyze things later. It’s time to have fun and celebrate!

It then dawned on Sunset that her actual birthday was still today.

Meh. Still beats the last four.

She washed and rang her hair out, then pinned it up and stepped out from the shower. She brushed her teeth again, applied some lotion, then unzipped the black bag hiding her dress. Rarity had been insistent on keeping their wedding attire a secret until the day of. By this point, Sunset had full confidence in her. Or at least, she did until she opened the bag.

Sunset secured a towel around herself and stuck her head out the bathroom door. “Um, Rarity? I think you gave me the wrong bag.”

“No, I didn’t. That one is definitely yours,” Rarity said in a singsong voice.

“Rarity—”

“Just trust me, darling and try it on. I really think you’re going to like it.”

Sunset looked back at the outfit and squinted her eyes. Rarity was good, but she wasn’t that good. Still, she gave her best friend the benefit of the doubt and got dressed.

Ten minutes later, Sunset stepped out of the bathroom. Her black slacks hugged her waist perfectly, showing off her subtle curves. Her ivory shirt was buttoned up and tucked in, and a red bow tie sat around her neck. Sunset left her vest unbuttoned for now. It was just the lightest hint of burgundy, bringing out the vibrant crimson in her hair. The tails of her dress coat hung down to the back of her knees.

Sunset adjusted her white gloves and appraised herself in the full-body closest mirror. “Rarity, I don’t know who’s better: you for making this, or me for pulling it off.”

Rarity swooned and fell back on her bed. “It’s even better than I dreamed of!”

“Yeah, Sunny! You look amazing!” Pinkie said.

Sunset drank in her own image. Her soft cheekbones, round chin, and bust stopped her from striking a complete masculine figure, but damn if she didn’t wear a suit better than most guys. “Where did you even get the idea to do this?”

“It was like a bolt of lightning,” Rarity said dreamily. She waved her arm through the air. “A tuxedo to compliment Twilight’s gown. Strong, sharp, dapper! Yet still accentuating your womanly features!”

Sunset played with her bow tie. “You know, this might also cushion the blow to the rest of Twilight’s family about her dating another girl. The ones that didn’t hear her shouting anyway.”

“Mmm, yes, it does have that extra benefit, doesn’t it?” Rarity said coyly.

Sunset looked over her shoulder. “No. There’s no way you could have known that!”

Rarity got up and gathered her toothbrush and comb, an easygoing smile on her face. She grabbed her dress, winked, then locked herself in the bathroom.

“How does she do that?” Sunset asked. She blinked and looked down. Pinkie was playing with her coattails. “Stop that.”

As they waited on Rarity, the other girls made their way over one by one. Applejack arrived first wearing an ankle-length evening gown. The front was beige and pleated with thick folds, while the sides were a golden delicious shade of red. Her hair was up in a braided ponytail like she had worn at Prom.

Rainbow joined not long after. Her dress was a single-shoulder and midnight blue. A black sash was wrapped around her waist, and starting just below it were angular ruffles that extended down to her knees. Crossing over her other shoulder was the red scarf she had taken to wearing everywhere.

Fluttershy arrived last and wore a long, layered teal cocktail dress that matched her eyes. The back hem almost touched the floor, but the front exposed Fluttershy’s legs all the way up to her knees, showing off more skin than Sunset would have thought comfortable for her. The sleeves were twisted strands crisscrossing over each other to look like a woven basket and ended in silk, fingerless gloves. She had twisted her hair up into long ringlets that parted her face.

Everyone gawked and complemented each other, paying extra acclaim to Sunset in her tuxedo. She tied her hair into a long ponytail to finish off her debonair look.

Half an hour after Fluttershy arrived, Rarity emerged from the bathroom dressed in a smooth, shoulderless black gown. It glittered like it had been brushed with stardust and had ruffles similar to Rainbow’s. They were softer and layered over one another, flowing down to her ankles. A blouse started at the base of her collar and was cut into a heart that sat in the middle of her chest. She had lacy diamond patterns stitched into her sleeves that extended down to the edge of her palms. Her hair was rolled up into a rounded updo, tightly packed together. A diamond-shaped pin sat to one side.

She took one look at the rest of her friends and hurriedly fanned her face. “Oh, I’m so glad I haven’t put my make-up on yet. You all look so amazing!”

“We got you to thank for it, Rares,” Applejack said. “You really outdid yourself this time.”

Rarity blushed and giggled. “I don’t like to toot my own horn too much but, you’re right! This is some of my best work!”

With two hours until the wedding, the girls killed some time by playing some of the board games from last night while sharing their exploits from earlier.

“You guys should have been there!” Rainbow exclaimed, not even caring Pinkie had just won her third hand of cards. “Sunset just goes Super Saiyan all of a sudden and blasts through the trees and decks Tempest in the face! It was so awesome!”

“I told you, we’re not calling it that!” Sunset took the deck and shuffled the cards back in. Her resentment toward the Sirens had cooled even more once she heard how Aria had told off Adagio and smashed the Staff of Sanacas of her own volition. Though the fact that Adagio had escaped left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

After Fluttershy finally broke Pinkie’s winning streak, Rarity brought an end to the games and pulled out her makeup bag.

“All right, let’s get all dolled up and get down there!”

Lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and blush applied, the girls gave each other one last round of praise before migrating down to the first floor. Heads turned as they stepped out of the elevator, and Sunset couldn’t help but strut through the atrium, feeling like she was the queen of Canterlot High again. It was made better by being surrounded by her friends.

Pockets of family members whispered as the girls passed. Everyone was sharply dressed, but thanks to Rarity’s divine fashion skills, the six girls and their array of colors stood out. Though Sunset couldn’t help but notice many an eye lingered on her.

Twilight Jazz and Orion stood near the door to the back courtyard. Jazz smiled fondly at Sunset, showing the laugh lines around her eyes. “Well, don’t you clean up nice.”

Sunset bowed cordially. “Thank you.”

Orion chuckled. “You all look great. Just make sure you don’t show up the bride and groom.”

“We wouldn’t dream of it,” Rarity said.

One of the hotel staff opened the doors and led the wedding crowd outside. The sun was setting behind the mountains, casting an orange glow across the sky that the lake reflected. Everyone paraded down the steps and took their seats, Sunset sitting on the outside of the third row, while the rest of the girls got up onto the bandstand and readied their instruments.

Sunset caught sight of Golden Light on the other side of the aisle. Their gazes met, and Golden flared her nostrils. Sunset resisted the urge to stick her tongue out.

A silence lapsed over the crowd as the last person took their seat. Everyone fidgeted and twisted in their seat to look up at the balcony. Finally, a staff member held his hand up, and with a soft beat from Pinkie, the band started to play.

The audience rose as the officiant walked down the stairs, followed close behind by the flower girl, haphazardly tossing petals everywhere.

From the left staircase came Shining Armor adorned in an officer’s uniform that was as red as his cheeks. A golden collar and cuffs accented it, and a blue sash ran over his left shoulder. It was all tucked into a pair of white dress pants, hemmed at the bottom. His hair was perfectly combed and slicked back. In fact, Sunset had never seen it so neat before.

Velvet hugged his arm, tears already flowing down her face. They broke apart at the top of the aisle, Velvet taking her place in the front row while Shining stepped up to the gazebo and faced the crowd. Night and Rose came down next from the right side of the stairs, arm in arm. When they got to the end of the carpet, Night took his place next to Velvet while Rose stood on the opposite side of the aisle and waited for her husband.

Then, Twilight stepped down the stairs. Sunset held her breath as she watched her girlfriend descend. Her dress was soothing pink with a white train that ran from the back of her knees to the ground, trailing a step behind her. A golden sash wrapped her waist, two pink bows hanging off the front. The sash matched the low golden collar, pinned in the center by a starburst clasp. Her hair was done up similar to how she wore it at Prom: a large side bun with an orchid tucked behind her ear.

She was on the arm of Gaffer, one of Shining’s police buddies, and, Sunset guessed, his best man. He and Twilight led the procession of groomsmen and bridesmaids to take their place on either side of the gazebo.

Twilight’s eyes searched the crowd until she found Sunset. She did a double-take, mouth flying open as she spotted Sunset in her tuxedo. Sunset smiled and winked at her, savoring the crimson hue her cheeks took.

The music swelled, and all eyes turned back to the top of the steps. Elm, with unfallen tears, held his arm out. Cadence stepped up and took it, bouquet in one hand, and the other holding the front of her dress as she walked down the steps and onto the carpet.

It was a lustrous white, like Princess Celestia’s ivory fur. The back end was ruffled and layered, with each border a glittering gold, matching her gold, sleeveless vest. A large pink ribbon sat at the top of her train which extended three feet behind her and had to be held up by an additional bridesmaid. The front of Cadence’s hair was curled up into two large bangs that hung over her ears, while the rest of it was woven into a flower-laden French braid.

She reached the bottom of the steps and took her time down the petal-strewn aisle. Her smile was radiant and contagious, infecting everyone as she passed. She and her father reached the end of the aisle. Elm gave her one last kiss on the cheek, then joined Rose. Cadence stepped up to the gazebo, taking her place next to Shining just as the music ended.

Everyone took their seats, and for a brief moment, there was only the lapping of the lake waves against the shore.

The officiant cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza.

“Love is never easy. It’s fraught with confusion and complications. This morning is a prime example. But, despite the chaos and misunderstanding, here these two stand, prepared to commit their lives to each other.”

Sunset wasn’t sure which one of them was trying harder not to cry. Cadence had lifted her bouquet up to hide her smile, but nothing could hide the glow she gave off.

“Now, I believe you have written your own vows?”

Cadence nodded and handed her bouquet over to Twilight before taking Shining’s hands. She looked into his eyes and gave a wet giggle before composing herself.

“There is no love at first sight. You were a scrawny middle-schooler when we first walked by each other. It wasn’t until freshman year when we got paired up in history that I got to know you. I thought you were going to be another wannabe macho jock. Instead, you were sweet, you were funny, you were honest, and you were a major comic book nerd!”

Shining laughed along with the crowd, the tips of his ears pink.

“But most of all, you cared. You cared about your friends, you cared about your family, and you cared about doing the right thing. The more time I spent with you, the more I grew to love you. It deepened with every little thing you did.” Cadence’s smile faltered, and her eyes drifted toward the lake. In a softer voice, she said, “I know I said some hurtful things earlier. Yes, you have your flaws; no one is perfect. But I love you, flaws and all. I can’t see a life without you in it. I want to share everything with you, Shiny! Every accident, every triumph, every mistake! I want us to be together, forever!”

With a tear running from the corner of his eye, Shining leaned in and whispered with a comical grin, “That is not what we rehearsed.” The audience laughed again, and Shining cleared his throat.

“You said there’s no such thing as love at first sight, but I know I felt something the first time I saw you. You were beautiful, braces and all. I didn’t know what to expect when I finally talked to you. I didn’t know it would lead to so many amazing days and nights together. I didn’t know it would lead to you being the one. I didn’t know you would be so inspirational that I would do anything to better myself for you. Because you’re right: no one is perfect. But when I look at you—your kindness, your empathy, your love, it makes me want to try harder and be a better person.

“Today, you’ve made me the happiest man alive. Knowing that from now on, I get to wake up every day and share everything with you is indescribable. No matter what happens, as long as we’re together, we can get through it. I love you, Cadence. So very much.”

Sunset wiped her eyes, drawing her gaze away from the couple. Twilight was staring straight at her. If there were any lingering frustrations from this morning, any anger or resentment, in that moment, they were completely gone.

Twilight’s eyes sparkled with warmth. “I love you,” she mouthed.

“I love you, too,” Sunset mouthed back, her heart fit to burst.

“May we have the rings?” the officiant asked.

The ring bearer walked down the carpet, holding a throw pillow with the two rings laying on top. Shining took the first ring and held up Cadence’s hand.

“Do you, Shining Armor, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

“I do,” Shining said, sliding the ring on.

“And do you, Mi Amore Cadenza, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? For richer or poor, for better or worse, ‘till the end of your days?”

“I do,” Cadence said, placing the ring on Shining’s finger.

“Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss!”

The officiant stepped back as Cadence grabbed Shining by the cheeks and pulled him into a deep kiss. Everyone jumped to their feet and clapped and cheered. Applejack let loose a loud whistle, and Pinkie threw out a handful of confetti. Even Golden Light applauded, the barest trace of a smile on her face.

Cadence and Shining broke apart and faced the crowd, hands clasped together. Twilight returned the bouquet, and the newlyweds strolled down the aisle as the band played them out.

*******

While the wedding party took their photos in the front courtyard, the rest of the crowd moved to the reception hall. Sunset sat at her designated table, waiting for her friends to join her. The waitstaff walked around and offered drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Sunset accepted some cheese on toasted crackers and was tempted to see if she could get away with getting a glass of wine. She settled for sparkling cider, not wanting to push her luck today.

The rest of the Spectacular Seven were the last to join, coming in with their instruments and setting up on the bandstand. They seated themselves around the table, and Rarity pressed her palms into her cheeks.

“Oh, that was the loveliest ceremony I’ve ever seen!”

“It was so romantic,” Fluttershy said with a dreamy sigh.

“Someday, we’re all gonna have weddings like that!” Pinkie threw her arms up. “I can’t wait to throw you girls the biggest, greatest weddings ever!”

They chatted amongst themselves for half an hour, keeping their snacking to a minimum. Soon, the ballroom doors opened and the wedding party came in, Shining and Cadence at the front. The girls got up and took their places on the bandstand, Twilight hurrying to join them, violin in hand.

Night Light moved to the front of the room and grabbed a microphone. “Thank you, everyone, for being here on this special day. It was a long time coming, but I’m happy to finally see the union of our two families. I also want to thank our band, not only for providing the music, but for helping the bride and groom when they needed it the most.”

Sunset looked over her shoulder and grinned at her friends.

“And now, the first dance of the newlyweds! Take it away, Spectacular Seven!”

Rarity started with a string of gentle notes on her keytar as Shining led Cadence to the dance floor. Twilight jumped in after Rarity, overlapping her keys with gentle strings.

The new couple revolved around each other, waltzing across the floor, holding each other close and gazing into one another’s eyes. Pinkie tapped on her drums, picking the beat up, and Sunset stepped up to the mike.

“Love is in bloom!

“A beautiful bride, a handsome groom,

“Two hearts becoming one!

“A bond that cannot be undone because,

“Love’s in bloom!

“A beautiful bride, a handsome groom!

“I said love’s in bloom!

“You’re starting a life and making room

“For us!

“For us!” her friends chorused.

Applejack and Rainbow pulled off a bass and electric guitar duet before they returned to the bridge. Twilight aided Rainbow in bringing the song to an end, capped off by another kiss between Cadence and Shining. Everyone applauded, and more couples took to join them on the ballroom floor.

The girls moved through their set, playing a few of their own songs and covers of others. Sunset worked up a fine sweat just from singing and swaying from side to side. The crowd was gracious though, smiling the entire time and clapping at the end of each song.

Perfectly timed, the kitchen staff marched in carrying trays and chafing dishes just as the Sunset got to the final lines of ‘Shine Like Rainbows.’ Sunset carried out the last note, then stepped back from the mike and sighed, tugging at her collar.

“Dinner is served, everyone!” Rose called over the ovation. The seven put their instruments down, released from their task by the music now playing from the speakers hanging in the corners of the room. They ended up near the back of the line for food, however.

Rainbow groaned loudly. “All the good stuff’s gonna be taken! Shouldn’t we get, like, VIP treatment? We’ve been working hard all day!”

“Calm down, Dash, there’s plenty for everyone,” Applejack scolded.

Sunset and Twilight stood at the very back. Up close, Twilight’s scent of lavender was stronger than usual. Sunset could also see the glitter of makeup on her cheeks.

Twilight looked Sunset up and down. “That’s not fair.”

“What isn’t?”

“You look good in a dress and a tuxedo.”

Sunset snorted, getting Twilight to giggle as well. When their laughter subsided, Sunset's gaze turned affectionate. “How are you doing?”

Twilight’s smile wilted and she looked out the window. Night was fast approaching. “I’m… better. I had to come up with three more lies to avoid talking about Moondancer or Tempest. And I know Shining or my parents are still going to have words about me using a sword. I’m probably out of my grandma’s will. But, Nana Jazz slipped me fifty dollars, and my cousin Silver Dawn gave me a thumbs up.”

She shook her head. “There’s just… a lot happening right now. I don’t want to think about it. Today’s supposed to be great.” Her hand moved to the collar of her dress. “Yet, my chest won’t stop hurting.”

Sunset took Twilight’s hand, interlocking their fingers. “Is there anything I can do?”

Twilight turned her head back to her girlfriend. “No. You’re already… perfect,” she said with a defeated sigh.

“You and I both know that’s not true.”

“I know. But you… you’re always… you just…” Twilight closed her eyes, on the verge of tears. She squeezed Sunset’s hand hard. “I don’t know why I feel mad. Why wouldn't I want you to come help me? I would do the same thing if the situation was reversed. But it wasn’t. I needed protection again, and I just… I want to be able to stand up for myself. And I know I stood up to my own grandmother! But it’s not… it just isn’t…”

Twilight took her glasses off and furiously rubbed her eyes. “You must think I’m a mess.”

“No, I think you’ve been through a lot and you’ve got a lot of emotions to process.” Sunset patted her pockets and frowned.

An ivory hand appeared in her peripheral, holding a tissue. Sunset took it from Rarity, who was facing the front tables and humming softly to herself.

Sunset mentally thanked her and dabbed at Twilight’s eyes, trying not to remove her makeup. “You know the last thing I ever want to do is belittle you. But like Fluttershy said: our magic is always a temporary thing. Your sword skills, and beyond that, your intelligence, your bravery, your compassion—all of the things that matter, those will last forever. And maybe you couldn’t beat Moondancer today. Someday, you will. Because the Twilight I know doesn’t quit.”

Twilight let Sunset finish drying her face, then set her glasses back on. She took Sunset’s other hand and said, “Dance with me.”

Sunset ignored the growl in her stomach. An upbeat song was playing, and the dance floor was almost empty. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Twilight said firmly.

“Okay then.” Sunset guided them from the carpet to the hardwood floor. She took the lead, moving her hips and shuffling her feet to the beat. Twilight kept up in a less graceful fashion, flailing her arms as she tried to imitate some of Sunset’s moves. Sunset laughed and took her hands, spinning her around and dipping her low to the floor.

Twilight beamed with delight, squealing at every rotation. Her face was redder than a tomato, and every time Sunset took hold of Twilight’s wrist, she could feel her pulse pounding. But she kept dancing. She held onto Sunset at the end of every song, the look in her eyes saying, ‘let’s keep going.’

The buffet line was almost empty when Twilight finally put her hands on her knees, her dress damp from sweat. Sunset leaned over her, resting a hand on her back.

“All right, babe, I’m starving,” Sunset panted. “Let’s get some—mmm!”

Twilight grabbed Sunset by the folds of her vest and pulled her into a kiss. Sunset almost lost her balance from the surprise attack but balanced herself by grabbing Twilight’s waist. Her eyes darted about the room. Half of the guests were too engrossed in their meals to notice, but the other half had their eyes squarely on the two girls making out in the middle of the ballroom.

Face still red and breathing hard, Twilight pulled away. “Thank you.”

Sunset gave her a softer kiss on the forehead. “Come on. You look like you need some water.”

They gathered up plates of food and drink and settled themselves at the band table. Twilight had to steal an unoccupied chair again to make room for herself.

Rarity smiled at them. “You two certainly made quite the splash.”

Rainbow snickered. “Yeah! Some old dude totally sprayed his drink all over his wife when you guys started making out.”

Twilight shrank in on herself and stared at her plate. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make a scene. I was just in the moment. I hope I didn’t take anything away from Shiny and Cady’s big day.”

“Ah don’t think they’ll mind,” Applejack said, easing back in her chair. “They both looked awfully proud when y’all were dancin’ together.”

Twilight cracked a smile, but Sunset could tell whatever energy had seized Twilight during their dance had been extinguished entirely. She remained subdued throughout dinner, perking up slightly when the wedding toasts were given out.

All of the parents spoke, each of them gushing over their children and wishing them a long and happy marriage. The cake was brought out, a two-tiered marble white masterpiece with pink and blue frosting shaped into roses. Shining and Cadence cut it together and took the first two slices for themselves. A staff member cut the rest of it and handed a piece out to everyone.

The music started up again, playing louder, more festive songs. People left their tables to mingle and groove. A young man around their age walked up to Applejack and asked her to dance. Stammering, Applejack said yes and was led away.

After gobbling her second slice of cake, Pinkie was up and tearing across the ballroom, showing off her wildest moves.

Fluttershy tapped her fingers together. “Umm, Rainbow, do you want to dance? Just as—”

Rainbow hooked an arm around her neck and grinned. “Of course I do!” She pulled Fluttershy to her feet and took off.

Rarity wiped the cake crumbs from her face. “I believe I shall go burn this off. You two enjoy yourselves.” She winked then got up and disappeared into the crowd.

Sunset looked from the moving mass of people to Twilight. “Do you wanna dance anymore?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m done for the night.” She stood up and gave one more look to her brother and new sister-in-law at the heart of the party. She then stooped and kissed Sunset on the cheek. “Um, could you come to my room before you go to sleep? Your birthday present should be ready by then.”

“Yeah, of course.”

Twilight kissed her again and headed out the door, leaving Sunset alone at the table. She took her glass of cider and turned in her chair, watching her friends dance. Part of her wanted to get up and join them, but Twilight had taken most of Sunset’s enthusiasm with her. So, she was content to just watch Pinkie do an Irish jig.

A few family members walked past and said hi or complimented her singing voice. One even complimented her tuxedo. A few others glared at her but didn’t say anything.

Shining and Cadence eventually made their way to Sunset’s table. “I’m not overexaggerating this time. You really did save our wedding,” Shining said.

“It was the least I could do. You helped give me a second chance.”

Shining smiled. “I don’t know if I believe in destiny or fate. But the day you ran into Twilight turned out to be one of the most fortunate days for all of us.”

Cadence gave a quick scan of the room. “Where is Twilight?”

“She decided to head up to her room. She’s had a long day,” Sunset said, looking at the ballroom door.

“We all have.” Cadence yawned. “Honestly, Twilight has the right idea. I can’t wait to go to sleep. But, we have guests to entertain. Thank you again, Sunset. And happy birthday!”

Sunset waved them off. They mingled with some of the other wedding-goers, then Cadence picked up her bouquet and moved to the front of the room. All of the women scrambled to get closer, and Cadence tossed the bundle of flowers over her head. All the girls jumped up to grab it, scratching at each other’s arms. It was Rarity who proved victorious, holding the bouquet above her head like a trophy.

Sunset stretched her arms out, feeling exhaustion settle over her. She finished her cider and took her leave. The atrium was silent compared to the ballroom, filled with only the bubble of the fountain and the soft buzz of scattered groups of people. She paused at the pool of water and watched the fish swim by.

A yawn rose from her throat, and she reminded herself she still needed to see Twilight before heading to bed. Sunset climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked on her door.

“Sparky, it’s me.”

“O-oh! Umm… j-just give me a second!”

Sunset patiently waited, curious and eager to see what Twilight had made. She just hoped there weren’t any puns involved. The door opened and Twilight appeared in a purple bathrobe, her hair down in a ponytail again. She quickly pulled Sunset inside and shut the door.

“You came sooner than I thought you would,” Twilight said in a mousy voice. Her face was burning red again, and she stared at the floor instead of Sunset.

“Yeah, sorry if I threw you off. I was getting tired too, and I didn’t really know what to do with myself.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Twilight said hastily. “It just… means I get to give you your present earlier.”

Sunset smirked. “Well, you’ve kept me in suspense. Hit me.”

Twilight swallowed hard. “Okay.”

Whatever Sunset was expecting, it wasn’t what happened next. Twilight unfastened her robe’s belt and let it fall to the floor. Hiding underneath it was black and lacey night lingerie that clung tightly to Twilight.

Sunset sucked in a quivering breath, her face aflame. It was the most skin Twilight had ever revealed; the lingerie hid almost nothing. Yes, Twilight was on the petite side, but to Sunset, she looked incredible. And yet, Sunset felt guilty drinking in her visage. She was red, flustered, and shaking like a leaf.

“D-do you like it?” Twilight asked. Her arms gravitated to her chest, like she wanted to cover herself, but she quickly dropped them to her sides.

“Y-yeah, you look… Sparky you’re beautiful, but…” Sunset took in another breath to stop herself from becoming flustered too. “Are you okay?”

Twilight pressed her lips together and nodded stiffly.

Sunset crossed her arms. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! Today’s not supposed to be about me!” she said, practically throwing up the words. “It’s still your birthday!”

Sunset uncrossed her arms and took a step toward her. “Twilight—”

“I-it’s your birthday! A-and, I was wondering for so long what I was going to get you! I-I thought, maybe a new jacket because it was getting warmer! Or, or maybe a motorcycle repair kit! B-but, people kept asking if we… if we had… you know… a-and I remembered the night on the mountain… and I-I thought for your birthday, I w-would give… myself… to you…”

Twilight’s words tumbled out of her mouth and into Sunset’s ears, stumbling over one another and slowly arranging themselves back into logical order within Sunset’s brain. They brought with them a flurry of emotions, excitement, panic, anger, though not directed at Twilight.

Sunset realized she must have been silent for too long because Twilight was fidgeting more and looked close to tears. Sunset closed the gap between them and gently took Twilight into her embrace. She pressed her close, keeping one hand on the small of her back and the other atop her head.

“Twilight,” Sunset whispered to her forehead, “I love you. And I’m… touched that you were willing to be this intimate with me.” She moved a hand to cup Twilight’s chin and raise her to eye level.

“But sex is a two-way street. And I love you way too much to just take it because you’re offering it to me. I want you to enjoy it, too. I want our first time to mean something. Not because it’s my birthday or because people keep asking us whether or not we’ve done it. Forget about all of that.”

Sunset rubbed a thumb along Twilight’s cheek, brushing away a tear. “I need you to answer me truthfully. After the day we’ve had, are you ready for this?”

Twilight trembled against her, her composure cracking more and more with every breath. “I-I wanted to!” A loud hiccup interrupted her. Her lower lip quivered, and she burst into a powerful sob, pressing her face into the crook of Sunset’s neck.

“I was so n-nervous and worried a-and… but I wanted to! But then, M-Moond-dancer and Tempest and the S-Sirens happened and I felt so…. B-but then, we danced! I-I saw h-how beautiful you l-looked! I wanted to make your birthday s-special! But, I p-put this on and I started thinking about it! And I want to, but I don’t want to, but I do with you, and, and, and…”

Sunset hugged her tight while Twilight let everything out. She understood how Twilight felt. Sunset would be lying if she said seeing Twilight in her lingerie and holding her this close didn’t spark something. But actually stopping to think about it: sleeping with Twilight. It was terrifying as much as it was fascinating.

Ignoring the corner of her mind that told her to give in to her fantasies, Sunset gently guided Twilight to the edge of the bed and sat her down. Twilight’s sobs slowed and she eventually pulled herself off from Sunset. Sunset got up and grabbed tissues from the vanity.

Twilight took them with silent thanks. “I keep crying today,” she said miserably. “I don’t even know why this time.”

“Twilight, we had a long day. We almost died again—and the sad thing is, I’m already numb to that. You came out to your family, and you just fought Moondancer.”

“And lost,” Twilight muttered into her tissue.

“The point,” Sunset said, putting a hand on her back, “is that you’re exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. And sex takes all three things… I think. This is a first for both of us, so it’s going to be scary and confusing. Of course you’re a nervous wreck.”

“Thanks.”

Sunset flinched. “Sorry. Though, I’m surprised I’m not a nervous wreck after the way you just threw your clothes off and presented yourself to me like a purple goddess.”

Twilight made a weak chuckle.

Sunset sat down next to her and placed a hand on her leg. “I will never pressure you to do something you don’t want to do. And you shouldn’t feel pressured into doing anything you’re not comfortable with. Maybe someday soon, the stars will align, and we’ll make each other scream in ecstasy.”

Twilight laughed and gave her a gentle shove. She quickly fell back to a somber expression. “But… part of me still wants to though.”

A strong part of Sunset still wanted to as well. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll sleep here tonight if that’s okay with you. We can sleep together; destress, relax, get comfortable. And, if at any point in the night you truly feel ready, just tell me, okay?”

Twilight nibbled on her bottom lip. She looked into Sunset’s eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

Sunset got up and stepped into the bathroom to undress. She regretted she hadn’t brought anything alluring to sleep in. Not that she wanted to entice Twilight! But if they did do it, she wanted it to be enticing. Instead, she simply stripped down to her bra and panties. She had a hand on the knob when she realized Twilight would be seeing her almost naked.

A nervous flutter, different from all the ones preceding it, passed through her. Sex or no sex, this would be the most they had seen of each other. And they’d be lying next to each other.

It was exciting.

It was horrifying.

Sunset turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Slim with a little bit of muscle definition. Tall, long flowing hair, and generous bust size.

Who am I kidding; I’m freaking gorgeous! Her reflection grinned back at her.

But, it wasn’t about her. It was about Twilight. Sunset didn’t want to add any extra pressure to her, so she slipped her dress shirt back on to give a small sense of modesty.

Back in the bedroom, Twilight had already slipped under the covers. Sunset turned off the lights, leaving only the moon to shine through the balcony bay doors. She climbed into bed, resting her head next to Twilight’s.

Twilight smiled at her. There were still tears caught on her eyelashes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

Sunset raised a hand and stroked her hair. “You were you. Cute, annoyingly curious and persistent, and open-hearted. You’re so amazing, Sparky. You just need to believe that more.”

Twilight curled into herself, eyes hooded. “Y-yeah. I know. I’m going to get better. I’m going to keep fighting.”

“That’s my girl.” Sunset leaned over and kissed Twilight’s forehead.

Twilight’s eyes lit up to their usual wondrous luminescence. She scooted closer and kissed Sunset on the lips, soft and gentle. They stayed pressed together for a whole minute, just enjoying each other’s presence.

“I love you,” Twilight whispered.

“I love you, too,” Sunset said, her eyes falling shut.

Volume III

End

Author's Note

And that, friends, is a wrap! We've finally reached the end of Volume III! It only took a year and a half! There's a postscript here if you wanna see how some things came together and other general thoughts on the last set of chapters. If not, then enjoy the music, leave a comment, and I'll see you guys later this year for Volume IV!

Thanks again to Jay for some extra assistance in this finale. And as always, a giant shoutout and thank you to my editor, DrakeyC!

Volume III Closing Theme

Volume IV: Arcane Access—1. The Morning After

“We all want to believe what we’re doing is right. That we’re the heroes of our own stories. That we’re destined for greatness.

“That what we’re fighting for: our goals, our dreams, our desires; they’re all possible. And they’re for the best. For why else should we believe anything different? And it is true. We all have that potential.

“But, not everyone gets to achieve that greatness. Not everyone gets to be the hero. Not everyone gets to shine so brightly.

“And the ones that do… sometimes the brighter their light… the deeper the shadow they cast…”

Volume IV

Arcane Access

The gates opened without a sound, slowly revealing the architectural masterpiece hidden beyond. Cobblestone streets wound between perfectly sculpted marble buildings all painted in royal colors. Spires and turrets rose into the baby-blue sky, their flags catching the gentle mountain breeze. Water bubbled out of bronze fountains and sunlight glinted off polished glass. Verdant parks broke up the hoof-crafted structures; tall oak trees provided shade from the summer heat.

And towering over all of the city, its white walls and purple roof glowing in the light of day, was the pinnacle of Equestrian architecture and the seat of power for the country, overlooking it from its cliff-side perch. She had dreamed for years of issuing proclamations from its gilded halls, seating herself on the throne and knowing she had absolute control. She no longer entertained those thoughts. Now, she just wanted to walk through those corridors one more time, just to know it all hadn’t been a dream.

Sunset sprinted through the gates, her hooves thundering against the cobblestone. She was so close now. She just had to get through the city.

Weaving between ponies and in and out of crowds, she tore through the marketplace and plazas, ignoring the tantalizing aroma of Canterlot’s finest restaurants. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. She was almost home! She could finally tell Celestia she was sorry!

The road took Sunset through Canterlot’s most opulent neighborhoods. Hedges and golden fences hid the majority of the manors and villas from view, but the glimpses she did catch were enough to momentarily distract her. She kept her hooves moving though, slowing her stride but never stopping.

Then, she stood in the courtyard. The castle doors stood at the top of the steps, encrusted with rainbow-colored jewels the size of Sunset’s head. Celestia was behind those doors.

Sunset moved a hoof forward but heard something shuffle over her shoulder. She turned her head to see Twilight standing at the castle gates.

“Twilight…” Sunset started to rotate toward her.

“Sunset…” a voice said from on high.

Sunset turned her head back to the doors. They were opening, and a shaft of brilliant light poured out. Sunset’s heart tugged her toward it, but she hesitated. She looked back at Twilight who had a hand stretched out. Sunset reached a hoof back, but the gap between them only seemed to grow, and the light radiating from the door began to eclipse the world..

Tears ran down Twilight’s cheeks. “Don’t leave me…”

“I won’t! I promise! I—” But the light grew brighter still until Sunset could see nothing but a white void.

“Twilight!”

*******

Sunset opened her eyes, her arm still outstretched above her. The morning light shone through the bay doors to the balcony and lit up the already bright blue wallpaper of the hotel room. She lowered her hand onto the soft blanket draped over her, her fingertips brushing against the girl curled up against her side.

Twilight slept soundly, one arm looped around Sunset’s. Instead of being tied up in its usual ponytail, her hair was splayed out over the pillow in a mess of purple and lavender streaks. She shuffled and murmured in her sleep, hugging Sunset’s arm a little tighter.

Both girls were barely clothed. Sunset only had on her unbuttoned shirt and underwear on, while Twilight was still dressed (though Sunset used that term loosely) in the revealing lingerie she had shown off to Sunset the night before. Their bare legs rubbed against each other, making Sunset’s heart and stomach flutter rapidly. Despite her breath hitching every time Twilight moved, Sunset didn’t dare pull herself away.

The room was quiet, save for Twilight’s soft breathing. It relaxed Sunset, though not to the point of falling back asleep. The sunlight was too strong. She contented herself with just looking at the ceiling and reflecting.

Yesterday—her birthday and the wedding of Shining and Cadence—had been long and hard-fought. She had fended off Tempest and learned a little more about her powers in the process. And while she had failed in redeeming Adagio, her friends, especially Pinkie, had managed to pick up her slack and get at least Sonata and Aria to change their ways for good.

Sunset frowned. Adagio was at large, and according to Rarity, she had a new necklace with which to manipulate people again. And Tempest still lurked in the shadows, no doubt scheming a new way to hurt Sunset and her friends. The knowledge Adagio and Tempest weren’t working together anymore didn’t make her feel better; it just meant it was more liable for them to both try something at once.

She hated playing defense. Tempest probably had some grand plan and all Sunset could do was react to any move made and hope for the best. She furrowed her brow, remembering the days where she was the one in control. She was the chess master and everyone else, her pawns moving along the board where she told them to go. Now, she was just a piece and had no idea what the enemy was plotting.

Well, they say the best offense is a good defense. If Sunset couldn’t read the enemy’s moves, the next best thing was preparing for any possibility. If yesterday had taught her anything, it was that she needed more practice with her powers, and she was willing to bet her friends could use some too.

Sunset turned her face to Twilight, still asleep. A stunning intellect, unwavering conviction, and burgeoning sword skills. Sunset couldn’t understand why Twilight had so much self-doubt. Though her loss to Moondancer had hurt her confidence, it seemed to have also fueled her drive to improve.

“Don’t leave me…”

The Twilight from her dream had looked so alone, so defeated at Sunset’s desire to walk up those steps into Canterlot Castle. Sunset wanted to promise Twilight she would never leave her, but two years was a long time, and anything could happen. She loved Twilight with all her heart, but she missed Equestria dearly. And the more she dreamed about it, the more she wanted to go back.

Twilight smacked her lips and fluttered her eyes open. She yawned before smiling at Sunset. “Good morning.”

Sunset wrinkled her nose at Twilight’s morning breath. “Morning,” she said, managing a crooked smile.

Twilight noticed she was gripping Sunset’s arm and blushed, though she didn’t let go. “Umm… so…”

“Soooo?”

She shuffled some more, her blush growing deeper as her leg rubbed against Sunset’s. “We didn’t… um… do anything last night?”

Sunset shook her head. “You fell asleep pretty fast and didn’t wake me up at any point.”

“Right.” There was a small note of disappointment in Twilight’s voice. She moved her sight to the gap between pillows. “Maybe it was for the best. I really was out of it, huh?”

“You were stressed out the wazoo, and for good reason. Makes sense you checked out early.” Sunset reached a hand out and stroked Twilight’s hair. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better, I think. I don’t feel like I’m constantly about to have a panic attack.” She looked contemplatively at the blue pillow casing. “But… I don’t think… I don’t feel like…”

“Having sex?” Sunset finished.

Twilight winced at the ‘s’ word. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey.” Sunset pressed the back of her free hand against Twilight’s cheek. “Don’t apologize. I told you, I’m not gonna force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Twilight leaned into the gesture. “You’re amazing.”

“You’re amazing.”

They leaned toward one another at the same time, lips meeting in a gentle kiss. When they broke apart, Twilight placed her head in the crook of Sunset’s neck. They remained motionless together, listening to the muffled activities of the other hotel occupants: footsteps and laughter and piano music drifting in from the atrium, and shouts and splashing rising up from the lake just below the window.

Here was another moment Sunset wished could last forever. But her arm was numb and her stomach, empty. She lifted herself up, carrying Twilight with her into an upright position.

“What time is it?” Twilight asked, finally releasing Sunset’s arm.

Sunset grabbed her phone off the bedside table. Surprisingly, she had no missed messages from any of their friends. “A quarter after ten.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Checkout’s at noon. We should probably get packed and ready to go.”

Sunset swung her legs off the bed. “Which means I should get dressed and sneak back upstairs.”

Twilight blushed again. “You don’t think—”

“Oh, they know. At least they think they do.” Sunset slipped her dress pants on. “But we don’t have to tell them anything. And Rainbow will get bored in a day anyway.”

Fully dressed save for her tie which she kept balled up in her pocket, Sunset kissed Twilight again, still laying in bed. “I’ll see you in a little bit, yeah?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Sunset pulled the door open and slipped into the hallway. Over the railing, she could see some of the other wedding guests already lining up to check out. Dull chatter filled the open lobby as everyone went about their day, most of them dressed in swimwear. If any of them had any lingering concerns over yesterday’s oddities, they didn’t show it.

Sunset caught the elevator and rose to the seventh floor and made her way to her shared room. Approaching, she could already hear her friends talking on the other side. She sighed as she pulled out her keycard. “Let’s get this over with.”

With a press and a beep, Sunset pushed the door open, watching as the conversation quickly died and every eye turned toward her. The remaining five of the Spectacular Seven were gathered around the room, all of them grinning.

“What’s up?” Sunset said casually, strolling into the room and letting the door swing close behind her.

“Nothin’ much,” Applejack said, leaning with a foot braced against the wall. “Just chattin’.”

“Cool.” Sunset knelt beside her overnight bag and rummaged for her spare set of clothes.

“Some party last night, huh?” Rainbow asked, instigation clear as day in her voice.

“Yeah, it was a great wedding.” Sunset retrieved her clothes and stood up. “You girls all have fun?”

“Tons!” Pinkie said bouncing on the bed. “You missed the fondue fountain! And then we went out and skipped more rocks on the water! You can really see the stars out here!”

“Yeah, but I bet Sunset saw plenty of stars last night,” Rainbow said, her grin turning raunchy.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You’re free to believe whatever you want.”

“Please, we know you two did it.”

“Have you girls really spent the entire morning contemplating whether or not Twilight and I had sex?” Sunset asked flatly.

“Some of them have, yes,” Rarity answered with measured disappointment. She sat on the couch, filing her nails. “I told them it was none of our business one way or the other.” She paused her filing and gave Sunset a once over. She smiled contently then resumed work on her nails.

Sunset had no idea what Rarity had gleaned but somehow, she knew it was the truth. With a shrug, Sunset passed by a disappointed looking Rainbow and stepped into the bathroom.

“It’s a simple yes or no question: are you still a virgin?” Rainbow asked.

“Guess.” Sunset shut the door.

*******

Moondancer opened an eye and saw the roof of her canopy bed.

Hm. Tempest didn’t kill me in my sleep. Joy.

She pushed herself into a sitting position then slouched over, resting her hands in her lap. The washcloth over her face slowly folded off and fell onto her silk sheets. The scars on the left side of her face prickled, and the bruise on her right side throbbed. She inhaled slowly through her nose, feeling her chest constrict, then slowly exhaled. The tension didn’t leave.

The weight in her chest made her hunch over. She interlocked her fingers and squeezed. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I tried. I…” Moondancer gave a soft shake of her head. She had no excuses. Now more than ever, she was certain Twilight hated her. And rightly so.

“But it’ll all be worth it, right?” she asked, a bitter taste on her tongue. “Saving the world. Saving mother… it can’t be done without sacrifice.”

But to be scorned by her best friend and scarred by her worst enemy… and that sad look Fluttershy pierced her with. More and more, Moondancer was starting to wonder if her goal was worth the things she lost.

She tightened her grip on her fingers, turning her knuckles pink. She needed Tirek to die. She needed Tempest to fail. She needed to tell her mother how very sorry she was.

The path she was on was near its end; she could feel it. It was far too late to turn back now. Maybe someday she’d find a way to make up for it. For now, she just needed to survive. Destiny would be hers yet.

Chest still tight, Moondancer climbed out of bed and began her morning routine. With her teeth brushed, her hair combed, and her mask set carefully on her face, Moondancer put on a simple day gown and peeked her head out the door.

The hall was empty. Moondancer took a few tentative steps and strained her ears for any sudden noise. When the coast seemed clear, she carried on at a guarded pace. Tempest had been furious at her burn and subsequent betrayal from the Sirens. Moondancer was surprised she hadn’t been the target of Tempest’s aforementioned fury, though she supposed the day was still young.

The manor sat quiet, as it usually did. The smell of breakfast drifted through the halls and made Moondancer’s stomach growl. She had been too tired and anxious to eat dinner yesterday.

Increasing her pace, Moondancer reached the ground floor and pushed the dining room door open. Her lips immediately pursed and her eyes narrowed.

Her father sat at the head of the dining table, a plate of food in front of him. Two seats down on his right was a second plate, untouched.

“So, what? Instead of ignoring me, you’re going to ignore my words instead?” Moondancer asked brusquely. “I thought I made it clear I wasn’t interested in your feeble attempts at reconciliation.”

Night Shade gestured to the plate of food. “Please, Moondancer, I just want to have breakfast together,” he said wearily.

“Give me one good reason why.”

“Because Lemon made your favorite crêpes, and I’ve already sent her on errands for the day. She won’t be back until lunchtime.”

“I can wait that long.” Moondancer’s stomach gave a needy growl. Her eyes lingered on the two perfectly rolled crêpes drizzled with hollandaise sauce on a bed of hash browns. She balled her fists and marched over to her seat. “You are not to speak.”

Moondancer’s knife cut the tense silence by splitting her first crêpe in half and clinking against the plate. She pointedly kept her eyes on her food, watching the hollandaise sauce drizzle over some of the mushrooms and tomatoes that had spilled from her crêpe’s center.

“You look nice today,” Night said, pushing around a piece of his eggs benedict.

“Oh look, you’re speaking.”

He sighed. “Moondancer, you have every right to be angry with me—”

“Believe me, I am.”

“—but I want to make up for it.”

“And I want to eat my breakfast in peace.” Moondancer lifted a piece of food to her lips. “The only reason I’m still here is because I would hate to spill this on the carpet and make a mess for Lemon Fresh.”

“Please, Moondancer, I don’t want this chasm between us anymore.”

Food in her mouth, Moondancer bit down hard on her fork. She pulled it out, chewed methodically, then said evenly, “You don’t get to ignore me one day, then decide you’re tired of it the next.”

Night tapped a finger against his fork. “It’s been a long-time coming, really.”

Moondancer kept her eyes down and took another bite of her breakfast.

“I was never sure if I was going to be a good father. I suppose I subjected myself to a self-fulfilling prophecy.” He set his fork aside. “My parents were never great at showing affection. And I guess that carried on to me. That’s one reason I fell in love with your mother. She was never afraid of her emotions. She always brought out the best in people.”

Moondancer rolled her eyes. “Thank you for that cliché diatribe. I feel like we’ve bonded on a deeper level now.” She dug her fork into a lone mushroom. “There’s a difference between a lack of affection and ignoring your daughter.”

“I thought I was protecting you.”

“And I told you, you were a fool.” Moondancer cut into another piece of her crêpe. “Though with some of the choices I’ve made, it’s clear I inherited that unfortunate trait from you.”

Night Shade sighed again. “And yet, I have no idea where you get that sharp tongue from.”

She looked up and stared her father in the eyes. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

He stared back. “Your favorite color is pink, specifically fuchsia because you thought it was the funniest word to say when you were four. Your favorite flowers are carnations, specifically pink, and your favorite tea is lavender with one drop of honey. You have a soft spot for old school rock and roll. I can hear you play it late at night sometimes.”

Night folded his hands on the table. “You got the leading role in every play you auditioned for except As You Like It, which is your favorite. You were absolutely amazing at the ballet recital you had when you were twelve. Porter recorded it for me. Whenever you’re in the garden, you always tend to the roses first. As much as you’d love to act on Broadway someday, you also want to write your own screenplays. And… you’re in love with that Twilight Sparkle girl.”

Moondancer’s cheeks flushed and she turned away. Her food no longer sat well in her stomach. “So you made a few notable observations.”

“Just because I wasn’t there doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention,” he said softly.

“Hmph. That last one was hardly a secret anyway.”

“She seems like a very nice girl.”

“Yes, well, she loves someone else. And no doubt loathes me, so your approval means very little.” Moondancer got up, pushing her chair back. Breakfast no longer appealed to her. “I’ve indulged you long enough. I’m going out to the garden. And no, that is not an invitation to follow.”

She marched over to the door and put a hand on the knob. She cleared her throat. “How did you know I wanted to write?”

“You gave me a short play about a princess rescuing another princess from a dragon when you were five. I keep it in my desk drawer.”

Moondancer looked over her shoulder. Her father had a small, nostalgic smile on his lips. Perhaps the first time she had seen one in a while. She let out a small huff and pushed the door open, her chest tighter than when she had woken up.

*******

Sunset and the girls stood in the hotel lobby, bags packed. With fifteen minutes to noon, the space was filled with all the overnight wedding guests who hadn’t checked out yet. A few of them looked in Sunset’s direction and whispered to one another behind their hands. Sunset popped the collar of her new leather vest and gave them a smug smile.

Rarity let out a forlorn sigh. “Say farewell to paradise, ladies. We shan't see it again until the next wedding we attend.”

“It was nice while it lasted,” Applejack said. “Aside from the ambush and kidnapping.”

Rainbow slouched and shoved her hands into her pockets. “Seriously. Even on our vacations, we can’t catch a break. Our powers are cool and stuff, but I’d like just one trip where something bad didn’t happen.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to have a talk about that when we get back home,” Sunset said, moving up a space in the checkout line.

Cadence and Shining picked their way across the atrium, stopping to thank and chat with family members before reaching the Spectacular Seven. Cadence hugged each of them in turn.

“We just wanted to say thanks again for everything you girls did.”

Applejack waved a hand. “Don’t mention it. We were happy to help.”

“So, where are the newlyweds headed for their honeymoon?” Rarity asked coyly.

Both Shining and Cadence let out barks of laughter. Shining shook his head. “This is our honeymoon.”

“I get paid well, but not that well,” Cadence said, wiping the mirth from her eyes. “After buying our new apartment and paying for the wedding, we couldn’t afford any sort of lavish getaway.”

“So, we just booked our room for an extra night,” Shining explained. “Maybe next year we can afford to go somewhere.”

“Hawaii,” Cadence said automatically.

“Apparently, that somewhere is Hawaii.”

Twilight entered the lobby, wheeling her suitcase behind her. Like her brother and new sister-in-law, she was stopped by various family members. She stood in her awkward pigeon-toed stance for all of the brief encounters but had a smile on her face, albeit a shy one. When she finally reached the group, Cadence pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

“Look at my new baby sister-in-law!” she squealed, showering Twilight’s forehead with kisses. “I know we’ve already practically been sisters, but now, it’s official!”

Twilight managed a giggle once Cadence eased up her grip. “It’s great to have you as part of the family.”

Sunset broke her attention away when the line moved forward again. A clerk waved her over, and she went through the rigamarole of signing out and returning the card keys. When she wrapped up and turned back toward Twilight, she saw Night Light and Velvet had joined the family circle.

“We’re still going to talk about this sword-wielding business,” Night Light said. He didn’t sound angry, but Twilight still shuffled nervously.

“Okay.”

He gave his daughter a hug. “But I am glad you’re taking up some form of self-defense.”

Twilight kissed each of her family members goodbye and joined her friends as they headed out. The Sparkles waved them as they went, shouting out one last round of thank yous.

The sun shone brightly, forcing Sunset to shield her eyes upon first stepping into the front courtyard. When they finished adjusting, they gravitated toward a lone figure sitting on a bench in front of a flamingo topiary. Golden Light watched them as they came up the path. Sunset turned her head and picked up her pace, taking Twilight’s hand into her own. As the group crossed by, Golden cleared her throat, and Twilight slowed to a stop.

She faced her grandmother, shoulders shaking momentarily before she squared them and said with only a slight tremble, “I’m not going to apologize for anything I said or did yesterday.”

“Hmph. I didn’t expect you would.” Golden looked over to Sunset. “I still don’t like you.”

“There’s a long line of people who don’t like me.”

Golden sniffed and got to her feet. She eyed Sunset and Twilight’s interlocked hands and shook her head before hobbling away on her cane. “Most men aren’t worth the trouble anyway,” she muttered.

The group stared after the old woman. Twilight broke the silence with a soft exhale and said, “That’s the closest thing to a blessing I’m ever going to get.”

“Who needs her?” Rainbow said, resuming the walk back to their cars. “Seriously, between her and everything that happened yesterday, I feel like we barely got to enjoy this place.”

Laughter drifted up from the lakeshore, and Sunset heard the satisfying pop of a racket against a tennis ball in the courts nearby.

“You know what we need?” Rainbow continued. “A real vacation! No Sirens, no relationship drama, no villains trying to kill us! Just the seven of us having an awesome time!”

“That does sound nice,” Applejack mused.

Sunset sighed. “It does. But, I’ve been thinking…. Yeah, we won yesterday, but it feels like it was by the skin of our teeth. I think we need to focus on honing our magic. Tempest is still out there and we have no idea what she’s planning next or when she’ll attack us.”

Twilight nodded. “I agree. We need to train and prepare ourselves.”

They reached the parking lot, the wheels on their bags kicking up gravel and making enough noise to mask their conversation.

“Like, I get it,” Rainbow said, “I totally wanna get better so I can punch some more bad guys in the face! But this is our last summer vacation together! We should be hanging out and having fun!”

“I think defending ourselves and Canterlot is a little more important,” Twilight said stiffly.

“Why can’t we do both?”

“You both bring up good points,” Rarity said calmly. “I would like to get better at my own magic and stop whatever machinations the villains have. But all work and no play makes your skin dull and gray. Surely one day of fun can’t hurt?”

Twilight shook her head. “I thought we’d be safe here at the wedding, but Tempest attacked us almost in plain sight!” She sighed. “I’m not against having fun, but we have more important things to worry about now. What happens if we’re on this vacation and we get attacked again?”

Rainbow punched a fist into her palm. “We hit ‘em really hard!”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“What? The only reason Tempest and the Sirens got so far is because they split us up! There’s no way she can beat us if we’re all together!”

“Dashie’s right!” Pinkie chirped. “Put the seven of us together and we’re invincible! We’re like the Power Rangers! Or Sailor Moon! Or Voltron!”

Each reference flew over Sunset’s head. “Look, I have confidence in us too, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Please, Sunset!” Rainbow put her hands together. “One day! Then we can do all the training you want!”

“Rainbow—”

“Carps delerium!” she shouted.

“I—what?”

“You know, ‘carps delerium’! ‘Make the day awesome’ or whatever!”

Twilight facepalmed. “First of all, it’s ‘carpe diem’. Second, it means ‘seize the day’. Third, you have been using the word a day calendar I gave you!”

“Fine, I have,” Rainbow grumbled. “It’s actually kinda cool learning new words.”

“Whenever you don’t butcher ‘em,” Applejack said smugly.

“The point,” Rainbow said loudly, “is, let’s seize the day! Let’s go to the beach! We’ll surf, eat ice cream, build sand castles, play volleyball, and roast s’mores! Then, the day after, we get ready to fight some evil hag!”

They reached Rainbow’s car first. Sunset leaned against the trunk, arms crossed and lips pressed together. What Rainbow asked wasn’t unreasonable. A single day at the beach where they didn’t have to worry about anything? Yet, she knew she would end up worrying anyway. If Tempest was bold enough to attack them at a hotel, a beach wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But, Pinkie was also correct about them being much harder to beat when they were together.

Sunset cast a look to Twilight. “A single day at the beach couldn’t hurt, right?”

Twilight chewed her lip. “I mean… I want to, but… there’s so many things that could go wrong.”

“There’s also so many things that could go right!” Pinkie said.

“And if we did do this beach day, when would it be?” Twilight asked.

“Tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?”

Rainbow grinned. “Hey, the faster we do it, the sooner we can get to work. Plus, there’s no way Tempest would attack us again so soon after we whupped her butt.”

Twilight dropped her shoulders. “I don’t like it. But, you all seem set on it.”

Rainbow punched the air. “Yes! Carpe diem, here we come!”

Sunset put an arm around Twilight. “Don’t worry. If anything happens, we can handle it.”

“It’s Rainbow’s idea. I can’t help but worry.”

“Fair enough.”

“Hey, I can hear you!”

*******

Twilight rode with Sunset and Rarity back to Canterlot proper. Sunset joined her in the back seat, letting Twilight lean on her shoulder. Rarity smiled the entire time.

The trip was mostly quiet. Sunset passed the time by watching the scenery shift from tall evergreen trees planted at the base of the mountains, to soft rolling hills turning yellow under the summer heat, to the suburban landscape she was used to, with downtown Canterlot in the near distance.

As Rarity drifted into the exit lane, she spoke up, “Sunset? While I’m all for training after our little beach day… how exactly are we going to do that? Most of our powers aren’t exactly subtle.”

Sunset thought of Pinkie’s fireworks and her own phoenix powers. “Hmm. Maybe we can find somewhere remote? I’ll ask Selena about it.”

Stomachs growling with afternoon hunger, the girls stopped for fast-food before Rarity pulled in front of the Lulamoon house. She waved Sunset and Twilight out, promising to see them tomorrow.

Suitcases and lunches in hand, the couple walked up the front lawn to the porch. Sunset fumbled with her keys, placing her takeout bag in her mouth so she could unlock the door. “Selena, we’re home,” she said between her teeth.

Selena poked her head out from the kitchen, a pencil sticking out from her pulled-up hair. She always tied it into a ponytail when she was writing. A relieved smile eased the worry creases on her forehead. “Good. How was the wedding?”

Sunset set her lunch down and pressed the tips of her fingers together. “It was good! Mostly!”

The relieved smile fell and the worry lines deepened. “Oh no.”

“Okay, I would like to lead with, we won and nobody was seriously hurt.”

“Sunset,” Selena said with a ‘get-to-the-point’ edge.

“Tempest and the Sirens attacked us,” Twilight said, her narrowed eyes pointed toward the carpet. “Moondancer was there too.”

Selena pressed her fingers to both sides of her temple. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

Sunset raised her hand. “But if we hadn’t been there, things would have gone a lot worse. We saved the wedding, and Sonata and Aria really reformed this time!”

Selena scoffed. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Well, that’ll be hard to do since they willingly let themselves be arrested.”

“Hmph.” Selena crossed her arms. “Well… that’s surprising at the very least. But forgive me if I remain unconvinced.” She heaved a sigh. “I’m glad you’re both all right, but this just amplifies my concerns. What did Tempest even want at the wedding?”

“I don’t really know?” Sunset wondered aloud. “The Sirens were there to steal our magic. I guess she was just there to make sure they did it? Oh, Aria broke the Staff of Sacanas.”

Selena’s expression softened. “That’s… actually good.”

“But Tempest and Adagio escaped with pieces of it,” Twilight mumbled.

“And we’re right back to bad news.” Selena took a seat on the living room couch. “What do we do now?”

Twilight raised her head. “We need to prepare for whatever Tempest tries to do next. We need to practice. We need to be better.”

Sunset heard the unspoken ‘I’ but left it alone. “She’s right. We can’t predict what Tempest’s next move will be, but we can train to counter it. The only problem is, we’re not sure where we can practice without being seen.”

Selena rested her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. “I suppose that’s the best plan we can make for now. As for where to train… we could use the backyard once Artemis returns and sets up a few illusion wards. I don’t know how effective a training area it would be though.”

“Do you know when he and Trixie are coming back?” Twilight asked.

“No. They sent me a letter a few days ago, but there wasn’t any indication if they were coming home soon or not.” Selena made a solemn frown. “I’m really starting to wonder if this Rainbow of Light isn’t just a wild goose chase.”

“Megan and Merlin stopped Tirek with something,” Sunset said confidently. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll find it.”

Selena stood and smiled at her. “Your optimism is appreciated.”

Twilight wrung her hands. “Miss Selena? If it’s not too much trouble, could we practice today?”

“Really? You don’t want to rest after what sounds like a long day?”

“No. I feel like I really need the practice.”

Selena faced Twilight, but her eyes glanced toward Sunset. Sunset gave a subtle nod, to which Selena arched her eyebrows in curiosity. Still, she nodded and said, “Very well.”

“Thank you!” Twilight quickly opened her suitcase and pulled her sword. She kissed Sunset on the cheek and hurried for the backyard door, her lunch forgotten.

“She got her confidence shaken pretty bad,” Sunset said, responding to Selena’s inquisitive look. “She needs something to boost her self-esteem.”

“I see.” Selena looked to where Twilight had exited. “I would think she of all people would know success doesn’t come instantly. But, I’ll see what I can do.”

Sunset bowed her head. “Thanks.” She then pressed her index fingers together. “One more thing before you guys get to it.”

“What’s that?”

Sunset shifted from one foot to another and smiled sheepishly. “Can I go to the beach tomorrow?”

Selena groaned and facepalmed.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Post-Nuptials

Volume IV Opening

2. Carpe Diem

“I still can’t believe you didn’t sleep with her.”

Sunset rolled her eyes as she stuffed a towel into her knapsack. Shimmer laid across Sunset’s bed, arms folded behind her head and eyes toward the ceiling. Sunset had gotten exactly five seconds of peace yesterday before Shimmer barged into her room to hear all the details about the wedding. All of them. Sunset tried to leave ambiguous what had or hadn’t happened after the reception, but Shimmer refused to leave without a clear answer.

“What, do you need to preserve your virginity to use your magic?” Shimmer continued, a minx-like grin on her face.

Sunset dropped a bottle of sunscreen into her bag and pulled the strings, closing the top. “You seriously need to let this go, it’s getting creepy. What do you care if me and Twilight did it or not?”

Shimmer sat up and picked up Spot, currently trying to press his nose into the knapsack. “Because you’re technically me, and I’m too hot to still be a virgin. Just look at you.”

Turning to the mirror on the back of her bedroom door, Sunset took in her own visage. Shimmer had a point. With a tight black swim top emblazoned with a yellow and white version of her cutie mark, and a fiery skirt that showed off plenty of leg, Sunset was a force to be reckoned with. She looked back at Shimmer who wiggled her eyebrows.

“Strut down the beach and you’ll have every boy drooling after you. Hell, I’d steal that outfit and do it myself if I wasn’t keeping a low profile.”

Sunset picked her bag up and slung it over her shoulder. “Thanks for the confidence boost, but I don’t need your help. What happens between me and Twilight and when it happens is seriously none of yours or anyone else’s business.”

Shimmer flopped onto her back again. “You’re so boring.”

“I’m also about to leave. Get out of my room.”

With a raspberry, Shimmer rolled off the bed and carefully stepped around Sunset. She paused at the threshold and grinned over her shoulder. “You want money for booze?”

“Go!”

“Ugh, so boring.” She skulked back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Sunset pressed a hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe we’re counterparts.” She knelt by the bed and reached out to scratch Spot behind the ears. “But you love me more, don’t you?”

Spot eagerly licked her palm.

“Good boy!” She patted his head then turned to depart.

The sun sat just over the rooftops when Sunset stepped downstairs. Rainbow had been adamant about spending the whole day at the beach, and it was at least an hour's drive with good traffic. Sunset was surprised Rainbow was willing to wake up this early.

She was also surprised Selena allowed her to attend, albeit reluctantly. Sunset could still hear the cluck of her tongue and the exasperated mutter of, “Teenagers.”

Was it irresponsible? Probably. But, Rainbow had a point: Tempest would have a hard time attacking them again two days after the wedding. Plus, the beach wasn’t like the resort; it was a wide strip of public space. Sunset imagined Tempest would want to keep some discretion.

There was also the fact that Sunset had burned Tempest’s shoulder. If the mask Moondancer sported was any indication, Sunset had left a considerable mark, enough that she hoped Tempest would be hesitant in attacking again.

Even with all these factors, Selena had been slow to agree. She only yielded with the condition that Sunset had to report in every hour and be home by midnight, otherwise, she was grounded for the rest of summer. Sunset had never been grounded before and had no plans to start now.

Her banishment/self-imposed exile didn’t count.

Sunset walked into the kitchen, the smell of coffee wafting through the open room. On the counter next to the coffee machine was yesterday’s newspaper. It wasn’t the headline, but in the bottom corner of the front page, Sunset read:

Disaster Disrupts DJ’s Big Day!

Canterlot’s Goddess of Love and Fortune Mi Amore Cadenza aka Cadence had her wedding day interrupted by several mysterious circumstances. What at first appeared to be a case of cold feet soon revealed itself to actually be some sort of kidnapping attempt. A forest fire allegedly started by the same guilty party—

The article continued on a later page. Sunset made a mental note to finish reading it later. She was curious to see how much the media had dug up, though she doubted they knew anything about Tempest, Moondancer, or any of the magic.

Selena sat at the kitchen island. She switched between typing on her laptop and scribbling on a notepad, occasionally pausing to take a sip of coffee.

“One second past midnight and you’re not leaving this house until the leaves fall. I don’t care if you are an alien prodigy with magical superpowers—I’ll find a way to keep you here,” she said without looking over her shoulder. Her tone was serious, yet somehow, Sunset knew she was hiding a smile, as small as it probably was.

“You probably wouldn’t have to try very hard.” Sunset grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. “I’m off.”

Selena looked over her shoulder. “And bring me back a soft pretzel, please.”

Sunset gave her a thumbs up and departed. It was already a warm morning with wispy clouds stretching across the sky for brief moments before fading out of existence. To this day, Sunset couldn’t decide which was more fantastical: the fact that the weather controlled itself in this world, or that ponies controlled it in hers.

She stood in the front driveway, waiting for her ride to show up. She didn’t have to wait long. An old green microbus straight from the 1960s, complete with a peace symbol painted on its right side came rolling down the street. It shuddered to a stop in front of Sunset, and the tailpipe coughed up a thick smog cloud.

The door slid open, and Rainbow stuck her head out. “Get in, loser, we’re going surfing!” Like Sunset, she was already dressed in her beach attire: a black shirt with colorful streaks of lightning on the front, pink and black swim trunks, and a pink hat with a sun and clouds.

Sunset clambered inside, squeezing past Rainbow to join Twilight in the back row. Rarity twiddled her fingers at them from the row ahead. She, too, was already dressed for the beach, wearing a purple vest and a sky blue skirt with fake diamonds hanging off the hem.

The van smelled like fertilizer and cats, and the leather on the seats was scratched and stained. While the front windshield looked to be in good condition, the other windows seemed permanently grimy and reduced the outside world to a sepia blur.

Applejack sat in the driver’s seat while Fluttershy sat shotgun. “Welcome aboard, sugarcube!” Applejack said as she adjusted the overhead mirror.

“Is this your van, Applejack?” Sunset asked, fairly certain she had never seen it at the farm.

“It belongs to my parents actually,” Fluttershy said. “They usually keep it in storage unless they’re helping shuttle the residents at the retirement home.”

“But, since they’re done using it for the week, we decided to commandeer it for operation: Carpe Diem Beach Day!” Rainbow said loudly, dramatically pointing ahead.

“Putting ‘day’ at the end is redundant since diem means day,” Twilight said, exasperated. Her cheek rested in her hand and she had a dull look in her eyes.

“You okay?” Sunset asked, taking her seat.

Twilight sighed. “Yeah, sorry. I still just think this is a bad… bad… uhh….” She had lifted her head and turned to look at Sunset when her sentence died in her throat and her cheeks took on a crimson hue.

Rarity turned and looked at them, her lips curling into an impish smile. “Oh my, first the tuxedo, now a swimsuit. We might be overloading poor Twilight.”

In fairness, Twilight was also wearing what was, in Sunset’s opinion, a very cute one-piece bathing suit. The main body was indigo with two sets of pink dots running up the front. The bra area was striped white and blue and held in place by a ribbon and pink star. She also had on a light blue beach cap that really pulled the ensemble together.

Twilight cleared her throat and pulled the hat down over her eyes, like it could hide her creeping blush. “You look great, Sunnykins.”

“So do you, Sparky.”

“Alright, let’s pick up Pinkie and get this show on the road!” Applejack yelled, pulling onto the road. The van lurched and the engine sputtered before settling in. Sunset hoped this old car could take them to the beach and back in one piece. It would be a noisy ride at the very least. While not as loud as her motorcycle, the van could have been mistaken for a lawnmower the way it rumbled through the neighborhood.

Pinkie waited on the curb in front of her house, chugging a soda and frantically waving her hand as Applejack pulled up. She had a pink and white one-piece bathing suit with yellow bows running down the front. Beside her was a large red cooler.

“I’ve got snacks!” she sang as she hauled it into the van and squeezed herself between Rarity and Rainbow. “Who’s ready for the greatest beach party ever?”

Rainbow threw her fists into the air. “Carpe diem day!”

“Again, redundant!” Twilight called from the back.

They powered onto the highway, sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the shiny and sleek cars. Applejack seemed to be flooring it, but the old van barely kept up with traffic in the slow lane.

Rainbow groaned and pressed her head into the back of her seat. “We’re never gonna make it at this rate!”

“Have some patience, Dash,” Applejack said. “Ah’m sure the old gal just needs a second to warm up.”

“No, this is as fast as it goes,” Fluttershy said simply.

“Oh, oh! I know a song that will help time fly by!” Pinkie said.

Rainbow clenched her teeth. “I swear, if you start singing—”

“Ninety-nine bottles of pop on the wall! Ninety-nine bottles of—mmmph!”

Rainbow took her cap and shoved it over Pinkie’s face. “No! Stop!”

“We can try the radio,” Applejack suggested, fiddling with the dial.

“The radio’s a little broken,” Fluttershy said. “It only gets the gospel and country music stations.”

“Well, Ah’m fine with country—”

“Applejack, I will climb over these seats and rip the radio out,” Sunset said, threateningly calm.

Applejack’s hand dropped from the dial, and Sunset could see the annoyed pout on her face in the rearview mirror.

Rarity gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry, did we or did we not just play our own musical set at a wedding?

Pinkie broke free of Rainbow’s smothering and gasped with an infectious grin on her face. “‘Perfect Day for Fun’ on three! One, two, three!”

“Oh, aw aw oh, oh, oh, aw oh uh,

“Oh, aw aw oh, oh, oh!” the seven started, sitting up straight in their seats.

“Looking forward to some fun,

“Knowing all our friends will come,

“'Cause we're here to spend the day,

“Everybody come and play!”

Rainbow clapped her hands to keep the beat while they continued to sing.

“Let's all pick a meeting place,

“And we're gonna have to race,

“Everybody follow me,

“This is where we're gonna be!

Pinkie stretched her arms around Rainbow and Rarity’s shoulders and pulled them in, squishing her cheeks against theirs.

“With my best friends, though we're different,

“We feel like we still belong,

“And every day it makes our friendship strong!”

Sunset grinned and leaned against Twilight as they sang. Twilight leaned back, earnestly smiling for the first time all morning.

“Let's go find some games to win,

“Everybody's joining in,

“'Cause we're having such a blast!

“No one ever comes in last!”

Sunset felt a familiar, warm tingle run through her, manifesting as her pony ears popped up on her head. One by one, the rest of her friends lit up and their pony features burst to life. Sunset saw Twilight’s smile falter, even as she continued to sing with the group.

“Doesn't matter win or lose,

“When we always are amused,

“My friends stand out in a crowd,

“Having fun and laughing loud!

“With my best friends, we can depend

“They will always follow through,

“It's a perfect day for fun when I spend it with you!”

Pinkie let out a squeal of laughter. “Are we the best band ever or what?”

Rainbow leaned back in her seat, relaxing her hands behind her head. “That was so much better than that stupid soda song.”

“We can still sing that one, too!” Pinkie offered.

“Don’t you dare.”

As the girls settled down, Twilight slouched to the side and cast her gaze out the dirty window. They passed by rolling hills dotted with leafy trees.

“You okay?” Sunset asked.

“Mm-hmm.” Twilight didn’t look at her.

Sunset lifted a hand to Twilight’s shoulder. “Sparky—” Her fingers made contact against Twilight’s skin, and a familiar arc of heat raced up her arm and into her chest, hitting her soul. The line connecting her to Twilight drew taught, and Sunset inhaled deeply as her vision changed.

She was on her elbows, staring up at the glowing runes on the medallion held before her. Her entire body trembled, no longer feeling the pain from her impact against the tree. Just a numbing cold that spread from her soul. In her mind's eye, she could see all her faults being laid bare, all of her failures and shortcomings.

Magic. All of her new friends had it. Moondancer had secretly had it for a while. How did she end up surrounded by so many extraordinary people? Where did she fit in in a world no longer governed by the laws and theories she had come to rely on?

“Aw, are you feeling a little inadequate, Twilight?” a smug voice asked somewhere in the distance.

“N-no… I…”

Sunset ripped her hand away, breathing hard. It was Twilight’s memory, but the creeping chill of the Soul Lock resonated with Sunset’s soul, dredging up her own memories of when she had been subjected to it. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She shook herself off and focused on the warmth her aura of magic provided.

“Did you… read my soul again?”

Twilight had a familiar look of betrayal in her eyes. She moved a hand to where Sunset had touched her.

“I’m so sorry! I forget that happens when I pony up!” Sunset said earnestly. “I don’t know how to not do that!”

Twilight huffed and turned toward the window again. “This is why you all need training,” she muttered. After a beat she asked, “What did you see?”

“What happened between you and Tempest before I showed up.” It wasn’t what Sunset saw that concerned her though—it was what she felt. Inferiority, longing, exclusion from her friends. Tempest had brought all of that to Twilight’s surface and Sunset felt it lingering, reawakened again by everyone’s impromptu pony up.

Sunset wanted to say something, but the mood already sat heavy. Today was supposed to be a day of fun and relaxation and she had already muddled it.

A pink hand holding a cupcake entered Sunset’s peripheral. Pinkie held out the chocolate frosted pastry to Twilight, a gentle smile on her lips.

Twilight’s dour expression softened and she took the cupcake into her hands. “Thank you, Pinkie. I’m sorry I’m being a buzzkill.”

“You’re not,” Sunset said automatically. “It’s my fault I intruded again.” Her pony ears receded in a flash. She reached out for Twilight’s shoulder, but stopped halfway and returned her hands to her lap.

“All right,” Rainbow said, thumping her fist against the top of her seat, “no more sad faces and no more relationship drama! From here on out, only awesomeness!”

Twilight forced a small smile before nibbling on her cupcake. After a few bites, her smile became genuine.

The rest of the girls powered down and lapsed into light conversations as the van chugged along the highway. Rolling yellow hills dotted with tall, leafy trees surrounded them on both sides. Being late Monday morning, traffic was good leaving the city, though they were occasionally honked at by faster cars trying to get around them in the carpool lane.

Sunset listened in on her friends’ idle chatter, fidgeting her hands and stealing glances at Twilight, also choosing to listen instead of engaging. She didn’t look upset anymore, but Sunset felt a wall between them.

She glanced at her hand, lips pressed tight. Why is my magical ability the ultimate invasion of privacy? It was heavily ironic given the amount of harm Sunset could have done with it pre-reformation.

The hills around them rose higher and the smatter of trees turned into a dense canopy. The road twisted around the emerald slopes and reminded Sunset of the path to the resort.

After one more wide turn, the world opened up to them, presenting an endless horizon of blue water glittering under the afternoon sun. A strip of porcelain colored sand separated the land and sea and was already occupied by clusters of teenagers. The hills bordering the beach evolved into rocky cliffs coated in foliage, thick tree roots jutting out between the rocks.

The van passed by the road sign welcoming them to Horseshoe Beach. South of the road was a small cluster of houses and short buildings complete with a boardwalk. A Ferris wheel rose high above the squat, colorful collection.

Sunset remembered when she had flown out here with Twilight on her newly acquired phoenix wings. Under the cover of darkness, they had soared up and down the coast and danced just above the lapping waves.

Evidently, Twilight remembered too, for she slid her hand across the scratched leather seating and cupped it over Sunset's. She kept her gaze averted still, but Sunset felt a hole had been made in the wall.

Applejack found a parking space near the town, and the girls unloaded their beach equipment. The shore stretched out on either side of them, dotted with teenagers and lifeguard shacks. Frisbees flew, dogs chased off flocks of seagulls, and volleyball nets had been erected, yet there were still large swathes of open sand.

Surfboard in hand, Rainbow sprinted to the nearest open firepit and planted the butt of her board into the sand. “Perfect! And look at those waves!”

Rolling cerulean waves rose off the coast and glittered in the sun. Sunset could see surfers weaving across the rising tides and catching air off the waves’ crests.

Rarity opened up her beach umbrella and set it into the sand. “Look at those boys,” she said with a purr, eyeing a group of guys playing volleyball without their shirts on.

“Aren’t you and Flash still datin’?” Applejack asked.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the view.”

“Speaking of views…” Twilight set down her duffle bag and pulled out a familiar piece of technology. Boasting a sleek silver shell instead of having its wires exposed, Twilight’s selfie-drone gleamed in the sun.

“Ooh, what is it?” Pinkie asked, pressing her face against it.

“My own personal invention,” Twilight said proudly. “A drone optimized to take the perfect selfie at the perfect moment. Behold, the Selfie Sensor! Name in progress, patent-pending!”

She set it on her towel, then pulled out what looked like a digital watch and strapped it to her wrist. She tapped a button, and a blue light on the selfie-drone blinked before its four propellers and central fan began to spin. It achieved lift-off and hovered between Twilight and Pinkie.

“Initial takeoff complete!” Twilight clicked another button on her watch, and her drone responded with a happy beep. She struck a pose as it turned its camera toward her and snapped a picture.

“Ack!”

“Agh!”

All of the girls covered their eyes, spots dancing over their vision. Sunset rubbed and blinked, eyes watering. “What the heck was that?”

Twilight gingerly groped the air in front of her until she got her hands around the drone. “Something must be overcharging the flash. I’m surprised it didn’t short circuit everything.”

“I’m surprised I’m not blind!” Rainbow said, still rubbing her eyes.

Twilight sat down on her towel and pulled a screwdriver from her bag. “It just needs a minor adjustment. I’ll have it working in a sec.”

Rainbow gave one head last shake. “You have fun with that. I’m gonna go catch some waves!” She grabbed her surfboard and sprinted toward the ocean.

Rarity put a dab of sunscreen on her nose, then put on a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat. “I’m just going to enjoy the view for a little while,” she said coyly, settling into a beach chair that was angled toward the volleyball players.

“Sandcastles!” Pinkie yelled. She finished downing another soda and took off to the surf with a pail and shovel in hand.

Applejack sighed. “Guess I’ll go with her. Make sure she doesn’t bulldoze anyone.”

Fluttershy held up snorkeling gear. “I’m going to go do a little diving.”

Sunset watched her friends go their separate ways before looking down at Twilight. “You need any help?”

“No thanks. This should be simple enough.” Twilight popped a panel open and pushed a wire over before poking a finger inside. There was a crackle of electricity, and Twilight yelped and snapped her finger free.

“Raggle fraggle, dumb wiring!” she muttered harshly, pressing her finger against her lips.

“We gotta work on your big girl words,” Sunset said. She picked up the spare surfboard Rainbow had brought along. “Guess I’ll go see if Dash has enough patience to teach me how to surf.”

“Have fun,” Twilight said, shaking her hand out before fiddling with her drone again.

*******

Moondancer’s fingers danced across the ivory keys in a slow, somber waltz, reflective of the piece in front of her. Eyes closed, she gave her hands free rein of the piano, and from years of diligent training, they performed perfectly, following the path of notes her mind had committed to memory.

From the open grand piano, dulcet, melancholic notes rose into the air and filled the music room. They bounced off the oak furnished walls and hit Moondancer, drawing her lips into a perpetual frown. She had tried to play something more uplifting, more upbeat. She could not find the energy to move her hands to a fitting pace required for such songs. As perfect as they were, they only wanted to waltz today, not tango.

She supposed it was enough just to be playing; she hadn’t touched her instrument in a month. Coming in to play again, she remembered why. The melancholy she invoked was becoming too much.

Still, she did her diligence as a musician and finished out the piece before letting her fingers rest. The melody continued to drift through her ears, soft and faint… and… off-key?

Moondancer opened her eyes. That wasn’t her mind playing echos against her ears. She tilted her head toward the door. Somewhere beyond it, soft music, albeit poorly played, drifted through the house. Moondancer scrunched her nose and winced at the prickle her scars gave her.

She flipped the page of her scorebook, glanced at the piece, and began playing, drowning out the other piano. It was another slow piece, but Moondancer increased the speed, trying to drown out the other piano. Still, in between her notes, she could hear the uncertain keys brushing against the door. When she finished her song, the uneven notes of the other player tumbled against her ears.

“For goodness sake,” she said under her breath. Moondancer stood up and slammed the lid of the piano keys shut. She wrenched open the door and stepped into the hallway, the piano notes rising in volume. She followed it up the stairs and down the west wing to a room opposite of her father’s study. The door was open, and Night Shade sat in front of a black piano, not quite as large as the grand one in the music room, but loud enough to fill the whole house with its warble.

Moondancer stood at the threshold with her arms folded, waiting for her father to stop tapping the keys with uncertainty, his lips pursed in concentration.

“Whatever you’re playing, it sounds terrible,” she said flatly.

He hung his head and sighed. “I know. It’s been a while since I played. And I was always better with the guitar.” Both he and Moondancer glanced over to the acoustic guitar framed on the wall, a relic from her father’s youth.

“What exactly were you trying to do?”

Night Shade tapped out a few more notes. “I was trying to remember the first song I taught you, see if I could go off my memory.”

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. “What, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’? It shouldn’t be that hard to play.”

He rolled his eyes. “I meant after you had learned the basics.”

Moondancer tilted her head back in thought. She had learned a hundred different songs and movements since first taking up the piano. She played back the melody her father had attempted and tried to correct it. “‘Prelude in C Major’ by Bach?”

Night snapped his fingers. “That was it!” He repositioned his hands and tried playing again. It better resembled the original song, but several of the notes were still off and he played at infrequent speeds.

Moondancer winced at every off-key. “Is this your way of expressing your midlife crisis? Trying to recapture your vigor of youth by butchering innocent instruments?”

Night slowed, repeating a string of notes in his attempt to get them all correct. “I admit, I’m a tad rusty.”

“Just a tad?”

“Everyone has to start from somewhere, Moondancer. I remember a little girl who banged on the keys and thought it was the greatest sound.”

“Ah yes, compare yourself to a toddler. How humbling of you.” She clenched her jaw at another errant chord. “Perhaps this is why your parents didn’t let you join a band.”

Night Shade turned his nose up. “I was quite good back in the day. I taught you the fundamentals, didn’t I? Mother and Father just didn’t believe a musician was a ‘respectable career unless you’re in the symphony.’”

You also handed me off to a tutor as you did with everything else. Moondancer didn’t have the energy to vocalize her thoughts. She turned to leave just as Night neared the song’s crescendo, though it sounded less like a rising swell and more like a cacophony of keys falling over each other.

“Stop! Stop!” she cried, whirling on her heel and marching toward the piano. “If you insist on playing music, the least you can do is play it right! Move over!”

Looking taken aback, Night shuffled to make room for Moondancer on the bench. She shook her hands out and hovered them over the keys.

“First of all, you’re playing the wrong keys. It’s C, E, G, C, E to start. You had your fingers in the wrong place and ruined the whole melody.” Moondancer tapped the keys at an even pace and repeated the first bar a few times. “See?”

As she moved her hands back, Night leaned over and copied her movements, producing a more recognizable tune.

“Better. Now, just move a finger to play D instead of E. Just like that.”

Night smiled. “Look at how far you’ve come since I taught you.”

“No,” Moondancer said strictly. “Don’t turn this into a moment. I’m only doing this so no one has to put up with your racket.”

He deflated a little but said, “Either way, it’s nice to spend a little time with you.”

“If you continue to speak, I will walk out of this room. I’d rather listen to your poor playing.”

“Harsh but fair, I suppose.”

Moondancer continued to instruct her father, showing how to position his hands and at what speed to play. Despite being only inches away from the man she detested, she didn’t hate the experience. In fact, teaching someone else how to play the piano was enjoyable. Her reprimands were gentle and she gave a word of praise when her father did well.

After an hour of instruction, Night could play Prelude in a semi-decent fashion in Moondancer’s opinion. It was much easier on her ears at any rate.

She stood and dusted her hands off. “Well, all that’s left is for you to practice until it just comes naturally.”

“Thank you, Moondancer.” He nervously cleared his throat. “Perhaps you could teach me another song tomorrow?”

Moondancer strode toward the door. She paused at the threshold and nibbled the inside of her cheek. “Do not count on it.” She flicked her hand and walked out.

*******

Sunset slowly raised her head from the ocean, eyes lidded in frustration. The cord tying her ankle to her surfboard tugged, showing her board was trying to drift away. She quickly grabbed it and threw her body across it.

Rainbow paddled toward her with a grin that managed to look both smug and apologetic. “Hey, you managed to hang on for a little while that time.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Sunset said flatly. She climbed up and straddled her surfboard. She knew learning to surf wouldn’t be easy, but she had still underestimated how hard it would be. Surfing wasn’t quite like snowboarding. Even if Sunset had only done it once, it was enough for her muscle memory to kick in every time she got on her board. She wasn’t sure yet what the difference was between the two sports, but whatever it was, it had her in the surf.

“What? It was a compliment.” By the rouge grin on Rainbow’s face, Sunset thought it was less a compliment and more a payback for her comments on Rainbow’s snowboarding skills way back when.

Sunset grunted and paddled out to sea. She turned and faced the shoreline, watching the other beachgoers while she waited. Pinkie and Applejack had made good progress on their sandcastle; the outer wall and turrets were finished, rising up to Pinkie’s neck. Twilight was posing in front of her drone again, and Rarity had a sketchbook out. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

The waves bobbed harder beneath Sunset and the swell started pulling her back. Rainbow shouted beside her, “Ooh, I think this is a big one!”

Sunset leaned forward on her board and started paddling as the wave carried her up. Momentum gathered, Sunset shakily moved into a standing position, keeping her legs bent as she tried to find her center of gravity. Her board wobbled beneath her and her legs shook. She threw her arms out to the side to keep her balance.

The wave carried her until she was just under its crest, water raining upon her head. Most of her previous attempts had seen her wipeout here. Rainbow let out a whoop of delight beside her, then ripped down the wave, carving back and forth and spraying Sunset’s face with salt water.

Sunset wiped some off, then flailed her arms again to maintain her balance. She gently leaned forward, willing her board down the wave. Her stomach dropped like she was riding a rollercoaster, and she let out a thrilled scream. She leaned to the left and tried to move her heel to turn her board. Instead, her foot slipped off the back, and the next thing Sunset knew, her face was toward the sky, watching the sun disappear behind a veil of water. She closed her eyes and pushed herself back to the surface, but a torrent of water punched her deeper under. Her ears nearly popped from the pressure and a stream of water found its way up her nose.

She breached the surface with a mighty gasp and spluttered out a lungful of water. Her board drifted by and she latched onto it.

Rainbow paddled up, real concern on her face. “You okay?”

Sunset coughed one more time. “Yeah. Just getting my recommended salt intake.”

“You hung on pretty well that time. Next time, don’t move your foot. Just turn.”

“Easier said than done.” Sunset climbed onto her surfboard and wrung some excess water from her hair. She only managed two squeezes when the water grew excited and a new wave rose. She and Rainbow turned their boards toward the shore and paddled, matching the current’s speed.

The wave carried Sunset up again, and she jumped to her feet, steadying herself and making sure she had firm foot placement. She pushed her board forward and cut down the cascade of water, Rainbow shouting out a compliment somewhere off to the side. Sunset leaned to the left again, keeping her heel stationary this time. Her board responded, and she banked left as the wave completely crested over her, wrapping her in a cerulean funnel.

Sunset looked up in awe as she surfed through the swirling tube. The ocean roared all around her, cheering at her first successful wave. Sunset could see open water at the other end of the tube and the contrast between the softer turquoise waves, and the darker teals layered over her head.

“Wow,” was all she managed to say before everything crashed down on her.

Spinning head over heel over and over again, Sunset lost all sense of direction. The waves battered her around like a piece of flotsam. Disoriented and desperate for breath, Sunset involuntarily gasped for air, receiving only another lungful of seawater. Her chest burned and her eyes stung and her arms thrashed.

Finally, the churning stopped, and though Sunset could hardly tell where she was, her surfboard leash pulled her ankle and guided her back to the surface. Sunset pushed through, spitting up water before taking in air. She latched onto her board and rested her head against it, switching between taking deep breaths and expelling more water.

A hand patted her back, helping her empty her lungs. “You caught your first wave and had your first wipeout. I think you’re good for the day.”

Sunset spat into the ocean. “Yeah, I’ve had enough,” she croaked. She could also feel bruises forming from all the times she had crashed against the water. Tomorrow would be a great day to lay in bed.

Rainbow helped her back to shore, practically carrying Sunset across the beach. As they approached their camp, Twilight finally looked up from her tinkering and let out a strangled gasp.

“Sunset, are you okay? Did someone hurt you? Was it Tempest?”

Click!

“No, don’t take a picture of her like that! Bad drone!”

Sunset untied herself from her board and collapsed onto her towel. “The only thing that attacked me was a wave, Sparky.”

“I saw you ride into that funnel,” Rarity said. “You looked like a natural… until you crashed at least. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Humans are usually seventy percent water. I’m now ninety-five,” Sunset grumbled. “Other than that, I’m good.” She angled her head just enough to see Twilight grab her drone around the middle. The camera flashed again, aimed at Rainbow setting down her board.

“You fixed the flash,” Sunset observed.

“Yes, but now, the sensory apparatus apparently needs to be recalibrated. It’s taking awful pictures!” Twilight wrestled the drone to the ground and switched it off. When the propellers stopped rotating, she retrieved her screwdriver and popped open a panel.

Rainbow opened the cooler Pinkie had brought and pulled out a soda. “Are you gonna be working on that all day?”

“No,” Twilight said defensively. “I’ll be done as soon as it’s recalibrated.”

Sunset sat up and tilted her head to the side, feeling a trickle of water drip from her ear. “You sure you don’t want any help, babe?”

“Nope, I got this.” Twilight pressed her tongue between her lips as she tweaked the drone’s innards.

Pinkie and Applejack returned, covered in sand and mud, yet with triumphant smiles on their faces. “My kingdom of sand is complete!” Pinkie said, planting her shovel in the sand like a flag.

Sunset looked down the beach. Indeed, in the hour Sunset had been surfing, Pinkie had built a castle, a moat, and several sand buildings. They were currently under attack by a lone seagull.

“Leave my people alone, foul demon!” Pinkie shouted, running back to her kingdom.

“Ah’m gonna grab mah phone and snap a picture before it gets destroyed,” Applejack said, reaching for her bag.

“No need!” Twilight slapped the open panel on her selfie-drone closed and jumped to her feet. “Gyro Selfie-Sensor version 1.1 is complete! It’ll take the picture for us!”

She pressed a button on her watch, and the drone whirred back to life. It hovered in front of Twilight who stuck her fingers out in a victory pose and snapped a photo. Twilight quickly grabbed the drone and examined the screen on the back.

“Yes!” she jumped and spun around. “It’s working perfectly!”

Sunset patted her on the head. “Good job, Sparky.”

“Yeah, cool stuff,” Rainbow said a bit flippantly, “let’s go take the picture before it does something else crazy.”

Twilight hugged her invention as best as she could and stuck her tongue out.

“Should someone go try and find Fluttershy first?” Rarity asked.

“No need.” Sunset pointed down the beach. Seaweed in her hair and a starfish stuck to her shoulder, Fluttershy waddled down the beach, still wearing her scuba flippers.

She joined them in front of Pinkie’s sandcastle. It looked more like a palace really, with domed roofs and a central tower as tall as Sunset. Pinkie had even drawn windows and doors onto it.

“My my, Pinkie, you’ve really outdone yourself with this,” Rarity said, marveling at the wave patterns etched into the main structure.

Pinkie bowed. “I probably could have done more, but high tide is coming in soon and that seagull doesn’t know when to back off!”

The seagull squawked as it circled overhead.

“Come down here and say that to my face!”

“All right, picture first, then Pinkie can have her deathmatch with a bird,” Applejack said. Everyone gathered on either side of the sand palace and posed, Sunset and Twilight hanging on to each other. Twilight tapped her watch and the drone floated in front of them.

“Say cheese!” Twilight said.

“Cheese!”

The drone took the picture with a soft click and flash. It hovered in place… then flew down the beach at surprising speeds.

“Wait!” Twilight sprinted after it. “Stop! Bad drone!”

Sunset facepalmed. “Good grief.”

“Where’s it going?” Fluttershy asked.

The drone flew up to a group of surfers coming back from the water. It came up to their faces, took a picture, then flew off again, narrowly evading Twilight’s wild grab.

“Come back here!” She mashed her finger against her watch, but the drone ignored whatever command she was issuing. It flew up to random people, took a picture, then sped off to the next closest target. Twilight finally managed to get her hands around it before it could enter a volleyball court. It struggled in her grasp, dragging her forward before she hit the off button.

“Told you it would do something crazy again,” Rainbow said.

Sunset punched her shoulder before jogging over to Twilight. “Everything okay?”

Twilight stood hunched over, her drone tucked under one arm and a hand on her knee. “Aside from needing to tweak this dumb thing again and looking like some crazy beach stalker,” she said between breaths, “I’m fine.”

“Sparky, you’ve been tinkering with that thing all day. How about you take a break?”

“But I’m so close! If I can just rewire the—”

Sunset took her free hand and gave it a squeeze. “Genius scientists need to have a break. Remember why we came here in the first place?”

“To goof off?”

“To have fun!” Rainbow shouted behind them.

Twilight straightened up and looked at her drone. The sensor light blinked a blue light back at her. She sighed. “Maybe you’re right. A little break can’t hurt.”

“Yeah. We’ll grab a snack, sit down, and—”

“Volleyball!” Pinkie yelled, running past them with a white ball nestled on top of her hair.

Sunset shrugged. “Or we could play volleyball for a while.”

Twilight scrunched her nose. “You know I’m not good at physical sports.”

“Twilight, you fence. Fencing is a sport.”

“Fair point.”

Pinkie slid into one of the volleyball courts just as the previous party was leaving. She snatched the ball out of her hair and held it high above her head. “All right! Who’s ready for the butt-whooping of their lives! Beach Queen Pinkie Pie is taking all challengers, but there will be no survivors!”

Rainbow punched a fist into her palm. “Get ready to get dethroned, beach queen!”

“Dash, don’t encourage her,” Applejack said. “She’s already hyped up on sugar.”

“I’m hyped up on life!”

The teams were divided three on four: Sunset, Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy versus Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack. Rainbow stretched out, rolling her shoulders before shooting her team a confident grin.

“Don’t worry, we got this in the bag. I took the volleyball team to the finals junior and senior year.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dash, we know of all your famous sports exploits. Just try not to hog the ball.”

“When I’m through, you’ll never want to see a volleyball again!” Pinkie shouted from the other side of the net. She wildly danced back and forth on her heels.

“Wow, she’s really bringing the smack talk,” Fluttershy said.

"Time to make her eat those words!” Rainbow yelled. “Serve it, Pinkie! Show me your worst!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Even with seven girls playing, the testosterone level is still high.”

Pinkie served the ball, sending it high into the air. Sunset put her hands together and stuck her wrists out. She had never played volleyball before, but she had observed the team enough to get an understanding of basic form. The ball fell toward her, and Sunset bumped it back over the net.

Applejack returned it with a solid hit and it came back toward Fluttershy in the back corner. She gave it a gentle bap, passing it to Twilight who floundered but managed to keep it airborne. Rainbow took over and sent it back across the net where Rarity was waiting to return it. As the ball came back up, Rainbow jumped and slapped the ball into the sand, tossing up a cloud of dirt.

“One, zip!” she cheered, throwing her arms up.

Pinkie scooped the ball up. “The enemy has struck the first blow! Prepare to return fire!” She delivered a powerful serve to the backfield, where Fluttershy threw her hands out to avoid getting hit in the face. The ball clumsily bounced out of her hands, and Rainbow tried to save it but hit it into the net instead.

“Haha!” Pinkie threw her arms up. “Score one for the beach queen!”

Rainbow grabbed the ball and squeezed it in between her hands. “Oh, it’s on!”

What started as a friendly game slowly descended into a deathmatch between Rainbow and Pinkie, with the rest of the girls just doing their best to provide support. Sunset made some spectacular dives, and Fluttershy and Twilight helped keep the ball in the air, but it was Rainbow who returned it and made the scores. Pinkie’s team kept an even pace, with Applejack running between the front and back positions and Rarity proving to be no slouch in the athletics department.

The score was ten to nine in Rainbow’s favor. Applejack served the ball, aiming for the center of the court. Sunset backed up to catch, but Rainbow beat her, sliding back and kicking up a cloud of sand as she got underneath it and served it back.

Twilight coughed and took her glasses off. “Rainbow, be careful!” She pressed her hand against her eye to scrape the sand away.

Rarity tapped the ball up with her wrists and set Pinkie up for a spike. With a maniacal grin, Pinkie leaped into the air and slammed the ball back over the net with a loud thwap!

Sunset had one second to track its trajectory. She turned her head as the ball flew past her and opened her mouth, but it was too late.

Wham!

Twilight laid sprawled out in the sand, glasses in one hand, the other covering her right eye. Her hat had been knocked off and now rested next to the volleyball some feet away.

Sunset was by her side in a heartbeat. “Twi, are you okay?”

Twilight let out a slow and drawn out, “Owww.”

Pinkie ran over, hands pressed against her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Rainbow sprinted to the cooler, grabbed a soda, and sprinted back, handing it off to Sunset. She gently sat Twilight up and pressed the cold can against her eye.

“I hate sports,” Twilight said, disgruntled.

“I’m super duper mega sorry!” Pinkie cried.

Twilight took hold of the soda and got to her feet. “It’s fine. I’m just gonna go sit down for a little bit.” She trudged back to their camp.

Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. “I think we can just call this a tie.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah. It’s not fun anymore if someone gets hurt.”

Sunset retrieved Twilight’s hat and dusted the sand off. She carried it over to Twilight who had seated herself down in front of her Selfie-Sensor again and was reaching for her screwdriver. Sunset knelt next to her and held out the hat.

Twilight looked at it with her good eye. “Thanks.” She put down her soda to take the hat, showing off the bright red mark the volleyball had left on her face.

“Does it hurt?”

“It stings. And my face feels swollen.” Twilight sat her hat atop her head and picked up the soda again. “It’s fine. You girls go back to the game.”

Sunset shook her head. “Nah, game’s over. Besides, no one needs to hear any more of Pinkie’s smack talk.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Twilight kept her head down, unscrewing a panel of her drone and poking her screwdriver inside again.

“You’re not seriously going to work on that thing again, are you?”

“What else am I going to do?” Twilight asked with an edge of agitation. “I already got hit by a ball; I don’t feel like drowning in the ocean.”

“Well, you shouldn’t stay here working on something you can fix at home.” Sunset stood up and held her hand down. “Come on, let’s just walk around and enjoy the scenery.”

Twilight looked up at her, squinting her good eye. “You want me to walk around like this.”

“Please, Twilight, there are people with beer bellies and bad sunburns already bumming around. No one’s gonna care.”

She looked down at her drone, sighed, and closed the panel. “All right. A little walk can’t hurt. Just let me grab my bag.” She put her drink down and tenderly rubbed her eye before standing up and grabbing her duffle bag.

Sunset heard something metallic clink as Twilight tossed it over her shoulder. “Twilight… is your sword in that bag?”

Twilight pulled the bag a little tighter. “I wanted to be prepared, just in case.”

“Leave the bag.”

“But—”

“Leave. The. Bag,” Sunset said pointing from the bag to the ground.

Twilight harrumphed but did as she was told. Sunset took her by the arm and led her away from the fire pit. “We’re going for a walk!” she called to the others.

The sun was halfway through its slow descent, drawing out the first orange hues of the coming evening. Even in its decline, the sun delivered a summer heat upon the world, countered by the cool breeze of the ocean.

Sunset led Twilight toward the town and boardwalk, passing other couples and kids rushing down to the water with inner tubes around their waists. Twilight occasionally rubbed her bruised eye, and Sunset would kiss it whenever she finished.

Twilight sighed wistfully after the latest kiss. “Now would be a perfect time for a picture.”

“You’ll get it to work soon, Sparky. Besides, you still got a few good pictures out of it.”

“I know. I just wanted it to work perfectly.”

“Nothing ever works perfectly the first time. Do you know how many spells blew up in my face before I mastered them?”

Twilight made a small, throaty giggle before looking solemn again. “I know. I’m not usually this impatient with things.”

They took a ramp off the beach and stepped onto the sidewalk. Tourist shops lined the streets, offering postcards, sunglasses, and swimwear. Twilight and Sunset popped into one of the small boutiques to try on hats and sunglasses and pose in front of the mirror. Sunset was tempted to buy a pair of sharp angular shades until she saw the price tag.

Instead, she spent her money on ice cream cones, strawberry for her and mint chocolate chip for Twilight. They slurped them while standing in line for the Ferris wheel. It stood on the lip of concrete bordering the sand. They watched the open carriages make two full rotations before the riders were let off one carriage at a time.

Sunset and Twilight stepped up into their booth and strapped themselves in. The wheel shuddered as it lifted them up one space so the next carriage could be filled. When all the spaces had been filled, the wheel began to rotate in earnest. It was a slow ascent but gave a fantastic, panoramic view of the horizon. The ocean stretched out like an endless sapphire blanket.

With an appreciative sigh, Sunset leaned against Twilight. “This is nice.”

Twilight leaned back. “Yeah, it is.”

The horizon shrank as their carriage descended and they drifted just above the ground before rising back up for a second loop. It was near the apex of their ascent when the wheel came to a forceful halt, sending their carriage swinging back and forth.

Twilight latched onto Sunset’s arm until the swinging stopped. “What happened?”

Sunset looked over the edge, seeing other passengers doing the same. A voice echoed out from a megaphone somewhere on the ground. “We’re experiencing technical difficulties with the Ferris wheel. We assure you you’re all perfectly safe and we’ll have you down momentarily. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Twilight made a growl in the back of her throat and slumped in her seat, crossing her arms.

“Relax, Twi, we’ll be down soon,” Sunset said. She looked over the side again. “Ironically enough, if we were down there, we could probably fix it in a heartbeat.”

“I guess it’s just good to know I’m not the only one having problems with technology today,” she said with a bitter eye roll.

Sunset looked back at her. “You okay?”

Twilight uncrossed her arms and curled her fingers. “I’m just frustrated. This is another unfortunate incident in a day filled with unfortunate incidents on a trip I thought was a bad idea in the first place!”

Sunset turned her whole body toward Twilight. “Sparky, if I had everything go according to my old plan, I’d be lounging on a throne being hoof-fed strawberries. Instead, I’m stuck with my girlfriend on top of a Ferris wheel in a foreign world. Do you know what I call that?”

“You better not say ‘carpe diem.”

“Making the most of a bad situation.” Sunset scooted closer but left a small gap between them. “I know you didn’t like the idea of coming to the beach, but the point of it was to have fun. To forget we have a bigger problem to worry about and just be teenagers because it might be the last chance we get. Instead, you brought your sword with you and have been fussing over a science project the entire time.”

Twilight tried to pull her hat over her face, cheeks turning red.

Sunset lifted a hand toward her. “I’m not saying that to scold you. I’m just saying, today may not have gone the way you wanted, but you can still make the best of it. You’ll have plenty of time to work on your projects when summer’s over and… you know… you leave,” Sunset said, her voice fading.

Twilight lifted her hat up and looked at Sunset like she was seeing her for the first time that day. “Oh.” She cupped a hand to her face and closed her eyes. “I can’t believe I didn’t think… I’m sorry, Sunset.”

“Hey, you don’t need to apologize.” Sunset rested her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I just want you to remember it’s okay to have fun, even during times like this.”

“I know. I was trying with the Selfie-Sensor, but then it started malfunctioning and I guess I got hyper-focused. And I have this constant nagging that something’s going to go wrong.” She made a vague gesture. “And I guess it has.”

Sunset smiled and shrugged. “It could be worse.”

Twilight smiled in return and snuggled up closer to Sunset. “Yeah. It could be worse.” She kissed Sunset on the nose. “I’ll try to be a little more flexible this summer.”

“Glad to hear it.” Sunset wrapped an arm around Twilight and looked out over the ocean again, watching the first stars appear in the dusky sky.

*******

Only a pink blush remained in the sky when Sunset and Twilight got off the Ferris wheel and made it back to their beach camp. The bonfire pit had been filled, and Applejack was trying to get it lit.

“There you two are,” Rarity said, marching up to them with her hands on her hips. “We were starting to get worried about you.”

Rainbow walked over with an armful of smores sticks, a familiar raunchy grin on her face. “Did you two sneak off to—”

“We got stuck on the Ferris wheel,” Sunset said pointedly. She snatched two sticks from Rainbow and handed one to Twilight.

“I’m glad you’re both all right,” Fluttershy said, opening the marshmallow bag.

“It was actually kind of nice,” Twilight said.

Applejack stepped back as orange flames flickered in between the piles of wood. “How’s your eye, sugarcube?”

Twilight lifted her hand to her face. “A little swollen, but it’s fine.”

Pinkie ran over and smothered Twilight in a hug. “I’m super, super sorry again!”

“It’s okay, Pinkie,” Twilight said with a smile. “I told you, I’m fine.”

Up and down the shore, bonfires ignited and filled the air with the smokey scent of burning wood. The Spectacular Seven sat in a half-circle around their pit, a blanket with a spread of graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, and peanut butter in front of them.

Sunset speared a marshmallow on her stick and held it over the fire. She looked wistfully at the dancing embers. “I used to do this with Princess Celestia back in my world. We would sit in her room and roast s'mores in her fireplace. We could have asked the castle staff to just make some for us, but she always said they tasted better when you make them yourself.”

“She’s right!” Pinkie pulled her marshmallow from the fire and blew it out. It was a perfect golden brown. “Summer s’mores are the best friendship food!”

“And the best way to end an awesome day!” Rainbow cheered. She grinned at Twilight. “And you thought Tempest was going to attack us.”

Twilight stared straight ahead at her toasting marshmallow. “I admit, I was a little paranoid. However, I believe a little paranoia is justified given what we’ve already gone through this year.” She side-eyed Rainbow. “But, I’m glad we got to have fun today.”

Fluttershy held her stick with both hands and looked at her lap. “Do you think we’ll get to do this again?”

Rainbow waved a dismissive hand. “Of course we will. We can’t be training all the time, right? We’ll still find time to roast s’mores and stuff, even if it’s just in the backyard.”

“No, I mean… when we all go to college and start working.” Fluttershy’s eyes started to water. “Do you think we’ll ever just get to be together again when we’re all going in different directions?”

For a few seconds, only distant laughter and the snap of the fire could be heard. Fluttershy wiped her eyes and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“No, it’s all right, sweetheart,” Rarity said. “It’s hard not to think about it sometimes. I know there was a time where none of us really spoke to one another, but it feels like we’ve been friends forever. It’s hard to believe once summer’s over, we’ll all be heading our separate ways.”

“But that’s not gonna stop us from being friends,” Rainbow said, her eyes reflecting the fire. “Or hanging out!”

Applejack nodded. “It might be fewer and far between, but we’ll make time for each other.”

“Absolutely,” Rarity said. “Things will change, we can’t kid ourselves about that. Life is going to get in the way sometimes and we may not get to spend as much time as we’d like with each other. But that doesn’t take away from our friendship. I know I’ll be thinking of you girls every day.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie jumped to her feet and pointed her stick at each of them. “And you can bet I’m gonna be there to celebrate every big accomplishment you guys get! Rarity opening her stores, Dashie going to the Olympics, Twilight getting a Nobel Peace Prize!”

Twilight blushed while Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. “Only a Peace Prize? I’m expecting her to win one in physics or chemistry. Probably both.” She snorted when Twilight elbowed her.

Rainbow clenched a determined fist. “And not just the good times. We’ll be there for each other when life really starts to suck. If any of you say the word, I’ll come running, I swear it!”

“Agreed,” Sunset said. “Doesn’t matter how far I have to go. I’ll be there for you guys.”

“Hear hear!” Rarity cheered, raising her burnt marshmallow.

Twilight looked up at the stars. “Our lives may be unusual… in fact, they don’t make sense a lot of the time. But, I should be thankful. I really lucked out by finding friends like you girls.”

“Spectacular Seven forever!” Pinkie cried before shoving a s'more into her mouth.

The girls spent the next hour talking, laughing, and roasting copious amounts of s’mores. It was quarter to ten when they finished packing up, Sunset wrapping up Selena’s pretzel and stowing it into her bag.

“Let’s get a move on,” she said, hoisting Pinkie’s cooler into the back of the van. “If I’m not home by midnight, I’m grounded. That’s never happened to me before and I’d like to not start now.”

Rainbow paused, halfway into the van. “Aren’t you, like, banished?”

“Self-exiled, doesn't count.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Obligatory Beach Episode

Apparently, I have a hard time writing chapters where they're just supposed to have fun. That's my excuse for taking a month.

3. Inheritance

Sunset had made it home with ten minutes to spare. Twice on the journey back, Fluttershy’s van had made ominous noises that sounded like the engine was about to give out. But, it had pulled through, though a thick cloud of black smog had lingered in the air when Applejack and Fluttershy dropped Sunset off.

Selena greeted Sunset with a tap of her watch and a quirked brow. Sunset appeased her by delivering the salted pretzel she had requested before retiring for the night. Spot had already been asleep on her bed, and cuddled up next to her when she slipped under the blanket.

Before she knew it, birds chirped outside her window and sunlight crept across the floor. She rolled over and groaned, feeling the bruises the ocean had given her yesterday. She pulled her pillow over her head and allowed sleep to carry her off again. It didn’t last long. Spot pawed at her shoulder and tried to squeeze his snout under the pillow.

“Okay, okay,” Sunset moaned. She raised herself up and stretched her arms over her head. Spot jumped off the bed and scratched at the door, barking at Sunset to hurry up.

Eyes bleary, Sunset got to her feet and winced at a bruise on her hip. She opened the door and watched Spot race down the hall to the stairs. Sunset took a detour to the bathroom, noting her mass of messy bedhead. She thought of brushing it out, but it was one of those mornings where it would take too much energy.

A few minutes later, Sunset wandered into the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas. A stack of waffles and a bowl of strawberries sat on the counter. Sunset fixed herself a plate and took a seat at the island across from Selena.

“You’re up earlier than I thought you’d be,” Selena said while typing away at her computer.

“Spot needed to go out.” Sunset bit into her waffles, still warm and fluffy. “Thanks for breakfast.”

“My pleasure.” Selena took a brief stretch and rolled her neck out before hunching over her keyboard again.

Spot climbed back inside through the doggy door and began his routine of circling the table, waiting for Sunset to drop or deliberately feed him scraps. Sunset gave him a tiny piece of waffle, just to see his tail wag.

With only Selena’s typing and Spot’s patter of paws, Sunset breathed in the calm morning. She made slow work of her waffles, watching the shadows shift in the backyard as the sun continued to climb. Her phone remained silent, and she wondered if it would be a rare day where she didn’t see any of her friends.

Going back to sleep doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

They had never said when they were going to start training, just that they would after their beach day. One more day of rest and rejuvenation couldn’t hurt.

Breakfast finished, she got up and carried her dishes to the sink. There were a few dishes from last night, so as a courtesy to Selena, Sunset washed them too and set them on the drying rack.

“Could you do me a favor and take the garbage out while you’re up,” Selena asked.

“Yeah, no prob—”

“Lulamoon!”

“Aaah!” Sunset grabbed the frying pan on the drying rack and held it above her head as blue smoke poured into the kitchen. Selena was on her feet, hands raised in a defensive stance. She quickly dropped them into balled fists and stamped her foot.

“Artemis!”

The smoke cleared and standing in the middle of the kitchen, hands on their hips and triumphant smiles on their faces, were Trixie and Artemis. They both took a bow and Artemis said with his usual pompous flair, “Yes, the magical, father-daughter duo has returned!”

“Feel free to shower us with your applause!” Trixie added.

Selena instead glowered at them. “How many times have I told you, no magic in the kitchen! You could have set off the smoke alarm! Again!”

Artemis straightened up and flashed her a loving smile. “Come, turtle dove, who would I be if I didn’t make a dramatic entrance? Especially after being gone for so long?”

“Reasonable. You’d be reasonable.”

“And wouldn’t that be boring!”

Sunset put the frying pan away. “A little warning would have been nice. I thought we were under attack.”

“Aw, did we scare you?” Trixie asked, giving Sunset a smirk she didn’t know she had missed.

“Yeah, and I was this close to wailing on you.” Sunset held her index finger and thumb an inch apart.

Artemis laughed. “Then we’ve been gone too long if this is all it takes to frighten you!”

Selena sighed and cupped her eyes for a moment. “Well, you’re right about one thing. You have been gone too long.” She stepped forward and ducked under Artemis’ outstretched arms to pull Trixie into a hug and shower her with kisses.

Trixie gave an embarrassed giggle. “I missed you too, Mom.”

Selena gave her one more kiss on the head before turning and acknowledging Artemis, who still had his arms out. “And I suppose I can forgive magic in the kitchen this one time.” She stepped into his embrace and kissed him on the mouth.

Sunset turned her head to give them a little privacy. “So, how was it?” she asked Trixie.

Trixie put one hand to her chest and raised the other to the sky. “How else could Trixie describe the world tour she and her father embarked on other than stupendous! There were perilous pitfalls, sinister snares, terrifying traps, and angry animals! But was Trixie ever afraid? Ha! Not once! She overcame every trial with her death-defying feats of magic, now new and improved! That’s right, Trixie is now greater and even more powerfuler!”

Sunset stared, eyes-lidded as Trixie stood with both arms held triumphantly over her head. “‘Powerfuler’ isn’t a word.”

Trixie lowered her arms and rolled her eyes. “Why are you always such a buzzkill?”

“Someone has to keep your ego in check.”

“Trixie’s ego is just fine, thank you very much! You’re just jealous you didn’t have a life-changing adventure like Trixie did!”

“We’ve had enough excitement here that, trust me, I’m not jealous of your little adventure.”

Artemis pulled away from Selena and sighed contently. “I missed this.”

Trixie stuck her tongue out and Sunset smirked at her. She had missed this too, preferring to banter with Trixie than Shimmer.

Selena gestured to the remaining waffles. “You two must be starving. I can whip up some eggs and bacon too if you want.”

“Turtle dove, you’ve no idea how much we longed for your cooking,” Artemis said with a swoon.

“Trixie never wants to eat a root or berry ever again,” she grumbled.

“I remember those days,” Selena said fondly as she took the frying pan from the drying rack. “Trying to acquire a taste for squirrel because someone refused to cook rabbit.”

“Rabbits are for pets and tricks only!” Artemis said defensively.

And I thought this family was weird before. Sunset returned to her seat at the table. “Food aside, how was it really? I mean, did you guys find the Rainbow of Light?”

Artemis coughed and fiddled with his shirt collar while Trixie crossed her arms and turned her nose up. “Well… not exactly,” Artemis began.

Selena cracked an egg over the pan. “I knew this was a fool’s errand.”

“Hold on now, my love. We may not have found the Rainbow of Light, but we found unequivocal proof that it exists!” Artemis reached into his sleeve and rummaged around before pulling out the oldest, most disgusting journal Sunset had ever seen. The front half was completely gone, leaving the first exposed page brown, stiff, and moldy. The rest of it didn’t look any better. It looked like the whole thing had been burnt at some point, then submerged in water.

Selena looked at it and pressed herself closer to the stove, her nose wrinkled. “What did you bring into my kitchen?” she asked, fighting a gag.

Artemis held it gingerly, laying it flat in the palm of his hand. “This,” he said softly, like a louder voice would finish off what was left of the journal, “is something we discovered in the ruins of an old village. It appears to date back to the age of Arthur and Merlin, with its author claiming to know both of them. Most of it is blurred to the point of eligibility, but there are a few passages that are quite noteworthy. This one is exceedingly interesting.”

He waved his hand over it, and the journal slowly opened and turned to one of its last pages. Artemis held it closer to his eyes and read,

“‘—away the magic is foolhardy at best, but I could not dissuade them. The deed has been done. Already, the world feels… emptier. I had not reached attunement, but I can still feel it. To ensure to the highest possibility that nothing would ever be wielded for nefarious purposes again, they even locked away the Rainbow of Light. It at least remains on this plane. Only six pure hearts of virtue can unlock it again. Merlin’s words. I know not what he means, I can only hope that if it is ever needed, those six will appear again.’”

Artemis looked up at his captive audience. “It’s a rough translation from Middle Gaelic.”

“You speak Gaelic?” Sunset asked.

Artemis flashed her a grin. “I’m a man of many talents. But that’s neither here nor there.” He gently closed the book and switched to a serious expression. “There is a lot to take away from the one passage alone, but what pops out to me is that the Rainbow of Light does in fact exist, it’s still on this plane at the time of this writing, and that six virtuous hearts are required to get to it.”

“Arty, if the author is telling the truth about knowing Merlin, then this book is almost a thousand years old,” Selena argued. “For all we know, those six hearts came and went. The Rainbow of Light could still be anywhere.”

“Yes, it could be anywhere, but we know now that it does exist!” Artemis threw his arms out. “That is all the hope I need to keep going!”

Elbow propped up on the table, Sunset rested her cheek in her hand. “Six pure hearts to use a weapon of light? Sounds kinda like the Elements of Harmony back in my world.”

“Didn’t you say it was those things that blasted you when you were a demon?” Trixie asked.

Sunset closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. “Yes. They did do that.”

“You don’t think these Elements and the Rainbow are one and the same do you?” Artemis asked.

“I mean, probably not? Though they could be related somehow. What does the Rainbow of Light look like?”

Artemis held up a finger like he was about to launch into an explanation, but paused. He blinked. “Huh, you know, I don’t know.”

Sunset gave him a lidded stare. “You don’t know what the thing you’re looking for looks like?”

He sputtered. “Well, not exactly, I mean… it’s never been described! But, I’m positive I would know it when I saw it. It’s a Rainbow of Light! Hard to misidentify something like that.”

“The more you talk, the more I think Selena’s right: this is a fool’s errand.”

Artemis groaned, drowning out Selena’s satisfactory titter. “Not you too. Come now, sunnybun, you’re from a land of mystical and whimsy. Surely you know how to spot a world-changing artifact from a mile away?”

“No,” Sunset said flatly. “Because my world has magic items out the wazoo, I wouldn’t know which one could turn the world upside down or which one would just make me instant pancakes unless I knew exactly what I was looking for!”

“It’s a Rainbow of Light!” Artemis said like it explained itself. “An ancient artifact handed down to my ancestors by the gods themselves! Our sole duty is to guard over it! If anything, my very soul would be able to point it out once I laid eyes on it.”

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “If you ever actually see it! We don’t even know if it’s a metaphorical or a literal rainbow! Heck, the book just said they sealed it away! It could be behind a giant door for all we know!”

“A door that you apparently need six hearts to unlock,” Selena muttered as she scrambled the eggs.

Artemis put on a confident grin. “Well if anything, that narrows our search down! We just need to find something with six holes or pedestals or…” His mouth froze in mid-word and his pupils shrunk to microscopic dots. “Locks.”

Trixie leaned forward. “What?”

In a puff of smoke, Artemios vanished from the spot, leaving Selena to grab a drying towel and swat at the wisps of blue clouds left behind. The second she had gotten the room clear, another plume of smoke announced Artemis’ return.

“Will you stop teleporting into the kitchen!” Selena yelled.

But Artemis wasn’t paying her any mind. He had something large clutched against his chest and was giggling like a madman. “I’d already done it! Haha! I knew I was amazing, but even I didn’t think I was this amazing! Hahahaha! I’m so amazing, I’ve done amazing things without even realizing it! Ha!”

Trixie leaned back in her seat, eyes wide. “Father, you’re scaring Trixie.”

“More than usual,” Selena added.

Artemis hopped over to the kitchen island and slammed what he was cradling onto the counter. “Look! Look at it! I had it this whole time! It was just sitting in the emporium waiting to be sold because I thought it was just beautiful junk!”

Sunset recognized the object; she had seen it on her first day of work at the shop the Lulamoons owned. Sitting inches away from her was a crystalline blue chest shaped into a hexagon. On each of its six slanting faces was a keyhole.

Selena walked over, looking marginally less skeptical than before. “I don’t even remember where you found that thing.”

“Neither do I!” Artemis emphatically thrust his arms at it. “But I’m positive! This! Is! It!”

Trixie leaned forward, her reflection appearing against the chest’s polished surface. “You really think it’s in there?”

“Yes! Turtle dove, little moon, sunnybun!” Artemis put his hand on top of the box and gave the widest smile Sunset had seen on him. “Our family honor has been restored. We have the Rainbow of Light.”

*******

Moondancer set the blue roses in the vase and arranged them so their faces were all turned outward. The six she had picked had all bloomed marvelously; their petals a wonderful sapphire, each one perfectly folded over another.

She took the glass vase in her hands and began her trek to her mother’s secluded chamber. She hoped her father wasn't already waiting there. Between ignoring her and suddenly being interested in every aspect of her life, Moondancer almost preferred being ignored.

She ascended the steps of the north most tower and opened the door. “Good morning, Mother. I brought your favorite—” Moondancer dropped the vase. The silence and glass shattered, shooting shards of clear shrapnel across her legs and leaving the roses to lay in a pool of water. Moondancer couldn’t feel the physical pain, only the roiling fluctuations of hope and terror in her soul.

The bed was empty.

The heart monitor was off, the IV drip dangled in the breeze, and the sheets were unmade. Moondancer struggled to breathe. She backed out of the room, her heart bursting at the seams as a hundred thoughts shoved themselves to the front of her mind. She spun on her heels and bounded down the stairs.

“Mother!” Air refilled her lungs, quickly spent as she sprinted down the corridors and screamed. “Mother! Mom!”

She ran out to the garden, eyes searching for silver amongst the floral rainbow. “Mom!” Moondancer shouted, her voice carrying over the mountain.

She… she would see me first, right? Unless… Moondancer’s breathing constricted again. She dashed back inside and slid to a halt at an intersection. Her mother had to be here! Where else could she look? Where else could she go? The floor rotated under Moondancer. Why did this damn mansion have to be so big? Where was she?

“Moondancer?”

She twisted her head. Her father jogged down the hall, slipping something into his coat pocket as he drew near. He put a hand on her trembling shoulder. “Why are you running around and screaming like this? I thought we were being attacked.”

“Mother!” she said breathlessly. “She’s-she’s not in her room! She has to be awake! I have to find her!”

“Okay, okay, just calm down,” he said, though Moondancer could see the rising apprehension in his eyes. “We’ll find her.”

A single gulp of air was all Moondancer could manage. If her mom hadn’t come to see her first after getting up… her mind could only conjure grim alternatives.

Keeping a hand on Moondancer’s shoulder, Night Shade steered her down the corridor, opening every door along the way. Eventually, they were back in the entrance hall, and just when Moondancer believed her anxiety couldn’t rise any higher, a black portal opened at the top of the stairs.

Tempest stepped out, and the smirk she wore made Moondancer ill. “Ah, just the two I was looking for.”

Night Shade clenched his jaw. “Where’s Apalla?”

“You see, we’re really starting to run behind schedule,” Tempest said casually, winding the cord of the Soul Lock around her finger. “Lord Tirek’s true body may not be ready, but Starlight and I feel we would all benefit more if he was more… physically present. And we just happen to have an empty vessel lying around.”

Moondancer’s entire body shook. “No. You can’t,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You’ve gone too far this time, Tempest!” Night roared. “This wasn’t part of the deal! You can’t use my wife like that!”

Tempest continued to smile casually. “The deal was: you help me revive Lord Tirek and I’ll return Apalla’s soul. As far as I see, I’ve not broken our accord yet. Once Tirek’s body is ready, all we have to do is a little soul shuffle.” She suddenly winced and rolled her right shoulder.

Moondancer’s breathed in short, haggard gasps. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Please! Please don’t do this! Can’t you use anyone else?”

“Oh, are you volunteering?”

“I—” Moondancer bit her bottom lip, puncturing it and drawing blood. If she was gone, there was no one else to execute her plan. But if she didn’t stop this, her plan was in jeopardy regardless.

“What if I volunteer?” Night asked, balling his fists.

Tempest snorted. “Don’t be silly, Shade. You still have a company to run. Unlike your daughter, you’re important. It was rhetorical anyway; Starlight has already begun.”

Moondancer clapped her hands over her mouth, bile rising in her throat. Her mother was going to play host to Tirek.

“I’m through with this!” Night yelled, reaching into his coat pocket. “Our deal is over!”

He drew out a silver revolver and shot three times at Tempest. The sound ricocheted through the large room, tearing across Moondancer’s eardrums. She stared in shock, looking first at her father, then up the stairs to Tempest. Her shadow arm was out, fist clenched, but she looked just as surprised as Moondancer.

Tempest unclenched her fist and the bullets fell to the floor. In the absence of the echoing gunshots, the manor was deathly silent. All Moondancer could hear was the leftover ring in her ears.

“A very unwise move, Night Shade,” Tempest said slowly, raising the Soul Lock. She aimed its center at Moondancer.

Moondancer’s soul seized up. Her body’s erratic shaking fell back to a meager tremble as a weightlessness fell over her. The tethers keeping her soul anchored snapped one by one.

This… this is how it ends? This is how my scene concludes? But… who will save the world? I don’t want to go yet…

“Moondancer!”

Something rammed into her and threw her to the ground. All feeling returned to her body as she hit the tiles. The numbing fog that had begun clouding her head dissipated and her soul settled back into place. She looked at her reflection in the polished marble. A shell-shocked girl stared back at her.

Then, her father hit the floor.

Moondancer turned her head, finding his purple eyes, the same ones she had inherited. The light had already left them. Night Shade stared back at Moondancer, not truly seeing her. His lips were parted, and Moondancer could feel his breath faintly against her face, the only sign he was still alive.

Alive, but empty.

And Moondancer was eight again, kneeling over her mother who laid on the floor, eyes wide and mouth open. She was breathing, yet she wouldn’t wake up, no matter how hard Moondancer shook.

She crawled to her knees and leaned over her father’s body. Her quivering fingers hovered over his chest, afraid to physically confirm what her eyes saw.

“You… you idiot,” Moondancer choked out. “Why?”

Tempest’s boots thumped against the stairs as she descended. She held her shadow hand pressed against her shoulder and grit her teeth. “Every time I think you’re on the hook, you find a way to wriggle off,” she said, disgusted.

Moondancer barely heard her. The seams of her heart had come completely undone, flooding her with emotions she couldn’t make sense of. She rested a hand on Night, feeling his faint heartbeat.

“I suppose we could reverse the situation. It would take a while though. And all things considered, this is much more entertaining. So congratulations, Moondancer. It looks like you’re now in charge of Shade Enterprises.”

The flood of emotions began pouring outward. Moondancer felt hot and cold at the same time. She was paralyzed, yet her body shivered like she was buried in snow.

“Why?” she asked weakly. “Why did you choose now to grow a spine? Why did you protect me?” She lifted her head to Tempest. “Why do you hate me so much?”

Tempest sneered. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s not just you, it’s everyone like you. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth while I was lucky to be born at all. Given everything you could want just by asking while I had to claw my way to make a living. People like you take everything for granted and waste your lives never understanding what it feels like to suffer or struggle. Well, here’s a taste.”

She stomped back up the stairs and into the portal. “I’ll give you a few hours to get him settled into Apalla’s old room. Then, it’ll be time for Lord Tirek’s homecoming.” The portal closed behind her.

Moondancer looked back at her father. She wanted to slap him, to yell and rant. But his vacant eyes told her it would be pointless.

“Lady Moondancer.”

She looked up across the entrance hall. Porter and Lemon Fresh stood at one of the doorways, grim-faced and apprehensive.

Moondancer opened her mouth, letting a hiccup escape. She wiped her eyes and tried again, but no sound came out. She moved a hand and dug her nails into her arm until she broke skin.

She hissed, jumpstarting her vocal cords again. “Is it true? Am I in charge of the company?”

Porter nodded. “Master Night Shade did leave a missive that you would legally be allowed to take over if something happened to him once you turned eighteen. All of his shares go to you.”

“I see.” Moondancer opened her mouth to say more but the train of thought ended there. She was the CEO now. “Porter, Lemon, could you please take Father and… and put him in… Mother’s old room?”

“Of course, My Lady,” Lemon said, matching Moondancer’s hoarse whisper. “Is there… can we do anything else for you?”

Moondancer shook her head. “No, not now. I just…” She let her unspoken words hang in the air. Her maid and butler picked Night up and carried him away without a word, leaving Moondancer to kneel at the bottom of the stairs alone.

Her mind was a roulette wheel, spinning and landing on a topic that she could only process for two seconds before it spun again. Her father was gone. Her mother was to be a puppet. She was in charge of a global conglomerate.

Moondancer let out a single, strained, “Ha,” at the absurdity of it all. She knew it was real, knew it wasn’t a dream. Yet her mind couldn’t quite process what had just happened.

Her husk of a heart on the other hand seemed completely aware of the situation. An iron fist held a grip on it, making Moondancer’s chest ache. She placed both hands over her breast and doubled over. Her air passage tightened and the room started to spin.

Don’t fall apart. Don’t you dare.

But Moondancer wanted to scream, wanted to sob, wanted to throw a tantrum. Tempest was wrong. She knew what suffering felt like. She sniffled and hiccuped again.

Save your screams and tears for when it’s over.

Moondancer used the banister to pull herself to her feet and leaned against it, chest still tight and head still spinning.

“And it’s almost over, isn’t it?”

*******

The crystal chest sat on the repaired coffee table in the living room. Ten faces stared at it expectantly.

“So… what now?” Rainbow asked.

Sunset sat on the arm of one of the living room chairs having given Twilight the seat. She leaned forward and pinched her chin. “Well, my theory was, since you girls represent the Elements of Harmony and the Rainbow of Light seems so similar, maybe the box would have a reaction. If the Rainbow really is in there.”

Applejack put a hand against the chest and waited a few seconds. “Ah don’t think it’s doing anythin’.”

Rarity tapped a finger against her cheek. “And while that’s a good theory, dear, it comes with a snag. If you need the Elements of Harmony to open it, you would also need Princess Twilight.”

Sunset sat perfectly still but felt the chair shift. “Not necessarily. We beat the Sirens without her. Maybe we don’t need her for this either.”

Fingers crossed.

“And we still have our Twilight!” Pinkie said. “Maybe she can take the Princess’s place!”

The chair shifted again.

“Or, maybe it’s Trixie’s destiny to be a wielder of one of these mystical keys!” Trixie said loudly. “She is a descendant of Megan and Merlin!”

“But what if it’s none of us?” Fluttershy asked. “Where would we start looking for the keys?”

Artemis tugged on his goatee. “We’ve already scoured the globe several times. I can search my inventory, but I don’t think we’ll get lucky six more times.”

“Maybe we can trick it!” Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin.

“Pinkie, this ain’t a locked door; you’re messin’ with magic,” Applejack warned.

Pinkie pressed her tongue against her lips as she twisted the pin into a lockpick and stuck it into a keyhole. She jiggled it around, keeping her ear close to the chest to hear the tumblers Sunset was certain didn’t exist.

A soft pink glow shone from the keyhole. Pinkie gasped and jimmied the lock harder. “I think I got it!”

The bobby pin shot out of her hand and across the room where Selena caught it before it could puncture a picture.

Pinkie took a step back from the chest, smiling nervously. “Maybe I made it mad.”

The pink light intensified and concentrated into a single beam that struck the spiked bracelet on Pinkie’s wrist. It glowed in turn, and from it rose a small white ball that quickly grew and changed shape. When the light show finished, a golden key hovered in front of Pinkie. Its handle was shaped like a three-leaf clover, and the teeth looked like little balloons. It dropped into Pinkie’s hands, glitter trailing off it.

“Oooo!” Pinkie held it up to her face. “It’s so shiny!”

Twilight stood up and walked closer to examine it as well. “How did that happen? It had a reaction to Pinkie’s bracelet, but why?”

“Isn’t that the bracelet Sonata gave you?” Sunset asked.

Pinkie looked at it fondly. “Yep!”

Artemis narrowed his eyes. “Sonata? As in, one of the Sirens?”

“It’s a long story,” Selena said with a sigh. “Suffice to say, you and Trixie weren’t the only ones on an adventure.”

“But it ended with me and Sonnie becoming besties!” Pinkie chirped. “She gave me one of her bracelets to show we’re BFFs!”

“Well, if Pinkie has a key, it backs up my theory that the rest of you are supposed to have them as well,” Sunset said. “I’m just not sure what Sonata’s wristband has to do with it.”

“Artemis, sir, may I see that journal you mentioned?” Twilight asked.

Artemis reached into his sleeve and carefully pulled it out. “Most of it is illigible or outright destroyed.” He levitated it over to Twilight’s outstretched hands.

“Hmm…” Twilight set it on her lap and treated it with the gentleness of a librarian. “I might have the tools to restore the parts that are legible. I’m going to need some time though.”

Artemis smiled. “By all means. I leave this in your capable hands.”

“In the meantime, maybe we can get in contact with Sonata and see if her wrist band was already magical,” Sunset suggested. “Though I have no idea why the Siren’s magic of all things would help open a box of pure good.”

“Hey, let’s stay on the bright side,” Rainbow said, adjusting the scarf around her waist. “One key down, five to go. We just gotta keep an eye out.”

“But what happens when we get the Rainbow of Light?” Applejack asked.

“Find Tempest and that Soul Lock thing and blast ‘em into next week!”

Rarity shook her head. “I doubt it will be that simple. Though that does bring to mind the idea of us training. We had our beach day. As per our agreement, it’s time to get serious.”

“Training?” A giddy smile crossed Artemis’ face. “You girls want to hone those magic skills of yours?”

Sunset tentatively nodded, feeling an apprehensive bubble in her stomach. She could only imagine the whacky training regiments Artemis could cook up.

He clapped his hands and bounced up and down. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”

“Ugh, you guys are so loud!”

Every head turned toward the stairs. Shimmer leaned over the banister, still dressed in her nightclothes. “Can you keep your anime shenanigans down?”

“Oh right, she’s still here,” Trixie said flatly.

Shimmer looked from Trixie to Artemis. “Oh look, the wizards are back. What are you weirdos up to now?” She eyed the chest.

“We’re gonna start training to be superheroes!” Pinkie said with a skip.

Shimmer rolled her eyes. “I was joking about the anime stuff.”

“You’re pretty good at hand-to-hand combat,” Selena said. “Perhaps you could start to earn your keep around here and teach a few lessons.”

“Me, a teacher?” Shimmer pursed her lips in thought. “Nah. I don’t want anything to do with your supernatural crap unless the Sirens come knocking on the door again.” She gave a two-finger salute and walked away.

Artemis lowered his head and looked at Selena. “Seriously, what is all this business with the Sirens?”

Selena simply gave a quick point to Sunset.

Sunset tugged on her shirt collar. “Okay, I would like to lead with, we won and nobody got seriously hurt...”

*******

Moondancer looked over her father. He stared past her with familiar empty eyes. She made a snort and turned away, casting her gaze out the window to the garden. She thought about getting flowers for her father. She had always brought her mother’s favorites: blue roses, daisies, and lavender. She had no idea what flowers her father liked.

There were a lot of things she didn’t know about her father.

She turned around and glared at him again, every part of her body trembling.

“Why? Why throw yourself in front of me? Do you think this self-sacrifice makes up for what you did?” She ground her teeth together before continuing in a louder voice, “Because it doesn’t! I still loathe you, you stupid, stupid man!”

She clutched her heart, feeling it constrict. “I’ll take care of you not out of love, but of obligation. Until you wake up and give me an answer. Until you truly make up for the decade I spent alone. Understood?”

Night Shade stared at the wall.

Moondancer swatted the tears from her cheeks. She refused to fall apart over him. She sucked in a shuddering breath and stepped out of the room, securing her mask.

Tempest waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. “Don’t look so down, Moondancer. Do your job right, and you’ll have both your parents back soon.”

It took a surge of willpower to stop Moondancer from lunging at Tempest—from running her nails across Tempest’s face and leaving her a gash as long as her own. While the scenario played out in her head, Moondancer kept her expression neutral and nodded.

Tempest lifted her arm, a subtle wince crossing her face. A portal sprung up before them, and Tempest ushered Moondancer inside. She always likened portal teleportation to jumping into the ocean at night. It was always cold and left her feeling wet for the briefest of moments. The portal let out into a dimly lit lab, a sub-level unit judging by the lack of windows. It was sparse, containing a few computers on a row of desks and thick cables running across the floor and disappearing into the wall. Sliding steel doors stood across from Moondancer, the biohazard symbol etched into the right panel.

Starlight Glimmer sat in front of one of the computer monitors, one leg crossed over the other. She idly tapped the keyboard with one hand while holding a coffee mug in the other.

“Hello, you two,” she said, sparing a quick glance over her shoulder. “Lord Tirek will be out in a moment. He’s getting… adjusted.”

A spike of nausea hit Moondancer. She attempted to swallow, but her dry mouth made it immensely difficult. She tried to distract herself by digging her nails into her wrist.

Starlight stood up and moved next to Moondancer. She pretended to make herself busy by straightening her lab coat and said from the corner of her mouth, “I’m sorry about your dad.”

“Shut up,” Moondancer said, glaring at the floor. She came to regret that command. As the three of them waited, silence hung over them and made Moondancer fidget. Her heart thumped erratically and her body started to shake again.

It won’t be her. It can’t be her.

Half of Moondancer’s mind tried to call Tempest’s bluff; that she hadn’t actually taken Apalla and just wanted to get a rise out of Moondancer. But the other half knew the truth. That side tried to mentally prepare for whoever—whatever walked through that door.

Because whoever it was, it wasn’t her mother.

Finally, the metal panels on the door hissed and slid apart, and a cloaked figure loomed in the threshold.

Moondancer’s breath hitched. Her mental preparation had done nothing for how her heart would react. It froze in her chest and the rest of her body followed suit, leaving her unable to look away from the horror drawing toward her.

Apalla Lulamoon didn’t walk with the graceful gait Moondancer remembered. She instead stalked ahead with her shoulders hunched forward, giving her a domineering presence. Her movements were stiff, and her attention was drawn to her own hand as she flexed her fingers one by one. Her hair was still limp and brittle, and her skin looked clammy and pale.

She looked up and caught Moondancer’s eye, and Moondancer’s frozen heart shattered. This wasn’t a phantom, a hallucination, a doppelgänger. Moondancer saw the physical presence of her mother. But only the physical presence. The pride and love that had once shone in Apalla’s eyes no longer existed. There was only a monster inside, and it drove Moondancer’s fight or flight instinct haywire. Did she maul the creature wearing her mother’s face, or run and hide in her room forever?

Apalla—no, Tirek, drew closer, his heavy boots thumping against the hard floor. Instead of the nightgown Moondancer had dressed her mother in, Tirek wore a black vest and trousers with a ragged cloak draped over his shoulders.

Tempest dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “Lord Tirek,” she whispered with reverence.

Starlight took a knee as well, and Moondancer, finding some control of her body again, slowly got down and averted her eyes.

Tirek stopped in front of them. “Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Starlight Glimmer. ...Moondancer Lulamoon.” It was Apalla’s voice in all but delivery. Instead of the whimsical, life-loving cadence Moondancer remembered, it was cold, uninterested, detached.

Moondancer chanced a glance up. Tirek glared down at her, distaste and suspicion in his borrowed eyes. Tirek turned his attention on Tempest and held out her hand.

“My Soul Lock, if you would.”

“Of course, My Lord.” Tempest reached for the amulet around her neck, and for the first time in Moondancer’s life, she saw fear on Tempest’s face.

She slipped the cord over her head and handed it up to Tirek. The second it left her fingers, Tempest’s face grew pale. She broke into a succession of ragged coughs interspersed with desperate gasps of air. Her hand scrambled into a pocket and pulled out an inhaler. Moondancer could see some wear on it but couldn’t imagine when Tempest had ever used it.

Tempest took a puff then inhaled deep before regaining some composure. Tirek hadn’t spared her a glance. His eyes only beheld the golden amulet resting in their palm.

“There are hardly any souls in here,” Tirek said with motherly disappointment.

“It has been hard to gather them without drawing suspicion, My Lord,” Tempest said weakly. “The world is quite different from when you were last here.”

“Quite.” Tirek raised his head and sniffed the air. “This world’s magic has been nearly depleted… no… it’s missing.”

“We are doing our best efforts to recreate what magic we can in the meantime,” Starlight said.

He nodded. “You were wise to give me this body in the meantime. Magic flows through her blood; a good stand-in for the lack of world magic to attune to. And more souls will help offset the balance.” He slipped the Soul Lock over his neck and raised a palm. A blue flame burst to life and hovered before his face.

“I spent quite some time in my Soul Lock. Long enough to begin to question if I would ever be free again. Perhaps my ambitions would amount to naught. Perhaps humanity would continue to struggle and beg to gods who care nothing for mortals.” Tirek smiled and looked down. “And then I stumbled upon you, Fizzlepop. You who had been dealt a terrible hand in life. You struggled and suffered, with no divine intervention to aid you whatsoever. You have blundered in the past, but you have remained steadfastly loyal. And for that, you will be rewarded.”

The flame in Apalla’s palm turned black and he brought it down on Tempest’s head. Tempest’s breathing became frantic as black lines arced down her face and neck and disappeared under the collar of her shirt. She grabbed the stump of her arm and screamed, thrashing under Tirek’s hold.

Between her screams, Moondancer could hear the sickening crunch of bone and squelch of flesh. She closed her eyes, her urge to vomit rising ever higher. Tempest’s scream reached a crescendo, then came to a stop. Moondancer cracked an eye open and gasped.

Extending out of Tempest’s sleeve was a new arm, fully formed and the same mulberry color as the rest of her skin. Tempest flexed her fingers and made a fist. Sparks of black electricity danced over her knuckles. She took a deep breath and a cynical smile returned to her face.

Tirek took a step back. “Rise, Commander Tempest Shadow.”

Tempest stood up and crossed her new arm over her chest before making another bow. “You honor me, Lord Tirek.”

Tirek nodded and moved onto Starlight who looked up with hopeful expectation. “This ‘science’ you’ve brought along has been quite beneficial, Starlight. Continue your work and I promise, when I open the doors to the divine, you will have your reward.”

Starlight nodded. “Thank you, Lord Tirek.”

Finally, Tirek stepped in front of Moondancer. Their eyes met again, and Moondancer fought to not throw up. Every fiber of her soul told her the picture she was looking at was wrong. Yet she held her gaze with her mother’s cold, indifferent eyes.

Tirek knelt down to be at level with her. “There’s such pain and anger in your eyes,” he said softly. “But that’s to be expected. I’m in the body of someone you care about, aren’t I?”

Moondancer said nothing, biting her tongue.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to her. This is merely a temporary substitute until my body is back. But, I am curious…”

His hand struck out and grabbed Moondancer’s neck, squeezing her windpipe.

“Spawn of Megan… descendant of Merlin… your bloodline has been a thorn in my side for countless generations. Why should I not kill you where you stand?”

A thin trickle of air passed through Moondancer’s throat, and she wheezed out, “My ancestors… were wrong to… seal you away. I want… what’s best for humanity.”

Tempest cleared her throat. “As much as I would love to see you obliterate her, My Lord, she currently is an asset to us. For now, she owns the business that funds our research and endeavors.”

Tirek looked over his shoulder then back to Moondancer. “So she’s our patron? Hmph. Very well.” He released his grip and Moondancer crumpled to the floor, gasping and holding her throat.

“But I warn you,” her mother’s lethal whisper dripped into her ears, “I can feel the resentment in your soul, the hatred. If I find any trace of treachery, any vain hope of stopping my machinations, you will never see your mother ever again.”

Moondancer gave a weak nod.

“Good girl. Come, Tempest. I feel there is much you need to inform me about the ways of the modern world.”

Moondancer brought herself to her hands and knees as Tirek and Tempest exited the room. A hand brushed her shoulder and she slapped it away.

“Why?” Moondancer asked in a raspy voice. “Why did you do it?”

“I didn't really have much of a choice,” Starlight said simply. “And it’s not like this changes your plan that much, right? There’s just an extra step now.”

“Shut up!” Moondancer balled her fists. “An extra step? You call having to watch that monster masquerade as… as my… my mom an extra step?”

“I never said it would be an easy step.”

Moondancer glared up at Starlight. “Go. Just go.”

“Eheh, right then.” Starlight smiled awkwardly and backed off. She followed after Tirek and Tempest, exiting through another door. The silence after it closed was haunting.

Moondancer remained on the floor, her breathing still haggard, not by her sore throat but by her constricted chest. With each passing second, it grew tighter. And while the room was quiet, thousands of thoughts screamed in her head at once.

This time, she couldn’t fight it. Her mind settled on the image of her mother’s cold eyes looking down at her, and Moondancer let out a short, choked scream. She screamed again, just to clear her air passage. She inhaled…

And Moondancer screamed.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Moondancer and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

4. Canterlot Tower

Sunset opened her bedroom door and yawned. She dug out as much sleep from her eyes as she could and walked toward the bathroom. As her vision cleared, she saw Trixie walking toward her.

Both girls paused in front of the bathroom door.

“Trixie has had to bathe in rivers and community showers for the last month. She demands to use the bathroom first.”

Sunset rolled her eyes but took a step back and swept her arm toward the door. “Just for today.”

Trixie raised her chin but smiled. “Your generosity is appreciated.” She sauntered into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Remembering how long Trixie could take in the mornings, Sunset decided to bide her time by heading downstairs. As she approached the kitchen, she could hear Artemis and Selena talking in hushed tones. She poked her head around the corner and found them hunched over something on the table.

“Morning,” she said with a hesitant wave. “What’s up?”

Artemis heaved a sigh and stepped out of the way. “I’m afraid this morning starts off with some rather ominous news.”

“Great, just how I like to start my days,” Sunset said with a playful smile. When it wasn’t reciprocated, she approached the table and saw the morning newspaper. Moondancer looked up at her, half her face hidden by a mask and the other looking exhausted.

Corporate Transition: Shade Enterprises’ sudden new CEO!

As dawn broke over Canterlot this morning, it was reported that Night Shade, president and CEO of Shade Enterprises, and the richest man in Canterlot, had fallen into a comatose state with no sign of awakening.

The company is estimated to be worth approximately eight hundred million dollars. In a missive penned by Night Shade, company operations and personal shareholdings have been signed over to his only daughter Moondancer. She has been named acting CEO until such time as Mr. Shade recovers, or the company’s board of directors votes to appoint a new candidate to the position. However, Moondancer’s inherited shareholdings total at fifty-five percent giving her majority ownership and the ability to override any decision made by the board.

Speaking from in front of the family manor in the Upper Villa, a seemingly shaken and hesitant Moondancer issued the following statement:

“We have opted to give my father in-home care, and it is my deepest wish that he awakens soon. As of now, the doctors are unsure of what caused his sudden collapse, though he has been under a lot of stress as of late.”

Moondancer turned eighteen earlier this month, meaning she is legally allowed to assume this emergency inheritance. However, there is doubt of her ability to run an international, multi-million dollar company.

“There are some who assume I’m another airheaded heiress. I can assure you, while I’m no mogul, I fully understand the business model of my family’s company and how to navigate the corporate world. My father left the company in a very lucrative state, and I plan on keeping it that way until he returns.”

Rumors are already swirling regarding this sudden transition of power and Moondancer’s capability. Moondancer transferred to Canterlot High—a public school that faced scrutiny last year over a sudden gas explosion that destroyed the front entrance—for her last semester of senior year, only to miss finals and subsequently leave her studies incomplete, essentially making her a high school dropout.

When asked about this matter, Moondancer gave the brusque response: “While I believe in transparency for our company, what occurs in my private life is frankly irrelevant to the press.” Though the young heiress has spent her life up until now in relative obscurity, appearing only at corporate functions, Canterlot’s business elites will have a sharp eye on her from now on.

The article went on to mention a drop in stocks, but Sunset hardly cared about the economics of the situation. She looked up at Selena and Artemis. “You think Night Shade got his soul taken?”

Selena gave a grim nod. “The timeline of Tempest’s actions match too well for this to be a coincidence.”

Artemis paced between the table and the stove. “First the Sirens are walking around again and now this. I just got home and already can’t catch a break.”

“What does this mean for us though?” Sunset asked.

“We’re not sure,” Selena said. “We had already assumed Night Shade was working with Tempest, or at least that he knew Moondancer was. Either way, why wait until now to remove him and put Moondancer in power?”

“Why put an eighteen-year-old in charge in the first place?” Sunset asked. “It can’t be because she’s easier to control. We’ve met Moondancer.”

“Night must have done something egregious to upset Tempest,” Selena remarked.

Artemis ran a finger over his goatee and stared out to the backyard. “Perhaps. Or… maybe…”

A rapid knocking at the door prevented Sunset from pressing him on his muttered musings. She hurried over and opened it to find Twilight doubled-over, sword in hand, chest heaving.

“Moondancer… CEO! I saw… newspaper!” she gasped.

Sunset took her by the arm and led her inside. “Yeah, I just found out. You know, you didn’t have to run here.”

Twilight straightened up. “I thought it would be a good pre-training workout. Plus, this is really big news! If Moondancer’s in charge, that means—”

“Her dad probably lost his soul.”

“Not just that. Moondancer’s in charge of one of the largest businesses on the East Coast. She has direct access to money and resources now. If she really wanted to, she could make our lives extremely difficult.”

Sunset pressed her lips together. “I wouldn’t put it past her… but even if she wasn’t directly in control of the company she’s still been rich and powerful all along. What more can she do now that she couldn’t have tried before?”

“Good point. But I still think we should be prepared for something. Moondancer’s shown herself to be…” Twilight tightened her grip on her sword. “Impossible to read. The only person who knows what’s going on inside her head right now is her.”

“Yeah. Attacking us one day and feeding information to Fluttershy the next. She definitely has her own agenda.”

Twilight slumped her shoulders and headed toward the kitchen. “I just wish she told me what it was.”

*******

You don’t have to do this.

Moondancer looked up from her compact mirror to admire the passing cityscape. The limo pulled off the freeway and into the bustling traffic of downtown Canterlot. The sky quickly became obscured by the glass skyscrapers and concrete towers looming overhead.

Her head tilted downward and she caught her reflection again. No amount of makeup could hide the despondent look in her red eyes. It covered up the bags underneath her visible one at least. No one needed to know she was running on two hours of sleep. Every time she had closed her eyes, she saw her mother—Tirek, looking back at her.

You could end all of this right now.

Moondancer snapped the compact shut and leaned back in her seat. She had spent hours pacing in her room last night, chasing that thought in circles. She didn’t care how well reasoned the idea was, she didn’t care if it made her complicit in any more chaos that occurred. The fact of the matter was she, Moondancer, was not ready for that, mentally or emotionally.

But you can put an end to this entire nightmare! the rational part of her brain screamed. Make up for everything you’ve done! Make up for the failure your ancestors made! All you have to do is…

Kill Mother.

Moondancer lurched forward, cupping a hand over her mouth. Every time those two words strung themselves together, she nearly vomited.

But it’s true. You could end it all. Once Tirek dies a mortal death, this cycle ends and you can release all the souls from the Soul Lock.

Moondancer swallowed hard but kept her mouth covered, her stomach still roiling.

“All I have to do is sacrifice my mother and render years of toil and suffering pointless,” Moondancer muttered into her palm. She let out a broken laugh then gagged again.

But it’d be a simple matter. His—Mother’s—his body is still weak. I wouldn’t even need my project.

She shuddered at the visual of overpowering him and pinning him to the ground.

Mother would want what was best for the world though. She’d… she would probably risk throwing her life away for the greater good. She would probably beg me to do it. But…

Moondancer bit her thumb knuckle and pulled her shoulders in. Every time she played the scene out in her head, it froze before the final blow. Even if it was just Tirek wearing her mother’s face, it was still her mother’s face.

Coward.

“Yes, I am,” Moondancer said softly, lowering her hand.

Her limo pulled into the roundabout at the base of Canterlot Tower. Its black steel beams and glass absorbed the sun's rays, giving the sixty-story building an even more ominous appearance. The media were already gathered along the path to the front entrance, microphones out and cameras flashing.

“Are you ready, Miss?” Porter asked from the front.

Moondancer smoothed out her ruffled maroon blazer and wiped off any lingering lint from her black slacks. “As I’ll ever be.” A moment later, her door opened and a flood of questions washed over her. She took Porter’s hand and stepped out of the car, keeping her expression neutral.

“Miss Moondancer, what will be your first act as CEO?”

“Do you think you’re qualified to handle this position?”

“What is your relationship with the board of directors?”

“Is it true the scars on your face are from plastic surgery?”

Moondancer’s eye twitched slightly at that last question before she tuned the rest of them out. Security guards kept the reporters at bay as Moondancer strode toward the sliding glass doors. She paused in front of them and turned toward the cameras. “I will follow whatever plan my father had in place. Thank you.” She gave a simple wave and backed-stepped into the building.

Silence greeted her the second the doors slid closed. She took a moment to breathe in the quiet and look around the modest reception hall.

Moondancer couldn’t count the number of times she had been here, usually just to smile, wave, and put on the appearance that she and her father were a normal, happy family. There was a different air walking in without her father leading in front of her. Normally, she was detached and uninterested. But she was in charge now; she had to pay attention.

A familiar red rug ran over the gray tiles to the reception desk where a young man typed away at his keyboard. A board with a list of the various departments and amenities occupying the floors of Canterlot Tower took up the wall to Moondancer’s left. Though Shade Enterprises itself used up much of the building, they leased out several floors to their subsidiary companies.

On Moondancer’s right was a small sitting area with black leather couches and a coffee table covered in magazines. Moondancer remembered the days she had to sit and wait, politely saying hi to all the passing employees while her father finished up a meeting. A woman with alabaster skin and jet black hair tied in a neat bun sat in the seat Moondancer had always chosen.

She looked up from her tablet and smiled at Moondancer before standing and adjusting her horn-rimmed glasses. In heels, she was almost Moondancer’s height.

“Hello, Miss Moondancer, I don’t know if we’ve ever properly been introduced,” she said, reaching her hand out as she approached. “My name is Raven Inkwell. I was your father’s personal secretary, and now yours, if you wish to have me stay on.” Her voice was prim but pleasant, and she never broke eye contact.

Moondancer shook her hand and smiled back. “I remember you. Of course you can stay on. Having someone with such familiarity will make navigating through this much easier.”

“Thank you, ma’am, I’m glad you feel that way. I do hope Mr. Shade gets well soon, but I look forward to working with you.” Raven withdrew her hand and tapped on her tablet. “Before we get to business, I must ask, how would you prefer to be addressed? Miss Moondancer, Miss Lulamoon, Miss Shade?”

“Just ‘Moondancer’ will be fine,” she said, suppressing a flinch.

“Very well, Miss Moondacner.” Raven gave a polite nod. “If you’ll follow me, we can go through a quick tour of the departments before heading to your office.”

*******

Though Moondancer knew the building well enough from her past visits, she humored Raven and allowed her to be her tour guide. She already knew Sand Dollar in accounting and Sealight from international relations. Sparkler from communications had come over for dinner in the past, and Moondancer had once had a playdate with Sugar Sweet’s son.

But meeting them as their new boss was different.

They no longer looked down at her with polite smiles and passive glances; they looked up to her with a cavalcade of emotions hidden behind affable greetings and condolences. Some of them looked at her with fear, others with expectation. But all of them held scrutiny: the judgment of fully grown adults who would now be expected to answer to a child.

Moondancer couldn’t blame them. She’d be skeptical too if she was in their position. Only Raven seemed to withhold judgment, or at the very least, she was better at hiding it. They stood in the glass elevator on the side of the tower, watching the city grow smaller and smaller as they ascended to the top floor.

“You have a video call with the president of Firefly’s Skydiving at two. They want to commission new parts for their airplanes. Then at four, you have your first meeting with the board of directors. I’ve already written up a few notes to help you review everything the company has been doing until now. They’re on your desk along with the password to access your father’s computer.”

“Thank you, Miss Inkwell.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.” The elevator came to a smooth stop and opened to a large hallway with a set of grandiose doors at the other end. Another reception desk was positioned off to the side, opposite of a single security officer.

Raven walked at a brisk pace, but Moondancer took her time, admiring the potted plants and paintings on the wall. She paused at a watercolor of Canterlot’s skyline, remembering the auction her father had bought it from. She had been six and very fidgety, bored of all the stuffy people holding up little signs just for pictures. She had been treated to ice cream afterward though for her patience. Looking at it now, Moondancer admitted it was a fine piece of artwork.

She carried herself down the velveteen carpet to the oak doors. Raven had seated herself at the desk and was already typing away at her computer. She paused and smiled at Moondancer again. “I will be right here if you need anything. Just press the intercom button on your desk.”

“Right. Thank you, Miss Inkwell,” Moondancer repeated. She took a quick breath and pushed open the door. Like the rest of the building, she had been here before when she was just the CEO’s daughter. Stepping into the office as the CEO herself held a different atmosphere. She felt the urge to keep her shoulders straight and hold her head up as she crossed the threshold and swung the door shut.

She paused and let her heels sink into the plush white carpet. The office was brightly lit, due completely to the back wall being made entirely of glass. Moondancer walked past the couch and tea table set up in front of her father’s desk to get a better appreciation of her new view. Far down below, she could see people scurrying down the street like ants or driving beetle-sized cars. To her left were the mountains, free of snow now that summer had arrived, and to her right, she could see the line of trees that marked the Everfree Forest. Straight in front of her, high-rises and skyscrapers dominated downtown Canterlot, towering over old brick and mortar shops and apartments. But they all bowed before Moondancer’s tower, the next tallest building still several stories below her.

Moondancer felt tall and important. If only for a moment.

She looked back at the rest of the office. It made a U shape around the door. On one side was a small kitchenette with a fridge and microwave, and on the other was a door to the bathroom. Potted plants with large, round leaves sat close to the windows. They were so green and shiny, Moondancer doubted if they were real. A simple brush with her finger told her they indeed were. Her father had some competency with plants it seemed.

After admiring the succulents, Moondancer finally approached her father’s desk. It was dark mahogany, a perfect contrast to the carpet, and curved along the surface. The computer came with two monitors that took up the left side. Moondancer took a seat in the office chair and scooted herself in, and for another brief moment, she felt important again.

A neat stack of papers and a pen sat in front of a picture frame. Moondancer nudged them aside and quickly cursed her curiosity. Her mother, father, and a younger Moondancer smiled at her from in front of the grand staircase back at home. They were all sharply dressed; Night Shade wore a silver business suit with a black tie to match Apalla’s silver skirt and black blazer.

Moondancer squinted her eyes at her younger self. Little Moondancer’s hair only fell to the nape of her neck and her bangs curled over her cheeks. The memories of that day sat somewhere in the fog of her mind. She recognized the sundress her mother had wrestled her into. It was fuchsia, her favorite color and her word of that year. She also recalled being squirmy that afternoon though she couldn’t remember why.

The three of them smiled at the camera, Moondancer in between her parents and beaming like the happiest child in the world. They weren’t painted, they weren’t forced. They were genuine, happy smiles.

None of them knew. None of them had any idea of the tragedy that was to befall them. Her mother was to be a scapegoat, her father a pawn, and she, Moondancer, a vindictive fool.

Moondancer clenched her jaw and flipped the picture face down on the desk. On either side of her were a row of drawers. She picked the top one and opened it up, shoving the picture inside. Her hand reflexively snapped the drawer closed, but she kept her fingers curled around the handle, a conversation with her father springing to her mind.

Did he really keep it?

She opened the drawer again, nudging the picture aside to look at the other contents. Seeing only business folders, she closed it again and opened the one below it, finding more organized files. She opened another filled with spare pens, pencils, and highlighters. Moondancer tried the top drawer on her left and found a thin stack of unorganized papers. She leafed through them and found her query.

It was written in purple crayon by a child who had just discovered how to hold one. The letters slanted against one another and dipped below the lines. Some didn’t look like letters at all. Still, Moondancer could make out the words ‘princess’ and ‘tower’ and ‘save’ along with a few other context clues.

“Why on earth would he keep this?” Moondancer flipped the paper over, finding more of her younger self’s scribbles on the back. She wanted to be annoyed with her father, but something about him holding on to this trite, unintelligible screenplay touched her.

She puckered her lips and put the paper back in the drawer. It wasn’t as though his sentimentality could help her now. Night Shade was gone and Moondancer found herself cursing his name.

Oaf. I told you not to waste either of our time trying to fix this relationship. I was perfectly fine without you. Why did you insist on trying? You just made it hurt more...

Moondancer swatted a tear away. I should probably start working. She tucked herself in a little tighter and turned the computer monitor on. On top of the stack of papers was a sticky note with the computer password. Moondancer punched it in and was greeted to a generic home screen with dozens of files plastered over it.

Mondancer edged her seat back an inch and tugged at her shirt collar. She pulled over the stack of papers and started leafing through them, finding project names and business associates with short summaries and important bullet points under each of them.

After a few pages, Moondancer’s eyes began to gloss over. She pushed the papers back and returned to the computer, deciding to just click on the first file her mouse found. It opened to a ledger and a financial summary totaling in the low millions.

Moondancer found her mouth dry, and it was suddenly hard to swallow. She clicked open another file and found a memo filled with business jargon she barely understood.

Economics class did not prepare me for this.

She opened a file named ‘quarterly reports’ hoping to find a good place to jump in at. The graphs and summary were understandable at least but not what Moondancer would deem helpful. She opened another file and scanned through it, understanding some sections and being thoroughly confused by others. She opened another file, then another, and another, her breathing growing more labored with each one she opened.

Moondancer leaned back in her chair and placed her hands in front of her lips. I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing.

A hysterical giggle broke free from her before she clamped her mouth down. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

She glanced at the door hiding partially behind her front monitor. Her eyes drifted to the intercom by the base of it; a simple brown box with a speaker and a red button. Moondancer tapped her index fingers together before leaning over and giving the button a quick poke.

A second later, the speaker crackled before Raven came through, clear as day. “Yes, Miss Moondancer, did you need something?”

“Oh! No, um… I was just testing to see if it worked.”

“Very good, Miss Moondancer.” It crackled again then went silent.

Moondancer watched the intercom for a few more seconds then looked back at the door. She couldn’t ask for help on the first day. She already told the press she knew what she was doing. And the way all her new employees looked at her… like she was a child and they were expecting her to mess up. She couldn’t take company ridicule on top of everything else.

“I can do this,” she said, wiping a layer of sweat off her forehead. “I just need to… do it.”

But what exactly did she do? And where did she start?

She pulled over the notes again. “Okay, Raven said I have a call with a skydiving company for plane parts. I’ll just start there.” The notes referred her to a computer folder labeled Celaeno Aviation. Finding it proved easier said than done, as the folders were not organized alphabetically but rather by acquisition date. Moondancer had to go down the exhaustive list of subsidiaries the company owned, several of which she had no clue existed. The more she read, the tighter the knot in her chest squeezed.

She wasn’t just in charge of the employees of Shade Enterprise. She technically presided over thousands of people across half a dozen companies and had millions of dollars at her fingertips. And yet, she was just a pawn in someone else’s game.

You don’t have to be. You can put this to rest.

No, I can’t!

All you have to do is kill—

Moondancer gagged, bile rising to her mouth. She forced it back with a shudder and coughed from the acid clinging to her throat. Legs trembling, she pushed herself away from the desk and stumbled over to the kitchenette. She poured herself a glass of water from the faucet and downed it in one gulp. The empty glass slipped out of her sweaty grasp and thudded against the countertop as Moondancer slid to her knees. She turned over and laid her back against the counter, pulling her legs up to her chest.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hands shook on her knees and her breathing quickened. She stared blankly at the soft white carpet. “I can’t do this… I’m not strong enough… I’m sorry. I thought, but… I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t do any of this. I can’t do… I just can’t...”

Her tears ran over her scars, making them prickle, and she lifted her mask and tossed it to the side. She had spent an hour in this position last night with similar thoughts screaming in her head. She didn’t know why they kept crowding; she had one course of action. But the thought of sitting in this office day in and day out, putting on the facade she knew what she was doing and could direct an entire company while Tempest hovered in the shadows made her chest ache.

Is this what Father went through? But he actually knew what he was doing.

You have someone here who knows what she’s doing.

Moondancer turned her head. She could see the intercom on the desk. She could ask Raven for assistance… but if word got out that she needed help with even the most basic of tasks—

Put your pride away for ten seconds!

Moondancer wasn’t sure if she’d call it pride. It was hard to feel prideful when she was a puppet on a string. Whatever it was though, she did her best to swallow it down. She took another minute to breathe and put herself partially together before standing up.

Just… one thing at a time, Moondancer.

She wiped off her running mascara and slipped her mask back on before returning to her desk. Her finger hovered over the intercom button as she took another look at the folders and files open on the computer.

You don’t have to do this.

Yes, I do. She sighed. But… I don’t have to do all of it alone.

She held down the button. “Miss Inkwell…”

“Yes, Miss Moondancer?”

“Um… I… I just…” She cleared her throat. “Could you come in, please? I need your assistance with something.”

*******

At a quarter to midnight, the Canterlot Art and History Museum should have been silent. Yet an eerie, hypnotic melody drifted through the dim corridors.

Adagio trailed behind the night guard, singing a few more notes as they crossed through the main exhibit hall. She ran a finger down her gemstone, savoring for the umpteenth time how smooth and warm it felt against her neck. She had the guard completely enthralled, but she sang again anyway, just to hear the soft melody of her voice.

Her voice! Sung in a rapturous solo! She didn’t need her wretched sisters to provide back up. In fact, she had never needed them! She had offered them a chance at greatness out of the kindness of her heart and a sense of kinship. She had allowed them to ride on her coattails to greatness. But if they wanted to spurn her and throw their lot in with those disgusting girls, then so be it.

A rush of footsteps drew Adagio’s eyes down an adjacent hallway. Here came another museum guard, hand near his baton.

“Iron Bar, what are you doing? Why is—”

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

The new guard slowed to a walk then came to a full stop. His eyes took on a green tint and his expression turned blank, just like the other three guards she had ensnared.

“Just go back to your position,” Adagio said silkily. “There’s nothing wrong here.”

He nodded and turned around, stumbling back to wherever he had come from.

Adagio made a throaty chuckle and looked down at her leather glove. Stitched into the palm was the Sacanas shard. Sure, she could have blasted her way into the museum and taken what she wanted by force, but she didn’t know how much power her shard had left.

And watching humans do her bidding was always satisfying.

Her escort led her to the back of the fine art section where all of the notable jewels were on display. In the center of the room sat Adagio’s prize, the display light above it giving it a brilliant shine.

“Get it for me,” she commanded.

The guard nodded and took out his keys, unlocking the glass case and reaching inside.

“I guess the old adage is true,” Adagio said, holding her hands out. “If you want something done right…”

The guard placed the Crystal Heart in Adagio’s palms. Its blue surface lit up her face, even in the dim light of the closed museum. She looked down at the dozens of reflections in the crystal’s facets, all of them grinning hungrily at her.

“Do it yourself.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: No One Girl Should Have All That Power

5. As the Wheels Turn

Tirek looked down at his Soul Lock, slowly turning the golden amulet over fingers that weren’t his own. They still felt stiff and slow to respond. It wasn’t just this body’s debilitation from being motionless for so long, he had fixed that with magic. It was more akin to the body trying to reject him. He could understand why—his host was also the spawn of his mortal enemy.

He let go of his Soul Lock and folded his arms behind his back. Another bluster of wind billowed his cloak out and pushed his long hair from in front of his face. He took a step forward and leaned over the edge of the tower. Canterlot City sprawled out beneath him, noisy with their automatic transports and construction and loud music. He wasn’t sure what to make of this city of steel. It fascinated him how far humanity had advanced without the aid of magic, yet to see a world without marble temples and stone castles was strange.

“What do you think, My Lord?”

Tempest sat behind him on a metal box with grates that blew out hot air. She had spent the last two days informing him on the current state of the world. Technological advances, military powers, governing bodies. The world had grown even more chaotic and messy over the years. The gods had stopped even pretending to care.

Another gust of wind pushed Tirek’s hair back into his face. He brushed it away and said, “Militaries boast powerful weapons, and this ‘surveillance’ technology allows them to observe things at all times.” He despised the soft-sounding voice coming from his throat.

“The world has managed a great deal despite being robbed of magic,” he continued. “But, that makes our job that much more difficult.”

Tempest nodded. “That is why soul gathering has been slow-going. Large amounts of people dropping into comatose states would draw attention.”

Tirek closed his eyes and growled. “A hindrance to be sure. I will need to borrow as many souls as possible to gain enough power to usurp the gods. What you’ve gathered is a start but is still just a mere pittance.”

He raised a hand to his chin where his beard should have been. “But, if Starlight’s research yields the results she promises, the threat of military interference will be of little consequence. No, we have something more immediate to concern ourselves with.”

“The Rainbow of Light?”

Tirek turned and faced Tempest, the wind pushing his cloak against the back of his legs. “I had gathered countless souls and neared my ascension when Megan and her gaggle of minions stormed my castle. A decent witch in her own right, but nothing I could not handle, especially with the power I had gained. It would have been an inconsequential fight if not for divine intervention.”

He clenched his jaw. “Too afraid to face me themselves, the gods picked her as their champion and handed her an instrument to match my powers. A ‘light’ to counter my so-called ‘darkness’. Pure, concentrated Divine Magic. I could not have anticipated it, and in an instant, all of my work was undone.

“Years later, after I was brought back and resumed my conquest, I sent my followers to put down any magician they could find; anyone who might be able to wield the Rainbow. Yet Merlin and his friends outmaneuvered me and once again, I lost.”

Tirek clenched a fist and looked up at the pale blue sky. “Twice I’ve been caught unprepared. It will not happen a third time.”

“What do you propose, My Lord?” Tempest raised her recreated arm, and black electricity danced around her fingertips. “We could rip the flower out at the root.”

“No.” Tirek turned and looked out over the city again. “These girls you’ve quarreled with… you’re certain they don’t already have the Rainbow of Light in their position?”

“Positive. They bear a magic that is similar, but it doesn’t appear Divine in nature.”

“Hmmm, I see. All the more reason to spare them for now.”

“My Lord?”

Tirek spread his arms from his sides. “In both ages that I was strong enough to threaten the divine order, the Rainbow of Light has also appeared. Even if I destroyed those who might be able to summon it, others would surely rise in time and attempt it again. It is godly power given to mortals. Particularly mortals who think it is their duty to stop me.”

He dropped his left arm and in his right, a crackling blade made of angry red energy appeared. “Now, imagine, Commander, if I had control of such power. A divine weapon turned against its creators and the power of a legion of souls. Tearing down the pantheon of old would be child’s play, and I would become the god humanity deserves.”

Tirek slashed the air in front of him. It rippled like a red-tinged mirage and left red specks of magic to float on the wind.

After a beat of silence, Tempest spoke. “So, you want them to find the Rainbow of Light?”

“Indeed.” The red sword disappeared in a burst of crimson embers. “Let us observe them. Even push when necessary. Allow their souls to grow, and when the Rainbow is within their grasp…”

Tirek looked over his shoulder and smiled. “We take it for ourselves.”

*******

“So, here’s where things stand. We have one key to the Rainbow of Light. Moondancer is in charge of Shade Enterprises. And now, Adagio Dazzle has the Crystal Heart in her grubby hands along with a shard that can absorb and recast magic.”

Sunset watched Artemis pace back and forth in front of her and her friends. The six of them and Trixie were lined up in the Lulamoon backyard for the first day of magical training. Twilight sat off to the side with Selena, notebook and pencil at the ready.

“I’d ask how this situation could get worse,” Artemis said, “but I know better than to tempt the universe.”

“Why’d you give the crystal back to the museum in the first place?” Rainbow asked.

“What was I supposed to do with it?” Artemis asked, ceasing his pacing. “Its sole purpose is to amplify emotions, and the three creatures in the entire world who could use that for devious ends had been beaten! Forgive me for not being able to predict they’d find a way to get their powers back and come steal it again!”

“Hey, Adagio is the one that stole it,” Pinkie clarified pointedly. “Sonata already called and told me she and Aria had nothing to do with it.”

“She called you?” Applejack asked.

“Uh-huh! They get thirty minutes of phone time at the detention center.”

Artemis crossed his arms. “Innocent until proven guilty, I suppose. Though you’ll forgive me if I’m not unconvinced this isn’t all a part of some grander scheme.”

“It isn’t!”

“Regardless! We have enemies moving about both in the open and in the shadows. You all need to be as prepared as possible for whatever happens next. So, to best find a way to hone your magical powers, I will need a proper demonstration first from each of you.”

Twilight raised her hand.

“My dear Trixie and I have created an illusionary field around the backyard. To the outside world, it will seem as if nothing is amiss.”

Twilight lowered her hand.

Artemis smirked. “Well, if there are no more questions, who wants to go first?”

“Dibs!” Rainbow called. She punched a fist into her open palm and instantly ponied up, taking a moment to bask in her own blue glow. She then phased into a chromatic blur that bounced from one side of the backyard to the other, creating a bluster of wind.

She skidded to a stop, hopped into the air, and pretended to take a seat while her wings kept her aloft. “So, how was that?”

“Super speed! Classic!” Artemis said jovially. “Alright, who’s next?”

Pinkie waved her hand in the air. “Me, me!” She made a peace sign and held it to her eye while placing her other hand on her hip. “Pony power, maaaake up!”

In a burst of pink flare, Pinkie’s pony ears popped out of her now extended hair. She cupped her hands in front of her face, a soft glow radiating from between her fingers. She then thrust her hands skyward and released a burst of light from her palms. It carried upward and exploded into hundreds of smaller lights, still visible despite the bright sunshine.

Pinke then made finger guns and pointed them at the sky, making, “Pew pew,” noises as she shot off smaller fireworks.

Artemis stroked his goatee. “Interesting. Some form of pyrotechnic projectiles. Very good for offense.”

“I just call ‘em fireworks!” Pinkie threw another large one into the air. When it exploded, five smaller balls of light dropped down and exploded again in a rainbow of colors.

Trixie whistled. “Trixie approves of that one.”

“Well, Ah ain’t got anythin’ fancy like that,” Applejack said. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. It took a few seconds, but her orange aura blazed to life and her already impressive ponytail lengthened. She walked over to the lawn table, grabbed it with one hand, and lifted it over her head.

“Ah, super strength! Another classic! Hardly anything to be bashful about!” Artemis cheered.

Rarity ponied up next, having to close her eyes and concentrate like Applejack. When her purple aura manifested, she raised her hand and a palm-sized diamond shield materialized before her. She raised both her hands and the single diamond quickly multiplied into a wall. She then squeezed her eyes shut and threw her arms over her head, raising an entire dome of crystal around herself.

She dropped her arms down and doubled over as the shield fell. “Oh my, that still takes some effort to do on command.”

“That’s an interesting one,” Artemis said. “Are they hard light shields or actual crystals? And how durable are they? We definitely have to test those later.”

Fluttershy, already ponied up, walked over and put a hand on Rarity’s back. A soothing pink light washed over Rarity and she straightened up.

“Thank you, sweetness, I feel much better!”

“Ah yes, you’re the healer! Invaluable to any team!”

Fluttershy’s cheek turned as pink as her magic.

Artemis turned his attention to Sunset. “Well, that just leaves you, Sunny.”

Sunset inhaled. “Right. Just remember, I have two.” She closed her eyes and focused on her center, meditating like she had in Equestria. The warmth of her magic radiated through her body, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a golden sheen hugging her arms. She reached up and ran a finger up her horn, feeling whole again.

“So, this is my ponied-up form. I guess I can look into people’s souls.” Sunset rubbed her arm. “It’s kinda invasive honestly.”

“Oh, oh, do me!” Pinkie ran over and hopped up and down in front of Sunset.

Sunset swallowed a nervous lump, wondering what sort of sugar-craziness resided in Pinkie’s soul. She took Pinkie’s hand and felt their souls connect. In a flash of light, the backyard disappeared.

Pinkie bounced as high as she could in the bounce house. The feeling of her stomach dropping as she came back down drew another laugh out of her. Her friends laughed as well, jumping and belly-flopping against the inflated plastic. She couldn’t believe her friends had thrown this surprise birthday party for her. Actually, she could; they were the best friends she could have ever asked for!

Then she was on a swing set, kicking her legs as hard as she could to get as high as possible. Sonata sat in the swing next to her, trying to beat her height. They laughed in stereo, drawing the attention of the kids scattered around the playground.

Once she reached max height, Pinkie jumped from her swing and soared through the air, letting out a loud, “Wheeee!” She landed firmly on her feet and threw her arms in the air in celebration. Sonata landed next to her, stumbling a few steps before catching herself and straightening up like nothing had happened.

She turned and beamed at Pinkie. “Aria and Dagi never ride the swings with me! It’s so much fun!”

Then, Pinkie sat on a beach towel watching another marshmallow turn a golden brown in the bonfire. She didn’t say anything. She just looked around at her friends, talking and smiling. They were all happy. And that was all Pinkie wanted.

Sunset pulled her hand away as laughter bubbled up from her core. She wiped a tear away and smiled at Pinkie who beamed back at her.

“Whatcha see, whatcha see?”

“Just a lot of happy memories,” Sunset said. “But I felt how much you love all of us and just want us to be happy.”

“That’s ‘cause it’s the truth!”

Artemis put his hands on his hips, looking mystified. “Soul reading? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”

“I also did something to Fluttershy and made her stronger?” Sunset thought back to their trauma-inducing camping trip and how Fluttershy had removed the black magic infecting Jörmungandr after Sunset had put a hand on her. “I still don’t know how I did that one.”

Pinkie leaned forward, smiling eagerly. “You wanna test it on me?”

“I just said I don’t know how I did it.”

“And you’ll never learn unless you try!”

Sunset pursed her lips. “I hate when you make sense.” She flexed her fingers and put a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. A warm thread tied their souls together, and Sunset found herself staring at more memories. A random birthday party, a trip to an amusement park, their Halloween sleepover from a year ago. As the pictures passed across her vision, Sunset felt embraced by a joyous euphoria. It was like a warm hug. She wanted to laugh and share that feeling with everyone she met.

Too saccharine!

Sunset pulled her hand off and shook her head. The coat of happiness fell away, though she could still feel it tickling her soul. She liked to be happy, but that was too much.

“I don’t feel any different,” Pinkie said, looking at her own hand.

“That’s because I didn’t do it right.”

“Then come on! I know you can do it!”

Sunset set her jaw and reached for Pinkie again, forcing herself to try and give something instead of take. This time when she made contact, she wasn’t drawn into Pinkie’s soul. Instead, she felt her own soul pulse before Pinkie’s aura blazed brighter and she let out a squeal of excitement.

“Holy flying cupcakes, I feel like I can do anything!” Pinkie turned her palms skyward and blasted out a firework twice as large as her last one. It zoomed high above the house, leaving a glittering trail behind it until it erupted into a mini Fourth of July display, unleashing a dozen small explosions in a spectrum of colors and star patterns. They crackled and fizzled as they faded from view.

“That was awesome!” Rainbow shouted. She zipped over to Sunset. “Do me next!”

Sunset sighed and pressed a hand against Rainbow’s face, both to get Rainbow out of her personal space and to repeat what she had done for Pinkie. Sunset’s soul pulsed again, and Rainbow’s aura intensified.

“Heck yeah!” Rainbow twisted around and rocketed into the air.

In the next moment, Sunset was knocked off her feet and landed on her back as a great boom ripped across her ears. Her eardrums popped and she instantly became lightheaded as a high-pitched trill rang in her ears. While the ground spun beneath her, she could make out a tiny dot zipping about high in the sky.

“Dammit, Dash,” Sunset moaned, her voice muffled to her damaged ears.

Rainbow dropped back to the ground with a superhero landing. Sunset felt a small tremor as Rainbow’s fist hit the ground. She lifted her head, a jubilant grin on her face, and mouthed something.

Sunset sat up and cupped her ears. “I can’t hear anything, Dash, you broke my eardrums!”

Two hands folded over hers and a gentle warmth spread through her ears. Car alarms and barking dogs were the first things Sunset heard.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Sunset said as the girl removed her hands and moved onto Applejack.

Selena rubbed her temples. “I kindly ask you to refrain from doing that in close proximity to people.”

Rainbow stood up and eased a hand behind her head. “Heh, sorry. Totally my bad. But did you see that? I went supersonic! It felt awesome! I lapped the entire city in like, two seconds!”

“Good for you, Rainbow,” Twilight said with disgruntlement, holding up her cracked glasses.

Artemis flicked his wand at the lenses. The cracks sealed themselves up and the plastic took on a glossy sheen, good as new. He then proceeded to fix the kitchen door and the windows. “Yes well, as impressive as that was, my illusion barrier doesn’t cover the whole city. No one probably saw you, but let’s try to be a little more discreet.”

“I never thought I’d see the day you ask for discretion,” Selena said.

Artemis playfully rolled his eyes and turned to Sunset. “Well, you seem to be some sort of empath with the additional ability to boost other people’s powers.” He crossed his arms and gave his boyish grin. “I knew there was something special about you the moment we crossed paths.”

“Must be. I still have another power to show.”

“Yeah! Show them Super Saiyan!” Rainbow cheered.

“Phoenix form!” Sunset countered.

“Super Saiyan!”

“Uugh!” Sunset closed her eyes. Her agitation wouldn’t be enough to get her into phoenix form. Instead, she reimagined Tempest looming over Twilight, Soul Lock in hand.

Her horn vanished, and a wave of surging heat spread through every fiber of her being. Her ponytail came apart and instead danced behind her in a solar wind. Blazing wings burst from her back, and a shimmering tail extended from the base of her spine. Sunset opened her eyes and exhaled, her very breath overheated.

“Incredible,” Artemis whispered. “I’ve never seen magic like this.”

“Yeah.” Sunset gave her wings a flutter, scattering embers to the wind. “This is phoenix form—”

“Super Saiyan!”

“Phoenix form!” Sunset glared daggers at Rainbow who just snickered. “Anyway, after I literally confronted my demon side and accepted what I did in the past, this happened. Still not sure why, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.”

She held her hand up and a ball of fire ignited just over her palm. “This one’s easier to understand. Basic fire powers.”

“She’s also super warm to hug!” Pinkie said, embracing Sunset from behind.

“I guess my wings and tail don’t hurt people I like,” Sunset said, watching Pinkie nuzzle one of her fiery wings.

Artemis smirked and stroked his goatee. “Well, this is quite the range of powers we have here. I’m going to have to think how best to train you, especially given our limited space. And with your specializations, I’ll have to come up with a different training regiment than how I trained Trixie.”

“How did you train Trixie?” Twilight asked, looking up from her notes.

“We started with the basics: just being able to feel the magic within her and drawing upon it. Then we went onto mental imaging: being able to see yourself casting the spell. Then we moved onto actual spellwork. You girls appear to be able to ‘pony up’ whenever you want to, so that completes step one.”

Twilight held her pen up. “Well, instead of image training, the next step would be to test the limits of everyone’s abilities while trying to see if there are any extra powers we’re not yet aware of. We would also be able to monitor the duration of their power-ups and see if using their magic shortens the time they can be in that form, as well as examine if training can extend that time, like exercising a muscle. Then, I would propose we work on coordination between powers. Applejack and Rarity already demonstrated good chemistry with their powers at Prom.”

Artemis coughed into his fist. “Er, yes! I was just about to propose the same thing! Good job, Twilight!”

“Agreed,” Selena said. “However, we still have the space issue. It’ll be hard to test their powers in such a limited area. Let’s not forget how many fences Trixie broke while you were training her.”

“It only happened twice!” Trixie said indignantly.

“Four times.”

“What about Sweet Apple Acres?” Rarity asked.

“And give mah grannie a heart attack?” Applejack shook her head. “Besides, this magic training is gonna be messy business. Ah’d rather not have y’all mess up mah farm.”

“I’m sure I’ll come up with something,” Artemis said, airily waving his hand. “I suppose that’s it for today. Now that I know what you’re all capable of, I can plan accordingly.”

Rarity exhaled deeply and her pony accessories vanished. “I’m glad we made a little headway. If that’s everything, then I must excuse myself.”

“Where are you off to?” Rainbow asked.

Rarity straightened up to her full height, looking proud of herself. “I’m going to conduct a few interviews for my new boutique assistant.”

Twilight closed her notebook and looked up. “An assistant? Why?”

“Two reasons.” Rarity held a finger up. “One, I would like someone to carry on tending to the store while I’m away at school. I’ve put a lot of hard work into it these past years and would hate to just simply let it go. So, I would like an assistant I can train to become my successor.”

She held up a second finger. “Second and more excitingly, the fashion institute has a design competition every year. The student who produces the best fall line gets an internship with Prim Hemline!” Rarity pressed her hands against her cheeks. “Do you know how badly I want to work with the Prim Hemline? An internship would set my career ahead by years!”

Moving her hands down, Rarity took on a determined expression. “No incoming freshman has ever won the competition, and I want to be the first. So, I’m enlisting a little extra help to make sure my designs get done on time.”

“I’m doing something similar,” Twilight said excitedly. “There’s a research and development lab offering an internship for the best-designed invention. It’ll look really good on my transcripts if I got in.”

“Sparky, you already got accepted into MIT, you’re fine,” Sunset said with slight exasperation.

“But what if I wanted to transfer at some point? Besides, it’ll look great on job applications. And it’ll be fun!”

Rarity waved a hand. “Well then, I wish luck to the both of us. Toodles, girls!” She hurried off through the kitchen.

Selena stood up and grabbed her sword. “Magic training may be over, but sword practice is just getting started.”

Twilight dropped her notebook and jumped to her feet. “Yes, ma’am!”

Artemis and the rest of the girls piled into the kitchen to give them space. Sunset took cups from the cabinets and began pouring everyone lemonade.

“So, what are we gonna do about Adagio?” Rainbow asked.

Artemis took a sip of his drink before speaking. “Unless we find out where she’s hiding, we’ll have to wait for her to make the first move. I don’t like that she has her gemstone back, not to mention the Crystal Heart, but, I think it’ll be harder for her to gain any sort of grip on the public after her embarrassment at the Battle of the Bands.”

Sunset squeezed her glass and looked out the window. Twilight and Selena were engaged in a quick back and forth. Even if it was harder for Adagio to get a foothold, the idea she could hypnotize people again made Sunset uneasy.

Twilight’s stronger now, Sunset thought as Twilight parried and riposted Selena’s attack. She’ll be fine.

*******

Rarity took another glance down at the application in front of her. The ‘application’ being mostly photos of homemade outfits and sketches of suits and dresses.

“I must say, Miss Pommel, these designs are marvelous. Simple yet elegant. Oooh, I really like the color palette of this one!”

The girl in the seat across from her blushed. “Thank you. And please, call me Coco.”

Rarity nodded as she turned a page. “Oh, I love this beret!”

Coco managed to turn a brighter shade of pink. It contrasted perfectly with her cream-colored skin and her two-toned blue bob cut. “Thank you. I made that during this year’s Yarn-Off.”

“It’s wonderful!” Rarity flipped through the remainder of the portfolio and gently closed it. “Your work is lovely, Coco. Now, let’s talk about you. Why do you want to work at Carousel Boutique?”

Coco fidgeted with the red and orange clip in her hair. “Umm, I love fashion,” she said lamely. “I mean, obviously or I wouldn’t be here. What I mean to say is…”

She took a deep breath, and her cheeks finally returned to their normal color. “Even at Crystal Prep, we know that you make great designs. I’ve wanted to be in the fashion industry ever since I was little and I thought working for someone like you who’s already so good at it would be a great opportunity.”

Coco raised her hands and nervously rubbed her knuckles together. “Not only that but… the Midsummer Theater Revival is happening soon, or at least, it’s trying to. It’s been getting harder and harder to put on every year, and we’re not sure how much longer it’ll last. I’ve been going every year my entire life so this year, I want to contribute something that might make a difference. If I can design amazing costumes for the theater, it might help bring in an audience. So, I want as much practice as possible.”

She dipped her head, the blush in her cheeks making a comeback. “It’s silly, I know.”

Rarity reached into her pocket and pulled out her handkerchief. “You’re hired!” she cried, then dabbed her eyes.

Coco snapped her head up. “I am?”

“Of course! You’re a wonderful designer with a beautiful dream! You’re exactly the kind of assistant I want! And I promise, we’ll make time for your theater designs! You’ll be the woman who revived the Revival!”

“Really?” Coco pressed her hands against her mouth, tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much, Miss Rarity! You won’t regret this!”

“I’m certain I won’t.” Rarity finished dabbing her eyes and reached over to shake Coco’s hand. “I’ll see you at nine o’clock, Monday morning.”

*******

Applejack skimmed the surface of the wood with her knife, watching another sliver flutter onto the floor. She sat in her room, feet propped up on her desk, balancing her chair on its back two legs. Winona laid on her bed, legs twitching as she chased something in her dream.

Crickets and an occasional owl hoot broke the silence over the farm. From her window, Applejack could see the edge of the Everfree Forest. The full moon illuminated the tops of some of the evergreen trees. She breathed in the summer night air: pollen and leaves and tilled soil, and hummed in content.

She shaved off another piece of wood and turned the piece over in her hand. It was coming along nicely. She actually wasn’t sure what it was yet, but it was looking smooth.

“Once… upon a time,

“You came into my world and made the stars align.”

The sudden ringtone made Applejack drop her feet and sit up in her chair. Her phone buzzed on her desk, Rarity’s face winking up at her. Applejack swiped to answer and pressed the speaker button.

“Hey, Rares.”

“Good evening, Applejack,” Rarity said in a polite yet excited voice. “How are you?”

“Ah’m fine. Just practicin’ my whittlin’. How’d those interviews of yours go?”

“Oh, they were fantastic! I’ve found the perfect assistant named Coco Pommel! She’s cute as a button and is already very talented. Can you believe it, Applejack? I have my own protege!” She gave a girlish squeal.

Applejack leaned back in her chair and began scraping off more wood shavings. “Yeah, bet that’s excitin’. Try not to overload the girl on her first day.”

“Pish posh, what do you take me for? I’m no slave-driver.”

“Ah know. You just tend to get a little too excited about fashion is all.”

“I also know how to handle people, so don’t you worry your pretty little head. And speaking of that pretty head,” Rarity said with a coyish tone.

Here it comes. Rarity only called this late when she wanted something.

“Are you busy this Saturday?”

Applejack looked at her calendar on the wall. Sadly, it looked like she was free. “Maybe. Why?”

“Oh no reason in particular…” The windup was all too easy to hear. “Just that I have two tickets to see Countess Coloratura! Backstage passes included!” She let out a scream of delight.

Applejack winced, glad she wasn’t holding the phone to her ear. “Real happy for ya, Rares. But, uh, why don’t you ask Flash?”

“Because he’s out of town on a fishing trip with his father,” she complained.

“Aw. Well, Ah’m flattered Ah was your next choice, but you know Ah’m not a big fan of all that pop music.”

“You played in a pop band,” Rarity deadpanned.

“Didn’t mean Ah liked it.”

“Applejack!”

“Ah’m mostly jokin’,” Applejack said, cracking a brief smile. “It’s fun when we’re doin’ it ‘cause our music actually means somethin’. Most of that mainstream music is just stuff the industry churns out to make a quick dime. There’s no soul in it.”

“Have you heard any of Countess Coloratura’s songs?” Rarity challenged.

“Uhh… probably? All that radio music sounds the same.”

“A rather narrow view you have,” Rarity said cooly. Her voice warmed slightly. “Which is why you should come with me to the concert. Broaden your horizons, Applejack. Plus, backstage passes! It’ll be fun!”

Applejack sucked on her teeth. “Ah don’t know, Rarity…”

“Fine, I understand,” Rarity bemoaned. She gave a loud sigh. “I suppose I’ll just go by myself. I’ll sit next to an empty seat, haunted by the knowledge that my dear friend Applejack didn’t want to spend time with me.”

“Hold on now, Ah never said that!”

“So you’ll come with me then?” Rarity’s voice was immediately filled with pep.

“Ah mean Ah’ll—”

“Oh, excellent! Thank you so much, Applejack! We’ll have tons of fun, I promise! Pick you up at five! Ciao!”

Applejack’s phone beeped twice before the screen went dark. She stared at it for a second before furrowing her brow. “Ah hate when she does that.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Bishoujo Senshi Sunset Shimmer!

Okay! Had to iron out a few wrinkles, stop myself from going down a plot line that I was really hesitant about. But we're back on track! It's fine, everything's fine! Probably!

The postscript for this volume is gonna be long.

6. Showtime!

Rarity held her word and pulled up to Sweet Apple Acres just before five o’clock Saturday evening. She had even brought Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo along so they could spend the night with Apple Bloom.

Applejack greeted them at the end of the dirt driveway, wearing her usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Rarity wore a starry blue blouse with purple leggings. Applejack had no idea what the dress code was for concerts, but was sure Rarity would comment on it.

Sweetie and Scootaloo jumped out of the car and bounded up to the porch to see Apple Bloom, saying a quick hi to Applejack as they passed.

“Hey, girls,” Apple Bloom said, greeting them with a three-way high-five. “Ah’m surprised you didn’t want to go to the concert, Sweetie.”

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Eh. Coloratura is fine, but I prefer Sapphire Shores.”

“Ah’ve got some of her albums in mah room. Y’all wanna listen to them?”

“Sounds awesome!” Scootaloo cheered.

Applejack watched the three of them race inside, then got into Rarity’s car. She saw the look Rarity gave, and just before she opened her mouth, Applejack cut across her.

“Yes, this is what Ah’m wearing to the concert.”

Rarity clicked her tongue. “Would you at least consider putting on some make-up? You’re going to meet Coloratura herself. You could dress up a little bit.”

Applejack crossed her arms. “Ah especially don’t care what some fancy diva thinks about me.”

She clucked her tongue again. “Fine, be your stubborn self. Luckily, I’m fabulous enough for the both of us.” She put the car in reverse and backed out onto the main road. The early hours of dusk stretched the shadows of the trees across the road.

They exchanged few words during the drive, the radio filling the empty space instead. Applejack sat slumped to one side, resting her head in her palm.

Rarity glanced over and pursed her lips. “The least you could do is pretend to be excited.”

Applejack sighed. “Ah told you this ain’t really mah thing. Plus…” Applejack scratched the back of her neck. “Ah can’t help but feel a little anxious. So far both times we’ve been to the colosseum, bad things happened to us.”

“Darling, relax. It’s just a Coloratura concert. They’re far more tame than anything the Sirens put on. And she’s not secretly some super villain plotting world domination through music. Probably.”

“With our luck, she just might be,” Applejack muttered.

Rarity sighed as they took the off-ramp into the city. “I’m going to get you to have fun tonight if it kills me.”

They ran into traffic a mile out from Canterlot Colosseum. Applejack instantly knew it was related to the concert because the car in front of them had an ‘I ♥ Coloratura’ bumper sticker. Watching the sunset between the towering skyscrapers was a nice consolation at least. Applejack found the orange glow reflecting off the glass windows relaxing.

After a ten-minute crawl, they made it into the parking lot. Rarity took an extra minute to apply another layer of blush before exiting the car. “Are you sure you don’t—”

“Eeyup.”

“Fine. But you know you’ll have to take your hat off when the show starts, yes?”

Applejack touched the brim of her stetson. Of course she knew that; it was common courtesy.

They moved up to the front entrance, and just like the traffic, they found themselves in a snaking line that wrapped around the front of the building. People were dressed in Coloratura shirts and jackets, had posters with her face on them, and even wore long purple and silver hair extensions or veils in front of their faces.

“Ah never understood how or why people get so worked up over one celebrity,” Applejack said.

“Because they’re inspiring!” Rarity said, spreading her fingers. “People love art and music. And when you find something that really moves you, you can’t help but want to meet the artist in question. Even you have to have some musician or celebrity you admire.”

“‘Course Ah do,” Applejack said, smiling fondly. “Dirk Thistleweed and the Barnyard Bunch.”

Rarity blinked, looking mystified. “Dirk Thistleweed… and the Barnyard Bunch?”

“Yep! Best folk music from the South. Ah’d love to shake their hand at least once. So, that part Ah get. But, some people take this way too far.” Applejack pointed to someone covered from head to toe in Coloratura merchandise and holding up a life-sized blow-up doll.

Rarity gave a quick shake of her head and came out of her stupor. “Well, there are always the more… let’s say colorful fans out there. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone, let them like what they like.”

“Alright, alright,” Applejack said, fanning a hand. “Ah still think it’s weird but you're right.”

The line moved at a slow but steady pace. Eventually, they reached security and Rarity presented their tickets. In return, Applejack and Rarity received a wristband that had ‘Backstage’ written across it, followed by a star encircled by multicolored music notes.

Their seats were in the east wing, center-left and high above the stage. Applejack had never been in the stands before; both times she and her friends were here, they were on the ground or on stage. Said stage took up one endzone of the field and had a long bridge jutting down the middle, making it look more like a catwalk. The rest of the field was awash with fans already snapping pictures with their cell phones. The stands were almost filled to max capacity as well, and Applejack could feel the excitement crackling in the air.

“I can’t believe we’re here!” Rarity said, her voice faint amongst the growing din. “A live Coloratura concert! I’ve been waiting all year for this!”

“Be straight with me, Rarity,” Applejack said as she cast her eyes over the sea of screaming fans. “Why’d you invite me of all people to come with you?”

“Because I like to get people to try new things.” Rarity smiled. “And because honestly, I feel like you and I have rarely ever spent any one on one time together.”

Applejack mulled her words over. “Ah guess because you and Ah don’t share a lot of common interests. Case in point.” She gave a wide gesture to the stadium around them.

“And I was hoping this would bring us a little closer as friends. I want to make as many memories as possible before we head our separate ways.”

Applejack returned her smile, though it wasn’t as strong. “Well, Ah hope you’re right about tonight.”

The stadium lights dimmed, and the crowd volume rose to a crescendo. Applejack took her hat off and tucked it beneath her seat before pressing her hands against her ears. She didn’t remember the stadium being this loud at the Sirens’ concert.

A synth chord started, followed by a heavy drumbeat. A burst of light left stars in Applejack’s eyes, then fog began to pour onto the stage. Her body tensed as she remembered the green fog from the Sirens’ concerts. A gentle touch on her shoulder from Rarity only did so much to relax her.

“Canterlot!” a voice echoed throughout the colosseum. Applejack had to cover her ears again at the crowd’s deafening response.

“It’s good to be home!” A lone figure appeared in the center of the fog. Laser lights danced around her as she posed with a hand on her hip, her humongous ponytail waving in the breeze.

“La-a-ah-ah-ah!

“Roma-roma-ma!

“Rara, ooh la la!

“Time for some romance!”

Four pyrotechnic geysers exploded from the front of the stage and cleared the fog away. Countess Coloratura stood at the top of the catwalk, backed by four male dancers. She wore a tight-fitting cropped lavender jacket over an even tighter purple shirt, purple shorts, and black leggings. Her collar was popped and studded with diamonds that caught the lights of the laser effects. Her thick boots, wristbands, and belt were also studded with polished spikes that shone like the rainbow. Beneath the veil in front of her face, Applejack could see thick eyelashes and black mascara. She wasn’t sure if Coloratura was supposed to be pop or punk.

Coloratura strutted forward, swinging one leg in front of the other and twiddling her fingers to the audience as she belted the first verse to her song. Half the stadium sang along with her while the other half continued to scream her name. She reached the end of the catwalk, spun on the tip of her boot, dropped into the splits, and quickly bounced back up, singing perfectly the entire time.

Applejack whistled. Even she could appreciate the choreography happening. And the song wasn't too bad either. It was just another love song, but the beat and melody were catchy. The crowd didn’t seem to be hostile either, just passionate and excited. Perhaps it had all just been paranoia. Although, as Applejack listened, something in Coloratura’s voice made her nostalgic.

“Rarity!” Applejack yelled over the chorus. “Is she known for anything other than pop?”

“I don’t think so! Why?”

“Nothin’, just, Ah feel like Ah might have heard her before!”

“Darling, she’s all over the radio! Of course you’ve heard her before!” Rarity resumed singing along with the crowd.

Applejack made an unsatisfied grunt. Maybe it was all in her head.

Coloratura popped, locked, swooned, and shuffled while she sang, her every action and word devoured by the crowd. She ended her first song with a stomp, and more pyrotechnics exploded around her.

Applejack leaned back in her seat. “Ah gotta admit, that wasn’t so bad. Had a nice beat to it at least.”

“See? I knew you’d warm up to it!” Rarity said with a squee.

“Hello, Canterlot!” Coloratura yelled into her headset. The stadium yelled a greeting back to her. “How are you all doing tonight?”

Applejack had to cover her ears again, mostly to protect herself from Rarity’s shrill scream alone.

“Are you ready for a spectacle?” Fog drifted onto the stage once more, and Coloratura strutted back toward the center. She became silhouetted in the mist, illuminated for brief seconds by flashes of intense light. She put a hand on her hip and cast a glance over her shoulder, tapping her boot to an electronic drumbeat.

“Time for the spectacle,

“Time for the show!

“The lights are bright and the colors glow!”

More laser lights and flashing bulbs danced in front of Applejack’s eyes, leaving her dazed.

Coloratura flipped her hair and spread her arms, urging the audience to cheer harder. “I’m not just anybody,

“I think you know.

“The time is now, it’s about to blow!”

Sparklers and fireworks burst into life over Coloratura’s head, driving the fog away again. She and her backups danced vibrantly, waving their arms and rolling their hips as they paraded across the stage.

“Razzle dazzle!

“Glitz and glam!

“Turn it all up, it’s a spectacle!” Coloratura belted out, her voice sounding more synthesized the longer she sang. She backed up to center stage again, and a platform rose from beneath, elevating her above her dancers.

“Hear the applause,

“Here to impress!

“Not just anybody, I am the Countess!” She punctuated the end with a fist in the air while more flares went off around her.

The crowd erupted in another storm of applause. Applejack stared nonplussed.

“Ah take back what Ah said. Ah hate it.”

“What?” Rarity looked aghast. “Why?”

“That was all flash and no substance! The last song at least had some meaning to it! What the heck was this one even about?”

“That’s a Coloratura classic! She always includes that at the top of her shows!” Rarity said hotly.

Applejack slumped in her chair and folded her arms over her stomach. She didn’t understand how that synthetic mess could make anybody feel anything. She remained in that position for the remainder of the concert, occasionally tapping her foot to a song that was almost catchy.

Rarity either didn’t notice Applejack’s rankled state or had stopped caring. She was up and dancing and chatting with the group next to her.

After two hours and a double encore, Coloratura finally took a bow. “Thank you, Canterlot, you’ve been such a great audience! I love you all so much! It’s great to be back in my hometown!”

Might be the first genuine thing she’s said all night. Applejack sat up, popped her lower back, and grabbed her hat. “Alright, let’s get outta here.”

Rarity gave her a cross look. “Are you really going to be a grouch and tell me you didn’t enjoy any of that?”

“Ah’m sorry, Rarity. This kinda music just isn’t mah thing. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself though, honest.”

Rarity’s eyes softened and she gave a slow sigh. “Well, I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time. I’m glad you at least gave it a shot.” She held up her wrist and gave her band a shake. “We still have backstage passes, but I’d understand if you’d rather wait in the car.”

Applejack mulled it over for a second then shook her head. “Ah’d hate to think you wasted it. Might as well see this through to the end.”

Rarity did a little dance and clapped her hands. “Thank you, Applejack!”

It was slow going, getting out of the stands, wading through the departing crowd, and finding their way to the backstage line. It was shorter than Applejack imagined, with no more than twenty other people. Two burly security guards stood in front of the backstage door.

The wait was just as long as the security line before the show. Every time Applejack checked her watch, ten more minutes had passed. Everyone else seemed patient though.

“Coloratura always takes time to sign autographs after every show,” Rarity explained.

“Glad she cares about her fans at least.”

One of the guards pressed a hand to his earpiece and nodded. “Okay, remain in an orderly fashion. There will be no touching and cameras must have the flash turned off. Remember, you can be removed at any time.” He opened the door and ushered them inside.

Purple carpets with golden accents decorated the back room. The support columns had portraits of other famous musicians and comedians that graced the colosseum. A table with a spread of fancy foods sat against one wall, while a plush sofa took up the opposite side. From the opposing door came two more security guards followed by Countess Coloratura herself.

She waved at the group as she strolled forward with less swagger than she had on stage. “Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the concert.”

Applejack was surprised how much noise so few people could make. They all started talking over each other: complementing, asking questions, and holding out things to be signed. Coloratura didn’t look phased in the slightest. Of course, it was a little hard to tell with the veil in the way.

She had an amicable conversation with a very excited fan who kept pulling things from her purse to sign. To close out their meeting, Coloratura pulled out a heart-shaped stamp and gently pressed it into the girl’s cheek.

“Heartsies!”

The girl’s face froze with joy as did the rest of her body. Her friend had to pull her away.

Coloratura giggled and looked at the remainder of the group. “Okay, who’s—” Her gaze landed on Applejack and stayed there.

“Um, hi your countessness,” Applejack said after a few awkward seconds.

Coloratura took a step toward her, and Applejack could see her mouth was slightly ajar. “Applejack?” she asked in a breathy whisper.

Everyone’s eyes were now on Applejack. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

“It’s me!” Coloratura lifted her veil up. “Rara!”

“Rara?” Rarity parroted.

“Rara?” Applejack stared at the girl’s exposed face. The door to her childhood memories was thrown wide open, and her mind lined up the hazy image of an old friend with the girl in front of her now. “Oh mah stars, it is you!”

Coloratura—or Rara—let out a jubilant yell and pulled Applejack into a surprise hug. Once the initial shock wore off, Applejack gingerly returned it.

When Rara pulled away, there were tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here! How are you? It’s been so long! Oh, no, we can’t talk here! Umm, Stonewall!”

One of the security guards stepped forward. His gray skin and square shoulders indeed made him look like a stone wall.

“Could you escort Applejack back to my dressing room? You’re okay with that, right? I promise I won’t take too long.”

Applejack blinked, her mind racing to keep up with what was happening. “Uh, yeah? Ah mean, as long as mah friend Rarity here can come, too.”

“Of course! Stonewall, escort her too, please. I’ll see you in a little bit!”

Stonewall stepped forward and gestured toward the door. With one more look at Rara, Applejack took Rarity by the arm and took off.

Rarity allowed herself to be led onward, looking less affronted but certainly just as confused as the crowd behind them. When they got into the hall, she started hyperventilating.

“Applejack! You know Countess Coloratura?”

“Uh… sorta? Ah’ll explain in a sec.”

Stonewall led them to Coloratura’s dressing room, the door decorated with the same star surrounded by music notes that were on their wristbands. The dressing room was surprisingly tame; just a vanity table, a fainting couch, and a rack of outfits.

“Please do not touch anything,” Stonewall said before leaving them alone inside.

Rarity took a few deep breaths, then rounded on Applejack. “All right, explain!”

“Well…” Applejack took her hat off and scratched the back of her head. “A long time ago, Ah had a friend named Rara. Well, Ah called her Rara because her full name was too hard to say. Ah called her that for so long, Ah plum forgot her full name was Coloratura.

“She always had an amazing singing voice. And now that Ah’m remembering, she was a good dancer too. And pretty. She was just overall super talented.” Applejack sank down onto the couch. “Ah don’t know why she hung out with me. Any time we were playing together, there was always a gang of kids tailin’ somewhere behind.”

Applejack closed her eyes and smiled. “Never did let any of that get to her head though. She was sweet and honest and down-to-earth. And she wasn’t afraid to get dirty. Hah, Ah remember at camp, the day after it rained, we found this big ol’ mud puddle. We splashed in it for hours and made mud pies. Made the counselors furious when we tracked it all inside the cabins.”

Rarity took a seat next to her. “So, what happened between you two?”

“Nothin’. She moved away when we were about nine. We wrote to each other for a little while, but we just fell outta touch. She did say she wanted to be a singer someday though. And she really did have the prettiest voice.” Applejack gave a snort. “Ah knew she sounded familiar up on that stage. All the signs were there, but she had to stand right in mah face before Ah recognized her.”

“Goodness. I was hoping something extraordinary would happen tonight, but I never would have believed it would be this extraordinary. You’re reuniting with your long-lost friend who happens to be Countess Coloratura!” Rarity fanned her face. “Sometimes it really feels like we’re living in a storybook!”

“Keep your boots on, Rarity. Ah don’t even know what Ah’m supposed to say to her. It’s been almost ten years since we’ve spoken face-to-face. She’s a bigshot diva now, and Ah’m just a farmer.”

“I’m sure she’s still the same girl you grew up with. She did recognize you right away, after all.” Rarity slouched her shoulders. “Though, I don’t know how she’ll feel when she hears you don’t like her music.”

Applejack swallowed. “Right…”

The doorknob turned, and both girls got to their feet. Coloratura slipped inside, took her veil off, and rested against the door. After a deep breath, she locked eyes with Applejack again. “A.J., I can’t believe it’s really you!”

Applejack chuckled. “Ah could say the same thing.”

Coloratura gave a guilty smile. She stepped over to her vanity and carefully removed what Applejack now knew was a wig. She set the silver and purple ponytail aside and unwrapped her natural blue ringlets. They fell over her shoulder, lighter around the tips than the base.

“Better?” Rara asked, running a hand down them.

“Ah think so.” Applejack laughed nervously. “Sorry, Ah’m still piecin’ this all together.”

“I’m just as shocked as you are. When they booked Canterlot as a stop on my tour, I thought maybe, maybe I could see you again. If you even remembered who I was. But, I never dreamed you’d pop up backstage.”

“Yeah, small world.” Applejack took a step back and gave Rarity a gentle push forward. “Rara, this is Rarity. She’s the one who got the tickets, so it’s thanks to her we get to see each other again.”

Rara stuck her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you! Oh, I love your outfit! Who made it?”

Rarity limply extended her hand, forcing Rara to do the rest of the work. “I, uh, you, uh, music, uh, love…”

Applejack nudged her back.

Rarity underwent a quick reboot, letting out a quick, high-pitched giggle before speaking. “Yes! Hi! I’m a big fan of your music! It’s all so wonderful! Actually, I made this dress myself. I’m a bit of a designer.”

Rara circled around Rarity. “You made this yourself? Wow, it’s gorgeous! I would love to wear a dress like this at some of my functions!”

“I can make more!” Rarity practically screamed. She cleared her throat. “I mean, I would be honored to make a dress or two for you.”

“Would you? I would love, love that! All of my clothes are picked out from big-name labels, but I do what I can to support local businesses, especially from Canterlot.”

Applejack tilted her head. “‘Picked out’? What, you don’t get to decide your own clothes?”

“Not really. It’s fine because most of them look or feel great, but they have fit the ‘industry standard’,” Rara said using air quotes. She gave a slight huff and rolled her eyes. “Otherwise, the tabloids get to have a field day with me. But this looks so great, no one would be able to tell if it was designer brand or not.”

“Not yet,” Rarity amended. “I’m actually going to the New York Fashion Institute this fall.”

Rara gave her a playful smirk. “I thought you were just a bit of a designer?” Both girls shared a fit of giggles.

Applejack fidgeted before sinking onto the couch again, an uncomfortable deja vu settling in.

“So, how did you enjoy the concert?” Rara asked.

“It was amazing!” Rarity gushed. “I absolutely loved it! Applejack—”

“Also loved it!” Applejack said, jumping to her feet again. “Yep, thought it was the bee's knees! You were really somethin’ else!”

Rarity gave her a suspicious side-eye. Applejack ignored her.

Rara clapped her hands. “I’m so glad! I’m always so nervous right before a show; it never gets easier. But, hearing my fans loved it always makes it worth it. I’m really glad you had fun, A.J.!”

“Yep, me too!” Applejack smiled widely. She could feel sweat gathering at the nape of her neck.

Rara took a seat at her vanity. “But, that’s enough about the concert. How have you been? We haven’t written in so long! I wanna hear all the details!”

“Oh, well—”

A quick knock came from the door. “Coloratura, are you busy?”

“One sec, A.J., that’s my manager.” Rara hopped up and pulled the door open. A shorter but well-dressed man with wiry blue hair and perfectly round glasses walked in, eyes down on a clipboard.

“Wonderful, wonderful show as always, Coloratura. Network views were through the roof.” He looked up and gave a startled hop. “Oh, I didn’t know you had brought fans back here.”

“Starstruck, this is my childhood friend Applejack and her friend Rarity,” Rara said, beaming at the two of them. “I haven’t seen Applejack in so long, I wanted to catch up in private.”

Starstruck bowed his head. “It’s nice to meet both of you. I hate to cut your reunion short, but you do have an early photoshoot tomorrow.”

Rara sighed. “You’re right. I got a little excited.”

“I’m sure we can find time for you to catch up later,” Starstruck said, flipping through his clipboard. “But right now, I strongly encourage you to get some rest. I’ll let you say your goodbyes.”

Once he stepped out of the room, Rara faced the two girls again, twirling her finger around her ringlets. “I’m sorry, Starstruck can be a stickler for schedules. Though he’s much better than my last manager.”

“We understand,” Rarity said cordially. “He’s probably right anyway; it’s been a long night for you.”

“This is nothing,” Rara said, fighting a yawn. “Applejack and I used to stay up all night telling ghost stories.”

“Not that they were ever scary,” Applejack said fondly.

“But, I would hate to have bags under my eyes for tomorrow. We’ll have to catch up a little bit later. And there will be a later. I’m taking a little break from my tour to spend some time in Canterlot.” Rara reached into a drawer and pulled out a cell phone. “Let’s exchange numbers and I’ll call you the second I find free time. You’re more than welcome to come too, Rarity.”

Rarity let out a long squee as Applejack took Rara’s number. When they were done, Rara flung her arms around Applejack one more time. “I promise, we’ll hang out.”

“Ah’m looking forward to it,” Applejack said, something turning in her gut.

*******

“You get one sip.”

“I know.”

“Just a sip,” Sunset emphasized again as she handed Twilight the coffee cup. “I still think this is a terrible idea.”

“I just need a little stimulation to keep me going a few more hours.” Twilight put her lips on the coffee lid and slowly tipped it back. A lump went down her throat, and she scrunched her nose as she pulled the lid away. “Blegh!”

Sunset took the coffee back and took a sip of her own. “Sorry, I like my coffee strong.”

“Noted,” Twilight said, sticking her tongue out. She swiveled in her desk chair and started clacking away on her computer. The two girls were in her garage (Sunset refused to call it a lab just to get an adorable rise out of Twilight) working on Twilight’s latest project. Every time Sunset came down, she swore Twilight had acquired a new piece of technology. Tonight, she had a whole new computer tucked in a corner along with a high-definition scanner and a 3D printer.

Mounted next to Twilight’s main computer was a robotic arm. It was the same length and width of a regular human arm, only this had three claw-like fingers, each with three movable joints. It had started out as a hydraulic model, but somewhere along the way, Twilight had dropped the water physics and opted for pure circuitry, most of which was still exposed. A USB cable ran from a port in its elbow joint to her computer.

Sunset returned to her seat in a nearby rolling chair. She had spent half the day acting as Twilight’s dutiful assistant, helping attach the metal frame to the robot arm and playing with Spike as needed. After a long game of fetch, the puppy was currently curled up under Twilight’s desk.

“So, how much longer is this code going to take?” Sunset asked. She took another sip of coffee and watched Twilight type lines of programming against a black dialogue box.

“For me to get it ready for the contest? Just a few more hours. I just need it to respond to basic voice commands like, ‘pick up the screwdriver’ or ‘turn off the computer’. Then, as long as the sensors are working, it should be optimal. I would like to program it with more complex commands afterward, but that could take months.”

Twilight repeatedly hit the backspace button. “But, if I do get the science internship, maybe they’ll help me improve upon it. I would potentially have access to a real lab space and far more resources.”

“A ‘real’ lab? So, you admit this is a garage?” Sunset asked, hiding her mouth behind her coffee cup.

Twilight looked over her shoulder and tried to glare. “I’m not going to get into a semantic argument with you about what counts as real and what doesn’t.”

“Hey, you said it, not me.”

She blew a raspberry. Sunset took it as a proof of victory.

As Twilight turned back to work on her code, Sunset wheeled herself to the auxiliary computer. On the desk next to it in a glass case was the worn journal Artemis and Trixie had brought back. “How’s the translation project going?”

“Pretty good,” Twilight said, eyes fixed on her screen. “I’m scanning every page into the computer, then using a program to try and visually restore whatever possible before putting it through a translator. I should be done in a week or two.”

Sunset looked between the scanner, the robot arm, and the selfie-sensor sitting on a shelf near the door. “I swear, you’re getting smarter by the day. Where was all this when we were working on our science fair project?”

“I wanted to build a miniature particle accelerator, but someone said no.”

“No, I said let’s build something plausible!”

“It could have been plausible!” She added under her breath, “And I’d like to see Trixie try and steal that.”

Sunset tried not to imagine what Trixie would have done with a miniature particle accelerator. She picked up a screwdriver and returned to her task of finishing the arm’s outer shell.

Aside from Twilight muttering under her breath, the two girls worked in silence. Sunset glanced over at Twilight every few minutes, watching her leg bounce or her fingers fidget anytime she stopped typing. Sunset seriously hoped that one sip of caffeine didn’t send her into a sugar rush. Though she had made it pretty strong.

After an hour or so of work, Twilight shouted, “Preliminary code done! Uploading now!” She clicked the computer mouse, then swung around to Sunset. “Are you finished?”

Sunset could see her pupils dilating. “Just about. Are you sure you don’t want to wait until tomorrow to start testing it?”

“No time like the present!” Twilight said hastily.

“Oh boy.” Sunset watched her mash a few more keys before getting up and standing over the mechanized arm.

“Initializing startup!” Twilight flicked a switch beneath its elbow, and a red light glowed on its boxy wrist. The arm gave a few simple, shaky motions as its innards began to whir.

Twilight picked up a pen and clipboard and scribbled notes down. “So far so good. Now, for the first test. M.A. 1.0, pick up screwdriver!”

“M.A.?” Sunset inquired.

“Mecha-Arm.”

The Mecha-Arm swiveled its forearm from left to right like it was searching for something. It came to rest over the screwdriver Sunset had left on the table, and its claws unfolded and reached down to scoop it up.

“Yes! It worked! Another victory for science!”

Something sparked along the underside of its arm, and an ember flickered to life.

“Gah!” Both girls cried. Sunset ran and grabbed the fire extinguisher by the door and doused the M.A. in a layer of foam. The arm continued to whir and jitter before throwing the screwdriver at Sunset.

“Hey!” Sunset ducked and glared. “I was trying to help you out!”

Twilight reached behind it and flicked the switch down. The arm shuddered, then went limp. “Setbacks, setbacks, always setbacks,” she grumbled and scribbled on her clipboard.

“How long do you think it’ll take to fix it?”

Twilight sat down in front of her computer and bounced her leg again. “That depends on what the problem is. Now, I have to go through the entire code and triple check nothing is out of place—and I almost hope something is because that would be the easiest thing to fix—otherwise, we’ll have to check and fix the wiring and sensory motors, and it’s probably that because there’s no code in there that tells it to throw objects!” Twilight huffed and began furiously typing.

Sunset retrieved the screwdriver and removed a panel from the arm’s elbow, letting out a thin stream of smoke. “Yeah, looks like it’s the latter, Sparky.” She nudged a few wires aside to find the specific offender.

When Twilight didn’t comment, Sunset looked over her shoulder and snorted with laughter. Twilight’s head rested against the keyboard, her glasses askew.

“She lasted longer than I thought,” Sunset amused aloud, moving to bring her upstairs.

*******

Rainbow pointed her gun at another zombie lumbering toward her and pulled the trigger. Its head exploded in a shower of blood and it fell over, only for two more to take its place.

“On your right!” Soarin shouted.

“I’m a little busy!” Rainbow yelled back, firing rapidly as another zombie dropped from the ceiling. Soarin shot it twice in the chest, and Rainbow finished it off before turning to the zombies climbing in through the window on her right side. She shot one in the head, then had to reload her shotgun.

“They’re breaking down the front door!” Soarin finished reloading his own gun and took over for Rainbow, just as the door across from the burst open and unleashed a fresh wave of the undead.

“Aw, crap!” Rainbow moaned. She clicked her trigger as fast as she could, but even her and Soarin’s combined efforts couldn’t hold the tide.

Blood poured down the screen when both character’s health points hit zero. ‘Game Over’ rose up in the center of the screen.

Rainbow groaned and stuck the light gun back in its holster. She stepped away from the arcade cabinet as the scoreboard popped up.

“Hey, we got the ninth top spot,” Soarin said.

“Meh.” Rainbow lifted her arms behind her head. “I don’t know how anyone gets past the warehouse level. The way they throw enemies at you is so cheap.”

Soarin caught up to her, wearing his optimistic grin. “Still, top ten. That’s pretty good. And we killed thirty minutes.”

“Yeah. Turns out, you’re not an awful shot.”

“Wish I could say the same thing about you.”

Rainbow nudged him in the ribs and he laughed. They navigated their way out of the arcade and into the mall proper. It was well-populated on a Sunday; even more so now that everyone was on summer vacation. Rainbow could spot a tourist wearing a ‘Ceep Cool Canterlot’ t-shirt. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would choose Canterlot as a vacation spot. It was cool but it wasn’t that cool.

From the third-floor balcony, Rainbow could see the food court crowded with the afternoon rush. “Man, I want a hot dog, but I don’t know if it’s worth waiting in that line.”

Soarin leaned next to her and whistled. “Hey, there’s a pretty good place on 3rd and central. You wanna drive down there?”

Rainbow crossed her arms over the railing. “I dunno. Those dogs are kinda expensive. You gonna pay for it?” she asked expectantly.

Soarin smirked. “Tell you what, we play one game of air hockey. Loser has to pay for lunch.”

“Oh, you’re so on!” Rainbow turned and ran back toward the arcade. She stopped at the entrance when she noticed she wasn’t being followed. “Soarin?”

Soarin was still at the balcony, head tilted up like he was listening for something.

“Yo!” Rainbow called, but Soarin didn’t register her. She walked back over and waved a hand in front of his face. “Earth to boyfriend, you there?”

He blinked and looked down at her. “Yeah, sorry.”

“You okay?”

Soarin looked around the mall, furrowing his brow. “Yeah, I just… I could have sworn I heard Harbinger.”

Rainbow strained her own ears trying to hear a wolf above the incessant chatter and music playing over the speakers. Instead of a howl, shattering glass and screams broke the tranquility of the mall. People on the first floor began running, and Rainbow felt an unsettling chill run up her spine.

More glass shattered and the screams intensified. The mall’s alarm went off, invoking panic from the onlookers gathered on the second and third floors. Rainbow’s heart hammered, and her fight or flight instincts told her it was time to flee.

What? I’m no coward!

“Something’s wrong,” Soarin said between his teeth. He too looked like he was fighting the urge to make a break for it.

A white ray of energy shot across the ground floor and hit a table in the food court, blasting it into the hot dog stand. Adagio stepped into view, palm raised as she looked around at the fleeing shoppers.

Rainbow let out a string of swears, her anger shoving her fear aside. “We have to do something!”

“Harbinger!” Soarin called.

From thin air, Harbinger leaped onto the railing and vaulted down to the ground floor, teeth bared as she charged for Adagio. The Siren spun around and recoiled, throwing her hands up to defend herself. Just before Harbinger could sink her claws in, a hexagonal shield sprung out from Adagio’s open palm and shoved the wolf away.

Adagio peeked between her arms at the red-tinted diamond standing between her and a snarling Harbinger. From the third floor, Rainbow could see the emotions flitting across her face: confusion, then realization, followed by a wicked grin.

“What the hell?” Rainbow breathed. Soarin grabbed her hand and pulled her down behind a planter. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah, nothing about any of this is making sense,” Soarin said, his voice muffled by the ringing alarm. “Why is Adagio using magic in broad daylight?”

“I dunno, but she’s begging for a beatdown!” Rainbow tried to get up but Soarin yanked her back down.

“We can’t just go out there and start using magic too! The media and the government will be all over us; you’ve read the comic books!”

Rainbow clenched her fist. “I’m not just gonna sit here and let your wolf do all the fighting!”

Soarin winced and held his chest. They both snuck a peek over the balcony rail and saw Harbinger shaking off a blast of magic. Adagio formed another ball in her left palm, but instead of throwing it at Harbinger, she lobbed it at a group of bystanders scrambling to get out the front doors. Harbinger sped toward them and jumped in front of the projectile, howling in pain as she collapsed to the floor.

Soarin let out a gasp and doubled over. “That’s low,” he growled.

“See? We gotta get down there and fight!” Rainbow said, helping him sit up straight.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t, I’m saying we need to be smart about it.”

Rainbow looked around them. Most of the third floor was empty, and those who remained were taking refuge in the arcade. She spotted a sports apparel store perpendicular to them and an idea popped into her head. “Come on!” She pulled Soarin to his feet.

The store clerk had disappeared, giving the couple the run of the place. They grabbed hoodies, football helmets, and hockey sticks. Once her hair was tucked away and the helmet was on, Rainbow ponied up and zoomed out to the atrium, landing behind Adagio. The Siren had a large backpack on, and her neck was crowded with stolen jewelry.

“Show’s over, Adagio!”

Adagio took an eye off Harbinger and looked over her shoulder. “You look dumber than usual, Rainbow.”

“No idea who that is,” Rainbow said, pitching her voice down. She blitzed forward and slammed her hockey stick into Adagio’s abdomen, sending her flying near the food court, to the cheers of the remaining bystanders.

She rolled up onto her feet and bared her teeth. “Don’t think I’m going to just let you play the hero! You and this entire city are going to fear me!” She thrust her palm out, and Rainbow caught sight of a piece of crystal stitched into the palm of her glove.

Light gathered and another energy beam burst out of it. Rainbow zipped out of the way, and the beam carried on instead to shatter the sliding doors of the front entrance. The crowd's cheers quickly dissolved back into screams, and Rainbow felt another chill tickle her spine, suggesting she run.

Rainbow chose to run straight toward Adagio instead, only this time, she collided with a barrier and was thrown backward. Her head rattled inside her football helmet as she hit the floor.

So that’s why dad didn’t let me play football.

“Back off, banshee!” Soarin yelled. He jumped over Rainbow and swung his hockey stick. Instead of raising another shield, Adagio grabbed the stick with one hand and raised her jewel-embedded glove at Soarin’s face. He ducked and hooked a leg behind Adagio’s ankle, pulling it out from under her as she fired another beam. It went wide as she fell to the floor and hit the wall of the second floor, leaving a deep crack and a scorch mark.

Adagio kicked her leg out as she fell, hitting Soarin in the chest and pushing him away. She carried the momentum to roll backward and onto her feet and aim another blast at him, but Rainbow was back on her feet. She ran behind Adagio, grabbed both her arms, and pinned them behind her back.

Following a quick inhale, Adagio let out a piercing wail. Cracks spiderwebbed across the mall’s immense glass windows until they resembled a mosaic art piece. Shards rained down from the central skylight, twinkling in the afternoon sun before bouncing harmlessly off Rainbow’s protective padding. Her helmet couldn’t stop Adagio’s wail from assaulting her eardrums and leaving them ringing with pain. Another jolt of fear shot through her as the people outside screamed again, and she slackened her hold. Adagio broke free from Rainbow’s weakened grip, and with a glowing red hand, punched her square in the chest.

Rainbow sailed across the entire food court and crashed into the ramen shop, dropping her hockey stick and smashing a table in two with her landing. The impact certainly left her bruised, and she admitted she was a little dazed. But as Rainbow stood up and looked at the broken table, she rolled her shoulders and wondered how none of her bones were broken. Her next question was how had Adagio managed to punch her that hard?

On the other side of the mall, Soarin exchanged blows with Adagio, striking at her throat any time she tried to open her mouth. Adagio blocked a high kick and struck Soarin with an open palm, sending him flying into the side of the escalator.

Harbinger leaped at Adagio, teeth and claws aimed at her neck. Adagio ducked and stuck her hand up as the wolf bore down on her, grabbing it by the throat with her jewel hand. She pinned Harbinger to the ground and cackled as Harbinger let out a whine, her translucent body flickering. Soarin, hugging his ribs as he climbed to his feet, let out a gasp and dropped back to one knee.

Rainbow flew through the broken window of the ramen shop and shoulder tackled Adagio onto the floor. They tumbled until Rainbow landed on top of Adagio. Cocking her arm back, Rainbow unleashed a flurry of rapid-fire punches onto Adagio’s face.

White-hot energy struck Rainbow in the gut and blasted her into the air. Her wings caught her as she reached the third floor, and she wheezed. It felt like she had been kicked by a metal boot.

Adagio stood up and wiped the blood from her nose. “You’re dead!” She aimed her palm at Rainbow.

A swarm of doves dove from the open ceiling and attacked Adagio, pecking and scratching any skin they could get at. Adagio screamed and swatted them until a shield popped to life around her and pushed the birds away. They circled around and returned to the skylight, and in their place, Artemis dropped down, unleashing a jet of fire from his wand at Adagio’s shield.

Adagio pushed her arms out, sending the hexagonal patterns of her barrier flying in every direction. Artemis ducked and fired a blast of magic that grazed Adagio’s cheek. From behind, Harbinger pinned Adagio onto her stomach.

Artemis pointed his wand down at the bridge of Adagio’s nose. “Not so tough without your cronies, are you?”

“Big talk for someone who let two kids do most of the fighting,” she said between her teeth.

“Someone will need to take over when I’m gone.”

“Which should be very soon!” Adagio’s hand pulsed, and a wolf identical to Harbinger, only translucent red instead of blue, tackled the guardian spirit off Adagio. She fired a blast at Artemis, who deflected it with his cape, then sprung a multi-colored handkerchief from his sleeve. It wrapped around her left wrist and tied itself into a knot. Adagio yanked it forward, dragging Artemis toward her. She twisted her hand around and grabbed his arm.

Artemis stiffened. “What are you—”

Rainbow swooped down and brought her fist across Adagio’s cheek. Both she and Artemis went to the floor, but Adagio still had her claws in his arm.

Wincing with every step, Soarin ran over and smashed his heel onto Adagio’s wrist, forcing her to let go. Artemis cut his handkerchief and got to his feet as Rainbow dove again and kicked Adagio in the ribs, sending her rolling into one of the clothing shops.

Rainbow, Soarin, and Artemis fanned out in front of the store’s entrance. “You lose, Adagio!” Rainbow shouted.

Adagio pounded a fist on the carpet, raised her head, and let out another reverberating scream.

The three of them flinched; Rainbow was tempted to take her helmet off so she could plug her ears. Artemis set his jaw and bore through it, raising his wand and casting a bubble around Adagio, instantly silencing her. She shouted something and smacked her hand against the forcefield.

Artemis smirked. “I’m going to have great pleasure putting you in a new prison.”

Adagio clenched her fist, her face turning red. It wasn’t just her face, however. Her entire body took on a red shimmer before she slammed her fist down and brought up a cloud of smoke that filled the entire bubble.

“Did she just explode?” Soarin asked.

Artemis stepped closer, wand at the ready. Rainbow watched the smoke swirl about, unable to see anything beyond it, not even a shadow. Artemis snapped his fingers and the bubble disappeared, releasing all of the smoke. Adagio was nowhere to be seen.

“That little…” Artemis grumbled and held his arm where Adagio had grabbed him. “I can’t believe she stole some of my magic! I mean, I can, but still!”

“Is that what she did?” Soarin asked with a gasp. “She grabbed Harbinger and I could feel her fading from me.”

Rainbow dropped to the floor. “That doesn’t explain how she teleported. Or made those shields. That Staff of Sasha—whatever shard is just supposed to absorb and blast magic.”

“Apparently not. She made her own Harbinger,” Soarin said as the original padded over, looking no worse for wear. Like Adagio, the red wolf had vanished.

Soarin kneeled in front of her. She pierced him with her deep stare, and he stroked her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a sore rib is all. As long as you’re good.”

Artemis turned his head to the crowd still huddled just beyond the broken glass of the front entrance. “If Adagio is truly gone, now would be a good time to make ourselves scarce too. We have a lot we need to discuss now.”

Rainbow looked about the mall. People were just now crawling out of their hiding places and pulling out their cellphones. “Yeah, let’s go.” She was about to break into a run, but Artemis put a hand on her shoulder instead, and the world folded in on itself.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Mane Attraction

Again. just to temper expectations: there is no shipping happening between Applejack, Rarity, or Rara.

7. Girls on the Go

Sunset jumped to her feet as soon as Artemis poofed back into the living room, only he wasn’t alone. He had his hands on the shoulders of two individuals wearing Canterlot University sweatshirts and football helmets. One of them had familiar-looking blue wings.

“Uhh…”

They took their helmets off, and Sunset was relieved, but no less confused, to see Rainbow and Soarin. Rainbow wiped a line of sweat off her brow and collapsed onto the couch. “Hey, Sunset.”

“Don’t just ‘hey, Sunset’ me! What the heck is going on?” She glared at Artemis. “You just shouted something and vanished into thin air! Where were you?”

“The mall,” Artemis said. “I felt Adagio’s magic while I was meditating and rushed off to stop her. It just so happened I ran into two of your friends already holding her off.”

Sunset looked back at Soarin and Rainbow. “You guys fought Adagio? In the middle of the mall?”

“She started it,” Soarin said simply.

“Yeah! We were minding our business when she just showed up and started shooting magic at people!” Rainbow shuddered. “It was weird though. When we were fighting, there were points where I felt super afraid. Me! I don’t even know why, I was just… scared.”

“That wasn’t even the worst part,” Soarin added. “She drained our magic and used it against us.”

Sunset growled. “Yeah. I heard that shard piece is dangerous—”

“No.” Rainbow shook her head. “This isn’t like what Rarity and Applejack described. Adagio didn’t just shoot lasers, she made a shield! She chucked me halfway across the mall! She made a second Harbinger!”

“And then she teleported away,” Artemis finished.

“What, you’re telling me Adagio can absorb and copy our magic now?” Sunset watched the three of them nod their heads. She pressed a palm to her forehead. “Great. That’s fantastic. And you guys just dueled her in public where everyone could see it?”

“We were wearing disguises,” Rainbow said defensively, holding up her helmet. She looked at Artemis. “Well, some of us were.”

Artemis put a hand on his chest and raised his chin. “I’m a world-renowned Vegas magician. No one’s going to blink an eye if they see me doing magic.”

“That’s… surprisingly deceptive,” Sunset said. “Still, that’s not going to explain away everything. There’s no way to know all of what people might have seen.”

“Actually, there is,” Artemis said. He waved his hand for the others to follow him into the den, where he turned the television on. It opened straight to the news, where a camera crew was on-site at Canterlot Mall.

“—confrontation seems to have ended and police are entering the building. As you can see, there is still quite a crowd gathered here. We currently have conflicting accounts of what transpired inside the mall.”

Sunset recognized the correspondent as Inside Scoop, the woman who had interviewed her at the Battle of the Bands.

Inside Scoop approached a young man lingering on the edge of the crowd. “Excuse me, sir! Can you tell us what happened?”

The teen had a layer of perspiration on his face, and his eyes had trouble focusing. “I don’t really know. I was just hanging out with my friends and then I heard glass breaking and people screaming. I just got… like, super terrified and made a break for it.”

The next interviewee had a similar answer, having fled before seeing anything. On Inside Scoop’s third try, she got something substantial.

“It was Adagio Dazzle, from the Dazzlings, I swear it was!” The woman exclaimed. “I was walking toward the little dress shop on the first floor when the glass exploded! All these people started running toward me, but I saw her! I swear, she was shooting lasers from her hand!”

“Lasers?” Scoop asked skeptically.

“I think so? I was so scared, I turned and ran like everyone else.”

Artemis crossed his arms. “Mass fear. Adagio must be carrying the Crystal Heart in that backpack she had. By making fear the prevalent emotion in the area—”

“The heart amplified it!” Sunset finished. “That’s why even you got scared, Dash.”

“Yeah, for like, two seconds,” Rainbow said hotly.

Scoop finally made her way to the broken entrance, where Shining Armor was emerging, dressed in his detective uniform. “Detective Armor, can you tell us what happened here? Was this a terrorist attack?”

Shining took a step back from the mic shoved in his face. “As of now, we are labeling this an incident of domestic terrorism incited by Adagio Dazzle. Judging by eyewitness reports, she may be wielding some sort of advanced firearm and is considered extremely dangerous.”

“But who stopped her and where did she go? Eyewitnesses also state that she engaged with someone before the police got here.” Scoop pushed the mic back under his nose.

Shining made a small grunt and stepped back again. “We are doing everything in our power to locate her. As for who stopped her, that remains unclear. However…” He looked directly at the camera. “While we appreciate the efforts of any good samaritan, we strongly urge no further displays of vigilante heroism. Please.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smirk. “It’s like he doesn’t know who he’s talking to.”

“Looks like we got away without exposing magic for now,” Soarin said.

“Yeah, ‘for now’,” Rainbow emphasized. “What happens when Adagio attacks again? Or when someone snaps something on their phone?”

“Do you really think she’ll try a stunt like this again?” Soarin asked.

“Yes,” Sunset, Rainbow, and Artemis all answered.

“She wants the city to be in fear of her,” Artemis said. “She’ll likely do whatever it takes, attacking wherever she can.”

Rainbow knitted her brow. “So, what are we gonna do about it? We can’t not fight her.”

“But if we do fight her and people catch us doing magic…” Soarin mimed a probe and an uncomfortable situation.

Artemis put his hands on his hips and sighed. “Personally, I think it’s a shame we live in an age where people don’t believe in real magic anymore. But you’re right. Adagio getting taken in and experimented on is one thing. I won’t allow you kids to be held captive.”

The front door slammed open, and everyone took a defensive stance, relaxing when they saw it was Selena and Trixie marching in with groceries.

“I leave for twenty minutes and of course Adagio rears her ugly head.” Selena dropped her bags onto the kitchen counter and stomped back over to Artemis. “And I bet my entire sword collection you went and fought her alone.”

“Ha! You would technically lose that bet, turtle dove! I had help!”

Rainbow and Soarin waved.

Selena looked at them like she had just become aware her home had two extra guests. She returned her glare to Artemis. “You brought them along?”

“Nope, they were already there when I arrived.”

“And I was rudely not invited,” Sunset added.

Anger pacified, Selena took a step back. She made a distressed note in the back of her throat and said, “I know you girls are going to have to fight some supernatural threat, and I’m trying my best to make peace with that. But I still hate the idea of you going up against these monsters.”

“It’s no big deal,” Rainbow said. She punched a fist into her palm. “We like beating up bad guys. Besides, that’s why we’re starting all that training.”

Sunset looked at Selena. “I told you, remember? We were gonna get involved and fight back one way or another.”

“Doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

Soarin looked at the helmet in his hand. “But, how are we gonna fight Adagio without giving ourselves away? We could wear disguises again, but she’d just yank off our masks or helmets or whatever we’re wearing. If she figures out we’re trying to be discreet, she’ll do it on purpose, even.”

Trixie, having been oddly quiet the entire time, let out an exuberant gasp. “Trixie has an idea! She’ll be in her room!” And with that, she sprinted upstairs and slammed her door shut.

Sunset bit back a sarcastic remark, but couldn’t help but feel dubious about whatever insane idea Trixie had conjured up.

“So, should we call the others over and tell them what happened?” Rainbow asked.

“No, we’ll save it for tomorrow,” Sunset said. “Pinkie’s babysitting and I think Twilight is still asleep from her caffeine crash last night.”

“Cool, cool.” Rainbow fiddled with her ponytail as she looked back at Soarin. “So, you uh, still wanna go get those hot dogs? I know today’s kinda been crazy.”

Soarin grinned. “Of course I do. I’m even hungrier after all that.” He frowned. “But, we’re parked back at the mall.”

“I can fix that!” Artemis said. He placed a hand atop both their heads. “Lulamoon!” And in a puff of smoke, all three of them vanished.

Selena went into the kitchen to put the groceries up, leaving Sunset to wander upstairs. Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she got to the top. She pulled it out and tapped the screen to find a message from Twilight.

‘ADAGIO ATTACKED THE MALL!’

Sunset began typing back, unable to fight the smirk on her face. ‘Did you just wake up?’

‘No, I’ve been awake for hours. I was just in the lab the entire time. I fixed my project!’

‘Congrats!’

‘Thank you. Anyway, what are you gonna do about Adagio?’

‘We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Come over around one.’

‘Okay.’

Sunset slipped her phone away. She was about to step into her room when she heard a muffled scream come from the guest room. Sunset ran over and put her ear to the door. She could hear deep panting and choked sobs on the other side.

“Shimmer, you okay?”

“Go away!”

Sunset did the exact opposite, opening the door and stepping inside. The light was off and the blinds were shut, leaving the room dim and dreary. Sunset realized she hadn’t been inside the guest room since Shimmer had taken up residence. From what she could see in the dark, nothing looked out of place. There was a small pile of dirty clothes in one corner, and newspaper and woodchips in the other. An animalistic odor wafted through the air, tinged with organic decay. Squinting her eyes, Sunset could see small bones laying on the newspaper.

Shimmer sat upright in her bed, Jörmungandr curled in her lap. She had a layer of sweat on her face and was glaring daggers at Sunset.

“I told you to go away!” she snapped. Her hands were clenched tightly against her blanket.

“Nightmare?” Sunset asked simply.

Shimmer held her glower for a few more seconds before slumping over and cupping a hand to her eyes. “They were gone for a while. I thought I was getting better…”

Sunset put a hand against the wall and fumbled for the light switch, flicking it on when she finally brushed against it. In the light, the room was messier than she realized. Shimmer had accumulated a stack of dirty plates on the dresser from her solitary meal times. There was a reddish stain near the foot of her bed next to a bottle of wine.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sunset asked, pushing away the mental image of the fit Selena would throw if she saw the mess.

Shimmer peeked at Sunset from between her fingers. “Just because you believe in friendship sharing circles doesn’t mean I’m going to.”

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “Believe me, talking it out actually helps, okay?” she said with a growl to her voice.

Shimmer crossed her arms and turned away. “There’s nothing to talk about. They’re just stupid dreams.” She gave a humorless laugh. “So, maybe I have dreams about turning back into that demon and setting people on fire and their screams echo in my ears.”

Her voice went up an octave and she spoke faster. “Maybe sometimes I see my parents and they tell me I’m a monster on top of being a disappointment and embarrassment. Maybe sometimes I don’t dream about anything! Sometimes, I just float there in nothing and think about what my life has amounted to!”

She threw her arms over her head. “I used to be cool! I was the Snake Queen Lamia! One of the best thieves in the world! Now, I’m living with a bunch of wizards because I’m scared some demon-witches might kill me if they find me! I’m talking to a girl who looks like me back in high school!”

Shimmer slumped over again and buried her face in her hands. Jörmungandr slithered out of her lap and coiled around her waist before rising up to rest his head on her shoulder.

“Life used to be… simple, you know?” Shimmer mumbled into her hands. “Then, all this magic happened. I don’t know what to do anymore. Nothing is normal and I… I just don’t know.”

She snapped her head up and glared at Sunset again. “How did you make me do that? Did you use your magic powers?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Sunset said, unable to keep the smugness out of her voice. “You said all that on your own.”

Shimmer’s arms dropped like noodles. “Ugh… I’m becoming soft.”

Sunset eased closer to the bed. “That’s what I thought too when I started expressing my emotions more. It’s not a bad thing, letting people in. It beats being alone.”

“I prefer being alone,” Shimmer said stubbornly.

“So did I. Shimmer, I’ve been exactly where you are: the nightmares, feeling lost, having to accept help. It’s not fun, I know. But you don’t have to go through it on your own. I know you’re not down with the friend thing, but I’m still here to talk.”

Shimmer stared at her sheets, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. She opened her mouth a few times and gave her head a small shake. “Man, I don’t get you. I know why you forgave me, but, why?”

Sunset shrugged. “Guess I like giving second chances. And if anyone needs one, it’s probably another version of me.”

A quick smirk flashed across Shimmer’s face. “Yeah. I guess you of all people would know.” She looked up, her face solemn and eyes glistening. “How did you make the nightmares stop?”

Sunset looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. “You have to get out of your own head. Find a hobby, talk to people. Just start living again. And then, you have to forgive yourself. What happened wasn’t your fault. I know it’s hard, but you have to believe that.”

“Wasn’t my fault,” Shimmer said bitterly, turning her head away. “Yeah, it was. They told me I could have an even playing field, so I jumped at the chance. I didn’t even think about the consequences. But the second they put that monster in me—the second I felt all that hatred and pain… I’ve never regretted anything in my life so much.”

Sunset took a deep breath to slow her elevated heart. “The reason that monster even existed in the first place was because I was greedy and selfish and wanted power at any cost. I made a choice without thinking of the consequences too. The second I put that crown on… I regretted everything.”

She took another breath, pushing out the claws and fire that had gripped her so long ago. “You played a part in this. You made a mistake. But it wasn’t you who hurt those people. It was Tempest, it was Scarlet... it was me. But, I’m not going to dwell on something I couldn’t control. They didn’t tell you what would happen. They just used you. I know it’s easier said than done, but you can’t keep drowning in the idea that everything is your fault.”

Shimmer kept her head turned away, though Sunset swore she heard the tiniest sniffle. She lifted a hand to reach for Shimmer’s shoulder, but froze halfway and retracted it.

“If you really want to feel better, then be better. Stop hiding in here and find a way to make up for it,” Sunset said firmly.

“...Yeah. Shimmer wiped her eyes and looked back at Sunset. “Listen, I… I know I’m not easy to get along with sometimes. I just… I’m… thanks. No one’s really tried with me in a long time. And a lot of that is my own fault, but… thanks,” she finished lamely.

Sunset smiled and held up a peace sign. “You’re welcome.”

Shimmer waved her toward the door. “Alright, leave. I’m going back to bed.”

“It’s two in the afternoon.”

“Yep.” Shimmer fell back and threw the sheets over herself and Jörmungandr.

Sunset rolled her eyes and exited the room, making sure to switch the lights off on her way out.

*******

Rarity looked at the clock again and bit her lower lip. She had half an hour left before she had to excuse herself, and she still didn’t know what she was going to say to Coco.

Her new assistant was everything Rarity hoped she would be. Diligent, personable, and had an eye for fashion. And she addressed Rarity as Miss Rarity every time! It made Rarity feel grown-up and important, and she loved it!

Coco was currently in the front end of the store, helping a young woman find a dress for an important date, leaving Rarity to draw up designs for the fall competition. So far, she only had a couple she liked, but not nearly enough for a whole line. She hoped to pick Coco’s brain for ideas, but Sunset had called a meeting for today regarding Adagio’s stint at the mall. Rarity knew she couldn’t say no, but she felt awful running out on Coco on her first day.

It’s just for a couple of hours. Besides, that’s why you got an assistant in the first place. Rarity stood up from her workbench and walked over to the studio door. She peeked out into the front room. Coco was holding up an evening gown for the young woman to admire. Aside from the nervous blush in her cheeks and the occasional stammer, Coco was doing fine.

Still, Rarity couldn’t quite shake the guilty feeling in her stomach. She would have to make it up to Coco. Ooh! We’ll start on the designs for the Summer Revival when I get back! That should soften the blow.

She checked the clock again; 12:19 P.M. If she focused, she could sketch out one more design before taking off. If inspiration wanted to strike. She tapped her pen against the sketch pad, then began drawing a few simple lines before tearing the page out, crumpling it up, and throwing it in the trash like so many before it. These had to be perfect.

After she tossed out a third failed idea, Coco rushed into the studio and skidded to a stop in front of Rarity’s desk. She clutched her hands in front of her chest and gave a triumphant, if still nervous, smile. “Miss Rarity, I did my first sale!”

Rarity beamed at her. “Well done, darling.”

Coco blushed but didn’t lose her victorious smile. “I was really nervous, but she looked so happy when she came out of the fitting room. Now I know why you love this job so much.”

“That is one of the highlights, yes,” Rarity said dreamily, thinking of all the happy customers she had waved out over the years.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Coco asked eagerly.

Rarity bit her lip again and cleared her throat. “Um, truth be told, Coco… I have a… very important meeting I have to attend soon. I shouldn’t be gone too long, but I was hoping you could run the store while I’m out?”

“By-by-by myself?” Her triumphant grin had vanished and she tightly pressed her hands together.

“You’ve already managed the front counter; that’s all I need you to do until I come back,” Rarity said, sweet and calm.

Coco fanned her face before taking a deep breath and gaining a more steely resolve. The look in her eyes was still reminiscent of Fluttershy, but the determination was there. “Okay, Miss Rarity, I’ll do it.”

“And you’ll do an excellent job,” Rarity said with confidence. She looked at the clock and stood from her desk. “I suppose I should head out then. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

With another breath, Coco gave a small salute. “Yes, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity waved and took her leave, guilt still nibbling at her insides. I hope this is at least productive.

She made the short drive over to Sunset and the Lulamoon’s household. Sunset greeted her at the door and led her into the living room where everyone else was already gathered, including Soarin to Rarity’s mild surprise.

“May we keep this meeting short?” Rarity asked as she took a seat next to Fluttershy. “I left Coco in charge of the boutique on her first day and I feel awful about it.”

Sunset nodded. “Sure.” She stood in the middle of the room and addressed the whole group. “Basically, the shard that Adagio has doesn’t just absorb magic and redirect it as raw energy. It copies whatever magic it took in.”

Rainbow nodded. “She copied Applejack’s super strength, Rarity’s shield, and made a clone of Harbinger.”

Rarity clucked her tongue. “While that is important information, you couldn’t have relayed that over text?”

“Not done,” Sunset said sharply. “Her main goal, as far as we know, is to inflict fear in the general populace and use the Crystal Heart to amplify that fear and feed off it. She’s probably not afraid to attack in broad daylight again.”

Twilight took over. “So, we’re here to discuss a strategy for capturing her without being caught, and—”

“And Trixie has come up with the perfect solution to protect our identities!” Trixie shouted, jumping to her feet. “Prepare to be awed by her amazing feats!”

She snapped her fingers, and in a puff of smoke, a masquerade mask appeared in her hand. Trixie held it up and made a conspiratorial smirk.

The rest of the room stared blankly back at her. “Well, what is it?” Sunset asked.

Trixie slipped the mask between her fingers and tossed it toward Sunset. “Put it on and see for yourself!”

Sunset caught the mask and held it up for all to see. It was simple, purple with red swirls around the eye slits. Turning it over, there were no strings or elastic bands. She looked up at Trixie, who merely wiggled her eyebrows.

Rarity watched Sunset press the mask to her face. It stuck and looked completely secure, but that wasn’t the magic part. Sunset’s hair transitioned from crimson and gold to deep royal purple and a lighter plum, while her skin turned from amber to a grayish-silver.

“Goodness,” Rarity said breathlessly, “Sunset, you look amazing! Those colors completely work for you!” She opened her purse to fetch her compact and handed it to Sunset.

Sunset flipped it open and held it at a distance, lips pressed in thought as she examined her reflection. “Well… I certainly can’t recognize myself.”

“Trixie’s masks of illusion!” Trixie proclaimed. “Her greatest feat of glamor magic to date! As long as you wear these masks, your true selves shall remain hidden! It’s brilliant, Trixie knows. You’re welcome.” She smirked and blew the back of her fingernails.

Rainbow made a light huff. “I hate to boost her already inflated ego—”

“Hey!”

“—but, gotta admit, this is a pretty cool idea.”

“It’s spectacular!” Pinkie said, jumping out of her seat. She ran over and pulled Sunset’s mask off, restoring her true colors immediately. Pinkie then slapped the mask over her own eyes. A second later, all the pink left her skin, leaving her ivory white while her hair turned gold.

“We have secret identities now! We’re literally superheroes!”

Sunset rubbed the space around her eye, glaring at Pinkie. “Yeah, I guess we’re really committing to this hero thing.”

“Super Spectacular Seven!”

Rarity shook her head. “We can’t call ourselves that while we’re out there; everyone already knows our band by that name.”

Pinkie deflated only slightly. “Aw, you’re right.” She immediately perked up again. “We’ll just have to come up with a new team name then!”

Sunset swiped the mask off Pinkie. “In the meantime, let’s focus on the more important things. Rainbow, Soarin, and Artemis managed to beat Adagio last time, but the more magic and fear she absorbs, the stronger she gets.”

“So, we need to think more strategically about how to confront her,” Rarity said. “Any power she absorbs is a boon to her.”

“You could just punch her.”

Everyone turned to see Shimmer standing in the kitchen doorway, actually fully dressed for the first time in months. She had on a single-shoulder t-shirt, black jeans, and spiked wristbands.

“Oh wow, I forgot she was living with you guys,” Rainbow said.

Shimmer rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m a hermit. This whacky shack isn’t my first choice of residency either.”

“Feel free to leave,” Selena muttered.

If Shimmer heard, she didn’t acknowledge it. Her eyes were on Sunset. It wasn’t a menacing look, but one of resolve. Rarity looked to Sunset as well and saw something like satisfaction in her eyes. If Rarity had to guess, the two had shared an important conversation in the recent past. Of what, she couldn’t say. It was a harder read than anytime Sunset and Twilight locked eyes.

Shimmer ran her fingers through her pixie-cut. “Listen, hanging with you kids isn’t my first choice of activity but… you know, staying in my room all day isn’t doing me any favors either.” Her cavalier attitude wavered as her eyes started to wander about the room. “But, I heard you guys were training to be little superheroes and I thought I could help.”

Selena arched an eyebrow. “You want to help?”

“Yeah,” Shimmer said with a hesitant smile. “I’m good at hand-to-hand combat; you’ve seen it yourself. You guys can’t rely on magic for everything, right? Sometimes, you gotta punch something in the face.”

She fidgeted and messed with her hair again. “I just thought I’d offer, okay? Give you guys as many tools as you can. Look, it would just… really bum me out if I wake up one day and you guys got killed by Tempest. You’re the best source of entertainment I have.”

As Shimmer fidgeted again from one foot to the other, Rarity couldn’t help but think of Sunset so many months ago, trying to stay aloof when it was clear she had grown attached to everyone. Rarity looked to her now, standing tall with a smirk on her face.

“We’d be glad to have your help,” Sunset said.

“You’ll finally be pulling your weight around here,” Selena added.

Shimmer pulled her lips into a smirk. “Cool. Well then, line up, kiddies, I’m gonna teach you how to throw a punch.”

Rarity made a small whine in the back of her throat. She hoped there was a crash course so she could get back to Coco.

Soarin, who had spent the last two minutes looking between Sunset and Shimmer, finally raised a hand. “Can someone please explain to me why there’s two of them?”

*******

Applejack shut the door of her truck and gave her shoulders another roll, groaning at how stiff they still felt. Even with all her physical labor, two days of martial arts training with Shimmer had been harder on her than she thought. She massaged one of her new knots as she walked through the underground parking garage.

Rara had given her directions to one of the fancier restaurants in one of the fancier malls downtown. Applejack’s insides squirmed again as she approached the elevator. She wished she had dragged Rarity along, though Rara had given her the impression that today was just a one-on-one affair.

She was excited to spend time with Rara again; she really was! Yet, she couldn’t shake this unease eating away at her. It had been with her at dawn when she got up to feed the animals, during her drive through the city, and persisted as the elevator rose to the mall proper.

The inside of the elevator was dark mahogany and had a fancy-designed carpet and a small chandelier. The back of the door was polished enough for Applejack to get a perfect reflection. She adjusted her knee-length skirt and checkered blouse, hoping she was dressed up enough for whatever hoity-toity place Rara had picked. She patted her bare head, feeling exposed without her stetson.

She got off on the second floor of the mall, or as the directory corrected her, the City Galleria. It reminded her a lot of the mall back in the suburbs, just bigger—if that was even possible—and filled with fancier stores. Planters filled with blooming flowers and ivy sat at intervals along the balcony railings, and at the center of the galleria was a magnificent bronze fountain shooting a geyser of water that reached the third story.

Applejack found her destination on the map and took off, trying to ignore the shoppers around her with their bags filled with designer clothes and jewelry.

The Cantering Cook had two smaller fountains flanking its front entrance and a red carpet leading up to its door. Applejack pushed her way inside and was greeted with the scent of five-star dining and the sound of violins. The entire restaurant was lit by lanterns, giving it a dim yet sophisticated atmosphere. The host, dressed in a full suit, looked up from his desk and squinted his eyes at Applejack.

She nervously smoothed out her skirt. “Um, hi. Ah’m supposed to be meetin’ a friend here?”

The host sniffed. “I see. May I have your name?”

“Applejack!” a voice called as she opened her mouth.

Applejack turned her head. Further in, she could see a girl with a headscarf and sunglasses waving her down. She gave a nervous chuckle. “Uh, that’s her, Ah think.” She stepped past him, trying to ignore the glare he gave.

Rara sat at a booth in a corner. Across from them was a small stage where a string band was set up and playing soft mood music. Before Applejack could sit down, Rara sprung up and gave her a surprisingly strong hug.

“I’m so glad you could make it! I know this place is a little ritzy, but a lot of my friends recommended it! And don’t worry, I’ve got it all covered! Today is my treat!”

Applejack slid into her seat, her stomach squirming again. “Gosh, Rara, Ah’m not sure—”

“I insist!” Rara took her sunglasses off and gave Applejack an assured look. Applejack decided it wasn’t worth fighting too hard anyway. She probably couldn’t afford these prices.

“Alright then. What’s with the getup if ya mind me askin’?”

Rara set her glasses aside. “Helps me keep a low profile from the paparazzi. I love my fans but I don’t always want to be crowded by them, you know?”

Applejack didn’t but she nodded her head.

A waiter, also dressed in a black suit and sporting white gloves stepped up to their table. Applejack looked from him to the designer blouse Rara was wearing and smoothed out her shirt.

“Hello, ladies,” the waiter said with a fake French accent, “welcome to the Cantering Cook! May I interest you in some drinks before you order?”

Rara flipped open the menu. “Oooh, I’ll try the speckled lemonade, please.”

“Very good! And for you, madam?” He looked eagerly at Applejack.

Applejack looked down her own menu. There was ginger-infused tea, mint spritzers, and non-alcoholic cocktails, but no signs of soda or cider. Some of the drinks, she didn’t even recognize the names of enough to guess what they contained. “Uh, Ah’ll have what she’s havin’.”

“Excellent choices! I’ll be right back!”

As he dashed off, Applejack’s eyes wandered over to the rest of the menu. She saw steaks, lobster, steak and lobster, stuffed goose, ahi tuna, and something called foie gras. She knew this place must have been expensive because nothing had a price next to it.

“Does anything sound good?”

Applejack lifted the menu enough to hide her mouth. “Some things are jumpin’ out. A lot to choose from.”

“I know! The goose sounds really good, but I’d have to do extra cardio to make up for it. But, I’m on vacation! I’m allowed to splurge a little, right?”

“Of course,” Applejack said, still keeping her eyes on the fancy font scribbled across the laminate. “Do what makes you happy.”

Rara nodded. “You’re right. Today’s a special day, so I’m treating myself!” She folded her menu with a satisfied smile. Applejack copied her after glancing at the salad menu and picking one that sounded good.

Their server returned with their drinks and they gave their orders, Rara adding an appetizer of tuna tartare. Applejack was sure she had heard Rarity use the word ‘tartare’ before, but she had no idea what it meant, just that it sounded fancy.

With their menus taken away, Applejack turned her attention to the string band. The lead violinist reminded her of Twilight with the slow, elegant movements of his bow.

An excited sigh drew her attention back to Rara who was smiling broadly at her. “So, how have you been? Give me all of the updates!”

“Well, uh…” Applejack tried to think of something interesting that didn’t involve magic.

A buzz derailed her thought and she watched Rara pull the latest smartphone from her pocket. “Sorry, a moment.” She pouted her lip as she texted a lengthy response back then stowed her phone away. “Even on vacation, everyone still wants me to do something or other.”

“Guess it comes with the territory. You’re world-famous.”

“Yeah. It’s fun. But most of my days are vocal practice, dance practice, cardio workouts, and I’m still doing some school work on the side.”

“Really? Whatcha studyin’?”

Rara’s smile wilted a smidge. “Well, I know I can’t be a performer forever. I love it but, either I’ll fall out of style or get too old to perform healthily. But I love it! The whole industry! So, I’m taking coaching and business classes, so I can be a manager or producer someday.”

Applejack straightened up. “That’s some good forward-thinking. Pass on what you know to the next generation.”

“Exactly! Hopefully, that’s not for years to come though, because I can only take one class at a time.” She gasped. “Wait… you graduated this year, right?”

“Oh yeah. High school’s all wrapped up now.”

Rara clapped her hands. “Congratulations, A.J.! That’s so exciting!”

Applejack chuckled. “Thanks, but it ain’t anything too huge.” She scratched the back of her head, still missing her hat. “Uh, did you get to finish high school?”

Rara made a so-so motion with her hand. “I got my GED from some online classes. Every class I take is online now,” she said, shoulders drooping. “I would have loved to go to an actual ceremony.”

But you go to fan-filled stadiums all the time. Applejack brushed the thought away. “You’re not missin’ much. Just teachers talkin’ one last time.”

“Maybe. But you’re finishing a big chapter in your life. I just wanted to celebrate that with my friends and family.” She perked up. “Oh but speaking of, how are—”

“Pardon me, madams, but here is your appetizer.” Their waiter set down two plates, one of round white crackers; on the other sat a lump of pink tuna meat mixed with avocado atop a bed of cucumber slices..

Applejack pulled back from it. “Rara, what am Ah lookin’ at?”

“Tuna tartare! It’s fresh fish mixed with veggies and spices! Trust me, it’s really good!” She reached for a cracker and the spoon.

Applejack wanted to tell her it looked like compact vomit and that fish was supposed to be baked, fried, or put in a stew, but gave her old friend the benefit of the doubt and steeled her stomach. She spread the fish paste on a cracker and took a small bite.

Rara smiled at her expectantly as Applejack chewed. It still tasted like tuna. In fact, the avocado and spices really brought out the flavor. The texture was a little slimy, but the cracker helped even it out. Applejack took another bite and chewed thoughtfully before nodding her head.

“It ain’t half-bad honestly.”

Rara made a small squeal, her own mouth filled with tartare. The two dined on fish and crackers, Applejack enjoying it more with each bite. When the spread was nearly depleted, Rara dabbed her mouth with her napkin and said, “If you enjoy the food here, you should come with me to the Grand Gallant Gala. The food there is supposed to be marvelous!”

Applejack choked on her cracker and pounded her chest to help it go down. “The Gala? That’s Canterlot’s biggest shindig of the year!”

“Mmhmm. They asked me to host the charity auction this year. I’ve never been before or hosted an auction, so I thought it would be fun. I got a plus one ticket and was hoping you’d wanna come. If you’re not already busy.”

“Uhh…” Applejack snapped her mouth shut before any food could fall out of it. An entire night surrounded by celebrities and rich people in fancy outfits? That was a hard pass for her. But Rara looked at her with bright opal eyes and a hopeful smile. Applejack wanted to say ‘no thank you’. She wanted to say even sitting in this five-star restaurant made her uncomfortable.

Maybe it was because Rara had been her first real friend. Maybe it was because Applejack wanted to spend time with her again. Maybe it was because some part of her was curious to see how the upper half partied. Whatever the reason, Applejack blurted out, “Yeah, sounds like fun!”

Rara clenched her fists to her chest and almost jumped out of her seat. “Yaay! I promise, we’ll have such a good time! Oh, do you think your friend Rarity would mind making an outfit for the event? I’ll pay her very well for it.”

“Ah’ll ask her,” Applejack said, her voice a higher pitch than usual.

“Thanks, A.J. Oh, also tell her she’s invited to come hang out with us next time. I just wanted it to be the two of us today so we could catch up.”

Their waiter returned with their meals: a plate of well-cooked goose surrounded by herbs and vegetables for Rara, and a huge salad bowl for Applejack. She didn’t know how they managed it but even the salad looked fancy, the top layer of leaves arranged in a spiral pattern with a halo of tomatoes on top.

They took a few minutes to enjoy their meals in silence. As far as salads went, Applejack had to admit it was the best one she ever had. She speared some lettuce and an olive on her fork and glanced at the string band again before taking a bite.

“Do you still play music, A.J.?” Rara asked.

“‘Course Ah do,” Applejack said with lettuce still in her mouth. “Still got mah old banjo. Though Ah play bass in mah friends’ band.”

Rara’s eyes sparkled. “You’re in a band?”

Applejack gave a sheepish smile. “Kinda. We’re not official. We only did it to compete in the Battle of the Bands.”

“The Battle of the Bands?” Rara tapped her fork against her plate as she thought. She nearly jumped out of her seat. “The Canterlot Battle of the Bands? I heard all about that! Applejack, you played with the.. the…” She snapped her fingers. “The Rainbooms!”

“Actually, we go by Spectacular Seven now. But, like Ah said, it’s nothin’ official. We’ve only played one event since then.”

“That’s still amazing! You won a music competition! But, that’s not surprising. I remember you being great on the banjo!”

Applejack blushed and took a sip of her lemonade. Similar to her salad, it was the best lemonade she ever had. She and Rara lapsed back into silence as they finished their meals. Despite the huge portion, Applejack devoured the entirety of her salad. She was glad to see Rara had kept her appetite from when they were young as well. There were hardly any scraps left on her plate.

She wiped her mouth clean and gave a content sigh. “That was delicious. And high in calories. What do you say we go walk it off in the park?”

Applejack stretched her arms over her head. “That sounds like a good plan. Get up and movin’ before the food coma sets in.”

Rara waved their waiter over and asked for the check. When he returned and set the checkbook between the two girls, Rara snatched it before Applejack could even consider asking to split it. Rara barely glanced at the inside before putting in her credit card and sliding it to the front of the table.

Applejack shifted in her seat. “Are you sure about this, Rara?”

“Applejack, please, this is nothing. And like I said, it’s my treat!” Rara’s smile was kind but firm, putting an end to any potential argument.

With their lunch paid for, Rara slipped her sunglasses on, readjusted her headscarf, and led Applejack out of the Cantering Cook. The galleria wasn’t as crowded as the Canterlot Mall on the weekends, but Applejack suspected they made up for it by the amount of money its frequenters spent.

“Let me know if you want to stop and browse any of the shops!” Rara said.

Applejack nodded but kept her eyes straight ahead. She had no intention of letting anyone buy anything from these highfalutin shops for her. Rara ended up pulling her into a jewelry shop anyway to look at a necklace. She tried it on herself first before draping the emerald necklace over Applejack’s neck.

“Oooh, it matches your eyes! Doesn’t it look great?”

Staring at the fat jewel on her neck in the mirror, Applejack forced a smile. “It’s certainly shiny. But, Ah try not to wear anything flashy, especially when Ah’m working. Don’t want anythin’ to catch.”

Rara nodded. “You always were practical. Okay, I’ll just have to find some practical jewelry for you!”

Thankfully, she didn’t spend too much time looking, quickly deeming the rest of the finery to be ‘not it.’ They finally reached the back entrance of the mall, where the glass doors led them out to a sprawling park in the middle of downtown. Rolling fields dotted with trees broken up by dirt trails and random decorations of oddly sculpted granite Applejack assumed was supposed to be ‘modern art’.

They picked a path and starting walking. The glass buildings and steel highrises looming around the park were a sharp contrast to the green grass and tall trees around them. A loud engine or car horn would break the tranquility every few seconds. Despite that, Applejack found peace in the smell of pollen on the wind and the calmer sounds of kids playing frisbee in one of the nearby fields.

Under a long stretch of trees, Rara looked up at the leaves, their shadows dancing over her face. She giggled to herself and said, “Do you remember when we tried to play hide n’ seek in your orchard?”

Applejack looked up too, watching the sun flit between the leaves. “Which time?”

“The first time, when your dad told us we were too young to go out by ourselves.”

“Oh yeah!” Applejack chuckled. “Ah got lost tryin’ to find a good hidin’ place and then got spooked by somethin’ in the bushes.”

“And I felt like I was looking for hours and started panicking that something had happened to you. And then we both started screaming.”

“And ran straight into each other!” They finished at the same time. Their chuckles and giggles melded into full-blown laughter.

Applejack wiped a tear from her eye. “Then Pa came and found us and took us back to the house.”

“Weren’t we like, only a hill over?”

“If that. He sure was steamed though.”

“I think that’s the only time I ever saw your dad mad.” Rara looked over to Applejack. “How is everyone? I would love to come over and see your parents and sister again. She must be so big now.”

The joviality drained out of Applejack, replaced by an all too familiar crushing weight. A weight she had learned to carry, but one that hurt all the same. She licked her dry lips and kept her eyes on the ground. “Um… Rara… mah parents are… they’re...”

Applejack chomped down on the inside of her cheek, drawing a fraction of the pain away from her heart. “They’re dead.”

Rara’s heels stopped crunching in the dirt. Applejack braced herself further and stopped and looked back. Sunglasses removed, Rara stared at Applejack in glossy-eyed disbelief.

“What?”

Applejack clenched her hands at her sides. “They died. About a year after you moved away.” A familiar lump rose in her throat, but she forced it down and kept talking.

“They dropped me off at school that mornin’. Pa promised he’d pick me up later. He and Ma were going into town to do some errands. Ah was halfway through lunch when Ah got called to the principal’s office. And there was Granny, and Ah… Ah had never seen her so… broken before. Holdin’ it together just enough so she could see straight and get us home. They had been on the freeway. A semi tried to change lanes and… he just didn’t see them.”

Applejack unclenched her fists and slacked her shoulders. “Both of them were gone. Just like that.”

Rara threw her arms around Applejack and squeezed. “I… I’m so, so, so sorry, Applejack. I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”

Applejack could hear the tears in Rara’s quivering voice. She didn’t hug back. Telling the story always left her too tired to do much. “It was… hard.”

“Is… is that why you stopped writing to me?”

She paused to reflect. She had cut herself off from the world for a while, barely talking to anyone outside her family and therapist. She recalled getting a letter from Rara, and telling herself she’d respond later. Later never happened.

“Yeah, that might have been a big part of it.”

Rara squeezed harder before pulling away and moving her hands to Applejack’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I understand why you didn’t, but I wish you had talked to me, just so I could have been there for you.”

“Ah’m sorry,” Applejack said, not meeting Rara’s eyes.

“No, don’t be. I know it’s late but, is there anything I can do to help?”

Applejack shook her head. “No. Ah’ve… learned to manage. We’ve been gettin’ by. It hasn’t been easy but, we’re doin’ alright.” She pinned her shoulders back and raised her head again.

Rara lightly pursed her lips, looking Applejack over. Applejack could only hope the look on her face wasn’t as fragile as how she felt. Rara gave her another, lighter hug, then stepped away entirely.

“Okay. But I want you to know I’m here for you. We’re friends again, okay?”

Applejack smiled and wiped another tear from her eye. “We never stopped. Maybe we fell outta touch, but we were always still friends.”

Rara made another happy squeal and pulled Applejack into one more hug. The weight still sat on Applejack’s shoulders, as it would for the rest of the day no doubt, but it did feel a little lighter.

They resumed their walk, Rara staying a little closer to Applejack. They walked by one of the granite statues, a sculpted face with an elongated nose. As they passed another couple admiring the art piece, Applejack noticed the girl’s eyes snap from the granite face to Rara’s. She whispered to her boyfriend and he turned his head and stared after the two girls as they moved down the trail.

It led them around to a small pond, where a group of friends were feeding peeled grapes to ducks. Rara started giggling again and pointed at the water.

Applejack beat her to it this time. “The canoe incident at camp?”

“I swear, it was flying right for me! What else was I supposed to do?”

“We got in so much trouble for that!”

“Wait, was that before or after the mud puddle?”

“After.”

“Oh my god, it’s Coloratura!”

Applejack’s smile froze. The group that had been feeding the ducks were staring past her and at Rara, whose sunglasses were still clutched in one hand, and one of her ringlets was peeking out from her scarf.

“I knew it, it was her!”

From behind came the couple from the art piece. They stopped a few yards short, but stared at Rara expectantly, camera phones in hand.

Rara’s look of surprise only lasted a second. She smiled and waved. “Hi, everyone! I’m just out enjoying the day with my friend—”

The duck feeders all scrambled over themselves and ran toward Rara. The ducks fled back into the pond, their wings slapping flecks of water against Applejack. One of the fans then shunted her to the side to get closer to Rara.

“I loved your new album!”

“I was at your concert! I didn’t know you were from Canterlot!”

“Can you sign my hat?”

None of them touched Rara, but they pulled phones and scraps of paper from their pockets and shoved them in front of her face. For her part, Rara took it in stride; if she was nervous, she didn’t show any signs of it. She reached into her purse and pulled out the heart-shaped stamp Applejack had seen at the concert.

A distant shout and a rumble of gravel alerted Applejack to the stampede of more fans running over from the field. Before she knew it, what started as a group of five or six was swelling into a crowd of over twenty. And as more gathered, Applejack found herself pushed to the fringes.

“I promise, I’ll give each of you a heartsie. But only if you make a single-file line,” Rara said, sweet and stern. As the crowd started to eagerly organize themselves, Rara looked over to Applejack, her smile briefly breaking. “I’m sorry. You don’t mind, do you? This’ll only take a minute, I promise.”

Ignoring the uncomfortable squirm in her stomach again, Applejack pushed a smile onto her face. “‘Course not. It’s no problem,” she lied.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Recruiting a Team of Teenagers with Attitude

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words you left in my last blog post. They mean a lot.

And on a much brighter note, Happy fifth anniversary to Spectacular Seven! I can't believe it's been that long! Check out the anniversary blog for a few announcements and surprises!

9. Leygate

Sunset shouldn’t have been surprised.

When Selena had first posited the idea of the leygate being the Sirens means of escape, and how they were created by strong influxes of magic, Sunset deduced her actions at the Fall Formal had been the cause for the creation of one. Yet, when Sonata told Artemis to stop the car just a block past Canterlot High School, Sunset couldn’t help but ask.

“Really? It’s here?”

Sonata waved her hand. “It’s pretty close. We’ll have to walk from here.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out the car before Artemis turned the engine off. Pinkie made an excited squee and jumped out after her.

Artemis signaled to the rest of the carpool to find parking and got out himself. He popped his index finger into his mouth, then held it up into the air. “Hmm, there is some magic in the air here. I don’t know if it would be enough to create a leygate though…”

“Oi!” Rainbow walked over from across the street. “Why are we in front of school during summer break?”

Sunset pointed to Sonata, walking down the street in tandem with Pinkie. “She says it’s around here.”

“Wouldn’t someone have noticed a portal leading halfway across the world?” Rarity asked.

“Wouldn’t someone have noticed a demon ripping off the front of a high school?” Sunset countered dryly. “We got away with few questions asked on that one too.”

“I just hope no one wandered in on accident and got lost.”

Artemis and the rest of the Spectacular Seven followed Sonata past the empty faculty parking lot and behind the school, crossing the street into the small woods beyond. The tall trees provided some cover from the late afternoon sun.

Sonata slowed down and started placing her hands on the pine trees. She tapped her knuckles on one and stuck her tongue out. “It was around here somewhere…”

“What, is it camouflaged or something?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah! We like, came out of a tree. It was so weird!”

Artemis nodded his head. “Leygates are meant to blend in,” he said with a slight begrudging tone. He kept a tight grip on his wand.

Twilight nervously placed a palm on one of the tree trunks. “Umm… do you remember what taking the leyline felt like?”

Sonata bobbed her head. “Oh yeah! It was like riding a super-fast rollercoaster! I wanted to do it again but Adagio said no.”

Twilight gave a weak chuckle and gulped.

They followed Sonata deeper into the woods, watching her touch and knock on every tree. Sunset could feel the tingle of magic in the air, but nothing particularly discernible. She knew Sonata was telling the truth about there having been a leygate, but was Artemis right in questioning if there was enough magic to support it?

“Sonata, Ah know you’re tryin’ your best, but maybe it ain’t here anymore,” Applejack said.

“I’m super duper sure it’s here somewhere!” Sonata said, a hint of desperation in her voice. “I’m telling the truth, for realsies!”

Pinkie gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. “I believe you! And we’ll keep looking until we find it!”

Rainbow folded her arms and leaned back against a tree. “I think—aaah!” Her scream faded into an echo.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy ran to where she had stood a moment ago. The tree trunk Rainbow had leaned against rippled like water and glowed with a soft light before returning to normal.

“Found it!” Sonata said, pointing excitedly.

Artemis stepped forward and put a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder to stop her nervous bouncing before poking the tree with his wand. It glowed and rippled again, like a reflection catching sunlight.

“Well, I’ll be a wizard’s uncle,” Artemis said under his breath. “An actual leygate.”

“Is Rainbow okay?” Fluttershy asked anxiously.

“Assuming there’s nothing dangerous waiting on the other side—”

With a loud huff, Sonata marched past the group—making an extra effort to bump Artemis—and jumped into the tree trunk. The light intensified and the tree rippled like splashing water.

Artemis pursed his lips but walked in after Sonata. Fluttershy dove after him the second his cape had cleared, and Pinkie ran in with an excited squeal.

Applejack stared after them. “Uhh, shouldn’t we wait to see if they can come back first?”

“That would be a wise decision, yes,” Twilight said, partially hiding behind Sunset.

They didn’t have to wait long. Rainbow stumbled back through the tree, waving her arms and catching herself as her momentum slowed. She placed her hands on her knees and doubled over, catching her breath for a second before jumping up.

“That was awesome! You guys gotta come check this out!” Without any more explanation, she jumped back into the leygate.

Sunset looked at the remainder of the group. “Well, that’s all the convincing I need.” She took Twilight’s hand and gave her a warm smile. “We can go together.”

Twilight gulped again, her hand shaking. She let Sunset lead her to the leygate, taking the slowest, smallest steps she could. With one more comforting squeeze, Sunset passed through the veil, pulling Twilight with her.

Passing through, the tree was nothing more than a light curtain. It brushed against Sunset’s skin but did nothing to slow or hinder her. The second all of her had crossed through, all gentle feelings were ripped away. Sonata had been wrong: this wasn't like riding a rollercoaster; it felt like Sunset had been strapped to the front of one of the bullet trains she had seen on T.V. No wind blew against her, just sheer pressure that pulled her lips back. She could hear Twilight screaming next to her, her hand glued into Sunset’s.

And in five seconds, it was over. Sunset stumbled out of the leygate, her legs carrying her forward before she fell onto a grassy dune, Twilight collapsing on top of her.

“I… hate… teleporting…” Twilight said between breaths.

“Technically that wasn’t teleportation,” Artemis said somewhere above them. “It was closer to lightspeed travel.”

Sunset raised her head to glare at Artemis. Instead, a pristine beach and a dark, glassy sea stretched out before her, a full moon lighting up the horizon. The wind was warm and brought the sharp scent of seaweed and fish.

Twilight rolled off Sunset and got to her feet, staring in awe. “We’re… we’re actually on the other side of the world?”

Sonata walked up and helped Sunset to stand. “Welcome to Greece!” She looked over at Artemis. “See, I told you I wasn’t lying!”

Artemis gave a begrudging nod. “Yes, it looks like I was wrong.”

Sonata blew a raspberry.

A gentle woosh made Sunset turn around. Applejack and Rarity tumbled out of the leygate as well, Rarity falling to her knees just as Sunset had. Like the portal in Canterlot, the island leygate was inlaid into the base of a tropical tree; one of many that marked the dividing line between the white, sandy beaches and a lush jungle.

“That was somethin’ else, even by magic standards,” Applejack said, leaning against a solid tree.

“Are we going to have to do that every time we come here?” Rarity asked.

Sunset knew the answer was yes but kept her mouth shut. Instead, she walked down to the shore. The waves gently ebbed and flowed over the beach. Under the pale moon, the sand was pure white. The island stretched on to her left, seashells dotting the dunes, while to her right, it gently sloped upward to a short cliff face.

A streaking jet of red light shot over Sunset’s head, making her jump a foot in the air. The magic blast sailed over the water before colliding with an invisible force and dispersing in a shower of sparks. A rippling wave of blue energy spread out from the impact point and curved up over the island like a dome.

“Ha! I knew it! My barrier is impossible to break!” Artemis yelled, more smug than normal. “Still the greatest wizard on the planet!”

Sunset rolled her eyes but turned around to face him. “So? What do you think?”

Artemis raised his arms and embraced the cool wind. “Far away from prying eyes. Plenty of open space. Easily accessible. Yes, I think this place will do wonderfully!”

Sonata blew another raspberry.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Rainbow asked. She ponied up and took to the air. “Let’s get started!” With one flap of her wings, she was halfway down the coast, a plume of sand left in her wake.

“Superhero training time!” Pinkie yelled, ponying up and throwing fireworks into the night sky.

*******

The next two weeks flew by in a whirlwind of magical activity.

The first night on the Siren’s island was mostly spent doing reconnaissance and gaining familiarity of the land with Sonata as their guide. The cave the Sirens had dwelled in for twenty years had been untouched and contained the remains of wooden utensils and fish carcasses. It wasn’t a wide island—less than a mile in diameter—but still had more than enough room for the girls to spread out and practice their unique magical abilities.

Sunset had to split her time working on both of her powers on top of martial arts training with Shimmer, something both women were hesitant to do. Even with protective gloves, Sunset had a trepidatious itch anytime Shimmer put a hand on her to correct her form, or whenever they traded blows while sparring. For anyone else, Sunset only saw into their soul whenever she was ponied up. Yet she and Shimmer still could read each other anytime their bare skin made contact.

“Maybe it has something to do with you being dimensional counterparts,” Twilight posited in between one of their training sessions.

It was the only hypothesis any of them could come up with at the time. Luckily, since Sunset had the most experience in martial arts tied with Rainbow, she needed the fewest lessons from Shimmer.

By comparison, the rest of Sunset’s training progressed in a smoother fashion. She alternated between ponying up and boosting her friends’ abilities, and going into phoenix form and practicing her fire powers.

Her soul-boosting powers, she learned, did have a few limitations. Whatever magical increase she gave to her friends only lasted a few minutes, and as Sunset quickly learned, she could not hand out augments ad infinitum.

One afternoon, after Pinkie had already come back for seconds, Sunset offered to boost Applejack to test the limits of her super strength. Sunset gripped Applejack’s shoulder and felt her soul pulse as she granted Applejack additional power. Only this time, when the pulse finished, Sunset felt her soul flutter. She stepped back, woozy and lightheaded.

Applejack hadn’t noticed. Orange aura glowing bright, she grabbed a large tree with one hand and lifted it up from the roots like it was nothing more than a turnip. She hurled it out to the ocean, where it collided with Aretmis’ barrier and dropped into the water.

“Golly, that didn’t weigh nothin’ at all,” Applejack said, looking at her hands.

“Yeah, super impressive,” Sunset said, still winded. She leaned forward and put her hands on her knees.

“You okay?” Applejack asked.

Sunset waved a hand. “Yeah, just—” She jumped a foot back as something burrowed out of the ground between her boots. Its black carapace caught the sunlight and glistened, its pincers looking especially menacing.

“Woah there!” Applejack shouted.

The scorpion clicked its claws and scuttled forward, looking between the two girls. Before it could pick an opponent, Applejack lifted her foot and brought it down as hard as she could, crushing the arachnid.

Her stomp was so strong, Sunset felt it reverberate through the sand. Only, it didn’t stop. The vibration carried up Sunset’s legs and dropped her to the ground, now rocking and trembling. The trees shuddered and the sand shifted, and Sunset heard confused cries across the island.

Applejack stared wide-eyed even as the rumbling died down. Palm leaves dropped to the ground around them, becoming as still as the surrounding landscape.

“Did Ah do that?” Applejack asked in whispered awe.

Sunset nodded, dumbfounded. She pushed herself back onto her feet and walked toward the sandbar. The silence of the island became eerie. Sunset looked out over the ocean and watched as even the lapping waves drew quiet, the tide receding and revealing seashells embedded in the sand. She looked out further and squinted her eyes. The faint line on the horizon grew taller, and the once-silent water began to growl.

“Oh no…” She snapped her gaze and looked down the beach, thinking quickly. “Rarity!”

Rarity blocked a punch from Shimmer before looking over her shoulder. “Yes?”

Sunset sprinted toward her. “Get ready to make a shield! Big shield! Super big!”

“Why?” Rarity looked out to the water, where the looming wave was much more visible now. “Oh…”

Sunset grabbed Rarity’s arm and gifted her a boost. The second she did, her soul fluttered again, harder this time, and Sunset dropped to the ground, exhaustion pulling at her very core. Her pony features vanished back into the aether.

“Sunset, are you—”

“Shield, now!” Sunset croaked.

Rarity gave her one more concerned look but lifted her hands. A wall of diamonds rose from the edge of the shoreline, spreading all the way down the coast and rising high above the island. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch as the tidal wave crashed against Rarity’s shield wall. The diamonds didn’t even flicker at the weight of the water, nor at the tree that Applejack had thrown as it came back and slammed into the wall.

Rarity held the barrier up until the water receded again to its normal levels. When everything seemed calm again. She dropped to Sunset’s side.

“Sweetheart, what happened? Are you all right?”

Fluttershy flew over and laid her hands on Sunset, restoring some of her energy, enough to where Sunset could sit up and speak again. “Yeah. I think I just learned what my limits are to my magic.”

She looked over to Applejack. “Let’s never do that again.”

Applejack nodded, shock still on her face.

The exhaustion Sunset felt reminded her of when she would deplete her mana when she was a unicorn. She and Twilight later hypothesized she wasn’t just using her soul to boost her friends’ magic, she was sharing her own magic with them.

Practicing with her fire abilities proved more straightforward. For one, it was easier to measure when she was running low on magic. Sunset learned to wield her flames in a more controlled fashion, and while she couldn’t dispel it once it left her hands, she could redirect it and pull the fire away from things she didn’t want burned anymore, similar to what she did in the aftermath of fighting Tempest.

The girls did their training in the mornings, making it the late afternoon in Greece. It gave them the rest of the day to go about their normal activities, provided they weren’t interrupted by some magical incident. With the increase in their training came the increase of weird happenings around Canterlot. They were still infrequent, and occurred in more remote places, but Sunset didn’t write them off as being random.

Adagio no longer appeared at these magical sites. Her handiwork now took place in the dead of night, leaving the girls to discover it through the news the following day. She had robbed banks, jewelry stores, and even taken a painting from the Canterlot Art Museum. She hadn’t been discreet either. Every time, law enforcement had caught her in the act, and every time, she had gotten away after causing property damage and bodily harm. A few unlucky civilians claimed to have crossed paths with her during her escapes. She would hurt them with her ‘unidentified foreign technology’, then continue her flight.

She was now the night terror of Canterlot.

“And we have no idea where she’s hiding,” Artemis bemoaned.

Her targets and patterns were unpredictable. Artemis had stayed up all night one night on magic watch to keep alert for her, only for Adagio to never show. It was an unfortunate agreement that, until they could discern Adagio’s plan or crossed paths again, the Spectacular Seven would leave her to the police.

“Has Shining said anything yet?” Sunset asked Twilight one day on their way to the leygate.

Twilight shook her head. “I think he’s been too busy. I haven’t gotten to talk to him since the wedding. I know he knows we’re connected to the things happening around the city, but since we disappear before anyone can really see us, he doesn’t have any proof.”

Twilight and Sunset spent as much time as they could together, though an increasing amount of that time was spent in Twilight’s lab. While her project for her internship competition had been completed, Twilight had taken to tinkering with more and more gadgets and gizmos. As a result, the girls had taken many trips to the junkyard to look for parts her 3D printer couldn’t generate. Night Light also brought in tools and pieces from Canterlot University. Sunset could no longer justify her teasing of calling the space a garage; it looked like a true lab now.

Sunset would have liked to drag Twilight out and spend non-study time with her. However, it seemed anytime they were about to have a leisurely afternoon, some magical incident interrupted them.

Sunset had a particular afternoon planned out: lunch and a spa date with Twilight after she indulged in another junkyard trip.

The summer sun shone down on them, heating the forgotten trash heap and amplifying the pungent aroma.

“I’ll never get used to the smell,” Twilight complained, pinching her nose as she led Sunset around the towers of dirt and discarded trash.

“You’re the one who wanted to go discount shopping for second-hand parts,” Sunset said. Her frequent ventures here with Flash years ago made her a little more accustomed.

“Last time we found a perfectly good motherboard,” Twilight said defensively.

Most of the junkyard was an unorganized heap of yesterday's trash and dirt. However, a far corner seemed to attract misplaced electronic leftovers. Computers, gaming consoles, microwaves, washing machines, and other modern appliances that never made it to the scrap yard where they belonged.

Twilight pulled out a pair of kitchen gloves from her backpack and began rummaging through the discarded machines. “I’m trying to find a few components that will make my Auto-Arm a little more flexible,” she said, referring to her internship project.

Sunset used her foot to roll a tire out of the way. “You’re gonna make me earn this spa day, aren’t you?”

“We won’t be here long, I promise.” Twilight opened the back of an old washing machine and began pulling pieces out.

“That’s what you said last time—ow!” Sunset turned around. The tire she had kicked away had managed to roll back and run into the back of her leg. She kicked it again, knocking it over.

“Look, I already found something useful!” Twilight pulled a suspension spring from the washing machine and held it over her head. “I’m going to dig a little bit more! Could you look for any flexible cables or wiring?”

Sunset crossed her arms. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She walked off, spotting the remains of industrial HVAC systems. One of the face plates on the gray box was already partially unhinged. Sunset squeezed her fingers into the crevice and pulled with all her might, peeling the metal back. She took a look inside and frowned; the wires had already been chewed on by rats.

She looked over to one of the other HVACs. While rusting and coated with dirt, they looked pretty sturdy. Sunset doubted she could get in them without a crowbar or something similar. As she walked over to get a closer inspection, the HVAC behind her rumbled and whirred. She spun around and felt air drifting out of the grate in the front.

“What the…?” Sunset peeked back into the inner mechanism, finding the wires still gnawed and parts still missing, yet air was now billowing out of it.

“Ow!” Something smashed hard into the back of Sunset’s head, casting spots in front of her eyes. She gingerly cupped the new bruise and turned around, spotting a broken phone on the ground behind her. She turned her gaze upward trying to discern where it could have come from, then wrinkled her nose. There was something in the air, and it wasn’t mold.

The sound of crunching dirt gave Sunset just enough of a warning to jump out of the way as the tire she had kicked twice before came speeding at her. She rolled and hopped back to her feet as the tire skidded to a stop a few yards away, then proceeded to rev and roll backward.

“Twilight!” Sunset turned and ran, staying just ahead of the possessed tire. She swung around one of the towers of debris and found Twilight precariously perched on an old computer chair, reaching for a sheet of scrap metal at the top of another short trash pile.

Sunset scooped the nearest thing off the ground—an old hamster cage—and threw it at the tire behind her. It hit and was heavy enough to force the tire to swerve off its heated trajectory of running over Sunset… and into the back of Twilight’s chair instead.

“Aaaah!”

“Sparky!” Sunset’s body jumped into phoenix mode as Twilight catapulted into the air. Sunset took off and caught Twilight ten feet off the ground.

Arms around Sunset’s neck, Twilight looked about wildly. “What’s going on?”

“The trash is attacking us.” As soon as she said it, a volley of empty soda cans launched from the surface.

“Crimany!” Twilight yelled. Sunset took off higher into the air, avoiding the tin cans. One flew through her flaming tail and melted as it fell back to the ground.

Sunset swooped to the ground and dropped Twilight off. The relentless tire returned, kicking up gravel as it tore toward the girls. Sunset put her hands together and unleashed a ball of fire that collided with the tire, but it barely slowed it down, only set it aflame. Sunset and Twilight leaped out of the way, the flaming tire spinning between them.

“Fire doesn’t solve everything!” Twilight shouted over a rising cacophony of clanging trash. Behind them, a whirlwind of garbage had formed, the burning tire leaping into it. Discarded debris, metal chunks, moldy furniture swirled together and took form, eerily reminding Sunset of the rock golem from the botanical gardens. One leg was half of a wooden cabinet with a tripod sticking out of the bottom, while the other was a metal trashcan. Its torso was mostly comprised of a satellite dish and two office chairs. A ladder with a lampshade and forks and knives sticking out the end made up its left arm, and a refrigerator with the burning tire made up its right. The junk chimera used a broken T.V. for a head.

Sunset stared up at the eight-foot, wretched-smelling golem. Bags and clumps of trash filled in all of its empty spots, making it look bulkier than it really was. “First rocks, now trash. What’s going on?”

Twilight pulled a rusty lead pipe from a trash pile and brandished it like her sword. “I’ll go low and try to get it off balance. You go high and keep it distracted. If we break off enough parts, it should collapse.”

Sunset took a moment to shake off the absurdity of the situation then jumped into the air. “Got it. Just be careful, Sparky.”

With a single nod, Twilight ran for the compacted trash beast. She slammed her pipe into its wooden shin, and it shuddered in discomfort. It reached for her with its lampshade, but Sunset hit it in the television with a fireball, gaining its attention.

She circled around it and fired another blast at its metal chest while Twilight attacked its other leg. The golem swung a flamming tire at Sunset, but its slow movements proved easy to avoid. She rolled underneath it, got in close, then kicked at its right-hand chair with both of her feet.

The chair dislodged and fell to the ground. Twilight followed up with another solid hit to the wooden cabinet, smashing it into pieces this time. With a lurch, the trash beast stumbled and fell backward with a mighty crash.

Sunset hovered down next to Twilight. “Easy. Weird, but easy.”

A crunching and rattling noise from the downed monster took the wind out of Sunset’s sails. The beast sat up, then staggered to one leg. A trash pile next to it rustled and ejected a thick roll of carpet that flew over and replaced the cabinet and tripod. The refrigerator and tire that had fallen off floated into the air and reattached themselves to the satellite dish, emitting a faint glow.

Sunset sharpened her focus as its limbs settled in. The glow faded out, but Sunset had seen enough. “That satellite is acting as a focal point for it. If we break it enough, the thing should stop regenerating.”

“Any ideas?” Twilight asked as it advanced on them.

“Maybe one,” Sunset said, taking a quick scan of their surroundings. “You go for its left arm. I’m going for its right again.”

Twilight broke wide left, forcing the golem to turn toward her. Sunset flew right, and the garbage construct hesitated. It swung both of its arms simultaneously, aiming for both girls. Twilight used her pipe to block the blow, the silverware clinking against the metal. The force nudged her to the side but was otherwise ineffective. She retaliated and knocked the lampshade and utensils from the ladder.

Sunset rolled under the tire again and shot a fireball at its shoulder. It proved less effective than physical force, for it remained attached to the body. She darted away as its arm came back around, the tire nicking her wing and disrupting her flight for a moment.

The golem swung its ladder arm down on Twilight who moved to the side with ease. She stood between it and the fallen silverware, which Sunset saw were standing up.

“Twilight!” Sunset dove and tackled her to the dirt as the silverware shot back toward the ladder, zipping through the air where Twilight had just stood. Sunset pushed herself up off Twilight’s prone form. “Are you—”

“Look out!” Twilight grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and rolled the two of them over just as the tire smashed the ground.

Laying on her back, Sunset saw the tire lift and come crashing down on her again. With no time to move, Sunset threw her hands up and clenched her teeth. The rubber hit her hands, hot but unable to burn her. It was the weight that caused her to cry out. Pushing with all her might, the tire pressed down, inches from her face.

Twilight shoved her pipe into the rims and pulled the tire, not only off course but prying it away from the refrigerator and sending it rolling across the dirt.

“Thanks,” Sunset said breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Twilight said, panting just as hard. She yelped as Sunset grabbed and spun her out of the way of the swinging ladder. When Twilight was clear, Sunset channeled her growing frustration into a fireball and launched it at the golem’s chest. It staggered, and as it did, Sunset flew up and delivered another solid kick to its shoulder, knocking off its right arm again.

“Keep it distracted,” Sunset shouted. Judging by how fast the golem’s magic allowed its pieces to keep coming back, Sunset guessed she had less than a minute. She flew over to where she found the HVAC systems and hefted one of the metal boxes off the ground, muscles straining as she lifted back into the air. Flying back, she saw Twilight knock off the forks and knives again before jumping back as the golem kicked at her.

“Aim for its face!” Sunset rose higher into the sky, angling herself over the golem.

Twilight glanced up, nodded, then threw her lead pipe at the T. V., cracking the already broken glass. The trash golem lifted the ladder to its face like it could do something about its busted facsimile of a head.

Sunset dropped the HVAC box, her arms sighing in relief at the unloaded weight. The box fell like a stone and crashed into the T. V., which then crumpled into the satellite dish and sent the entire golem to the ground in an even louder cacophony and spill of trash than the one it had been born from.

Sunset flew back to Twilight’s side, and the two girls eyed the junk pile until they were positive it wouldn’t rise again. Only then did they take a collective sigh, Sunset coming out of her powers.

“I have so many questions,” Twilight mumbled, doing her best to dust herself off. “Why was the trash trying to attack us? And… what happens to the magic after we beat it? Did we destroy it?”

Beating some of the grime off her leather vest, Sunset said, “Remember our magic lessons a few months back? Magic is like other forms of energy: it can’t be destroyed, it either transforms, disperses, or breaks down enough to where it can’t do anything.”

She walked over and kicked the trash. It remained stationary. “We damaged the main body the enchantment was using so that the magic couldn’t maintain itself anymore and left. As to why the trash was attacking us.” Sunset made a wide shrug. “Search me.”

Twilight chewed the corner of her lips. Sunset knew what, or rather who, was on her mind and decided to shift gears. She walked over and looped an arm around Twilight’s.

“Hey, you still owe me a spa date. Let’s say we get cleaned up and salvage today?”

“Yeah.” Twilight exhaled the thought she was holding onto and brightened a little. “A hot bath and a massage sound nice. Oh!”

She stooped down and pulled two fiber cables from beneath an old textbook. “Sunset, look! These are perfect!”

Sunset looked nonplussed at the wires shoved under her nose, then at the beaming girl holding them. “You’re really lucky you’re cute.”

*******

Over the next two weeks, Rarity found herself busier than she had ever been.

Random magical mishaps were the main source of her vexation. While she could schedule around her magical training, suddenly being summoned during peak store hours to go stop a monster alligator in the sewers (which she refused to actually enter, she had standards, and Applejack and Fluttershy performed wonderfully without her) created knots in her plans, metaphorically and sometimes literally.

While there was still plenty of summer left, Rarity was trying to prepare herself as best she could for her departure to New York, and that included figuring out what her housing situation would look like. There was no way she could stay in the freshman dorms; she had seen pictures and while some might use the word ‘cozy’, Rarity would prefer to describe them as ‘miserable incubation closets built for two people to share germs and little else, with the lacking qualifications for her creative process.’ Also, there was no way her clothes would fit in those drawers.

No, Rarity needed her own space. Unfortunately, New York was expensive, even for a girl with a thriving clothes store. So, Rarity had to devote time to budgeting and apartment hunting.

That was on top of the mandatory magical training she now had to do at least three times a week. She knew it was for the greater good, and she would do anything to defend Canterlot, but it was beginning to seriously cut into her personal life. Granted, she had indeed made notable strides with her powers. Not only could she manifest them on a whim now, she also discovered she could make more detailed constructs than just shields and barriers. They took more mental effort, but Rarity could craft form-fitting armor that could take a few hits before fading, and large spikes she could use as projectiles.

So, Rarity didn’t begrudge her training, she just wished Tempest would hurry up and try to do whatever it was she was trying to do so they could stop her and move on with their lives. Rarity still had a store to run. A store that was suddenly quite popular.

Rarity was a bit of a gossip. Tasteful gossip, mind you, and only to the right people. She knew the power a few words and speculation could have. Which is why Rarity speculated that some gossip had been made about her in the wake of the Coloratura concert. That speculation grew stronger after Rarity had been invited to go shopping with Coloratura and Applejack.

Coloratura, or Rara as she preferred to be called off stage by her friends, kept a scarf over her head while they were out in public. Rarity supposed it helped hide her true identity but she wouldn’t say Rara exactly blended in either.

The three girls were doing some aimless window shopping at the Canterlot Galleria downtown, more enjoying each other’s company than making any actual purchases, though Rara had offered.

“—so I’m at the after party for the concert, getting some shrimp cocktail, and I hear a voice behind me say, ‘Honey, I think you just put me out of a job.’” Rara narrated as the group walked by the central fountain for the third time. “I turn around and Sapphire Shores is standing there while I have a shrimp hanging from my mouth.”

Rarity covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. “Oh goodness, that must have been mortifying!”

“I was panicking,” Rara said with a delighted smile. “I was like, ‘oh no, my idol hates me, oh my god, Sapphire Shores is standing right in front of me, there’s shrimp in my mouth!’ I suck it in and try to say hi and I end up choking on the shrimp!”

Rarity gasped, enthralled. “What happened next?”

“Sapphire jumps behind me and hits me on the back. And let me tell you, she is strong. I cough up the shrimp and start apologizing over and over, and she just laughs and says, ‘I’m not letting my successor die by rogue seafood’!”

“So then… all those tabloids about you and Sapphire having a fierce rivalry and her despising you…”

“All fake,” Rara said nonchalantly. “We play into it sometimes, and when we get together, we compare album sales. But yeah, she’s been like a mentor to me.”

“Goodness, that’s utterly fascinating,” Rarity said. She knew most tabloid articles were rumor-mongering at best and invasive trash at worst, but the Sapphire-Coloratura rivalry had been repeatedly reported for the last two years. She vowed never to trust anything in the tabloids ever again.

“Wasn’t that a great story, Applejack?” Rarity asked, turning to her morose friend. She walked half a pace behind them with her hands in her pockets.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, Ah liked the part with the shrimp,” Applejack said, voice listless

Rara frowned. “Are you okay?”

Applejack put on a bright smile, though Rarity could see the strain in her cheeks, “Yeah, Ah’m fine! Maybe just a little hungry.”

“You’re right, it’s past lunchtime,” Rara said. “I think I know a good seafood restaurant not too far—”

“That’s Coloratura!” someone shouted.

“Not again,” Applejack mumbled just loud enough for Rarity to pick up.

In an instant, they were swarmed by a sea of fans. Most of them pushed their way past Applejack and Rarity, but a few lingered around them when it became evident they weren’t getting to the main attraction.

“Do you guys know Coloratura?”

“Are you her friends?”

“Where is she staying at?”

“How come you guys get to hang out with her?”

Rarity didn’t mind the attention and was more than willing to answer questions. But one look at Applejack’s grimaced face and shifting stance told her now was not the time. She grabbed Applejack by the arm and pulled her away from the masses, finding a quiet bench outside a candy store.

“Applejack, are you okay?”

Applejack brushed herself off, not looking Rarity in the eye. “Yep.”

Rarity furrowed her brow. “Are… you lying to me?”

“Ah don’t like crowds. That’s it,” she said tersely.

Oh, it was more than that, Rarity knew. She also knew Applejack was a stubborn mule and pulling emotions out of her sometimes was like trying to give Opalescence a bath. Not worth it. Still, Rarity remembered Applejack’s lie to Rara about liking the concert. An acceptable lie to spare her friend her feelings, but still highly unusual coming from Miss Honesty.

Something was amiss. And Rarity would discover it sooner or later.

Regardless, following the mall incident, her store's business—which had always been brisk during the summer—became much busier than usual. It started slow at first, but as the days went by, the lobby became fuller for longer periods of time.

Rarity never thought she would be this glad she had hired Coco.

With all of the time she had to allocate to training and apartment hunting, Coco was there to pick up the slack of managing the store, bless her cute soul. Rarity had no idea how she would have gotten on without her.

Which is why Rarity felt bad anytime she had to rush out of the store for a magical emergency.

“Opalescence, my cat, is… throwing up all over the house,” Rarity lied after Sunset had called and informed her of the alligator in the sewers. “Sweetie Belle and I need to run her to the vet real quick.”

Coco looked over from the hem she was stitching on a young girl’s summer dress. “Oh, that sounds serious. Umm…” Her doe eyes scanned the waiting room, filled with four other customers waiting their turn, and one standing at the register.

“I won’t take long, I promise,” Rarity said, holding one hand up and placing the other over her heart. “You’ll be fine.”

“Y-yes. If you say so, Miss Rarity,” Coco said with warbling confidence. She had grown leaps and bounds during her short tenure, but any time Rarity went out, there was that brief pang of panic.

Still, Rarity had responsibilities. She dashed out the front door… then ran back in and rang up the customer waiting at the front. It was the least she could do.

Coco never said anything about Rarity’s frequent flights; she was far too polite. Rarity swore to herself that she would make up for it by helping her create the best designs for the Midsummer Festival anyone had ever seen… as soon as they wrapped up her own designs for the design competition, something she was falling behind on now. In addition, she had promised Rara she would make an outfit for her appearance at the Grand Gallant Gala.

That was an opportunity she could not afford to pass up. If she didn’t win the competition, the notoriety from this alone would boost her accolades to new heights!

Traffic was finally slow one day. Rarity chalked it up to the sudden cloudy weather interrupting a string of sunny days. As she cleaned the fitting room from their last customer, rain began pelting the front door. Rarity looked outside, watching people run for shelter as the sky grew to a stormy black.

“Hmm, rain wasn’t in the forecast,” Coco said from behind the register.

“Odd. But, perhaps we’ll finally have time to ourselves,” Rarity said cheerfully.

Coco brightened. “Really? Because I’ve been dying to show you the designs I’ve come up with!”

“I’d love to take a look at them, darling, but we need to put in some work to Coloratura’s dress first.”

Coco’s bright face dimmed. “Oh, of course.”

Rarity put her hands on Coco’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. I swear, we’ll have time for your designs. We can even split the day today—half Coloratura, half you. How does that—”

A bright flash from the sky overhead cut Rarity off. A second later came the clap of thunder, so loud, it sounded like it was right over their heads. The lights of the store flickered, and then went out.

“Oh dear,” Coco said, stepped over and ducked behind the counter. She returned a moment later with a flashlight.

“Well, this isn’t ideal, but we can work in dim lighting. Hmm, although the sewing machine would be out of commission.” Before Rarity could contemplate more, her phone buzzed and began to play ‘Shine Like Rainbows.’

She pulled it from her pocket, seeing Sunset’s face on the home screen. “Yes, Sunset dear?”

“We’ve got a magical emergency,” Sunset said. “This storm isn’t normal.”

“Right.” Rarity sighed. “I’ll be over as quick as I can.” She swiped the phone off.

Coco looked over to her, a pang of panic on her shadowed face. “You’re leaving?”

“Err, Sweetie Belle is alone at home and she’s terrified. I’m just going to reassure her everything’s fine and make sure she’s safe.”

“But-but—”

“I have complete confidence you’ll be okay, Coco. You can lock the store while I’m away,” Rarity said, reaching for the handle of the front door. “I won’t be gone long. You can start working on your dress designs while I’m out.” And without another word, Rarity set off into the rain.

*******

Over the next two weeks, Applejack found herself increasingly miserable.

Magical training was fine. All she had to do was lift stuff and hit stuff. She practiced on rocks, she practiced on Rarity’s shields. It was all very redundant, though it sometimes helped vent her frustrations.

Frustrations she really couldn’t put into words.

Everything should have been sweet as a peach, magical doomsday notwithstanding. She had reconnected with her childhood best friend! Sure, she was an ultra-popular, world renown singing-sensation now, but at least she wasn’t a spoiled diva. Maybe a bit flaunty with her money, but she didn’t act like she had a silver spoon in her mouth. And sure, maybe every time they went out, someone would spot through Rara’s thin disguise and mob her, shunting Applejack to the side because who cared about some hick farm girl? But they were having fun, so everything was fine, right?

Never mind the small detail of Applejack having to pretend to like Rara's music.

She kept smiling and nodding her head to the final lines of Rara’s song. She belted them into the recording booth’s microphone. Applejack could appreciate Rara’s effort and devotion to her craft. That was about as much as she could say. She had tuned out the lyrics after the first chorus.

“Okay, Countess, I think we’re good for today. That was fantastic as always,” her sound director said from the mixing board.

Rara smiled and nodded. She took the headphones off and stepped out of the recording booth, taking the water bottle that an assistant had ready for her. After taking a deep draught, she beamed at Applejack. “So, what’d you think?”

Applejack gave her two thumbs up. “Ah can see why you’re a sensation.”

“Aww, you’re sweet.” She finished her water bottle and handed it back to the assistant, who quickly ran it out of the room and came back with a new one. Rara took that one and gently waved him off. “Sorry for dragging you to a session.”

“No worries. It’s nice to see how committed you are.” Applejack didn’t know how she was doing this. Maybe because she wasn’t really lying. There were truths kerneled in everything she said. It was great to see Rara’s commitment.

“I’m all wrapped up here, and we’ve got the whole day ahead of us. I was thinking we go do a little shopping. I know Rarity is making us dresses for the gala, but we’ll need some jewelry to go with them. What do you say?”

Applejack forced the muscles in her cheeks to turn upwards. “Sure. Just… nothin’ too flashy.”

Rara nodded. “Of course. Oh, I remember! Practical, right! I’m sure we can find something practical and pretty. Really, it’s just fun to go and look at stuff.”

Applejack felt an odd sense of gratitude. Being friends with Rarity had prepared her for events like this. She said nothing as Rara called a different assistant and asked her to call ahead to some shop called ‘Karat and Clarity’ and tell them she was coming.

Rara didn’t change; she was already dressed fairly casually in a white blouse and designer jeans. She didn’t even bother with her ineffective disguises. She simply called for her driver, then directed Applejack outside.

The recording studio was in an unremarkable red brick building nestled near the heart of downtown. Applejack stepped out into a wide side alley where the black limo had pulled up. Rara’s chauffeur stepped out and opened the door for Applejack, tipping his hat as she got in. Rara slid in a minute later, still devoid of her scarf and sunglasses. Applejack was getting the sneaking suspicion of why.

“I wish Rarity could join us, to make up for not being able to come to the gala,” Rara said offhandedly.

“Ah think she’s busy today.” Applejack had no idea, she just knew she couldn’t deal with both Rarity and Rara jewelry shopping.

“I don’t think I asked: how did the two of you meet? Actually, I would love to meet all of your friends someday. They sound amazing by the way you describe them.”

Applejack gave a genuine smile. “They are. Ah really lucked out with them. Met Rarity the summer before freshman year. Well, we went to the same middle school, but we almost never talked to each other. Then, Ah was sellin’ fruit at the farmer’s market one weekend.”

A laugh welled up from Applejack’s core. “She walked up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘you’re never gonna sell anythin’ wearin’ that.’ Ah don’t even remember what Ah was wearin’ back then. She just walked off after that. Ah was so steamed, Ah snapped at everyone who came up to the stand. Then the next week, she came back with this dress and handed it to me, all smiles. She bought three apples, too. Ah didn’t know what to think of her but, we became friends after that.”

A smile stayed splashed across Applejack’s face. Rarity had been Rarity even back then. The only thing that had changed was that Rarity had learned the ‘tact’ that she stressed so much in others.

Rara clapped her hands and laughed. “That’s hilarious! And heartwarming! I’m so glad you found friends like her.”

“What about you? Ah mean, are celebrities friends?”

Rara’s jubilance died a little. “Of course. Well, sometimes. I told you, me and Sapphire Shores are friends. Though she’s more of a mentor figure, but we still talk often enough. Feather Bangs is young, but he’s nice.”

She laughed, but Applejack heard it waver. “But that’s why I’m so glad I get to spend time with you again. We always had a good time together. And you’ve always been honest with me.” Rara turned her head out the window. “A lot of the time, I feel like the people around me just tell me what they think I want to hear. Or, people just want to get close to me for perks and favors.”

Rara scooted closer and pulled Applejack into a hug. “So I’m super glad nothing’s changed between us. We’re just picking up from where we left off.”

Yep. Nothin’s changed. Nevermind that Rara was a superstar now, or that she had fans, groupies, and managers. Or that she was taking Applejack to go jewelry shopping for the Grand Gallant Gala. They were still friends. And that was all that mattered. Applejack was just glad to be spending time with her friend. They were having fun.

And yet, something irked Applejack.

Was it that she had to lie about liking Rara’s music? Maybe. Was it jealousy? No, Applejack knew what jealousy felt like and this wasn’t it. She didn’t want Rara’s lifestyle.

She couldn’t put it into words. And if she could, she couldn’t tell Rara. Honesty had always been Applejack’s policy—it was what her parents had taught her. But if she could hand Rara a few white lies to preserve their friendship, just until she had to leave, then wasn’t it worth it?

Applejack shook her head. She was thinking too hard. Everything was fine.

The limo pulled up to Karat and Clarity, and Rara helped Applejack out and locked arms with her as they approached the storefront. One of the store owners opened the door and welcomed them inside. Just as Applejack had feared, the reason Rara had called ahead, the reason she had forgone any disguise: the whole store had been reserved just for the two of them.

“Welcome, Miss Coloratura!” the store clerk, Clarity said, her eyes honed in on Rara. “Thank you for coming today! How can we help you?”

“Hi! My friend Applejack and I are going to the Grand Gallant Gala and we were hoping to get something new for the occasion.”

“Of course, of course! We can start over here; we have a lovely selection of necklaces…”

Applejack tuned out after that. She allowed herself to be carried around the store and tried on necklaces, wristbands, and rings, putting on an interested face whenever Rara asked for her opinion. She again thanked Rarity for the practice.

Something shiny and red caught Applejack’s eye, and upon closer look, she saw it was a pretty ruby-red brooch. It almost resembled an apple. She remarked on how nice it looked, but no one appeared to hear her. She sighed wistfully as she stared at it a few seconds longer before moving on.

Rara eventually purchased pearl necklaces for each of them and a diamond-studded hair band for herself. Applejack stood off to the side, still marveling at the empty store. It wasn’t a small space either; there were a dozen wide tables with cases of shiny, expensive treasures. Yet, only four bodies warmed the space. More than once, someone had come up to the door only to find it locked, and an entire group of people had to be warded off by Rara’s driver.

“Okay, we’re all set!” Rara said in a chipper voice, swinging a bag from her wrist. “So, I’ve dragged you around all day so far; it’s your turn.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, silly. What do you want to do?”

Applejack hummed in thought. “You still wanna go see the farm? Heck, we could go fishin’ at the watering hole.”

“Oh my gosh, yes! I would love to!” Rara said over an increased buzzing noise. “Oh, one sec.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Hi, Starstruck.”

The brief genuine excitement Applejack felt evaporated as she watched Rara’s expression shift and heard her half of the conversation.

“Uh-huh…. Really? I mean, sure but…. Today? I know, but I…. Yeah, that’s true. Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

She clicked her phone off and turned her head upward for a second, taking a deep breath.

“Work stuff?” Applejack asked, trying her hardest not to sound disappointed.

Rara sighed again and lowered her gaze to meet Applejack’s. “Yeah. Scheduling conflict means Starstruck had to move something up and…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, AJ. I really wanted to go today but—”

“No, it’s fine,” Applejack said, a familiar squirm in her stomach. “I understand.”

“I’m really sorry,” Rara said with wet, earnest eyes. “We’ll get to it next time. I promise.”

Applejack could only strain the muscles in her cheek again to smile. It had been like this ever since they had reunited. First the park, then the mall. When they had gone shoe shopping last week. Something always interrupted them, be it work or fans.

Rara had been right. Nothing had changed between them. Applejack always came up second-fiddle to Rara's talents and the attention they attracted. But it was fine. At least they had gotten to spend some time together. And it had been fun.

Applejack would finally get the chance to turn the tables and cancel on her three days later. What had started out as another sunny day quickly became a dark and stormy one as heavy black clouds appeared from nowhere. Applejack had a suspicion it was magical based, confirmed when Sunset texted her to meet at the Lulamoons. Just as Applejack had grabbed her mask, her phone buzzed.

“Hi, AJ! One of my appointments got canceled, so I’m free for the rest of the day now. I was wondering if you had time to hang out?” Rara’s chipper voice danced out of the speaker.

“Sorry, Rara, Ah, uhh… need to do some weather-proofing around the orchard. Looks like a storm is about to hit.”

“Yeah, it’s so weird. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky this morning. Summer rains, you can never predict them. Do you think you’ll be busy all day?”

Applejack almost hoped so. “Ah’m not sure. How about Ah text if Ah get free?”

“Sure! Try not to work too hard,” she said teasingly.

Applejack made no promises. Working hard was her only distraction. The further into summer they got, the more she and her friends seemed busy with their own hobbies and projects. The only thing that seemed to bring them together now was a leygate to an island on the other side of the world, or when something magical and dangerous popped up.

Applejack still couldn’t identify the coiling knot in her stomach anytime she thought about spending time with Rara or her extravagant lifestyle, and focusing too hard on it just made her frustrated. So she enjoyed her work on the farm and her magical training when she got to see her friends. She even almost enjoyed these magical high jinks. Any distraction helped.

Today, that distraction took the form of something Artemis called, a Thunderbird.

Applejack fell about ten feet after punching it in the head before Rarity caught her with a gem shield. It had been a rough landing, but Applejack’s muscles barely registered it with the electricity coursing through them. She was too busy twitching.

“Okay,” she grunted through gritted teeth, “don’t touch it with your bare hands.”

Her warning came just in time as Rainbow, flying straight for the bird’s face, veered off at the last second. “Great, how else am I supposed to hit it?” she yelled over the wind and rain.

The Thunderbird let out a rumbling roar like its namesake. It was the size of a small elephant, and that was before including its massive wingspan. It had blue and white plumage with crisscrossing lighting patterns along its belly and the underside of its wings. Its massive beak had jagged edges on its upper lining, and three large plumes of feathers crowned its head.

With another beat of its wings, arcs of electricity flew out in every direction, forcing the girls to retreat. Rarity jerked Applejack’s platform away, pulling it over a gap in the storm clouds below her.

Applejack wasn’t afraid of heights, but she preferred seeing the abyss of dark clouds rather than the city half a mile below them. Her muscles stopped spasming and she climbed to her feet, steadying herself as Rarity moved the platform again.

Sunset blasted a jet of fire at the Thunderbird’s face. It screamed in rage and let off a thunderbolt from its wing. Sunset dove out of the way, the bolt clipping her fire wings and briefly disrupting them. Sunset fell a few feet and caught herself, wings reigniting with steam curling off them.

Applejack furrowed her brow. Sunset’s attack had barely scarred the beast. “How are we supposed to beat this one?”

“Really carefully!” Twilight yelled from her own crystal elevator.

“Rarity, give Twilight to me!” Sunset ordered. “Give Rainbow and Applejack armor and see if that negates its electricity!”

“On it!” Rarity yelled, face scrunched in concentration. The platform under Twilight disappeared, and Sunset caught her before she could fall too far.

A thin layer of blue light swathed around Applejack, enveloping her torso and arms in crystalline armor. She took a deep breath and tensed the muscles in her legs before leaping from the safety of her dais and over the swirling storm clouds. Fist drawn back, she aimed for the Thunderbird’s face again.

Rainbow came from the other side and struck it in the cheek. It cried out and teetered off balance, unable to recover before Applejack struck it in the head and sent it careening into a black cloud. Applejack fell five feet before a new blue crystal disk broke her fall.

The Thunderbird caught itself and screeched in the girls’ direction, its feathers bristling with electricity dancing between them. With a single flap of its wings, it ascended a hundred feet higher into the air, then broke into a dive, razor beak outstretched and pointed at Applejack.

Two whips of azure light wrapped around its torso from opposite directions and halted its divebomb. It cried in confusion and furiously beat its wings, sending arcs of lighting in every direction.

Off to its left was Trixie, and to its right was Artemis. Both stood on enlarged, floating playing cards. Aces to be precise.

“We can’t hold it forever!” Artemis yelled, tugging on his wand producing the ethereal whip. “This is a very angry avian!”

Applejack tensed her muscles again and leaped off the crystal disk. A bolt of lightning ripped past her face, singing a lock of her hair, and leaving an ear-splitting clap of thunder in its wake. She landed on the beast’s head and quickly grabbed two of its large plumes.

The Thunderbird noticed immediately and began to violently shake its head in indignation. Applejack flapped around, wildly flopping against the back of the bird’s head while praying she didn’t lose her grip.

Ain’t this like a rodeo.

She blinked. It was just like a rodeo!

Applejack let out a whoop and righted herself, digging her heels into the sides of the Thunderbird’s neck the next time she made contact. She tightened her grip, locked her elbows, and flexed her core.

“Yeehaw!” she yelled over a peal of thunder. This overgrown bird was nothing more than a bull at the county fair.

Rainbow streaked forward and delivered a flurry of punches into the Thunderbird’s sternum, her fists a blur. She flipped forward, dug her boots into the bird’s gut, and kicked off, sending a tide of water back up into Applejack’s face. Not that she could really tell.

The Thunderbird wheezed. Its bucking slowed from a raging bull to a dull kiddy ride. Applejack couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment. She was finally starting to have fun.

“Fluttershy, now!” Sunset yelled. She and Twilight dropped onto a waiting diamond shield, and Sunset swapped from phoenix to pony. Fluttershy glided out from behind a cloud and extended her hand. With a quick touch, Fluttershy’s aura brightened, and she flew over to the subdued monster and placed her hands on its chest.

Applejack yanked its plumes, holding it back from devouring Fluttershy whole. Fluttershy’s pink magic washed over the Thunderbird’s body until it was a burning silhouette in the stormy sky. Pink turned to white, and Applejack could feel the monster shrinking beneath her. She leaped off and was snatched by a passing Rainbow. They circled about, watching Fluttershy’s magic regress the Thunderbird back to whatever poor animal it had been before dark magic had touched it. Around them, the wind and rain relented, and the lighting and thunder halted entirely.

Smaller and smaller the Thunderbird shrank until Fluttershy could wrap her arms around it. When the light faded, she was hugging a small peacock.

Fluttershy smiled and stroked the feathers on its head. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.” She nuzzled it.

The peacock gave a tired coo.

“While Ah’m not terrified of heights…” Applejack said as the group gathered around Fluttershy. She looked at the dissipating clouds below and saw the tops of the downtown skyscrapers. “Can we get back on the ground now, please?”

Not ten seconds after touching her feet on solid land did Applejack’s phone go off. She looked at the caller ID, and her face froze in a forced, grimacing smile.

“Rara,” she said, one octave higher than usual. “What’s up?”

“Hi, AJ! It looks like the summer storm is clearing up. So, I was wondering if you were free?”

“Yeah! Yeah, uh… Ah’m free now. Let me just clean up. Ah’ll be right over.”

“Yaay! Bring your swimsuit; the pool here is huge!” Rara clicked the phone off.

Applejack stared at it a little longer, her smile fixed.

“You okay, AJ?” Sunset asked.

“Ah’m fine!” she snapped.

“...You sure?”

“‘Course Ah’m sure! Ah’m goin’ to a fancy five-star hotel to see mah pop star best friend who can spare a few minutes for me! Everythin’s fine! Why wouldn’t it be fine?” Applejack turned and walked off, the coiling feeling in her stomach returning, this time bringing heat.

She heard Pinkie whisper, “I don’t think everything’s fine.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Leylines? More Like, Leylying!

10. Fragile Pride

Twilight carefully set the old notebook on the coffee table, then turned her attention to the projector set up next to it. She flicked it on, then jumped over to her laptop and plugged in the cable extending from the back into the projector. Her first slide popped up on the Lulamoon’s wall.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming to my presentation today,” Twilight said, placing her hands behind her back and bowing.

“Trixie didn’t have a choice; she lives here,” Trixie grumbled. Sunset elbowed her. The rest of their friends sat around the living room at attention.

“I promise, what I have to show today will be worth your while,” Twilight continued, heart quickening as she looked at all the eyes staring back at her. She had invited everyone to this demonstration, Soarin and Shimmer included. That didn’t free her from stage fright. “I have finished my restoration and translation of the journal Artemis and Trixie found.”

“Wait, you translated all of it?” Artemis pouted. “I wanted to do it.”

Twilight laughed nervously and tapped a toe against the carpet. “S-sorry. I might have gotten a little carried away while I was working.”

“We’re very proud of you, Twilight,” Selena said, giving Artemis a pointed look.

“Of course we are. I can’t be proud and pout at the same time?”

“Show us what you found, Sparky,” Sunset said with a reassuring smile, ignoring Artemis.

Twilight smiled back and took a deep breath, then hopped over to her laptop. “Using a combination of preservations techniques and computer programs, I was able to digitally restore significant portions of the journal—not all of it, a lot of it is completely faded out or damaged, and even more of it isn’t entirely relevant, although it does give context to some of the events that are described, but I tried to condense my findings down to the critical information—”

“Sparky, slow down,” Sunset said gently. “You’re talking a mile a minute.”

Twilight took a gulp of air, realizing that she had, indeed, said all of that in one breath. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll go slower.”

She tapped a button and the first slide was projected onto the wall: a simple shot of the journal’s first page. “I was then able to translate the journal using online language databases and a few translation guides.”

“Could have just asked me,” Artemis grumbled. Selena nudged him.

“Firstly, I have deciphered that the journal's author was named Stygian. He was a close friend to Merlin and the others who fought against Tirek, though he himself didn’t take part in the battle. He was, however, the one to recruit Merlin into fighting back against Tirek after Stygian witnessed Tirek steal the souls of an entire village.”

Twilight clicked to the next slide, a faded drawing of old runes and sigils. “After meeting Merlin and accompanying him on his journey to find the Rainbow of Light, Stygian wanted to learn how to use magic as well.” She paused. Her slideshow didn’t include Stygian’s personal thoughts about feeling powerless to help his friends fight Tirek due to his lack of magic. She took a breath and continued.

“In Stygian’s time, it was believed that you could become attuned to the magic in the world by training your soul.” Twilight paused again, remembering Moondancer’s words from what felt like years ago.

“If one trains hard enough, one can open their soul to the magical world! They can become in tune with the natural magic that flows all around us! What’s left of it at least.”

“Even though magic was a lot more prevalent back then, Stygian still struggled with becoming attuned. He provided help in other ways, usually acting as a counselor for the rest of the group. Which is probably why he kept a log in the first place.”

Twilight tabbed to the next slide: a sketch of a gnarled staff of wood. “Here’s where things get a little muddled. A lot of the journal talks about the journey to retrieve Merlin’s staff which had been stolen. The translations are a little rough, but there are several instances where Stygian mentions the staff and the Rainbow of Light in close proximity to each other. Either the staff was needed to ‘access’ the Rainbow of Light, or the staff was the Rainbow of Light.”

“Wait,” Rainbow said, waving a hand. “If the staff was the Rainbow, then what’s with the box?”

“My current hypothesis is that, like how the box has six keys to guard the Rainbow, perhaps Merlin’s staff was the key of old times to unlock it.” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Or, the staff is inside the box.”

“We’ve seen weirder things,” Pinkie said, laying upside down in her seat.

Twilight continued. “Their journey—at least the parts I can read—are actually pretty interesting. Stygian and his friends… remind me of us in a lot of ways.” Twilight smiled at her friends.

Trixie rolled her eyes but smiled back.

“However,” Twilight’s smile faded. “They also encountered a number of problems during their journey. It seemed Tirek was targeting a lot of inherently magical people first in his conquest.”

Shimmer winced and looked at the floor.

“They also ran into a number of people abusing their magical powers. Stygian notes that a lot of magistrates and noblemen used their magic to keep the working class in line.”

Applejack crossed her arms. “Typical.”

Twilight nodded. “That gives a little more justification to what Merlin did later.” She sighed. “Whatever record there is of the actual battle that took place against Tirek is too damaged to read. Stygian sat on the sidelines for most of it. Tirek was beaten in the end. The Rainbow of Light put his soul in the Soul Lock, and Merlin put it in a box and threw it into the ocean.”

“If he threw it in the ocean, how the heck did Tempest get it?” Rainbow asked, outraged.

“Items of dark magic sometimes have a will of their own,” Artemis said. “Or, we’re just really unlucky.”

“So, is that it?” Trixie asked. “Because we knew most of that story already. Trixie fails to see how it helps.”

“N-no, I’m not finished!” Twilight said quickly, a flush in her cheeks again. “There’s still something really important left. Yes, that’s what happened after Tirek was defeated!”

She clicked to the next slide: an old tapestry depiction of Merlin with his flowing gray beard. “You see, Merlin felt that magic was being abused. Tirek, who had learned to use magic by training his soul, was the ultimate example of this. Merlin came to believe that magic couldn’t be trusted to the masses; anyone not born with magic already in their blood. He thought he could prevent other people like Tirek from rising.”

Twilight let out a slow sigh. “Which brings us to the passage Artemis originally translated. ‘...away the magic is foolhardy at best… Already the world feels emptier.’ I was able to restore more of that passage and a few others. Merlin sealed this world’s magic away in a pocket dimension so that it could never be abused again.”

Artemis sputtered and jumped to his feet. “He did what? Our ancestor did what?”

“Well that was selfish of him,” Shimmer said flatly. “How was that his call to make?”

“Stygian thought the same things,” Twilight said somberly. “They had a falling out not long after. Merlin says it was for the greater good, but I agree with Stygian.”

Soarin raised a hand. “But, if he took all the magic, how do spirits like Harbinger exist? Or the staff that Adagio had?”

“Well, he didn’t take all the magic. Just the vast majority of it, and only the ambient magic. I’m hypothesizing for the most part, but it appears he couldn’t suck the magic from artifacts and the like.”

Selena nodded. “It’s still possible for people to attune their souls to the magic of this world, there’s just so little to draw upon, it might as well not exist.”

Trixie crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. “Trixie is still thankful to be part of Merlin’s bloodline but thinks he was a great fool for this. Imagine if our world still had magic!”

Yeah. Imagine.

Fluttershy let out a gasp, then immediately shrank in on herself when every eye turned to her. “S-sorry, I, um, I just remembered something.” She straightened up but kept her eyes on the carpet.

“Remember when I told you I ran into Moondancer? She said something along the lines of ‘what if they could use our magic or the world’s magic?’”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Imagine if this world had magic again…. What if… what if Moondancer and Tempest are trying to bring this world’s magic back?”

“How?” Applejack asked.

“Well, magic begets more magic,” Sunset said, Artemis nodding behind her. “What if all these attacks and magical disturbances are part of some plan? We know the more magic we put out, the more the world starts to respond in turn. What if they’re trying to make us use more magic?”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Every brow was furrowed and every head hung in concerned contemplation.

Twilight switched the projector off. She had a little more to show but didn’t think anyone needed the distraction. She had never considered the idea while doing her research. Of course, she still barely understood how magic worked. What if they were just playing into Tempest’s hand by making magic for her…. But what other recourse did they have?

“We all know it doesn’t change much, don’t we?” Applejack asked, lifting the quiet shroud.

“Doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Rainbow said gruffly.

“Maybe it will come down to the Rainbow of Light,” Selena mumbled.

Twilight cleared her throat. “I was able to get a little more information about it from Stygian’s journal. Before he left Merlin, he was able to learn more about the chest. ‘When the purest hearts understand their virtues and align with the virtues of the world, they will get their keys.’” Twilight had memorized the line verbatim.

“Virtues of the world?” Pinkie asked. “What does that mean?”

“The elements of harmony?” Sunset guessed. “Or something close.”

“But Pinkie’s ‘key’ came from the wristband Sonata gave her,” Rarity said.

Pinkie snapped the wristband against her wrist and smiled.

“How do we know when our virtues have aligned and our keys appear?” Rarity finished.

Twilight looked to Pinkie. “Did you feel anything when Sonata gave that to you?”

Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. Just super happy that I helped her be good and we could be friends again.”

That was hardly anything to go on. Twilight began to think Merlin had erred twice. The greatest magical deterrent in a locked box with vague instructions on how to open it. And that was still assuming the Rainbow was inside. Were they just supposed to press random objects against it until they got lucky… five more times? The statistical probability of that was astronomical.

Artemis clapped his hands. “Let’s not get so down! We would hardly make good heroes if everything was just handed to us! I believe the keys will come in time!”

“Father, we wouldn’t even be in this mess if Merlin hadn’t been so paranoid!” Trixie said with a flail of her hand.

“True,” Artemis said with a grimace. “But, if he hadn’t, Tirek would be walking around even now!”

“But we’d have the Rainbow,” Sunset said. “All Merlin did was stall both sides. And what happens if Tirek gets his body back before we find all the keys?”

“Beat him the old-fashion way?” Shimmer suggested.

“A lot easier said than done,” Selena said darkly.

Twilight bit her lip. She had been so engrossed in the delivery of her findings, she hadn’t stopped to consider how everyone would take it. Or the rabbit holes that would lead from her findings. They were racing against the clock; a clock that Tempest had control over.

“Why don’t we just find Tempest now, kick her butt, and get it over with?” Rainbow asked hotly. “She has to be in Canterlot, right?”

“If she is, she’s hiding herself very well,” Artemis said. “And I doubt she’d move into the open now.”

Applejack snorted. “So we have to keep waitin’ for her to make the first move.”

Artemis shuddered and looked out the window. “Speaking of which…”

The heavy silence fell over the room again. The usual pre-battle jubilation didn’t arise, replaced by nervous glances exchanged all around the room.

“We can’t ignore it though,” Rarity said, biting her knuckle. “People will get hurt.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said with resignation. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then stood with a renewed fiery expression. “Okay, look. We beat the Sirens when our backs were to the wall. We beat Moondancer after she split my soul in two! And we beat the Sirens again after they double-crossed us! Just because we have to play Tempest’s game doesn’t mean she’s going to win! We can stop her! With or without the Rainbow of Light! That’s who we are!”

“Hear hear!” Artemis said, clapping his hands.

“Hell yeah!” Rainbow punched the air.

“Spectacular Seven!” Pinkie cried. “And friends!”

And like that, the mood had shifted. Even Selena had a small smile slip through her mask of reservation. That was Sunset’s power, Twilight observed. She found a way to inspire; to light up a room draped in darkness. She took Twilight’s downer revelation and turned it into a rallying cry. She made the impossible possible. Twilight loved her for it. And yet, the sting of defeat nettled the smallest part of her heart.

“You okay?”

Twilight startled. Sunset had moved right in front of her. “Y-yeah. Just thinking if this really a good idea.”

“It’s our only idea right now.” Sunset wrapped an arm around her. “As long as we’ve got each other's backs, we’ll find a way to win. Plus, I’m a sore loser, remember?”

Twilight managed to giggle. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Then gear up.” Sunset gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We need you for this too.”

They needed her.

The nettle of defeat vanished, leaving Twilight’s heart unburdened and slamming against her chest. She was still needed. She still belonged. She wasn’t useless. Her presentation hadn’t had the effect she hoped for, but she had granted knowledge to her friends to put them in a better position. She had helped.

Twilight took a deep breath, then smiled at Sunset. “Right. Let’s do it!”

*******

Moondancer exited the video call, turned off the computer monitor, and dropped her head into her hands. Weeks of this and it still wasn’t any easier. Every board meeting, stakeholder meeting, conference call; anytime she interacted with anyone in the company, she had to paint herself with the ultimate facade of knowing what she was doing. It was only by the grace of her acting abilities and Raven’s tutelage that Moondancer was treading above water, if barely.

It’s all a performance.

She peeked an eye between her fingers. She knew though. She knew they knew she was faking it. She just hoped it was a good enough act for them to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Tax filings, investment holdings, market shares, strategic operations. Even trying to delegate tasks to her management staff proved difficult because she needed to have some inkling of what she was talking about in order to convey half-decent instructions!

She understood why her father was tired all the time. It hadn’t just been Tempest standing over his shoulder. Being in charge was simply exhausting.

Moondancer sat up and rested her head against the back of her chair. She had forty-five minutes until her next meeting. She would need at least fifteen to look over the notes Raven had prepared. That left a scant half-hour to rest and not think about anything.

Wait…

Moondancer cursed. She turned her monitor back on and started clicking through folders. She couldn’t rest; she had to look over the finalized plans for the Grand Gallant Gala! Shade Enterprises had been not only its chief funder and host for years, but Moondancer discovered her father personally oversaw its organization.

“It was your father’s favorite event,” Raven had told her.

Moondancer had fond memories of the gala as well. Lavish ballrooms filled with shimmering lights and beautiful decorations. Dinner, laughter, and live music. Her parents would take her to the dance floor and take turns teaching her to waltz. It remained one of the few social functions she was allowed to attend after Tempest invaded her life. Her father no longer danced with her, but she still got to enjoy the atmosphere. A taste of freedom after months of confinement. She had always wanted to take Twilight, but…

The scars on her face sizzled, and Moondancer patted her mask in her usual futile attempt to make it stop. It no longer hurt as bad as it used to. Or maybe she was just accustomed to the pain now.

She returned her focus to the documents before her. She admired her father for being so hands-on with many aspects of the company but cursed his name for leaving so many responsibilities to her. She rubbed her eyes and sighed.

“Catering, done. Live music, done. All of the charities for the auction have been contacted. Which ones haven’t responded yet? I need a final list of representatives to expect. We have our auctioneer.”

She was looking forward to meeting Countess Coloratura in person.

“People would feel better with additional security. Adagio is still running around.”

“Yes. She straddles that line of being a nuisance and a boon.”

Moondancer’s blood froze at the familial voice somewhere behind her computer screen. Blood roared in her ears and her hands trembled. Aside from a nervous flicker in her eyes, her face betrayed nothing.

“Lord Tirek,” she said in a perfectly cordial voice. “What brings you here today? I am quite busy.”

“I merely wanted to see how you were doing.” Her mother’s voice. Cold and dispassionate, with just the slightest taunt hidden within. “These ‘corporations’ that you run are fascinating.”

“I am glad you find our modern age so appealing. I am merely finalizing preparations for the annual gala.”

“Oh? A dance held by the affluent, no doubt to show off your wealth.”

While Moondancer couldn’t deny the gala was geared more toward Canterlot’s rich and elite, she said, “We host a charity auction as well. We try to give money to those in need.”

“Indeed? Then perhaps you are better than the rulers of my age.”

“Your praise is kind. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

A pause. “No, I believe that will be all.”

“Very well. Though, permit me to offer a piece of advice: if you continue to instigate magical mayhem, you’re going to attract unwanted attention.”

She could hear Tirek’s smirk. “As long as I continue to receive the Spectacular Seven’s attention. Anyone else is of no concern.” A faint rush of wind, and Moondancer knew Tirek was gone.

She crumpled into the back of her chair, chest heaving as she fought the urge not to break into wild sobs. The tremble in her hands spread to the rest of her body, leaving her a quivering mess.

It’s almost over. It’s almost over. It’s almost over.

That mantra was the only thing stringing her along. The only life preserver that she could cling to in a chaotic sea determined to drown her. She constantly wondered if it was all worth it.

Even if the answer was no, she could never follow through with the alternative.

Moondancer took a few gulps of air and ran a hand down her clammy face. She needed to work. She didn’t have time for another breakdown.

It took all of her strength to sit up and look at her computer again. She took a couple of notes—reminders of tasks to do after her meeting.

There was a knock at the door, and Raven poked her head in. “It’s almost time for your meeting with the marketing team, Miss Moondancer.”

Moondancer had repaired her calm, stoic mask. “Thank you, Raven. I’m… as ready as I’ll ever be.” She stood up and smoothed out her dress skirt before joining Raven.

On to the next performance.

*******

Twilight stepped through her front door and closed it behind her before leaning against it and sighing. Even with Fluttershy’s healing, she was still exhausted.

A bark and a pitter-patter of paws announced the arrival of Spike. He ran up and pressed his paws against her leg, barking and wagging his tail.

Sword in one hand, Twilight scooped him up with the other, whereupon Spike attacked her face with wet kisses. She giggled and allowed him to persist until they reached her room. She leaned her sword against the bed frame and dropped onto the mattress.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Twilight said, scooting Spike away from her face. She scratched him behind the ear. “Were you a good boy while I was gone? I had to stop an army of mannequins from walking out of an old warehouse.”

She shuddered at the mass of faceless dolls marching for the exit and crawling over each other to escape. The fight hadn’t been hard; the mannequins hardly fought back. They just kept coming.

Twilight got comfortable, laying back on her pillow and letting Spike settle on her stomach. The chaos at the botanical gardens and the Thunderbird above Canterlot. Those felt like schemes to get her friends to release more magic into the world. But the junk golem, the alligator, and now this? Sure they were dangerous, but they could have been solved without magic if they tried hard enough. Fluttershy had only been needed to shrink the gator back to its normal size.

They felt more like… challenges. But why would Tempest be challenging them?

Twilight closed her eyes. Her brain couldn’t help but insist that Tempest was the one behind everything. Moondancer was just…. Twilight didn’t know what she was.

She saw the regret in Moondancer’s eyes in the forest. She heard her plea to Tempest. Moondancer did care about her. Maybe she really would have told Twilight everything.

But there were still her actions at Prom. And at the end of the day, Moondancer still stood on the opposite side of Twilight. Twilight hoped it was against her will. She hoped there was still good in her former friend. But she was still complicit in hurting innocent lives and trying to revive a magic-crazed despot.

A knock jolted Twilight from her rumination. She lifted her head and saw Shining standing in her doorway, still dressed in his detective suit. She moved Spike to the bed, then leaped up and ran for a hug.

“Shiny! How are you? What are you doing here?”

Shining gave her a tight squeeze. “What? I can’t drop in and make sure my little sister is doing okay?” He let her go and took a seat on the edge of her bed. Spike came and greeted him, getting into Shining’s lap and trying to lick his face.

Twilight sat next to him. “So, what’s it like being married to Cadence?”

Shining laughed, trying to keep Spike from his mouth. “It’s a lot like before, to be honest. Some things feel a little different, and it’s a great feeling being able to call her my wife instead of my girlfriend. But, a lot of it is just living our normal lives, together.”

“That sounds nice.” Twilight allowed herself a smile at the thought of being able to come home to Sunset.

“What about you? What have you been up to?”

Twilight subtracted all of her magic-based activities. “I’ve been working on scholarships for MIT. I built a drone that can take selfies, and finally worked the bugs out of it, and a helper arm for my lab.”

“Ever the genius,” Shining said with pride. He had gotten Spike to settle between them and was scratching the happy pooch behind the ear. “How are your self-defense classes coming along?”

He said it casually, but Twilight knew her brother. He wasn’t accusing her of anything, but he was looking for something. “They’re going fine,” she said evenly.

“What do you usually practice on?”

Twilight turned her head toward him. His eyes were on Spike. “Selena and I spar with practice swords.”

“So, no training dummies… or mannequins?”

Twilight’s heart drummed. “Mannequins?”

Shining sighed and looked up at her. His eyes still weren’t accusatory, but Twilight knew he was about to enter police mode. “We got a report about a disturbance in one of the warehouses downtown. When we arrived, we found a bunch of destroyed mannequins: smashed, burned. Or cut in half.”

“Shining—”

“We also have unconfirmed reports of young women in masks running into the sewers and showing up at the botanical gardens.”

Sweat perspired on the back of Twilight’s neck. She feared this might happen. Even with the masks, even with the events happening in more conspicuous areas, they were bound to get noticed. Twilight had practiced excuses and come up with covers that would hopefully exonerate her. But face-to-face with her brother, they all fell away. He was silent now, staring at Twilight with brotherly concern.

Twilight pressed her hands together. “Yes, that was us at the gardens. And in the sewer. And at the warehouse. Because all those events were magical, Shining. Living plants, living dolls, mutant alligators. We’re fighting things that the police can’t.”

“But, why?” There was the smallest edge of desperation in his voice. “Magic exists, I can’t pretend otherwise anymore. But why are these things happening now? And why are you a part of it all?”

“Because…” Twilight pressed her lips together. Why was she a part of this? Her friends had all inherited magic; they were being targeted by Tempest and Tirek. She was here… because of Sunset? Because of Moondancer? Because of her insatiable curiosity?

“Because my friends need me,” she concluded. Like she had told Moondancer in the forest: she was here now, and she wasn’t going to run away.

Shining stopped petting Spike. He pressed the tips of his fingers together and placed them against his mouth. “Twiliy, I’m happy you’re so devoted to your friends, but this is dangerous.”

“I know that,” Twilight said, snapping a little harder than she intended. “I know. But the danger is going to happen whether or not I’m a part of it. And I won’t sit on the sidelines while my friends go and fight.”

“Fight who? Adagio? The police can handle her.”

“No, they can’t.” Twilight gave him a pleading look. “She has a lot of magic now; she can do crazy things on top of being able to control people. We have a hard time fighting her.”

Shining ran a hand through his messy hair. “That just makes me worry even more. How can I let you go fight her? What kind of officer or brother would I be?”

“The trusting kind.” Twilight took both of Shining’s hands into her own. “I know you’re scared. Believe me, I’m scared too. And if I told you what we’re really trying to stop, you’d be even more afraid. But that’s why I’m training. That’s why I’m standing with my friends. So we can fight the things that you can’t. I know you don’t like vigilantes—”

Shining laughed. “Twilight, I read comics. I love vigilantes. It’s just my job doesn’t allow that. Otherwise, everyone would take the law into their own hands.”

Twilight shook her head. “We’re not doing that. We’re fighting the bad guys. And if we catch them, we’re bringing them to the police. We just… need you to not look too hard at what we’re doing. Otherwise, we’ll have a lot of explaining to do.”

“I know,” Shining said, exhaling deeply. He pulled his hands away and pressed one over his eyes. “You know if you get caught…”

“I know.”

He dragged his hand down and gave a softer sigh. “Then do me two favors? Don’t get caught. And don’t get hurt.”

Twilight leaned forward and threw her arms around him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. “I promise.”

Shining returned the hug and squeezed. “Thank you. I just… I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Spike gave a happy yip from his spot between them.

They broke apart, and Shining stood up. “And, to make sure you keep your promise…” He stepped out of the room for a second and returned with a box. “Here.”

Twilight took it and looked at the device pictured on the front. “A taser gun?” It was a small black handgun-looking device with wires hanging out of what would have been the barrel.

“I figured our conversation would go something like this. I doubted I could convince you to stop whatever you were doing. So, this is to help make sure you stay safe.”

Twilight set it aside, stood up, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, BBBFF.”

“You’re welcome, LSBFF.”

*******

Shining took a sip of his coffee as he looked over a stack of reports. No one told him promoting to detective would give him more paperwork.

He set his coffee down and made a few keystrokes on his computer. At least he had his own office now. It wasn’t huge, but he could block out the noise of the station if he wanted to. He could also listen to Cadence anytime he wanted. A small radio sat next to his monitor, permanently set to Cadence’s station. Unlike him though, she had clocked out and gone home for the night.

His computer told him it was a quarter after nine. He would finish this last report, then call it a night. Anything else could wait until the morning.

With only a few lines to go, someone knocked on his door. “Armor, you still here?”

Shining groaned and rolled his chair over to pull the door open. Detective Harshwhinny looked down at him, her face puckered in her usual unimpressed pout.

“About to go home, actually.”

“Too bad,” she said brusquely. “We’ve got a hit. Someone called 9-1-1. They didn’t get a chance to say anything, but the responder heard singing in the background before the line went dead.”

Shining glowered. “Adagio.”

Harshwhinny nodded. “We traced the call to a jewelry store on the east side. Fits Adagio’s M.O.”

Reaching into a drawer and grabbing a pair of earplugs, Shining stood up and followed Harshwhinny through the police headquarters. Harshwhinny barked orders as they marched, stirring the quiet building into a beehive of activity.

“Let’s move it, people! This is our last chance to capture her before the feds start sticking their nose in! Be alert but be careful!”

Squad cars rolled out from the station, sirens blaring in the night. They ran through red lights and tore through intersections, crossing the city in minutes. The lights were on in Karat and Clarity, but as Harshwhinny drove to a halt in the middle of the street, Shining couldn’t see anyone inside.

“I want a block-wide perimeter set up,” Harshwhinny said into her talkie. “Gaffer, take a squad and circle to the back of the building. Remember, she has foreign weaponry, and we have no idea how she induces hypnosis in people.”

Shining held his tongue. He hadn’t even bothered trying to explain anything to Harshwhinny. She would have demoted him on the spot. Still, a knife twisted in his gut. Several of his fellow officers had already been hurt by Adagio, and a few had even turned their guns on their brothers-in-arms. Only he knew the real reason why.

“I want lights in that store,” Harshwhinny said. The high beams from the squad cars turned on and flooded the interior with light. Both jewels and people were absent from the show floor.

Shining tightened his jaw. “She’s either in the back with the vault, or she’s already gone.”

“Someone should still be inside, even if she’s gone. Let’s go.” Harshwhinny got out of the car, and Shining followed, motioning for a few more officers to follow them in. The entrance was still unlocked, which felt more foreboding to Shining than it should have.

“Canterlot P.D.!” he shouted as they fanned out through the main room. None of the cases had been broken into, and there were no signs of a struggle. Harshwhinny pointed to him, then to the back corner of the store. Off to the left was the door leading to, presumably, the vault.

Shining followed behind her, discreetly putting in his earplugs. Creeping quietly, Harshwhinny pressed herself to one side of the entrance and jerked her head for Shining to go first. He kept his gun pointed at the ground as he rounded the corner, only to raise it the second he cleared the frame.

Adagio stood at the back of the room in front of a tall vault door, casually putting necklaces into a bag. Off to the side were two employees, standing stock still, just watching Adagio loot them.

“Adagio Dazzle, you’re under arrest!” Shining shouted, his own voice muffled in his ears.

Adagio slowed her plundering but didn’t stop. Shining could hear the faintest song coming from her direction. He fired his gun, only for the bullet to bounce off a glittering red wall. Then, the two shopkeepers ran at him, sudden fury in their eyes.

Shining leaped back as one swiped at him. He heard Harshwhinny curse as the other noticed her against the wall and made a mad lunge. He heard a scream and bullets fired behind him. Grabbing his assailant by the arm and bending it behind her back, he turned around and saw a red wolf on top of one of his officers, its jaw snapping for his neck while he barely held it back. A few shots from his partner drove the wolf off, but it lapped around the room before it struck again.

Shining’s captive threw her head back and smashed his lip. It wasn’t hard enough to make him let go, but he loosened his grip enough for her to swing around and use her free hand to claw his face. Shining let go, keeping a tighter grip on his gun as the girl reached for it. He hooked his boot behind her ankle and pulled, tripping and sending her to the floor.

Before she could get back up, Shining swapped his gun for a pair of handcuffs and restrained her. As he jumped back up, Adagio strode from the vault room, a smug smile on her face.

Shining pulled his gun again. “Freeze!”

Adagio’s smile widened as she paused to look at him. She mouthed a sentence, then her mouth flattened to a thin, annoyed line. She opened her mouth, and Shining could hear her faint song again. He fired his gun, but once again, his shot reflected off a red forcefield.

Something itched inside his head. Thoughts crept in. Unpleasant thoughts. He needed to shut her up. He needed to drown her out. In the corner of his eye, he could see Harshwhinny move away from her civilian and turn toward him, a green glint in her eye.

In trouble, he thought, feeling an irritation for everything around him stirring. He gave one more desperate glance around the room. His eyes landed on a red panel on the right side of the vault room door. Shining jerked his hand and fired his gun again.

Even through his earplugs, he heard the shrill scream of the fire alarm. His mind cleared up, and Harshwhinny shook her head before training her gun on Adagio as well.

Venom filled Adagio’s eyes. She dove behind one of the display tables, the bullet-resistant glass taking shots from both Harshwhinny and Shining. A second later, the same table was heaved through the air straight for the two of them.

They both dove to opposite sides, and it hit the ground with a bone-rattling crash. Shining rolled up to one knee and saw Adagio aim her palm at Harshwhinny, still on the floor. Shining took a shot, narrowly missing Adagio’s hand. Lips pulled back in a snarl, Adagio swung her palm toward Shining.

There was a bright light. Something hot pierced him. Somewhere between his heart and shoulder. It went clean through him, a sword doused in flames. His brain barely had time to register the pain. It granted him mercy by shutting down almost immediately.

His last thoughts oscillated between Twilight and Cadence.

*******

Twilight couldn’t breathe.

She sat on one of the hospital couches, slumped against Cadence, hand tightly clutched in hers. Neither woman said anything. Neither could. Silent tears poured down their faces as they waited in the nearly empty lobby. Occasionally, Twilight’s body would demand oxygen and force her to take a breath. They were always quick and shuddering.

Her free hand gripped the edge of the pleather upholstery, nails digging as deep as they could go.

She had been here before. She had been here twice. Shining had been poisoned. Sunset had her soul taken. Now, Shining…

Twilight shook uncontrollably, and Cadence held her a little tighter. It was a reflex, little more. There was only a flicker of life in her eyes.

Twilight hated hospitals. She hated them. She wanted a world where no one got sick or injured. Where she wasn’t forced to wait in the dim, dreary lights and sick, medicinal aroma to know if Sunset was okay, or if her brother would live.

She was lightheaded. Her body forced her to take another breath. It made her stomach churn. She moved her nails from the upholstery to her palm, scratching at the skin.

Her eyes flicked over to a clock on the wall. It was midnight. They had been here for almost two hours already. Two hours of waiting. Two hours of wondering. Two hours of spiraling.

Shining had told her to be careful. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. But what about him? She told him the police couldn’t handle Adagio. She warned him about her magic. But he went anyway.

Twilight couldn’t lose him. What was she going to do without her big brother? What was Cadence going to do without her husband? It had barely been a month since the wedding! It wasn’t fair!

She was hyperventilating again. Her chest ached. Every part of her body shook.

Cadence pulled her into a tighter hug. “He’ll be fine,” she said hoarsely. “He has to be fine.” It wasn’t conviction in her voice; it was desperation.

The lobby doors slid open with a hiss, and Night Light walked in with three bottles of water. He sat on an adjacent couch and handed the bottles to the girls. “You need to put some liquid back inside you,” he said somberly, his own eyes puffy and red.

Twilight slouched upwards and took a bottle. She sipped gingerly, feeling like anything in her stomach would force her to throw up.

It was another agonizingly long hour of waiting before the emergency room doors opened, and Velvet walked out. No one stood, they all just looked at her expectantly.

She wet her lips before speaking. “He’s… still in critical condition. The subclavian and his major vein were ruptured. The bone was… burned. Almost melted. The wound went all the way through him.” Her voice shook despite her best efforts.

“We’re doing everything we can, but…” Velvet hobbled forward and collapsed into the seat next to her husband. “Dr. Stables told me I should take a break. Let you know what’s happening.”

In a mousy voice, Cadence asked the question they were all thinking. “Is he going… can he…?”

“I don’t know. God, I don’t know.” Velvet finally broke and fell onto Night Light’s shoulder.

Twilight had broken down several times already that night. When she had first heard the news, when she had arrived and was told Shining was being operated on. She broke down again into quiet, powerful sobs, her mind spiraling, dragged down by the weight of her mother’s words.

Silence and tears drowned the family for minutes on end until the doors opened again and Dr. Stables emerged. Twilight looked up at him through bleary eyes and smudged glasses. He kept his hands in his coat pockets, thumbs sticking out. His casual posture didn’t mask his haggard energy.

“I’m sure Velvet has already filled you in. The damage was extensive, and frankly, we’ve never seen a wound like this. We’re doing everything we can. He’s resting before we bring him in for another round of surgery. If that blast had hit him any lower…”

Twilight shoved the thought down. “C-can we see him?”

Dr. Stables sighed. “It’s not a pretty sight.” When no one commented, he nodded his head toward the door.

They followed in a procession of uncomfortable deja vu, Twilight taking up the rear. They went further into the ICU than last time, passing nurses and surgeons and one grieving mother.

Dr. Stables came to a halt at a random door. “Two at a time, please,” he said, pushing it open and gesturing inside.

Night put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and nudged her ahead. “You and Cadence go. I’ll go with your mother.”

Twilight gave a trembling nod. Cadence tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it just came out pained. Still, she took Twilight’s hand and led her into the dim room.

Shining lay in bed, the covers pulled up to his waist. A ventilator mask covered his mouth. Twilight’s eyes locked onto his exposed chest. Two metal tubes weaved out of the hole in his shoulder up to whirring machines. Gauze and bandages covered the surrounding area, but Twilight could see hints of burned flesh around the perimeter.

Cadence dropped Twilight’s hand to cover her own mouth. “Shiny,” she whispered, renewed tears in her eyes. She stepped closer and slipped a hand into his, gripping it tight.

Shining didn’t stir.

Cadence remained with him for minutes while Twilight stood and watched. Her eyes kept flickering to the metal tubes jutting out of him; the last tethers anchoring him to life.

She hated that he needed them. She hated hospitals. She hated how her brother and her friends were risking their lives to stop villains straight from Shining’s comic books.

And she hated Adagio.

Adagio had hurt her friends, hurt her, and Tempest had done the same and worse. But this was different. Shining could die that night and it would be by Adagio’s hand. She hated Tempest. She hated Tirek.

She hated Adagio.

Twilight clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms. She felt like she wanted to scream. Specifically, she wanted to scream at Adagio, or hit her, or find her sword and… She closed her eyes and bit her lip until she thought it would bleed. The anger inside her didn’t erupt, but it didn’t cool, either.

Cadence turned from Shining, her eyes bloodshot, and gestured to Twilight it was time to go. They traded places with her parents and waited in the hall. Twilight clenched and unclenched her hands and made short paces between the walls. She was tired of crying. She still was but she needed something else to do. An ache behind her eyes told her she also needed sleep.

“Miss Sparkle. Miss Cadenza,” a somber voice said.

Twilight spun around. Miss Harshwhinny came down the hall, her left arm in a sling and a thick bandage on her cheek. Cadence greeted her with a weak wave. Twilight nodded curtly.

Harshwhinny looked into Shining’s room, her usual uptight expression dower. “That… whatever it was Adagio did… it was meant for me. He distracted her long enough for me to get my bearings. And I still couldn’t bring the bitch in.”

She gave a slow shake of her head. “He’ll be in my thoughts.” She walked off without another word.

Twilight bit down any acerbic words forming on her tongue. There was nothing Harshwhinny could have done then, and there was nothing she could do now.

Nothing she can do.

An obvious idea smacked Twilight in the face. If magic did this, then magic could undo it.

*******

Even after coming home, Twilight barely slept. She sent a group text to her friends at two in the morning and waited on tenterhooks for the sun to come up. What if Shining gave in to his injuries and died before Twilight had a chance to intervene? She tossed and turned in her bed, falling into half dreams where she stood over Shining’s body before jolting awake. She clung to Spike like a life preserver. While he brought her calm, he couldn’t bring her rest.

At last, the sun rose, banishing the long night. Twilight hopped into a hot shower to burn some of the exhaustion away. It only did so much; Twilight could still feel the strain behind her eyes and a fog in her head. She pushed past it and finished getting dressed, then grabbed her sword. Today wasn’t a training day, but like with Spike, holding the blade in her hand gave Twilight a small sense of calm. Of normalcy.

The door to her parent’s room was shut, leaving the rest of the house quiet. She filled Spike’s food bowl, then left the house, Spike whining at the door as she closed it behind her.

Despite the idea and determination in her head, Twilight walked at a slow pace, Several times she stopped to lean against a tree or fence. The exhaustion fog crept up on her again and reduced the world to a dream-like state. She floated out of her body for a few seconds before crashing back. She shook the fog clear and pressed onward. It took her an extra fifteen minutes, but she arrived at the leygate.

Her stomach squirmed as she stepped up to it. Two weeks of warping across the world in a matter of seconds had not improved Twilight’s handling of teleportation, even if Artemis said it was just high-speed travel. It still left Twilight dizzy and queasy and filled with questions. She shoved all of that down, took a deep breath, and walked into the gate.

It was only five seconds, but it was a torturous five seconds. It was someone pressing the fast-forward button on her very existence. She stumbled out of the leygate, feeling worse than when she had gotten out of bed. If she had any breakfast in her, she would have likely tossed it.

Here, it was early afternoon, the sun sitting almost right above her. The white sand practically glowed in the daylight, and the ocean sparkled a sapphire blue.

Twilight walked from the edge of the forest down to the shoreline. She stopped where the tide reached its apex before lapping back into the water.

She had lived in Canterlot her entire life. She was used to ambulances and car alarms and barking dogs. She had only been to the beach a handful of times, and it had been crowded and covered in screaming kids. But this island in the middle of the sea, where the only sounds were the ebb and flow of the waves and the rustle of palm trees… Twilight found a meditative peace here. She could drown out everything during her sessions with Selena. She could forget about her projects or college or having to leave Sunset or, ironically enough, the magical mayhem waiting for them back home.

Twilight took a deep breath of salty air and slowly exhaled. Even now, her chest felt a little looser. She unsheathed her sword and went to en garde. Her sword swished through the air as she moved through her forms. She tried to let her thoughts drift away and allow her body to move on instinct. The gentle sounds of the ocean settled her into a lull.

Adagio once stood here.

Twilight slashed her sword before coming to a pause. Her heart hammered. She gripped the hilt until her knuckles turned white. Adagio had stood here once. She had been trapped here. Then she had gotten free. And all she had done since then was make life miserable for everyone she came in contact with.

Twilight clenched her teeth. She hoped Aria was wrong. Twilight wanted Adagio to stumble out of that leygate so she could….

She stabbed her sword into the sand and collapsed next to it, pulling her knees to her chest. She sat there and waited until a gentle woosh and several footsteps told her someone else had arrived.

“Twilight?” Of course it was Sunset.

Her arms wrapped around Twilight from behind and her breath warmed the back of Twilight’s neck. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. I can’t imagine how you feel.”

Twilight placed her arms around Sunset’s. Her warmth made her want to cry all over again, but Twilight steeled herself. “It’s… it’ll be okay. He’ll be okay. We can make sure of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“We can fix him. Fluttershy can fix him.”

Another woosh announced the arrival of more friends. More hands touched Twilight’s shoulder, and she redoubled her effort not to cry.

“We’ll catch her,” Rainbow said firmly.

“I know,” Twilight murmured.

“Is there anything we can do for you, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight leaned forward, signaling Sunset to release her. She got to her feet and looked at her friends before focusing on Fluttershy.

“Shining’s hurt bad. But I don’t think it’s anything you can’t fix. It was inflicted by magic, but that hasn’t been an issue in the past. So, if you could heal him… please?”

“Oh, of course!” Fluttershy opened her mouth to say more, then hesitated and tapped her fingers together. “But, um… wouldn’t that look… suspicious?”

Twilight creased her brow, the strain behind her eyes increasing. “What do you mean?”

Sunset answered. “Twi… we can’t just go to Shining’s hospital room, heal him, and not expect someone to ask questions.”

Twilight’s crease deepened. “That’s what the masks are for.”

“The masks are to stop people from recognizing us if they see us, which we try to avoid.” Sunset’s voice was infuriatingly calm. “Even disguised, if we go in there and do magic, people are going to have questions and look for answers.”

“So what—I’m supposed to just let my brother die?” Twilight yelled.

Sunset got to her feet and put her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. Her expression was firm but gentle, and yet that only stirred more anger in Twilight. “Twilight, I would never suggest that. Shining’s the older brother I never had. I’m just saying, let’s think through our options—”

Twilight pushed Sunset’s hands away and glared burning daggers at her and the rest of her friends, looking back at her with pitying concern. She couldn’t believe this. The idea that her friends—her girlfriend—would say no never factored into her plans.

“What’s there to think about?” She asked, her voice cracking. “You help and he lives! You don’t and… he… he could…”

“We won’t let that happen,” Sunset said with false reassurance. “We just need to think of a way that—”

“That doesn’t expose magic!” Twilight spat. “Because that’s what it always comes down to!”

“Twilight, government agents are starting to snoop around Canterlot,” Sunset said, an edge to her voice. “If we get caught, what’s going to happen to us? What’s going to happen to the city if they take us away?”

“What’s going to happen to my brother!” Twilight shrieked.

Artemis slid between them and held his hands out. “Okay,” he said calmly, “I have an idea. There’s a middle ground between miracle cures and doing nothing. I’ll go in the middle of the night and just give Shining a tap; enough to take off the worst of it and improve his odds. At least enough that he should survive. How does that sound?”

Twilight inhaled a few times, out of breath from her outburst. “Fine,” she said steely. She wanted it to be now instead of the dead of night, but if they got to protect their stupid magic and stupid secret identities, then so be it.

If she had magic, consequences be darned. She’d heal Shining and deal with the fallout later.

She pulled her sword from the sand and tucked it back into its sheath. “Thank you, Artemis,” she muttered, eyes on the ground. She started for the leygate.

“Twilight, wait!” Sunset called after her.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Twilight said, not bothering to look back at her.

*******

Twilight knew Artemis would make good on his word, but that didn’t stop her from being a nervous wreck for the remainder of the day. She stayed in her lab, tinkering and building, only pausing to nibble on small bites of food or drag herself out of a panic spiral.

Sunset tried to call her, but Twilight wasn’t in the mood to talk. Of course Sunset’s concerns had legitimate merit. Twilight shuddered at the thought of any of her friends being apprehended by the government and forced into experiments or secret human weapon programs.

But they dismissed her so easily. They were so quick to promote their self-interests and self-preservation over Shining’s.

Twilight yawned and rubbed her bleary eyes. She couldn’t fall asleep. Her panicked dreams wouldn’t let her.

Instead, she channeled what remaining energy she had into her drive for revenge. Adagio would pay for what she did. The next time they met, Twilight would be ready.

Twilight had no compunctions about calling it revenge. It was plain and simple: Adagio hurt Shining, Twilight would hurt Adagio. She wouldn’t inflict any mortal wounds. Just enough to let Adagio know she had messed with the wrong family.

Thus, Twilight toiled on her mechanical projects as the hours whittled away. The police scanner on her computer filled the void. If Adagio reared her ugly head again, Twilight wanted to know.

The strain behind her eyes had grown into a single, continuous ache. At several points, Twilight couldn’t tell if she was still awake or had fallen into a dream. She went from her workbench to her computer, from using a screwdriver to inputting prompts into her 3D printer without remembering the time in between. Her phone buzzed several times during her toil, but she ignored it.

Her work went uninterrupted until the stale chatter over the police scanner cut out.

‘Emergency alert. Please be advised: sighting of Adagio Dazzle on South and Fifteenth. Suspect is armed and dangerous. Requesting backup. Use caution.’

Twilight finished tightening a screw, then rolled her chair over to her computer. She pulled up a map of Canterlot and pinpointed the location. It was on the outskirts of the city, close to the Everfree Forest. Nothing noteworthy was there, just a small grocery outlet.

Gears turned in Twilight’s head. The Sirens still needed to eat food. If Adagio was attacking a grocery store, she had to be stockpiling resources. If she was attacking so close to the forest…

Resolve burned away Twilight’s exhaustion. The police weren’t going to stop Adagio. But Twilight could. If she was right, she knew exactly where Adagio was hiding.

Twilight grabbed her gear and her sword. This time it would be different. This time she would be prepared. This time, she wouldn’t need rescuing. This time, she would win. For Shining.

Armed and backpack prepped, Twilight grabbed her bicycle from the sideyard and set out. She had completely lost track of time, but the pitch-black curtain over her head didn’t phase her. It would make her ambush easier if anything.

It was a long pedal to the edge of town, but Twilight’s training and drive made it easy. Stone turned to gravel, buildings spaced out, and the shadow of trees grew on the horizon. She rolled to a pause at the fence and pulled her selfie drone from her backpack. She considered this the 2.0 version, built to contain a few extra features.

She tapped her control watch and released the drone as it began to hover on its own. Another tap and the camera light switched on, illuminating the dark path ahead. Abandoning her bike, Twilight set out on foot, the drone hovering just over her head.

The forest was eerily silent. Twilight only heard the rustle of leaves in the wind, and skitters of bugs fleeing from her footfalls. She stepped lively, avoiding the exposed roots and tall shrubs while trying to progress as fast as she could. She kept a hand firmly around the hilt of her sword. While her drone gave her ample light, it also enhanced the shadows just beyond it.

Twilight didn’t know how long she had been walking, but she could feel her weariness rearing its head again. Maybe she should have taken a nap before this. Maybe she should have called her friends.

She shook her head. No, they would have wasted time deliberating on what to do. Adagio needed to be stopped now.

When the terrain sloped upward, Twilight knew she was close. The trees thinned out and the rugged path Twilight had journeyed on became some semblance of a proper road. She stopped next to a random tree and lifted her watch, turning down her drone’s brightness and switching to manual control. The drone’s feed appeared on her watch’s face, and she steered it into the forest clearing.

The dark chateau stood out even against the backdrop of night; its square, manmade features contrasted against the natural landscape surrounding it. It was as old and worn as Twilight remembered, and from a glance, it looked like not a soul was present.

Twilight navigated her drone closer to the boarded windows. She started a sweep around the first floor before lifting it up to the second. Through the gaps, Twilight could only see more darkness. It wasn’t until she got to the west side of the mansion that she made out a faint glow from one of the bedrooms.

“I’ve got you,” Twilight whispered. She recalled her drone and slung off her backpack, pulling out the rest of her supplies.

She stuck earbuds into her ears, then turned on the white noise app on her phone. She then produced from her backpack her scholarship project: her mechanical helper arm, only like her drone, she had upgraded it to version 2.0. Thanks to the parts Twilight had found in the junkyard, it was far more flexible now with curved joints instead of block ones, and its circuitry was covered up by shiny white plating. Its best new feature, however, was its portability.

Twilight had attached its base to a jogging vest and slung it over her shoulders. She flailed her arms for a moment, offset by its weight, but caught herself before anything catastrophic happened. Finally, she pulled out the taser gun Shining had given her and held it up the three claws.

“Hold,” she commanded.

The arm took the gun, and after a minute of helping it get its grip right, pointed the gun ahead of Twilight.

Pulling her sword from its sheath, Twilight started toward the dilapidated manor. Through the static in her ears, Twilight could still hear the wooden stairs creaking beneath her. She pushed the door open enough for her and her drone to squeeze through and paused in the dark foyer. A spinning sweep revealed nothing new to her, so she made for the stairs.

The manor smelled just as old and musty as before and made Twilight want to gag. She didn’t know how she had managed to spend an entire night sleeping here. She tiptoed up the stairs and turned left toward the west wing.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

Twilight froze only for a second. She turned up the volume on her earbuds, drowning the Siren sound out, then spun around from where it had come from.

Adagio stepped out of the shadows from the other end of the hall, eyes filled with her predatory look. She sang for a few additional seconds before realizing Twilight couldn’t hear her. With an annoyed sneer, she shut her mouth and crossed her arms. Twilight tensed every muscle in her body and readied her sword.

Adagio opened her mouth again and a wail broke through Twilight’s static and assaulted her eardrums. She tried to turn the static up again, but it did nothing to push out the deafening caterwaul. In desperation, Twilight ripped the earbuds out and used her own fingers to plug the noise. It did nothing.

Before Twilight collapsed to her knees, Adagio stopped, taking a quick inhale before speaking. “I’m surprised you’re not hiding behind your wife’s skirt.”

The leftover ringing faded from Twilight’s ears. She got back into a defensive stance and spat, “I don’t need her to beat you!”

Adagio smirked. “Be careful with that little burst of confidence. It might get you killed.” Her smirk dropped. “Why are you here, little girl?”

“You know why! I know you know why!”

“Hmm…” Adagio tapped a finger on her lip. “Oh! Oh, right! That was your brother last night, wasn’t it? I’m so sorry, Sparky. Tell me, is he dead?”

“He’s alive!” Twilight yelled, tears gathering in her eyes.

“Then I’m really sorry I didn’t do a proper job.” Adagio lowered her arms and gave Twilight an unimpressed stare. “So you really thought you’d come out here all by yourself to fight me? For revenge? I’ll hand it to you, Twilight, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

Twilight took a step forward. “You’re going to pay not just for Shining, but for everything you’ve done to me and my friends!”

“And yet you didn’t bring them along with you. Now, why is that? I think you’re here for purely personal reasons. Which I can respect. But I do have to ask…” Adagio raised the glove with the shard of Sacanas emended in it. “What do you plan on doing on your lonesome? You don’t have Equestrian magic, you don’t have human magic. You’re just a filthy nobody. I told you before—you can’t beat me.”

“I’ll show you!” Twilight rushed forward and swung her sword. A red shield wrapped around Adagio, and Twilight struck it instead, the vibration coursing up her arm. She shook it off and dialed the brightness of her drone up to maximum. She closed her eyes as the light started to flash rapidly. Adagio yelled in pain and Twilight dialed the light back to see the shield gone and Adagio rubbing spots from her eyes.

“Fire!”

Twilight’s auto-arm pulled the trigger on the taser gun. Two wired electrodes sprung from the barrel and attached to the front of Adagio’s shirt. Adagio reared back and screamed as the electrical current ripped through her. Her body convulsed wildly and she fell to the floor, eyes wide with shock and pain. Twilight watched Adagio writhe. Some part of her told her it was sadistic… then she remembered Shining laying in the hospital bed.

She reached up and tapped a button on the side of the taser gun. The cartridge popped loose and the electric current zapping Adagio ended. She convulsed a few more times, then fell still.

“That was for my brother,” Twilight said coldly. She drew her leg back and kicked Adagio in the side, knocking her down the stairs until she landed in a heap on the moth-eaten carpet. With a calm gait, Twilight walked down after her, then placed her foot on Adagio’s back.

“And that was for betraying Sunset’s trust.” Twilight reached down for Adagio’s glove.

The jewel sparked red, and Adagio snapped her hand up and grabbed Twilight by the wrist. With ease, Adagio swung Twilight around and through the front door with a mighty crash!

Twilight hit the ground and slid across the grass, coming to rest next to one of the doors. Her arm and back ached, and she was sure she had bruised a rib. Her auto-arm made a sad whirr before powering down and dropping the taser.

“Alright, Sparkle!”

Twilight forced herself to sit up. Adagio stiffly walked out of the manor, still twitching occasionally.

“You wanted a fight? You’ve got one!” Adagio raised her palm. Twilight rolled to the left as a firework burst to life where she had been sitting. Its embers caught the hem of her skirt, and Twilight beat them out while jumping to her feet and dancing away from a second blast. She grabbed her taser with her free hand and charged at Adagio again.

With a thrust of her hand, Adagio conjured a red wolf that lunged for Twilight. She skidded to a halt and turned to run, the wolf biting at her heels. Another wail from Adagio disoriented her, but Twilight kept running. She stumbled back into the forest, weaving around the close-knit trees to evade the wolf inches behind her.

Twilight fumbled and sheathed her sword, then reached into the side pocket of her vest to pull out a new cartridge for her taser. Locking it in, she spun on her toe and fired at the wolf, praying the construct could even be tased.

The electrodes made contact, and a violent crackle of electricity resounded through the forest. The wolf didn’t make any cries of pain, it merely flickered violently before fading from existence.

Twilight dislodged the clip, reloaded another one, then discarded her vest, auto-arm and all. She held the gun in front of her, panting and looking wildly in every direction, straining her ears for Adagio. She had no idea what had become of her selfie drone.

Adrenaline thundering through her veins, Twilight began to move, wincing at the aches across her body. Even after adjusting to the dark, her eyes strained to see anything under the Everfree’s all-consuming canopy. Twice, she jumped and almost wasted her last shot at a rustling bush. She needed to get her bearings. She needed to get out of here.

No! I… I can still win. I just need a plan.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

Twilight had nothing to defend herself from the coming wave. The song flowed into her ears and set her mind adrift. She should just stand still. Drop her weapons and surrender. It was easier that way.

No… don’t you dare. Her grip on her sword tightened.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.” The music was closer now. Why was she resisting? It was over. Adagio had won.

No she hasn’t! Twilight clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. She pictured her friends. She pictured Sunset. She pictured Shining.

With a scream, Twilight broke from her paralysis, spun to where the music came from and fired her taser. The electrodes struck Adagio again, and she let out a scream of her own.

Twilight threw the taser to the ground and ran at Adagio, sword raised. Despite her convulsions, Adagio raised her arm and made a half shield to repel Twilight’s slash. She ripped the electrodes off her, blocked another of Twilight’s attacks, then wailed right in Twilight’s face.

The sound cracked one of her lenses and broke one of her eardrums. The sounds of the forest dulled against the ringing in her skull. She saw a bright light in the darkness behind Adagio, and for a moment thought she had died.

Adagio noticed the growing light too and looked behind her. The selfie drone swerved around a tree and homed in on Twilight and her watch. Adagio raised her hand to shoot it down, but Twilight moved quicker. She hit another button, and a small compartment on the drone’s underside opened up and sprayed oil across Adagio’s face.

“Why you—” Adagio grabbed the drone and hurled it at Twilight. Instinctually, Twilight raised her sword and tried to slash through it, but the plating proved too thick. She deflected it from her body, but the impact knocked her sword away.

Adagio stepped up and leveled a kick at Twilight’s chest. She blocked with the outside of her arm and jabbed for Adagio’s oil-smeared face. Adagio grabbed Twilight’s fist, but thanks to her greasy palms, Twilight slipped out and struck again, catching Adagio on the jaw. She followed up with a kick of her own to Adagio’s chest.

The attack connected and pushed Adagio back, giving Twilight time to dive for her sword. She grabbed it and rolled up in time to deflect a blast of magic up into the branches. With a step and a swing, Twilight closed the distance and opened a tear in Adagio’s sleeve. With a snarl, Adagio materialized a shard of red diamond in her hand and swung it like a dagger.

Hardlight and metal clashed, and Twilight’s arm nearly went numb from the collision. She stepped back, but Adagio swung again. Twilight gripped the sword with both hands, arms trembling as she fended off Adagio’s brutal swings. Finally, they gave out, and her sword flew from her hand and into the darkness.

Twilight raised her arms in a desperate attempt to block the next swing. But the attack never arrived.

A fist impacted her stomach instead, and Twilight flew back and slammed into a tree before crumpling to the ground, gasping for air. A boot stomped against her skull and pressed down.

“I told you—you’re just a filthy human. You can’t beat me.” Adagio’s voice came from above Twilight, muffled against the ringing in her ears. The pressure increased, and Twilight cried out.

“You really thought you could succeed where everyone else failed? Points for trying, but you’re dead wrong!”

The pressure increased again and Twilight screamed. The headache was agonizing, but it was nothing compared to the fear surging through her. This was how she was going to die? Would her friends ever find her out here? She never got to say goodbye to Sunset.

“I could squash you like a grape,” Adagio said in a menacingly playful voice. The pressure alleviated and Twilight took a gasping breath. “But I won’t. Don’t take this as an act of mercy, Twilight. The only reason you’re not dead is because I could taste your anger a mile away.”

Twilight weakly raised her head. One lens showed a complete Adagio. The other showed four broken pieces. All of them were leering victoriously at her. “What?”

Adagio chuckled. “I knew you were coming for a while. All your anger and fear and self-loathing—all of your pathetic insecurities! I could taste them more and more as you got closer! And they were all delicious! Your negativity is like my own personal buffet! So, I’m not going to kill you today.”

She leaned in closer to Twilight. “You came here to avenge your brother, and you failed. I can only imagine what that’s going to do to you. I can’t wait to taste it though. Now, be a good girl and go running back behind your girlfriend’s skirt where you belong.”

Adagio turned and sauntered off into the darkness, laughing all the while. Even muffled, it lodged itself in Twilight’s mind worse than any song.

Adagio was right. Twilight had failed. She had come all the way out here with gadgets and weapons and still been outsmarted and overpowered. Once again, compared to magic, she was nothing.

“Damn it…” Tears poured down Twilight’s face. She raised a fist and pounded it against the dirt. “Damn it!”

Once again, without Sunset to save her, she had lost.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Good Adagio Hunting

11. Equilibrium

Sunset straddled the thin line between wanting to scream at Twilight, and wanting to hold her and never let go.

She split the difference and said in the most measured tone she could, “You know what you did was bullheaded at best, right?”

Twilight gave a weak nod.

Sunset didn’t dig further. She was scared, angry, and tired. But above all, she was just relieved Twilight was still alive.

She had called Sunset at three in the morning, crying and gasping across a choppy signal. Sunset had woken Artemis up, and they teleported to the Everfree Forest to find Twilight curled on the ground and shaking like a leaf.

After multiple dabs of Artemis’ spring water and a long, tight hug from Sunset, Twilight told them everything. She spoke in a defeated whisper, breaking down halfway through her tale. Selena brought her a cup of tea, which she accepted but never drank.

When she had finished, Sunset pulled her in for another hug. Twilight clung onto her, burying her head into Sunset’s chest. Spot, being the good dog that he was, hopped onto the couch and snuggled next to Twilight, resting his chin in her lap.

“I’m not going to berate you any more than that,” Sunset said, stroking Twilight’s hair. “I’m just glad you’re alive after what you went through.”

Twilight tightened her hold, shaking again. “I-I’m sorry. I thought… I needed to… I-I…”

Sunset rocked her back and forth. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“No!” Twilight sobbed. “It’s not okay! You’re right—I was so stupid! I was so mad at you, at her, at myself! I could have died! I just… I just wanted…” She let out another long sob.

Sunset just held her, leaning back into the couch to make them both as comfortable as possible. She didn’t know what to say. Twilight was right: she had acted recklessly. But Sunset knew she would have acted the same way if she had been in Twilight’s position.

“I’m sorry,” Sunset whispered. “Maybe you wouldn’t have done this if we had healed Shining from the start.”

“But you’re right! That would have raised questions! I was scared of losing him! I didn’t want to listen to anything else!”

“If it puts you at ease,” Artemis said softly, “I was able to get into the hospital and perform a little magic on him. He’ll live at the very least.”

“Th-thank you.” Twilight’s sobs slowed. “Thank you.”

Not long after, she fell asleep. Artemis and Selena left the two girls alone. Sunset got as comfortable as she could without disturbing Twilight. She thought of Adagio as she began to nod off, her own hatred for the Siren spiking. Aria had said the worst the Spectacular Seven would do was put Adagio in the hospital. Sunset wasn’t so certain now. The urge to incinerate Adagio on the spot the next time they met was strong.

Why hadn’t Twilight called for backup when she deduced Adagio’s location? Sunset found a quick answer for that: Twilight was still trying to prove something. Coupled with her anger at her friends, there was no way she was going to waste time calling Sunset in the heat of the moment.

Sparky, you’re strong—I know you are. But we’re stronger together.

Sunset fell into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of a giant Adagio trying to eat Twilight. Sunset set the entire forest on fire to try and save her. When the smoke cleared, both girls were gone. Sunset ran through the smoke to find them but woke when her physical body felt a pressure shift off her.

Twilight had woken up, gently scooting Spot away before standing and grabbing her sword—the only thing they had scavenged from the forest. The sun had just barely begun to shine through the windows.

“Where are you going?” Sunset asked, groggy.

“I should probably go home. I don’t want to worry my parents, especially right now.” Her voice was weak and monotoned. “And… I need to go see Shining.”

Sunset got up and put a hand on her back. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Twilight shook her head. She didn’t look at Sunset. “No, you should get some rest. I… um… I’ll talk to you later. I promise.” She made to leave, but Sunset moved her hand down and grabbed Twilight’s.

“Please, Twi, I’m not mad, I swear. I just want to help.”

Twilight paused for a second, letting Sunset hold onto her. She slowly turned around, revealing her puffy eyes and dark shadows beneath them. She leaned in and gave Sunset a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you. I’ll be okay.” She gently slipped her hand from Sunset’s and headed for the door, closing it softly behind her.

Sunset stared after Twilight. The soft click of the lock sounded like a crack of thunder in her ears. Spot made a soft whine from the couch.

With a heavy sigh, Sunset reached over and scratched him behind the ears. “Yeah. I’m worried too.”

*******

Twilight had returned home to find both of her parents still asleep. She climbed into bed to get a few more hours as well. She snatched at sleep, resting and dreaming in short intervals. Her dreams were always the same: she was back in the forest or the manor, facing down Adagio. Adagio would scream and Twilight would wake up, or Sunset would swoop in and Twilight would wake up. Either way, she woke up irritated and exhausted.

Her father knocked on the door as she lay awake, staring at the ceiling. “Twilight, are you up yet? We’re going to the hospital soon if you want to come along.”

Twilight rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. “Yeah. Just give me a few minutes, please.”

She took a quick shower, though it could only wash away the dirt. Humiliation and defeat still coated her like a layer of sweat. She got dressed, grabbed her laptop, and joined her family downstairs.

The mood in the house and in the car remained subdued. Night Light and Velvet didn’t say much, and Twilight tuned out the rest of the time. What had she done wrong in her fight against Adagio? She thought she had come in fully prepared. Her taser alone should have kept her down far longer than it did. But, once again, magic threw a wrench into what should have been a logical conclusion.

You should have just gone for the kill when you had the chance.

Twilight shuddered and held herself at the dark thought. No, as much as she hated Adagio, Twilight could never do that. She wouldn’t stoop to the Siren’s level. No, she just needed more inventions. She needed more firepower. She needed—

“Twilight, are you coming?”

She looked up. They were already parked and her parents were out of the car.

“Oh, sorry!” Twilight scrambled to get out and followed after her mom.

The hospital lobby was fuller than the last time Twilight had been here. Most were other families waiting to see loved ones, but Twilight saw one or two people with cuts and bruises waiting to be called.

Velvet talked to one of the administrators at the front desk. The lady pointed at the elevator and Velvet nodded in thanks. “They moved him out of the ICU last night. He’s on the fifth floor now.”

“Last night?” Twilight asked. Artemis really had snuck in and helped. They took the elevator up and spoke to another office aide before being directed down the hall. When they opened the door to Shining’s room, Cadence was already seated by his bedside.

She gave them all a tired smile and a wave. “Morning.”

Velvet reached down and gave her a hug. “Morning, sweetie. How are you doing?”

“I’m… alright.” Cadence looked back at Shining. The sheets were pulled down to reveal his heavily bandaged chest. There was only one tube snaking out of his wound now. His eyes were still shut and his breathing was slow. “Dr. Stables said his vitals made a sudden jump last night. He still needs another round of surgery, but if it goes well… they think he’ll make it.”

A weight lifted off Twilight’s chest and she breathed for what felt like the first time in days. Artemis had really done it. Her brother was going to live. She wiped away a fresh stream of tears and collapsed into another chair.

Cadence walked over and stroked Twilight’s hair. “How are you doing, ladybug?”

“He’s going to be okay,” Twilight said, slightly dazed. “He’s going to be okay. So, I’m going to be okay.”

Cadence hugged her. “Yeah. We’re all going to be okay.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted. It wasn’t joyful, but everyone spoke with more vigor than they had in days. Twilight remained relatively quiet while she worked on her laptop. She looked over the schematics of her selfie drone, now lost and broken somewhere in the Everfree. If there was a silver lining, it was that she could build it again easily enough, perhaps with a few more gadgets to counter Adagio.

She looked up to catch glimpses of Shining, still unmoving. She stared at his heart monitor and breathing tube, and a pang of bitterness poisoned her sweet relief.

Twilight knew why, but the fact that her friends could have fully healed Shining but didn’t ate at her. She wouldn’t have to even be in this horrid hospital if they had.

But then, there was her failure as well. She couldn’t bring down Adagio and avenge him; she nearly died in the attempt and broke her promise to Shining.

Twilight tore her eyes away and looked down at her computer again. Magic, science; both had failed her, though one still seemed more reliable. She wondered how her fight would have gone if she had even the smallest amount of magic.

She mentally stuck her tongue out. Half of her friends’ powers were only useful in a fight. Rarity and Pinkie’s powers had little practical application. And while Sunset’s fire powers were beautiful, her empathy ability had better everyday use. Had she the choice, Twilight would prefer some sort of power she could use in her daily routine. Like electricity or the internet, magic ought to be a resource one could tap into to enrich their life.

Twilight waved thoughts of magic away and tabbed out of her schematics. She opened her email, finding a new letter about housing options at MIT, and…

Equilibrium Labs? They were the ones who ran the scholarship she had submitted her auto-arm to! She clicked the email open, heart pounding.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

On behalf of Equilibrium Labs, I would like to extend my congratulations on winning our Best Young Minds Scholarship! Your blueprints and demonstration video of your electronic-mechanical, voice-activated auto-arm showed ingenuity, creativity, and practical functionality. Your project will be showcased on our website along with past scholarship winners.

We are proud to award you with the scholarship prize money of five-thousand dollars. In addition, we would like to extend our offer of internship at Equilibrium Labs for the duration of the summer. Here, we offer an enriching environment where you can work with like-minded scientists and engineers who are on the cutting edge of technology! You’ll gain hands-on experience and get to be a part of Equilibrium Labs’ developments for a brighter future!

We once again offer our sincere congratulations and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Best regards,

Equilibrium Labs Lead Scientist,

Starlight Glimmer

*******

“Another pin please, Coco.”

Coco withheld a sigh and tugged a pin from the pincushion and handed it to Rarity. Her boss hemmed it into the back of the silk dress and hummed in satisfaction.

She should have been ecstatic. She should have been over the moon. Standing on the dressing stage being fitted for a gown was the Countess Coloratura! And when she first walked in, Coco had most definitely swooned.

But the novelty had worn off fast. Not because of the Countess; she was cordial and sweet. No, for Coco, it was being relegated to fetching whatever Rarity needed. She hadn’t asked for Coco’s eye, hadn’t let her have a hand in making the dress, she hadn’t even consulted Coco in the dress’ design.

Coco knew she was just the assistant, but she felt like… well, an afterthought. She stood off to the side, pincushion in hand as she watched Rarity dance around Coloratura to make final adjustments.

“I daresay, this is some of my finest work,” Rarity said. The smile on her face hadn’t waned since Coloratura walked in.

“It’s beautiful, Rarity,” Coloratura said, beaming at herself in the mirror. “No one will believe I got this from a local store.”

Rarity made a squeal. “I still can’t believe you’re going to wear my dress to the Grand Gallant Gala this weekend!”

“Ah woulda thought it’d stuck by now. You said it five times so far,” a bored voice said from an adjacent corner. Rarity’s friend Applejack had come in with Coloratura to get her dress fitted as well. Perhaps it was Coco’s imagination, but the girl seemed tense.

“And I will continue to say it until I see it happen on my television!” Rarity said, her voice cracking from excitement.

“Sorry again I can’t take you with us,” Coloratura said, her smile dropping.

“No, no, I understand,” Rarity said with an earnest nod. “I hope you and Applejack have a marvelous time. Besides, after everyone sees my dresses, it’ll only be a matter of time until I get an invitation of my own.”

Coco had no doubts. Rarity was a master designer. So much so that… Coco wasn’t sure why she had been hired. Or rather, why Rarity’s advertisement had said she was looking for an apprentice designer. So far, Coco had mostly taken measurements and managed the register. They had yet to work on any of her designs for the Midsummer Revival, and it was almost midsummer! It had been custom orders inter-sprinkled with Rarity’s designs for her college competition before getting a commission from Coloratura herself.

“Coco, could you fetch the lace ribbon from my desk?”

“Yes, Miss Rarity,” Coco said, barely hiding her disenchantment. She fetched the lace, and Rarity took it without a word or a glance.

“All done!” Rarity proclaimed, taking a step back.

Coloratura appraised herself in the mirror, spinning around in awe. “Rarity, this is simply stunning!”

Indeed, Rarity had outdone herself. Coloratura’s Gala gown was set in two pieces; the sleeveless bodice was midnight blue and lined with diamonds down the front and feathered ruffles that pressed back across her shoulders. The dress itself was a tiered, floor-length ruffled gown, parted to the left side. Each tier was a different shade of dark blue, and the bottom had another dusting of diamond sequins.

Applejack gave a short, impressed whistle. “Good job, Rares.”

“Thank you, thank you!” Rarity’s eyes honed in on Applejack. “Your turn.”

Applejack groaned.

Coloratura stepped off the stage and toward the changing booth. “I might step out and get a drink real fast.”

“You’re thirsty? Coco, why don’t you go and get us some coffee?” Rarity’s smile was pleasant, but she was still looking at Coloratura, eyes filled with star-swept grandeur.

“Are you sure?” Coloratura asked tentatively.

“Oh, Coco doesn’t mind, do you, dear?”

“I—”

“And besides, we don’t want the paparazzi to swarm you again, right?”

Coloratura looked at Coco. Rarity’s eyes finally found her as well. Applejack watched from her corner, eyebrow raised.

Something flooded Coco. Was it panic? Desperation? Whatever it was, with all eyes on her, it compelled her to blurt out, “Yes, of course, Miss Rarity!”

Rarity clapped her hands. “Such a dear.”

After taking drink orders (Applejack politely declined) Coco stepped out of the shop and into the evening air. Checking her phone, it was 5:30. The boutique closed at six, and it would take at least until then to finish Applejack’s fitting.

Coco gave a resigned sigh. Another day without even touching her dress designs. Maybe working for Rarity had been a mistake. It had started out so well; Rarity had been so welcoming and personalable, and had given her excellent tutelage on the few outfits she had gotten to touch. But all the early absences and delegations to do menial tasks…

Coco rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t a designer, she was a glorified secretary. If something didn’t change, she would never get to revive the Revival.

*******

Equilibrium Labs sat on the outskirts of northern Canterlot, encircled by pine trees at the peak of their growth. The lab itself wasn’t anything extraordinary. A two-story, rectangular white building with a few smaller off-shoots around the campus. The only real notable feature was the massive satellite looming over the lab from behind. Its bright silver dish seemed to absorb the sunlight rather than reflect it, and instead of a single antenna at its center, it had three reaching out like claws.

Her mom brought the car around to the front of the building, where Twilight could see the reception area through the large glass window. “It’s a little out of the way. Are you sure you’ll be able to get home safely?”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. I promise,” Twilight said, pulling her backpack over her shoulder.

“I know, I’m just…” Velvet pressed her lips together. Twilight saw the faint tremble in her hands and leaned over to kiss her mom on the cheek.

“I promise. And I’ll call you if anything happens.”

Velvet smiled, a little reassurance in her eyes. “Okay. I’m proud of you, honey. Now go on, go show them how smart you are.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Twilight bounded out of the car and power walked to the front entrance.

She had immediately replied to Starlight Glimmer’s email, and to her surprise, Starlight responded back within the hour. Twilight had barely been able to contain her excitement. It had sparked another uptick of joy inside the hospital room.

Twenty-four hours later, Twilight walked through the sliding glass doors into the lab’s reception room. It was a standard area that could have been swapped with any hospital or dentist's office, though it was pretty spacious. A table surrounded by comfy chairs sat to Twilight’s right, and an electronic bulletin board flanked by two potted palm trees took up the wall to the left.

Twilight walked across the blue-tiled floor to the reception desk. The lady at the front had beige skin and rose-colored hair complimented with lavender highlights. Her teal cat-eye glasses matched her wristband that jostled as she rapidly typed on her computer.

She looked up and flashed a beautiful smile at Twilight as she approached, fingers still dancing across her keyboard.

“Twilight Sparkle, you’re right on time.,” she said sweetly. “Welcome to Equilibrium Labs, where our motto is—”

“‘For the good of humanity!’” a new voice said proudly. A woman, who Twilight presumed was Starlight Glimmer, strolled down the hall, her ankle-length labcoat floating behind her. She wore a blue blazer and gray slacks underneath it, paired with a set of closed black heels. Her purple and teal hair was tied into a ponytail with a row of bangs covering her forehead. She smiled sweetly at Twilight then looked at the receptionist.

“Sorry to steal your thunder, Amber, but you know how much I love our motto.”

Amber playfully stuck her tongue out, then resumed typing.

“Twilight!” Starlight said jovially. “It’s so great to meet you! Welcome, and congratulations!”

She stuck her hand out and Twilight eagerly shook it. “Thank you very much, Dr. Glimmer. It’s an honor to have won the scholarship.”

“You earned it. Your project, demonstration, and essay were all top-notch. You’re exactly the kind of curious, innovative young mind we’re looking for.”

Twilight blushed. “Thank you Dr. Glimmer. I looked up your lab and saw some of the research you’ve done. A lot of theoretical explorations of quantum mechanics. It’s really fascinating.”

Starlight chuckled and waved her hand. “That’s just one of our departments. Fascinating sure, but not a lot of headway. But who knows—maybe you’ll be able to help us with that. Before all of that, why don’t we get the paperwork out of the way and take a tour?”

“Yes, please!” Twilight said, bouncing on her toes. With a single gesture from Starlight, she followed down the hall and into a comfy office. Starlight took a seat behind the desk and gave the houseplant sitting next to the laptop a gentle pet.

“So, let’s go over some of the basic rigamarole,” Starlight said with a casual air. “This is an unpaid internship role, however, if you choose, we can integrate this into your transcripts at the college of your choosing at the conclusion of this position. Be a good girl, don’t do anything bad, blah, blah, blah. You’re a girl of science, Twilight, I’m sure I don’t have to iterate proper lab etiquette to you.”

Twilight bobbed her head.

“Excellent!” Starlight bent down under her desk and returned with a short stack of papers. “On a more serious note: Equilibrium Labs is a secured facility conducting both mundane and… shall we say, volatile science. You won’t be forced to work on any project you feel is unsafe, but, here are our disclosures and waivers saying you understand the risks involved, as well as our non-compete clause and NDA. No gossiping, even to your friends and family.”

She pushed the papers toward Twilight whose excitement fell a notch. Of course there were risks involved with science—Twilight would be lying if she said she had never been shocked or burned. There was a surreal feeling signing her acknowledgment that she could be injured at any point during her stay. But the real disappointment was the NDA clause. She wouldn’t get to talk about any of her work with her friends? With Sunset?

It’s not forever, right? When it’s all over, I’ll have tons of stories to tell her.

Twilight leafed through the stack, speed-reading and signing her name on every dotted line.

“Welcome to Equilibrium Labs!” Starlight cheered when Twilight pushed the papers back toward her. She tucked the forms away and leaped up from her chair. “Let’s get started for real!”

She led Twilight out of her office and further down the hall. Each room had a window looking into it, showing off classrooms, labs, and libraries. “Our front building holds most of our research stations and libraries. Oh, and our cafeteria is down that hall. All meals are free of charge for you.”

Starlight stopped at one of the lab rooms and opened the door. Twilight inhaled the wonderful scent of dry-erase markers as she watched her new fellow scientists scribble on the whiteboard. “Double Diamond?”

One of the scientists broke away from the group and walked over to Starlight. He had wavy white hair and snow-white skin that practically blended into his lab coat. “Hey, Starlight.”

Starlight gestured between Twilight and him. “Diamond, meet Twilight Sparkle, our scholarship winner and new young mind. Twilight, this is Double Diamond, one of my top assistants.”

Diamond stuck his hand out and shook Twilight’s. “Hey, congrats on winning, and welcome to our lab. Starlight’s been very excited about you coming aboard.” In spite of his ghostly appearance, he sounded lively. Twilight thought he’d honestly be more at place snowboarding down a mountain.

“Thank you. I’m excited to be here as well. I can’t wait to see what you’re working on.”

“All in good time,” Starlight said with a smile. “Still lots to show and introductions to make. Come along, Twilight.”

Twilight tagged along like an excited puppy as Starlight led her to one of the adjacent buildings and showed her the mechanical engineering lab. Here was the acrid smell of burnt wires and hot metal as machines hummed and drills whirred.

“Oooh, what are you working on in here?”

Starlight opened her mouth, then paused. “That’s a great question. “Hey, Night Glider!”

A young woman with floofy white hair and dark blue skin looked up from her workbench and raised her goggles. “Hey, Boss!”

“What are we working on in here?”

“Linear particle accelerator,” Night Glider said casually.

Starlight snapped her fingers. “Right, I remember now!” She smiled at Twilight who was patting her rapidly beating chest. They shared a few more pleasantries with Night Glider before moving on.

Starlight showed Twilight around to a few more of the engineering labs, research stations, and the cafeteria before leading her back to the main office. As they crossed the grounds, Twilight pointed up to the satellite looming overhead.

“What’s that for?”

Starlight followed her pointing finger and chuckled. “Oh, that was for an old experiment. It’s just for decoration now. Adds a bit more gravitas, don’t you think?”

Twilight nodded. She was curious to know what project it had been used for, but Starlight appeared to think it wasn’t even worth discussion.

They took a picture in Starlight’s office, and five minutes later, Twilight had her ID badge hanging around her neck. She rubbed the glossy plastic between her fingers; one more sign this was all real. Starlight then handed her a white lab coat, and Twilight threw it on with haste. It hung just above her ankles but was snug around the waist and shoulders. She spun herself around once and looked up at the easygoing smile on Starlight’s face.

“Thank you, Dr. Glimmer! I can’t wait to get started!”

“Then let’s get you all settled in! I’ve got a perfect workstation for you in lab three.” She led Twilight out into the halls once again, taking a different corridor this time. They passed by a smaller lobby that contained two elevators, both of them marked with only the down arrow.

Starlight must have caught Twilight’s lingering eye, for she said, “There are a few areas that are reserved for our more… sensitive projects. But, if you’re a good girl, I might invite you down for your assistance.”

Twilight squared her shoulders. She wanted to see the full extent of this lab. Science and technology? This was her element. “More incentive to do my best, right?”

“That’s the spirit!” Starlight made a throaty chuckle. “I think you’ll fit in perfectly with us.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: In Our Lab, In Our Lab...

12. Night of a Thousand Stars

Applejack pursed her lips again. She looked out her bedroom window to the dirt lane leading up to the house.

Still nothing.

She huffed. At this rate, they were going to be late for this dumb thing. Maybe that was the point. Rarity said that being ‘fashionably late’ was ‘in vogue.’ Whatever that meant.

Applejack just wanted this night to be over. The closer the calendar got to the Grand Gallant Gala, the more Applejack dreaded having to spend five hours dressed up around the richest people in Canterlot.

But she was going with Rara. They would manage to have fun, right? A tight squirm in Applejack’s gut told her to think again.

She looked out her window again. Finally, in the light of the orange sun, a black town car drove up to the farm. Applejack grabbed her purse and the coat bag containing her gala dress and headed downstairs.

Apple Bloom stuck her head out her bedroom door as Applejack passed by. “Is she here, is she here?”

“Just about,” Applejack grunted.

“Hot dog! Ah can’t believe Ah’m about to meet a real celebrity! Ah can’t believe you knew Coloratura before she was the countess!”

“Yep, neither can I.” Applejack needed both hands to count the number of times she had heard that in the last month.

The doorbell rang as Applejack reached the bottom step. She laid the dress over the back of the living room sofa and pulled the door open.

Rara gave an emphatic wave and a cheery smile before pulling Applejack into a hug. “Hi, A.J.! Sorry I’m a little late; traffic was awful!”

Applejack patted her back. “S’all good. Why don’t you come inside for a bit? Ah’ve got—”

“Hi, Countess!” Apple Bloom shouted as Rara stepped through the doorway. “You knew me when Ah was a baby!”

“Apple Bloom!” Rara squealed. She pulled the younger Apple into a tight hug. “Look how big you’ve gotten! How are you?”

After being released, Apple Bloom swooned and stammered out, “G-good! Great! Ah’m a sophomore! You’re amazing! Can I have your autograph?”

Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, but Rara happily obliged. Big Mac walked into the room, and Rara made another squeal of delight as she ran over to him.

“Hey there, Rara,” Big Mac said in his baritone voice. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s so good to see you, too! I missed coming over to the farm!”

“Well, if ya got some time, Granny’s fixing up supper right now. We’d love to pull a seat out for ya.”

Rara pouted. “I would love to, but Applejack and I are already running behind. We have to get back to the hotel so we can change. I just wanted to come over and say hi really quick.”

“But, you’ll come back, right?” Apple Bloom stuck her lower lip out.

“Of course! I promise!” Rara turned to Applejack. “Let’s go!”

With a sigh of relief and a twinge of anxiety, Applejack grabbed her dress and followed Rara out the door. “See y’all later,” she said to her family.

“There’ll be plenty of food at the Gala; but, I know a great late-night spot we can hit if we’re still hungry,” Rara said as she settled into the car.

“Sounds like a plan,” Applejack said, roughly jamming her seatbelt into the buckle.

Rara frowned in concern. “Are you okay?”

“Ah’m fine,” Applejack said with a smile she knew failed to reach her eyes. “Just nervous.”

Rara patted her arm. “It’ll be fine. No, it’ll be better than fine! We’re going to have so much fun! The charity auction is only an hour, so we have the rest of the night to hang out.”

Applejack just nodded. Why had she agreed to this? She knew what was going to happen.

Because you’re spendin’ time with your best friend! Because you’re havin’ fun!

Applejack’s eye twitched. Thankfully, Rara didn’t notice. The ride to Rara’s hotel proved uneventful; both girls made small talk about their week. Applejack made sure to omit anything magic related, leaving her with not much else to discuss.

They pulled around front of one of Canterlot’s fanciest hotels, The Prancing Pony, and were escorted out of the car and through the spacious lobby. Applejack had been here before and had not been impressed. It was clean, sure. But like everything else rich people had, it was gaudy and wasteful.

Rara pressed the button for the top floor in the elevator. “We’ve got an hour to get ready, so we’ll have to be quick.”

“No problem,” Applejack said, her first confident words of the evening. They rode up to Rara’s suite. Thankfully, it wasn’t the penthouse, but it was still huge; large enough that they had to shout to be heard from the other side of the room.

They did their hair, applied their makeup, and stepped into their gala dresses. Applejack’s was as red as a Honeycrisp apple with rounded shoulders and a white collar. It flared out into a ballgown around her waist with the back train floating down to her ankles but left her shins exposed. She had to admit, with her hair done up in a braided ponytail with two tresses framing her face, the dress looked good on her.

Applejack stepped into the lounge at the same time as Rara. “Oooh, you look so good, A.J.!”

“Thanks,” Applejack said sheepishly, unable to hide her blush. “You look great too.”

Rara twirled in the dress Rarity had made for her. “Thank you! Rarity did such amazing work! Now come on, before we’re past fashionably late!”

*******

Moondancer stood in the middle of the lobby of The Canterlot Castle, the city’s premier hotel and host for the Grand Gallant Gala. The chandeliers overhead were dim, but Moondancer’s smile was bright and welcoming as she waved and greeted guests upon entry.

“Hello, welcome to the Gala! Hi there, welcome! I’m so glad you could come!”

She smiled with her whole face, even though her guests could only see half. Moondancer shook the hand of everyone who stopped and formally greeted her, her evening gloves hiding her sweaty palms. Raven stood beside her, checklist in hand of all the VIP attendees. She would greet and address them by name before Moondancer took over. As Moondancer had yet to memorize all of Canterlot’s elite, it was the perfect strategy.

“You’re doing great, Miss Moondancer,” Raven said during a lull in the guests' arrival.

Moondancer let her smile drop for a moment. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at the exposed side of her forehead. “The night has barely started and I’m already sweating.” It hadn’t helped that just yesterday, her board of directors ‘advised’ her that the gala needed to be a success or ‘the company’ would lose faith in her abilities as a leader. To call it a veiled threat would be an understatement.

You’re doing the best you can do with the cards in your hand. That didn’t stop Moondancer’s chest from feeling constricted since she woke this morning. Despite her father’s will, the board could still hold a vote of no confidence and boot her out of the CEO position. And if she wasn’t in charge of the company…

She shook her head. The gala would go fine. Most of it had already been set up by her father anyway, she just had to follow the plan, be a good host, and ignore the media.

Speaking of…

The glass doors to the hotel slid open, and Raven didn’t need to tell Moondancer who was approaching. Countess Coloratura sashayed up the carpet, smiling and speaking politely to the mics and cameras following close behind. Moondancer stared in awe at her civilian appearance; her blue ringlets of hair far more dazzling than the silver and purple mane she wore on stage. And her dress, a deep blue sprinkled with diamonds that sparkled under the hotel lights, was hypnotic to watch. She was halfway to Moondancer when the hostess finally noticed Coloratura had not arrived alone.

Moondancer’s smile flickered for a second and she bit the tip of her tongue to stop herself from shouting. What on earth is Applejack doing here?

Applejack stared dead-on at Moondancer, face neutral but eyes filled with tense animosity. Moondancer shifted her gaze away and focused on Coloratura.

“Countess Coloratura, it’s an honor and pleasure to meet you,” Moondancer said, flooding her tone with as much genuine warmth as she could muster. She took Coloratura’s hand and gave it a polite shake before raising it to her lips and giving it a gentle kiss. “Welcome to the Grand Gallant Gala, and thank you for being our auctioneer tonight.”

Coloratura gave a pleasant giggle. “Thank you for having me! It’s truly an honor, and I’m so looking forward to doing it. I’ve never actually hosted an auction before, so I hope I don’t embarrass myself.”

“You’ll do fine, I’m sure. And it’s all for a good cause.” Out of necessity from her position and because the cameras were still on her, Moondancer tilted her head toward Applejack. “Hello, Miss Applejack,” she said cordially.

“Moondancer,” Applejack said with a stiff nod.

Coloratura looked between them. “Do you two know each other?”

“We went to the same school for a brief time and both competed in the Battle of the Bands. Isn’t that right?”

Applejack nodded again. “Didn’t get to know her as well as Ah should have.”

“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time for that.” Moondancer stepped to one side and gestured them up the stairs to the party proper. “We’ll no doubt cross paths again upstairs.”

Coloratura clapped her hands. “I can’t wait! Come on, A.J., this is going to be so much fun!” The pop star dragged the farmer away, but not before one more quick glare was shared.

The media dispersed, thankfully, half of them heading back outside while a few hounded Coloratura upstairs. Moondancer was at least grateful they hadn’t fielded any questions at her.

The last thing I needed was for this night to have surprises, Moondancer thought, watching Applejack head upstairs. She turned around to the front entrance, and this time, she did shout at the guest approaching.

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy jumped at the loud address and froze, staring at Moondancer like a lost doe. Moondancer quickly collected herself and gently beckoned Fluttershy toward her. Fluttershy held her fingers in front of her chest and hunched her shoulders. She looked around, realized she was standing in the middle of the lobby, and hurried forward.

Moondancer took another calming breath before asking, “Dear, Fluttershy, what are you doing here?”

“Umm, well…” Fluttershy pulled on her fingers. “The animal shelter I work at was selected as one of the charities for the charity auction. But, Ms. Tenderheart got sick, so she asked me to represent it instead. I said yes because it’s the last thing I’ll be able to do for it when I go off to college.”

“How serendipitous,” Moondancer said, ignoring the single butterfly in her stomach. “I apologize for shouting. I was not expecting to see you tonight.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see you either.” Fluttershy hid her face behind her pink bangs. “Umm… about the wedding…”

“I had little to do with the Sirens’ machinations, so I will not apologize on their behalf. As for what happened between Twilight and I, well, that’s between us.”

“Oh.” Moondancer didn’t think it possible, but the poor girl deflated further into herself. She raised herself up for a brief moment like she wanted to say something else, but instead gave a tiny shake of her head. “I, um, should go set up my stand.”

Moondancer bowed. “Of course. I hope you have an excellent time.”

Fluttershy gave her a scrutinizing look, searching to see if Moondancer was being genuine. Moondancer couldn’t tell what conclusion Fluttershy came to, but she hurried up the stairs all the same.

Raven smiled and looked over at Moondancer. “A friend, Miss?”

“No… not really,” Moondancer said softly, swatting the butterfly away.

*******

Applejack had been in the grand ballroom of The Canterlot Castle before, for Prom night. Then, the chandelier had been dimmed, and blue fire illuminated the pillars around the outskirt of the room. Now, the chandelier shone with full brightness and ivy crept down the marble columns. A massive ice sculpture of two swans in mid-flight sat in the center of the dance floor. Against the back wall, instead of a DJ table, a jazz quartet was set up, playing smooth music that made Applejack tap her foot the second she crossed through the double doors.

“Oooh, this place feels so sophisticated,” Rara said, eyes sparkling.

Applejack would have used ‘ostentatious.’ She had learned that from Twilight. Very few people were dancing to the music. Most were bunched up in small cliques, chatting and holding glasses of champagne. A maitre d’ walked over with a plate of glasses and held them out in offering.

“No thank you,” Rara said, “we’re underage.”

The maitre d’ gave a polite nod and walked away.

“How do they keep track of that?” Applejack asked.

“They don’t,” Rara said with a mischievous smirk. “Usually, anyone underage has to have a chaperone with them at all times. But, being the Countess has a few perks. Besides, we’re probably the only ‘underage’ adults at this party.”

Another waiter offered them small finger foods. Applejack had no idea what they were, but her stomach was growling. To her amazement, they appeared to be small, savory, pastries. It didn’t fill her, but it did quiet her stomach.

They took two steps deeper into the room when they were accosted by a woman with blazing red and orange hair, wearing a pretty blue cocktail dress.

“Countess Coloratura?” she said in a raspy voice. “Wow, it’s so cool to meet you! Love your music.”

Rara gasped. “Spitfire! Wow, hi! I’ve seen some of your matches; you’re amazing!”

Applejack jumped. “You’re Spitfire?”

Spitfire smiled and nodded. Applejack didn’t watch too much soccer, she was more into hockey and football. But, she had spent enough time around Rainbow to recognize the name.

“Mah friend Rainbow thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread.”

She gave a good-natured laugh, then reached over to the nearest table and grabbed a napkin, pulled a pen from her purse, and made a quick scribble. Spitfire handed the autograph to Applejack. “Tell Rainbow I said hi.”

Applejack looked at the signed napkin. Well, no matter what, somethin’ good came out of this night.

Rara and Spitfire started a conversation that surprisingly didn’t revolve around celebrity life. Applejack was able to chime in every few sentences. That was until some fashion influencer named Hoity Toity stepped in and began dominating the chat. Not long after, a few more celebrities flocked over to their growing circle, pushing Applejack out of the way to get a word in with Rara.

Applejack made a short huff from her nose. “Ah’m gonna go look around!” she said loudly over the five people talking at once.

Rara looked through a gap in the circle and was at least kind enough to give Applejack an apologetic smile before nodding.

Applejack turned and walked off before her scowl could form. The ballroom continued to fill up with Canterlot’s rich and influential. Applejack was surprised to see she recognized some of them: the weather girl from Canterlot News, Filthy Rich, one of Sweet Apple Acres’ business partners, and Mayor Ivory Scroll, who actually smiled and waved at her.

Still, Applejack was a foreigner in a room full of strangers. What she wouldn’t have given for any of her friends to be here with her. She made to adjust her hat and frowned when she remembered her head was bare tonight. With another frustrated huff, she turned for the exit and nearly smacked into Moondancer coming the other way.

“Ah, my apologies, Applejack,” Moondancer said, adjusting her blouse so as to not make eye contact.

Applejack set her jaw. “No worries. Didn’t see ya there.”

“Of course. If you’ll excuse me.”

Moondancer tried to sidestep around her, but Applejack looped an arm through Moondancer’s and pulled her close.

“Ah don’t know what you’re schemin’,” Applejack whispered into her ear, “but we’ve already beaten you twice before. And all these little magical monsters you keep throwin’ at us are just makin’ us stronger. So if you try anythin’ tonight, know that Ah’ll be on you like gravy on biscuits.”

“First of all, ew.” Moondancer wrenched her arm away and faced Applejack properly. “Second, I have not thrown anything at you. And third, in case you haven’t noticed, I have a very important function to host, so I don’t have time to do whatever it is you think I’m up to.”

Her face and demeanor shifted back to the cordial host that had greeted Applejack in the lobby. “Now, I really hope you have an excellent time tonight.” She scooted past Applejack. “Ah, Mr. Fancy Pants, it’s so wonderful to see you!”

Applejack watched her schmooze for a few more seconds before continuing her exit out the grand ballroom. Moondancer could say whatever she wanted, Applejack’s instincts told her she was a snake and had something to hide. But what was she supposed to tell her friends? ‘Moondancer is hosting an evil party!’ She didn’t have any proof.

Applejack pulled her phone out anyway. Having her friends on standby just in case something started going wrong wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Applejack?”

She looked up from her half-finished text. Running toward her down the opulent hallway was—

“Fluttershy!” Applejack ran to meet her halfway and pulled her into a bone-popping hug. “Girl, what are you doin’ here?”

Once Fluttershy could breathe, she said, “Representing the animal shelter at the charity auction. You’re here with Countess Coloratura, right?”

Applejack set Fluttershy down. “Yeah. But she’s chattin’ it up with a bunch of rich folks. Boy howdy, am Ah glad to see a friendly face around here.”

“Likewise. I was actually really nervous about standing at my booth alone.”

“Well, the way the night’s already goin’, Ah’ll be more than happy to stand with ya.”

Fluttershy beamed at her. “Thank you. But, I wouldn’t want to take away any quality time between you and Coloratura.”

Applejack pursed her lips. “Ah don’t know if Ah’d call it ‘quality’.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Before Applejack could explain, a familiar male voice shouted from behind them. “No way! Applejack? Fluttershy?”

Both girls turned to see Flash Sentry wearing a dapper gray suit hurrying toward them. “I can’t believe it!”

Applejack grinned. “Well, if this ain’t a Canterlot High reunion. What are you doin’ here?”

Flash put his hands in his pockets and gave a sheepish smile. “You know… Dad owns one of the best car dealerships in the city. He managed to get an invitation, and Mom wasn’t interested. So, I decided, eh, why not?”

“Hey, the more familiar faces, the merrier,” Applejack said.

“So how did you guys get in?”

“I’m here for the charity auction,” Fluttershy said, pointing to one of the doors further down the hall.

Applejack looked past Flash to the grand ballroom. “Ah’m Rara’s plus one.”

Flash squinted his eyes in confusion. “Who?”

“Countess Coloratura,” Applejack said with a sigh.

“For real? Applejack, you know the Countess? Can I… get an autograph?”

“No.”

Flash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “No, yeah, that’s fair.” He straightened up. “Still, it’ll be cool to hang out with you both. I saw the jazz band in the ballroom and got real scared this party was gonna be boring.”

“I like jazz,” Fluttershy whispered to herself.

Applejack chuckled. “Come on, let’s see if we can find some grub in this place.”

“I think there’s a restaurant downstairs,” Flash said.

“Applejack, there you are!”

With a suppressed groan, Applejack watched Rara hurry toward her. “I’m so sorry I left you alone. Hoity Toity just kept going on and on. Oh, hello!” Rara waved to Fluttershy and Flash.

Both of them numbly waved back.

Rara focused on Applejack again. “We have to go. Dinner is about to start in the dining hall, and we have seats next to Spitfire and Trenderhoof.”

“VIP Ah’m guessin’?” At Rara’s nod, Applejack plastered a smile over her face. “Can’t wait, sounds excitin’.”

“I’ll run ahead then.” Rara waved again to Fluttershy and Flash. “Hopefully, I’ll see you again later tonight!”

As soon as Rara turned her back, Applejack’s smile dropped like an anchor. “Great, fancy dinner with fancy people.”

“You don’t sound thrilled,” Flash said.

Applejack gave a dismissive wave. “It’s fine. We’ll find time to hang out tonight, but in the meantime…” She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “Keep an eye on Moondancer. She says this is just a party, but Ah trust her about as much as a used car salesman. Uh, no offense, Flash.”

Flash snapped his fingers and grinned. “Dad only sells new cars, so none taken.”

Applejack laughed and grinned back, a brief release from the weight in her chest. “Y’all try to have fun. See you soon.” She turned and followed after Rara, walking past the doors to the grand ballroom to the other end of the corridor.

Large round tables with white linens filled the dining hall. The chandeliers here were dimmed, and a candelabra sat on each table. Rara waved Applejack down to a table in the center, already occupied by seven other people. Applejack took the last free seat between Rara and a tan young man with sandy blonde hair and thick half-moon glasses.

“Ah, you must be Applejack,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it.

“Eh heh heh, yep.” Applejack tried to smile as she reclaimed her hand.

“I’m Trenderhoof. The Countess has already spoken highly of you, touting you as her best friend. Tell me, what do you do?”

His smile almost seemed genuine, but now everyone else around the table had their eyes on Applejack. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Ah’m just a college student. Or, Ah will be in the fall. Mah family owns one of the local farms though.”

“Oh, a farmer! How quaint! How rustic!” Trenderhoof said. Applejack couldn’t tell if he was making fun of her. A few other people around the table stifled their laughs.

“I used to play on her family’s farm all the time when I was a kid,” Rara said. “And, they grow some of the best apples this side of the country.”

“My, what humble origins,” a woman from across the table said. “Did y’all play with the horses and piggies too?” she asked, a mocking accent in her voice.

“Yes, we did,” Rara said cheerfully. “We learned how to milk cows too.”

There were a few more condescending laughs. Trenderhoof leaned in toward Applejack. “I think that sounds adorably charming.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

The topic shifted, though Applejack quickly lost focus. It was all noise to her. She patted down the hairs on the back of her neck. Moondancer was one room over, and here she was eating with snobs. All she could do right now was hope Flash and Fluttershy could keep tabs on Moondancer. Or hope on the thin chance that Moondancer was telling the truth.

Another door in the dining room opened, and in came the wait staff, silver dishes with cloches in their hands. Applejack’s stomach gave a soft growl.

Ah hope the food is good at least.

*******

Fluttershy never had any one-on-one time with Flash before. She knew half the girls in school had a crush on him, and for good reason. He was nice, played guitar, and had a cool car. Fluttershy had never had any interest—aside from a few brief instances, her sole attraction had been Rainbow.

Part of her was still coming to terms with the fact that she had finally admitted to Rainbow about her crush and that Rainbow had finally, definitively put her down. It was… freeing in a way. She remembered what she had told Moondancer when she had encountered her at the flower shop. She hadn’t been okay that day. She still wasn’t perfectly okay yet, but she was making progress. She knew someday, she could find someone like how Sunset and Twilight found each other, or Rainbow and Soarin.

In another life, maybe it could have been Flash.

The two of them stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, watching people mingle and dance to the jazz band, playing a faster, upbeat swing. Moondancer was currently talking to the Mayor and a few other important people. Fluttershy took a sip of her punch. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for. She didn’t think Moondancer was going to use magic in the middle of the ballroom.

Honestly, Fluttershy didn’t know what to think of Moondancer. She did all these bad things, but always looked sad and said she felt bad about it. But if Tempest was forcing her into this, why hadn’t she asked for help by now?

“So,” Flash said in a hushed tone, “how’s the whole superhero thing going for you girls?”

Fluttershy almost choked on her drink. “Y-you know about that?”

“Rarity gives me a few updates. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Not sure if they would believe me. Besides, who else could have taken on Adagio at the mall?”

Fluttershy supposed that was fair. “It’s going good, I think. Well… maybe. We think we know what Moondancer is planning, but if we don’t play along, people will get hurt.”

Flash nodded grimly. “Sounds like a tough spot. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I don’t think so. Unless you can help us find the keys to a magic chest,” Fluttershy said with a giggle.

Flash chuckled. “Sorry, don’t think that’s my area of expertise.” A light ring came from his pocket and he pulled out his cell phone. “Aw crap, Dad’s looking for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

He ran off, leaving Fluttershy to finish her punch alone. She handed the cup to a waiting maitre d’ and resumed her watch of Moondancer. She had broken away from the Mayor and was talking to her assistant. The brunette gave a short bow and walked away, leaving Moondancer alone.

She did talk to me last time and gave us a hint. Maybe I can talk to her again. Channeling Rainbow’s confidence, Fluttershy squared her shoulders and walked over. She was almost bowled over by a lady with a huge floppy hat. Before Fluttershy could apologize, the lady had vanished into the crowd.

Dusting her dress off, Fluttershy finished her trek to Moondancer. The hostess looked up from a clipboard as Fluttershy approached.

“Good evening, Fluttershy. Enjoying the party?”

“Um, yes. It’s nice. Are you having a good time?”

“As much as one can while making sure everything runs smoothly.” Moondancer sighed but smiled at Fluttershy. “Did you need something?”

Fluttershy felt her confidence draining. How did she ask what Moondancer was up to without being rude? “I, umm… I just wanted to say…”

Be assertive!

Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Please don’t do anything bad tonight! But if you do, my friends and I will stop you!” The words tumbled out of her mouth in a frantic, mousy shout.

Moondancer stared at Fluttershy, and for a moment, Fluttershy was afraid Moondancer would use magic right then and there. Instead, she tucked her clipboard under her arm, clapped her hands together in front of her mouth, and took a deep breath.

“Fluttershy, please relay a message for me to Twilight and the rest of your colorful friends: I’m not doing anything at the moment, and I literally could not care less about what you’re up to. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a CEO right now. And no, that is not as fun as it sounds. I am eighteen, and I have an entire company to manage! Do you know what the Nasdaq is? I do! Let me tell you, it’s a nightmare to understand!”

Fluttershy winced. “Um—”

“Oh sure, I could be one of those CEOs that just sits on my yacht all day, maybe make a few phone calls and just pretend to actually be doing work. But noooo, my father had to be a hands-on, proactive businessman! Which, in a rare instance I can actually say, I’m proud of him. Really builds company trust.”

“I guess so—”

“Except now, the company has to put its trust in me, an eighteen-year-old with no practical business experience! But I need to keep working and pretend I know what I’m doing, otherwise, the company will lose faith in me! And if they lose faith, the Board of Directors could potentially lock me out of the company, and if I stay locked out for too long, they could hire a new CEO, and if I lose control of the company, I die!”

Moondancer took deep, gulping breaths, her cheek flushed. Fluttershy felt awful, not only for accusing Moondancer of being up to something, but for all the pressure she was under.

“I’m sorry,” was all she could whisper.

Moondancer one more shuddering breath and quickly glanced around to see if anyone had observed her outburst. “It’s… not your fault. You have every right to be suspicious of me. And I can’t claim complete innocence in everything. But, if you’re hoping to get any information from me, I’m afraid you’re mistaken.”

A maitre d’ sauntered past and Moondancer snatched a glass of red wine from the serving tray. She raised it to her lips, lifting an eyebrow at the befuddled expression Fluttershy was certain was written on her face.

“If I can drink in France, I can drink here. And my parents aren’t around to tell me otherwise.” Moondancer tipped the glass back and took a large sip.

Fluttershy tapped her fingers together and turned her eyes downward. She knew Moondancer was on the bad guy’s side, had hurt people including Twilight and Sunset… yet right now, Fluttershy wanted to give her a hug. She inched closer, wondering if she would be overstepping her bounds.

The band ended their current song and transitioned into something soft and slow. The people around them partnered up and began to waltz around the ballroom. A new idea jumped into Fluttershy’s head, one that made her face burn. She grabbed her courage and held it tight.

“Moondancer would you like to dance with me?” she blurted out.

Moondancer, glass raised to her mouth again, spluttered and spit some of the wine back. She coughed and said, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you properly.”

“Would you like to dance… um… with me?” Fluttershy asked again in a mousy quiver.

Moondancer looked at her, visible eye wide with surprise. “You would want to… with me?”

“I’m sorry! It was a dumb idea! I’ll go!” Fluttershy turned on her heel.

“Hold, Fluttershy,” Moondancer said sternly, stopping Fluttershy in her tracks. “I have not given an answer yet.”

Fluttershy, keeping as much of her face hidden in her hair as she could, turned back to Moondancer. She was gazing into the remainder of the red liquid in her cup.

“I can’t wait to hear what the press will say,” she whispered. “But, if I’m going to make a fool of myself, I might as well do it with a beautiful flower like you.” Moondancer finished off her wine and waived down the nearest maitre d’ to pass the glass off. She extended her hand to Fluttershy, palm up.

“Shall we?”

Trembling, Fluttershy slipped her hand into Moondancer’s and gasped when she was pulled closer until there was only a thin thread of space between them. Moondancer put her other hand on the small of Fluttershy’s back and led them into a waltz.

Fluttershy knew how to dance. She liked to dance in her room where only her animals could see her. If it wasn’t for her muscle memory and Moondancer taking the lead, she would have been a floundering mass of limbs. Her breath came out in quick puffs and her trembling extended from her hands to her shoulders.

“No need to be nervous,” Moondancer said softly as they turned about. “Just flow with the music. You’re doing great, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy nodded and tried to swallow, but her mouth was bone dry. She was confident in her dancing; that wasn’t the issue. Fluttershy didn’t know what the issue was. Sweat coated her palm and her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn’t take her eyes off Moondancer. Yes, she could only see half of the girl’s face, but she almost glowed in the chandelier light. The aroma of cherry blossoms in full bloom was dizzying. And her purple eyes captured Fluttershy in their gaze and locked her place, only to be guided by Moondancer’s gentle hands.

She giggled, drawing Fluttershy out of her trance. “You’re staring, sweet Fluttershy.”

“O-oh! Umm… it’s just…”

Moondancer giggled again, but there was a sadness mingled within. “I wonder what it is you see.” She looked away. “My beauty was marred long ago.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” Fluttershy spoke before her brain could process her words. “I think you’re still very beautiful.”

Moondancer shook her head. “I don’t mean on the outside. I’m not like you, Fluttershy.” She fixed her eyes on Fluttershy again. “You’re a beautiful soul, inside and out.”

Before Fluttershy had a chance to hyperventilate, Moondancer spun her out, twirled her around, and pulled her back in. Fluttershy gaped like a fish. Her heart drummed and electricity danced on her skin.

The girls made one more rotation as the song came to an end. Moondancer gently slid her hand from Fluttershy’s and gave a curtsy. “Thank you for the dance, Fluttershy. I enjoyed it, truly.”

“Y-You’re welcome,” Fluttershy stammered, her skin still tingling.

Moondancer bowed again. “I have matters I should probably attend to. I wish you the best of luck at the auction.” She turned and drifted away, weaving between people until she was lost in the crowd.

“Right… the auction…” Fluttershy shook her head. It didn’t clear the daze, but it did free her of the static. She turned and numbly walked out of the ballroom. She could still feel Moondancer’s hand against her own, still smell the scent of cherry blossoms.

Had that all been an act? Was Moondancer trying to distract her from whatever she was planning this evening? But wait, Fluttershy had asked her to dance. What had compelled her to do that? She had looked sad, yes, but she was still the bad guy, wasn’t she?

Fluttershy looked at the hand that had held Moondancer’s. She had never felt this way before. She didn’t know what she was feeling, but she had never felt it for anyone else. Not even Rainbow.

*******

The meal had been just okay. More specifically, the food had been okay. It had been some fancy fish that Applejack had never heard of, but at least it had been baked and served with vegetables. The conversation she could have cared less for, and had tuned out most of it. She had been startled out of finishing her meal when Rara tapped her arm and announced she had to get to the charity auction. She had offered Applejack the option to stay and continue talking to her ‘friends’. One smolder from Trenderhoof was all Applejack needed to follow Rara out of the dining room.

“Did you enjoy dinner?”

Applejack nodded absently. “Yep. Fish was real good.”

“Oh, if you liked that, I know a really good place over on the coast! It’s got a fantastic view of the ocean, and the fish practically melts in your mouth.”

A muscle in Applejack’s jaw twitched. “Ah’ll think about it.”

Rara tilted her head toward Applejack, a slight frown on her face. “Are you okay? You’ve been pretty quiet tonight.”

“Yeah, just… taking it all in,” Applejack said, still looking ahead. She could feel Rara’s eyes on her.

“But you’re having fun, right?”

Applejack forced herself to smile. “‘Course I’m havin’ fun.”

“Are you sure—” Rara trailed off as a staff member ran down the hall and skidded to a stop in front of her.

“Oh thank goodness,” he said, out of breath. “Countess, you’re on in ten and we’d like to do a run-through of the auction items.”

Rara gasped. “I’m so sorry! I’ll be right there.” She looked back at Applejack. “The auction is gonna be super fun, you should come watch. Unless someone asks you to dance,” she said with a wink.

Applejack chuckled. “We’ll see. Go have fun.”

“Will do.” Rara rushed behind the staff member to one of the back rooms.

Applejack stared down at the weaving patterns on the carpet and chewed the inside of her cheek. Was she really having fun? Being inside this hotel was sapping her strength and patience. She had hoped coming with Rara would level things out, but somehow, it just made things worse.

She needed to find Fluttershy and Flash. Or Moondancer. That was familiar ground she could navigate. Though she wouldn’t call spying on Moondancer fun, it was at least comfortable.

She returned to the grand ballroom and stood in the threshold, scanning for familiar faces. There was no sign of her three former classmates, though it was hard to be sure with all the moving bodies. The music had an aggressive edge to it, something Applejack wasn’t aware a jazz band could produce.

In the center of the dance floor, a woman sashayed a little too hard to the left and smacked another woman in the shoulder. The first lady made to apologize, but was greeted with a hand to the face. Applejack blinked, and in the next second, both women and their partners were scratching and slapping at each other, the other dancers giving them a wide berth.

Applejack watched, mesmerized until two security guards came and broke them up. Geez, all that over a nudge. She gave a sorry shake of her head.

“Quit hogging the door,” Someone said as they shoved past her, despite Applejack taking up less than half the doorframe.

She rubbed her shoulder and glowered. “And a fine hello to you too.” With another shake of her head, she turned and left. If Fluttershy wasn’t in the ballroom, she had to be at the auction.

The auction hall looked a lot like the ballroom, only brighter and without a central dance floor. Instead, rows of chairs were set up in front of a stage, and booths advertising different charities were lined up against the wall. People milled about, either talking to the charity representatives or finding a seat in the crowd. Sure enough, Fluttershy stood in front of her booth tucked in the left corner, her back to the crowd.

“‘Shy!” Applejack called as she approached.

“Eeep!” Fluttershy jumped and spoon around. “Oh, it’s you A.J. H-how was your dinner?”

Applejack shrugged. “It was fine, Ah guess. Uh, why is your face all red?”

“No reason!” Fluttershy said in a higher pitch than normal.

“Oookaay. Well, were you able to get anything on Moondancer?”

Fluttershy’s face managed to turn redder. “No! I mean, yes! I mean, I don’t think she’s up to anything!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. She knew Fluttershy to be nervous, but this was high even for her. “What makes you say that?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the Grand Gallant Gala Charity Auction!” The out-of-breath assistant from before stood on stage, the lights brightening and flashing in different colors. “And now, it is my pleasure to introduce our celebrity auctioneer for the evening, the one and only Countess Coloratura!”

He backed away as Rara stepped onto the stage to thunderous applause. She giggled and bowed and waved, glowing under the fluorescent lights. “Thank you, thank you! Thanks for coming out tonight and thank you for letting me host this year’s charity auction! I’ve never done this before, so I apologize in advance.”

For some reason, everyone in the audience found that hilarious and gave her another round of applause. Applejack rolled her eyes.

“We have a host of great prizes we’re auctioning off tonight, and all proceeds go to any of these wonderful charities!” Rara gestured to all of the booths lined up in the back. She paused and gave a quick wave to Applejack and Fluttershy.

“Alright, does everyone have their paddles?” Rara watched as several members of the audience raised their bidding paddles. “Guys, what are you doing? We haven’t started any bids yet!”

The audience laughed again and Applejack groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked.

“Nothin’,” Applejack snapped.

“Okay, for reals this time. Our first item up for auction is a wonderful travel package to Hawaii! This includes airfare and hotel!” She cleared her throat and finished in a light melody, “Seven days in paradise, a romantic trip for two.”

Applejack smirked, thinking of Shining and Cadence and their lack of a honeymoon. If she had the money, she might have made a bid for it and handed it off to them.

“So, let’s start at two thousand! Do I have two thousand? Two thousand right there! Two thousand, do we have twenty-two hundred? Twenty-two hundred for Hawaii? Twenty-two hundred over here!”

“I wonder what it’s like to be able to spend money like that,” Fluttershy asked.

“Ah say we’re probably better off not knowing,” Applejack said, crossing her arms. “Money does things to people. Turns them into snobs.”

“Not everyone,” Fluttershy mumbled.

Flash strolled up to them with a wave. “Sorry I had to bounce for a bit. Dad wanted to have dinner with some friends. Did I miss anything?”

Applejack pointed a thumb at Fluttershy. “‘Shy here was able to talk to Moondancer. She says she’s not plottin’ nothin’.”

“Nice job! How’d you manage to get that out of her?”

Fluttershy’s face went scarlet again. “I, um, just asked her.”

Flash frowned. “And you just believed her?”

“I just know she’s telling the truth!” Fluttershy said, closing her eyes and balling her fists. “She’s not the villain everyone thinks she is!”

Eyes wide from Fluttershy’s outburst, Applejack softened her posture and sighed. “A few months ago, Ah might have believed you. But you’ve seen what she’s done. You’re an angel, Fluttershy, but you’re too nice sometimes.”

Fluttershy crossed her arms and looked away. “Sunset did bad things and we became friends with her.”

Flash laughed softly. “She’s got a point there.”

“Sold! To the gentleman in the fancy top hat for twenty-one hundred, for the Grant a Dream Foundation!” Rara cheered. The crowd gave a polite round of applause.

“Next up, an antique thirteenth-century Ming vase, still in mint condition!” The stagehand wheeled out a glass case with a blue and white vase inside. Rara spun around it and gestured. “This is one of our big prizes people, so we’ll start the bidding at seven thousand!”

“Who is gonna spend seven thousand dollars on a vase?” Applejack asked, flabbergasted.

“Seven thousand right there! Do I hear seventy-two hundred? Seventy-two hundred here! Do I hear seventy-four—seventy-six! Seven thousand, six hundred already!”

Applejack facepalmed.

Flash whistled. “So this is how the other half lives.”

“Isn’t your dad rich?”

“Not that rich.”

Applejack watched in disgusted fascination as the bidding went all the way up to eleven thousand dollars. It was alleviated by the reminder that it was all going to charity, but the fact that people had that much money to spend still blew Applejack’s mind. Along with the fact that they needed shiny trinkets to be motivated to donate to a good cause.

“You people are amazing!” Rara sang in soprano. “Let’s keep this generosity going with our next item!”

Flash slipped his hands into his pockets. “So, is there anything else to do here?”

“Not unless you wanna go have a brawl in the ballroom,” Applejack said dryly.

“What?”

Applejack recounted the scene she had witnessed before heading to the auction room. Flash looked dumbfounded. Fluttershy looked concerned.

“I hope the media doesn’t hear about that,” she said.

“Yeah, they’d have a field day,” Flash said, sliding his palm through the air. “‘Pointless pummel at Grand Gallant Gala’.”

“And then they’d blame Moondancer,” Fluttershy said.

Alright, even Ah’m not this clueless. Applejack put her hands on her hips and stared Fluttershy down. “‘Shy, what happened between you and Moondancer?”

“Nothing!” Fluttershy yelped. She looked as guilty as a misbehaving puppy.

“Doesn’t sound like nothing,” Flash teased.

“We just talked!”

“And sold, for three thousand to the Canterlot Animal Shelter and Rescue Center!” Rara cheered.

The group stood frozen amidst the scattered applause. Applejack turned and saw Fluttershy’s eyes were the size of dinner plates.

“Th-three thousand?”

“Congrats, ‘Shy,” Applejack said, patting her on the back.

“But-but who…?”

Moondancer stood up from the audience and shuffled out of her row. She twiddled her fingers at Fluttershy and exited the room, almost bumping into a lady with a large floppy hat covering her face.

Applejack moved her hands back to her hips and resumed her stare down, though it was more bemused than accusatory.

“We danced, okay!” Fluttershy clapped her hands over her face.

Flash whistled. Applejack wasn’t sure whether to say ‘Good job’ or ‘Are you crazy?’

“Please don’t tell the others,” Fluttershy whimpered from behind her hands.

“Um, sure thing.” Applejack wasn’t sure how she would anyway.

“Okay, folks! We’re gonna take a quick ten-minute break! But, when we come back, we’ll be auctioning off the biggest prizes we have, so don’t go too far!” Rara waved and ducked back behind the curtain.

Applejack sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. That means we’re almost done.”

Flash furrowed his brow in concern. “You seem like you haven’t been having fun all night. You okay?”

“Whaddya mean? Of course Ah’m havin’ fun!” It was like a reflex now. An automatic defense against anyone accusing her of not having fun.

Fluttershy lowered her hands. “Are you sure, Applejack? You’ve been… well… on edge a little bit. Not just tonight but for a while. Ever since you started spending time with Countess Coloratura.”

“Ah have not! Everythin’s fine! Why wouldn’t it be?” Applejack felt her cheeks strain from the smile she was trying to put on.

Flash narrowed his eyes in an uncharacteristic glare. “Because you’re acting pretty suspicious for everything to be ‘fine’. Just tell the truth.”

“Ah am tellin’ the truth!” Ah’m—” Applejack froze. No, she wasn’t. She wasn’t telling just tiny white lies to Rara, she was flat-out lying to herself. Her posture deflated and she covered her eyes with a hand.

“Ah’m not fine. Ah’m not havin’ fun. This has been one of the most unfun nights of mah life,” Applejack said, drained of emotion.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Ah don’t know what Ah was thinkin’ agreein’ to this. Ah knew Ah was gonna be miserable, and here Ah am!”

“Then why did you say yes?”

“Because!” Applejack lowered her hand and spun toward the voice, freezing again.

Rara looked back at her, eyes wet. “You said you were having fun. You said you wanted to come to this with me.”

Applejack’s heart sank. “Rara, Ah… Ah’m sorry, Ah just…”

“Just what?” Rara balled her fists. “What about every other time we hung out? Have you been lying about those too?”

Applejack pressed her palms against the side of her head. “Yes,” she said with a pained groan.

“How could you?” Rara shouted. “I thought we were friends?”

“Rara Ah love hangin’ out with you!” Applejack shouted back, throwing her hands out. “But every time Ah do, Ah get shoved to the side, just like when we were kids!”

“What do you—”

“You were always popular! Ah just wanted to spend time with mah best friend, but you were pretty and talented, and so many times, you would get swarmed with admirers and Ah’d get shoved off! It was never your fault, but it happened! And it’s happening again only this time, Ah hate everythin’ we’re doin’!”

“You… hate…?”

“Ah hate this dress! Ah hate this gala! Ah hate bein’ surrounded by stuck-up, rich snobs who have never worked an honest day in their life and wouldn’t know good food if it came up and asked them to square dance! And, if you want me to be one-hundred percent honest, Ah hate your music!”

Applejack gasped and wiped the tears from her eyes. The squirming, irksome feeling in her stomach was finally gone, but staring at Rara’s heartbroken face, it was replaced by something much worse.

Rara sniffed and wiped her eyes. When she looked back at Applejack, there was a biting cold that Applejack had never seen before. “Well, you’ll never have to worry about any of that again,” she hissed. She shoved past Applejack and made for the exit.

“Rara, wait! Ah’m sorry!”

But Rara was gone. Applejack stared after her, dizzy from how fast things had spun out of control.

“Nice going, Applejack, you made a pop star cry,” Flash said with a sneer.

Applejack rounded on him. “What the heck, Flash? Ya don’t think Ah don’t feel bad already?”

“Wait, did the Countess leave?”

“I saw it! She was talking with those three, then she ran off in tears!”

“Is the auction over?”

“They ruined it!”

Applejack backed up against Fluttershy’s booth. The crowd had turned toward them and was starting to advance, glowers on their faces.

Fluttershy hugged Applejack’s arm. “What’s happening?”

Flash backed up next to them. “Applejack managed to turn the whole gala against us.”

“Seriously, what is your problem?” Applejack snapped.

“Right now, it’s you!”

Applejack saw it, quick as a blink. But there had been a faint trace of green in Flash’s eyes. She looked back at the menacing crowd and thought back to the ballroom.

“Adagio’s here!” she shouted.

“What?” Fluttershy squeaked. “Where?”

Applejack glanced around. “Ah don’t…” There, in a crowd that was moving toward them, a single figure in a floppy hat was strolling out the door.

“That has to be her!” Applejack grabbed Fluttershy and Flash by the arms and pulled them toward the door.

Flash struggled and tried to steal his arm back. “Why are you dragging me along?”

“It’s either that or get mobbed by them!” The crowd was moving faster now, trying to cut them off from the exit. Flash grumbled but accepted his fate. Applejack let go of him and leaned her shoulder forward just as an older woman jumped between them and the door. Applejack plowed straight past her, sending her off to the side. Flash kicked away a man trying to grab them from behind, and the three broke out into the corridor, Fluttershy shouting apologies at the mob running behind them.

“Alright, genius, now what?” Flash asked between breaths.

“Aside from me resisting the urge to trip you…” Applejack scanned the hallway. Adagio had already slipped away somewhere. Applejack decided to take a page from her book and turned into the ballroom. “Try to hide!”

The three ducked into the dancing crowd as the band played another fast-paced, aggressive tune. Applejack had hoped at the very least the public space would discourage the mob from pursuing them further. To her horror, many of them shoved and shunted their way onto the dance floor, only to be met with angry retaliation from the dancers.

In a matter of seconds, the room had descended into a free-for-all brawl with Applejack ducking and dodging through skirmishes to escape back to the outskirts of the room. She broke free and paled at the scene before her.

“Crap, what have Ah done?”

“Made it worse,” Flash said, ducking his head out from one of the tables lining the wall.

“Shut up!”

“Applejack!” Fluttershy jumped out of the mob, the bottom hem of her dress torn. “Are you okay?”

“Ah’m fine… mostly.”

“You three!”

The three of them turned. Moondancer marched toward them, a different anger in her eyes. “What did you do?”

“We didn’t do anythin’!” Applejack said defensively.

“I walk over to the ballroom and not five minutes later, you three run in with an angry mob behind you! What else am I supposed to think?”

Fluttershy stepped between Applejack and Moondancer. “It’s Adagio! She’s here and she’s using her magic on everyone!”

Moondancer’s anger dissolved into dread. “What?”

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

Everyone’s head snapped toward the ceiling as a hauntingly familiar chant played over the intercom. The music from the band fell away, and the center brawl came to an end. Flash climbed out from under the table, eyes fully green.

Moondancer marched forward with her hand outstretched. She placed her palm against Flash’s forehead and after a faint glow, his eyes returned to normal.

He swooned back and shook his head. “I’m really sick of getting brainwashed.”

The singing stopped and after a moment of static, Adagio’s voice rang out through the room. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you’ve been enjoying tonight’s entertainment; I know I have! And we’re not done yet.”

“Come out here and show yourself, you coward!” Applejack bellowed.

“While I love the idea of all of you fighting one another over perceived slights, I have a much better game in mind,” Adagio continued, ignoring Applejack entirely. “So I encourage all of you, if you want to have the best gala ever, then capture the two girls Applejack and Fluttershy.”

Applejack could hear Adagio’s twisted grin. “And feel free to tear them apart in the process.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Ballroom Blitz

Okay, so one: Flash was not going to be in this chapter until I was writing it and realized I have room for him in this chapter! Which changed the dynamic quite a lot. Two: Thanks to an amazing idea by Drakey, this chapter grew beyond its original scope! So don't take off your party shoes just yet, the night's not over!

... Y'all are getting spoiled with these chapter lengths.

13. Let it Rain

As one, the entire crowd turned to the four near the back, a sea of green eyes locking in on them. The hairs on Applejack’s neck rose as every face morphed from blank stares to angry scowls.

Flash eased a foot back. “I’ve seen this movie. It doesn’t end well for us.”

“Moondancer, you think you can do that thing you did with Flash?” Applejack asked, dreading the answer.

“No. I need physical contact to cast it, and I need to stay close to them to keep it active. If we don’t do something relatively soon, I’ll lose strength, and Flash will fall under again.” Moondancer sounded annoyed, but Applejack could hear a tinge of fear in her voice.

“I would like to not be brainwashed again,” Flash said. “I vote we run.”

Applejack nodded, backing up. “That’d be a start.” Her back foot nudged the table leg behind them. They were quickly running out of room to maneuver.

A figure pushed her way to the front of the slowly advancing crowd. Applejack recognized her as Moondancer’s secretary. “Miss Moondancer, please step aside,” she said, a slight drone in her voice.

“Raven,” Moondancer said, fear encapsulating the whole of her voice now, “don’t do this. Please.”

“My apologies. But if you don’t move, you will have to be punished alongside these girls.” Raven lifted her touchpad like it was a club.

Moondancer stepped back, skirting around the table. Applejack glanced at it and the mob approaching, and her brain scrambled a plan together. “Get behind the table!”

At the sudden movement of her three companions, the crowd surged forward, arms outstretched. Applejack leaped over the table, knocking a vase of flowers over as she did, and dropped to the other side. She flipped the table onto its front, ponied up, and kicked the table forward. It flew across the ground and bowled into the crowd, sending a portion of people to the floor.

Applejack powered down and yelled, “Run!” The four of them made a mad dash back to the door. Most of the throng behind them were still scrambling over the ones that had fallen, but Raven broke free and grabbed Applejack by her braid. With a mental apology, Applejack aimed a kick back at her assailant’s shin, grateful she wasn’t ponied up.

With a grunt of pain, Raven released Applejack, and she sprinted through the double doors of the ballroom. Hands glowing white, Moondancer reached out and thrust her arms back toward her, and the doors swung shut with a mighty slam.

“Now what do we do?” Fluttershy asked.

“Leave?” Flash suggested like it was the obvious answer.

Applejack shook her head. “We can’t leave while all these people are under Adagio’s spell.”

“Agreed,” Moondancer said. “And the hostess can’t just run out on her own party.”

Ignoring her, Applejack continued, “We need a plan.”

“Call for backup?” Fluttershy offered.

Applejack reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. “It’s almost 10:30. Dash is probably the only one still up. Let me see if I can get ahold of her.” Applejack tapped Rainbow’s number and held her breath at the dial tone.

“And once Rainbow gets here, we can go kick Adagio’s butt, right?” Flash asked.

Moondancer shook her head. “She’s probably going to be using some of these people as a human shield. As long as they’re under her control, they’ll—”

“There they are!”

From down the hall came a handful of guests, eyes glowing green. The group broke into a run again in the opposite direction.

“C’mon, Dash, pick up!” Applejack shouted.

“Hey, this is Rainbow Dash—”

“Yes! Rainbow, listen—”

“—can’t pick up the phone right now, so leave a message and I’ll get back to you, okay?”

“Consarnit!” Applejack fumed. “Rainbow, if you get this message before you go dozin’ off, get your butt down to the Castle Hotel. Adagio’s raisin’ hell and we could use your help!” She shoved her phone back into her purse.

“So, new plan?” Flash asked.

“You girls stopped her last time with music, did you not?” Moondancer asked between breaths. “Just do that again.”

“We don’t have our instruments,” Fluttershy said in dismay. “And we’re missing most of our friends!”

“Any music interlaced with some magic should at least be enough to dampen Adagio’s grip,” Moondancer said. “Unless you can think of something better?”

“We still need instruments,” Applejack argued. They came to the main staircase, and Applejack skidded to a halt as she saw the figure racing up the steps.

Rara marched toward her, shuffling as fast as she could in her dress, eyes sparkling green and mascara running down her cheeks. “You ruined my night, Applejack!”

“Crabapples!” Applejack cursed as Rara threw herself at her. Applejack caught her by the arms, flipped her around, and pinned her into a full Nelson.

“Rara, listen to me! Ah’m sorry about what Ah said, but you gotta snap outta it!”

Rara thrashed in her grasp. “The only one I’m listening to is our queen, and she says to capture you!”

Applejack gave a desperate glance to Moondancer. “Can you help her too?”

Moondancer at least had the dignity to look sorry. “I doubt I’d be able to concentrate enough to free more than one person at a time.”

Applejack looked from Rara, to Flash, to the approaching mob, grinding her teeth all the while. “Dang it all!” She tightened her bind on her friend.

“Sorry, Rara, but Ah hope you’re still bad with spinnin’ rides.” Applejack began to spin in place, swinging Rara around and around.

“Wha-what are you—” Rara cut herself off, snapping her mouth shut as her face paled.

Applejack slowed to a stop and released Rara, pushing her toward the oncoming mob. She took three staggering steps, bowed forward, and lost her entire dinner onto the carpet.

The crowd came to a disgusted halt, and the four broke into a run again, Moondancer in the lead. She took a corner and guided them down an empty hall.

“Can you please try to keep property damage to a minimum? I still have to pay for everything.”

“You’re welcome,” Applejack sniped back.

Moondancer came to a stop in front of a utility door, wrenched it open, and ushered the others inside. She stepped in and shut the door behind them, locking them in darkness.

“So, now what?” Flash asked.

“Hush for a moment and I’ll tell you.” The lights came on, and Applejack saw instruments scattered about in the small space. Moondancer gave a sweep of her hand. “Here are your instruments. Now go play something.”

Flash picked up a guitar and grinned. “Yeah, I can work with this.”

Fluttershy held up a drum and gave it a tap. “I might be able to work with this.”

Applejack looked around. To her dismay, there was no extra bass, only a saxophone and a triangle. She side-eyed Moondancer. “Can you play the sax?”

“I am skilled in many things.” Moondancer crossed her arms. “Wind instruments are not one of them.”

“Alright, only two usable instruments and four of us, versus one superpowered Siren. We can still make this work.” Applejack paced in the small square she had available. “First, we need to make sure we can broadcast to as many people as possible.”

“If we can find the A/V room, that should connect to all the community spaces in the hotel,” Flash said.

“I believe that’s down on the first floor,” Moondancer added.

Applejack cracked her knuckles. “Alright then, here’s the plan: We make our way to the audio room, you three set up and find something to play while Ah hold off anyone tryin’ to interrupt. Once you’re on a roll, Ah’ll find Adagio and get her to shut up.”

Moondancer raised her hand. “I don’t have an instrument.”

“Then sing. Ain’t you good at that?”

Moondancer sputtered, a faint pink rising to her cheek. “I-I mean, yes, but—”

“Good. We can’t use magic on them, so we’ll have to restrain them physically. And Ah think Ah’m the only one here qualified to do that.” She really wished Rainbow was here right now.

Flash nodded. “Okay, then we just need a song.”

“I might have one,” Fluttershy said, pulling her phone out and tapping quickly on the screen. “Umm, well, I have the lyrics and sort of a melody in mind…”

“We can improvise,” Applejack said. “And it doesn’t need to be perfect, just good enough to slow Adagio’s army down. Anyone got any ideas on where she might be hidin’?”

“She was using the PA system,” Flash said. “So she’s either in the manager’s office or the security room unless she knows how to operate A/V equipment.”

“Bet Ah can guess which one she picked.” Applejack walked over to the door and placed an ear against it. “It don’t sound too crowded out there. Let’s get to the audio room as fast as we can.”

“I have reservations about this plan!” Moondancer said as Applejack opened the door.

“It was your idea in the first place,” Applejack said with some smug satisfaction. She stepped into the corridor, finding it empty, though she could hear footsteps and conversations close by. She waved a hand for the others to follow and led them toward the main stairs.

They paused again at the cross-section, hugging the left wall. The stairs were clear, but both adjacent halls had people either standing with a blank stare or squabbling amongst themselves. One of the sentries looked in their direction, and the group quickly scooted back and pressed against the wall.

“We need a distraction,” Flash said.

“Ah got an idea,” Applejack said, reaching into her purse. She pulled a vial of lipstick out, something she never thought she’d do, and leaned around the corner again. With quick aim, she hurled the lipstick at the back of a woman’s head.

The woman spun around and shoved the nearest socialite, screaming, “How dare you!” They dissolved into a shouting and slapping match, tearing at each other’s dresses as they screamed obscenities.

“Ah hate to feed into Adagio’s game, but it works in our favor this time,” Applejack said, ushering the others forward. They scampered down to the ground floor and grounded to a halt when they saw the number of people in the lobby. Like the crowds in the halls, they were more preoccupied fighting amongst themselves.

Moondancer gestured toward an adjacent hallway and the group scampered as quick as they could. They passed the gym and several conference rooms before finding a door labeled ‘Audio/Video’. The room wasn’t much bigger than the storage room on the second floor. Wires flowed out of boxes stacked into the wall, all of them with tags reading what room they went to.

Flash set his guitar down and started examining the wires. “Give me a minute to get a set up going. Gotta make sure we broadcast to as many rooms as possible.”

“Attention, hotel guests,” Adagio’s amplified voice came muffled through the door. “You can find your targets hiding in the first floor corridor near the conference area. Have a nice time!”

“She’s in the security room. Ah guessed wrong,” Applejack said flatly.

“What do we do now?” Fluttershy asked.

“Same plan as before, Ah’ll just try to hold the mob off as long as Ah can. You three get set up and start playin’, quick.”

“And if the song doesn’t work?” Moondancer asked.

“It has to. Otherwise, we lived short, happy lives.”

“Speak for yourself.”

Applejack didn’t have the time or energy to pity Moondancer. She squared her shoulders, ponied up, and put a hand on the doorknob. “Good luck, y’all.”

Fluttershy hugged her from behind. “Please be careful, Applejack.”

Applejack smiled and patted her arm. “Don’t worry, sugarcube. Ah’ll be okay.” She hoped that wasn’t a lie. When Fluttershy let go, Applejack slipped through the door and shut it behind her. A handful of guests were already approaching, the green in their eyes visible to Applejack at the end of the hall.

“Alrighty.” Applejack took a deep breath and lowered herself into a defensive stance. “Just gotta stop them from gettin’ through to the others… without hurting them too bad… and hope they don’t remember nothin’ when this is all over.”

She started to think she had accidentally lied one last time.

*******

Moondancer tapped her foot against the carpet as Flash continued to work. He needed to hurry up so they could get this over with. She tried to take a calming breath. All things considered, she had the easy job. All she had to do was sing.

All she had to do was sing.

Her pulse quickened and she tugged on her neckline. Of course, she had to also somehow imbue magic into her voice like Fluttershy and the others had at the Battle of the Bands. If she didn’t, there was a possibility of her going to an early grave. She didn’t think Adagio had any particular grudge against her but wasn’t willing to find out. She also had to sing in front of Fluttershy, a prospect which made Moondancer’s chest tighten and throat close up.

Why? She had a decent singing voice in her own opinion. She had sung in front of Twilight plenty of times. Why was she nervous now? Why were her hands clammy? Her hands weren’t supposed to be clammy!

“Done!” Flash spun away from the cables and boxes. “We can start projecting anytime, just say the word!”

Fluttershy handed him her phone. “Here are the lyrics I wrote up. I wasn’t finished coming up with the melody, but I thought the beginning could go something like this.” Fluttershy tapped out a few notes on her drum head.

Flash nodded his head as he scrolled through the lyrics. “Hey, this is pretty good! Okay, lemme see what I can do. Here, Moondancer.” He passed the phone before picking up his guitar and copying Fluttershy. The two of them began a hasty jam session while Moondancer looked at the song.

The lyrics were simple, yet heartfelt and earnest. They sounded hopeful. It wasn’t some musical masterpiece, but Moondancer thought they would suffice.

A loud thump against the door made them all jump. “Applejack!” Fluttershy cried.

“Ah’m fine! Just keep workin’!” Applejack shouted back.

“We just need a beat for the bridge, we can improvise the rest,” Flash said. He and Fluttershy went back to work while Moondancer tried to memorize the song and listen in for when her cues were. The scuffle just outside the door kept grabbing her focus. She wiped a layer of sweat off her palms and rolled her tongue inside her dry mouth.

Why was this making her nervous? She lived with a sword hanging over her head every day! She ran a multi-million dollar company! She was planning to fight the most dangerous warlock of all time! This was just one more thing on the pile!

Slam!

Moondancer jumped and yelped at the sudden noise. How were they supposed to sing with an angry mob right outside their door?

“Okay, no time for rehearsals,” Flash said. He adjusted his guitar and flicked a switch on one of the audio machines. “We’re just gonna go for it! You girls ready?”

Fluttershy gave a firm nod. Her hands trembled, but Moondancer saw the determined gleam in her eye. Moondancer tried to say yes herself, but nothing came out of her throat, so she settled with a nod.

“Here we go.” Flash started slow, strumming in B minor and following up with A, D, and G. It wasn’t quite what Moondancer had in mind… She then realized that Flash and Fluttershy were looking at her expectantly. She had missed her cue!

Moondancer swallowed the lump in her throat and waited for Flash to come around again. Her cue came up and she tried to sing, but the first word came out croaky. It was cut off by another loud thud and a grunt of pain.

Flash kept playing, though he looked far more nervous than when they had started. He strummed the opening again, and Moondancer tried to prepare herself for her lines.

“I-it’s all right, yeah,

“I’m… I’m walking—”

Slam!

Moondancer shook her head and clutched her chest. “I can’t! I don’t know how you girls do this, but it isn’t going to work this time!”

“I’m walking right beside you,

“I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too.”

Moondancer looked over to Fluttershy. Their eyes met and Fluttershy smiled as she sang, her pony features bursting to life in a flash of pink.

“Oh, I can’t lie, sometimes,

“Everything feels like it’s just too much,

“But you gotta let in, even if it’s tough.”

Fluttershy gave a little shake to her hips, dancing in place. Her hands were busy tapping a beat on the drums, but her eyes were inviting, asking Moondancer to sing with her. Her pink glow illuminated the small room and washed over Moondancer. The pain in her chest lessened, and Moondancer was able to take a calming breath.

Voice still croaky, she joined Fluttershy in a whisper.

“Know it gets better, know it gets better,

“Push through the weather, weather!”

Moondancer’s rasp cleared, and in a soft soprano, she sang,

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!

“Don’t be afraid of walls coming down,

“Sometimes it hurts, you’ll figure it out,

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!”

“Let it rain, it’s okay…”

Moondancer heard only her own voice now. Fluttershy still smiled at her but had left Moondancer alone in the spotlight.

“There’s beauty in the breakdown,

“There’s sun behind those gray clouds

“You know, I can’t lie, it’s all right.”

Moondancer raised her voice, a warmth sparking in her chest. This song was more than just hopeful. Hearing it, singing it aloud, Moondancer understood much more. This was Fluttershy’s healing. This was how she became ‘okay’ after being rejected.

“When everything feels like it’s just too much,

“But you gotta let it in, even if it’s tough,

“Know it gets better, know it gets better,

“Push through the weather, weather,

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!”

“There’s beauty in the breakdown!” Fluttershy sang behind Moondancer, her smile infectious. Moondancer smiled too, the warmth inside her blossoming into a glowing radiance.

And Moondancer experienced something that had not happened since she took off the Archon Amulet. A soft white glow enveloped her whole body, and a pair of translucent white wings flittered behind her. They were faint, but they were very much there.

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!” She sang with full bravado. The pain in her chest was gone. In this moment, she felt like she could do anything.

“Don’t be afraid of walls coming down,” she and Fluttershy sang.

“Sometimes it hurts, you’ll figure it out,

“Let it ra-a-a-ain,

“There’s beauty, there’s beauty in the breakdown!

“Let it rain, let it ra-a-a-ain...”

Moondancer winced. Something stung her scars. She turned away to lift her mask and wiped away a few tears. She wiped her other cheek, unaware of when she had started crying.

“Umm…” She cleared her throat. “That was beautiful, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks matched her hair. “Thank you. You have a lovely singing voice.”

“Before you girls say anything else, I should tell you the mic is still on,” Flash said, fighting a grin.

Both girls cleared their throats and looked away. “Perhaps it would be best if we sing through it a few more times. Give Applejack the best fighting chance,” Moondancer said.

“Good idea,” Fluttershy said.

“Roger.” Flash started from the top again.

Moondancer couldn’t help but look at Fluttershy again, but the girl was focused on her drum. This was Fluttershy’s song, Fluttershy’s healing. And yet, the pain and anxiety that had haunted Moondancer for the past few weeks felt further away.

Such a pure soul. I wonder…

Moondancer’s heart skipped a beat as a thought crossed her mind, but she pushed it away. No. You’ve no more right to such things. Leave her be. She sighed and began to sing.

*******

Applejack grabbed someone by the arm and swung them into someone else. They both toppled over, then were replaced by two more angry socialites. They lunged for Applejack and she forced them back with an open palm.

Someone tackled her from the side and forced her against the wall. It didn’t hurt. Thanks to her magic, all of the clawing and shoving barely did a thing. No, the hard part was measuring her strength so she didn’t hurt anyone beyond a few bruises.

She forced her assailant off of her and ducked under the wide swing of another. They kept on coming, one after the other. The entire hall was filled with people wanting to drag Applejack to Adagio.

Come on, gang, hurry up! Applejack raised her arms to block a kick.

The hall speakers crackled. Applejack heard Flash mutter something as the static cleared, then heard the strum of his guitar. It didn’t distract the crowd at all. Someone grabbed Applejack in a bear hug that she quickly broke free from, but failed to block the sucker punch to her jaw.

“I-it’s all right, yeah…”

Whoever was singing sounded like they had a frog in their throat. As Applejack recovered from the sucker punch, a burly security guard grabbed her and slammed her against the door. The singing stopped.

“It isn’t going to work this time!” Moondancer bemoaned, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Flash continued to strum.

“I’m walking right beside you,” Fluttershy’s sweet voice sang.

“I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too.”

Applejack swung her foot back into the security guard’s leg and broke out of his grip. No one seemed affected by the music just yet. Come on, this has gotta work! She stood her ground and braced herself for the next wave of attackers. The music picked up, and as Applejack shoved another gala goer back into the crowd, it reached the chorus.

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!”

As one, the crowd froze, entranced by the song. The green haze didn’t fully leave their eyes, but it flickered and a number of them held their heads, groaning.

Applejack punched the air. “Great job, y’all!” She pushed her way through the crowd. Who knew how long everyone would stay like this without a full ensemble? She would have to be quick. If the spell broke while she was still dealing with Adagio, her friends would be sitting ducks.

She made her way back to the lobby and found more dazed guests. A few seemed to have snapped out of their trance completely and were looking about in utter confusion. Applejack weaved her way through the crowd, head bowed and hoping no one was paying her much attention.

“You know, I can’t lie, it’s all right.”

Okay. If Ah was a security room, where would Ah be? Near the front desk?

“Applejack?” a groggy voice asked.

Applejack spun around. Rara sat at the bottom of the stairs, squinting at Applejack like she was a blurry photo. Applejack ran over and knelt beside her.

“Rara, are you okay?”

Rara closed her eyes and messaged her forehead. “I… I don’t know. I feel so dizzy. And… and I’m mad at you! You…” Tears ran down her face, leaving clean streaks through her ruined makeup.

“I remember what you said to me!” She opened her eyes. They were wet and blue. “How could you lie to me like that? We’re supposed to be friends!”

“Let it ra-a-a-ain!”

“There’s beauty in the breakdown!”

“We are friends,” Applejack stressed. “That’s why Ah lied! Ah… Ah wanted to spend time with you! Ah just…”

“Just what?” Rara asked fiercely. “Was it really so hard to say, ‘I don’t want to do this, Rara’? I would have been more than happy to change my plans!”

Applejack bristled. “Really? ‘Cause every time Ah suggest something, your fancy lifestyle gets in the way and we have to change plans anyway! We can’t even go out in public without you having to wear a stupid hat and glasses!”

“I did it to try not to be recognized so we could hang out! Everything I did, I did it so we could make up for lost time! I was under the impression that you were having fun, but you were lying the entire time! I’m so sick of people lying to me and telling me what they think I want to hear!”

Applejack deflated. “Rara, Ah’m sorry—”

“No, sorry doesn’t cut it this time! You’re going to pay for what you did!” Rara got to her feet. There was a green haze over her eyes.

The music had stopped.

“Crap!” Applejack rolled out of the way of Rara’s haphazard grab. She jumped up from her knees and spun about the lobby, seeing everyone else slip back under Adagio’s spell. With a sidestep, she avoided Rara again and grabbed her by the arms.

“Don’t make me spin you again,” Applejack warned.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Thankfully, Applejack didn’t have to make good on her threat. The strum of a guitar came over the intercom again followed by Moondancer’s voice.

“It’s all right, yeah,

“I’m walking right beside you,

“I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too.”

Rara went limp in Applejack’s grip. “Ugh. Why am I so dizzy tonight?”

Applejack let her go. “Rara, you okay?”

She turned around and looked at Applejack with her normal-colored eyes. “...Where did you get those little ears on your head?”

Applejack lifted a hand to her pony ears. “Uhh—”

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

Adagio’s song cut over Moondancer and drowned the entire lobby in her twisted melody. Rara and several others grabbed their heads and dropped to their knees.

Applejack snarled and stomped her foot, smashing the marble tile beneath her. “Sorry, Rara,” she said, sprinting away before her friend could attack her a third time. She made a beeline for the check-in desk, shoving one guest out of her way as they tried to intercept her. There was a small hallway just off to the side that Applejack hoped Adagio was lurking in. She could hear Fluttershy and Moondancer singing louder to match Adagio, but if they couldn’t get control back, Applejack was about to corner herself.

There were two doors down the hall, one of them marked ‘manager’, the other was blank. Applejack lifted her foot and smashed the blank door in, interrupting Adagio’s song. She spun around from a set up of multiple monitors with different areas of the hotel’s public areas on display.

Adagio sneered. “You saved my servants the trouble of dragging you here at least.”

“Yeah, great plan. So, do you have an end goal for all this?” Applejack asked.

“Get rid of you!” Adagio threw a firework from her glove. Applejack threw her arms up and took the blow, skirting back only a few inches. As she lowered her guard, Adagio rushed at her fist drawn back. Applejack grabbed her arm and kicked her in the sternum, sending her flying back into one of the monitors in a shower of sparks and a flash of light. Cracking her knuckles, Applejack ran forward with tightened fists.

“Let it ra-a-a-ain,

“Don’t be afraid of walls coming down,

“Sometimes it hurts, you’ll figure it out!”

Adagio pulled herself out of the broken screen and ducked under Applejack’s first and countered with an uppercut to her jaw. Applejack sailed straight upwards, hit the ceiling, and fell back to the floor. Before she hit the ground, Adagio blasted her again with a pink firework, sending her back out the door. Applejack tumbled head over heels and landed facedown on the tile.

“Once I get rid of you and the flower child with the healing powers, the only real challenge left will be Sunset,” Adagio said, striding over to Applejack.

She pushed herself onto her arms in time to see a pink blur smash into Adagio and send her to the back of the hall.

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Rainbow said. She had her mask on, turning her skin pink and her hair blue. With a grin, she offered a hand down to Applejack.

“Boy, Dash, Ah don’t think Ah’ve ever been happier to see you.”

“Got here as soon as I got your message.” She gave a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, I was in a game and didn’t hear my phone.”

“Just glad you’re here now.” Applejack and Rainbow stood shoulder to shoulder in the hall. They glared down Adagio as she shook herself off.

“I haven’t taken any of your magic, Rainbow, so I guess I’m glad you’re—”

Rainbow zipped forward, delivered a flurry of punches to Adagio’s gut, and returned to Applejack’s side. Adagio clutched her stomach and stumbled as Rainbow crossed her arms and grinned.

“Shimmer said the best time to hit a bad guy is when they start monologuing.”

Adagio let out a wheezing growl, then cast a red barrier in front of herself, filling the width of the hallway, and charged forward. Applejack threw her fists out and connected with the wall, halting Adagio’s advance. She threw her full weight into it, trying to muscle through. Adagio smirked and recalled the forcefield, jumping back as Applejack fell forward. Before Rainbow could charge, Adagio blasted both girls with a firework.

They catapulted into the lobby. Applejack landed on her side but used the momentum to roll up onto her feet. Rainbow caught herself and hovered in the air next to Applejack.

“I’m walking right beside you,

“I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too!”

“By the way,” Rainbow asked, “who’s that singing with Fluttershy?”

“Moondancer.”

“What?”

Adagio shot a bolt of magic at Applejack. She ducked and it hit a pillar instead, and someone let out a shriek of horror. Applejack gave a quick glance to the rest of the lobby, her pulse getting quicker at every non-brainwashed eye looking back at her. Without her mask, she felt almost naked.

“Crap!” Rainbow took notice as well. She pulled off the scarf around her waist and tossed it to Applejack while weaving around two more shots from Adagio.

Applejack wrapped the scarf around her head, pulling forward around her face as much as she could before rushing at Adagio. Rainbow zipped up and around, and the two tried to catch the Siren in a pincer, but she threw a shield of diamonds around herself before they could make contact.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

It was muffled, and with Fluttershy and Moondancer still singing, Applejack could barely hear it, even at close distance. Adagio realized this too and instead expanded her forcefield to shove Applejack and Rainbow away. Only, as she did, the barrier flickered in and out of existence.

Rainbow, who had been repeatedly punching the shield, slipped through during a flicker, catching both her and Adagio by surprise. Adagio recovered first and slugged Rainbow in the side of the head. The forcefield faded entirely, and Applejack leveled a kick at Adagio. The Siren grabbed her leg and threw her into a potted plant. The impact didn’t hurt as much as the stone shards digging into Applejack’s back.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Ah’m fine,” Applejack grunted. She got to her feet and jumped when she saw it was Rara addressing her. “Uhh, gotta go! Please stay back, ma’am,” she said in a deeper voice.

“When everything feels like it’s just too much,

“But you gotta let it in, even if it’s tough,

She rejoined the fight as Rainbow took a firework to her side, dropping her out of the air and eliciting a scream from the onlooking crowd. Applejack ran in before Adagio could get her hands on Rainbow. She shoulder-checked Adagio and sent her flying across the lobby.

“You okay, Ace?” Applejack asked, pulling Rainbow up.

“Yeah. That hurt less than I thought it would.”

A wail raked Applejack’s eardrums and brought her down to one knee. Rainbow pressed her hands over her ears and grit her teeth. Adagio marched toward them, mouth agape as she caterwauled loud enough to crack the windows.

A large piece of the pot Applejack had shattered sailed through the air and smacked Adagio in the shoulder. The wailing stopped, and Applejack got back to her feet to see who had thrown the debris.

Rara stood near the pottery remains, panting and rubbing her inner ear. Adagio followed Applejack’s gaze and lifted her palm. Rainbow was, of course, quicker. She cut across the room and punched Adagio in the face, sending her spiraling into the front desk.

“Had enough?” Rainbow called.

Adagio picked herself up, seething. She faced the girls and thrust her palm out, a red wolf leaping from the shard. As it rushed forward, Adagio turned and ran to the back.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow yelled, flying after her.

While Rainbow pursued, Applejack stared down the Harbinger doppelganger. It lunged, and Applejack dropped to the floor and kicked her legs straight up, catching it in the chest. It flew up, and as it reached its zenith, it faded away in a cloud of glittering dust.

Applejack raced to the backrooms just in time to duck under a diamond shard from Adagio. Rainbow, lying on the floor with something clutched against her chest, rolled out of the way of Adagio’s stomping boot. She bounced up and rushed at Adagio, but the Siren tossed out another shield and bounced Rainbow out of the room.

Adagio thrust her palm again, but whatever she wanted to happen, didn’t. “What?” she yelled, eyes wide with panic. She tried again, and this time, a small firework shot across the room.

Applejack ducked underneath it and charged at Adagio. Instead of her usual scowl or sneer, Adagio clutched her palm tightly, a look of desperation on her face. In a puff of red smoke, she was gone.

Skidding to a halt before she crashed into the monitors, Applejack cursed. “That darn snake!” She turned and jogged to Rainbow, still getting to her feet.

“Thanks for the help, Rainbow,” Applejack said, patting her shoulder. “Ah don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up.”

Rainbow shrugged like it was no big deal. “Hey, I’m always down to punch Adagio in the face.”

“Ah just can’t believe she got away again.”

“Yeah…” Rainbow held up a backpack and grinned. “But she left this behind.” She unzipped it and pulled out the Crystal Heart.

“Hot dog!” Applejack jumped and punched Rainbow in the shoulder. “Way to go, Rainbow! Oops, hehe, sorry.”

Rainbow, doubled over and rubbing her shoulder, chuckled. “No biggie. Fluttershy’s here.”

“Right. Speaking of which…”

“Let it rain, let it ra-a-a-ain...”

Rainbow straightened up. “Yeah! Why is she singing with Moondancer?”

“That’s a long story. Let’s grab the others and get out of here.”

They tucked the Crystal Heart back into the backpack and walked out to the lobby. Most of the occupants had cleared out during the fight, or at least scooted up to the top of the stairs. A handful of people still stood around, looking out from around corners or under tables. Rara still stood next to the broken pot.

On reflex, Applejack started in her direction, but forced herself to turn away for the A/V room. She pulled the scarf tighter over her face and bowed her head.

“Thank you!”

Applejack froze and turned back toward Rara. Their eyes met.

“I… I don’t know exactly what just happened,” Rara said. “But, thank you.”

Scattered applause filled the lobby. As people came out from their hiding places, it grew, swelling until it echoed off the pillars and floor.

Rainbow gave a thumbs up, but Applejack ducked even lower and hurried along. The conference room corridor had cleared out and the sound of applause faded as they reached the end. Applejack knocked twice before opening the door.

“Is it over?” Fluttershy asked in a scratchy voice.

“Yeah,” Applejack said, breathing out the stress she had been carrying for the last half hour. “It’s over.”

“‘Shy!” Rainbow squeezed past Applejack and hugged Fluttershy. “Are you okay?”

“Rainbow, you came! Yes, I’m fine. My throat is just a little sore.”

Rainbow released Fluttershy and glared at Moondancer. “Why are you here?”

“Adagio crashed my party,” Moondancer said coolly. “You’re welcome by the way.”

“I’m not thanking you! Especially when we know what you’re up to.”

“No, you don’t because I’m not up to anything.”

Applejack stepped between them. “It’s a temporary truce, Dash. All things bein’ fair, Moondancer did help today.” She looked over at Moondancer. “So, thanks.”

Moondancer’s lips twitched upwards in a brief smile.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and looked away, noticing Flash for the first time. “Flash?”

“‘Sup.”

“I have so many questions.”

Applejack put a hand on her shoulder. “Ah’ll explain on the way home.” To the rest of the group, she said, “Rainbow and Ah gotta get outta here. We… had an audience during our fight with Adagio, so we better skedaddle before the media shows up.”

“What about us?” Flash asked.

“Well, no one saw us throwing magic around,” Moondancer said. “We can just blend into the crowd on our way out. Tis the fate of a background actor.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked. “If someone saw you… or if they took any photos…”

Applejack swallowed the lump in her throat. She was relying heavily on the fact that no one at this party knew who she was save for Rara. She was pretty plain, all things considered. But in the chaos of Adagio’s stunt and her magic going off and on, it was too likely someone might have tried to snap a photo or a video. And if that got out and someone did recognize her…

“Ah’m tryin’ not to think about it right now. We just gotta get before it gets worse.”

“Before we go…” Rainbow gestured to the bruises on her face and arms. “Fluttershy, could you…?”

“Oh, sure!” Fluttershy laid her hands on Rainbow, and a wave of pink washed over and erased her wounds.

“You’re the best, ‘Shy. All right, A.J., let’s get out of here.” Rainbow threw one more glare at Moondancer before high-fiving Flash and walking away.

“Thanks, y’all,” Applejack said to the remaining three. “Adagio got away, but Ah think we scared her real good this time. Plus, we got the Crystal Heart back. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Flash gave a friendly salute. “All in a night’s work. I’m just glad I could help out.”

In a more genuine tone, Moondancer said, “You’re welcome. You did much of the dirty work, so thank you as well.” She heaved a deep sigh. “I should probably get back out there and figure out how I’m going to do damage control over all this.”

Fluttershy hesitated but put a hand on Moondancer’s shoulder. “You can do it, I know you can.”

As much as Applejack wanted to inquire, especially with the warm look the two girls exchanged, she gave one final wave and joined Rainbow in the hall. Taking the backpack from her, Applejack hopped onto Rainbow’s back and held on tight as the girl raced out of the hotel at supersonic speed.

The city, like her thoughts, was a blur around her. Did Rara know? Beyond the magic, how was Applejack supposed to apologize to her? And what about the rest of the crowd? Had she put the identity of the rest of her friends in jeopardy? Would men in black suits storm the farm in the morning?

But, she saved lives tonight. Not just her own and Fluttershy’s; who knows what Adagio would have done to everyone else afterward.

Applejack squeezed her eyes shut. If she was going down, at least she had gone down swinging. She just hoped she hadn’t dragged anyone else with her.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Welcome to the Hotel Canterlot.

Having Moondancer and Fluttershy sing 'Let it Rain' was Drakey's idea and it was inspired.

14. Keeping Secrets

“—does Canterlot City have superheroes?”

“—Adagio Dazzle used some sort of mass hypnosis—”

“—details are still unclear, but last night at the Grand Gallant Gala—”

“—eyewitness reports of two supposed ‘magical girls’ fighting Adagio Dazzle—”

“—no official statement from the police.”

“—There are no confirmed identities, but we do have photos and camera footage—”

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose as Artemis flipped between different news stations. “How bad is it?”

Using his free hand to cover his mouth, Artemis could only grunt. He paused his channel hopping when Moondancer appeared in front of the camera.

“I will not comment on the absurd speculation that there might be super-powered individuals in Canterlot,” Moondancer said smoothly. “Nor will I speculate on how Adagio did what she did. The facts are: Adagio attacked the Gala, manipulated the masses, and was stopped before any serious damage could be done. For that, I am grateful.”

“At least she didn’t sell us out,” Rainbow said, leaning over the couch.

“She knows that if we go down, we could take her with us,” Sunset retorted. She thought she heard Fluttershy mumble something, but when she looked over, Fluttershy was staring out the window.

“This is all mah fault,” Applejack said. She sat at the kitchen table, face buried in her arms.

Rarity put a hand over hers. “You couldn’t have known Adagio was going to be there. And you did the right thing.”

“So far, they haven’t revealed any identities,” Artemis said. The news showed a shaky video taken on a phone camera. Rainbow with her mask on and Applejack with a scarf over her head traded blows with Adagio before she blasted a firework and the phone dropped to the floor.

“Are we seriously going to believe this superhero angle?” a pundit asked. “We’ve got a handful of pictures, a blurry video, and word of mouth from very confused people.”

Selena sat opposite of Applejack, tapping her finger against the table. “Secret identities or not, we’ve created a stir. The general public is going to be heightened to anything out of the ordinary.”

“What do we do now?” Twilight asked. “If Tempest or Adagio attacks again, we can’t ignore it.”

“As far as Adagio is concerned, I don’t think we have to worry about her for the time being.” Artemis set the remote down and looked at the Crystal Heart sitting in the middle of the table.

Applejack raised her head. “That reminds me. Durin’ our fight, Adagio seemed to have trouble using her shard piece. Like, it wasn’t as strong as it was before.”

“Hey, yeah!” Rainbow chimed in. “She blasted me with Pinkie’s firework power and like, it hurt, but it didn’t hurt that much.”

Artemis pulled on his goatee. “She is using only a single shard of Sacanas. And magic isn’t infinite. Perhaps she’s running out of juice for it.”

Sunset nodded. “She hasn’t absorbed any of our powers since the botanical garden. If she’s used up all the magic in the shard—”

“It’s only a matter of time before she figures that out herself and tries something desperate,” Twilight said with a cold edge that made Sunset shudder. “Once she does, we’ll have her cornered.”

“That still leaves Tempest,” Trixie said. “She won’t hesitate to keep throwing mischief at us if her plan really is to make more magic.”

“But if something happens to us, wouldn’t that ruin her plan, too?” Fluttershy asked.

Artemis set the remote down and crossed his arms. “We’re truly in uncharted territory now. Even if Tempest halts her attacks, the dice have already been cast. Like Selena said, the public knows something strange is happening.”

“Nothing we can do about it now. The question I’m concerned about is, can they trace it back to us?” Sunset said. She kept her voice even, but her stomach roiled. They were edging closer to the realization of one of her oldest fears since she had stepped through the portal. What was she to do if people in suits came knocking on the door?

“We now go live to Canterlot PD headquarters where Police Commissioner Martial has an official statement regarding the events of last night”

Everyone refocused on the T.V. screen as a burly man with a thin mustache stepped up to a podium.

“In regards to the attack last night at the Grand Gallant Gala, I would first like to confirm that there were no casualties or serious injuries,” Martial said in a surprisingly soft-spoken voice. “I would like to commend my department for a swift and immediate response to the situation.”

“Yeah, too bad the situation was over when you got there,” Rainbow muttered.

“Here are the facts as we know them. At approximately ten-thirty yesterday night, Adagio Dazzle infiltrated the Castle Hotel and subdued both management and security. Then, by currently unknown means, she proceeded to induce mass hypnosis over those in attendance at the gala. Before Canterlot PD could respond to the initial threat, two vigilantes confronted Adagio and forced her to flee. Her current whereabouts are unknown. As for those who were affected by her hypnotism, there appear to be no lasting effects beyond a loss of memory during the incident. We are monitoring them for any long-term problems.”

Cameras flashed as reporters unleashed a flurry of questions, everyone talking over each other.

“Do you have any idea of who the vigilantes are?” one reporter shouted over the cacophony.

Martial cleared his throat. “We do not at this time. While we appreciate what these individuals have done, we cannot and will not condone vigilante justice.”

“Is there any truth to the rumors of them or Adagio having superpowers?” someone shouted.

“We’re not going to speculate on that at this time,” Martial said gruffly.

“But how do you account for Adagio’s actions? Or what eye-witnesses reported seeing?”

Sunset could see a vein bulge in Martial’s temple even through the television. “There is a lot of confusion about the situation as it stands. So, I will not feed into any rumors surrounding it.”

“Do you have a plan to apprehend Adagio Dazzle?”

“We’re working with national security on the matter. That’s all I can say.”

A flurry of reporters tried to talk over each other again, but the commissioner had decided enough was enough and stepped away from the podium. Artemis hit the mute button and faced everyone else.

“Well, as far as the news is concerned, your secret’s safe for now.”

“Yeah, publicly, the police know nothing,” Sunset said. “But that could be because they don’t want to share anything. And I really don’t like his comment about working with national security.”

Artemis pulled on his goatee. “I hate to say it, but we just have to see how things play out. The hearsay and confusion should give us cover for at least a little while longer.”

“And after that?” Twilight asked.

Artemis folded his arms. “Hope our deeds have spoken for us, and convince everyone we’re the good guys.”

Fluttershy gave a quiet sigh. “Does anyone remember when we used to be normal high school students?”

They all sat in contemplation for a moment before Applejack stood from her chair, eyes down on her phone. “Ah gotta go.”

“Is something wrong?” Rarity asked.

“No. Well… Ah don’t know. Rara—er, Coloratura wants to talk.” Applejack looked at her phone again with a guilty grimace. “And after last night, Ah owe her some sort of explanation. Ah don’t know how much she knows, so maybe this’ll be a good way to gauge what anyone else might remember.”

Sunset couldn’t undo the knot of worry in her stomach but knew her friends couldn’t hide in her house forever. “Just be careful.”

Applejack gave a weak smile. “Don’t worry, sugarcube. We’ll find a way through this.” She gave everyone a wave and departed from the kitchen.

Trixie crossed her legs and grumbled, “Trixie still can’t believe she’s friends with Countess Coloratura.”

Twilight got up next. “I should go too. I don’t want to be late for my internship.”

Sunset puckered her lips. Twilight had been at this internship for a week and it was all she would talk about. Or rather, not talk about. Thanks to some dumb NDA paper, Twilight could barely say what she was actually doing. All Sunset knew was that it was taking up most of Twilight’s time now, and there was only a month left before school started.

“Why don’t I give you a ride,” Sunset offered.

Judging by Twilight’s expression, Sunset wagered that was a thought that had never crossed her girlfriend’s mind. “Sure, that’d be great!”

“So, is the meeting adjourned then?” Rainbow asked.

“I suppose there really isn’t anything else we can do at the moment except keep our guard up,” Rarity said.

Selena nodded. “Let’s hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

After a round of goodbyes, Sunset and Twilight followed their friends out the front door and climbed onto Sunset’s motorcycle. Twilight flashed her phone to give Sunset directions. The lab was on the edge of town.

Sunset started the engine and felt Twilight hug her waist. Underneath her helmet, Sunset gave a bittersweet sigh. She and Twilight’s first one-on-one time in days and they wouldn’t be able to talk to each other. She gave the engine a loud rev to vent, then took off down the street.

As heavy as the thoughts weighing on Sunset’s mind were, she had to focus on the road. Still, it was hard to fight the twinges of annoyance and, dare she say it, jealousy she felt driving Twilight to the place keeping them apart. Magical mayhem, national security, a soul-sucking warlock, and all Sunset wanted to do was spend time with her girlfriend. Apparently, that was becoming too much to ask.

It was a twenty-minute drive that ended with a winding road along the outskirts of the city. Sunset brought her bike to a stop at the front curb and appraised the lab. The only thing notable about it was the large satellite dish.

Twilight got off and handed Sunset her helmet. “Thank you for the ride, Sunnykins!” She reached up and kissed Sunset on the cheek. “I’ll call you tonight before bed, okay?”

Sunset stretched a thin smile across her face. “Yeah, sounds good. You have fun.”

“I will!” Twilight gave a wave and walked through the sliding doors.

Sunset lingered for a moment longer before storing Twilight’s helmet and putting her own back on. Was this how the rest of her summer was going to go? Fearing exposure while counting down the days until Twilight departed?

She turned her bike back on, revved as loud as she could, and peeled out as she left the parking lot.

*******

Twilight stepped into the lab’s main lobby, the glass doors closing behind her with a soft hiss. She let out a relieved sigh as the air conditioner rolled over her.

“Good afternoon, Twilight,” Amber said, clicking away at her keyboard.

“Hi, Miss Amber,” Twilight said. “How are—”

A loud rev made Twilight jump and spin around in time to see Sunset peel out of the parking lot and drive down the road. Amber giggled behind her.

“She seems like quite the rebel.”

The corners of Twilight’s lips twitched upward. “You have no idea.” Though, she couldn’t tell if that outburst had been Sunset showing off her rebellious spirit, or something else. She could always ask later.

“Miss Starlight is having lunch in the cafeteria if you would like to join her,” Amber said, pointing down the hall.

“Thank you,” Twilight said, giving a grateful bow of her head. She set off down the quiet corridor, stomach rumbling at the mention of lunch. She had rushed over to the Lulamoon’s house after guzzling a quick bowl of cereal. With all of the tension, she had forgotten how hungry she actually was.

Her phone buzzed in her skirt pocket. Twilight stopped and reached for it, hoping it wasn’t one of her friends with more bad news. Fortunately, it was just Cadence asking for a video call. Twilight tapped the answer button. “Hello?”

After a brief delay, Cadence’s face appeared. “Hi, ladybug!” There were tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face.

Twilight’s heart fluttered. “Cadence, what’s—?”

Cadence moved out of frame and revealed Shining, sitting upright in his hospital bed, a tired smile on his face. “Hey, Twily,” he said in a gravelly voice.

“Shiny!” Twilight clapped a hand over her mouth. She jogged down the hall, peeking her head into every lab window until she found an empty one and ducked inside. “You’re awake! How are you?”

He gave a weak shrug of his good shoulder. “I’ve been better.”

Twilight laughed, followed by a hiccup, followed by a sob.

“It’s okay, Twily. I’m okay.”

“I-I know! I was just… I was so scared! I th-thought I might actually lose you!”

Shining’s smile dropped. “I know. I’m sorry I made you all worry.”

Cadence popped her head back into frame. “The doctors said he’ll be here a while, and he might have some nerve damage in his left arm, but he’s going to be fine. I wanted to call and share the good news.”

Twilight emphatically nodded her head and gave another happy sob. “That’s good. Th-that’s great! H-how long have you been awake?”

“Twenty minutes?” Shining said, grinning again. “Long enough to want to get out of bed already.”

“You’re not moving an inch unless the doctor says so!” Cadence shouted.

Seeing Shining wince got another laugh out of Twilight. And each laugh removed the weight she had been carrying in her heart. Yes, Artemis had said he had healed Shining, but seeming him awake, seeing him talk. Twilight could finally, truly believe he was safe.

Cadence softened her expression as she looked back at Twilight. “Okay, ladybug. I just wanted to call and tell you the good news. Shining still needs plenty of rest.”

Shining gave a longstanding sigh.

Twilight nodded. “I know. Take good care of him.”

“You know I will. Love you.”

“Love you, Twilight,” Shining said, giving a small wave with his good arm.

“Love both of you, too.” Twilight waved before hanging up the phone. She collapsed onto one of the lab stools and let out one powerful sob before taking her glasses off and wiping her eyes.

“He’s okay. He’s okay. He’s okay. It’s okay.”

She repeated her mantra ad infinitum, picturing Shining’s tired, smiling face in her head until it stuck in her heart and pumped relief through the rest of her body. She would get to keep her BBBFF. Adagio had failed.

Adagio.

Twilight gripped the sides of the stool until her knuckles turned white. Underneath the joy and comfort, a sea of rage still churned. She would never forgive Adagio. And it would be a long time until she forgave herself for failing to bring Adagio down when she had the chance.

Twilight released the stool and brought a hand to her chest, inhaling as she did. She exhaled and pushed it away. She still had work to do. And she was still hungry.

She repeated her calming technique a few more times, then cleaned her glasses off and continued on her way to lunch.

The cafeteria was strikingly similar to the one at CHS, with two rows of rectangular tables taking up the center of the room and a handful of single-chair tables lining the walls. Unlike CHS, the lunches served were actually appetizing. As Twilight got in line, she saw today’s special was chicken stir fry on a bed of rice, with freshly baked cookies as a dessert.

Grabbing herself a plate, Twilight turned toward the seating area and saw Starlight waving her down. Twilight obliged, seating herself across from Starlight and Double Diamond. At the table as well were Night Glider; Party Favor, another of Starlight’s top assistants, and Sugar Belle, the head of the food and nutrition division of research. While Sugar Belle didn’t cook in the kitchens, a lot of recipes were apparently inspired by her.

“Good afternoon, Twilight,” Starlight said with her pleasant smile. It quickly drooped. “What’s wrong? Your eyes are red.”

“Oh!” Twilight rubbed them, knowing full well it would just make it worse. “It’s nothing. Really. They’re actually happy tears.”

“Happy tears?” Sugar Belle asked innocuously. “I hope it was really good news if it made you cry.”

“It was. Umm…” Twilight bit her lip. “You see… my brother, Shining Armor, was in the hospital. He was… he got hurt very badly. But he just woke up, and the doctors say he’s going to be okay.”

“Goodness,” Starlight said, covering her mouth. “I can see why the news would make you so emotional. I’m happy to hear he’ll make a full recovery at least. If you don’t mind me asking, what occurred to put him in such a state in the first place?”

Twilight bit her lip harder. She was afraid someone would ask more questions. They didn’t need to know all the facts. The less said about Adagio, the better.

“He got hurt trying to catch a robber.” Technically true; Adagio had been robbing a jewelry store when Shining had interrupted her.

Night Glider snapped her fingers. “Wait, I know that name! He was one of the police trying to stop Adagio, wasn’t he? It was on the news last week!”

Sweat broke out on the back of Twilight’s neck. “Ye-yeah…”

“Oh, then we’re really glad he’s okay,” Sugar Belle said. “There’s been nothing but bad news about Adagio. She can supposedly hypnotize people, and do other mysterious things.”

“I would love to explore how she can cause this supposed hypnosis. Especially in large numbers,” Starlight said with casual curiosity. “Did you see the report about the Gala last night?”

Party Favor nodded vigorously. “It’s exciting, isn’t it? I know it’s all just speculation, but can you imagine it? Superheroes in Canterlot!”

Twilight clasped her hands together under the table, praying for a way out of this conversation.

Double Diamond took a bite of his cookie. “I don’t know. That camera was pretty shaky. And we just said that Adagio can hypnotize people, so who knows what they really saw. Hypnotism is one thing, but actual superpowers?”

“Now, now, don’t be like that, Diamond,” Starlight gently admonished. “We’re scientists. We keep our minds open to all possibilities until they are disproven. And even then, there’s wiggle room. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if magic and superpowers really did exist? Imagine the new fields of research we would have.”

Starlight fixed her eyes on Twilight. “What do you think, Twilight?”

“Me? Oh, I-I, umm… I don’t know,” Twilight sputtered out. “M-magic seems a little out there. I-I mean, I don’t disbelieve in magic. I just don’t know anything about it! But if it did exist, yes, the possibilities it would create would be endless!”

Starlight nodded sagely. “See? Another open-minded soul.” She leaned back in her chair. “If magic existed, and was freely accessible, I believe it could solve many of the world’s problems. Diseases cured, famine prevented, climate change averted. No poverty, no handicaps, everyone could have lives of comfort and plenty, sharing equally in the benefits. .”

Some of the tension in Twilight’s shoulders melted away. She remembered having similar thoughts during Sunset’s magic lessons. How wonderful would it be to never have to step foot into a hospital again because powers like Fluttershy’s were commonplace?

“Do you really believe civilization could achieve that?” Twilight asked in a mousy voice.

“I do,” Starlight said with a smile. “The universe is too big not to have a little fantasy in it. Besides, most things considered ‘magic’ are just technologies we haven’t understood yet. I would love to analyze whatever Adagio is using, or those mysterious vigilantes who stopped her. Humanely, of course.”

Twilight finally broke from Starlight’s gaze and focused on her food. If only she knew what Twilight knew—how close magic was. But in its current form, localized to a handful of people, how could they make that wonderful future come true? She then thought of Stygian’s journal and the pocket dimension containing this world’s lost magic.

If only she could find a way to access it. If only there was a real way to study magic.

If only…

*******

When Applejack pulled up the dirt driveway to her house, a jet-black limo was already parked out front. Applejack parked behind it and hopped out. Her stomach rolled as she power-walked the rest of the way, pausing at the front door to take a deep breath.

What am Ah supposed to say? Ah know a lot of what happened was in the heat of the moment. But…

But, if Rara had reached out to her, then she must be willing to hear Applejack out, right? All she had to do was give a genuine apology.

Applejack pushed the door open to find Rara, Big Mac, and Granny Smith sitting in the living room. Big Mac sat in one of the recliners while Rara and Granny Smith shared the old lime green couch, a book settled between them.

“Ooh, look at this one!” Granny said pointing to the book. “Pear snapped a picture of you two after we came back from the beach! You two were more sand than girls!”

Rara snorted and laughed. “Oh my gosh! My hair is practically brown!”

Big Mac nodded and chuckled. “Papa had to hose you two down first before we could put you in the tub.”

Applejack’s face heated up as the cloudy memory made its way to the surface. She closed the door behind her and cleared her throat.

Granny looked up. “There she is! Ah was just showin’ little Rara here some old pictures. You two were as thick as thieves back then.”

Applejack pulled her stetson over her face to hide her deepening blush and grumble. She tipped it back up and said, “Thanks for keepin’ her company, Granny. Do you wanna head up to my room, Rara?”

Rara stood and nodded. “Sure.” She gave Granny Smith and Big Mac a grateful smile. “Thank you for the pictures and stories.”

“Anytime, sweetheart!” Granny said as she got up using her cane. “I’m putin’ a pie in the oven if you wanna stay for supper.”

“That sounds lovely,” Rara said with a polite bow. As Granny shuffled off, Rara followed Applejack upstairs. They settled in her room, Rara taking the desk chair and Applejack dropping down onto her bed.

Applejack pursed her lips and inhaled slowly, making a low whistle as she did. “So…” she said after her chest was empty.

Rara raised her hands and flopped them into her lap. “I don’t even know where to start.” She pinched the space between her eyebrows. “Actually, I do. Applejack, are we friends?”

Applejack bolted upright. “Of course we are!”

“Then why did you lie to me?” It wasn’t a shout or a yell; it was a desperate question.

“Ah…” Applejack slumped forward and dragged her hands down her face. “Ah did it because you’re mah friend. Ah wanted you to be happy, and you wanted to do all these fancy things and take me to these fancy places, and Ah didn’t know how to say no. Ah convinced mahself Ah was havin’ fun because Ah was spendin’ time with you. But the paparazzi and the press and…”

She finally took a breath. “It reminded me of when we were kids. Ah just wanted to hang out with you. But anytime we weren’t on the farm, you’d attract everyone else with your looks or your voice, and Ah’d get pushed to the side. And it was never your fault! And you never got a big head about it, which is one of the best things about you!”

Applejack slumped forward even further, straining her neck and shoulders. “And it started happenin’ again. But instead of kid stuff, we were doin’ all these highfalutin things. Ah’m… Ah’m not cut out for fancy social life, Rara. You can take the girl out the country, but you can’t take the country outta the girl. Ah’m so happy you’re successful, but this—” She gestured to the orchard out the window. “—this is where Ah’m comfortable. And Ah’m so sorry Ah couldn’t be honest with you upfront.”

Rara kept her eyes on the carpet. She looked like a puppy being scolded. “And my music?” she whispered hesitantly.

Applejack swept her hat off and pressed it against her chest. “Ah’m really, really sorry, Rara. Ah… Ah don’t hate it. Ah said that in the heat of the moment. Your music is great! But… it ain’t for me.”

Silence fell between them, heavy from the weight of Applejack’s confession. The longer it dragged out, the more Applejack squirmed. She opened her mouth several times but had nothing left to say other than more apologies.

Rara sucked in a breath and cupped her hands over her eyes. “God, I remember you being difficult sometimes, but never this difficult.” Applejack thought she heard a trace of amusement in her voice. When Rara lowered her hand, her eyes were damp.

“Was it really that hard just to tell me you didn’t want to do any of my ideas?”

“Ah didn’t want to make you mad! Ah wanted to hang out, Ah just…” Applejack heaved a sigh. “It was dumb. Ah’m sorry. Ah wish Ah could make it up to you.”

Rara wiped her eyes. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hurt, A.J. And a little betrayed.”

“Ah’m sorry.”

She held a hand up. “I know you are. I’m mad at what you did… but I can tell you feel bad about it at least.” Rara gave the air in front of her a frustrated squeeze. “I have so many feelings right now that everything is just… tangled up in a dumb knot!”

“Ah’m sorry—”

“Stop apologizing,” Rara said sharply. “I know you’re sorry. I’m just trying to process everything. Just…”

Rara looked Applejack in the eye. “Please, tell me the truth. Last night… that was you fighting, wasn’t it?”

Applejack’s stomach churned. “How much do you remember?”

“Part of it’s a blur. But, I remember the fight in the lobby. And you, or, someone who looks a lot like you, and some other girl fighting Adagio. But, they had pony ears! And one was super strong and the other was super fast, and I sound completely crazy, right?”

It only took Applejack a second to make her decision. She had lied enough. “No, you’re not crazy, Rara. That was me. Ah… well, Ah have magic.”

“Magic?” Rara said dumbly.

Applejack nodded.

“Like, like spells and wizards and dragons?”

“Well, not quite like that. It’s… uh, just let me show you.” Applejack closed her eyes and let her magic well up inside her. Her ears burst to life atop her head, and her ponytail doubled in length. When she opened her eyes, Rara had jumped to her feet, hands covering her mouth.

“Oh. My. God.”

Applejack gave a nervous chuckle. “Yeah. It’s… a long story. And you probably wouldn’t believe most of it.”

Rara took a half-step forward. “Umm… can I… touch them?” She pointed to Applejack’s ears.

“Sure?”

Rara closed the gap between them and rubbed Applejack’s right ear with her thumb and index finger. “It’s so soft…”

Applejack reflexively leaned into Rara’s gentle massage. It felt… strangely relaxing.

“Are these horse ears?”

“Pony.”

“Why a pony?”

“Like Ah said, it’s a long story.”

Rara released Applejack’s ear and stepped back. “And… they give you super strength?”

“Sorta, yeah. It’s complicated. But basically, mah friends and Ah have different superpowers and we protect the city from bad guys and monsters.”

“Okay…” Rara put her hands on the sides of her head and started pacing in a short circle. “Okay! So, you’re a superhero from a comic book! Are there any other revelations you need to drop on me?”

Applejack could have told Rara she and her friends were facing the end of the world if they couldn’t stop Tirek, but thought that maybe that was a need-to-know situation, and she didn’t need to stress her friend out any more.

“No, that about covers it.”

“Oh, good.” Rara collapsed into her chair and pressed her palms against her eyes. “This is crazy. My life is crazy.”

“Tell me about it,” Applejack muttered. She powered down and dropped her hat back on her head. “Uh, if you could not go spreadin’ that around, that’d be great.”

Rara uncovered one eye. “No one would believe me anyway. I’m still having trouble believing it.”

“Fair.”

Silence covered them again. Before it could get too heavy, Applejack asked, “So, where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know.” Rara shook her head. “You lied to me, but you did for a good reason, I guess, and you also saved my life, but you don’t even like my music.”

She pulled her hands down and looked out the window. “Applejack… are we really still friends?”

“Of course we are!” Applejack said automatically. “Ah told you, Ah did all those things because you’re mah friend!”

“But you weren’t having fun. Applejack, it’s been years since we’ve talked to each other. Maybe we’ve just… grown too different.”

“Bullcrap!” Applejack said forcefully, getting Rara to look back at her in surprise. “You’ve met Rarity. She’s prim, she’s fussy, she’d never be caught in a cornfield unless it was part of the latest fashion trend. She’s the exact opposite of me. Pinkie Pie is loud, silly, and Ah can’t guess what goes on in her head. Twilight is the smartest girl Ah’ve ever met.

“All of mah friends are so different from each other. If you wrote it down on paper, it’d sound like we don’t match up at all. But we’re all just different puzzle pieces that fit together. They’re some of mah best friends. Sure, you’re a pop star and Ah’m still just a farm girl.”

Applejack wiped her eyes. “That don’t mean we can’t be friends either.”

Rara stared, her mouth slightly ajar. “Applejack, that was…” She closed her mouth and swallowed. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

Applejack exhaled, finally undoing the knot in her stomach. “Ah’m sorry Ah lied to you.”

Rara exhaled too. “Apology accepted. Let’s just… no, I don’t want to start over…”

“Let’s try again?” Applejack offered.

“Yeah,” Rara said, smiling, “let’s try again. What do you wanna do, A.J.?”

Applejack grinned. “Ah’ve got an idea. C’mon!” She leaped up from her bed and led Rara downstairs, stopping at the closet to pull out two fishing rods and a tackle box.

Rara jumped and clapped her hands together. “We’re going to the pond? I haven’t been fishing since… since the last time we were together!”

“Then what are we waitin’ for?” Applejack handed her a pole. “Let’s skedaddle!”

The two girls stepped out into the hot summer air and onto the dirt path leading into the orchard. They suffered in the swelter for only a minute before the fruit trees cast their branches out and guarded them from the sun’s rays.

Rara and Applejack walked shoulder to shoulder, the silence between them filled with rustling leaves and buzzing insects. It was the kind of silence Applejack could appreciate.

As the path dipped and curved around a bend, Rara cleared her throat. “Since we’re confessing everything, I guess I should tell you something, too.”

“What’s up?”

Rara stared at her fishing pole. “You said my music wasn’t for you. Well… sometimes, it’s not for me either.”

Applejack cocked her head. “Whaddya mean?”

“I…” Rara kicked a rock on the path and watched it tumble the rest of the way down the hill. “Don’t get me wrong. I love my fans. I love being the Countess. I love the lights and the pageantry and the performances! But… when I first started out… this isn’t exactly how I pictured myself.”

They reached the bottom of the hill, exiting the neat rows of the orchard and crossing over into the sporadic wilderness that marked the edge of the Everfree.

“The Countess is a mask. She’s a character. And it’s fun! She’s one of the biggest pop stars of the decade.” Rara slumped her shoulders. “But she’s not me. All those songs are written by my talent team. And again, they’re fine! But… I guess that’s the problem. They’re just fine. None of it comes from my soul. Coloratura has never gotten to be on stage.”

“Gosh, Rara.” Applejack had no idea how stardom worked. But by the look in Rara’s eyes and the way her head drooped, it sounded oppressive. “Haven’t you told anyone how you feel?”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful. And… I don’t know… maybe I never realized how much it bothered me until now. I don’t want to give up being the Countess. I just want to be myself from time to time.”

“Ah mean, that makes sense to me. You can’t be a performer twenty-four/seven.”

“Yeah, but that’s what everyone expects. I can’t walk into a stadium as just Coloratura.” She gave a rough shake of her head, flailing her ringlets. “But, that’s not important right now. I just wanted to get that off my chest. Let’s focus on us today, please.”

Applejack wanted to pry a little deeper, hopefully to find a solution for her friend. But, she was also tired of talking about Hollywood, so she decided to respect Rara’s wishes.

The forest opened up into a glade, the trees parting to create a single large shaft of sunlight to hit the surface of the sizable pond. Frogs croaked somewhere on the far side, hidden in the grotto of fallen logs and moss. The girls climbed onto a large, flat boulder and set up their lines, attaching bobbers and worms before casting out into the middle of the water.

Applejack inhaled the aroma of loam and pond muck. To her, it was as sweet as apple pie. Rara did likewise and leaned on Applejack’s shoulder.

“Hey, did you guys ever catch Otto?” Rara asked, referencing the biggest fish that swam in the lake.

“Nope! He’s still in there, too! Saw him not too long ago!”

“Seriously? He’s almost as stubborn as you.”

Applejack nudged Rara in the ribs, both of them laughing. “Remember when we dove in thinkin’ we could ride him?”

“I still say we could have.”

“Yeah, if we didn’t drown first.”

“Remember the seaweed monster?”

“You mean when mah cousin Hayseed thought he was being funny?”

“I laughed.”

“Ah had nightmares!”

“Okay, what about the frog contest?”

“Still can’t believe Pa actually cooked one of them.”

“Yeah, but it was actually tasty.”

“Yeah, it was!”

An hour went by without a single tug on their lines. They didn’t notice. They reminisced, swapped stories, and laughed. Everything Applejack wanted.

After another of their laughing fits died down, Rara jumped up and set her pole down, pinning it with her leg. “I almost forgot!” She reached into her pocket and grabbed something, hiding it in her fist.

“Here. I brought this with me hoping that we would make up.” When Applejack extended her hand, Rara dropped something small and red into her palm.

Pulling it close, Applejack saw it was the ruby red brooch she had been eyeing at the jewelry store last week. “What… when did you…?”

“I saw you eyeing it,” Rara said teasingly. “So, I doubled back the next day and snagged it. I wanted it to be a surprise. So, what do you think?”

A goofy smile spread over Applejack. She was never one for fancy jewelry, but this was beautiful in her eyes. She held it between her thumb and index finger and raised it up to catch it in one of the streams of sunlight. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought it had shone in rainbow colors for a second.

She pulled her hat off and pinned it just left of center before admiring it and putting it back on.

“As perfect as a pear.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: It's A Secret to Everyone

15. The Magic of Science

Two days went by, and the only knock at the Lulamoon door came from a package delivery. Discussions about the Gala still circulated the news, but they were no longer the top story.

Regardless, Sunset expected to find a sword hanging over her head whenever she looked up. She wanted to believe that the danger had passed. Instead, with each passing day, the knot in her stomach got a little tighter. Her glances to the calendar didn’t help either. August was days away now, meaning she had a month before Twilight and most of her friends took off for college.

It had been a year. It had been less than a year. Yet the night she had crawled out of that crater and began her road to redemption felt like a decade ago. She and her friends had been through so much together. And in a few short weeks, life would scatter them to the winds. What would she do without her friends? What would she do without Twilight?

Unfortunately, she was beginning to discover that answer already. Twilight spent half her day at that damned laboratory working on who-knew-what. Combined with her continued sword practice with Selena, Sunset got maybe an hour or two with Twilight before she had to go home. Sunset tried to be grateful; she put on a smile and a good attitude when she was with Twilight. She didn’t want to waste what little time she had arguing, but it was hard to not nurture the seed of resentment.

“Check. Checkmate in three,” Twilight said as she moved her knight.

Sunset lifted her eyes from the chessboard to Twilight’s self-assured smile. It was even harder when Sunset was about to lose for the nineteenth (yes, she had been keeping count) time in a row.

“Do you concede?” Twilight asked.

“You know the answer to that question.” Sunset put a hand on one of her pawns, tapped it, and then drew her hand back.

“You know, in official chess tournaments, refusing to concede is really frowned upon.”

“It’s a good thing this isn’t an official tournament then.” Sunset picked up her remaining bishop and scooted him forward three spaces.

Twilight gave a longstanding sigh but moved her rook. “I would think you had enough of a noble spirit to follow the rules regardless.”

“First rule of Sunset Shimmer: never give up.” Sunset moved her knight and captured Twilight’s rook.

Twilight responded in turn by using her remaining rook to capture Sunset’s bishop. “Check.”

Sunset scrunched her nose as she studied the board for any way out. “So, anything to tell me about your lab escapades?” she asked, stalling for time.

“Sorry, Sunnykins, but you know I can’t.” Twilight at least had the decency to look guilty.

“How would they even know if you told me? It’s not like I’m going to blab to anyone.”

Twilight shook her head. “I signed a contract. I’m not going to break an NDA this early in my scientific career.”

Sunset huffed as she moved her king up one square. “You’re too much of a good girl sometimes.”

“I’ll be honest, most of the things they’re doing aren’t that interesting. They’re fun and exciting! But not quite revolutionary enough to warrant an NDA.”

“Then tell me what you’re doing.”

“No.” Twilight moved her knight down and over. “Checkmate.”

Sunset didn’t bother looking. She threw herself back in her chair and slumped. “How do you lose nineteen games in a row?”

Twilight twirled a finger around one of her tresses and smiled. Being the graceful winner she was, she took the pieces and board and put them away. She returned to her seat on the couch opposite of Sunset. The Lulamoon house was quiet today; Trixie had gone out with her friends, Artemis was in his study, and Selena had gone to take a nap after Twilight’s training session.

The two girls made eye contact, but Sunset didn’t know what to say. They couldn’t talk about Twilight’s internship. Sunset didn’t want to talk about the future. And most of the events surrounding them in the present stressed her out. She tapped her foot against the carpet. Maybe they could binge something on television.

“Do you think the world learning about magic would really be a bad thing?” Twilight asked.

Sunset jerked up. “What?”

Twilight shifted her shoulders and lowered her gaze. “I don’t know. I was just thinking aloud. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you girls. But… what if the world learned magic existed? What if we could get back the magic Merlin locked away?”

Sunset relaxed a little. “I really don’t know. The whole world would be turned on its head, that’s for sure.”

“But… wouldn’t it make things better?”

“How so?” Sunset asked, tilting her head forward.

Twilight lifted her head. “Imagine if EMTs had Fluttershy’s powers. Or if construction workers could just levitate things. You’ve described your world so many times, where ponies can use spells and potions and charms to do almost anything they need without effort. It sounds like a utopia.”

Sunset raised a calming hand. “I wouldn’t go that far. Yeah, magic is pretty great, and in hindsight, Equestria has Earth beat in a lot of ways. But we have problems too. We’ve had a very precarious peace with the dragons for the last five hundred years. Monsters love to show up at the worst possible time. And just because we have magic doesn’t mean everyone uses it altruistically.” Sunset pointed to herself.

“That’s fair,” Twilight said, deflating a little. She perked up again. “But, if magic here works like how Moondancer and Selena said, that you have to train your soul to be in touch with it and use it, wouldn’t that weed out most people who would use it for evil?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset said with a dry chuckle. “I still have very little idea how magic in this world works. In Equestria, we had tamed it for the most part. We could break it down into different schools and write theorems on how we ended up with the spells we cast today.”

She lifted her hands over her shoulders. “Thanks to me and the princess, we introduced our magic to this world’s magic and created some weird hybrid that only just makes more sense than the Earth’s natural magic. Artemis barely understands why and how things happen.”

Sunset crossed her arms and hunched forward. “Seriously, it’s like this entire planet is the Everfree Forest back home.”

Gears turned in her head. Her spine slowly straightened out as they spun faster.

“Celestia’s secret cake,” she whispered.

“What?” Twilight asked, leaning forward.

Sunset stood up. “I just figured out why your world’s magic is so weird.”

“Yes?” Twilight pressed, balling her fists in excitement.

“Okay, remember when I told you about the Everfree Forest?”

Twilight nodded. “You said it was a highly concentrated area of pure magic.”

Sunset made a so-so motion with her hand. “Less ‘pure’ more like, unfiltered or unrestrained. It doesn’t obey the laws that we created. It’s… it’s wild.”

She made a sweeping gesture to the rest of the living room. “That’s this entire world! It’s running off wild magic! Or at least, whatever little magic that’s left can’t be defined into any category! It’s just the residue of magic in its unaltered state which can be molded into anything!”

Twilight bobbed her fists up and down. “So when it mingles with magic from your world…”

“At first, there was more Equestrian magic than Earth magic, which is why we got our pony features. But then, we kept generating and attracting natural magic, so it blended further—”

“And gave you girls superpowers—”

“Because it’s wild magic! It’s playing by its own rules!”

“So the reason magic is so hard to understand is because it keeps making things up as it goes!” Twilight leaned back into the couch, her excited smile melting. “That’s both fascinating and incredibly frustrating.”

Sunset took a seat as well. “Tell me about it. But, at least we figured out the ‘why’ of it all. That’s been kicking around in the back of my head for a while.” She blinked. “Sorry, what was the original question?”

“Oh… um…” Twilight tapped her fingers together. “Just, if the rest of the world had access to magic, would that be a bad thing?”

Sunset pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know. Given that we just learned this world’s magic does whatever it wants more or less, it’s really hard to say. It would really depend on who has access to it.”

Twilight’s frowned deepened. “Which is why Merlin thought it was a good idea to seal it away. He saw too many people abusing it.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “I still think that was an extreme reaction. Yes, Equestria, and my world at large, has had a number of villains and monsters use magic to usurp a throne or enslave a race. But every time, someone stood up and fought back and fixed it. Evil will always find a way to wreak havoc with the tools around it. All Merlin did was change the toolkit. Now, instead of magic, this world has nuclear bombs, which is arguably ten times worse.”

“Yeah, I can’t disagree there,” Twilight said with a bitter note. “I know Tempest is abusing magic to make all these monsters and revive Tirek, but I think that if used properly, magic could really make things better.”

“Well, I don’t think it could make things worse. Again, it depends on who gets it and what they do with it.” Sunset watched Twilight carefully. She didn’t look out of sorts or frustrated. Just thoughtful. Her curiosity of magic had only grown over time, and Sunset knew Twilight’s lack of ability was a sore spot. But this line of questioning felt different somehow. Sunset didn’t think Twilight was plotting anything, but something was turning in her head.

Whatever it was, it was gone in a blink as Twilight stood up and stretched. “I should probably head home. I have to be at the lab by ten.”

“Right, sure,” Sunset said, trying to keep a tight lid on her displeasure. She took a controlled breath while Twilight slipped on her shoes. “Hey, did you want to go see the Midsummer Revival with the girls?”

“Of course! My family used to go every year, but we missed the last few. It’ll be fun to see it again.”

“Cool. Date night then.” Honestly, Sunset had little interest in the revival, but she’d take any opportunity to spend time with her friends and especially Twilight. It wasn’t much, but it was something to look forward to.

*******

“No, no, Coco! I said jam red; this is sangria!” Rarity tossed the roll of fabric back at Coco, who fumbled it in the air before clutching it to her chest.

“S-sorry, Miss Rarity!” Taking a closer look, Coco could indeed see that she had grabbed the wrong shade. However, if Rarity hadn’t been demanding orders all day, and if the colors were properly labeled, Coco might have grabbed the right one.

With a tired sigh bordering on a huff, Coco jogged back to the fabric closet and selected the right roll. “Here you are.”

Rarity looked at it over her red spectacles. “Much better.” She snatched the fabric and began to cut into it with her scissors.

“Rarity, Rarity, Rarity, you really need to work on your time-management skills,” she mumbled to herself. Coco had to agree. While they had overcome the surprise challenge of designing a dress for Coloratura, it had offset their already precarious timetable. Now, Rarity had less than a week to submit her designs for her school competition.

Meanwhile, Coco had four days until the Midsummer Revival. And all she had to show for it were sketches that Rarity had barely glanced at. Thanks to all the coffee she had drank, Coco could blame her jittery nerves on the caffeine, and not because she was slowly sinking into a sea of anxiety.

But it was fine! Coco was sure that if they worked hard, they could balance their time and get both done. She just needed to find an opening and gently remind Rarity about the deadline.

“Coco, I need sequins,” Rarity ordered, holding a hand out.

Coco withheld another sigh/huff and did as she was asked. At least this time, Rarity didn’t snatch it away. She did, however, rush by Coco to the sewing machine, stepping on Coco’s toes in her haste.

Coco grimaced but said nothing. She followed behind Rarity and watched her sew the sequins into the hem of her new dress.

“Miss Rarity,” Coco said in between the puttering of the machine.

“Mmm,” was the only response she got.

“When we’re finished with that one, um, do you think we could take a short break and work on one of my designs? For the Revival? It’s, umm, coming up really soon.”

“Ah, yes of course!” Rarity exclaimed.

Coco clasped her hands together. “Really? Thank—”

“There’s a spool of silver thread in the top drawer of my desk. Be a dear and fetch that for me, please. I can’t believe I almost forgot it.”

Coco dropped her hands and shoulders. “Oh… yes, of course.” She trudged over to Rarity’s cluttered desk and pulled the top drawer open. She found plenty of empty spools and discarded buttons, but there was no silver in sight.

“Miss Rarity, the thread isn’t here.”

“It isn’t?” Rarity looked away from her sewing.

She heard me that time.

Rarity rapidly tapped her lip with her thumb. “Where, where, where… I know it’s around somewhere; I just used it.”

Coco closed the drawer with a little more forcefulness than she intended. She searched the entirety of Rarity’s desk, the surrounding cabinet, and between the huddle of mannequins off to the side. She finally found it under a pile of scrap cloth near the stage.

“Ah, I knew it was somewhere. My thanks,” Rarity said when Coco handed it over.

Coco gave a tiny nod. It would have been easier to find if Rarity helped keep the back room organized. Every time Coco got it clean, Rarity swept away her hard work with one of her projects.

Rarity did some quick needlework then ran her dress back to its respective mannequin, yawning as she went. “It’s getting rather late, isn’t it? Why don’t you go fetch us some more coffee, Coco? We need to keep going for at least a few more hours.”

Coco rooted herself to the carpet. She wouldn’t fetch anything until she got confirmation that the next dress they worked on would be one of hers.

“Miss Rarity, I—”

“Oh dear, I’m spacy tonight. Coco, could you bring me my measuring tape before you head out?”

Frown deepening, Coco grabbed the bundle of yellow tape and carried it over. Before handing it off, she said, “Miss Rarity, I would really appreciate it if we could work on one of my dresses after we finish this one.”

Rarity finally looked up at her, eyebrows raised in confusion. “What dresses?”

“My dresses for the Midsummer Revival,” Coco said, tightening her grip on the tape.

“Oh, yes, of course!” Rarity said with a laugh, shifting her eyes away from Coco. “I didn’t forget that. Umm, well, I need to finish these dresses for my school. But, as soon as we’re done, we’ll work on yours! I only have a few days left before submissions close.”

“And the revival is in four days! Which means it’s only three days until rehearsal!” Coco hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but hearing Rarity’s nonchalant tone drove her anxiety up.

“Don’t fret, dear,” Rarity said. It was meant to sound placating, but to Coco, it was just condescending. “If we work hard, I’m sure we can get both things done on time. Hmmm, but I do have a virtual apartment tour tomorrow. Oh, that’ll be a great time for you to get started on your designs! You can take a quick break from working on mine!”

If the measuring tape had been made of anything more solid, Coco would have snapped it in half. Rarity must have noticed Coco’s mounting frustration because she gave the girl a regretful pout. “I’m sorry, Coco, but these things happen. It can be hard to keep up with the demand sometimes, so you might have to make a few sacrifices. Now, I promise you, we’ll work on your designs as soon as we can. But I hired you to help me with my dream of becoming Prim Hemline’s intern.”

“And you promised to help me with my dream of saving the revival!” Coco shouted. “You already promised you would help me! And sacrifices? I haven’t seen you sacrifice anything! I haven’t had a day to myself in a month because you keep running out and leaving me to handle the store on my own! And we’re both in this mess because you just had to take a commission from Coloratura!”

Rarity’s cheeks flushed an angry red. “Now hold on just a minute! Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have done the same thing if you were in my position! That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really put my name out there!”

“Maybe I would have! But only after I finished the promise I had already made!” Coco rubbed off the tears falling down her cheeks. “I really thought I was going to learn something—improve as a designer. But so far, I feel like a glorified secretary. I have a dream too, Rarity! And if you’re not going to help me… then I quit!”

Coco threw the tape onto the floor and turned on her heel. She didn’t wait for any response from Rarity as she stormed out the shop and into the warm night. She wiped her tears again and suppressed a sob.

How dare Rarity speak of making sacrifices when it was only her projects and desires they had worked on in their spare time. Yes, Coco knew she was the boss, but Rarity had promised. And Coco would not invalidate herself just to lift up someone else.

She squared her shoulders. It was a long shot, but with the money she had made, she could maybe afford enough materials to put the revival costumes together herself. They wouldn’t be show-stopping like she hoped, but at this point, she would just be happy to have anything at all for the performers.

I suppose I should stop and get some coffee. She had a few sleepless nights ahead of her.

*******

Twilight’s fingers danced over the mechanical keyboard in a fluid flurry. She pressed her tongue between her lips, both in concentration and as an outlet for her nervousness.

She paused and double-checked her work, making sure every bracket of code had been properly closed. Finding no errors, she spun her chair around and looked at Starlight standing over her.

Starlight leaned in to check Twilight’s computer. She reached for the mouse and scrolled up and down a few times. “Hmm. You know, in hindsight, it looks really simple. Great job, Twilight.”

Twilight blushed. “Thank you. It’s not that different from the code I used on my selfie-drone.”

Today, Twilight had been asked to help out with a prototype for a mobile security camera. The goal for it was to be autonomous, respond to changes in lighting, and give a constant feed of what it saw. When Twilight had looked at it, it did none of those things. Now, she had at least gotten the feed recording to work.

“All the same, it’s very impressive for a girl your age.” Starlight straightened up and walked over to the table where the camera drone sat. She switched the recorder on. “How does it look?”

Twilight switched monitors. Starlight waved in front of the camera, and Twilight saw it on screen three seconds later. “There’s a small delay, but the feed is being broadcast and saved!”

“Progress!” Starlight cheered. She flipped the camera off and walked back around to Twilight. “We can work out the delay a little later. I think now’s a good time to take a break.”

Twilight saved her work and exited the program. She didn’t feel like taking a break; they’d only been working for an hour or so, and Twilight’s brain was buzzing with eagerness. That she had solved coding problems that had troubled Starlight and her scientists only enthused her more.

“Actually, Miss Starlight, if it’s alright, I’d like to try working on the drone’s flight capabilities. I had an idea on how to improve its stability when hovering.”

Starlight beamed at her. “I love that go-getter attitude of yours. Well, who am I to turn down a hard worker?” She looked over at the drone and sighed. “Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could just make it levitate?”

Twilight let out a stuttered laugh. “Yeah, that would be…” Her eyes drifted to the floor. She thought of her and Sunset’s conversation last night, and talking with Starlight prior to that.

Magic. Science. Was one better than the other? How far could society go if anyone could access magic?

“Yoohoo. Twilight. Is something wrong?”

Twilight jumped in her seat. “Sorry! I spaced out a little I guess.”

“So I see.” Starlight peered down at her with motherly concern. “Is something the matter?”

“No… Well, nothing specific. I just…” Twilight wrung her hands. “I was just thinking… do you… really think magic exists?”

Starlight smiled. “I do. I can be a lady of science and still believe in the supernatural.”

Twilight nodded slowly. She was treading dangerous ground, and she knew it. She couldn’t tell Starlight what she knew, but she could pick her brain about hypotheticals. Couldn’t she?

“Do you believe in magic, Twilight? You seemed a little hesitant the last time you answered.”

“I… I do. I think there are things that science can’t explain.” Twilight took a deep breath. She didn’t know why, but her heart was beating faster than normal. “You said that if magic existed, it would benefit society. I believe so too.”

Twilight gave a strong shake of her head and forced a laugh. “I don’t know why I’m bringing this up! It’s all purely hypothetical! I’m sorry—I should get back to work!”

Starlight made a small ‘tut’ sound, still smiling. “No need to apologize, Twilight.” She leaned closer and spoke in a hushed tone. “It might be less hypothetical than you think.”

Twilight looked at her. “What do you mean?”

Starlight turned to the door, gesturing with a finger for Twilight to follow. With a tremble in her stomach, Twilight obeyed, following her out into the corridors and toward the elevator.

“Remember when I told you there was a part of the lab that was for our more secret projects?”

Twilight nodded numbly.

“Well, I think you’ve earned the right to see them now.” Starlight hit the down arrow. “You see, Equilibrium Labs works on a variety of projects. The ones up here are more… mainstream. Things people will understand and companies will buy. The rest…”

With a soft chime, the elevator arrived and the doors opened. Starlight ushered Twilight in, sweeping behind her and pressing the only button on the panel.

“It's hard to find open minds sometimes in a rigid field of logic,” Starlight said as the elevator proceeded downward. “Which is why I’m always so delighted to find those who are willing to entertain the more fantastical ideas! Even then, this isn’t normally something I would show an intern. But I believe you’re special, Twilight.”

Twilight’s heartbeat doubled. She was about to see something amazing, or something very, very dangerous.

The elevator came to a gentle stop and opened up to reveal a short corridor. Starlight stepped out and gestured with a finger. “This way.”

Twilight’s legs carried her forward, enthralled with the need to see this mystery through.

Starlight paused at a sliding steel door. “Now, I must remind you of your NDA contract. Everything down here is a secret of the highest caliber. Understand?”

A dumb nod was all Twilight could muster.

“Good girl,” Starlight said with a smile. She pulled a key card from her pocket and swiped it through a card reader on the side of the door. With a soft buzz, the door slid open, and Twilight had to squint her eyes from the flood of fluorescent lights.

When the room came into focus, Twilight’s jaw dropped. The large, square room was a hectic mess of desks, workstations, and whirring machines Twilight had never seen before. Every machine, however, had a long tube or thick cables extending from their tops and stretching up and across the ceiling to a central cylindrical device that hung from the roof.

But it wasn’t the strange machines flickering with bright lights that had made Twilight’s jaw drop. Nor had it been the sight of Double Diamond and Night Glider along with a dozen other scientists Twilight had never seen pouring over notes or tinkering with wires. No, it had been the feeling that had washed over her when the door had opened. It was a feeling she had been exposed to all year.

“Magic,” she said in a hushed whisper. She turned her head to Starlight, eyes wide. “What is this?”

Starlight, hands in her coat pockets, strolled forward. “This is the true purpose of my lab. The study, refinement, and practical application of the phenomena we call ‘magic.’”

Twilight scrambled after her. “B-but how! Magic can’t be—” Despite her brain short-circuiting from the flood of questions overwhelming her, she cut her sentence short. Starlight was studying magic, but she didn’t know Twilight was too, and right now, she needed it to stay that way.

“Can’t be real?” Starlight finished for Twilight. “I assure you, it is. Known to very few, and inaccessible to everyone else. But it is real.”

Twilight spun around, taking everything in as she approached the center of the lab. At one station, a scientist held a beaker of purple liquid over a peach. He slowly poured a drop onto the fruit and watched as it doubled in size. Across from him, Double Diamond held up what looked like a snowboard with an extra metal sheet attached to the bottom. Another scientist hit it with a laser, and the metal began to glow a soft blue. Diamond tossed the snowboard down and grinned as it hovered just off the floor.

“How?” Twilight asked again, whipping her head back toward Starlight.

“Well that’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Starlight said with a cheeky smile. When she saw Twilight’s unamused glower, she just smiled wider. “Oh, you meant how we got this far.”

Starlight cleared her throat. “I’ve known from an early age that magic existed, and have spent most of my life trying to figure out how and why. My previous experiences with it gave me a foundation on which to build hypotheses and the means to test them. You see, magic is fundamentally just another type of energy and emits radiation, like electromagnetism. With the right equipment, it can be tracked and measured. It can even be attracted and contained if you know how.”

She pointed to the cylinder above them. “Our satellite outside? It’s actually a magnet, or rather, harvester for magical radiation. Magic is pulled in and stored up there, then we channel it through wires and tubes, like an electric current that acts as a power source for our experiments.”

Starlight lowered her arm and frowned in contemplation. “Now, we can’t harness magic ourselves like wizards or something, and a lot of our equipment is based on educated guesswork. So, it can be volatile to say the least. It’s an untested form of energy after all. But it has limitless potential!” She looked at Twilight, eyes shining. “You see it, don’t you? What humanity could accomplish if it had magic? Moreover, imagine the heights we could scale if we combined magic with science! No door would be closed to us! The leaps and bounds we could take! The miracles we could perform!”

She lifted her hands and spread them toward the cylinder of magic. “That is our grand aspiration: to unlock the secrets of magic, reveal its true potential, then apply it to what we already have! Cars fueled by magic, diseases cured with panacea, criminals stopped with divination! A new golden age ushered in!”

Starlight threw her arms out and lifted her head. “Science powered by magic! The new great equalizer!”

No one else in the lab paid Starlight’s performance any mind. Machines whirred and pencils scribbled. Twilight was the only one pulled into Starlight’s universe.

This was it. It was no longer idle curiosity. There would be no more amateur study sessions or experiments in a garage. Here, right before her was proof. Magic could be contained. It could be studied. It could be used by non-magical people. Starlight had a goal. The betterment of humanity. And science and magic working together? Twilight had never even considered such an idea!

Starlight lowered her arms and cleared her throat. “Sorry, I got a little carried away there. But, you understand, don’t you Twilight? What we’re doing, and why I had to keep it a secret.”

Twilight thought about their lunchtime conversation a few days ago. That had been a test. Starlight needed to see how open-minded Twilight was. Anyone who didn’t believe, or rather, couldn’t believe would see this and dismiss it as crackpot.

She gave a firm nod. “I do. I’m just… amazed at everything you’ve done so far.”

Starlight gave a bashful flip of her hand. “Oh, it’s nothing special. Not yet. Like I said, magic can be volatile. It can be hard to get it to do what we want, and even harder to produce the same results twice.”

As if on cue, Double Diamond’s hovering snowboard shot out of his hands and flew toward the wall, hitting it with a loud clang and sticking in place.

Wild magic, Twilight thought. But she couldn’t tell that to Starlight. There was actually a lot she couldn’t tell Starlight. As far as she knew, Twilight was just a bright, curious young mind. She couldn’t know that Twilight had done her own experiments, or about her magic-empowered friends. Although, judging by Starlight’s progress, she probably knew more than Twilight did.

But, Twilight knew she had to measure herself. They weren’t men in black, but these were some of the people Sunset feared. Starlight had said she would test humanely, but she would still test. Twilight wouldn’t let that happen to Sunset, no matter what the end result would be.

“I’m sure you have a few dozen questions,” Starlight said, watching two of her employees try to pry the snowboard off the wall.

“I do. I’m just taking everything in.”

“It is a lot. You’re doing quite well so far. A lot of people faint or ask if this is a dream by this point. Or they call me crazy and back away slowly.” She added a small chuckle at the last part.

Twilight nodded. “It does feel like a dream come true. How many others know?”

“Most of the lab personnel know. There might be a handful of outliers left. I don’t let people down here until they’ve proven their merit as scientists.” Starlight tilted her head down and smiled at Twilight. “And I see a great scientist in you.”

Heat rose to Twilight’s cheeks. “Th-thank you. So, um, what can I do to help?”

Starlight’s smile widened. “I just love that go-getter attitude! Well, let’s take you around and show you what we’ve learned so far. A second orientation. Then, there’s a specific task I would like your help on.”

“What’s that?”

Starlight lifted a hand and placed it on Twilight’s shoulder. “I call it the Arcane Access Project.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: She Blinded Me With Science

“Imagine if we could somehow track and contain that magical radiation!” An excited gleam filled Twilight’s eyes. “Think of how far in my research it could take us.”

Sunset couldn’t help but snicker a little. “Good luck with that, Sparky. You’re a genius, but I’m not sure even you could build something that could catch magic. I’m not even sure if magic could be used to catch magic.”

Starlight: “bet.”

16. Deus Ex Machina

Sunset lay in bed, earbuds in, left leg resting on her right knee. Having just finished bathing Spot, she watched as he vigorously rubbed himself against the carpet to get his scent back. Her foot tapped to the beat bouncing in her head.

Perhaps she had been too quick to judge earth music. The music Rainbow had snuck onto her phone for her birthday was comprised of some fierce rock and roll, hip hop, and even a few pop songs that Sunset found herself listening to on repeat.

It was a nice distraction. She wished she had kept up with Flash’s guitar lessons so she could play things like ‘What I’ve Done ’ to vent her frustrations. Instead, she settled for drumming her knuckles against the mattress.

Twilight had messaged her once today, and it was just to say good night and that she hoped Sunset had had a good day. Sunset responded with a smiley emoji. She couldn’t bring herself to type actual words. Part of her wondered if she was being too clingy. But the other part reminded her that once Twilight left, they wouldn’t see each other until Christmas.

Sunset took a deep breath and tuned her thoughts out by turning up her music. Just as the synthesizer for ‘Intergalactic’ started, her music faded to the chorus of ‘Shine Like Rainbows’. A muscle twitched in Sunset’s jaw, but she picked up her phone and hit the answer button.

“Hey, Rarity. What’s up?”

“Hi, Sunset. Umm, how’s your evening going?”

Sunset’s irritation evaporated. There was a tremble in Rarity’s voice. She had been crying. “It’s been fine. How are you doing?”

“Oh, you know me. Busy, busy, busy.” A pause. “Sunset… do I ever demand too much?”

“I don’t think so,” Sunset said slowly. “You have high standards, but I wouldn’t call you demanding.”

“Hmm…. And… have I ever taken advantage of you?”

“Not that I can think of.” Sunset sat up in her bed. “Rarity, what’s wrong?”

She heard Rarity sniffle. “Coco… quit last night. She said I was taking advantage of her and was upset that we hadn’t worked on any of her dress designs for the revival.”

Rarity blew her nose and spoke faster. “And she’s right! I’m a terrible boss! I promised I would help, but we had to keep fighting monsters! And then Countess Coloratura asked me to design a dress and I couldn’t say no!”

“Rarity—”

“My name is out there now! Yes, it got damaged during the gala debacle, but the whole world saw it! But at what cost?”

“Rarity, slow—”

“I had the gall to tell Coco that I hired her to fulfill my dream! We would work on hers after we finished mine! How could I be so selfish!” she cried. “I lost a good employee, a good friend, and I trampled all over her dream! I’m a monster!”

Rarity dissolved into sobbing that was a little over-the-top for Sunset’s taste. She knew Rarity was genuinely distraught, but she sounded like a character on a soap opera.

She waited for Rarity’s sobs to slow before speaking up. “Rarity, take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.”

Rarity took a few hiccuping gulps of air. “How? What am I supposed to do?”

“Well, you could apologize for a start.”

“I can’t just apologize over something like this! You didn’t see the way Coco stormed out of my boutique! I really hurt her!”

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “Then find a gesture to show her you mean it. You could, oh, I don’t know, help her finish those outfits?”

“There’s not enough time! The revival is in two days! We could never finish! And I still have my designs I need to work on!”

Sunset gave a longstanding sigh. “Rarity, if you really want to fix this, you’re going to have to make a sacrifice. Either you help Coco, or you help yourself.”

There was a long pause, broken by Rarity blowing her nose again. Sunset heard her slowly inhale and then let it out. “You’re right,” she said softly. “I told Coco that you have to make sacrifices in the fashion industry. I should practice what I preach. There’ll be time to compete for Prim Hemline’s favor next year. But I still don’t know how I’m going to make so many outfits in such a short time. Even with Coco, we would have just barely made the deadline for my competition, much less hers!”

Sunset leaned back against her headboard. “Sorry, Rarity. I’d offer to help, but I don’t know anything about dress-making.”

Rarity gasped. “I just had an idea! I have to call Pinkie! Yes, I’m going to do everything I can to help Coco make this the best Midsummer Revival ever! Oh, thank you so much, Sunset! You’re a great friend!”

Sunset smiled a little. “I’m starting to believe it. Good luck, Rares.” Sunset hung up and put her music back on.

Spot, having sufficiently rubbed off the scent of shampoo from his coat, jumped onto the bed and into Sunset’s lap. She reached down to scratch him behind the ear and made kissy faces at him while ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ belted from her earbuds.

Just as she reached a relaxed state, her music faded to ‘Shine Like Rainbows’ again, only this time, it was Applejack calling.

Sunset groaned. She wanted to be left alone tonight. “Hello?” she said reluctantly.

“Hey, Sunset. How ya doin’?”

Sunset could hear the hesitation in Applejack’s voice. She wanted something. “All right. You?”

“Ah’m okay. Just gave Winona a bath.”

“Heh, coincidence. I just bathed Spot.”

Applejack gave a short chuckle. “Let me guess, he did everything he could to get the soap smell off him?”

“Eeyup.” Sunset said, deepening her voice, and Applejack laughed again.

“Life of a pet owner.” The joviality left Applejack’s voice and in a more subdued tone she said, “Listen, Sunset, if it’s not too much trouble, Ah was actually hopin’ to get your advice.”

There it is. Sunset sighed. “I get I’m the leader when it comes to magic, but who died and made me team therapist?”

“Beg pardon?”

“Nothing. Go ahead, what’s up?”

“Well, Ah’m tryin’ to think of a way to help Coloratura. See, she told me she doesn’t always like bein’ the Countess. It’s like putin’ on a mask. But she feels like she has to because that’s what her fans are expectin’, and if she told her producers, she’d feel like she was bein’ ungrateful. She wants to keep singin’, but she wants to do it as herself.”

Sunset leaned back into her pillow and stared at the ceiling. “Uhh… that’s a tough one.”

“Sorry. Ah tried callin’ Rarity earlier, but she didn’t pick up. Ah thought of you next. You’re… Ah don’t know… worldly.”

“Heh, thanks, I think,” Sunset said with a light smirk. “I don’t know, Applejack. Stardom and the music industry are pretty foreign to me.” Sunset was no stranger to wearing different masks: the straight A, model student vs. the manipulative bully of Canterlot High. And she had learned from the best. The students and nobility from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns looked down on her until she became Celestia’s personal student. Then they were clamoring to do anything to get Sunset’s favor, while still insulting her and calling her a spoiled brat behind her back.

Well… she had been a spoiled brat, but that was beside the point.

The situation with Coloratura was different. If anything, the Countess was the deception and she was locked into it now. Sunset still hadn’t met Coloratura, but she had to be a good person if she was Applejack’s long-lost best friend. Since Coloratura and the Countess were the same person, would anyone be mad if she showed up and sang without her mask?

“Sorry to bug you about this, Sunset,” Applejack said after the stretch of silence. “Ah should let you go.”

Sunset sat up again. “No, I was just thinking. Her fans have seen her without her make-up and they still loved her then, right? Would they really be upset if she performed like that?”

“Ah don’t know. Ah hope not. It’d be a massive gamble to do it in front of an entire stadium though. And who knows how her producers or record label would react.”

“Then…” Sunset’s devious brain kicked in. “Have her do it in secret to start. Like, a small venue, just to test the water. If she’s really that good, what has she got to lose?”

Applejack went silent for a moment. “That’s… not a bad idea. Her tour people wouldn’t have to worry about anyone askin’ for a refund or anythin’. Ah’ll float it by her and see if we can think of a place to try. It can't just be anywhere, has to be somewhere discrete, so her showing up doesn't cause too big a ruckus.”

A thoughtful smile spread across Sunset’s face. “I’ll bet I know a place. You should call Rarity and tell her about this plan. I think she might have a smaller venue lined up that Coloratura would enjoy.”

“All right, if you say so,” Applejack said, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “Thanks a bundle, Sunset; Ah really appreciate it. Ah think this might help Rara out a lot.”

“No problem, A.J. Hope it works out for you. Night.”

“Night, sugarcube.”

Sunset hung her phone up for the second time that night. She continued to stare at the black screen, wondering if she would be fortunate enough to get a call from Twilight too. Part of her wished she had asked Rarity or Applejack for advice in turn. But another part of her felt like if she did, she was talking behind Twilight’s back.

She hit play and set her phone down, hoping for one more interruption before bed. It never came.

*******

Coco dragged the clothes rack through the back door of the Canterlot Community Center, stumbling as the wheels bumped over the threshold. Her fatigue made the room spin and she failed to catch herself. When she blinked, she found herself sitting on the floor.

“Coco!” a voice cried.

A hand touched Coco’s shoulder, and she squinted up to see Charity Kindheart, the revival director, looking down at her with concern.

“M-Miss Kindheart, I—” a loud yawn forced its way out of Coco. “I have the costumes. Umm… I have some of the costumes. Umm… a few of the costumes. I… lost my original designs. But, I’m—” she yawned again. “I’m working hard on the others! I-I’m sure I can finish at least two or three more! And-and then we can re-use the costumes from last year for the background actors—”

“Coco, sweetheart…” Charity knelt next to her. “You look exhausted. What happened? You kept telling me that you had the costumes covered. This isn’t like you.”

Tears formed in Coco’s bleary eyes. “I-I thought I did! I thought I was going to get help, or at least learn how to sew faster and better, but-but it didn’t happen, so, I’ve been working the last three days trying to get everything together, but-but—”

Charity pulled her into a hug. “Shhh, Coco. It’s okay. We’ll find a way to make it work.”

“But…” Coco looked over Charity’s shoulder to the rest of the room. The Method Members, the core actors of the revival play, were practicing their lines. Artists were putting the finishing touches on the background environments. The sound team was going through music and mic checks. Everyone was ready for tomorrow except for her.

“If this festival isn’t successful… it might be the last one,” Coco said, tears running down the heavy bags under her eyes.

Charity released Coco from her hug but continued to gently grip her shoulders. She smiled, showing off the dimples on her yellow face. “Nothing lasts forever, dear. We had a great run. Now, we just need to make sure we go out with a bang.”

“But-but I promised I would help! I wanted to make sure it would keep going! I wanted to make a difference!”

“And you will!” a familiar voice proclaimed.

Coco swiveled on the floor and looked toward the back door. Rarity pushed in a new rack filled with costumes, followed behind by several girls Coco wasn’t familiar with.

Rarity brought the rack to a stop in front of Coco. She then reached down and pulled Coco to her wobbly feet. “A dozen costumes ready for the Midsummer Revival; all Coco Pommel originals!”

Coco stared from the clothing rack to Rarity, her exhausted brain trying to parse what was happening. “Wait… you… you made all my costume designs?” She pulled one of the ensembles off the rack. Sure enough, it was one of the costumes she had sketched come to life. “How?”

“Lucky for us, you left your sketchbook at the boutique,” Rarity said. “It also helped us turn this into a wonderful surprise!”

Most of Coco’s synapses were busy trying to keep her awake. Comprehension was supplementary and slow to come. “You made these?”

Rarity nodded exuberantly. “With some gracious help.” She gestured to the girls standing off to the side. “These are some of my friends. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Sonata, and Aria.”

The one named Aria crossed her arms and gave a self-serving grin. “Shaved off twenty hours from our community service.”

Coco honed in on Fluttershy. She did look familiar, but Coco couldn’t think from where at the moment. Before she could give it any additional thought, Rarity grabbed both of Coco’s hands.

“I am so sorry, Coco,” she said, eyes earnest. “I took complete advantage of you. I hired you to be my protege, not my servant. You were right: I left you alone in the store far too many times, and I had the gall to repay your kindness and generosity with my own selfish talk of sacrifice. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

Coco blinked furiously, trying desperately to retain Rarity’s words. “I, umm… I don’t know what to say. But wait, what about your designs?”

Rarity gave a sad smile. “As I told you: sometimes, you have to make sacrifices.”

“Oh… Miss Rarity. You really did all this for me?”

“I did. I promised I would help you with your dream and I am a lady of my word. Which brings me to the second part of my gift.” She released Coco’s hands and backtracked out the door. A second later, she returned in tow with—

“Countess Coloratura!” Coco exclaimed. The rest of the cast and production crew stopped and looked.

Coloratura, without her wig or make-up, waved at all of them. “Hello, everyone.”

Rarity stepped up beside her. “I know it’s last minute, but we were hoping we could squeeze in a performance by Coloratura at the end of the show.”

“And not Countess Coloratura,” Coloratura said, “just me. When I was young, my parents took me to the Midsummer Revival and I remember loving it. I would be honored to be a part of it, especially if it could help keep it going.”

Miss Charity looked on the verge of tears. “Oh my, yes! We would love to have you perform! Last performance or not, this year’s revival will be the most memorable!” She patted Coco’s shoulder. “You have some incredible friends, Coco!”

Coco stared, dazed. “I… I think I do.”

Sonata jumped and clapped. “Yaay! She’s so happy, we broke her brain!”

“No, I’m just—” Coco let out another loud yawn. “So tired… and so overwhelmed. I don’t know what to say other than, thank you, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity gave a small bow. “You’re more than welcome. I do have one more gift for you though. I would like you back at the shop as my official apprentice. I will teach you everything I know. And, when the summer is over, you will be in charge of the boutique.”

After three near-sleepless nights and the deluge of excitement over the course of five minutes, Coco’s brain could take no more. She managed to give a tiny nod of her head, then passed out, a giddy smile on her face as she dreamed of tomorrow.

*******

For three days, Twilight carried a cocktail of excitement, frustration, and apprehension in her stomach.

On the first day after Starlight’s revelation, Twilight got an up-close look at the magic collector masquerading as a satellite and the containment chamber for the magic it had gathered. Coalesced together, magic looked like little balls of white light; fireflies idly drifting about. With only a thick glass separating her from the magic particles, the sensation she usually had around magic magnified greatly, making the hairs on her neck stand up and her body shiver with excitement.

Twilight then got to look at the science Starlight had achieved with magic. Equations, formulas, and experimental technology birthed from burgeoning research. Starlight had said before it was difficult to reproduce the same effect twice, but she and her team had gotten a few gadgets to work on a more consistent basis. A glove that could attract anything the palm was pointed at. Wristbands that could produce hard-light barriers similar to Rarity’s constructs. A staff that could fire bolts of energy. And schematics for much, much more.

It was almost overwhelming. Twilight had gone from only having her and Sunset’s hypotheses based on Equestrian magic, to a full operation center devoted to unlocking magic’s secrets. She had to play dumb though. As far as Starlight knew, this was Twilight’s first time seeing magic at work. As much as Twilight wanted to truly gush her excitement, she restrained herself, refusing to give up anything that could even remotely be traced back to her friends.

Still, she made the most of her situation. It was thanks to her past research that she picked up so quickly on everything Starlight presented to her, an attribute that Starlight praised. Twilight could accept the discourse and give intelligent feedback while under the guise of just being smart.

“I truly lucked out on having such a bright pupil like you,” Starlight said at the end of Twilight’s real first day.

Twilight went home fulfilled and excited. Even if it was for a few short weeks, she had found a place where she stood equal with her fellow researchers.

Her excitement would be tempered by the end of her second day.

The central lab underground had several off-shoots. It was in one of these smaller rooms that Starlight spoke to her about her magnum opus.

“Magic,” Starlight said, “is like any form of energy. It can’t be destroyed, it can only change form. Yet, there’s a distinct lack of magical energy in the world. If it acts like any other naturally occurring element in nature, I find it hard to believe we used most of it up or converted all of it over the course of humanity.”

Starlight shook her head. “No. My research indicates that something happened to it. The question is, what? That’s where the Arcane Access Project comes in. It’s a two-pronged approach. One: find and bring back the lost magic. Two: in the meantime, all of our sensors indicate that magic is slowly being generated and filling the world again. In lieu of not finding the source of magic, we must find ways to generate it ourselves!”

Twilight hoped biting her lip and bouncing her leg came off as signs of investment and not distress. She had the answers to both of Starlight’s problems! Yet, she could say nothing. She spent the entire day playing along, listening to Starlight’s guesses, and going over the notes she had already generated. Twilight desperately wondered if there was a way she could organically bring up what she had learned in Stygian’s journal. But for such a big answer to land in Starlight’s lap, she would naturally wonder where Twilight got such information from and note how auspicious it was that she had a journal on magic despite supposedly knowing nothing about it beforehand.

No, Twilight had to keep quiet about that, too, for now, and hope that she could find some way to stumble upon the answer off of their coordinated work.

But, as Twilight headed home that day, her mind couldn’t help but flip the scenario. What fortune was it that Twilight, a girl surrounded by magical friends and desperate to uncover how it all worked, would land an internship at the only magical research lab possibly in existence?

Her brain then took it one step further. Starlight was trying to research how to bring magic back into this world. For science, of course. But, if the theory she and her friends had come up with was true, Moondancer and Tempest were trying to do the same thing.

What were the odds?

If Twilight was being honest with herself, incredibly slim. But why would Starlight ally herself with someone hellbent on conquering or destroying the world? She couldn’t see Starlight and Tempest forging a partnership. However, Twilight couldn’t think of many companies or government entities that would entertain the notion of a ‘magic research division.’ Starlight had to be getting funding from somewhere, and Moondancer and her father owned a lucrative company and had ties to the magical world.

She had tried to find out more on her own at home, but Equilibrium Labs’ online presence was virtually non-existent. A simple ‘about’ page with the lab’s location and a group shot of Starlight and her research team. The pages for Shade Enterprises didn’t help either, though Twilight wasn’t surprised they didn’t keep a public list of every cooperation under their umbrella.

Was she being paranoid? Or was she being reckless? If Starlight was working with Tempest, did she already know who Twilight was? If she did, why would she recruit Twilight, who could just report anything back to her friends? If Starlight worked for Tempest, wouldn’t she take the opportunity to abduct Twilight and force her to work for them or use her as a hostage? Unless there was a long game Twilight couldn’t see.

She went into her third day a little more on guard. She took closer note of everyone around her, Starlight especially, for anything that could link her to Tempest. As the day progressed, the only thing that Twilight noticed was Starlight’s resting expression. She always had a small, calculated smile. As if everything was always going exactly as she intended, even when one of the lab instruments went haywire. She just directed Party Favor to clean up the burnt wires and declared, “Even failure is a form of progress.”

She had the mind and heart of a scientist. Twilight couldn’t fathom a reason for Starlight to work with Tempest. Then again, she didn’t know why Moondancer had sided with her either, yet she still had.

Twilight and Starlight moved forward on the Arcane Access Project. They sat at a workstation near the front of the central lab, its walls covered in diagrams, schematics, and equations, Starlight sipping coffee as she talked.

“I’ve hit a dead-end in trying to figure out what happened to this world’s magic, so instead, I’m focusing on generating more of it myself. Our research is showing that our magic harvester has been pulling in more and more ambient magic over time, which means the amount of ambient magic around us is increasing.” She paused to take a drink and sigh in contentment. “However, if magic acts like any other known energy source, then it can’t just be coming from nothing. We had little idea on why our magical input was increasing… until the rumors of superheroes started popping up.”

Twilight’s shoulders tensed.

Starlight just stared at one of the diagrams pinned to the wall. “Vague and unsubstantiated, yes. But, if these so-called heroes were using magic, perhaps their magical output was increasing our input. But, like with so many other things here, it’s hard to test and verify. It’s not as though we could stage a bank robbery and hope they show up to stop us.”

Like with many other hypotheses, Twilight couldn’t believe how close Starlight was to the truth. Magic begat magic. And her friends were being coaxed into using their powers to bring magic back into the world.

Twilight’s stomach twisted with paranoia as the thought of Starlight’s coincidences popped up again. But she couldn’t just come out and ask her; Twilight would have to admit to actually knowing about magic to do that. But if Starlight wasn’t aligned with Tempest, maybe Twilight could get away with telling some of the truth if it meant pushing magical research further.

She shook her head. Regardless of Starlight’s alignment, confiding in her was risky, and Twilight wouldn’t endanger her friends.

“What’s the matter, Twilight?” Starlight peered over her coffee mug at her.

“Just thinking about our problem,” Twilight said, shifting her focus back. “If you’re right and there are superheroes producing magic, I’m wondering if there is a way we can artificially replicate what they’re doing.”

“I’ve had that idea too. We’ve certainly tried on small scales numerous times, but remember, magic is volatile and hard to manage. Anytime we ‘generate’ more magic, it usually involves a small explosion.”

Twilight frowned at the idea of trying to explain to her parents why she had come home singed. “There must be a way to get the same effects twice. May I see your notes anyway?”

“But of course.” Starlight set her mug down and stood up. “Let me just remember where I put them…”

Starlight absently wandered deeper into the lab, leaving Twilight alone at the desk. At the station closest to her, Party Favor was experimenting with the magic magnet glove, only instead of pulling objects toward him, he was trying to get a plate to levitate consistently. It wobbled over his palm for several seconds before tipping over and shattering into pieces on the floor.

He sighed and scribbled in his notebook, muttering, “Pick up plastic plates from store.”

Twilight giggled and looked about the rest of the lab, watching people mill about with clipboards and gadgets. Her paranoia melted away into the excitement she had first experienced three days ago. She was on the edge of revolutionary science! This is where she belonged!

The main lab door hissed open, and Twilight swiveled her seat to see who had joined them.

Her excitement dropped past paranoia and into pure dread.

Moondancer strode into the room wearing a black dress suit, her hair tied back in a ponytail and a mask still on half her face. Her gaze was fixed down at her tablet.

“Starlight, we need to talk. Now, please,” she said, an edge to her polite tone.

She stopped three feet in front of Twilight’s workstation, face still downturned. Twilight wanted to run. She wanted to flee as fast as possible to Sunset and tell her everything. But Moondancer was right there; her presence locked Twilight to her seat.

Starlight stepped from around the corner. Under her breath, she murmured, “Oh darn.” Much louder and with a smile, she said, “Hello, Miss Lulamoon!”

“Don’t call me that. Two things: first—” Moondancer looked up and dropped her tablet. It hit the floor screen first and delivered a terrible crack. Twilight locked eyes with her and saw the same shock and fear that was probably on her own face.

Moondancer pointed a shaky finger at Twilight. “No. No, no, no. She can’t be here. Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here!”

“Why are you here?” Twilight asked in an equally shaky breath. She looked at Starlight. “Why is she here? What’s going on?”

Starlight gave an innocent smile and shrugged. “Equilibrium Labs is a subsidiary of Shade Enterprises. So, she’s technically my boss,” she said casually.

Twilight bolted up from her seat. “You are working for Tempest!”

Starlight’s smile turned sympathetic. She raised her hands placatingly. “Twilight, please listen—”

“This was all a trap! I thought you wanted to make the world a better place!” Twilight yelled. She wildly looked about. Now that the charade was up, would the rest of the lab staff jump her? No one looked ready to pounce though. They were all just staring at the confrontation taking place.

Starlight spoke again, cutting through Twilight’s haze of fear. “Twilight, I assure you—”

“You need to hide!” Moondancer said loudly, jumping forward and grabbing Twilight’s shoulders. “Tempest is coming here right now! You can’t be here!”

Twilight broke free of Moondancer’s grip. “I’m not—”

“Twilight!,” Moondancer yelled, tears in her eye. “I know you hate me! I know you don’t trust me! I know what this must look like! But I need you to hide right now! I promise, after this, I will tell you everything! But if Tempest sees you, she will take you and I can’t stand to lose anything else!”

It was only the sheer desperation in Moondancer’s voice that tempered some of Twilight’s anger. It was enough for her fear to take control and compel her to listen. She looked around, saw the supply closet off to the right, and ran for it.

She didn’t close the door all the way, leaving it open a sliver to see outside while she tucked herself behind a tub of cleansing solution and a mop. She could just barely see Moondancer whispering harshly and pointing at someone just out of sight.

“Well, Tempest rarely ever comes to see me in person,” Twilight heard Starlight say.

“That’s not the point!” Moondancer screeched. “I can’t believe you were dumb enough to do something like this!”

The rest of the lab was quiet now. Twilight heard Starlight begin to rebuttal, but the sound of the sliding doors opening put a halt to their conversation.

“Tempest, Lord Tirek. What brings you to my humble lab today?” Starlight asked. Twilight could hear the friendly smile.

“We’re here to check on your progress,” a cold, feminine voice said. It wasn’t Tempest, at least, Twilight was ninety percent certain it wasn’t. “With all the magic I’ve been forcing the Spectacular Seven to produce, I would expect things to be closer to completion.”

“Well, that is true,” Starlight said. “Thanks to the spikes in magic, your body is regenerating at a faster pace. I would say you’re about fifty percent complete. Maybe even fifty-five.”

Even from her hiding place, Twilight could hear a growl.

“As I told Tempest before, these magic spikes are great, but that’s all they are: spikes. We would need a continuous stream of high-caliber magic to regenerate your body at an even faster pace,” Starlight said, the tiniest hint of annoyance peppered into her sweet tone.

There was a soft grunt. “Perhaps it is for the best. My experiment with this generation of ‘heroes’ has yet to bear a decisive answer. But I loathe remaining in this body. How is your other project coming along?”

“The Arcane Access Project is moving along as best as it can with what little information we have.”

Another voice, this time Twilight was sure it was Tempest, said, “Merlin was a fool. Whatever he did with this world’s magic only delayed the inevitable and left the powerless without a way to fight back.”

“And his shade will weep once his plan is rendered naught,” the mysterious woman said. “Do what you must and undo Merlin’s scheme. That just leaves the matter of Adagio Dazzle.”

“I warned you people would take notice of magic flying around,” Moondancer said, irritation layered over exhaustion. “And Adagio is hardly being subtle. Do you know what I had to do to convince the board the gala wasn’t a disaster despite the terrorist plot?”

“I admit, she straddles the line between being a boon and a hindrance. Although…”

There was a pregnant pause. Twilight strained her neck to see what was happening but could still only see Moondancer.

“Perhaps we should lean into Adagio’s megalomaniac escapades,” the woman said thoughtfully.

“You want people to find out about magic?” Moondancer asked.

“They will learn soon enough. What I want is the Rainbow of Light. And Miss Dazzle might be my key to discovering where it is. Stop your fretting, child,” she said, interrupting Moondancer’s objection. “My plan will divert any suspicion off you. By the time anyone makes a connection between the existence of magic and your business, it will matter not.”

Twilight heard the light swish of a cloak. “Come, Tempest. We have other matters to discuss.”

The lab doors opened and slid closed. The silence returned, heavy, even from Twilight’s closet. Moondancer took a step forward and out of Twilight’s view. Then came the sound of hard plastic being smashed underfoot in tandem with a muffled scream.

“A waste of a tablet,” Starlight said.

“Shut up!” Moondancer yelled. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

“Moondancer, I empathize with you, but you need to calm down. This is all temporary. And need I remind you, we have a guest.”

“And that is entirely your fault!” Moondancer took a loud inhale. A few seconds later, she appeared back in Twilight’s line of sight, marching toward the closet door. She pulled it open and Twilight jumped up, knocking over the mop.

Moondancer’s exposed face was red and splotchy, and Twilight saw a tear hanging from her eyelash. Still, she didn’t look at Twilight with the anger she had just heard. There was only pain and sadness. And fear, deep inside her purple eyes.

“Thank you, Twilight,” she said, stepping back so Twilight could exit. “I don’t know what I would do if Tempest found you and…”

A compound of emotions swirled inside Twilight and threatened to prove volatile. Moondancer was concerned for her? After what she had done at the wedding? After watching what Tempest had done to her and only barely intervening? Twilight balled her fists, the only thing stopping her from slapping Moondancer on her good cheek.

“I know you have questions—”

“Only a few dozen!” Twilight snapped. As furious as she was with Moondancer, her eyes turned toward Starlight, and betrayal stung her like a hornet. She didn’t know who to funnel her anger toward first.

Moondancer folded her hands in front of her skirt and bowed. “I promise, we’ll answer any questions you have.” She glared up and over to Starlight. “Won’t we?”

Starlight stepped over, still smiling but having the decency to look sheepish. “I never meant to deceive you, Twilight. I just—”

“Stop!” Twilight held her hand up. She closed her eyes, took a sharp breath, and tried to line up her thoughts. Her multitude of questions overlapped each other, and instead of something insightful, she blurted, “No excuses, no apologies! Just tell me what’s going on!”

After sharing a meaningful look with Starlight, Moondancer spoke first. “Like the irritating doctor said, this lab is a subsidiary of Shade Enterprise. My father had met Starlight before but didn’t take to the idea of studying magic. Why would he? My mother was a witch, and she believed magic wasn’t something you could capture and tame.”

She set her jaw. “But when Tempest stepped in and learned of his connections, she ordered he fund her laboratory.”

“Our goal really is the betterment of humanity,” Starlight said. “We just have to divert our research into one key thing: the resurrection of Tirek.”

“Why?” Twilight shouted. “Why would you want to help him? He’s evil! He wants to destroy the world!”

Starlight rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Is that what they told you? No, Tirek isn’t going to destroy the world—his goals are more benign than that,” she said mockingly. “Tirek is on a crusade to supposedly slay the gods that govern this world. And if he is so bold, replace them.”

Confusion eroded Twilight’s anger. Gods; as in, mystical deities? The pinnacle of fairy tales? And Tirek was on a quest to kill them? She looked to Moondancer. “That’s true? Gods are real?”

“According to him,” Moondancer said. “Even with magic, there are things we cannot definitively prove. I certainly believe there are far greater forces making up the universe than we can comprehend. The fact that magic exists points to that. But…”

She knitted her brow. “He believes in a pantheon of old and blames those gods for the ills of the world. They’ve abandoned humanity according to him. As such, he seeks to usurp them.”

A dozen more questions bloomed in Twilight’s mind. This time, she was able to articulate the topmost one. “Isn’t that worse?”

Starlight shrugged. “That assumes there are gods he can usurp in the first place. Personally, I don’t think there are, and even if there were, I doubt he’ll succeed. If he does, however, I have been promised a great reward. If he really can fulfill that promise, then by all means, I’ll let him raid heaven. It’s the quickest way to get me what I want. If not, then I will find other means. My only job is to make sure that when the time comes, his soul can be placed back in his old body, good as new.”

Twilight’s mind spun faster. Magic was one thing. Gods were another. After another deep breath, she said, “Okay… so gods are real… and Tirek wants to kill them and become one.”

“He seeks the power of the divine. Whether or not he is capable of obtaining that power remains to be seen. At the moment, it’s just the barkings of a tyrannical madman,” Moondancer said in an almost reassuring tone.

“Then why help him?” Twilight asked incredulously. “What is he offering you that’s good enough to even risk something like that?”

Moondancer pressed her lips together and looked at the ground. Starlight, for the first time since Twilight had known her, had a somber frown on her face.

“He promised me my Sunburst,” she said longingly.

“Sunburst?” Twilight asked.

Starlight walked to the nearest desk and sat down in the chair. She rolled it closer, looking suddenly aged and tired. “Sunburst… was my everything. We were just kids when we met. But I quickly learned about the secret he was hiding. He could use magic.”

A dreamy smile crossed Starlight’s face. “When I accidentally found out, he panicked. But I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. After that, we did everything together. I was the only one outside of his family who knew about his gift. I loved to watch him practice and experiment. He could do incredible things.”

The smile slid off her face. “We were together for so long. We even decided to go to the same college. I thought… it’d be the two of us together. But…” She wiped her eyes.

“It was raining. Hard. We still decided to go to our favorite café off-campus after class. I insisted. It was our turn to cross the street. A car was coming up to the light, but he could barely see through his windshield. He tried to slow down but…. Sunburst saw it coming. He pushed me. I only got scrapes and a bruise. He took the full blow. And by the time the ambulance arrived… he was gone.”

Starlight placed her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers, hiding her mouth behind them. “If I had magic… if anyone did back then. Someone could have done something. I could have healed him, changed the weather, foresaw what was going to happen! It’s not fair!”

She jumped up from her chair. “My Sunburst was robbed of his life! And I’m partially to blame…. So I’m going to do whatever it takes to bring him back. And Tirek has provided me with the perfect opportunity. If I can regenerate his body from the rotted bones and hair scraps that Moondancer found in France, then I can heal Sunburst’s body, no problem! Then, all I’ll need is his soul back, and Tirek has promised to fetch it for me!”

Twilight stared, wide-eyed and mouth ajar. Starlight had been a visionary—a genius. Quirky, perhaps, but grounded and intelligent. This, tragic as it was, was the plot of a madwoman.

Starlight caught Twilight’s stare and said, “Judge me all you want, but I ask you this: would you not do something similar for your Sunset?”

“I—” Twilight held her tongue. She would never say yes… but she couldn’t say no either. She had stormed off to fight Adagio alone for what she did to her brother; who could say what she would have done if it had been Sunset. But to put the world at stake? She shook her head and looked from Starlight to Moondancer. “And what did he promise you?”

Moondancer hugged herself, still looking at the floor. “My mother… is alive. Tempest took her soul and held it hostage in exchange for my father’s cooperation. And now she has him too. If I help him, he’ll give them back.”

Twilight’s brain soft rebooted trying to keep up with all the new information being thrown its way. Moondancer’s mother was alive. Her soul taken, yes, but she was alive. So that had been another lie Moondancer had spun her.

“Why didn’t you tell Artemis?”

Moondancer lifted her face. “Because he would try to stop this. And I can’t have him interfere. For both our sakes.”

“You want this to happen?”

“Yes! Tirek has to be resurrected! I need him here in the flesh, and I need my family to not interfere!” Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and scowled. “Right. I have an investors call in an hour, and because my tablet is smashed, I need to run back to the office to get the notes off the computer.”

“You can’t leave!” Twilight said, stamping her foot. “I still have questions!”

“I will give you all the answers you desire, when I have more time. And, I need to show you something, too.” Moondancer grabbed a pen and paper from Starlight’s desk and scribbled something down before folding it up and handing it to Twilight. “Meet me at this address tonight at eight o’clock. Bring no one. And I mean it. Not your friends, not my family, not Sunset. That is my condition, Twilight. I will tell you everything, but only you.”

Without waiting for Twilight’s answer, Moondancer spun away and exited the lab, shoulders raised and tensed the entire time. Twilight looked at the folded paper in her hand, heavy with the weight of Moondancer’s ultimatum. The last time Moondancer had wanted a private conversation, she had knocked Twilight out and taken her to the middle of the forest. She had promised to spill everything then, too, if Twilight could beat her in a duel. Now, it was an open invitation of Twilight’s choosing. All Twilight had to do was swear to secrecy.

She slipped the paper into her pocket. She would decide later. Right now, she had questions for Starlight. The scientist eyed Twilight like she was an interesting experiment.

“There was another woman with Tempest. You called her Lord Tirek, but…”

Starlight looked away, an expression close to pity on her face. “Lord Tirek needed a temporary host while his real body is regenerating. Another experiment in artificially placing souls inside bodies.”

The way Starlight spoke, Twilight could tell there was something more there. She wanted to press, but she had more important questions. “You knew Moondancer… and you mentioned Sunset. So, you knew who I was the entire time.”

Starlight gave an innocent shrug. “I did.”

“Then, all of this was planned.” A hollow void opened in Twilight’s chest. “The competition, the internship…”

“Yes and no,” Starlight said, making a so-so motion with her hand. “We are a legitimate business, Twilight. And I love to nurture young minds and help them on their scientific journey. The competition was real, and so was the internship. No, it wasn’t until I saw your name on the list of entries that I might have… skewed things in your favor. Now, now, don’t look glum. You were in great standing, even without my help. But, Moondancer spoke so highly of you. Always gushing about how smart you were. And I knew you were connected to the rest of those magical little heroines. Twilight, I wanted you for you! I believed you had the knowledge and the experience to help us reach our goals!”

“I am not helping you revive Tirek!” Twilight said firmly. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave right now and tell my friends everything!”

“I can give you a few.” Starlight sat down again, crossing one leg over the other and lacing her fingers together over her knee. “Chiefly, your curiosity. Sure, you could walk out of here right now, and I promise, I won’t stop you. But you want to know what Moondancer’s hiding. You want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes. And if your friends come in and destroy my lab, who knows how far back that will take magical research? And then you’ll always wonder, ‘what if’?”

She leaned forward, her calculating smile returning. “You may not believe it, but I haven’t lied to you, Twilight. Tirek or no Tirek, I want to give magic to humanity! I want to see us ascend to an even higher level of greatness and create a world of equal opportunity and infinite potential! And I know you want the same thing. You’ve seen magic up close. You know what it can do. Imagine unlocking that power for everyone.”

Twilight trembled. Yes, she had seen magic close up. Yes, she wanted to study and be the one to make strides where scarce few had even walked. But she wasn’t about to endanger the world to do it.

“The answer’s no,” Twilight said with a swipe of her hand. “A good scientist sticks to her morals.”

Starlight’s smile fell. She looked at Twilight with an unreadable neutral expression, then dipped her head in a tiny bow. “Very well. Like I said, I won’t stop you.”

Twilight looked around the lab. Everyone else pretended to go about their business, but she saw many of them sneaking peeks at her and Starlight. No one looked hostile though, just curious. Still, Twilight kept her guard up as she turned and walked toward the door.

“It must be hard,” Starlight called, “for your friends to have special powers and you not to. Leaves you feeling unequal to them. It’s a shame that they have abilities you never will. But if you change your mind…”

Twilight kept walking, the offer hovering in the air behind her. The lab doors closed behind her, and she power-walked to the elevator, exhaling a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding when she got inside.

Her friends needed to know what she had learned. If they could shut down this lab, that might stop Tirek for good.

The elevator reached the ground level, and Twilight walked out. Moondancer’s paper rustled in her pocket. Twilight hated to admit it, but Starlight was right about her curiosity in regard to Moondancer. Twilight didn’t know why at this point. Moondancer had lied and schemed and hurt her. By all rights, Twilight should hate her. And after today, maybe part of her did.

But Moondancer was finally offering answers.

Twilight ground her teeth. This was a stupid idea. She had barely survived a one-on-one with Adagio. She was supposed to go with her friends to the revival tonight. Was she really going to skip that and risk a nighttime rendezvous with Moondancer?

The part that didn’t hate her, the piece of Twilight that still wanted to call Moondancer a friend, said yes.

“Fine,” Twilight muttered as she exited the lobby, ignoring Amber’s wave goodbye. “This is it. She’s going to tell me everything, then I’m going to tell the girls everything, and this entire mess will finally be over.”

*******

Sunset slouched across Canterlot Park behind her friends. The setting sun blinked through the tall trees scattered across the lawns, casting splotchy shadows against the orange grass. Five of the Spectacular Seven migrated with a thin crowd toward the bandstand at the center of the park. Rarity had arrived earlier to offer assistance with the setup, and Twilight…

Sunset gripped her phone in her pocket. Twilight had canceled, needing to go check on Shining. She knew she shouldn’t be mad. Shining was in a scary situation; of course Twilight would want to be there for her brother. Yet the more Sunset tried to smother her feelings, the more they tried to bubble to the surface. Her friends had asked if she was okay, and Sunset put on a fake smile and said yes. She was glad they didn’t dig deeper.

She wished they had dug deeper.

“Oooh, popcorn!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Sure enough, as they crested over the last hill, the smell of popcorn rose to meet them. In the field below, a couple of vendors had set up snack stalls behind the rows and rows of chairs leading up to the bandstand. The little gazebo had been modified for the Midsummer Revival. A stage had been erected in front of it, complete with curtains and working lights. Tents had been set up off to the side, for the actors and crew, Sunset guessed.

“Girls, over here!” Rarity waved at them from the audience. They eased down the hill to meet her, Pinkie opting to roll down like a fluffy pink ball.

“Hi, Rarity! How’s Coco doing?” she asked as she popped up an inch from Rarity’s face. She had grass in her hair and green smudges stained on her clothes.

Rarity took a step back. “She’s doing fine, just putting the finishing touches on. She doesn’t even need my help,” she said with a hint of pride.

Fluttershy gently clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to see the outfits you worked on.”

“Thank you, but I was just fulfilling Coco's vision. And I couldn't have done it without Pinkie's help,” Rarity said.

“Don’t forget Sonnie and Ari!”

Rarity nodded appreciatively. “Of course not. Well, the opening act isn’t for another twenty minutes. Do you girls want to get some popcorn before we find seats?”

“You betcha!” Pinkie zipped toward the vendors.

Sunset withheld a sigh and followed behind. Rarity fell in step next to her, giving Sunset a sympathetic smile.

“Is Twilight joining us?”

Sunset shoved her hands into her pockets. “No. Something came up and she went to see Shining in the hospital. She says he’s fine but wanted to be there for him.” It was hard to hide the bitterness in her tone.

“I see.” Rarity inched closer. “Are you two okay?” she asked quietly.

“Of course! We’re fine! Why wouldn’t we be?” Sunset said quickly, feigning a smile. Rarity deflated her with a single look. Sunset stopped and dug the tip of her boot into the grass. “I don’t know.”

Rarity took Sunset by the arm and led her back to the seats. They took the end chairs in an empty row near the front. “Go on, dear. You know I won’t judge.”

Sunset slumped back in her chair. “It’s just… I feel like Twilight and I have barely spent any time with each other in the past month. Between training and fighting monsters, we barely got to hang out. Now, she’s got that stupid internship. You girls go away to college in less than a month now. I just wanna enjoy the time we have left together.”

“Have you told Twilight this?”

“I tried. Back at the beach when we went on the Ferris wheel. I’m starting to think she completely forgot.” Sunset fidgeted, pulling on her fingers. “She’s worrying me. Going after Adagio on her own like that. All these little projects and throwing herself into this internship. She’s still trying to prove something. To me, or herself. Maybe both. I don’t know.”

Rarity pressed her lips together and nodded. “She’s been under a lot of stress lately. While it was incredibly reckless, I can’t say I blame her for trying to fight Adagio alone. And she’s trying to balance all of this magical chaos with college preparation. Believe me, I know how difficult it is. It’s probably more difficult still when you feel like you’re the black sheep of the group.”

“But she’s not!” Sunset said, unsure if she was trying to convince herself, Rarity, or Twilight. “She’s held her own in fights! She decoded Stygian’s journal! She’s just as good as the rest of us!”

“Yes, she is. But she doesn’t see it that way. So she’s doing everything she can to validate herself.” Rarity sighed. “When you measure yourself against other people, it’s easy to come up short.”

Sunset slumped deeper in her chair. “How am I supposed to validate her if she barely spends time with me?”

“Validate her even when she’s not with you.” Rarity placed a hand on Sunset’s knee. “And you’re not going to want to hear this, but she might need time away, not just from you but from all of us. Going to MIT and surrounding herself with peers in things she’s familiar with and excels at will reaffirm her self-worth.”

“But… I mean, yeah, but…”

“And you’ll have more summers together,” Rarity said, a twinkle in her eye. “I know you’ll have plenty more time together.”

Sunset blushed and turned her head in time to see her friends walking toward them with armfuls of popcorn. She took a bag from Pinkie, and everyone took their seats. As her friends chattered, Sunset’s heart sank deeper and deeper into malaise.

Was spending time apart really the solution to spending more time together? It was paradoxical, but Rarity made a sound point. Sunset could only validate Twilight so much. If magic really was making her feel inferior, maybe she needed to be away from magic.

Only the faintest glow of orange remained in the sky when the show began. Every seat in the audience had been filled, and a standing crowd took up space in the back. Miss Charity Kindheart stepped onto the stage with a rousing applause.

“Thank you for coming out tonight everyone,” she said into the microphone. “The Midsummer Revival has been a staple in our community for years and couldn’t be done without your support and the support of all our volunteers.” The crowd applauded again.

“While the future is uncertain, we hope to put on our best show yet for you all. And we have a surprise performance at the end, so I encourage you to stick around after the show. Thank you!” She took a bow and exited the stage as the overhead lights dimmed.

The show started with a comedy sketch that, while Sunset wouldn’t call funny, it at least lifted her spirits. Then, the main show began, a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which quickly sank any jubilation Sunset had. Twilight loved Shakespeare and would have been thrilled to see the stunning costumes that had been designed.

Sunset understood why Rarity had accepted Coco as her apprentice. The gowns were immaculate and vibrant, particularly those of the nobles and fairy folk. Titania’s emerald green gown had vine patterns stitched around the hem and sleeves and glowed under the spotlight. Sunset would have thought Bottom’s donkey head was real if the mouth moved when he spoke. And impressed murmurs came from all around Sunset when Puck’s bedazzled wings actually buzzed as he crossed the stage. Next to her, Rarity remained locked in a state of utter glee the entire play.

For community volunteers, the Method Members were very good. Sunset was reminded of the plays she would attend with Princess Celestia. With magic, the production values had been higher, and the court actors had been practicing their whole lives. But Sunset appreciated and admired what a suburban group could do.

The production followed the written play as closely as Sunset could remember and was rife with humor and exaggerated drama. After a touch of deus ex machina, and Puck’s last speech to the crowd, the curtain fell to uproarious applause. The actors filed out from behind the curtain to take their bow, followed by the production crew. Sunset spotted Coco, looking like she was ready to cry tears of joy.

When all the actors cleared the stage, both the front and back curtains parted, revealing a black piano sitting in the middle of the bandstand. Someone in the back screamed in delight. More followed suit as Coloratura, without her makeup or wig, walked onto the stage.

“Hello, everyone,” she said as the cheering died down. “Most people know I was born in Canterlot. In fact, I grew up just two blocks from here. My parents took me to the Midsummer Revival every year, and I always loved it. I saw people perform plays and sing from their hearts, and I knew I wanted to do the same thing when I grew up. And I have.

“But I’ve been doing it as Countess Coloratura. And while I can never express how grateful I am for all of the countess’s fans around the world, I’ve wanted to do something different for a while now. Tonight, I’m not singing as Countess Coloratura. I’m singing as a girl from Canterlot. I’m singing as Rara, the nickname my best friend gave me.”

Sunset looked down the row and saw a deep blush on Applejack’s face.

Rara took a seat at the piano, took a deep breath, and began to play.

“I'm here to show you who I am,

“Throw off the veil, it's finally time,

“There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa,

“And now I feel my stars align.”

This was far different from Coloratura’s usual upbeat pop. This was soulful. Her eyes were shut as her fingers danced across the keyboard, lost in a world of meaningful passion.

“For I had believed what I was sold,

“I did all the things that I was told,

“But all that has changed, and now I'm bold,

“'Cause I know,”

With tears running down her cheeks, Rara belted, “That I am just a person,

“I make mistakes from time to time!

“But now I know the real me,

“And put my heart out on the line!

“And let the magic in my heart stay true,

“Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!”

The crowd cheered and screamed as Rara poured her soul out. Sunset’s heart stirred from the performance and her eyes welled. She wished Twilight could hear this.

“And let the magic in my heart stay true,

“Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa,

“Just like the magic inside of you!”

Sunset had to plug her ears at the deafening applause that followed. Everyone was up out of their seats, cheering for both Rara and for the Revival to continue for another year.

As the crowd began pushing toward the edge of the stage to get an autograph, Sunset remained seated. She pulled her phone out and tapped a message, hesitating for a moment before hitting send.

‘Wish you were here. Hope you know you’re amazing. Love you.’

*******

Twilight’s anxiety had never consisted of guilt, regret, and nervous anticipation before. It manifested as a constant tremble in her stomach and looking over her shoulder every ten seconds. She had lied to her parents about going to the Midsummer Revival. She had canceled her plans with Sunset and lied to her about going to see Shining in the hospital. She had smuggled her sword out of the house and onto the bus using her brother’s old duffle bag. Now she was wandering the dusk-laden streets in a forgotten corner of downtown, Moondancer’s address in hand.

Her anger flared up constantly. Why was she doing this? She should have been at the park with her friends. Moondancer had already burned her twice before; she didn’t deserve a third chance. And sword or not, Twilight was woefully unprepared if she was walking into a trap.

But she needed to know. Even with her parents’ souls on the line, why would Moondancer go along with an insane scheme like resurrecting a warlock to kill gods?

Starlight’s words echoed in her head. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. But she wasn’t going to turn on her ideals! She was gathering information so she could reveal everything to her friends. That was it.

She checked the map on her phone. Her destination was supposedly just around the corner. She slowed her pace and unzipped the duffle bag, angling the hilt of her sword out so it was within reach. Rounding the corner, she saw a row of dim and flickering lampposts, their circles of light highlighting the gum and dirt-covered cement. Halfway down the block, Twilight could see a solitary figure standing under a dying bulb.

Shoulders squared and eyes set, Twilight marched forward. Moondancer’s features came into focus. She still wore her dress suit, but her hair was down, hiding her face behind her bangs.

She looked over as Twilight approached and gave a tired smile. “You came.”

Twilight dropped her duffle bag, pulled her sword out, unsheathed it, and leveled it at Moondancer, all in one seamless motion. “I know I can’t win. But if you try anything, I will go down fighting.”

Moondancer blinked in surprise, then eased into a smile again. “You’ve grown up so much since we first met. It’s astounding. I wish I could say I had a positive role in that growth but, I know better.

“I know you don’t trust me, and you have no reason to. But these are the truest words I will ever say to you: I never wanted to hurt you. You were the best thing to happen to me since my mother was taken. I enjoyed every moment we spent together. And no matter how much you despise me, I have been and always shall be your friend.”

Twilight scowled and furrowed her brow, trying to read Moondancer’s sincerity. Despite her actions, Twilight wanted to believe Moondancer was a good person deep down. And she had quoted Star Trek, something she knew was near and dear to Twilight. But Moondancer was right, Twilight had no reason to trust her, and she didn’t know if she could ever reciprocate Moondancer’s friendship again.

Lowering a sword only a fraction, Twilight asked, “Why did you bring me here?”

“I needed to show you something.” Moondancer gestured with a hand. “Follow me.”

She turned toward the building they had met in front of, a small, one-story box with peeling green paint and a window so dirty, it was impossible to see out of it. Moondancer pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open with a rusty squeak. She strode into the darkness, Twilight following after, sword still raised.

The interior of the building was bare. Whatever it was supposed to be, there were only dusty countertops and crumpled pieces of paper remaining. On the other side of the room was an empty bookshelf and an electrical panel. Moondancer walked toward the panel, shutting the door behind Twilight with a flick of her hand and locking them in near-total darkness.

Twilight tightened her grip on her schiavona. She heard a card sliding across a panel, and through the gloom, she made out the bookshelf gliding to one side. A moment later, light filled the room as another door opened, revealing the interior of an elevator. Moondancer stepped inside and looked back expectantly.

Twilight knew this was her last chance to back out. She could run right now and probably get away unscathed. She could lead her friends back here to take care of whatever Moondancer was hiding.

But what was she hiding?

Twilight marched forward, never breaking eye contact with Moondancer. She stood against the wall, sword at en garde, her offhand quivering as the doors closed. Moondancer continued to look straight ahead, hands folded behind her back.

“I would never work with Tirek,” she said softly. “Not willingly. I don’t know if I believe in gods, but I know whatever world he seeks to create would be a realm of nightmares. But I need him on this mortal plane so that I may do what my ancestors could not and kill him properly.”

Twilight’s sword hand came down a fraction of an inch. She had never considered death an option. She and her friends always talked about stopping Tirek, either by preventing him from coming back or using the Rainbow of Light.

“The simple fact is that he is a monster, Twilight,” Moondancer said, her voice still soft but with a steely undertone. “He has stolen countless souls, ruined lives, and seeks to disrupt the very fabric of this world. If it were possible to judge him for those crimes, he would be found guilty and doubtlessly be put to death. Since there is no one to judge him, we shall skip that part, and I will take the role of executioner.”

The hairs on the back of Twilight’s neck rose. “But, the Rainbow of Light—”

“Has! Failed!” Moondancer yelled, starling Twilight. “Twice it was used, and twice it failed to end him properly! And that’s even if it still exists in the first place! Whatever happened in the past, it didn’t hold! My ancestors were soft! So I will correct their mistake and kill Tirek with my bare hands if I have to!”

The elevator rattled to a stop and the door opened to reveal a pitch-black room. Moondancer inhaled deeply and ran a hand through her hair. “But, hopefully, I won’t have to.” She stepped into the room and snapped her fingers.

Lights blinded Twilight. When the spots faded from her eyes, she found a circular white space, similar to Starlight’s lab. It was almost empty save for a wide control panel off to one side, with wires trailing out of it and snaking up to a gray metal box in the center of the room. Twilight thought it almost looked like an armoire.

“What is this?” Twilight asked, following Moondancer inside.

“This is the culmination of science and sorcery.” Moondancer walked over to the control panel, reached down, and pulled out the Archon Amulet.

Twilight gasped and took a fighting stance, but Moondancer ignored her. She took several deep breaths before putting the amulet on. Its red jewel flashed, mirroring a gleam in Moondancer’s eyes. She squeezed them shut, raised her hands, and placed them on the console. They glowed with magic, white tinged with red. The glow spread from the console, through the wires, and up to the central container. Moondancer held that position for over a minute before gasping and reeling back. She ripped the amulet off and clutched her chest, gasping for air.

As she slouched over the machine, Twilight finally lowered her sword. “Are you okay?”

Moondancer took a few measured breaths. “I’ll be fine. Thank you though.” She pressed a button, then pointed to the armoire.

Twilight followed her finger and watched as the front of the metal box slid down into the floor with a low hiss. Hanging inside was a bulky, cybernetic set of what appeared to be armor. It was deep blue, almost black with open patches that showed off its internal wiring. It was simple in design with no engravings or accessories. The gauntlets extended past the elbows and ended in sharp points, as did the crown on the open-faced helmet. The chest plate was the most intricately designed, reinforced with several folds of thin metal layered down the torso. The cables running from Moondancer’s console ran up through the box and attached to the armor in several spots, still glowing with Moondancer’s magic.

It was something, to say the least. But looking from it to Moondancer, the armor looked like it was meant to fit someone twice her size.

“You’re pouring magic into this,” Twilight said, still examining the finer details. “Why?”

“Because my magic alone is not enough.” Moondancer regained her composure and joined Twilight in front of the suit of armor. “Tirek will be powerful when he regains his body. I need something that will match him in a fair fight. With Starlight’s help, we created an experimental weapon that can accumulate magic.”

“Like the Staff of Sanacas?”

“Similar, but not quite as refined. For one, the staff drains magic and can then redirect it. It copies whatever magic it absorbed. This is fueled by and runs on magic. This suit is meant to enhance the wearer’s physical and magical capabilities. The more magic we can funnel into it, the stronger it will become.” Moondancer looked at it with reverence. “The solution to the problem that is Tirek. Magical means failed in the past, and he is far stronger than any normal human. But if we combine the magical knowledge of the ancient world with the scientific innovations of the modern era… we create something he’ll never see coming. A gift to save the world from his evil. My Deus Ex Machina.”

Twilight sheathed her sword and crossed her arms, scrutinizing the armor. It was incomplete, but even if it could fully function, Twilight doubted how it would hold up if Tirek was as powerful as everyone feared. “Do you really think this will work?”

“It has to,” Moondancer said firmly. “It’s all we’ve got.”

Twilight weighed her options. Moondancer was being truthful to her, but that didn’t mean Twilight had to reciprocate. Still, if Moondancer wanted to go along with this crazy scheme, she deserved to know the alternative. “The Rainbow of Light is real. Artemis found it. Sort of… we need keys to open it, but we already found one!”

Moondancer clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. “All the more reason to use this instead.”

“But, Moondancer—”

“The Rainbow of Light doesn’t kill! It purifies or imprisons or banishes! It delays the problem and passes it on to someone else! My family is so obsessed with that trinket; they think it’s the only way to beat Tirek. But he needs to die a mortal death! He needs to be stopped so that no one in the future has to deal with him. So that some other little girl doesn’t have to suffer.”

Her voice faded. Twilight considered her assertion. Moondancer was right to an extent: how ever Megan and Merlin had wielded the Rainbow of Light in the past only led to stalling Tirek out to become her generation’s problem. Merlin had taken it a step further and sealed away all magic to make sure there wouldn’t be any other Tireks again.

But Twilight wasn’t comfortable with the idea of Moondancer fighting and, in the best-case scenario, killing Tirek. She had done a lot of things, but Twilight couldn’t see her as a murderer, justified or not.

Moondancer tilted her head toward Twilight. “You disagree.”

“I just… never considered death as an option. We don’t know how the Rainbow of Light works. Maybe there is a way to permanently put Tirek somewhere.”

“I’m not taking that chance. I won’t leave the future of the world up to fate.” She turned to fully face Twilight. “And you realize that if you were to utilize the Rainbow of Light, that would mean your friends would have to fight him. Are you okay with watching that bout?”

“Of course not,” Twilight said, dreading to imagine how that fight could go. “But I don’t like the thought of you or any of my friends killing someone!”

Moondancer smiled softly. “You’re sweet. But I already have plenty of sins on my hands. I’m fine with adding one more.”

Twilight huffed. “Fine. But, how do you know this will work?”

“I don’t. It’s still incomplete and needs a great deal more magic before I’m confident. But if Starlight’s Arcane Access Project comes to fruition—if this world’s magic can be restored—I might stand a chance.”

Twilight connected the dots. “If there’s more magic in the world, you have more to draw on and feed to the armor. Which is why you’re using the Archon Amulet; to bolster your magic.”

Moondancer nodded. “It’s not particularly powerful on its own. I told you the truth all those months ago: I struggled to unlock my family’s magic. For my mother and my cousins, it’s in their blood. For me, I have to pull it from the world.”

“But, if Starlight does restore this world’s magic, wouldn’t that make Tirek stronger too?”

Moondancer winced. “There… is that possibility. But Tirek relies more on the souls he’s accumulated in his cursed amulet. And I plan on striking the moment he is revived. I won’t give him the chance to get stronger.”

Twilight frowned in confusion. “But didn’t Starlight say—”

“My advanced apologies to Starlight, but she’s crazy to even think I would let Tirek get as far as knocking on heaven’s door. She’ll be upset, but she said it herself: she’ll find another way to bring back her precious Sunburst.”

They lapsed into silence. Twilight stared at the armor again, her head swimming with information. Moondancer, Starlight, Tirek. All of them had their own agenda, and none of them were loyal to one another. Twilight wondered how this dysfunctional group managed to get this far.

“How does Tempest fit into this?” Twilight wondered aloud.

A shadow fell over Moondancer’s face. “She actually believes in Tirek’s insanity. She was born sickly in a poor country and lived in poverty her entire life. She managed to claw her way to college and become an archeologist and found Tirek’s Soul Lock on an expedition. He promised her health and power. She’s been his dogmatic lieutenant ever since.”

Moondancer covered the good side of her face and tilted her head toward the ceiling. “For the past decade, she’s made my life a living nightmare. I had to do what she said. And for a long time, that was simply ‘stay out of the way. Don’t be seen or heard.’ She threatened me, abused me, held my life in the palm of her hand. All because I had everything she never did.”

She lifted her hand above her head and curled her fingers. “And I can’t wait to rip—“ She threw her arm down “—everything away from her! When Tirek is gone and all the souls are free, she’ll have no power. None for herself, and none over me.”

Twilight watched Moondancer wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. A single conversation wouldn’t undo all the things her old friend had done. But now, most of them made sense. Moondancer was no more a pawn in Tirek’s game than the rest of her friends. And with how things stood, if Moondancer was telling the absolute truth, this game had two endings. A: Twilight and her friends stop Tirek before he’s resurrected. But that meant fighting Moondancer, as she was hellbent on seeing him revived so he could die properly. And if they did stop him prematurely, that opened up the possibility of this happening again in the future. Or B: Tirek was revived, and someone would have to fight him, be it Moondancer with her armor or the Spectacular Seven with the Rainbow of Light. And again, if the Rainbow was used and Tirek wasn’t killed, he could come back somewhere in the future.

With all their powers and all their training, could her friends stand up to a man who wanted to conquer gods? And that was if they really could unseal the Rainbow of Light. No matter what path they chose, the fate of the world was left up to a gamble.

“Twilight,” Moondancer said softly, still averting her gaze. “I never wanted you to be a part of this. I hoped beyond hope that you would remain blissfully unaware, and that you would just be my dear friend who I could go to school with. Maybe more.” She folded her hands over her heart. “Yes, definitely more. But that’s all gone now. I only ask that you don’t interfere with my plan. Prepare however you must, but do not tell your friends or my family about any of this. That is the last, selfish thing I will ever ask of you.”

Twilight’s sword hand drifted to her pommel and she gripped it tight. She hated lying. She hated keeping secrets. She already had enough to keep from her parents, now she had to lie to her friends too? But Moondancer was right; if Twilight told her friends what she knew, they would storm here and Starlight’s lab to put an end to this. And the more Twilight thought about it, the more Moondancer made sense. If there was even a chance that her friends didn’t have to fight Tirek, Twilight would take it.

And if she could be the reason they didn’t have to fight…

“I’ll help you,” Twilight said firmly.

Moondancer turned her whole body toward Twilight. “I… beg your pardon?”

“I’m going to help you finish this Deus Ex Machina, and I’m going to help Starlight with the Arcane Access Project. I know what happened to this world’s magic. If we can bring it back, not only can you finish powering this, my friends will get a magic boost as well. And everyone will have access to magic again. The entire world could change for the better.”

Moondancer’s eyes fluctuated between joy and concern. “Are… are you sure, Twilight?”

“I’m already involved. Nothing can change that now.”

Eyes landing on joy, Moondancer made a small hop of excitement. “Oh, Twilight! I can’t believe it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She held her arms out, but Twilight stepped back and put her hand up.

“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this so my friends might not have to fight.” She allowed an edge to her voice. “But if you give me any reason to suspect you have an ulterior motive—anything to make me think this is another lie, I will tell them everything. I barely trust you, Moondancer.”

It was brief, but Twilight saw a flash of pain across Moondancer’s face and thought perhaps her threat had been unwarranted. Moondancer dropped her arms and looked at the floor. “Of course. Naturally.”

She squared her shoulders and looked up again. “Still, I deeply appreciate the help. With your incredible intellect, I’m sure we can make this even better than what I envisioned. And I’m sure Starlight will be delighted to keep you on.”

Twilight checked her phone. It was almost ten o’clock. “I need to get home.”

“Yes, it’s rather late isn’t it.” Moondancer walked toward the elevator, shoulders slouched. “Come, I’ll walk you out.”

Twilight followed after her, still looking at her phone. Sunset had sent a message an hour ago. ‘Wish you were here. Hope you know you’re amazing. Love you.’

A pang of guilt struck Twilight’s heart. I love you, too. That’s why I’m doing this.

Twilight remembered their ski trip so long ago. On the mountain, Sunset had asked if she had any dark secrets to share since Sunset had already spilled most of hers. Twilight said she hadn’t.

She supposed she had one now.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Summer Break-Down

This is a chapter that I have been waiting years for. Things changed, plans shifted. But it's finally here. The first of the dominoes.

It's also the longest chapter I've ever written! But I didn't want to break this up. Really wasn't a great place to break it up anyway.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment! Please add to the TVTropes See ya later!

This action will have consequences...

17. In All But Name

It was another slow and quiet day around the Lulamoon household. Everyone had come downstairs for a hearty breakfast cooked up by Selena with Sunset assisting. She provided further assistance by cleaning up the dishes and helping to weed the garden.

It was noon when Sunset finished washing up and laid down on her bed. Spot climbed onto her stomach and laid down, panting as the summer sun warmed Sunset’s room. She picked up her headphones, preparing to kill a few hours with music when her door burst open.

“Trixie demands your presence at once!” Trixie stood in the doorway, an unseen wind tousling her hair.

Sunset raised her head and looked over. “Why and for what?”

Trixie marched into the room and loomed over Sunset. “Whenever we’re not training, you’ve been moping around. Trixie is sick of it. You’re becoming too much like Shimmer. So, Trixie has decided to give you the honor of accompanying her to the county fair today! You can thank Trixie later.”

“None of your friends wanted to go, did they?”

“Shut up; Trixie is trying to be nice!”

Sunset looked up at the ceiling. She was trying to take Rarity’s advice and give Twilight her space, a feat that proved easier said than done. After Twilight had missed the revival two days ago, Sunset had wanted to do something together today to make up for it.

But, again, Twilight was busy. She had at least sounded genuinely apologetic when she had turned Sunset down earlier that morning. It still sent Sunset’s spirits to rock bottom, and an outing with Trixie didn’t sound like the kind of morale booster she needed right now.

“Sorry, Trix. Maybe later.”

“Trixie wasn’t asking,” she said, hands on her hips and exuding an aura reminiscent of Selena’s. “You’re coming with me. So put on a smile and some sunscreen, and meet Trixie downstairs in ten minutes. Or Trixie will drag you out with magic.”

Sunset was going to challenge her to try it, but Trixie had already stomped out of the room and shut the door. The rebellious spirit in Sunset was tempted to stay put and see if Trixie would make good on her threat, but her stuffy room manifested a trickle of sweat down her forehead.

She groaned petulantly. “Fine, I’ll spend time with Trixie. But you’re coming too,” she said to Spot.

He woofed once and wagged his tail.

Sunset slipped on her boots and vest, leashed up Spot, and headed downstairs. Trixie waited in the living room, car keys floating over her palm.

“You made the correct choice,” she said, smirking.

Sunset didn’t engage her. The two girls and Spot headed out the door and piled into Trixie’s smiling blue buggy. Trixie checked herself in the mirror and turned the radio on before pulling out of the driveway and onto the road. Sunset let Spot stick his head out the window. It was a rare treat for him, and his tail wagged so hard, Sunset thought it might fall off.

“Sooo, we have a county fair?” Sunset asked as they exited onto the highway.

“Of course we do!” Trixie said with a snort. “It’s only one of the biggest events of the summer! Have you been hiding under a rock your entire time in this world?”

“No, I was hiding in a factory,” Sunset snarked. She was sure she vaguely remembered talk of a county fair in the lead-up to summer breaks in the past. But a ‘county’ fair brought to mind haybales, cheap rides, and sad clowns. Sunset had immediately discarded the idea of ever attending. Even now, it sounded like today would be a drawn-out experience.

Of course, she had had similar misgivings about the street fair she had attended last fall. She had been correct, but granted, she had been dragged there against her will, and she hadn’t exactly been in a great state of mind.

Déja vu. Okay, try to be positive. Be open-minded; try to enjoy a new experience. And have fun… with Trixie. Harder, but possible.

The highway took them west, past the junkyard and beyond the city limits. Short hills rolled around them, their grass yellow from the summer heat. Trixie blasted the AC, negated by Spot’s open window, though she nor Sunset had the heart to pull him away.

The hills leveled out and the fairgrounds came into view. There was a smattering of colorful tents and small buildings with a Ferris wheel, a tilt-a-whirl, and a roller coaster looming in the background. It was more impressive than what Sunset had pictured in her head, but it didn’t shake the idea of cheap entertainment and cheap food.

They found a spot to park in the dirt parking lot and stepped out into the hot summer air. Sunset wrinkled her nose at the smell of fried meat while Spot eagerly pulled on his leash, his tail a blur.

Trixie stretched her arms over her head. “Ahh, a perfect day for the fair! Trixie hopes there’s a street magician today so she can show up to prove their inferiority.”

“I’m surprised you or your dad didn’t volunteer to perform here,” Sunset said, pulling Spot away from a melting ice cream cone.

“We were a little too busy globe-trotting for an ancient family heirloom to sign up,” Trixie said with no small hint of pride.

Thankfully, the line for tickets had an awning to provide shade. Sunset had built up sweat on her forehead just from the walk over. Unfortunately, the fairground itself was covered in black pavement that absorbed and radiated the sun’s heat.

I have fire powers. Shouldn’t I be immune to heat? Sunset complained to herself.

“So, where should we start?” Trixie asked, looking at the map she had been provided. “Trixie thinks we should eat first, then walk around, and save the rides for last.”

“Sure, it’s your call,” Sunset said lazily.

Trixie folded the map up and shoved it into her pocket. “Could you at least pretend you’re trying to have fun?”

“Gosh and golly, Trix! I’m just like so totes excited to be at the fair!” Sunset said, using her best valley girl imitation and skipping in place.

Trixie leaned back. “Please never do that again.”

“It’s one or the other, Trixie. Pick one,” Sunset said, listless again.

“Ugh!” Trixie rolled her eyes and walked off.

Sunset allowed herself a small, amused smile and followed after Trixie, pulling Spot along.

*******

Rarity heard the bell over the shop door ring and leaped out of her chair. She ran out of the back room and found Coco standing in the middle of the lobby with a paper bag in hand.

“Coco, darling!” Rarity wrapped her in a tight hug. “Allow me to congratulate you again!”

Coco leaned into the hug. “Thank you, Miss Rarity. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

Rarity pulled away but kept her hands on Coco’s shoulders. “So, has there been any word yet? Tell me everything!”

“Nothing’s official yet,” Coco said, “but the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone is saying it was the best revival they had ever seen! And not just Coloratura’s performance; the entire show! But ‘Rara’ is trending on social media now. Everyone wants to see more of her acoustic performances.”

Rarity clapped her hands and bounced up and down. “Oh, I know! Applejack called me and told me the good news earlier! I’m so glad everything was a hit success!”

“Me too. I really couldn’t have done my part without you, so thank you, thank you, Miss Rarity!” Coco gushed, bowing her head.

“Stop thanking me, darling. They were your designs. And speaking of, I saw a few more in there that I would love to help bring to life.”

Coco clasped her hands together, stars in her eyes. “I would love that, Miss Rarity!”

“Excellent. And then, we can go over some of the finer details on how to run the store. I’ll make sure you have everything you need to take care of Carousel Boutique when I depart.” Rarity turned for the back room, but Coco cleared her throat and held out the paper bag she had brought.

“Umm, I want you to have this, Miss Rarity. I know you said stop thanking you, but, let me say thank you one more time.”

Rarity gave her a guilty smile. “Sweetness, the reason I had to do what I did was to make up for what I didn’t do.”

“Well…” Coco gave her a devious smile. “If you did do what you were supposed to do in the first place, I would still be thanking you for helping me do it. So, here.”

Rarity gave an overdramatic sigh. “Very well, if you insist.” She took the bag, reached inside, and pulled out a vaguely familiar red beret. It was hand-sewn from incredibly soft wool and had a cursive R stitched on the side.

“I based it off my Yarn-Off design, but I thought red would be a better color for you. And I know it gets colder up north, so—”

Rarity flung her arms around Coco. “I love it. And I will cherish it always.”

When they pulled apart, both girls had to wipe tears from their eyes. Rarity’s heart felt fit to burst, a feeling usually reserved for when she was sharing a moment with her friends. She held the beret up to admire it further, and under the fluorescent store lights, thought she saw the entire thing glimmer in a rainbow hue.

No… that hadn’t been an illusion. Rarity saw that! The image replayed in her mind: six vibrant colors that flowed over the beret before vanishing.

She looked at the ceiling and then to the window. There was nothing here that could have caused that illusion, and unless Coco was secretly magic, Rarity doubted it was her doing.

“What’s wrong, Miss Rarity?” Coco asked.

“Um, nothing,” Rarity said, still appraising the beret. “I’m just touched you would make this nice a gift for me.”

“It’s the least I could do after the generosity you’ve shown me.”

Rarity smiled absently. Generosity? Only after I took advantage of her. But I suppose it was a lesson learned. Eyes still on her new hat, she turned for the back room again. “Come now, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Coco gave an eager squee and followed after her, skipping toward the sewing machine.

Rarity took a seat at her desk. She gave the hat one more squint, then set it on her head. Nothing happened. Had she really just imagined it? She hadn’t imagined the deep warmth that had accompanied it.

Rarity furrowed her brow as something tickled the back of her neck. Magic was afoot. It wasn’t sinister; she was certain of that. She wished she could ask Sunset or Twilight for their opinion, though they could have easily dismissed it as a trick of the light.

Just as Rarity was about to put the whole thing out of her head, something Twilight said pushed to the front of her thoughts; something about pure hearts understanding the virtues of the world.

Pinkie got her key after helping Sonata truly reform; by being a genuine friend to her. She gave Pinkie her wristband. What if…

Rarity took the beret off her head and peered at it again. Was she being presumptuous? She had sacrificed her dream and helped make Coco’s come true. In turn, she had been gifted a beautiful beret that she swore shone in a rainbow hue.

Was she holding a key to the Rainbow of Light?

She jumped out of her seat. Was that the secret of their keys; helping others and discovering something about their harmonic alignment? If that was the case, she needed to get this to the chest! She needed to tell her friends!

“Oh, Miss Rarity, while you’re up, could you get me the roll of periwinkle, please?”

Rarity’s adrenaline slowed. She looked at Coco, measuring a roll of fabric with a smile. How many times had Rarity run out on Coco for some magic-related shenanigan?

Too many, she thought. Rarity tucked the beret onto her head and walked to the fabric closet. “Of course, Coco, one second.”

The secrets of magic could wait a little while longer. Rarity had more important things to do.

*******

Sunset didn’t hate fried food. French fries were delicious, and there were too many nights to count when she missed deep-fried hay from her Canterlot. But, watching food stall operators smother everything from hot dogs to ice cream in thick batter and drown it in bubbling oil made her sick.

She could barely hide her disgust as she watched Trixie bite into a square of deep-fried butter. “Why?” was all Sunset could ask.

“To your unrefined palate, it may look disgusting, but it tastes like French toast.”

“I’m just gonna take your word for it.”

Spot made a whine of desire, but if a dog from Equestria couldn’t eat deep-fried butter, she wasn’t about to find out if an Earth dog could.

The main concourse of the fair had food stalls aplenty. Mixed in with the cacophony of the crowd were the snaps and crackles of fryers and popcorn machines. Kids walked by them with bundles of cotton candy and fried foods similar to Trixie’s, usually on a stick.

Just beyond the food were rows of game booths that instantly reminded Sunset of the street fair from last year. Tests of strength, ring toss, knock the bottles down, water guns, and a dozen more, only of higher quality and with better prizes.

Trixie finished her snack and tossed the trash into the nearest waste bin before rubbing her hands together. “Now, which game should Trixie conquer first?”

Sunset gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Ugh, you’re boring,” Trixie bemoaned. “Trixie almost wishes you would go back to pretending you were having fun.”

“Wow, Trix! All these games just look uber fun! I totes can’t decide which to play first!” Sunset pressed her hands against her cheeks. “Oooh, the balloon-popping game has a stuffed bear for a prize! But, gasp, the ring toss has a giant parrot! It’s just so hard to decide with how fantastical everything is!”

“Alright, alright!” Trixie stuck her tongue out. “That’s enough.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t have the energy to keep that up.”

“Then the least you can do is cheer Trixie on while she wins some prizes.” Trixie strutted to the balloon-popping game and handed the stall owner a ticket. He handed her three darts in return.

“Prepare to be amazed!” Trixie said, cocking her arm back. She flung her first dart and succeeded in landing in the mesh right between two balloons.

“Yeah, I’m certainly amazed,” Sunset said snidely. She had stooped down to give Spot water and ear scritches.

Trixie growled. “Trixie was just warming up.” She picked up the dart and took aim, pressing her tongue between her lips. She flicked her wrist forward and the dart sailed and popped a yellow balloon. Spot barked at the sudden sound.

“Haha! In your face!” Trixie cheered, pointing a finger down dangerously close to Sunset’s nose.

Sunset pushed her hand away. “It’s one dart. Calm down.”

Trixie scrunched her nose and turned to finish her game, popping the last balloon. Her prize was a fidget spinner. She spun it on her thumb, then when no one was looking, floated it over her palm.

Sunset arched an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you use magic to win the game?”

Trixie scoffed. “And ruin the challenge? Hardly sportsmanlike.”

“Since when did you care about being sportsmanlike?”

“It’s a silly game.” Trixie spun the toy faster. “Trixie isn’t going to waste magic on it.”

“Whatever.” Sunset heard Trixie’s exasperated sigh and gave a guilty puff of her own. She knew she was being crotchety, but she wasn’t in the mood to play and socialize. Her thoughts were still on Twilight. While she appreciated Trixie’s gesture, Sunset would have rathered Twilight’s company.

Her hand reflexively went to her pocket and pulled out her phone. No new messages.

Trixie led them to the next game: knock down the bottles. As she was handed a baseball, Sunset remembered her outing to the street fair again, and how she had won that stuffed unicorn sitting at home. It hadn’t talked to her in a while. Hopefully, a good sign for her psyche.

With her first throw, Trixie could only knock the top bottle down. In her defense, Sunset thought the bottles looked far sturdier than the ones at the street booth. Trying again, Trixie managed to get the remaining two.

“Haha! Another prize for Trixie!” She selected a metal slinky, then held the last ball out to Sunset. “Come on, it won’t kill you.”

Sunset huffed and took it, for nostalgia’s sake more than anything. She took a quick aim and threw with all her might, surprising herself when she knocked two bottles down.

“Congratulations, miss,” the booth owner said. “You can pick any prize from the second shelf.”

Sunset looked over at the prize selection. Spider rings, stickers, figurines, and small stuffed animals. She pointed to a spotted yellow gecko. “I’ll take that one I guess.”

He scooped it up and handed it over. The gecko fit squarely in Sunset’s palm and had an easy-going smile. It was actually cute if Sunset was honest.

“What do you think?” Sunset asked. Trixie opened her mouth to respond, but Sunset knelt and held the gecko out to Spot. He sniffed it and gave an affirming tail wag.

“Guess he can stay then,” Sunset said, amused by Trixie’s indignant cheek puffing. She gave it a little pet on the head. She would have to come up with a name for him later. “But if you start talking, we’re gonna have problems.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Sunset said as she pocketed her stuffed gecko.

They continued down the rows of games, Trixie expanding her prize collection with each victory. She offered Sunset several more opportunities to take a turn, but Sunset turned her down. None of the other fair prizes looked good, and she was fine with just her new gecko.

As they walked, Sunset swore she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, but every time she looked, her notifications were empty. Sunset growled to herself and wiped away a layer of sweat off her forehead. If she was going to be miserable about Twilight, she’d have preferred to do it in a place with air conditioning.

“Put your phone away and watch Trixie,” Trixie said as she was handed a mallet. They had reached the test of strength game, the last challenge for Trixie to conquer. Sunset couldn’t understand how she exerted so much energy in this heat.

Trixie lifted the mallet over her head and slammed it down on the see-saw. The bar flew halfway up the poll before dropping like a stone.

“See?” Trixie panted. “Great and powerful!” She picked an inflatable toy mallet for her prize and waved it in front of Sunset’s face.

Sunset slapped it away, but Trixie followed up with the real one. “Your turn.”

“Trixie I don’t want to—”

“Just try it,” Trixie snapped, shoving the hammer into Sunset’s hands and taking Spot’s leash.

She scowled but accepted it and stepped up to the see-saw. Channeling her frustrations, she heaved the surprisingly heavy mallet up and brought it down with all the force she could muster. The bar flew up and hit the bell with a soft ding!

“Winner!” the stand operator cried. From a bin behind the strength test, he pulled out a painted, wooden replica of Thor’s hammer.

“Lucky,” Trixie said enviously.

“Here, take it,” Sunset said, passing it off. While it was cool, she didn’t trust herself not to abuse a giant wooden mallet.

Trixie took it but clicked her tongue. “How is this not exciting to you?”

Sunset took Spot back and walked away, looking for an unoccupied table under one of the awnings scattered about. “Because it’s just a toy.”

“No, I mean with all of this?” Trixie asked, stomping after her. “You’ve been anti-fun since we got here.”

Sunset turned around. “Yeah, because it’s hot, it smells terrible, and I’m bored.”

Trixie waved Thor’s hammer. “Trixie has been trying to get you to play some games!”

“I don’t want to play any of these games!” Sunset shouted, shoulders tensing. “They’re cheap entertainment with cheap prizes!”

“Uughh! If you’re going to be this much of a grouch, maybe we should just go home!”

“Fine, sounds good!” Sunset threw her arms up. “I don’t even know why you dragged me out here!”

Trixie dropped the hammer and shouted, “Because Trixie wanted to have fun with her sister!”

Sunset’s shoulders relaxed and she dropped her arms. She stared at Trixie who looked just as shocked as Sunset felt. “Your… what?”

“You heard me!” Trixie blurted again, then turned away from Sunset, cheeks pink. “You’re the annoying sister Trixie…I never had. I hated you at first. But then I got used to you living with us. And it actually became fun. And… you helped save my dad. And with summer coming to an end, I realized I’m going to miss you. So, excuse me for trying to spend a little time with you before I leave. I was hoping this would cheer you up and make some fun and happy memories while we still have the chance.”

Sunset reached up and touched the necklace Trixie had gotten her for Christmas last year. It was patterned like her cutie mark and gleamed in the sunlight. It was one of the nicest gifts anyone had ever gotten her. And here Trixie was, trying to be nice again while Sunset was acting… like her old self.

“I’m sorry, Trix,” Sunset said, stepping closer. “I’m just worried about Twilight and irritated that I haven’t spent any time with her, I kinda forgot about spending time with anyone else. And, I never knew that’s how you felt about me.”

“It’s a surprise to me too,” Trixie said, still giving Sunset the cold shoulder, “that I would get attached to you of all people. But you clearly don’t feel the same.”

Sunset rested a hand on Trixie’s shoulder. “That’s not true! I honestly just never thought about it. I’d always had a strained relationship with my family. My parents worked so hard, I barely got to spend any time with them. And the pony who I would consider a second mother, I stabbed in the back. I’m not good at this family thing—I just figured out friendship.”

She moved her hand back to her necklace. “But, I’m touched if you really think of me as a sister.”

Trixie looked over her shoulder, though her bangs covered most of her face. “Moondancer and I used to be close. She would come over all the time. When her mom passed away, she slowly faded from our lives. I missed having someone else like that around. Even if you’re far more annoying than Moondancer was.”

“Hey, I’m not an egotistical diva! No offense.” Sunset paused. “Actually, never mind, offense meant.”

Trixie held a hand to her mouth and snickered. “I shouldn’t be laughing. I do miss her a lot. But… I’ve grown annoyingly fond of you, too.”

Sunset smiled softly. “Sorry I’ve been a pain today. But, hey, that’s what sisters do sometimes, right?”

Turning to face Sunset, Trixie rolled her eyes but smiled back. “Just don’t make a habit of it.” Her smile wilted and she looked at the ground. “We can go home if you want though.”

Taking a deep breath, Sunset shook her head. “No, you brought me out here to have fun. I haven’t exactly been trying, so let’s enjoy the rest of the day.”

Trixie brightened. “Good. Because Trixie is determined to ride every ride here!” She picked up Thor’s hammer and pointed toward the roller coaster. “Let us be off!”

“You got it, Sis.”

“You can just keep referring to Trixie as Trixie.”

*******

Fluttershy bent her knees and set the large bag of dog food down in front of the next row of kennels. She took a shovel, scooped a large helping of kibbles, and poured it into the first bowl before moving on to the next. All the animals were out in the yard, leaving the inner enclosure quiet, so Fluttershy hummed a light tune to herself.

She was going to miss this; being around animals so often, playing, feeding, even cleaning up after them. She knew Ms. Tenderheart and the other volunteers would be fine, but Fluttershy, being the mother hen she was couldn’t help but worry. She would need to leave a detailed list of every animal's specific needs and habits she had picked up on. But what about any new animals that came in? Ms. Tenderheart was good, but she was so often busy with paperwork and medicine. Fluttershy wished she had a professional assistant like Rarity did.

Ding!

Fluttershy paused her food refilling and jumped to her feet. Someone was at the front counter! “I’ll get it!” she called out to no one in particular. She jogged out to the lobby, her heart somersaulting upon entering.

Moondancer stood at the front counter wearing a knee-length purple day dress and black stockings. She shuffled in place and looked at the ground when Fluttershy walked in. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat. “G-good day, Fluttershy.”

“Um, hi,” Fluttershy squeaked. “H-how are you doing?”

“I’m… you know…”

Fluttershy honestly had no idea, but just nodded politely. “That’s… good. Wh-what brings you here? Um, sorry! I-I mean, welcome to the Canterlot Animal Shelter and Rescue Center! How can I help you today?”

Moondancer looked up and smiled. Her cheek was red. “I, um, I just came here to make sure that you received the charity auction check.”

Fluttershy almost skipped in place. “Yes, we did! Thank you so much, Moondancer! We had a leak in the back that we were so worried about paying for! But now, we can cover that and afford more medicine for our sicker animals.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear!” Moondancer clapped her hands. “I’m glad I could help out.”

Her shoulders dropped and her happy smile turned wistful. “I actually made a difference… that’s nice,” she said softly.

Fluttershy walked around the counter, heart beating faster as she got closer. “Of course you did. I can’t thank you enough.”

“It was my pleasure,” Moondancer said, some of her vigor returning. “I do love animals, and I have nothing but admiration for you taking care of the ones that were lost or abandoned.”

Fluttershy sighed, exhaling some of her vigor. “I wish it didn’t happen, but I’m glad I can be here to help. It’s going to be hard to move on at the end of the month.”

Moondancer looked around and tilted her ear toward the door to the back. “You’re not the only person who volunteers, right?”

“No, of course not!” Fluttershy pulled on her fingers. “I mean, sometimes. I’m the most consistent volunteer. But, during the summer, plenty of people come by to help! It’s just… during the fall when school starts, people get busy… and we don’t have enough money to pay people for very long…”

“I see.” Moondancer pursed her lips in thought, then pulled her phone out and began tapping away. “Well, what if I set up a stipend for the shelter to be allocated for labor costs? That way, your employer can afford full-time workers. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

Fluttershy stared, open-mouthed until her lungs reminded her she needed to breathe. “Y-you would do that?”

“Of course.” Moondancer looked up from her phone. “Only with permission. And there would be no strings attached. Just keep doing—oof!”

Fluttershy tackled Moondancer in a hug, squeezing her as tight as possible. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for us! And that’s after you already donated! Thank you, Moondancer!”

“You’re welcome,” Moondancer said in a higher-pitched voice.

Strands of Moondancer’s hair tickled Fluttershy’s nose. She smelled of hibiscus and roses. With a small yelp, Fluttershy realized what she was doing and jumped back, face burning. “Sorry!”

Moondancer smoothed out her dress, her face red as well. “That’s quite alright. Um, if that is settled, I should be going. I didn’t mean to stay as long as I have.”

“Oh no, you’re not overstaying your welcome at all! Please, stay as long as you like! I love the company!” The words were a waterfall out of Fluttershy’s mouth. She had to clap a hand over it to keep herself from babbling more.

Moondancer made a soft, throaty giggle. “I’m afraid I have other business to attend to. And I’m sure you have duties as well.” She crossed one hand over her heart and bowed. “It was lovely to see you, Fluttershy. I will have someone contact you when the annuity fund is finalized.”

She turned to go, triggering the rush of remaining words building up behind Fluttershy’s hand. Feeling the surge of bravery she had experienced at the gala, Fluttershy moved her hand and blurted, “Would you like to get some tea with me?”

The silence couldn’t have lasted more than three seconds, but it dragged on for an eternity. Moondancer turned around, her fully visible eye wide. “Um…” She cleared her throat, but when she spoke again, her voice was still shaky.

“That’s very kind of you, Fluttershy. Unfortunately, I will be busy for the foreseeable future.” Before Fluttershy’s spirits could crash, Moondancer met her eyes. “But… perhaps… before you head off for college I could squeeze in a tea date with you.”

Fluttershy’s heart crawled up to her throat. “That would be nice,” she said in her mousiest voice by far.

“Then it’s a date.” Moondancer smiled and twiddled her finders before exiting the shelter.

It was only after the door closed did Fluttershy remember to breathe again. She couldn’t believe it. She had asked a girl out! She had asked Moondancer out! And she had said yes!

Fluttershy gave a high-pitched, nervous laugh. She could not tell Rainbow. Or Sunset.

*******

Sunset wobbled out of the Gravitron spinning ride, her body readjusting to the lack of centripetal force pressing on it.

Twilight would have loved this ride. She could calculate how fast my head is spinning.

She shook her head and grounded herself in the moment. No more thinking about Twilight until she got home. She was having fun with Trixie. The magician girl stumbled out of the ride and clutched Sunset’s shoulder to keep steady.

“Why is the world still spinning?”

Sunset smirked as she untied Spot’s leash from the guard rail and scooped him up, almost sending Trixie toppling over. “The world is usually spinning.”

“You know what Trixie means!” She righted herself, then grabbed their bag of prizes. “Was that the last one?”

“Unless you want to go on the merry-go-round.” Sunset jabbed a thumb at the carousel of brightly colored horses.

“Trixie thinks that would be an anti-climactic end to our adventure.”

“Agreed.” The two shared a giggle and moved toward the vendor stalls. The last two hours had been spent riding almost every ride at the fair. They got some relief from the heat at the log flume ride and were both nearly sick from the tilt-a-whirl. Halfway through, they took a break at the doggy corner to feed Spot and give him a chance to run off-leash.

When she had stopped sulking and opened herself up to the experience, Sunset found the fair enjoyable. She talked and joked with Trixie while they waited in line, and while most of the rides couldn’t compare to the thrill of flying on her own wings, they were still fun, especially the plunges some of the roller coasters made.

It had all served as a nice distraction from Twilight. Sunset had managed to go the entire time without checking her phone. Still, as she and Trixie approached the first tent of trinkets, Sunset pulled her phone out and her heart sank at the empty inbox.

“Blegh.” Trixie stuck her tongue out. “It’s times like this Trixie is glad she’s single.”

“Is that by choice?” Sunset asked with a smirk and a raised brow.

“Trixie will hex you.”

“I’m joking,” Sunset said dryly. “I’m sure someone will find you irresistible someday.”

Trixie flipped her hair. “Of course they will. Trixie is not only great and powerful, she is also charming and beautiful.”

“And so humble.”

“Trixie is glad you see her finer qualities.” She stooped over a display case and looked at the glittering jewelry inside. “Now, either tell Trixie what’s wrong or stop looking at your phone like a lost puppy.”

Sunset looked down at Spot, who looked up at her with big brown eyes asking for pets. She put her phone away and obliged.

“After what happened with Adagio, I feel like Twilight has been growing distant. Both from the group and… from me. And Rarity says I should give her space to let her find her self-worth again with this internship, but that’s all she’s been doing! I just want to spend some time with her before she goes away.”

“Oh my gosh,” Trixie groaned. She straightened up and whirled to face Sunset. “Then just tell her you want to spend time with her and go do it. Even if she acts ungrateful at first, eventually, she’ll realize what you’re trying to do and appreciate it.”

Sunset scratched the back of her head, cheeks red. “Heh, again, sorry.”

Trixie waved a dismissive hand. “Apology accepted. But, see? It worked in the end. Trixie can’t believe you’ve been moping about that this entire time.”

“I just don’t want to make anything worse.”

“You’re her girlfriend. She’s in love with you,” Trixie deadpanned. “Go remind her of that. I seriously doubt you can make things worse with that.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Trixie had a point. It had worked once on the Ferris wheel. However, the fact that Sunset had to go do it again proved it hadn’t been that effective. Still, if it got Sunset one more date and instilled some reassurance into Twilight, she’d do it. Honestly, Sunset felt silly that she had let this sit for so long. Yes, Rarity was right and Twilight needed the space to find her path, but Sunset needed Twilight.

Wow, you sap. Our days of being a cold loner are so over.

“Thanks, Trix,” Sunset said, standing up again. “You give surprisingly good advice.”

Trixie gave her a full smile that reminded Sunset of Artemis. “Another one of Trixie’s stellar traits, yes. But also, your problem isn’t that difficult.” She moved over to the other side of the tent, freeing up space in front of the jewelry section.

Sunset browsed the silver trinkets, many of them glittering with fake gemstones. One did catch her eye, however. She waved the vendor over and pointed to it. “Could I have that one please?”

She made her purchase while Trixie was distracted by wooden carvings. Apart from the box, Sunset didn’t ask for any packaging. She walked over to Trixie and held the box out.

Trixie put down the mask she was examining and took the box. “What’s this?”

“A gift,” Sunset said. “For my sister.”

Trixie’s cheeks turned scarlet. “Oh… you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Then give it back if you don’t want it; that cost a pretty penny.”

Trixie clutched the box to her chest and blew a raspberry at Sunset’s outstretched hand. When Sunset retracted her hand and laughed, Trixie finally opened it. Resting on the white cushion was a silver crescent moon. Trixie pulled the necklace up, eyes alight with amazement.

“Sunset, it’s beautiful.”

“Yeah. I thought it could match mine.” She tapped her sun necklace.

Stowing the box in her pocket, Trixie slipped the chain around her neck and let the moon fall on top of her breastbone. “How do I look?”

Sunset gave her an appreciative smile. “Great and powerful as always.”

Looking surprisingly bashful, Trixie turned away. “Come on. Let’s go home. That’s enough sappy feelings for one day.”

Sunset agreed silently. And riding so many rides had left her surprisingly tired. The three maneuvered their way out of the fairgrounds, the sun finally setting and bringing the heat down with it. As they made their way to the car, Sunset looked down at her own necklace.

Mom, Dad… I hope you guys are doing well. And I hope I’ll see you again someday. But in the meantime, I’m doing pretty good.

*******

Twilight looked up at the whiteboard wheeled next to Starlight’s desk. Yesterday, after Twilight had told Starlight everything she had learned from Stygian’s journal, Starlight had filled the board with copious notes. Coming in today, Twilight found the board overflowing with Post-it notes, pictures, and red string. It looked more like a conspiracy board.

Starlight poked her head out from behind the whiteboard. “Hello, Twilight, welcome in! Would you like some coffee? We have a busy day today!”

“Hello, Miss Starlight,” Twilight said stiffly. “No thank you. I’m not allowed to have caffeine.”

Despite sharing what she knew about magic, Twilight couldn’t shake her newfound unease of being around Starlight. There were also lingering traces of resentment for being lied to, or as Starlight would say to soften it, ‘misdirected.’

Though Twilight was reassured the chances were slim, the possibility that Tirek or Tempest could pop in at any moment never left her peripheral thoughts. And, of course, there was the underlying guilt stemming from keeping her friends and Sunset in the dark about what she was doing. Her last date with Sunset felt like a lifetime ago.

But she squared her shoulders and gritted her teeth. She was too far in to back out now. If a little discomfort and heartache meant saving her friends and the world, then so be it.

Starlight stepped around the whiteboard, a mug of coffee in hand. “That’s a shame.” She took a long sip. “So, I went over our notes from yesterday—”

“I noticed.”

“—and added a few of my own, as well as initial ideas on how we might correct Merlin’s little mistake.” She tapped one of the notes. “All we have to do is open up a portal to that pocket dimension. I know it sounds difficult, but, we already know it’s been done before!”

“But we don’t know how,” Twilight argued. “And nothing in Stygian’s notes mentions how Merlin did either.”

“I’m sure a lab full of top-notch scientists can figure it out,” Starlight said chipperly. “I have Night Glider bringing down our particle accelerator as a starting point.”

Twilight gave an uncertain shrug. “I guess particle physics is one place to start. But, unless we can build a hadron collider, I don’t think we’ll find much progress.”

Starlight took a contemplative sip of her coffee. “Building a collider isn’t impossible, just time-consuming. And expensive. And Moondancer’s already nagging that we’ve gone over budget this month. But we need to do something.”

Twilight made short paces in front of Starlight’s desk. “If we at least had a reference to pull from. All of your technology was based on magic we’ve previously seen.”

Starlight nodded. “And we haven’t seen anyone hop dimensions.”

Twilight stopped pacing and gasped in realization, then quickly recoiled.

“You thought of something?” Starlight asked, an eager light in her eyes.

“Um, yes… maybe? I… I don’t know.” Twilight bit her lip. Despite all the information she had spilled, she had never mentioned Sunset hailing from a different world. Magic was one thing, extra-dimensional aliens were another.

Before Twilight could come up with a lie, Starlight gasped with an epiphany. “Sunset’s from another dimension!”

Twilight’s heart froze. “You know about that?”

“Moondancer mentioned it,” Starlight said airily. “I didn’t believe her until I met the other Sunset from this world. If we can find what the foreign Sunset used to travel to our dimension, perhaps we can use that as our reference!”

Twilight inwardly cursed. She couldn’t lead Starlight to the portal statue, could she? And as far as Sunset had told her, the portal only led to Equestria. So, how much help could it be?

Starlight laid a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m not going to harm Sunset or her home dimension in any way, Twilight. I just want to know how she got here. It could be the key to bringing magic back to this world.”

That was true. It was the reason Twilight chose to stay. Still, she bit her lip. This felt like some violation of trust, even with Starlight’s promise.

But if the technology we make is based on the Equestrian portal, not only could we potentially bring magic back, we could open our own portal to Equestria!

It would be the greatest gift Twilight could ever give Sunset. And that was assuming this line of research even yielded results. With the portal dormant, Twilight had her doubts. So, what was the harm?

“Okay,” Twilight said, swallowing the shakiness in her voice, “I’ll show you.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Final Rest

The volume is winding down. There's only one or two chapters left before we hit the Volume IV Finale. And starting with the next chapter, there's no brakes on this train. As such, I wish to deliver a consistent flow of content leading to the end of this arc. So, we're taking a little hiatus while I whip up everything between here and the Finale part III. So when I come back, you'll know the volume is done.

Enjoy these happy moments. There aren't many left where we're goin'.

18. Spiral

Guilt or exhaustion? Twilight wasn’t sure which made her more irritable. It had been a long day. Her hands and eyes hurt. And no matter how much she justified her actions, the guilt still gnawed at her heartstrings.

It’ll be fine. You just have to make sure everything goes right. Make this all worth it.

“Ouch!” Her hand snapped back as a stray spark of electricity bounced up her glove and shocked the exposed part of her skin.

“Are you alright?” Moondancer called.

“I’m fine!” Twilight snapped. She was more angry at the magical electricity, but the last thing she wanted was Moondancer’s concern.

They were in the basement that housed the Deus Ex Machina. Said machine was out of its armory and lying on a workbench. Twilight tinkered with the exposed wiring, following the schematics Moondancer and Starlight had drawn up and making minor tweaks to it. Rearranging some of the conduits would theoretically increase the magical output by one percent. It wasn’t much, but if this was the weapon to defeat Tirek, every bit of power counted.

She picked up the soldering iron and resumed her work. There wasn’t a lot left to do—Moondancer had been working on this for over a year. The last thing remaining was to test it, and Twilight had no idea where or how they would do that.

She flinched at the idea of testing, and the soldering iron hit a wire and sent another jolt of magical electricity flying through the air. This time, it bounced off Twilight’s goggles, though she still yelped at the crackling ball of energy attacking her face.

“Twilight!” Moondancer rushed over from the console. “Are you—”

“I’m fine!” Twilight said hotly, swatting the stray bolt away. “It’s just some static discharge.”

Moondancer stopped an arm’s length away and stood awkwardly. “If you’re sure. Yes, the wiring can be surprisingly finicky. I cannot count the times I was shocked myself.”

She’s trying to make small talk again, Twilight thought, rolling her eyes. She made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat to acknowledge she heard Moondancer but otherwise remained silent.

Moondancer sighed and walked back over to the control panel. “I heard you and Starlight are conducting your first portal test soon. Congratulations.”

Twilight flinched again. Thankfully, she hasn’t started the soldering iron yet. Yes, she and Starlight were entering the next phase of the Arcane Access Project. Today had been what could be argued the most critical step in their endeavor: taking magic from the statue portal.

It hadn’t been a lot, at least, Starlight said it hadn’t been a lot. But when Twilight watched as Starlight not only revealed that she too had a shard from the Staff of Sacancas, but proceeded to siphon the magic from Sunset’s gate home, the guilt threatened to overwhelm her.

Still, she soldiered on. It was far too late to back out now. Starlight was going to open a portal to magic one way or another. The least Twilight could do was be there to make sure that’s all she did.

When they returned to the lab, work began immediately on a way to redirect the power they had absorbed into a dedicated machine. Twilight had told Starlight the portal was geared toward one destination only.

“Perhaps. But that’s because it’s attuned to the magic of that world. If we gave it a different focal point…”

Twilight had excused herself halfway through the initial construction phase. Depending on how fast Starlight worked, they could be running preliminary tests by tomorrow.

It’d be great if it worked off the bat. But what if we open a portal to Equestria instead? What would Starlight do? How much restraint would she have over the idea of studying magic-laden ponies? Could Twilight stop her? She shook her head. One step at a time. First, they needed to see if they could even harness this power.

“Twilight, are you okay?” Moondancer asked.

Twilight looked over at her. “I told you, I’m fine,” she said tersely. “It was just a little shock.”

“No, I mean how are you doing? You’re tense.”

“No I’m not!” She heard the defensiveness in her voice and grumbled. “It’s nothing.”

“Twilight… you don’t have to do this,” Moondancer said softly.

“Yes, I do. Because you’re right; Tirek is going to come back sooner or later, and the last thing I want is for my friends to fight him. And if they do have to fight…” She clenched her fist. “I want us to have every advantage we can get.”

Moondancer bowed her head. Just when Twilight thought the conversation was over, she whispered, “You just don’t seem like yourself.”

Twilight gnashed her teeth and slammed the soldering iron onto the workbench. “I’m sorry. I’m working with morally dubious people doing morally questionable things, trying to revive a soul-sucking warlock, and lying to my friends all the while! So you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little high-strung!” She hated to admit it, but she took some satisfaction watching Moondancer flinch.

“I’m sorry,” Moondancer said. She didn’t speak again.

With a composing breath, Twilight picked up her tool and resumed working. Every night since she had become embroiled in this conspiracy, she had contemplated telling her friends everything she had learned and what she was doing. But her initial conversation with Moondancer stopped her from going through with it. Someone someday was going to have to fight Tirek. And if her friends found the Rainbow of Light and did it, they would either lose or push the problem off to a future generation. Twilight couldn’t let them stop Moondancer and Starlight yet. And if she told them now with nothing to show for her deception, they would only be upset with her, Sunset most of all.

“One way through,” Twilight whispered to herself. “I’ll help finish off Tirek and give the world magic again.”

*******

Sunset awoke to the clunking sound of her phone vibrating against her nightstand. She rolled over and picked it up, finding a text from Rarity and only mildly disappointed it wasn’t from Twilight. Rarity wanted to know if everyone could meet up at Sunset’s house in an hour, she had something critical to discuss.

Interest peaked and stomach empty, Sunset rose from bed and started her day. She had a plan today: ask—not demand, but firmly request—Twilight spend actual time with her.

Just because you’re nicer does not make you a doormat. Go and get your girl, filly!

Sunset firmly nodded to herself in the mirror as she brushed the bedhead out of her hair. She had just enough time to finish getting dressed and eat breakfast before the first of her friends knocked on the door.

“Howdy, Sunset,” Applejack said as she crossed the threshold.

“Morning, A.J. Any idea of what Rarity wants to talk about?”

“Not a clue.”

“Maybe she’s finally made the greatest dress in existence!” Pinkie suggested.

“Gah!” Sunset jumped back and looked toward the front door she swore she had closed. “Pinkie, when did you get here?”

Pinkie skipped by her. “I came in behind Applejack, silly!”

Sunset looked at Applejack. Applejack shook her head. Sunset decided to drop it.

The doorbell rang again not long after, and Sunset’s stomach fluttered when she opened it and saw Twilight.

“Hi, Sunnykins.” She leaned up and gave Sunset a quick kiss.

Sunset’s mouth went dry and her stomach dropped to her toes. It was like she had been hurdled eight months back in time to when they first started dating and everything was new and exciting and terrifying.

“H-hey, Sparky.” Sunset frowned. She could see the first traces of bags under Twilight’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

Twilight looked quizzically at her. “Of course, I’m f—” A powerful yawn cut her off. “I’m fine.”

Sunset crossed her arms and gave Twilight a patient look.

“I’m just a little tired,” Twilight reassured. “I have a lot going on, you know that.”

“Yeah, I do,” Sunset said, stepping aside to let Twilight in. “And I kinda want to talk about it later.”

Twilight fumbled with her backpack as she set it down. “O-oh?” She let out a nervous laugh. “Am I in trouble?”

Sunset cocked her head. “What? Of course not. I just feel like—”

The doorbell rang again, and Sunset sighed in annoyance. “I promise, you’re not in trouble or anything. Let’s just talk after this, okay?”

Twilight gave a hesitant smile and nodded before heading to the living room. Sunset knew from experience a partner wanting to ‘talk’ was an ill omen but she hoped Twilight didn’t work herself up over it.

One after another, the rest of her friends arrived, and the Lulamoons joined them around the table. Rarity stood up and clasped her hands together.

“Thank you for meeting on rather short notice. But, I have a theory—"

"Hypothesis," Twilight corrected, pushing her glasses up.

"Hypothesis, yes," Rarity repeated, holding back a sigh. "I would like to test and would like all of you to witness it in case I’m right. Artemis, sir, could we see the Rainbow of Light chest, please?”

“But of course. Just a second.” Artemis pulled the wizard hat off his head and reached inside, rummaging around like it was an office drawer. “Ah, here it is!”

He pulled out the crystal chest and set it on the table. Each of its six sides shone, even without a central light on it.

Rarity reached into her handbag and pulled out a fine red beret. She took a deep breath and crossed the fingers on her free hand, then brought the beret up to the chest. Everyone leaned forward to get a close look.

But nothing happened.

Rarity pursed her lips. “I was certain…” She tapped the beret against the chest.

One of the keyholes emitted a purple glow that grew in luminosity until it concentrated into a straight beam that hit the red beret. Just like with Pinkie’s wristband, a ball of white light rose from the hat and floated over Rarity’s hand. The light expanded and formed a shape before dissipating, leaving behind a golden key with a handle shaped like three interlocked diamonds and a single, thin tooth that looked like a sewing needle.

It fell neatly into Rarity’s hand and she smiled from ear to ear. “I knew it!”

Artemis jumped to his feet. “Incredible! We have two keys now! How did you figure it out?”

Rarity set the beret triumphantly on her head and spoke in a quick, excited voice, “Yesterday, Coco came to the store and she brought me this as a gift. But, after she handed it to me, I swear I saw a rainbow light flitter over it. And I had this feeling—this warmth inside of me. Then, I remembered what Twilight uncovered and about the virtues of the world aligning.”

She took a sobering breath and said in a steadier tone, “I took advantage of Coco before. But, I learned from that mistake and made up for it by doing everything I could to give her the support she needed. I think that personal growth—me tapping into the truest part of myself—I think that’s what gave me my key!”

Sunset steepled her fingers and pressed them to her lips. “The Elements of Harmony already picked you to represent them in this world. It’s like, you just needed to prove yourselves again. That you really resonate with your virtues.”

“Okay,” Rainbow said slowly, “but, why the hat?”

“Well, you never just find the key to something,” Artemis reasoned. “They’re given. These keys have to be given as gifts, perhaps from the person who you helped or helped you learn a lesson.”

Rainbow threw her hands out. “So, we have to help someone, learn something about ourselves along the way, and hope that person gives us a thank you present afterward? Six times? Seriously, it’s like Merlin didn’t want anyone to use this thing again.”

She crossed her arms and threw herself back in her chair, a petulant frown on her face. Her eyes drifted downward and her frown eased up as a curious light shone in her eye.

“Nah, no way. Too easy.” She lifted the tassel of the scarf she wore around her waist and tapped it against the chest.

Just like with Rarity, a keyhole lit up with a sky blue light before it turned into a beam and struck Rainbow’s scarf. A ball of light floated up, and the key it produced had a cloud-shaped handle while its body was shaped like a lightning bolt.

Rainbow reached out and took it, mouth open in awe. She turned it over, then held it out for everyone else. “Awesome.” She looked over at Fluttershy specifically and smiled from ear to ear. “Awesome!”

“We have three keys,” Selena said breathlessly. “I don’t believe it.”

Applejack took her hat off and removed a red brooch Sunset had never seen before. After giving it a once over, Applejack leaned in and tapped the chest with it. Her keyhole shone orange. Light hit the brooch and from it, a key with an apple handle and a leaf for the tooth materialized.

“Four!” Trixie shouted. “Four keys to the Rainbow of Light!”

Sunset couldn’t believe their luck. Or was this destiny at work? Either way, they were two steps away from stopping Tempest’s plans in their tracks.

“Umm…” Every head snapped toward Fluttershy, who flinched under the sudden spotlight. “I… might have my key? Maybe? It’s…”

She slid a silver bracelet off her wrist and pressed it against the box. For the fourth time that day, the chest glowed, pink this time. With a singular beam and a ball of light, Fluttershy’s key came into existence, one with a butterfly handle and a heart-shaped tooth.

“Five keys!” Pinkie yelled, pulling hers out of her hair. “One more and we win!”

Artemis pat his chest, looking like he was seconds away from passing out. “All my life I dreamed… but to actually be the generation of Lulamoons to find, reclaim, and see the Rainbow of Light…”

Rainbow turned to Twilight. “So then it’s you, right?”

Twilight, who looked discernibly pale, jumped in her seat. “What? What do you mean?”

“Like, you have the last key. Or you will. ‘Cause, Princess Twilight isn’t here, and it would be really stupid if the last key was actually hers since she lives in another world.”

“Umm, Y-yes, logically that would make sense, but…. I don’t have magic, so…” She was visibly shaking. Sunset put an arm around her, but Twilight only tensed up further.

“In that case, prepared to be shocked and awed!” Trixie said, jumping to her feet. “Trixie is now certain that the sixth key goes to her! The dawn of our victory is nigh!” She reached into her blouse and produced the crescent moon necklace Sunset had gotten for her yesterday.

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath as she stooped down and touched her necklace to the crystal surface.

There was no reaction.

“What?” Trixie tapped it several more times. “Come on! Trixie wants to be a key-bearer!”

Artemis rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right, sweetie. You’re a Lulamoon; that alone is a grand enough title! You are a guardian of the Rainbow of Light!”

Trixie straightened up and crossed her arms. “Trixie wants to be more than just a guardian,” she grumbled.

Applejack spoke up. “Well then, it’s Sunset, ain’t it?”

Sunset looked at everyone looking at her and shifted in her seat. “I mean… it’s a possibility. I would prefer it to be one of us over the princess, but, I don’t know. The best we can do is keep an eye out.”

It was certainly possible that Sunset could inherit the last key. She, who had fought against demons both inner and external to redeem herself and find a place among her friends. Now, the only reason she didn’t want it was to spare Twilight’s feelings.

“Hopefully, we find it soon,” Rainbow said, twirling her key around her finger. “Otherwise, it’s gonna be real inconvenient if we all have to run back here halfway through our first semester. I mean, I’d be cool with it but, you know.”

“What should we do with our keys in the meantime?” Fluttershy asked.

“We need to keep them somewhere safe,” Rarity said. “After coming this far to get them, it would be criminal for us to lose one.”

“Rainbow,” Applejack said out of the corner of her mouth.

“Hey, I can be responsible for something this important!” The key flew off her finger and clattered onto the coffee table. She scrabbled over, grabbed it, and held it against her chest, eyes narrowed at Applejack.

“Maybe you all should keep the keys and the chest together,” Sunset suggested. “That way we know where everything is.”

Artemis tapped the brim of his hat. “I promise on our family’s honor to keep them safe.”

Rainbow released a defeated sigh. “Fine.” She reached over and stuck her key into one of the locks.

The other girls followed suit, locking in five of the six keyholes. Sunset almost thought it was comical; the blue chest with five golden handles sticking out of it almost looked like an overturned bug.

Artemis levitated the box up and into his hat, the mouth widening to accommodate the box’s size. “Whatever happens next, I’m proud and delighted to have met each and every one of you! You girls truly are spectacular!”

“Heck yeah, we are!” Rainbow said, pumping her fist. “One more key and we save the world! Again!”

“I, for one, can’t wait to put this Tirek business behind us,” Rarity said. “It’s causing a layer of stress that has been terrible for my skin. Actually, would anyone like to accompany Coco and I to the spa later today?”

Fluttershy raised her hand. “Oh, I would love to!”

“Hard pass,” Rainbow said, firmly crossing her arms.

Rarity narrowed her eyes. “I’ll get you in there someday, Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight stood up but kept her eyes on the floor. “I actually should be going. Busy day at the lab.”

Applejack got up too and stretched. “Yeah, Ah got farm work to do.”

“And I’m gonna go visit Sonata and Aria!” Pinkie proclaimed. “Ooooh! I should get Sonata a gift for getting me a key!”

Everyone prepared to head their separate ways, Rarity pestering Rainbow one more time. Sunset spotted Twilight ducking out of the living room without giving anyone a proper goodbye.

“You know you don’t need magic to get one of these keys,” Sunset said, catching Twilight before she could reach the door. “You just need a pure heart. And I don’t think hearts get any purer than yours, Sparky.”

Twilight looked back, and Sunset wasn’t sure what to make of her expression. Was it discomfort? Fear? Whatever it was, Twilight quickly covered it with a tired smile.

“I appreciate it, Sunset. It’s fine, really. I don’t need a key. I just…” Her smile fell and she looked at the floor again.

Sunset stepped closer. “What is it?”

“I… it’s just…” She bit her lip. “Do you really think this is the only way to beat Tirek?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean, it’s the easiest way to beat him, right? Unless you came up with something else?”

Twilight frantically shook her head. “No, no! I just, um… noticed a pattern. Megan used the Rainbow of Light and sealed him away, only for him to come back. And then Merlin did the same thing. Now, he’s coming back again…”

“Hey, if we could find Tempest and stop him before he even gets here, we would. But if Tirek does find a way to come back with a body, we’ll stop him before any harm is done.”

Twilight looked up at Sunset, an odd look of dread in her eyes. “But aren’t we just putting off the problem by sealing him away again?”

Sunset slowly raised an eyebrow. “Not if we put him somewhere no one will find him. What are you getting at, Twilight?”

“I’m just considering… maybe we need a more… permanent solution?”

Sunset leaned away from the insinuation Twilight had dropped. She blinked once, and in the split second of darkness saw her demonic self hurling a murderous fireball at six girls and laughing all the while. Sunset shuddered and turned away.

“The old me might have agreed with you,” she said in a subdued voice. “But I can’t do that, no matter how bad Tirek is. We stop Tempest if we can, and if not, we use the Rainbow of Light and put Tirek and his amulet somewhere no one will ever find.”

A hand reached out and touched her arm. “I’m sorry, Sunset. I’m just scared of what we might have to face to win.”

Sunset turned back toward Twilight. “I know it’s scary. But, my people don’t believe in the death penalty. And after what I’ve gone through, neither do I. Tirek probably can’t be redeemed, but we’re not executioners. I’m kinda surprised you would bring up the idea.”

Twilight looked away. “Sorry. I was just thinking… I don’t know. Maybe I’m working too hard.”

Sunset reached out and cupped her face. “Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. I know how much that internship means to you, and I’m glad you’re doing it. But… we haven’t done anything together in almost a month. I really miss you, Sparky. And I would really like to do something with you tonight.”

She could feel the heat from Twilight’s cheek as it turned red. “Oh… I guess it has been a while since we did something other than a chess match, huh?” She leaned into Sunset’s hand.

“You’re busy, I get it. But, you’re leaving soon, and…” Sunset closed her mouth, feeling a lump form in her throat.

Twilight reached up and brushed a tear from the corner of Sunset’s eye. “I’m sorry. I never meant to neglect you. I’ve been…” She took a deep breath. “You’re right. Let’s do something tonight, just the two of us. Oh, I know! We can have a movie night and finally watch Revenge of the Sith!”

She cupped a hand over her mouth and said in a falsely labored voice. “Soon, your transition to the nerd side will be complete.”

Sunset giggled, then laughed, then doubled over, clutching her sides. “Sweet Celestia, you’re such a dork! I love you!”

Twilight giggled in turn. “Love you, too. So, it’s a date?”

“Definitely!”

“Awesome! Glad you two worked that out!” The girls turned and found Rainbow and the rest of their friends waiting at the kitchen threshold. Rainbow gave them a facetious smirk. “Now, can you stop blocking the door?”

*******

Twilight clung to the idea of having a date night with Sunset. It was her only life preserver in the raging sea of stress and fear. But even with it, she felt like she was drowning. It had taken every ounce of willpower not to have a panic attack as her friends revealed their keys at the Lulamoon house. They were one key away from having the power Moondancer warned against. Even with Pinkie’s key appearing a month ago, it had felt like a lofty dream.

Now, the fantasy was suddenly very tangible.

And Sunset… Twilight knew it was a longshot, but Sunset rejecting any other plan to stop Tirek besides the Rainbow of Light confirmed Twilight’s fears: that Moondancer was right, and if Twilight did tell her friends what she was doing, they would put a stop to it.

Twilight got off the bus and walked up the hill to Equilibrium Labs, shoulders hunched and head low. She couldn’t imagine Sunset’s reaction if she found out about everything Twilight had done--everything she was about to do. And while she desperately looked forward to a simple night of watching movies with her girlfriend, Twilight would have to put on the facade that everything was fine.

Even if everything does play out in Moondancer’s favor, what will Sunset think when she finds out I played a part in killing Tirek?’

There’s no doubt she would be disappointed. But, the good of getting rid of Tirek outweighed the bad of how they got rid of him, didn’t it? And Twilight would still rather face a little ire than watch her friends fight the most dangerous person to walk the earth.

Twilight entered the lab, waved hello to Amber, and went to her locker. She pulled her lab coat out and threw it over her shoulders.

“One way through.” Some said it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Twilight had never subscribed to that belief before but felt it was applicable now. She would apologize as many times as she needed after her friends and family were safe.

“First, we have to change the world.” She made her way to the elevator and called it with her key card. Down in the lab proper, Starlight and a host of scientists were in an offshoot, making final preparations on their first portal device.

Twilight could see components of the linear particle accelerator making up the new, bulky machine. With its wiring still exposed in places and long cables connecting it to the magic containment unit in the other room, Twilight thought it looked like someone’s interpretation of a futuristic ray gun.

The barrel had tesla rings coiling around it and a flat disk near the open nozzle. Its base was plated in gold metal and had two open slots with the shard of Sacanas inserted into the back one. On the back of the machine was a panel with only two buttons and a dial.

A glass partition split the room in half. Twilight stood with the others and the machine on one side, while the nozzle of said device had been fitted through a small hole cut in the center.

“The first model is always crude,” Starlight said as Twilight approached. She typed in a few notes onto her tablet before giving Twilight her full attention. “Welcome! Rough design aside, what do you think?”

Twilight gave the portal machine another once-over. “I mean, as long as it functions properly. It isn’t like we’re trying to market this.”

“Exactly! And you showed up at the perfect time, Twilight! We just need to do a few final checks before we can test this baby!”

Twilight inhaled deep through her nose and tried to exhale the butterflies in her stomach. “I’ll help however I can. But I still have doubts about where the portal will open up to.”

Starlight walked over to the portal device. “I understand your trepidation. But, I hypothesize that, if the magic is removed from its primary unit, that being the statue, and given a new focal point, it would act like new coordinates. The statue is the focal point for the portal magic to link specifically to Sunset’s homeworld. Well, if we give it a new focal point of earth magic, maybe it will open a portal to where the rest of it is!”

“Interesting hypothesis,” Twilight said, nodding. “But that’s assuming the magic that powers the portal and the magic that opens it to Equ--Sunset’s home are two different things.”

“True. But with magic, we’re always making assumptions until we’re proven right or wrong.”

Starlight ran Twilight through some of the more technical aspects of the experiment while they finished putting the portal device together. When the last of the plating had been welded on, Night Glider rolled out another long cable and attached it to the open slot in front of the shard of Sacanas.

“We’re going to channel magic directly from the containment unit into the focus chamber,” Starlight said, strapping a pair of goggles over her eyes. Twilight and the others followed suit and gathered behind her as she stepped up to the control panel. “I want copious notes, Double Diamond!”

Diamond gave a dutiful salute and held up his tablet.

“Alright, Arcane Access portal test number one! Let’s make some science, people!” Starlight turned the dial a fraction and hit the green button.

The lights in the room immediately dimmed as the portal device began to whir loudly. A few pops and crackles from within made Twilight fidget. She was not in the mood to explode.

The machine rattled and hummed louder, and from the nozzle, a white beam shot out and struck the back wall. From the point of impact, a twisting splotch of white energy formed and grew, like a cloud of gas. The glass partition began to rattle, and Twilight felt gravity shift forward.

“Come on, stabilize,” Starlight grunted.

The miasma continued to writhe. Instead of holding form, it began to flicker and distort.

“Increasing output by ten percent!” Starlight called as the machine grew louder. She twisted the dial and the beam grew brighter. Wind whistled through the gaps in the partition. Still, the portal struggled to hold a form.

“Pushing to thirty percent!”

The miasma grew wider, almost forming into a circle, yet it still blinked in and out of existence, and Twilight could see nothing beyond the veil of white light.

“Forty percent!”

The beam sputtered. The machine let out a loud hiss and whirred like an overheated computer. Overhead, the lights blinked on and off. The circle of white collapsed back into a blob and started to break apart. Twilight’s hair pulled toward the collapsing hole.

“Starlight!” she yelled.

Starlight gave a frustrated huff but turned the dial down and hit the red button. The beam ceased and instantly, the portal vanished. The lights returned to normal, and Twilight’s tress fell back against her cheeks.

With a sigh, Starlight lifted her goggles and turned to face the others. “Well, nothing exploded, so I would say our first test went fairly well. DD, did you get everything?”

Diamond, who was still furiously typing, nodded his head.

“Excellent. Once we go over our notes, maybe we can figure out why it wouldn’t stabilize. We were so close!”

Twilight raised her hand. “I might have an idea.”

Starlight smiled eagerly and nodded for Twilight to go ahead.

“The magic that operates the portal is based on the cycles of the moons, both ours and Sunset’s. According to her, they need to both be full, which happens every two and a half years or so. And remember, these are all assumptions, but maybe the magic we siphoned from the portal still has that caveat as well?”

Starlight rubbed her chin. “That muddles my hypothesis that the magic for the portal and the magic for the destination are separate.”

“Not entirely. They could still be two separate components that have some overlap.”

“But that still leaves us with the problem of completely separating that element of the spell. If we could do that, I’m certain we can get this portal to work.”

Twilight closed her eyes in thought. The shard of Sacanas copied the magic of the portal verbatim. If they could take just the base idea of it and rebuild on top of it, then Starlight was right; they could make a new portal easily.

A simpler version of the staff.

Twilight snapped her eyes open. “Dr. Starlight, the machine that Moondancer is using! How exactly does it work?”

Starlight blinked, taken aback. “It’s like a storage device. It was meant to absorb and accumulate magic.”

“Like the Staff of Sacanas?” Twilight asked, leading her on.

“Not quite. We didn’t have the Staff of Sacanas when we built it, so that machine just takes magic and stores it as raw energy.”

“So it breaks down magic into a simpler form?”

Starlight gave a slow, understanding nod. “Hypothetically, yes. But we haven’t been feeding it anything very complicated. At least, Moondancer hasn’t mentioned powering it with anything high-level.”

Twilight bounced up and down on her toes. “What if we did feed it something more complex though? With the shard, we could make a modified device that could potentially break down the magic of the portal! From there, we could have a new power source that could bypass the moon limitation, or at the very least, amplify the power of the machine!”

Starlight clapped her hands together and popped a heel. “Oh, Twilight! What would we do without you?”

Twilight stopped bouncing and blushed. “You would have figured it out eventually.”

“Maybe so, but you figured it out first. Don’t sell yourself short.” Starlight turned to the rest of the group. “You heard the scientist. Let’s get back to work! Before this week is over, we will have a portal open!”

*******

Sunset ran the brush through her hair a few more times before smiling in satisfaction.

“You know, I’m still kinda mad at sword lady for the unwanted barber cut,” Shimmer said, leaning on the open bathroom door, “but I gotta admit, this short hair is a lot less maintenance.”

“Yeah, the pixie cut looks good on us,” Sunset said, spritzing herself with a hint of perfume.

“Looks good on me.”

“Sure, sure.” Not even Shimmer’s endless snark could rain on Sunset’s parade.

“Gotta admit, this is the happiest I’ve seen you in a while. Is watching a movie with your girlfriend really that important to you?”

Sunset slipped past and ducked into her room to grab her vest. “I’m just happy to spend time with her. That’s all I want.”

“Huh.” Shimmer looked quizzically at her. “You really love this nerd, don’t you?”

Sunset gave Spot a pat on the head then walked out to the hall. “Yeah. Was that not clear before?”

Shimmer shrugged. “I dunno. I guess I’ve just never been in love before. Horny, sure, but I’ve never loved any of the guys I slept with.”

“Sometimes I can’t believe we’re the same person.” Sunset headed down the stairs. “I’m off. Probably won’t be back until late. If I’m really lucky, I can get through the entire night without hearing how smart and cool Starlight Glimmer is.”

“What?”

Sunset froze at the pitch Shimmer’s voice had reached. She looked up and saw her doppelgänger’s face pale with fear.

“Uh, Starlight Glimmer,” Sunset said slowly, a hot stone of dread dropping into her stomach. “Twilight’s boss at her internship.”

“Twilight works for that maniac?”

“Maniac? Why is she a maniac? What do you know about her?”

Shimmer took the stairs three at a time and grabbed Sunset’s collar when she reached the bottom.

“It was her! She’s the one who split your soul in half! She’s the one who put that demon inside me! She calls herself a scientist but she’s just a lunatic!”

Sunset slumped back, held up only by Shimmer’s firm grip. “Tartarus below,” she whispered hoarsely. This entire time, she had assumed it was Tempest. But apparently, Tempest had more allies than just Moondancer.

And Twilight was working for one…

Did she know? She couldn’t know, could she? Twilight wouldn’t knowingly work for someone allied with Tempest. Did Starlight know who Twilight was? Whether she did or not, Twilight was in trouble!

“What else do you know about her?”

Shimmer released her grip. “Not a lot. She’s researching magic and souls and all this other mumbo jumbo. She’s got a whole team.”

Sunset pressed her fingers to her temples. “And you didn’t think to tell us this before?”

“I didn’t think I needed to! You all had plans and stuff and were already fighting Tempest and her goons! Plus, I did tell you they had a lab underground somewhere!”

“Auugh!” Sunset yelled in frustration. She grabbed her keys off the counter and ran to the door. “Go tell the Lulamoons what you just told me and anything else that might be helpful. I gotta go tell Twilight.”

She ran out and slammed the door before Shimmer could answer. Barely giving the engine time to start, she revved her motorcycle and peeled out of the driveway. Sunset’s thoughts raced faster than her bike, and like the wheels, circled over and over again.

Twilight wouldn’t know. She would have said something. But what if Starlight knows? Why hasn’t she done anything? Twilight’s in trouble either way.

The setting sun painted the sky in luminous hues of orange and pink, a mocking tranquility to Sunset’s state of mind. She reached Twilight’s house in record time, hopped off her motorcycle, and ran up the steps. She rang the doorbell twice and tapped her foot impatiently, waiting a short eternity for Twilight to answer.

“Hi, Sunnykins,” Twilight said perkily as she swung the door open. “Ready for—”

“Starlight works for Tempest!”

Twilight’s bright smile dissolved as her face paled. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. “W-what do you mean?”

“She works for Tempest!” Sunset started pacing the length of the porch. “Tempest took my soul out but apparently, Starlight is the one who experimented on it! Shimmer just told me! She probably has something to do with how they want to resurrect Tirek! I’m so sorry you had to find out this way, Twilight! “

Sunset took her by the shoulders. “She hasn’t hurt you, right?”

“N-no! Of course not!” Twilight gently moved Sunset’s hands off her shoulders. Her fingers were damp and clammy. “Is Shimmer sure it was Starlight?”

“Yeah, she seemed pretty damn sure. I don’t think you would forget who placed a demon inside you.”

Twilight tapped her fingers together. “Th-that’s true. Umm… maybe I should go talk to her about this—”

“You can’t go back there!” Sunset said incredulously. “If you tell Starlight you know, what do you think is going to happen?”

“I don’t know! But I can’t just not show up anymore!”

“Twilight, they could just use you to get to the rest of us!”

“I mean, she hasn’t so far, right? Maybe she doesn’t know who I am.”

“All the more reason not to go back there! Why would you want to after…” Sunset gave Twilight a thorough look. She stood duckfooted, fidgeting with her fingers, and was looking everywhere but into Sunset’s eyes.

“You knew?” Sunset whispered, an iron fist closing around her chest.

Twilight jumped and finally looked at her. “N-no! I mean, I had some suspicions but… I… I… I didn’t know about the soul part,” she finished meekly, shoulder bowed.

Sunset pressed her hands against her cheeks to stop herself from screaming. She took a constricted breath and asked in her most controlled voice, “How long have you known?”

“A little over a week.”

Sunset threw her arms up and let them drop to her sides. “Cool. So, is that what we’re doing now? We’re keeping secrets from each other?”

Twilight flinched. “It’s-it’s not like I wanted to. But I… I just—”

“Okay then,” Sunset said, an unfamiliar heat rising through the cold grip around her chest “What exactly is this ‘internship’ about?”

Twilight kowtowed further. “I can’t tell you.”

“Excuse me?”

“I signed an NDA—”

“That’s bullshit, Twilight—this woman split my soul! Don’t try to hide behind the law for crap like this!”

Twilight cupped her hands over her eyes, fingernails clawing just above her eyebrows. She threw her arms out and shouted, “Magic! We’re studying magic! We’re doing the thing I’ve been dying to do all year!”

“Congratulations, you’re studying magic with a crazy person who’s complicit in trying to help a warlock take over the world, and you lied to me about it!”

“I had to!”

“Why? To what end?”

“I can’t tell you!”

“Why not?”

“Because you would stop me!”

Sunset jabbed a finger. “If you know that I would stop you then it must be a dumb idea!”

Twilight swatted her hand away. “Why is it when I do something dangerous, it’s a dumb idea?”

“Because so far, that’s what the track record’s proven! You ran off to fight Adagio on your own, and now, you’re working for Starlight Glimmer and by proxy, Tempest and Moondancer!”

“I have to work with them! It’s for the greater good!”

“And what ‘greater good’ is that?”

“We’re going to stop Tirek!”

Sunset threw her arms out again. “That’s what the Rainbow of Light is for!”

“It’s not going to work!”

“According to who?”

“Moondancer—”

Sunset’s nostrils flared. “So you’re going to listen to Moondancer over me? Over the rest of your friends?”

“Only when she’s right!” Twilight stamped her foot. “The Rainbow of Light isn’t a permanent solution!”

“That’s what you meant before? You’re going behind our backs and working with the people we’re trying to stop so you can figure out how to weaponize magic to kill Tirek?”

“It’s more complicated than that!”

“Oh yeah? Then explain it to me!”

“I can’t! Especially if this is how you’re reacting already! I can’t trust you not to interfere with this!”

Sunset leaned back, a furious jolt running through her. “You can’t trust me?”

Twilight tried to take a calm breath, but when she exhaled, all she succeeded in was fogging her glasses. She turned her shoulder to Sunset. “I’m sorry. But I promise, everything I’m doing, I’m doing for you and the girls.”

Sunset clenched her jaw. “That’s really hard to believe right now.”

“Well, I don’t know what you want from me.”

She wasn’t sure what impulse drove her to do it. There were too many crowded and angry thoughts. But Sunset ponied up in a flash of golden light, struck her arm out, and grabbed Twilight’s wrist.

“Science powered by magic! The new great equalizer!”

She watched Starlight with her arms stretched wide. This was everything she had wanted. The study of magic. The betterment of humanity. And Twilight could help.

The scene shifted in a whirl of colors.

Twilight paced her room, still coming down from everything that had been thrown at her today. Starlight, Moondancer, Tirek. Was she doing the right thing? She wanted to believe she was. At least, she was doing this for the right reasons. She was going to help revolutionize the world. She was going to make sure her friends didn’t risk their lives again!

She clenched her fist. This time, she wasn’t going to be useless.

“Let go!” a distant voice cried. The scene shifted again.

Canterlot High School. Twilight stood with Starlight and Double Diamond in front of the marble white statue at the front of the school. Twilight looked up at the rearing horse. Was it a coincidence that this particular statue led to a world populated by talking ponies? Or had the original maker of the portal done this thinking they were funny? How old was the portal anyway?

She shook her head. This wasn’t the time for leisurely curiosity. She watched as Starlight held up her shard piece. It was bigger than Adagio’s—a solid diamond-shaped chunk with sharpened points. Starlight pressed one of the edges against the flat surface of the plinth.

Twilight bit her lip, watching arcs of white energy pull away from the portal and into the crystal shard. Starlight gave a full-toothed smile of triumph, the light show reflecting in her eyes.

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Twilight said.

Starlight evidently didn’t hear her, because she kept draining the magic away. Perhaps it was Twilight’s imagination, but the ivory base seemed to be growing dimmer.

“Starlight, please—

“Stop!” Twilight yelled, ripping her arm free from Sunset’s grasp.

Sunset stumbled backward. Her heel slipped off the top step of the porch, and she tumbled down onto the stone walkway, the back of her head smacking the pavement. When the stars faded from her vision, she looked up to see Twilight glaring at her, devoid of any sympathy.

“I can’t believe you!” Twilight said, voice cracking. “You just… just violated my thoughts!”

“What else was I supposed to do?” Sunset snapped back, rubbing the back of her head. “You won’t tell me anything!”

“That gives you no right to use your powers like that! You know I hate that!”

“Oh no, don’t you dare guilt me!” Sunset got to her feet. She could feel her phoenix form trying to burst free, but she tightened her grip on her powers. “What did Starlight do to the mirror portal?”

Twilight winced, her visible anger giving way to guilt. “It’s just an experiment—”

“Just an experiment? Twilight that’s my only way home! And you just let her drain magic from it? Have you lost your mind?”

“I’ll be able to open you a portal to Equestria any time if we can get this to work!”

Sunset opened her mouth to yell more, but no words came out. Static crackled through her mind. Molten fury coursed through her veins. This was all dangerously wrong. She had never yelled at Twilight like this. She never had a reason to.

She didn’t know what else to do. She couldn’t think of anything else to say. Twilight had crossed so many lines in such a short span of time, it made Sunset dizzy.

“I don’t know what to do with you,” Sunset said breathlessly, stepping back from the house. “I don’t even know who you are right now.”

Tears streamed down Twilight’s face. She balled her fists and yelled, “I’m doing this for your sake!”

“I didn’t ask you to do any of this!” Sunset yelled back. “You’re going behind my back and you’re playing with things you don’t understand!”

“Don’t tell me I don’t understand! I know what I’m doing! I want to understand!”

“Okay. Then understand this…” Sunset tried to breathe in, but her tightened chest wouldn’t allow it. “As long as you’re working with Starlight… you’re not dating me.”

The sun had fully set. Sunset stood in shadow as the street lamp behind her flickered on. The porch light turned on and illuminated half of Twilight’s face. A pain like Sunset had never seen before was etched in her eyes.

Twilight choked out a sob and said, “You don’t really mean that.”

Sunset grabbed her own arm and dug her nails into her skin to stop herself from crying too. “Yeah, I do.”

“I’m trying to help! I’m going to make the world a better place!” With the cracks in her voice, Twilight sounded half mad.

All Sunset could do was shake her head. She turned away. “Then you can do it without me.”

Twilight shouted her name, but Sunset put her helmet on, revved her motorcycle, and rode off. She didn’t know how she made it back home with tears in her eyes. She ignored the Lulamoons when they called out to her after she crossed the front door.

She made it to her bedroom, slammed the door behind her, and collapsed onto her bed. Only then did Sunset finally cry. She cried harder than she ever had in her life.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: ~~Happily~~ Happy? ~~Ever~~ Never. ~~After~~ Again.

19. What Drives Humanity

Sunset woke from another restless sleep and immediately shut her eyes when her head fog and nausea returned in full force. Once they passed, she rolled onto her side and reached for her phone on the nightstand; a few messages from the Lulamoons, one innocuous picture from Rarity.

Nothing from Twilight.

Pain shot through Sunset’s heart. She dropped her phone and huddled in on herself. Tears streamed down her face as she fought against dissolving into another fit of sobs.

She had spent almost two days in her room, getting up only to use the bathroom, and to tell her surrogate family the briefest version of what happened between her and Twilight. No one disturbed her. They texted her, asking if she needed anything. Selena had left a plate of food on her desk.

Sunset hadn’t responded or eaten.

Even now, two days removed from their spiraling argument, Sunset struggled to believe it had ended the way it did. Her breaking up with Twilight? She always thought if it happened, it would be the other way around. It didn’t feel real.

Sunset tried to tell herself it wasn’t etched in stone. All Twilight had to do was stop working with their enemy. But the fact that Twilight hadn’t immediately quit and sided with Sunset… the fact that Twilight had let Starlight drain the mirror portal… that she was working with the woman who split her soul… that she had gone behind her back to team up with Moondancer…

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears streaking down her face. She clutched her heart and let out a miserable whimper. How could Twilight, her first love, her confidant, the person Sunset trusted above all others, hurt her this badly?

Spot, sweet and loyal, hopped up onto the bed and licked away Sunset’s tears. His cold wet nose was a tiny balm to the heated flush emanating off Sunset’s face.

She had broken up with Twilight. No delusion could change that. Sunset hated that she had given Twilight an ultimatum, but the fact that Twilight hadn’t picked her spoke volumes. Sunset couldn’t understand it. How could Twilight pick Starlight and Moondancer over her?

“I’m doing this for you!”

Weaponizing magic. Experimenting with the mirror portal. Working with the people trying to bring Tirek back to life. And then claim she was going to kill him.

Sunset gripped the sides of her head. Something about this didn’t add up. What was Twilight not telling her? Why would she ally herself with people like that and lie about it?

Broken up or not, Twilight was in danger, from herself and those around her. And whatever they were working on was a danger to the world at large.

Sunset balled her fists. She needed to do something. She needed information. And since she wasn’t getting anything from Twilight, she’d have to get it herself.

With a deep breath, she mustered up the strength to sit up. Spot gave a happy bark and wagged his tail at his risen owner. She gave him a loving scritch and promised him a treat for his faithfulness over the past two days, then gathered her strength again to throw the covers off and get out of bed.

Lightheadedness hitting full force, Sunset staggered the four steps between her bed and her desk and collapsed in her chair. The vegetarian lasagna and salad Selena had left for her was stone cold, but Sunset wolfed it down anyway.

When her meal had settled, she grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and headed to the bathroom. Her reflection caught her before she made it into the shower. Her eyes were puffy, and she had a rat’s nest for hair.

The hot water and shampoo at least took the external drudgery away. Being clean and freshly dressed was an incremental mood lifter. She was still tired and her heart still ached. But at least she was doing something other than laying in bed crying. Now, she had a goal to pursue.

She banged on Shimmer’s door. “I need to talk to you.” Her voice was still croaky.

Shimmer opened up and gave her a rare sympathetic expression. “Hey. You doing okay?”

“No. I need your help.”

“Listen, I don’t know how to heal a broken heart. You’re better off asking Selena.”

“Not that,” Sunset snapped. “You’re good with hacking and stuff. I need you to help me hack into Starlight’s servers or something and figure out what they’re doing. Twilight—”

Sunset cringed at the memory of two nights ago. “Twilight refused to tell me what they were working on. But it has something to do with Tirek and my only means to get home. I need to find out what it is.”

Shimmer nodded slowly. “Okay, that’s something I can do. But, hacking isn’t as simple as you think it is. I doubt she’d be storing research on magic and demons and stuff on the cloud. If her server is private, which it probably is, I’m going to need to go to its source, and I have no idea where that is.”

“Equilibrium Labs. It’s on the outskirts of town. We go there, we hack in, we find out what Twilight is hiding.”

Shimmer rubbed her hands together. “I like this plan. Getting back at Glimmer and showing off my professional skills at the same time. When can we get started?”

“Right now,” Sunset said, popping her knuckles.

Shimmer gave her a devious smile. “And I thought today was going to be boring.” She stepped back into her room and gently tugged her laptop free from beneath a sleeping Jörmungandr. The two girls then moved over to Sunset’s room where Shimmer quickly made herself comfy on her bed.

“Alright, first, give me the address of this place your sorta-maybe-still girlfriend keeps going to.”

Sunset ground her teeth and resisted the urge to shove Shimmer off the bed and pile-drive her into the floor. “I don’t know the address; you’re gonna have to find the address yourself. What are you doing?”

Shimmer clicked open a few folders on her computer, one of them labeled ‘Canterlot Municipal Building Archives’. “If I can get the address, and the building isn’t more than fifty years old, I should be able to pull up its layout plans. I’ve got a backdoor into some of the more detailed plans the city doesn’t share with the public.”

Sunset just nodded and looked over Shimmer’s shoulder as she scrolled down a list of digital files. She couldn’t believe she was planning on a break-and-entry scheme with her human counterpart—and into her girlfriend’s workplace, no less. Despite all the strange things she had done, this still took the cake.

“I think this is it!” Shimmer clicked a link and a top-down blueprint popped onto the screen. Sunset couldn’t say with confidence if it was or wasn’t the lab; she had only seen it from the outside the one time she had dropped Twilight off. Shimmer, however, seemed confident as she sped read through the accompanying notes.

She tapped a hallway on the left side of the building. “Okay, her office is one of these two rooms over here, just off the entry hall.”

“How do you know?”

Shimmer’s smirk reflected on the laptop’s screen. “I’ve been doing this a long time, kiddo. I know how to read things like this and make basic deductions. Look at the shape. See how these are smaller than the rooms over there? I would guess those are the labs or testing areas. And that one is too small to be an office. It’s probably a supply room.”

Sunset nodded, following Shimmer’s fingertip as she traced it around the blueprint. “Okay. So, what’s the plan?”

“Simple. We drive over, distract the security at the front, you sneak in…” Shimmer pulled a small black USB drive from her pocket and gave it a teasing wave. “And stick this into Starlight’s computer. My little friend here will do the rest.”

“Why don’t we just sneak in a night?”

Shimmer barked out a short laugh. “For something like this? It’d be easier to do it in the daytime and just say you got lost if you get caught. Besides, you’re not ready for a nighttime heist.” She reached out like she was about to pat Sunset’s head, but caught herself and resumed focus on her screen.

Sunset huffed derisively through her nostrils but didn’t argue the point. Shimmer was the expert here. “Okay, so all we need is a guaranteed distraction. And a car.”

*******

Like everything else Pinkie owned, her car was bright pink and covered in stickers, while the seats had colorful covers and smelled like frosting. Sunset had been relegated to the backseat while Shimmer rode shotgun. While initially annoyed, Sunset took continued amusement as she watched Shimmer’s growing disgruntlement over Pinkie’s music choice. She blasted bubblegum pop from the Lulamoon’s house all the way to the lab.

“I can’t believe I get to be part of a top-secret spy mission!” she said, finally turning the music down as they parked at the base of the hill leading to the laboratory. “And I get to be the best part!”

“Yep!” Sunset said encouragingly. “You just gotta distract whoever’s up front. So bring your A game, Pinks.”

“I always bring my A game!” She hopped out the car and began cartwheeling up the hill.

Sunset got out and walked over to the passenger window, unable to wipe the capricious grin off her face. “You ready?”

Shimmer glared at her. “I’m gonna strangle her. Then, I’m gonna strangle you.”

“Yeah. Can’t believe there was a time when I hated her too. But she really grows on you after a while.”

“What, like mold?” Shimmer shook her head in disgust then pulled out the USB device. “Stick this into Starlight’s computer, wait thirty seconds for it to link to my computer and open an access point, then grab it and get out. Don’t be afraid to ditch the pink one if shit goes sideways.”

Sunset took the USB and pocketed it. “I don’t leave friends behind, including you.”

Shimmer opened up her laptop and waved a dismissive hand. “Yeah, yeah, friendship is magic and junk. Just go get the job done so I can have a good time.”

Sunset left Shimmer in her surliness and jogged to catch up to Pinkie. She had downgraded from cartwheeling to simple skipping. At Sunset’s approach, she turned around to converse, now skipping backward up the hill.

“So we just gotta sneak onto this evil Starlight lady’s computer, and then we’ll learn what the bad guys are up to?”

“Yep, that’s the gist of it.” The amount of willpower Sunset had to exert to not break down and spill everything to Pinkie was herculean. She hoped the excitement over their ‘secret spy mission’ would be enough of a distraction to keep Pinkie from empathically honing in on Sunset’s inner turmoil. Not to mention she had no idea how to tell any of her friends what happened between her and Twilight.

Equilibrium Labs came into view, the imposing satellite dish clawing at the sky. Pinkie stopped to ‘oooh’ at it before her eyes fell on the sign posted at the front entrance.

“Huh… ‘Equilibrium Labs.’ Why does that sound familiar?”

Sunset remained silent, struggling to come up with anything that wasn’t a lie.

Pinkie gasped. “Wait! Isn’t this where Twilight works? Has Twilight been kidnapped by the bad guys?”

“No!” Sunset said quickly, putting a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. “She, uhh… doesn’t know yet what Starlight might be up to. That’s why we’re on this spy mission. We need to make sure Starlight is up to something and find out what it is before we tell Twilight. Just in case we’re wrong.”

Pinkie’s panic evaporated. “Oh, that makes sense!” She slid a hand down over her face, transitioning to a serious expression.

“Let’s do this!” She marched up to the sliding doors, becoming all smiles the second she stepped over the threshold. Sunset followed behind her, glancing about the innocuous lobby. Nothing about the potted plants or sitting table screamed ‘mad scientist’ to her. The electronic bulletin board just showed pictures of machines, presumably projects the lab was working on.

The woman at the front desk looked up from her computer and gave a warm smile as the two girls approached. “Salutations! Welcome to Equilibrium Labs, where our motto is: for the good of humanity! How can I help you today?”

“Hello! My name is Diane, and I’m doing an in-depth blog report on all the science happening around Canterlot!” Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a pen and notepad. “I was hoping to ask you some questions.”

The lady, whose nameplate read ‘Amber’ nodded politely, seemingly unphased by Pinkie’s hammerspace. “Well, Diane, I’d be more than happy to call up one of our scientists to answer some of your questions.”

“Actually, I wanna ask you! My blog has a unique angle! ‘Science from a non-science perspective’! I wanna ask the ordinary people what they think about all the cool science stuff happening!” Pinkie said without missing a beat.

“I see. Well, I promise to answer to the best of my ability.”

“Yaay! First question: I ate a magnet one time when I was seven, but not really seven, but kinda actually seven because I was born on Leap Day, so my birthday only happens once every four years, but my parents are nice enough to throw me a party anyway, but their version of a party is different from my version of a party because they’re kinda really old school and traditional and minimalist, not that that’s a bad thing—I still have a lot of fun because we still have cake and games and my mom will tell us a story from when I was really, really little, even if I already know the stories because I can remember most of my childhood, even the really early stuff; like the time we went to the desert for vacation and a condor tried to carry me off, I think because I got too close to its nest, but then my sister—my big sister because I have one big sister and two little ones—she threw a rock at and hit it in the beak and then caught me as I was falling, which was really cool because I was like three and she was only six! Isn’t that cool?”

Amber gently cocked her head to the side, still smiling politely. “It is. But, what was the question exactly?”

“Oh right, the magnet! So anyways…”

Sunset watched and listened as Pinkie launched into another meandering story. She slowly edged herself closer to the left hallway, but Amber’s eyes flickered in her direction every few seconds.

Pinkie, in her savviness, caught on as well. “Okay, next question!” She set down her notebook and reached into her hair again, this time producing a bottle of cola and a bag of salt.

“So, you know that one fun thing where people drop mint candy in soda and it explodes?”

“Yes?” Amber said hesitantly...

Pinkie unscrewed the top of the soda bottle and unzipped the bag of salt. “Well, apparently, it also works with just sand or salt! How big do you think the explosion would be, and what are the scientific benefits?”

“I don’t think—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Pinkie dumped the salt into the bottle and watched with maniacal glee as it immediately fizzed up and erupted a geyser of drink and foam that ricocheted off the ceiling and rained down on everyone.

“Oops, I guess that was too much!” Pinkie shouted over the hissing bottle, still spewing soda. “And you’re all wet! Here, I can fix that!” Pinkie pulled a paper towel from her hair and attacked Amber’s glasses.

“I’ll go get more!” Sunset said as the fizz finally died down. She gave Pinkie a thumbs up and tiptoed down the hallway. She wiped off as much soda as she could from her vest, impressed and annoyed by Pinkie’s ingenuity as the stickiness set in.

Sunset came to the two doors Shimmer had marked as possibly being Starlight’s office. Neither door was labeled, and Pinkie could only keep the secretary distracted for so long, so she went for the door with the shuttered window next to it.

Closing it as softly as she could, Sunset looked about the unassuming room. Much like the lobby, nothing here struck her as belonging to an evil scientist dedicated to taking over the world. There was a bookshelf, a small couch, and a desk off to her right with a little houseplant sitting next to—

“The computer!” Sunset said in an excited whisper. The laptop was open to the lock screen, a picture of a woman Sunset assumed was Starlight Glimmer laughing and hugging a scruffy-haired young man with a wispy orange goatee and round glasses.

Sunset looked to the side and found the USB port. She pulled the drive from her pocket and plugged it in, watching as a loading bar popped onto the screen.

‘Establishing connection’, it read.

“One, two, three…” Sunset counted out loud, tapping her finger on the desk with each count. A knot formed in her stomach, and with each second, it got a little tighter. The sounds of Pinkie messily cleaning up the front desk flittered on the edge of her hearing peripheral. Hopefully, no one else would come running up to see what had happened.

“Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…” Sunset whispered. She stopped tapping. Did she hear a third voice? She strained her ears but it was hard to discern. Her heart picked up speed. Why was she nervous? She could fight her way out if she had to. But she was still breaking and entering. Publicly, she was in the wrong, and if anyone reported her to the police…

“Twenty-four, twenty-five…” Someone was coming! She could hear heels clicking against the linoleum. Sunset looked at the loading bar, almost entirely green. “Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…”

A shadow passed across the window blinds. Someone was right outside.

Thirty! Just as she finished counting, the loading message was replaced with ‘connection established.’ Sunset yanked the drive out and dropped down underneath the desk just as the doorknob turned and clicked open.

The footsteps continued inside. Sunset slowly pressed a hand over her nose and mouth to mask her breathing. From the gap between the desk and the floor, a pair of closed-toed heels appeared. They moved to the side of the desk. Any more, and the owner would no doubt be able to see Sunset.

They stayed in place for a moment before turning and leaving. The door clicked shut a second later. Sunset kept a hand over her mouth and slowly exhaled. She waited another thirty seconds before shoving the USB into her boot and climbing out from under the desk.

“Gotcha.”

Sunset stumbled, nearly crashing into the bookshelf. Heart racing, she spun around and found Starlight Glimmer next to the door. She eyed Sunset like a cat about to play with its food.

“Now, why on earth would you be in my office?” she asked, smugness dripping into her voice.

“I…” Sunset cleared her throat, buying herself two seconds to get composed. “I was looking for paper towels or anything to help clean up the soda in the lobby.”

Starlight nodded like she understood. “Very considerate of you. But, you know, you spent an awfully long time under my desk.”

“Dropped my contact. And I thought if I popped up then, I would scare you.”

“Again, so considerate. And contacts are simply awful, aren’t they?” Starlight tittered. “Always falling out at the worst moment.”

Sunset chuckled as well, doing her best not to sound nervous.

“Well, I appreciate you trying to clean up the mess. But I think your friend has it all covered. You can run along now.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Sunset stepped around the desk, her heart rate accelerating as she got closer to Starlight.

“Before you go,” Starlight said sweetly, “could you empty your pockets? l know that must sound rude, but, security measures and all.”

Sunset reached into her pockets and pulled out her wallet, keys, chapstick, and phone.

“That’s everything?” Starlight asked innocently, eyeing the contents.

“Yep,” Sunset said. The USB dug into her ankle.

Starlight raised her eyes to give Sunset a calm, calculating look. Her smug smile had dropped to become something unreadable. She clicked her tongue before speaking. “Do you know the two primary forces that have driven humanity to come so far? What has pushed us to so many great heights and allowed us to survive against so many odds?”

“Umm…” Sunset hovered her hand over her phone. “No?”

Starlight’s lips curled into a knowing smile. She gently tilted her head to one side. “Curiosity.” She tipped her head to the other side. “And fear.”

“I see…” It wasn’t often Sunset faced someone so inscrutable. Even Moondancer, enigmatic as she could be, still had cracks in her mask. Sunset’s only read on Starlight was that she knew what she was doing and had complete control of the conversation.

“Curiosity is the progenitor not just of science, but for humanity’s advancement as a whole. The hows and the whys are what led us to discover, to think, to build and build upon. Could we create medicine to stop this disease? If so, how? Could we find a way to transport goods faster? If so, how? Does matter exist on a scale smaller than an atom? Could we weaponize that knowledge?”

Starlight clapped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. “If so… how? And why?”

Sunset kept her face as neutral as she could and hoped Starlight couldn’t hear her thumping heart in the pause between words.

Starlight stepped around Sunset, almost brushing shoulders as she passed. She put a hand on the desk. “Curiosity brought you into my office. Not to look for some paper towels but because you wanted to learn something. Isn’t that right, Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset kept staring ahead at the opposite wall. “You know who I am.”

“Please, it’s not hard to guess. Whether or not you know it, you have a very remarkable presence. Plus, Twilight speaks so fondly of you.”

Sunset tensed her shoulders.

“Ah, and that brings us to fear,” Starlight said, picking up a pen and twirling it between her fingers. “What drives us to fight so desperately to survive and thrive. Fear of failure. Fear of death. Fear of being forgotten. Fear of looking back and finding our whole lives were wasted or otherwise pointless. Fear of being unable to protect what we love. It has driven people to kill, steal, lie, cheat. To build walls and monuments to gods. And to create weapons that would make others afraid instead. That’s the why. That is why we continue to learn and build. So that our curiosity is sated… and to stop being afraid of the unknown and make others fear us instead.”

Starlight set the pen down and circled Sunset, returning to the door. “I care not for what you think you’ve found, Sunset; it matters little to me in the end. I have what I want, and what has been put in motion cannot be stopped. Go ahead and run back to your friends and tell them whatever you’ve learned.”

Sunset put a little weight on her left foot, leaning toward the door. “Really? I can go just like that?”

“Of course,” Starlight said, twinkling her fingers toward the exit. “I could keep you in here and call Tempest so she can come and take your soul. But I don’t want to. You’re too fascinating, Sunset. I still have so many questions I need answered.”

She stuck her bottom lip out and batted her eyelashes. “And it would just crush Twilight’s productivity if something happened to you. She already seems out of sorts from something you did to her.”

Sunset clenched her jaw.

Starlight smirked and stepped into Sunset’s personal bubble. “However, I should make one thing clear: yes, you and I, at least from your short-sighted perspective, are on opposing sides. No doubt, we shall soon have to stand against each other on some sort of battlefield, each of us fighting for what we believe is right. I do look forward to that moment, Sunset. I would love to see your magic up close.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, devoid of all warmth and sugar. “But if you get in my way, if you push my research backward, if our paths cross prematurely, and only one of us is allowed to walk away… mark my words… it will be me who does. I may not know magic, but I know you. I’ve seen your soul. And it’s more fragile than you think.”

She stepped back, the warm smile decorating her face again as she gestured toward the door.

Sunset stared into her eyes, still finding nothing concrete to latch onto. Starlight stared back at her like she hadn’t just made a none-too-veiled threat. Sunset shoved her things in her pockets and backed up to the door, her gaze never leaving Starlight’s.

“And there’s the fear,” Starlight said softly as Sunset crossed the threshold. She shut the door, turned on her heel, and power-walked to the lobby.

“Let’s go, Pinkie,” she ushered.

Pinkie, who was hopping on one foot and waving a rubber chicken around, gave a quick bow. “Thank you for answering my questions! I’ll make sure to cite you in my report! Bye!” She hurried after Sunset before Amber, hair mussed, could respond.

“Did you get it?” Pinkie asked as the doors slid closed.

“Yep.” Sunset kept walking as fast as she could, letting gravity pull her faster down the hill.

“Sunny, are you okay?”

“Nope.” They reached Pinkie’s car. Before Shimmer could give a snarky comment, Sunset tugged the USB out of her boot and tossed it through the window. She yanked the door open and sat down. “Pinkie, start the car. Drive.”

Pinkie, in a rare act of apprehension, did as she was told without a word. She gave the car some gas as she pulled a U-turn and headed back down the road.

“What happened in there?” Shimmer asked, twisting in her seat.

It wasn’t until Sunset fumbled putting her seatbelt on that she realized her hands were shaking. “I met Starlight.”

Both Shimmer and Pinkie sucked in a sharp breath.

“She just let me go,” Sunset said in a daze. “She said it doesn’t matter what we find out. Something’s already happening and can’t be stopped.”

“And what, you just believed her?” Shimmer asked, looking incredulously disgusted.

Sunset shuddered. “I don’t know. Something about her… just made me freeze. She’s not like Adagio or Moondancer—she’s smart… calculating.”

Shimmer snorted. “She’s not smart, she’s crazy.”

Sunset turned to face the window as Pinkie pulled onto the main road and headed through the city. If Starlight was crazy, she hid it very well. Sunset saw only competence. A methodical charisma that had caught her completely off-guard. No, Starlight wasn’t crazy, but she was dangerous.

“How long will it take you to get into her files?” Sunset asked.

“Depends on how tight her encryptions are,” Shimmer said, fingers dancing on the keyboard. “My decryption program will do most of the work and once it breaks through, I just gotta sort through her files. Am I looking for anything in particular?”

“Anything on Tirek.” Sunset’s clenched her jaw, snapshots of her argument with Twilight flashing through her mind. “Or portals.”

Sunset’s whole body snapped forward, restrained by the seatbelt pressing into her abdomen before slinging her back into her seat. Outside in front of Pinkie, tires screeched and horns blared as they too came to sudden stops.

“What hap—” Sunset got her answer before she finished the question. In the reflection of the glass office building ahead of them, a large orange tail slipped around a corner. Even amongst the cacophonic traffic, she could hear a hauntingly familiar song.

“Please tell me that’s not Adagio,” Sunset said with preemptive exhaustion.

“Okay,” Pinkie said with a nervous higher pitch, “it wasn’t Adagio.”

“Celestia dammit!” Sunset unbuckled herself and threw open the car door. She got out and ran over to the passenger window. “Take the wheel, get home, and finish getting the data. Pinkie, come on!”

Pinkie scrambled out of the car while Shimmer jumped into the driver’s seat. Traffic had come to a crawl, but that didn’t stop cars from honking at Sunset and Pinkie as they marched down the road. They reached the sidewalk and turned a corner, just as the orange tail rounded another building.

An ear-splitting caterwaul blasted down the street and struck Pinkie and Sunset, bringing both girls to their knees. Windows around them cracked and car alarms blared.

Clutching her skull, Sunset struggled to her feet. People were screaming and running now, abandoning cars and shops. Sunset shouldered past oncoming civilians and continued after the mirage of Adagio.

Please don’t be what I think I saw! Please don’t be what I think I saw!

“Hello, Canterlot!” a sickeningly familiar voice boomed through the streets. “Adagio Dazzle here with a surprise performance for all of you!”

Sunset rounded the corner and ground to a halt. Floating above the street was Adagio, dressed in her outfit from the Battle of the Bands. Her hair was longer, her eyes were bathed in red light, and purple wings kept her aloft. And hovering higher in the air was the incorporeal visage of her true form, the massive yellow hippocampus with its teeth bared.

“How?” Sunset shouted.

Pinkie ran up beside her. “Look on the bright side,” she said, trying to smile, “at least it’s only Adagio.”

Adagio raised her hand and fired a blast of magic at an office building, shattering the glass walls and raining shards onto the civilians below.

“Yeah, too bad she’s the strongest and still has half of our powers!”

Pinkie shrugged haplessly.

Another screech from Adagio’s siren avatar brought Sunset and Pinkie to the ground again. Sunset clenched her teeth and pressed her hands over her ears, but the wail drilled through and left her disoriented. It had been horrible before. Now, it threatened to leave her deaf.

When Adagio finally took a pause, Sunset pulled out her phone and opened up the group text chat. She typed out a quick emergency message, then swapped her phone for her mask.

“Come on, Pinkie,” she said, fitting her mask over her eyes and jumping into phoenix mode. “We’re crashing Adagio’s concert.”

“Oooh, good superhero line!” Pinkie pulled her mask out of her hair and jumped to her feet. “Following your lead, Phoenix!”

Sunset leaped into the air, forming a fireball in both hands as she closed in on Adagio. She threw her hands together, combining them into a larger conflagration, and fired it at Adagio.

Adagio, who had her back turned, spun around, threw up a red diamond shield, and dispersed the fire. “There you are! Just the nuisances I was hoping to draw out!”

“Wish granted.” Sunset snapped another fireball into existence. “Before we kick your butt, how the heck did you get your powers back?”

Adagio sneered, showing off her violently sharp teeth. “A very friendly witch decided to give me enough power to almost be myself again! In exchange, all I had to do was fight you miserable girls. I was all too happy to oblige!”

A witch?

A blast of magic from Adagio sent Sunset diving toward the street to avoid it. She could ponder later. She hurled her fireball up at Adagio who weaved out of the way and shot back with a firework. Sunset rolled out of its path and watched it collide with an empty car, shattering its windows and denting the metal.

Pinkie vaulted onto the car’s roof and shot her own fireworks at Adagio. The Siren threw her shield up, but the force of Pinkie’s explosions was enough to at least drive her back. She retreated higher into the air, then raised her arms and became completely still.

The translucent monster siren, which had been unmoving up until that point, unleashed a roar that grew in pitch until it was wailing again. Sunset struggled to keep herself in the air. Though her magic dampened the pain the noise induced, her eardrums still throbbed violently.

Pinkie raised her hands, the tips of each of her fingers alight. With a yell Sunset could barely hear, Pinkie fired a rapid volley of light into siren-Adagio’s chest. The wailing broke into a roar of pain, and the beast retreated down the street.

“Good job, Pollyanna,” Sunset said, rubbing her ears.

“Thanks!” Pinkie blew a wisp of smoke off her index finger. “I call that one Sassaflash!”

Siren-Adagio flew back toward them, a sphere of yellow energy in her mouth. She spewed it forth, and Sunset and Pinkie simultaneously fired their magic at it. The two powers collided and detonated on impact, the shockwave knocking all three players backward.

Sunset heard screams and emergency sirens as she skidded across the pavement and into a lamppost. She pushed herself up and looked about the street. Shopfronts were damaged, glass and debris littered the street, and a car was on fire. People were running away as fast as they could, some snapping pictures on their phones even as they fled.

I can’t believe Adagio is attacking the city in broad daylight! We can’t fight here!

As if to further her point, Adagio’s human form broke out of whatever trance she was in and fired a blast of magic at an apartment over one of the shops. There was a scream as the wall broke away and a young man fell out.

Sunset jumped into the air, knowing full well she wouldn’t make it in time. Before she could move, a pink blur flew down the street, caught the young man, and dropped him off at the end of the block before zipping back to Sunset’s side.

Rainbow, in her disguise, gave a look of disgust up at Adagio. “You’re sick, you know that?”

Adagio responded by raising her shard-embedded glove and ensnaring a car in her red glow. It rose into the air and flung itself at the two girls.

Rainbow grabbed Sunset by the wrist and pulled her out of the way, zipping down to the far end of the block. Sunset blinked rapidly to reorient herself. She clenched her fists and burned her flames hotter.

“Help as many people get out of here,” she told Rainbow. “Pinkie and I will keep her distracted.”

Rainbow saluted and sped off, grabbing someone out of the path of another flying car. Sunset launched herself into the air again, hands aflame. Adagio had her back turned, and Sunset reached out to grab her wrists. The Siren spun around and bobbed left, dodging Sunset’s hands. Sunset struck again, reaching for the red pendant this time. Adagio ducked, but Sunset managed to run her fingers through the tip of her massive hair.

Adagio screamed and high-kicked Sunset in the jaw. Her teeth violently clacked together, and she flew back while Adagio shook the fire out.

“You miserable urchin!” Adagio created a large cut of diamond and sliced at Sunset with it. Sunset flew to the right, but the shard cut through her wing. Sunset cried in pain as her wing flickered out and she spiraled to the ground. She skidded onto the asphalt and landed on her hands and knees, still feeling a phantom pain in her reignited wing.

She heard a rush of wind and threw herself forward as Adagio came down and plunged the diamond shard into the ground. She thrusted her palm forward and blasted Sunset with a burst of energy, knocking her into the side of a car.

Bruised and aching, Sunset got to her feet and raised her fists in front of her face. Adagio sucked in a deep breath, then was launched into the air by a bright pink explosion.

“You big bully!” Pinkie yelled, throwing firework after firework at Adagio and sending her higher into the sky. She was only freed from the assault when she gained too much altitude and Pinkie missed.

At level with one of the taller buildings, Adagio raised her arms again, and her hippocampus sprung back to life with a roar.

They can’t attack at the same time! That thing is just an extension of Adagio!

Siren-Adagio opened its maw and fired a ray of energy that shaved off the roof of the car Sunset was resting against as it rushed toward Pinkie. She blasted a firework at her feet and propelled herself high into the air, then shot another at the siren’s open mouth.

It twisted away, taking the blast on the cheek instead. While it recovered and as Pinkie was falling back to the ground, she threw another blast at Adagio herself. It struck the Siren in the gut and sent her into the side of a glass building.

Pinkie leaned back in her fall and hit the ground hair first, the fluffy mass acting as a cushion and bouncing her back onto her feet. She took a moment to spin in place and pose with two fingers next to her eye.

A new wail drew Sunset’s attention down the block behind them, where a squadron of police cars had parked, getting as close as they could with the build-up of abandoned cars blocking their path.

Harshwhinny got out and raised a bullhorn to her mouth. “All of, lay down… whatever you’re using as weapons and put your hands in the air! You’re all under arrest!”

“What? But we’re the good guys!” Pinkie shouted back.

Sunset looked at the row of police officers behind Harshwhinny dressed in riot gear and armed with lethal weapons. “I don’t think they’re in a mood to differentiate.”

Siren-Adagio let out a roar that turned into another charge of energy. It took aim at the gathered officers and fired.

“Run!” Sunset screamed.

A few turned or tried to duck, but none of them had time to move out of the way. The condensed ball of magic flew at them, only to collide with a wall of interlocked diamonds.

Rarity and Applejack, both in their disguises, floated over the stunned police force on shimmering blue platforms. Harshwhinny in particular looked dumbstruck, staring with her mouth agape.

The Siren roared again in fury and fired another pulsing laser directly at Rarity. She encased herself in a crystalline dome, while Applejack hopped off her support platform, grabbed the nearest empty car by the front fender, and hurled it at the beast. To everyone’s surprise and dismay, the car sailed right through the projection and crashed at the other end of the street. Siren-Adagio grinned hungrily at them.

Rarity flicked her wrists forward, and the wall of diamonds broke apart and rushed forth, slicing and stabbing into the siren. Though there were no residual marks, the beast roared in clear pain. The second Rarity ran out of diamond shards, Pinkie hit the siren with a high-powered firework and sent it careening back into the glass building, shattering the windows.

Sunset scanned the other buildings for Adagio herself but didn’t see anyone in the immediate vicinity. She tensed as she heard the sound of fluttering wings, and prepared a fireball. But, turning around, she was delighted to see Fluttershy descending toward her.

Fluttershy put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, and a pink aura washed over her, healing all of the wounds.

“Thanks.”

“Of course,” Fluttershy said before jumping over to check on Pinkie.

Sunset turned back toward the police force and shouted, “See? We’re on your side!”

Harshwhinny raised the bullhorn. “You’re vigilantes and causing just as much damage as that monster is! If you’re on our side then stand down!”

Applejack and Rarity took their place next to Sunset. Applejack jabbed a thumb in Harshwhinny’s direction. “Somethin’ tells me they ain’t gonna take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“They’re gonna have to,” Sunset said defiantly. “Just because they’ve got guns doesn’t mean they’re a match for Adagio. And we promised Sonata and Aria we wouldn’t kill her, just lock her away.”

“Speaking of…” Rarity pointed. The siren beast was shaking itself out of a daze and climbing out of the building.

“What’s the plan, Phoenix?” Applejack asked.

Sunset traded her phoenix powers for her base pony form and placed a hand on Applejack’s shoulder. Sunset felt some of her magic leave, and Applejack’s aura blazed brighter.

“Keep this area clear of any stragglers and keep an eye on Adagio. If you think you can hit her with something, hit her,” Sunset said, jumping back to phoenix form. “The rest of us will keep the monster off balance and hopefully take her down.”

Applejack tipped her in acknowledgment. “On it!”

“Halt!” Harshwhinny yelled as Applejack turned and ran off. She cursed and turned her attention to the remaining three. “You’re all officially under arrest!”

“Hold that thought!” Sunset shouted back as siren-Adagio rose into the air and snorted in fury. It inhaled and unleashed another earsplitting soundwave. Sunset could see the ripples in the air. Rarity threw a shield in front of them, but while it blocked the force, it couldn’t block out the sound.

The rest of the police force fell to their knees. With a single beat of her wings, Sunset rocketed herself up above the siren and rained fireballs down on it. A red shield quickly encased it, vanishing when Sunset took a pause. The Siren charged forward and rammed its head into Sunset, sending her careening back onto a fire escape.

Pinkie took over, bombarding siren-Adagio with another Sassaflash attack. Forcing itself through the barrage, the Siren swung its tail and slapped Pinkie away. Rarity blocked the sweep and retaliated by slashing a diamond down the behemoth’s side.

While it reared back in pain, Sunset leaned over the fire escape and unleashed a jet of fire at its chest. Instead of a roar, Sunset heard a distant scream swirling with rage and pain. The siren retreated down the street while Adagio broke through a skyscraper window, eyes an even deeper red than before.

A broken pick-up truck flew up at her. Without looking at it, Adagio caught it in her magical grasp and hurled it back at Applejack on the ground.

Applejack leaped out of the way, avoiding the cacophony of crunching steel. She jumped again when the sidewalk beneath her ripped itself free of the earth and floated up next to Adagio. Several more chunks followed, and she hurled them at each of the girls in sight.

Sunset vaulted over the railing and dropped to the sidewalk before she could get crushed, raising her wings to block the falling debris. Applejack merely punched her projectile into hundreds of pieces. Pinkie dove into a slide, narrowly avoiding hers, while Rarity raised a shield, defending her and the police cowering behind her.

Adagio didn’t relent. With a snap of her fingers, a red doppelganger of Harbinger appeared and rushed after Rarity. She then pointed at a fire hydrant which promptly exploded, unleashing a geyser of water. With a single point, the geyser curved toward Sunset.

“Crap—” was all she got out before being punched with gallons of water and slammed into a wall. The pressure was too great. She couldn’t move, and she couldn’t gasp for air without water flooding in. Her fire tried to burn hotter, but not even magic flame could stand up to the amount of water dousing her.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. Sunset fell to the ground, coughing and spluttering. Looking up, Sunset saw Applejack holding the wolf back from biting into Rarity, who had encased the water spout in a crystal dome, already completely flooded. Adagio fended off Pinkie while firing back with fireworks of her own. She noticed Sunset was no longer drowning and switched targets, launching a crimson blast at her.

Sunset tried to fly out of the way, but in her drenched state, her wings struggled to reignite. A suit of crystal surrounded her upper torso just as the firework hit, and while she was still knocked backward, most of the pain had been mitigated.

The armor flew off of Sunset, morphed into a disk, and rushed at Adagio. She blocked it with a shield of her own, but the second she dropped it, a well-timed blast from Pinkie threw her back into another building.

Applejack, who had the wolf in a chokehold, slammed it into the ground, full force. It whined and evaporated into glimmering dust.

The astral siren took over again, running a hoof through the air like it was about to charge. Rarity took the dome full of water and closed the bottom, creating a crystal container, and hurled it at the siren. It smashed into the beast’s chest and dropped a deluge of water onto the street.

With a scream of increasing fury, the siren flew into the air, briefly lost in the sun just overhead. Taking a deep breath, Sunset willed her fire to reignite. Curls of smoke rolled off her clothes at first before her wings and tail burst back to life. With a few test flaps, Sunset leaped into the air and hurled a fireball at the siren.

Adagio’s projection saw the blast coming near and spiraled out of its path. It made a lap in the air, then divebombed the girls, emitting its loudest screeching shockwave yet as it descended.

Sunset covered her ears, creating the minimalist barrier. Below her, her friends cringed and recoiled in pain, their mouths open in drowned-out agony. Pinkie fired a burst of light at the siren, but it deftly dodged and continued to wail. The noise reverberated in Sunset’s skull and rattled her teeth.

The wail suddenly dropped to a muffled yell. A hexagonal sphere entombed the siren and its shriek. Noticing its prison, it began to thrash about, the shield flashing with each hit.

Sunset shook her head to clear some of the ringing in her ears, and her eyes caught something. Atop a smaller office building partly shaded by the taller towers around it, Sunset spotted not Adagio, but a figure in a dark robe. They would have blended into the shadows if not for their silvery hair drifting in the wind. Sunset narrowed her eyes. Something about that figure was familiar.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ack—!”

Adagio flew back out of the building she had been hiding in, followed by a blue and pink blur that kicked her straight down into the middle of the street.

Sunset circled down and landed, keeping a good distance from the real Siren. Her friends gathered around her, including Fluttershy, having emerged from her hiding place to give quick healing touches to her friends.

Rainbow hovered over them, a victorious smirk on her face. “Just give up already. It’s six against one—you can’t win!”

Adagio pounded a fist against the concrete and pushed herself onto her hands and knees. “I will not lose to the likes of you! I refuse to be continuously beaten like this!”

“Ugh!” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Really wish we could use the Rainbow of Light right now and like, banish her or something. You wanna find that key anytime soon?”

“We don’t know if I’m the key bearer.”

“I don’t care who it is right now, I just want to get rid of Adagio.”

“Why you!” Adagio got to her feet, but before she could do anything else, Rarity encased her in another shield.

“Let’s decide on something soon,” she said, wincing as siren-Adagio continued to thrash. “I can’t keep them both contained forever.”

Sunset pulled her phone out. “I can call Artemis. He can probably find a place to lock them up.”

“Ahem.”

The girls looked over their shoulders. Ms. Harshwhinny had her bullhorn out again.

“We… thank you girls for your services, despite your vigilante nature and wonton destruction. We will apprehend this criminal from here. This is your one and only chance to leave before I change my mind and arrest all of you.”

As if to emphasize her point, from down the other end of the block came an armored police truck flanked by several more squad cars.

“We should take their offer,” Fluttershy suggested.

“Agreed,” Sunset said. “Let’s strip Adagio of her stuff then get out of here.”

There was a dark flash, the sound of shattering glass, and a clap of thunder, all within the span of two seconds. Rarity swooned and fell to one knee, holding her head in her hand.

Applejack rushed to her side. “What happened?”

“I… I’m not sure. Something really strong hit my forcefield.”

“Adagio’s free!” Pinkie cried, pointing up to the siren in the sky. It was already forming a sphere of energy.

Sunset put her hands together, creating a fireball to counter it. Rainbow tensed her muscles to charge Adagio still on the ground.

Before anyone could make a move, both Adagio and her avatar disappeared, leaving behind wisps of black smoke.

Sunset twisted her head about. “Where’d she go?”

A wall of black flames rose and cut off both the approaching police car and the unit behind them. The police startled back, and when one tried to force his way through, he shot backward and landed on the ground, twitching.

Curls of smoke circled before the wall of flames at the other end of the street. A plume of fire rose and the cloaked figure Sunset had seen on the rooftop appeared from it. Looking at her straight on, Sunset fully recognized her.

“Apalla?” Sunset’s fireball went out. Apalla’s soul was supposed to be in the Soul Lock. And her body was supposed to be buried.

Apalla’s lips curled up in a cold smile. “Not quite,” she said, devoid of the lively, if slightly manic voice Sunset remembered.

Sunset reignited her fire. “Who are you?”

“In body, I unfortunately inhabit the descendant of my mortal enemies. In spirit, however,” Apalla’s smile widened. “I am Lord Tirek.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Street Fighter

20. For Every Soul

A chill blew across the street. Sunset’s flame sputtered again. Their archenemy, the person they were training so hard to defeat, was here before them? He had a body? He had Apalla’s body?

Sunset tried to keep her breathing steady. For Tirek to appear right in front of them in broad daylight… This had to be a trap. Her eyes fixated on Tirek’s neckline. She could see the chain of a necklace hiding underneath his cloak.

“Dumb enough to show your face to us?” Rainbow asked. “Cool! That means we can finally kick your butt and move on with our lives!”

“Rainbow wait!” Sunset yelled, stopping Rainbow mid-lunge. “His Soul Lock!”

Tirek gave a dark chuckle. “Do not worry. I’m not going to take your souls. Not yet anyway. I have need of you for just a little longer.”

“We’re not playin’ your game anymore!” Applejack shouted. “You’re here now; why don’t we settle this?”

“Tsk. The people of this age lack patience. Though I suppose I am one to talk, as I find mine running thin as well.” He lifted a hand from his cloak and traced a finger around the outline of the Soul Lock hiding beneath. “We’ll all get what we want soon.”

Sunset clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to bombard him with fire. “Why are you here?”

Tirek smiled again. “Straight to the heart of the matter. Well, Sunset Shimmer, I would like the Rainbow of Light.”

Sunset heard each of her friends suck in a breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, drawing on her old instincts.

Tirek gave a short chuckle. “Do not lie to me, child. I know you have it, or at the very least, you know of its existence.”

He shook his head, and his smile turned into a disgusted sneer. “In every age I walked, there were misguided fools on a crusade from the gods to stop me. Djinn and shamen. Wizards and knights. And now, ‘superheroes’. All of them wielding the Rainbow of Light to undo my work.

“You are merely the next instruments the gods will use to stop me.” He clenched his fist. “You and the accursed kin of Megan. It seemed obvious that you were their latest pawns, but your shows of so-called ‘heroism’ were so meager, that I found myself unconvinced. You wasted my time using these paltry powers, instead of revealing the rainbow to me. And so I had to escalate things ever greater, hoping you would show me what I knew you possessed.”

He locked eyes with Sunset. Sunset narrowed her own. Something clicked in her mind and she gasped.

“All the monsters we’ve been fighting this summer! They were from you! I thought Tempest was trying to get us to generate magic, but you were trying to see if we would use the Rainbow of Light!”

“I believe you call it, ‘killing two birds with one stone.’” Tirek stroked his bare chin. “I thought, surely a rampaging monster of Adagio’s caliber would get them to use it. Only to hear that you can’t. But you do have it.”

Sunset’s eyes flickered in Rainbow’s direction. Her jaw was tight and her cheeks were a burning red.

Tirek folded his arms behind his back. “So, as you cannot use it for whatever reason, I would ask that you hand it over.”

“Even if we did have it, why the hell would we hand it to you?” Sunset asked.

“Because I am trying to help this world!” Tirek bellowed. He held out his arms. “Created by careless gods who saw us as nothing more than playthings; they abandoned this place when they grew bored! During their rule, they allowed corruption to spread and disease to fester! No matter how pious one was, it was on the gods’ whims if they would help or not.”

Tirek lowered his arms and spat on the pavement. “And now, without them, humanity is worse. More corruption, more war, and worst of all, cut off from magic! We’ve been denied our true potential!”

He took a deep breath and folded his arms behind his back again. “So you see, I would use a tool like the Rainbow of Light against the true villains of the world: the gods that ignored and abandoned us. And in their place, become a new god that would usher in a golden age for humanity. But if it is truly inaccessible, then I would remove it from play so it can’t be used to stop my mission.”

Sunset threw her head back and laughed. “Okay, I get it now. I understand your whole deal.” She leveled a hand at him, flames burning brighter.

“You’re insane,” she finished flatly.

Tirek snorted in disgust. “I wouldn’t have expected you children to understand. Not with your minds tainted by Megan’s ilk.”

“No, we understand,” Pinkie said, shaking her head. “You’re just cuckoo for Coco Puffs.”

“Enough of this.” Tirek extended a hand toward Sunset. “This is the last time I’ll ask with civility. Give me the Rainbow of Light.”

Sunset widened her stance, fire dancing in her palms. “No.”

A shadow crossed over Tirek’s eyes. “You children clearly don’t value your lives or your souls if you think challenging me is wise.”

Applejack put her fists up. “We’d rather fight than give up the best weapon to put you down.”

Tirek raised his other hand, sparks of magic coalescing at his fingertips. “If you spurn my mercy then be forewarned: when I take your souls, I will mangle your bodies. So that when my new world comes and I release all those who aided me on this path, your souls will have nothing to go back to.”

Even with her attention focused on Tirek, Sunset felt the tension enveloping her friends tighten to a chokehold. She could also feel their unyielding resolve. Yet her own faltered. They were facing Tirek, a millennia-old warlock, possessing Apalla’s body, a witch who had to be comparable to Artemis. And a single misstep would cost them their souls.

“Wait!” Sunset shouted. She threw an out, signaling her friends to stay back. “I challenge you to a magic duel!”

“What?” Rainbow shouted. “Sunset, have you lost it?”

“Sunset, you can’t!” Rarity protested.

Sunset ignored them. “Just you and me. If you win, I’ll tell you where the Rainbow of Light is. But if I win, you go straight to hell.”

Tirek threw his head back and laughed with a sinister enthusiasm. “I have seen your soul, Sunset Shimmer, felt its radiance inside my lock. You are clever, determined, and yes, you have power worthy of consideration. But you are not a fool. We both know you cannot defeat me.”

“Yeah, seriously!” Rainbow said, flying closer to Sunset. “Not by yourself!”

Sunset kept her eyes forward. “I might surprise you.”

Tirek laughed again. “You’re certainly welcome to try. I accept your challenge, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset started forward, but Rainbow grabbed her arm. There was a rare look of genuine panic on her face. “Please tell me you know what you’re doing.”

“Of course I do,” Sunset said, forcing a smile. She slipped out of Rainbow’s grasp and walked forward.

With a sweep of his arm, Tirek erected another circle of black fire around them, trapping them in an arena that took up the entirety of the road. He rolled up the sleeves of his cloak but otherwise left it alone.

“And just so we’re clear, no soul sucking during the fight either,” Sunset said, taking a fighting stance.

“Oh, but of course not. Not that I’ll need it anyway.” Tirek flashed her a savage smile.

Sunset took a deep breath. It was a gamble with near-impossible odds, but there was still a chance. And this way, if she failed, her friends wouldn’t pay the price.

“Begin!” Tirek clenched a fist and thrust it skyward.

Sunset had a split second to jump sideways before a spear of earth and cement erupted from the earth and nearly impaled her. Two more broke from the ground, and Sunset propelled herself into the air, the fiery boundary of the arena rising with her. She threw her palms out and blasted a flurry of fireballs down at Tirek.

Tirek raised both arms overhead, and a funnel of wind enveloped him. The fireballs hit the wind tunnel and merged into it, creating a tornado of fire. Sunset halted her attack and watched Tirek reappear above the twister. With a flick of his fingers, it moved toward Sunset.

With a growl, Sunset flew right toward it at top speed. She broke through the funnel, feeling a sharp increase in temperature but little else. She launched up to a smirking Tirek and aimed a fist at his face.

Tirek blocked it with the outside of his arm and deflected all of Sunset’s follow-up punches and kicks. Sunset pushed back and aimed a fireball directly at his chest, but Tirek caught her arm and, with shocking strength, reeled her up before flinging her down to the ground.

She slammed into the cement, aching despite the protection her magic aura gave her. Gasping in pain and powers flickering for a moment, Sunset pushed herself onto her elbows and saw the fire tornado heading in her direction again. She forced herself to her feet, extended her arms, then yanked them back in. The fire rushed toward her, bathing her in its warmth as it spiraled like ribbons up her arms and around her torso.

Sunset took the rest of the fire and condensed it into a single sphere. She hurled it at Tirek, still floating in the air. As it approached, Sunset saw him ready his hands. She made a quick separating motion with her hands, and the fireball split in two before Sunset clapped her hands together and brought the flaming sphere back together with Tirek in the center.

Tirek, who had shot a spell forward, couldn’t move before the fire collapsed on him. Sunset clenched her fist to make it detonate, but instead of an explosion of fire, the flames flash froze into a sphere of ice.

“Come on!” Sunset opened her palm and took aim.

Sections of the surface of the ice ball melted into rippling water. Spouts erupted and turned into tendrils as they twisted down to Sunset. She blasted one of them, creating a spray of steam, but the watery tendril enveloped her arm and held fast. Another ensnared her leg, and the two pulled in opposite directions.

Sunset grit her teeth as her bones popped and tendons stretched. Another tendril reached down for her free arm. Sunset concentrated as much heat into her hand before the water reached her. Upon contact, it fizzled into vapor, and Sunset chopped a wave of fire at the water rope holding her leg. It burst into steam, freeing half of her body, but the one holding her by the arm then flung her into the wall of fire blocking them from the rest of the city.

The fire didn’t burn; it was like Sunset had hit a warm floor. Sharp, prickling pains erupted just beneath her skin. But Sunset didn’t scream or flail. She lay on the ground, powers fading, fog clouding her thoughts and dimming her vision. Despair dug its thick talons into her heart.

I can’t win, Sunset thought. The world is doomed. I’m sorry, girls. I’m sorry, Twilight.

“Sunset, get up!”

Through lidded eyes, she could see her friends just beyond the black flames. They screamed her name again, and a jolt of vitality struck Sunset. Despair’s grip slackened, and the fog cleared from her head.

Sunset pushed herself up onto shaky feet. “Not done yet,” she said, fire flickering back to life.

The sphere of ice and water above her shattered with an echoing crack. Tirek emerged and immediately fired a volley of crackling dark arrows down at Sunset.

With a few quick hops and twirls, Sunset dodged the initial onslaught before propelling herself into the air. She sped straight for Tirek, drawing her fist back to strike. Tirek merely smirked with superiority, raising his hand for another spell.

At the last moment, Sunset banked to the right and instead of coming in direct contact, shot past Tirek, her fiery wing cutting through his torso.

Tirek roared in pain as Sunset banked and came around for another pass. She crashed into a barrier and rolled head over heels backward. She extended her wings to catch and right herself, only for thin fingers to close around her throat.

“My amusement has run thin, girl,” Tirek growled. He tightened his grip and flung Sunset to the ground.

This time, Sunset caught herself before she hit the pavement, using her wings to come to a soft landing. She took a deep breath and massaged her throat. Above her, Tirek looked about the broken street. His eyes landed on one of the glass office buildings. With an upward strike of his hand, a black tear erupted up the front of the building, shattering the glass.

Tirek swirled his hand above his head, and the glass swirled with him, becoming a glittering tempest above the street. With a downward strike, the glass rained upon Sunset.

Sunset threw both her arms up, a pillar of fire rising with them and surrounding her completely. Hot shards of glass broke through and sliced into Sunset’s arms and legs. She cried out but increased the heat of her flames, shattering or melting a majority of the glass assaulting her.

Glittering dust cut her cheek and she winced, losing concentration and letting in more shrapnel. Her face, her stomach, her shoulders, every part of her was nicked and sliced, and with every cut, her concentration faltered further.

Sunset fell to one knee, gasping as the pain accumulated. She gave one final gout of intense heat before her fire extinguished itself and she collapsed onto her hands.

The few remaining pieces of glass dropped to the ground around her with soft tinkles. A cold wind scattered them away as Tirek descended in front of Sunset. She forced herself to look up and glare at him.

“Yield, Sunset Shimmer.”

The burning rebellion inside Sunset screamed at her to refuse. She looked at her arms, thin streams of blood running down them. She turned her gaze to her friends, looking on with concern and fear. She wanted to keep fighting. And if she was on her own, she would have. But if she went down, Tirek would just move on to the rest of her friends.

Survive.

Through clenched teeth, Sunset said, “Fine. I yield.”

Tirek made a throaty chuckle. “A wise decision.” He stepped closer and leaned down.

“Now, tell me everything about the Rainbow of Light.”

“Sunset, you can’t!” Applejack yelled.

I don’t have a choice. I’m so sorry, Artemis. Sunset closed her eyes. “Artemis has it. It needs six keys to open. We only have five. And no, we don’t know how we got them. They just appear when they’re ready.”

When she opened her eyes, Tirek had a sinister smile that did not belong on Apalla’s face. “Of course Artemis has it. I could have guessed, but one can never be too sure. As for these keys, well, all the more reason to keep you around for now.”

Triek gave an exaggerated bow. “My thanks, Sunset Shimmer. I hope you find that key soon. I’ll be back to collect it and your souls in due time.”

In a flash, he and the black flames were gone.

The girls rushed over to Sunset, Fluttershy quickly putting her hands on Sunset’s back. A healing wave washed over Sunset, closing her wounds and easing her physical exhaustion.

“Are you okay?” Rarity asked, kneeling next to Sunset.

Sunset shook her head.

“Why?” Rainbow asked, concern eclipsing her anger. “Why did you do it?”

“If we all tried to fight, he’d still win. And he’d take some of our souls with him. We were gonna lose no matter what. I just wanted to control how we did it.”

She staggered to her feet. “We have to get to the Lulamoons. Tirek will probably strike now when he thinks he has the advantage.”

Rainbow punched her fist into her open palm. “Then let’s get go—crap!”

In another flash of light, Adagio and her siren avatar appeared in the middle of the street again. High above their heads, she let out a scream of frustration.

“Damn that witch for interfering!” Adagio looked down and despite a vein bulging in her neck, she gave them a predatory smile. “You! You’re all still here! Good; I wasn’t finished yet!”

“You can’t be serious!” Pinkie cried.

Adagio threw herself into the air, dodging Rainbow’s initial attack, then erecting a barrier around herself to repel all of the follow-ups.

“Maybe you’re right: I can’t beat you on my own! So let’s even the odds!” She raised the Sacanas shard in her palm and vanished in a red light. Her avatar, however, remained behind. It opened its mouth.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

The melody descended upon them, drifting on the air currents blowing through the streets of the city. Magnified by the hippocampus. Sunset looked up to find its source, but couldn’t spot Adagio anywhere. She turned her attention back to the beast and lobbed a fireball at it. It winced and writhed, but continued to sing.

The song played all around them, and the police force, previously hunched with tension now stood upright in a hypnotic trance.

The music stopped, but Adagio spoke, her voice coming from her avatar. “Can you really trust these girls to protect you? They’re hiding their faces behind masks and call each other little codenames to protect their identity. Look at all the destruction they’ve caused! The people they’re trying to hurt! I’m trying to stop them! And you should too, by any means necessary!”

Sunset’s fiery hair and wings flared. “You lying—”

She had never heard a gun go off before, outside of movies. Firearms smaller than airship cannons were a foreign concept when Sunset arrived in this world. It was far louder than she had expected and made her jump ten feet into the air and her breath catch in her throat. That two more shots followed in close succession didn’t help either. Two car windows exploded and there was a loud plink as a bullet pierced a lamppost.

“Holy shit!” Sunset yelled.

Rarity threw her arms out wide and brought up a dome of crystal around the group. The police were smart enough to stop shooting, but a few officers in riot gear made their way to the front and banged the butts of their guns against the barrier.

Sunset beat a palm against her heart to calm it down. It surged again when a dense ball of magic crashed against the top of the forcefield. Adagio’s laugh echoed from on high.

“Let’s see how you like being helpless and imprisoned!” She fired another blast, and Rarity flinched from the impact.

“Sunset, what do we do?” Applejack asked, hesitant fists raised.

“Uhh…” Another blast hit the dome. Sunset switched to her ponied-up form and laid a hand on Rarity’s back. The barrier solidified with an extra sheen, and Rarity stood up straighter and more vigilant. But Sunset knew that would only last a few minutes, and she couldn’t keep doing it.

A swath of officers moved aside, and two heavy-set men walked over from the armored truck, each carrying a battering ram. One moved to the other side of the prism, and they both began to hammer away.

Bam!

Rarity held firm, looking confident, but Sunset was all tension. They couldn’t fight the police, especially when they were already surrounded. She looked at the guns trained on them and the siren hovering in the sky.

Bam!

Sweat gathered on her forehead. She needed a plan. Her friends were looking to her for a plan. They couldn’t lose to Tirek and Adagio!

Bam!

“Sunset?” Rainbow’s voice lacked any of her usual confidence. Her eyes were on the fresh reinforcements of police vans and armored trucks.

Bam!

Sunset’s mind raced through scenarios, but they never got further than a twitching finger gunning down one of them when Rarity lowered her shield. No matter how fast Rainbow was or how strong Applejack. And if the officers did miss or show mercy, Adagio wouldn’t.

Harshwhinny raised her bullhorn again, now speaking from the back of the mob. “We will give you one chance to come quietly! Put your hands behind your head and surrender!”

The girls all turned and looked to Sunset. She had to make the call again; choose the best path for survival. If this was their only way out without dying, Sunset had to take it. She clenched her fist until her hand cramped. Twilight, Starlight, Tirek, Adagio. Nothing seemed to be going the way it should.

“This is your last chance! We will break through this barrier, and you will be subdued by any means necessary!” Harshwhinny barked. Green mist swirled in her eyes.

“Fine!” Sunset yelled. “We surrender! We’ll come quietly.”

“Sunset, you can’t be serious!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“We’re not fighting our way out of this!” Sunset gestured to the fifty-odd officers with varying levels of firearms, and the siren circling above them. “And I don’t think help is coming.”

“I… but we… we can…” Rainbow made a few wild gestures with her arms to emphasize the plan she didn’t have before they flopped to her sides. “We lost?”

“For now,” Sunset said, trying to reassure herself more than the others. “Just for now. We’ll find a way out of this.”

Five pairs of uneasy eyes melted what little confidence she had. Still, they all nodded and complied, putting their hands up and powering down one by one. Rarity took a deep breath and let the barrier fall.

Sunset flinched at the chorus of dozens of guns being cocked, but no shots rang out. The police troopers advanced on them from every side while Adagio laughed maniacally overhead.

“Take them far away! Lock them somewhere until they starve to death! Make sure they never see the light of day again!”

Her thralls obeyed, one officer roughly grabbing Sunset’s arms and forcing them behind her back before cuffing her.

“I’m sorry, girls,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“It’s okay, dear,” Rarity said as they were marched toward the armored trucks. “Like you said, we’ll find a way out of this. Somehow.”

But as Adagio’s laugh boomed throughout the city, Sunset’s hope in her own words faded. She had spared her friends' lives but at what cost? She had sold the Lulamoons out to Tirek, gotten her friends arrested, and couldn’t stop Adagio. There was no backup this time. She had failed as a leader.

Sunset bowed her head, shoulders shaking as she held back a sob. “I’m so sorry.”

*******

Artemis drew a circle in the air with his wand. Inside it, he drew a sigil and capped it off with two more circles on either side of the first. With a flick of his wrist, the rune flew forward and pressed itself against the surface of the forcefield surrounding the entire Lulamoon home.

Beside him, Trixie copied his hand motions, drawing a shakier but still viable rune as well. It hovered forward and stuck itself just below Artemis’.

“One dispel rune alone is already very potent,” Artemis said, confidence rising over the frustration of the last half-hour, “so two should definitely be able to break this! On the count of three, Trixie!”

Trixie readied her wand and nodded.

“One, two, three, Lulamoon!”

In synch, they both thrust their hands forward, and the dual sigils glowed a bright blue against the black-tinted bubble. More symbols spiderwebbed out from the first two, weaving across the forcefield and bathing the lawn in blue light. The forcefield rumbled and Artemis heard cracks…

The sigils immediately disappeared and the blue light faded, leaving everyone in tinted shadows again.

“What?” Artemis yelled. “How? That’s one of my strongest spells!”

Selena ran up and slashed at the barrier with her longsword. Instead of being thrown back like she had the first time she tried, the barrier wobbled like gelatin. “It’s weakened though. If you try again, maybe we can break through.”

Artemis grunted in bitter agreement. He knew he was getting older, but his magic wasn’t that hindered yet. No, someone exceptionally powerful put this shield up. His only suspect was Tempest, and if she had gotten this much stronger since the last time they fought…

He shuddered and raised his wand. Problems for later. They needed to break out of this confinement and get to the city. He drew another circle in the air, and the bubble snapped out of existence, forcing Artemis to shield his eyes from the direct sunlight.

The glare faded, but he knew his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw not only Tempest but Apalla standing on the sidewalk in front of the house. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but Apalla was still standing there, arms folded behind her back. Artemis looked to Selena. Her pale face and wide-eyed shock confirmed he wasn’t hallucinating.

“Alli?” he asked, throat constricting.

Apalla placed a hand over her heart. “Aw, how precious. You have a nickname for your sister,” she said with a simper. “You know, a long, long time ago, I used to have a nickname for my brother. Then the gods decided to grant him an early and unjust death.”

It was as if an Arctic wind stripped Artemis of all his breath. His wand dropped from his trembling hands and he clutched his chest. “You… you… what are you… but you’re not… she’s supposed to be…”

Tempest chuckled darkly. “It was rather touching, you throwing a funeral and everything for her. But the truth is, Night Shade and little Moondancer kept Apalla’s body perfectly preserved, hoping that someday, we would give her soul back. And if Moondancer keeps cooperating, we might still grant that request.”

She gave a sinister, full-toothed smile. “But right now, you stand in the presence of Lord Tirek!”

Tirek. Artemis hunched forward. Tirek is out… and he’s using Apalla.

“You monster!” Selena shouted, tears falling down her face. “Get out of her body this instant!”

If he’s using her… then I can’t fight her. I can’t fight my sister.

Tirek pursed his lips. “Rest assured, I would be all too happy to remove myself from one that carries Megan’s blood. But my own body is not quite ready yet.”

I thought her body was buried. But if we can get her soul back and push Tirek out…

Selena brandished her sword. “Then return to hell where you belong!”

Tirek simply smiled. “You wizards are the same in every generation: brash and belligerent. You don’t even know why I’m here.”

“You got tired of hiding and want us to kick your butt!” Trixie said, pointing her wand at Tirek.

“Silence your whelp, Artemis, lest she end up like your sister.”

Artemis snapped his head up. He stared at his sister—no, Tirek—and clenched his fists, the bitter cold replaced with boiling magma. “Hurry up and get back in your own body so I can send you to kingdom come!”

“Hmph, of course the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.” Tirek shook his head. “I am just as eager to get rid you you as you are of me. But, I need you to do me one small favor first.”

Trixie stuck her tongue out. “We would never help you!”

Tirek flung his hand out at Trixie, and a burst of black fire erupted from his fingertips. Trixie drew a circle in front of her lightning quick and produced a quick shield to take the blast. The impact was still strong enough to knock her off her feet and throw her back onto the porch.

Artemis bellowed and grabbed his wand on the grass. As he lifted it, tendrils of grass rose and coiled around his arm, bringing him back down and embedding his wand hand in the lawn.

Selena rushed at Tirek in Artemis’ place. Tempest leaped forward, pulling a shadowy sword from nothing and clashing with Selena’s blade. They exchanged a flurry of attacks, dancing off the front lawn and into the driveway.

Tirek looked on in amusement for a moment before striding over to a kneeling Artemis. “Your family has an unnecessary need to escalate affairs that could otherwise be rather simple.”

“There’s nothing simple about you conquering the world!” Artemis spat.

“Liberating.”

“What every tyrant says to justify their campaign.”

Tirek sighed. “Ignorant as always. This is a waste of breath, but I’ll ask regardless. Where is the Rainbow of Light?”

“Unfortunately, we lost it ages ago,” Artemis said between gritted teeth.

“I’d be inclined to believe that if your friend Sunset Shimmer hadn’t already told me you have it.”

Artemis went rigid, heart stopping for a moment before anger pulled magic into his free hand and sparks danced on his fingertips. “What did you do to her?”

“She’s unharmed, though currently occupied with one Adagio Dazzle,” Tirek said, curling his lips into a smile. “I spared her soul as thanks for the information.”

Charged with magic, Artemis threw his free hand up. Tirek grabbed his wrist and leaned out of the way of the fireball. Artemis tried to wrest his other hand free, but not only were the grass tendrils too tight, Tirek dug his heel down where Artemis’ wrist rested.

Tirek loomed over him. “Give me the Rainbow of Light.”

“I would rather die.”

“You will in due time.” Tirek tightened his grip, black flame igniting over his hand, and a searing pain shot through Artemis’ wrist and down his arm. “But not before I get what I want and you beg for death.”

“Unhand my father!” Trixie’s voice said in stereo.

Looking up, Artemis saw three Trixies flanking him and Tirek, wands at the ready. With an annoyed growl, Tirek fired a bolt of magic from his free hand at the Trixie on his left. It passed right through her, and the one directly behind him unleashed a line of steel cable that wrapped around his arm and connected to the tip of her wand.

Trixie yanked Tirek away from Artemis, and Artemis felt the grass loosen around his entombed arm. He wrenched it free and before Tirek could use his other hand to strike Trixie, Artemis copied his daughter’s spell and coiled cable around Tirek’s right arm.

The two Lulamoons pulled in opposite directions, but Tirek yanked back, grabbing each cable with the opposite hand and shooting fire up their length. Trixie and Artemis detached their coils and jumped back when the tendrils of fire reared up and struck like snakes.

Artemis danced back and pointed his wand at a sprinkler. The cap popped off and a jet of water streamed out to douse the fiery cables. With the water flowing onto them, Artemis snapped his fingers and the jetstream froze, immobilizing the rope.

A light cheer and a smatter of applause drew Artemis’ attention across the street, where a small collection of their neighbors looked on. They cheered again at the sight of Selena and Tempest moving their duel to the middle of the street, Selena delivering a lightning-fast parry and riposte to her opponent.

“Why the tense look?” Tirek asked, raising a hand. “You love having an audience, don’t you?”

“Don’t even think about it,” Artemis warned.

Tirek tilted his head toward the pedestrians, a malicious smile on his stolen face. “Only if you don’t force my hand. Though speaking of hypothetical hostages, I would like to remind you of your little niece.”

A vein bulged on the side of Artemis’ neck. “Leave her out of this!” He readied a new spell at the tip of his wand. He didn’t want to hurt Apalla, but he refused to let Tirek take Moondancer’s soul too.

The roar of an engine stopped Artemis before he made a move. Selena dove out of the way of a pink compact car, leaving Tempest to get slammed and caught on the front bumper. The car jumped the curb and crashed into Tirek as it screeched to a halt, sending both its victims flying two yards over. The gathered crowd screamed and fled in terror, finally catching on that this was not a show.

Shimmer stepped out of the car, laptop under one arm. “Real glad I took the surface roads now. Never would have made it here otherwise.”

Over on the lawn, Tempest and Tirek were already getting back on their feet, looking more annoyed than anything else.

“Dammit, she’s still alive!” Shimmer cursed.

Tempest rolled her shoulder and shot Shimmer an annoyed look. “So this is where you’ve been hiding? I’m surprised they took someone like you in.”

Tirek gave Shimmer a quizzical head tilt. “How did you get back so quickly?”

“My lord, that’s this world’s Sunset Shimmer. She’s deadweight,” Tempest said with a dismissive handwave.

Shimmer tossed the laptop into the grass and raised her fists. “Come over here and I’ll show you who’s ‘deadweight’.”

“No thanks.” Tempest moved to the side as Tirek fired a massive bolt of magic.

Artemis jumped over and cast a quick shield to negate it, but just behind the dissipating blast was Tempest. She delivered a roundhouse kick to Artemis, knocking him sideways into the car.

Shimmer jumped in and traded a quick series of flurry of jabs and blocks with Tempest until the commander struck like a viper and grabbed Shimmer by the throat. She hoisted and tossed Shimmer over her shoulder where she landed at Tirek’s feet.

As she scrambled up, Tirek reached into his coat, and Artemis watched as a quick flash of light danced across his vision.

Shimmer’s body slackened. “The laptop… for… Sunse…”

The spark of life faded from her lidded eyes. She dropped to her knees, then fell face-forward into the grass.

“No!” Trixie screamed.

Artemis jumped back to his feet. “Tirek, you monster! Release her!”

“She can have her body back when I rule this world,” Tirek said, stowing the Soul Lock back within the confines of his robes. “Now, surrender the Rainbow of Light, or the next soul I take will be Moondancer’s.”

Trixie raised her wand over her head, a spell charged at its tip. “Not if we stop you here and now!”

Tirek looked at her, unbothered. “You’re certainly welcome to test that idea. Let’s see who’s faster: your magic or mine. But if I get away, Moondancer’s soul is forfeit. I’m sure her mother will be very understanding.”

Trixie’s hand stayed aloft, but Artemis saw it begin to tremble. He tightened his grip on his own wand. Was he about to gamble Moondancer’s safety? He looked down at Shimmer’s soulless body. He had already failed to save one person today. His fondness of Shimmer wasn’t high, but Sunset cared about her. Now, he had to tell her of his failure.

All Tirek had to do was teleport. Artemis couldn’t outspeed that. And even if he could stop, the only way to permanently stop Tirek was to…

Kill my sister.

Artemis’ mouth turned into a salt flat, and he gagged at the idea. He knew it was what Apalla would have wanted. But standing before her, looking into her eyes, hearing her voice even if it was all in possession of Tirek… How could he put down his own twin sister?

“Fine,” Artemis croaked. He lowered his wand. “You win.”

Slowly, he reached up and pulled his hat off his head. Reaching in, he rummaged around until he felt the cool, smooth surface of the chest and lifted it out, keys still locked in their slots.

Tirek held his hand out, and the chest floated from Artemis’ grasp to his. He looked it over, the corner of his mouth raised in dull amusement. “So, this was Merlin’s plan? Lock away magic, lock away the Rainbow until only the chosen and worthy could use it? Typical magician.” The chest disappeared in a burst of dark flame.

“It’s funny what sentimentality can do to us,” Tirek said, flickers of flames still dancing on his fingertips. “Protecting your niece, even though she’s a traitor. I am a man of my word though: I will not harm her. You, however…”

He generated a black sphere in his palm.

“Die here.”

Tempest forward and slashed at Artemis with a reformed blade. Artemis ducked and spun out of the way, Selena quickly taking his place.

Tirek unleashed his stream of fire. Artemis threw up a wide shield, the flames ricocheting off in every direction. Tirek’s calm demeanor made it look like he was putting in little effort, but the force of the flames left Artemis straining to keep them at bay.

“Trixie, grab Shimmer and the laptop and go to the island!” Artemis demanded.

“But—”

“We’ll be right behind you! Go!”

Trixie bit her lip but nodded. She pointed her wand at the folded laptop sitting on the lawn, a foot away from being crushed by Tempest and Selena’s renewed dual, and drew it to her. Clutching it in her arms, she took a deep breath and vanished from the porch.

She reappeared again next to Shimmer’s unmoving frame. Trixie put a hand on Shimmer’s back, spat at Tirek’s feet, then vanished again.

Tirek ceased his flames. He raised both arms and the ground quivered, cracks splintering in the road behind him. A chunk of the street tore up from the earth, and Tirek hurled it at Artemis.

Artemis swiped his wand through the air, and the entire boulder turned into a collection of large bubbles. With another twirl, the bubbles turned into overly large doves that split into two flocks. One turned around and divebombed Tirek while the other flew over and harassed Tempest.

Tirek shot a bolt of lightning from his finger, reducing one dove to feathers while another landed on his shoulders and pecked his head. Tempest disengaged from Selena to slash at the birds, turning them back to bubbles whenever she cut one through.

Artemis sprinted over, grabbed Selena by the arm, and twisted the world around them. They drifted through nothing for one second, saw a thicket of trees another, then fell backward onto a rollercoaster that shot them forward through a tunnel of color and sound.

They both hit the sand, sliding forward and kicking up a cloud of dust. Artemis lay there, eyes closed. Everything played back in his mind. He couldn’t sort through it. All he could think was, what have I done?

“Mom, Dad!”

Artemis raised his head. Trixie came out from beneath the shadow of a tree. Shimmer sat slumped against its base, expression vacant.

Trixie wrapped her arms around Artemis, then shared an embrace with Selena. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”

Artemis opened his mouth to speak some of his usual bravado. Of course they were okay; they were the Lulamoons! It would take more than measly Tirek to stop them! But the words died before they even reached his throat.

Artemis looked up at the pinkening sky overhead. They weren’t okay. They were far from okay. He may have single-handedly doomed the world.

“What do we do now?” Trixie asked, helping her mother to her feet.

Artemis didn’t answer. He got up too, leaving his wand on the ground, and walked to the shoreline. The sea was glassy and blue. Waves quietly brushed against the shore in a slow, rhythmic trance.

His family joined him on either side. Trixie took one hand and Selena took the other. No one had anything left to say. They all stared out at the sun setting on the horizon, listening to the waves lapping against the shore.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: It's Brawl in the Family

The Volume IV Finale begins Friday, August 23, and will continue through the weekend.

Welcome to the beginning of the end.

Falling Star I: Twilight

Twilight didn’t know.

Down in the lab, phone stored away in her locker, furiously working on their latest project. How could she have known about what was taking place downtown? It wasn’t until everyone came up for lunch that Twilight was made aware. The two televisions in the lunch room had been turned up and were broadcasting the news in stereo.

“The attack appears to be at an end. The monster, best described as a floating sea dragon, has become stationary, hovering just over 3rd Street. We cannot get a visual on Adagio Dazzle, confirmed to be at least partially responsible for the destruction downtown. Meanwhile, six vigilantes, who many eyewitnesses report had superpowers, have been arrested and taken away. Their identities have not been shared at this time. As of right now, we have no idea what the amount of injuries or possible casualties are.”

Twilight stared as the camera panned about a torn-up street. Cars were overturned, shop fronts were broken, and several office buildings were completely devoid of their glass windows. The large yellow beast Twilight had seen at the Battle of the Bands floated over the block, eyes unblinking.

“Our helicopter was able to capture this footage of the fight,” the anchorwoman continued as a shaky video popped onto the screen. Familiar figures squared off against the behemoth that was Adagio’s Siren form. A jet of flames shot out from the side of a building, sending the monster into a fit of rage. Adagio herself soon appeared and caught a truck a disguised Applejack had thrown at her.

“There is still no official response from national authorities. The mayor has declared a state of emergency and urged everyone to stay indoors. Needless to say, people are in a panic, and rumors are already circulating online—”

Twilight turned and bolted out of the cafeteria, labcoat flapping behind her. She reached her locker, slammed it open, and grabbed her phone.

Adagio downtown. All hands now!

She had missed it. Sunset’s first message in days, and she had missed it. Twilight didn’t care if it was in the group chat; Sunset had asked for everyone. Magic or not, she could have helped. Maybe they could have made up. Maybe Twilight could have gotten her to understand.

Twilight had been a ghost since that night. She haunted the world with a single purpose: finish the portal. If they finished the portal, they would have magic. If they had magic, they could stop Tirek and make Sunset a new portal home. And if they stopped Tirek and made a new gate to Equestria, then maybe Sunset would forgive her.

The moment Sunset had rode off on her motorcycle, Twilight wanted to call and beg her to come back—throw away everything she had been working on. Instead, she had retreated to her room and sobbed until she fell asleep. Because she knew she was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Because this was one of the scenarios Twilight had wanted to avoid.

She kicked the locker, tears rolling down her face. Everything was falling apart. It wasn’t enough Sunset was furious with her, all her friends had been arrested as well. She should have been there. She should have fought with them. How was she supposed to help them from here?

“Are you all right, Twilight?”

Twilight quickly wiped her face and turned around. “Y-Yes, Dr. Glimmer. I’m fine.”

Starlight gave a sympathetic shake of her head. “It doesn’t take a physicist to see what’s going on. Those were your friends, correct? I’m guessing Sunset was among them.”

Twilight sniffed and nodded.

Starlight placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. People often fear what they don’t understand. But, it’s not too late. You can still help them.”

Wiping away her remaining tears, Twilight asked, “How?”

“Once we reintroduce magic to the world, they won’t seem like dangerous oddities, will they? Perhaps they’re still charged with vigilantism, but that’s better than being locked up in a secret government facility.”

Twilight supposed that was better, if only marginally. It was a faint light, but she had nothing else to hold onto. Other than her friends breaking out of prison on their own and getting into even more trouble. No, Twilight needed to rescue them, fast.

Starlight steered her back to the cafeteria. “Let’s get you some food first. I know it’s hard but you need to eat. Then, we can get back to work,” she said in a sweet, motherly voice.

Twilight wasn’t hungry, but heeded Starlight’s advice. She scarfed down her food and bolted back to the lab with hardly a word to anyone else. Sitting on the workbench she and Starlight shared was a far smaller but potentially more efficient version of Moondancer’s magic absorber. This one looked like a makeup compact, purple and circular with glowing blue lines. It sat open, with wires dangling out from its inner chamber leading back to a containment device with the shard of Sacanas inside.

Pulling her goggles over her eyes, Twilight resumed her work. She adjusted the circuit boards, reevaluated the magical formulas she and Starlight had created, and configured the inner containment system. Sparks of magic occasionally wound their way down the cable and into the amulet.

So focused was Twilight on her task that she didn’t notice another presence in the lab until someone knocked on the corner of the table. She snapped her head up and grated at the sight of Moondancer, looking at her with the pitying expression she had given all week.

“What do you want?” Twilight asked, barely keeping the coldness out of her voice.

Moondancer clutched a hand in front of her chest. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw the news and… I got worried. Especially after your friends…”

“They’ll be fine,” Twilight snapped. She looked down at the device. “Once we finish this, everything will be fine.”

“Twilight—”

“Moondancer, please don’t distract my hardest worker.”

Starlight and the rest of the lab personnel trickled through the door and returned to their stations. With her ever-calculating smile, Starlight approached the workbench and looked down at Twilight’s progress.

“I wish I had the money to give you a paid Internship. With all your hard work and dedication, I would give you a raise, too,” Starlight said.

Twilight didn’t take to Starlight’s praise as she once did but felt her cheeks blush all the same. “I’m putting the finishing touches on our containment unit. It won’t be able to store a lot of magic, but if our calculations are correct, and if we get a little lucky, it should be able to filter the magic from the portal.”

“And once we combine it with our portal device, the wall between our world and the world of magic will come tumbling down.” Starlight rubbed her hands together.

Moondancer fidgeted and made a noise in the back of her throat, but otherwise, said nothing.

Twilight made her final adjustments and detached the wires from the pendant. Carefully closing it shut, she turned it over and screwed in the back plate. The blue lines of the pendant lit up with a gentle luminescence, and it hummed to life.

Twilight held it aloft between her and Starlight. “It’s working,” she said with whispered awe.

Starlight smiled. “Moondancer, be a dear and escort Twilight to Canterlot High. She has magic to gather.”

She placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I hope you’re ready to change the world.”

*******

Sunset sat on the hard bench, head bowed low, mask off, face streaked with dried tears. Fresh ones still fell occasionally, but she had stopped crying in earnest an hour ago. Now, she was too exhausted to be sad. All she felt was failure.

Applejack and Fluttershy had tried repeatedly to share words of comfort and confidence, but they fell on numb ears. Eventually, the girls too fell silent. The three of them rode with two armed guards in one of the trucks that had arrived to arrest them, their friends rode in the other. She had no sense of how long they had been driving.

She and her friends were off to Celestia-knew-where, her worst fears realized. They would be contained, poked, prodded. The last shred of defiance in her told her to make a break for it. But even if they did miraculously outmaneuver all of the guards, their faces were known now. Their families were in danger.

And the Lulamoons…

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, new tears pooling and falling down her cheeks. Tirek had no doubt confronted them by now. It wasn’t an impossibility that they had survived. If fortune favored them, perhaps they even beat him. Yet Sunset couldn’t help but assume the worst. When the Lulamoons saw whose body Tirek was using to walk about…

First Twilight, then her encounter with Starlight, then all of this. Just after they had collected five of the six keys. No, fortune had turned against them.

Sunset grunted and rolled her shoulders. With her arms bound behind her, they had grown impossibly stiff. She wanted nothing more than a hot bath, and to take a nap and wake up one week in the past.

“Either of y’all gonna tell us where you’re takin’ us?” Applejack asked.

One guard sat in between Applejack and Fluttershy. The other sat next to Sunset opposite of them. Eyes hidden by mirrored visors, mouths thin lines, they said nothing.

“Can Ah have mah hat back at least?” The confiscated stetson sat alone in the corner.

Neither guard so much as turned their head.

“Figures.”

“What’s going to happen to us?” Fluttershy asked, her voice hoarse.

“We’ll be fine, ‘Shy,” Applejack said. She said it with such confidence that Sunset almost believed her.

The trucks jerked to a stop, sliding everyone forward. Sunset crashed into one of the guards, who quickly shoved her back into place. Through the thick metal plating, Sunset could hear scuffling and shouting. The guards readied their rifles and aimed at the back door. Outside, the fighting grew quiet.

The door to the truck unlocked and creakily swung open, afternoon sunlight pouring in. Yet no one was waiting on the other side.

One guard crept forward, keeping low to the floor. When he reached the door, a jet of light hit him, and he vanished in a puff of smoke. When it cleared, a green frog sat where the guard had been.

“What the—” was all his partner got out before a beam hit him as well, and he too transformed into a small amphibian, his gun clattering to the ground next to him.

All three girls looked at the frogs, then looked at each other, each with the same mystified look. Before they could contemplate, the doors swung wide open and revealed three figures silhouetted by the sun.

Trixie hopped into the truck and ran over to Sunset, throwing her arms around Sunset’s shoulders. “You’re okay!”

“You’re okay!” Sunset exclaimed. “I… I thought… Tirek…”

Trixie pulled away and reached behind Sunset, tapping the cuffs with her wand and instantly unlocking them. Sunset winced as she moved her arms forward and rubbed her wrists.

“Thank you.”

Selena helped Sunset out of the truck while Trixie freed Applejack and Fluttershy. Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie were already waiting outside, along with a host of frogs, hopping and croaking about on a dusty country road.

“How’d you find us?” Applejack asked, stepping out with her stetson back on its rightful place.

“Thankfully, your magic is a lot easier to track than our enemies,” Artemis said. There was no bravado in his voice, only exhaustion.

Sunset walked up to him, eyes tearing up again. “Artemis… did… did Tirek…?”

He looked away. “He did.”

She hunched forward and cupped a hand over her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault! If I didn’t tell him where it was, he was going to…”

Artemis pulled her into a hug. “And if I didn’t give it to him, he was going to take Moondancer’s. It seems we both have a weakness for the people we care about.”

Sunset felt him squeeze harder as he said in a weaker voice, “He took Shimmer’s.”

“What?” Sunset looked up into his face, seeing his age catch up to him. But… how?”

“She tried to help. And she paid the price.”

Sunset slumped further into Artemis’ embrace. As much of a pain Shimmer could be, she didn’t deserve that. She had opened up, she had helped them. Crass and ornery as she was, Sunset considered her a friend.

“We should go,” Selena said. “We need to regroup and come up with a plan.”

“What about them?” Rainbow pointed to the frogs.

“The spell will wear off in a few hours,” Trixie said with a dismissive wave.

No one made further comments. They teleported in groups, heading not back to the Lulamoon household, but to the leygate in the forest behind Canterlot High. Sunset stepped into the tree housing the gate, feeling herself jolt forward at eye-watering speeds until she stumbled out onto the sandy beach of the Siren’s old island.

On this side of the world, night had freshly fallen, the sky transitioning from dark blue to black with stars popping to life.

Sunset took a few steps forward and saw her sitting against a tree, head lilting to one side. Sunset dropped to her knees in front of Shimmer. Her eyes were half-open and devoid of any cognition. Her breathing was slow and shallow, possibly the only thing her body could do without its host.

Cupping a hand to Shimmer’s cheek, Sunset whispered, “I’m sorry.” She then realized she was touching Shimmer with her bare skin, yet there was no accidental peeking into her memories. Probably because there was no soul with memories to see.

She heard movement behind her. The rest of her friends gathered to give condolences. Sunset didn’t hear much of their apologies or platitudes. She was fixed on the surrealness of seeing a version of herself without a soul. For how different they were, they were still the same person to a degree. Now, she was the only Sunset Shimmer walking around this dimension.

“I’m going to make this right,” she said, guilt evolving into resolve. Her sparks of rebellion ignited and forced her to stand up and face her friends. “I’m going to fix this.”

“We’re going to fix this,” Selena said. She held out Shimmer’s laptop. “She wanted you to have this. We haven’t checked it yet.”

Sunset gratefully took it and flipped it open. “We were out trying to get information on what Starlight is working on when everything went to Tartarus.”

“Who’s Starlight?” Rainbow asked.

Sunset didn’t answer, even as she felt everyone’s eyes on her. She ran her finger over the laptop’s touchpad, navigating Shimmer’s software, stalling out the conversation she knew she had to have with her friends. She didn’t want to say it aloud again. The more she revisited that night, the more real it became.

The progress bar for the decryption program read one hundred percent. Sunset clicked a button, and the screen changed to an all-black background littered with dozens of folder icons. Some had clear-cut names like, ‘Antigrav Device’, ‘Telekinetic Glove’, or ‘Teleportation’. Others were more coded, with names like, ‘Project Stardust’, ‘Deus Ex Machina’, or ‘Resurrection Project’.

“It’s gonna take forever to find anything,” Sunset muttered.

“Sunset, what are you looking for?” Rarity asked. “Why did you and Shimmer need information from this Starlight person?”

Pinkie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Well, see, Starlight is Twilight’s boss, and she may or may not be evil—”

“Pinkie,” Sunset said, lifting her head and giving her a pointed look.

Pinkie tapped her fingers and smiled sheepishly, but Rainbow stepped forward. “No, hold up, what the heck is going on? Twilight might be working for the bad guy?”

“Where is Twilight?” Applejack asked. “She never showed up for the fight. Is she okay?”

Rarity looked into Sunset’s eyes, despite Sunset trying her best to keep her gaze on the computer screen. In a gentler voice, Rarity asked, “Sunset… what’s wrong?”

“Everything.” Sunset closed the laptop and turned toward the dark jungle. “Everything is wrong. Starlight works for Tirek. She’s the scientist behind his planned revival. She studies magic. And Twilight… Twilight knew.”

Sunset clenched a fist as the tears started down her face. The ember of determination was already flickering. “Twilight knew and she didn’t tell me. She’s got some crazy idea about using magic and killing Tirek. And it has something to do with the portal to Equestria.” Sunset hiccuped.

“And… and we fought. And we said things. And she refused to tell me what was going on… So I… I…”

Her legs buckled and her knees hit the sand. Rarity’s arms were around her from behind as a fresh wave of sobs broke free.

“Crap,” Rainbow said breathlessly. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

Fluttershy wiped tears from her own eyes. “Wait, but where is Twilight right now?”

“Probably at that stupid laboratory!” Sunset said.

Applejack let out a slow exhale. “Well, at least she ain’t downtown right now. So, Starlight is tryin’ to revive Tirek, but Twilight thinks she’s tryin’ to kill Tirek, and somehow, your way home is involved. Ah get why you wanted that info now, but why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?”

Sunset shook her head, her red and gold curls falling in front of her face. “I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I didn’t want it to be real.”

Artemis conjured a handkerchief and handed it down to Sunset. “While I wish we had time to help you heal, Sunset, I’m afraid we still have pressing matters to attend to. Not only does Tirek have the Rainbow of Light, Adagio is still attacking downtown.”

“Not to mention turned the police against us,” Applejack said. She paled. “Oh no! They’ve seen our faces! What if they come after our families next?”

“Since they think they still have you, and Adagio is probably too busy gloating in the city, no one will come for your families just yet. We still have some time,” Artemis said. “That being said, Adagio’s an immediate threat that needs to be handled.”

Sunset wiped her eyes. “What should we do?”

Selena picked up her scabbard leaning against a tree. “You girls should stay here and try to sift through Starlight’s notes. Rest and recover. We’ll go put an end to this Siren nonsense.”

Trixie tentatively leaned forward. “When you say ‘we’...”

Artemis nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. You’re coming, too.”

“Yes!” Trixie jumped and twirled her wand. “Adagio won’t know what hit her!”

Sunset got to her feet. She wasn’t going to argue. She wasn’t even going to ask to come with. She just gave each of them a hug in turn and said, “Please, stay safe.”

Artemis kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t worry about us. A Siren is no match for three Lulamoons. We’ll see you soon.”

Trixie gave Sunset an extra hug, then hurried after her parents. One by one, the three of them stepped up to the tree and vanished into the leygate.

Sunset sat down again, legs crossed, laptop in her lap. Her friends gathered around her, Fluttershy sitting on the outskirts with her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched the black water.

“What’s going to happen to us?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset said, staring down at the computer. Even if they stopped Adagio and Tirek, their identities would no doubt soon be known to the rest of the world. At the very least, to government officials who could make their lives very, very difficult.

“We’ll figure out something,” Rainbow said, putting an arm around Fluttershy and giving a confident smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “We always do.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie cheered. “We’re the good guys! We always win in the end!”

Sunset almost smiled at the naive optimism. She flipped the laptop open again and resumed her search. She didn’t know how they would get out of this, but she knew what the next step was.

Rarity gave a discerning eye over Sunset’s shoulder. “Do you know what you’re looking for, dear?”

“Not entirely. I just know whatever they’re planning has something to do with the portal.” The files had no rhyme or reason to their organization. Sunset randomly clicked on one and found subfolders for journal entries and schematics. She clicked deeper and found a blueprint for a machine she couldn’t make heads or tails of. She backed out to the main page and looked around again.

“Hmm…” Rarity pointed to a folder with a manicured nail. “Try that one.”

“‘Deus Ex Machina’?”

“Well, they seem to think magic is going to solve all their problems. Fitting, is it not?”

Sunset shrugged in agreement. She clicked it open and found similar subfolders. She clicked the schematics first and blinked at what she saw.

“Woah!” Rainbow shoved her head next to Rarity’s. “Is that a mech suit?”

From what Sunset could make out, it was indeed some kind of suit of armor made to run on magic. Hand cannons to fire, rockets to fly. Sunset wasn’t sure if this was ambitious or ridiculous.

She clicked back to the subfolder and opened up the journal.

‘Progress is going well according to Moondancer. The biggest unknown is just how much magic will be needed to make it operational. Basic functions seem to be at optimal levels. Combat and flight? It’s impossible to say how effective it will be without any real way to test it. She’s been pouring magic into it for months but I feel like it’s a rather huge gamble. Hopefully, upon completing the Arcane Access Project, we can find a way to properly test its capabilities before putting it in action.’

“Arcane Access?” Sunset whispered.

She clicked out and scanned the folders until she found her target at the top left of the screen. This one had no subfolders, just a long list of documents. ‘Hypothesis 1’, Hypothesis 2’, ‘Practicality Report’, ‘January Experiment', ‘March Experiment’. Sunset scrolled up and down until her eyes caught one named, ‘Breakthrough’.

‘Twilight has told me about what really happened to the magic of this world! Sealed away! In some sort of pocket dimension! Fascinating! But also incredibly frustrating! How can one person decide what happens to all of the magic? More importantly, we now know where the lost magic is. If we can find a way to access that pocket dimension, we can bring magic back to the world!’

Sunset’s heartbeat quickened. She closed the document and opened one titled, ‘August Experiment’.

‘Our first portal test failed, but we’re closer than ever! I thought using the Sacanas shard to pull magic from the portal to Sunset’s homeworld would be enough to open our own. But, it seems there are limitations in place on that magic that interfere with it properly mingling with human magic. Instead, brilliant Twilight came up with a possible solution! If we can break the foreign magic down to a simpler state before integrating it with our own, we just might be able to pry a gate open!

The rest of the group now hovered just behind Sunset, each of them breathing down the back of her neck. She scrolled past some scientific jargon to the last paragraph.

‘Update: Our compact storage device is almost complete! I suspect it could be done as soon as tomorrow! As soon as it is, we’ll field-test it and begin our second attempt. I can taste how close we are to making history! Once the magic is unleashed, I’ll be able to finally finish regenerating Tirek’s body. This world will have magic, and I’ll be one step closer to having Sunburst again!”

Sunset’s eyes dropped to the bottom of the page. It had been dated from yesterday.

“They’re going to drain my portal,” she said in a hoarse whisper. “They’re going to try and open a portal to let the magic back into this world and finish reviving Tirek!”

“It could be as soon as today,” Rarity said, hand over her mouth.

“But wait,” Rainbow said, leaning back, “if the whole world has magic again, won’t that make us stronger?”

“It’ll make Tirek stronger, too,” Applejack pointed out. “You saw what he could do. And that’s before he even gets his real body back.”

“Plus, he has the Rainbow of Light now,” Fluttershy said, shaking.

“If they do this, the deck is stacked in his favor.” Sunset snapped the laptop shut, cutting off their main source of light and casting them all in shadows. “And they’re using my only way home to make it work!”

“That’s assuming it does work,” Rarity said. “They’re trying to rip a hole in space. What happens if that fails?”

Sunset stood up, eyes adjusting to the darkness. “I don’t want to think about it. We have to stop them.”

“What about the Lulamoons?” Fluttershy asked.

“We might not have time to wait for them! Starlight could be opening the portal any minute now!” Sunset took a deep breath. “It’s now or never.”

There was a pause before Fluttershy asked in a softer voice, “What about Shimmer?”

They all turned to the woman sitting underneath a carob tree. Sunset’s heart tightened at the sight of Shimmer’s catatonic state. The hospital jumped to mind first, but it was far too close to Adagio’s line of sight.

“We’ll take her home for now,” Sunset said. “She’ll be safe there, hopefully.”

Applejack scooped Shimmer up and gently set her over her shoulder. Tucking the laptop under her arm, Sunset turned for the leygate, but this time, Pinkie’s soft voice stopped her.

“And what about Twilight?”

Sunset froze. Their entire fight played back in her head in an instant. Sunset was just supposed to trust Twilight after she had lied? Trust Starlight after she had split her soul in half? Trust Moondancer? No. Especially when Tirek was this close to winning. But what exactly could she do or say if they ran into each other again? Twilight wasn’t going to just give up.

“I don’t know,” was all Sunset could say as she stepped into the leygate.

*******

Twilight and Moondancer shakily touched down on the lawn of Canterlot High. Moondancer put Twilight down and immediately doubled over, her wings of light evaporating into a white mist.

The flight over had not been nearly as fun or as elegant as any time Sunset had carried Twilight. Twilight couldn’t bury her face in Moondancer’s chest whenever she got too scared to look down, and Moondancer only stared straight ahead, dead set on not meeting Twilight’s eyes.

The experience made Twilight pine for Sunset even more. But the hurt and anger on Sunset’s face, the invasion of privacy she had inflicted, the lack of trust… it brought Twilight back to the present reality. Sunset didn’t appreciate what she was doing, but soon, she would.

“Are you okay?” Twilight finally asked Moondancer, still breathing deep with her hands on her knees.

“Yes, I just… just need a minute. Using that level of magic without the Archon Amulet is strenuous.”

Twilight didn’t press further. She just hoped Moondancer could fly them back to the lab safely. She took a moment to look at her old school. She had made more memories in the eight months she had spent at Canterlot High than in the three years at Crystal Prep. She wondered what kind of irony it was that the only friend she had made at that place was now the only one standing beside her here.

Crystal Prep hadn’t been bad. Back when Twilight thought Moondancer was just the richest girl at school and not a witch colluding with a magic scientist to overthrow a warlock. They studied in the library, and practiced music after school. Twilight even attended the plays Moondancer would perform in.

But Canterlot High? Yes, everyone mistook Twilight for her princess counterpart at first. But once that cleared up, Twilight got six new friends she came to treasure like her family. Watching Flash’s band play, group activities after school, Halloween, the Winter Ball where she and Sunset first kissed. The Battle of the Bands, Spring Break, Prom, Graduation. And everything in between.

Twilight hadn’t known you could get so much out of life in such a short span of time. Her own life had become a story she would have read as a kid. Even with things how they were now, part of her wanted to do it all again.

“Are you okay?” Moondancer asked, finally recovering.

Twilight turned from the main building and faced the rearing marble horse standing proud on its plinth. “I’m fine. Just reminiscing a little.”

“Twilight…” Moondancer tentatively reached a hand out but quickly retracted it. “Listen… you don’t… maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

A synapse short-circuited in Twilight’s brain. She snapped her head toward Moondancer and arched an eyebrow. “Which part?”

Moondancer flinched back at her clipped tone. “I… I don’t know. I know you’re scared and you want to help your friends—I know how much they mean to you. But, this portal idea is starting to feel… risky.”

“Excuse me? Now you want to tell me this is risky? I know how risky it is! Do you know what I’ve already had to lose to get this far?”

“You were never supposed to be a part of this in the first place!” Moondancer yelled, fighting back tears. “I told you, I didn’t want you pulled into any of this! I knew how dangerous it was. And now that you’re here, I’m scared something bad is going to happen to you! I don’t… I don’t want you to end up like me!”

Twilight focused on Moondancer’s mask. “Don’t worry. Unlike you, my plan is going to actually work.”

Moondancer flinched again like she had been hit. “Twilight, listen, please—”

“No, you listen! I’ve already had to lie to my friends and family about what I’ve been doing. And guess what? Sunset found out and broke up with me!” Twilight dug her palm into her aching heart and fought down the urge to cry.

“So I guess you got what you wanted in the end!” She said between her teeth. She unclenched her jaw and continued, “She’s probably already told the rest of our friends what happened, so I can only imagine what they think of me! And now, they’ve been captured by the police and are probably being handed over to Homeland Security or the FBI! Right now, there’s only one way this ends: we open a portal, restore magic to the world, and you kill Tirek!”

Twilight turned back to the marble base, her reflection glaring back at her. She pulled the magic storage device from her pocket and held it up.

“I’m not going to end up like you. I’m not going to fail. Not this time.”

She flipped the compact open. Its front lid lit up, the blue lines first, then the purple ring at the center. It hummed, a purpled ball of energy coalescing at its center. The slumbering portal faintly glowed in response, and visible tendrils of magic arched out from the base and into the device.

The compact grew hot in Twilight’s hands. It shook and jerked like it was trying to free itself from her grasp. Twilight kept a tight hold on it, pulling it back from the portal when she thought enough magic had been gathered. It pulled back, attracted to the source of magic like a magnet. She pressed a hand to the top to force it closed, but it held with surprising resistance.

Moondancer jumped in, one hand on Twilight’s arm to keep the jerking storage unit stable, and another on top of Twilight’s hand, throwing her weight down to snap the lid closed.

With a tremendous tug, Twilight and Moondancer ripped the device out of range from the portal and shut the lid. The humming stopped, but the lights continued to flash. Twilight panted, heart racing from the effort and the exhilaration. She glanced at the portal, and her heart slowed to a crawl.

Near the center, a glowing crack had appeared. It was only as long as her pinky finger, but still obvious to anyone passing by.

Twilight scrambled forward and put a hand on the marble. It felt cold. Was that normal? She had never gotten a chance to study it properly. Had she drained all of the magic from it?

“We should probably head back,” Moondancer said, oblivious to Twilight’s plight.

Twilight ran a finger over the crack, watching a tiny piece of marble flake off. She swallowed the dread building in her stomach. She had told Sunset they could just make a new portal to Equestria later. But what if they couldn’t? Had she just stranded her girlfriend in this world forever?

She took a deep breath and caught herself before she spiraled. No, she could fix this! If they could open a portal to a pocket dimension, they could easily open a portal to Equestria. Or at least replicate this one so that it would open in two years.

Shoving that anxiety into a corner of her mind with the rest, she faced Moondancer and nodded. Moondancer closed her eyes, and after a few seconds of concentration, her white wings appeared behind her. She scooped Twilight up, bridal style, and took to the sky.

Neither said anything as they flew back to the lab. From the air, Twilight could see a plume of gray smoke rising from downtown. Her knuckles turned white as she imagined Adagio running free, doing whatever she wanted now that her friends were indisposed.

If no one’s taken care of you, I know the first thing I’ll do when I can use magic.

She tried to breathe out her resentment and look up to Moondancer. Like on the way here, she kept her focus straight ahead. Twilight could appreciate that. Maybe Moondancer had truly given up on pursuing her.

Twilight frowned. She again wondered if her words had gone too far. Moondancer was just trying to look out for her. In her own, hypocritical way. Twilight pushed the worry aside. She could apologize later.

*******

Sunset tucked Shimmer into her bed and laid her laptop on the nightstand. Jörmungandr slithered from under the bed and curled up on Shimmer’s stomach.

“I’m sorry,” Sunset whispered. “Because of me just being here, you got caught up in all of this. I don’t know if you can find your own way out of the Soul Lock, but I’m here if you need an anchor. And I’ll do everything I can on this side to set you free.”

She turned and walked out of the perpetually dim room, leaving the door open. Spot padded by her side, looking up at her and whining in concern.

“She’ll be okay. And I’ll be okay once all this is over.”

Sunset walked downstairs and met her friends standing around the living room. Tension, uncertainty, and mourning mixed in the air and made Sunset’s neck hair stand on end.

“You sure this is the best place to leave her?” Applejack asked.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Sunset sighed. There was pressure building at the front of her skull. “I don’t know. Once the Lulamoons clear out Adagio, maybe we can move her to the hospital. Right now, it’s the best idea I have.”

“We can worry about Shimmer later,” Rainbow said. “If Tirek has all the magic he wants, it’s not gonna matter where she is.”

“Right.” Sunset shook out her shoulders, trying to reset her nerves. “Shimmer said when Starlight had her, she was in an underground laboratory. I bet Equilibrium Labs has a sub-level or two.”

“Aww,” Pinkie whined. “A secret laboratory would be totally cool if we weren’t breaking in there to stop our best friend from opening a possible doomsday portal.”

“I know, right?” Rainbow said.

“We’re really going to break in?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset gave a tired shrug. “You want us to call the police? We break in, beg Twilight not to do this, and break the machine if we have to.”

“While I agree with the end goal, this feels like vigilantism,” Rarity said. She caught Sunset’s withering glare and sighed reluctantly. “I know, I know. We don’t exactly have a plethora of options. But even if we do stop Starlight, what are we going to do about the police? And Tirek?”

“I don’t know!” Sunset yelled, making her friends jump and Spot retreat behind Fluttershy. Sunset dug her palms into the sides of her head. She was more frustrated than angry, and right now, she couldn’t point to where her frustration was located. Everything, everything was a knotted mess.

“I don’t know,” she repeated in a more defeated voice. She took a short breath and said evenly, “Look, I know what I’m going to do. Starlight can’t be trusted to open a portal to let the magic back in, especially now of all times. I don’t know what’s going to happen in there. I don’t know if it’s the best choice. Maybe it all ends poorly. But right now, this is the only plan I’ve got. You girls don’t have to come with me.”

“Screw that,” Rainbow said immediately. “We’re not letting you walk into enemy territory by yourself.”

Rarity nodded. “Just because I have trepidations doesn’t mean I’m not behind you.”

“Yeah, time to start the vigilante arc of our superhero story!” Pinkie cheered.

“Let’s do what we have to to save the world,” Applejack said.

Fluttershy gave a hesitant nod. “I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

Sunset’s heart swelled at her friends’ devotion. The feeling was dampened by the voice in her head telling her she was steering them wrong. She ignored it and simply said, “Thank you.”

Rainbow waved a hand to the door. “C’mon, we’ve got a mad scientist to stop.”

The girls filed out of the Lulamoon house. Sunset knelt and gave Spot one last pet and a kiss goodbye. He licked her cheek for good luck.

Outside, the girls passed Pinkie’s car, sitting in the middle of the lawn with a dent in its bumper. Sunset assumed it was a leftover from whatever confrontation had happened between Tirek and the Lulamoons.

Pinkie hugged the side of her car and whispered, “Don’t worry, Bubblegum, I’ll come back for you.” She ponied up and launched herself skyward with a firework.

The others powered up and took to the sky in pursuit, Rarity lifting herself and Applejack on a crystal disk.

Sunset’s stomach squirmed as they crossed the Canterlot suburbs and inched closer to the northern outskirts. She couldn’t believe she was heading back to the lab hours after she had tried to sneak in. Starlight’s words rattled around in her head. She had controlled that conversation and threatened there would be consequences if Sunset interfered.

But Sunset refused to sit idly by. And while Starlight’s threat filled her with apprehension, what made Sunset really shudder was knowing she would have to confront Twilight again.

*******

The lab door hissed open, and Twilight strolled through, making a left to the offshoot room housing the Arcane Access Project. Starlight was waiting inside, looking like a proud parent when Twilight entered, tailed by Moondancer.

“Right on time!” Starlight said. “The modifications to the portal gun are just about done! All we need is our new battery!”

Twilight held the storage device out, and Starlight took it with reverent giddiness. She turned it over, admiring the blue and purple glow.

“This time, it’ll work. I can feel it. Are you girls ready?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, clinging to her determination and using it to smother her fear.

Moondancer said nothing, only giving the smallest of nods.

Starlight allowed Double Diamond to finish tweaking a panel on the machine before she stepped up and slotted the storage device into the back slot on the top. Twilight knew something was different from their first attempt, because the entire machine thrummed with new power, and the tesla rings around the front nozzle sparked with purple energy.

“Initiating final checks,” Night Glider said, attaching the cable leading to the central magic harvester to the first slot of the portal gun. Double Diamond closed the door and shut the five of them inside.

Twilight’s entire body trembled with anticipation. This was only the second test, yet something inside her told her this was the one.

Hang on, Sunset. I’ll find a way to get you out. And then, you’ll see I was right.

“We’re ready, Doctor,” Diamond said, already taking notes on his tablet.

Starlight stepped up to the panel. “Fail or succeed, this is the closest we’ve ever gotten to realizing our dreams. But I’ve got a pretty good feeling today. Arcane Access portal test number two, initializing!”

Everyone slid their goggles down. Moondancer merely took a step back. Starlight turned the dial and hit the start button. Like before, the lights dimmed as the machine came to life with an electrical yawn. Light gathered at the opening of the nozzle, circling it as the machine hummed louder. It rattled a lot less than before, raising Twilight’s confidence.

The light danced for a few more seconds before the nozzle fired a steady stream to the back wall. A white blot grew at the impact site, stretching and reshaping itself as the portal tried to stabilize.

“Twenty percent,” Starlight said, the light of the miasma reflecting off her goggles.

The glass partition separating them from the test zone wobbled. Strands of Twilight’s hair floated forward. The energy beam held steady, but the portal refused to take shape.

“Thirty percent!” Starlight turned the knob.

A thrum separate from the machine filled the air. The miasma stretched to fill more of the wall. It looked like it was trying to hold a circular shape but couldn’t figure out how.

“Forty percent!”

Twilight swore she could feel the ground trembling. The lights overhead blinked on and off. The glass wall shook more forcefully. But unlike last time, the beam still held, a solid line leading to a ovular white mass fading in and out. Still, if there was anything beyond the veil, Twilight couldn’t see it.

“Fifty!” Starlight shouted with desperation.

The ground was definitely shaking now. Twilight’s hair tugged toward the portal, and a crack appeared in the glass. One fluorescent light popped out of existence, then another, and another.

“Starlight!” Moondancer yelled.

“It’s almost there! Fifty-five percent!” Starlight gave the dial one more turn.

The machine shook. Twilight’s goggle band pressed against the back of her head. More cracks spread across the glass. But the portal was now a complete circle, and glowing brighter with each passing second. Arcs of white light struck out of it.

“It’s working!” Starlight yelled! “I think it’s working!”

The machine made a loud pop, and a panel snapped off it before flying forward and attaching itself to the glass. Smoke hissed from the exposed wiring.

“Shut it off!” Moondancer demanded.

Starlight snapped the dial back to zero and hit the red button. The beam died instantly, but the open gate to another dimension remained.

The shaking came to a stop, and the force of gravity eased up, though Twilight’s hair still fluttered forward. She lifted her goggles and stepped up to the glass.

“Are we sure it worked? I don’t see anything in there.”

Starlight raised her goggles as well. “We opened it to somewhere! We opened a portal! Humanity has broken the dimensional boundary!”

Moondancer took a half-step forward. “She’s right. I… I can feel the magic.” She frowned. “Something’s wrong.”

Twilight looked back. “What…”

The air vibrated again, a soft thrum that rapidly grew in intensity until Twilight could see the ripples in the air. The sound of a hundred sheets of paper being torn at once scratched against Twilight’s ears. Gravity lurched and shoved Twilight’s back against the glass wall.

“Twilight!” Moondancer screamed, hair whipping in front of her face.

“What’s happening?” Twilight cried.

Starlight held onto the control panel as gravity tried to pull her forward too. “Something’s wrong with the portal!”

*******

Sunset and the girls landed in front of Equilibrium Labs, masks on. Pushing the doors open, they found it empty, an ‘out to lunch sign’ on the receptionist's desk.

“Rainbow, check the building,” Sunset ordered.

“On it.” Rainbow sped away, and nine seconds later, she skidded to a halt next to Sunset. “There’s a few people about, most of them are in the classrooms. I saw some elevators down the hall that only go down.”

“Sounds like a secret lab to me!” Pinkie chirped.

Rainbow led the way to a small offshoot with two elevator doors. She jabbed the down arrow, and one elevator immediately opened. The girls filed in, and down they went.

The lights flickered as they descended, dimming and jumping to full brightness at uneven intervals. It shuddered to a stop, and the doors opened to reveal a short corridor with a steel sliding door at the end.

“It looks like we need a key,” Fluttershy said as they approached, eyeing the key card panel.

“Nah, we’re good,” Rainbow said. “A.J.?”

Applejack popped her knuckles and wedged her fingers in the tiny gap between the doors. Muscles flexing, aura shining, Applejack forced the doors open, the metal screeching as it was forced back.

Eight or so scientists in a square laboratory were on the other side, each of them recovering from the sudden assault on their ears. They stared in surprise at the sudden appearance of six masked girls.

“Woah, how’d you get in here?” one with poofy blue hair asked.

“The door, silly!” Pinkie said.

“The same way you’re going out,” Rainbow said. She zipped forward, grabbed the young man, and brought him out to the far end of the corridor. She ran back in and repeated this with every other scientist until the room was empty.

Before any of them could fully grasp what had happened, Applejack grabbed the doors again and pulled them shut, crimping the two halves together so they couldn’t be opened again.

“We’re sorry!” Fluttershy called through the door.

Sunset took her mask off and looked around the room. Desks and workstations were scattered around at odd positions and littered with notes, diagrams, and odd-looking machines. Oddest of all was the cylindrical device suspended from the ceiling. Within the thick glass, motes of light danced and flitted about.

“Magic,” Sunset whispered. She brought her gaze down. There were several doors leading deeper into the lab. Twilight and Starlight had to be inside one of them.

The ground trembled, knocking machines and mugs off of desks and sending electrical currents down the wires spilling out from the device overhead. The tremor only lasted a few seconds.

Applejack twisted about. “Was that an earthquake, or…”

Goosebumps coated Sunset’s skin. She couldn’t say what, but something was wrong. It felt like she was slowly having her blood drawn.

“Does anyone else feel that?” Rarity said, rubbing her arms.

Pinkie shuddered. “It kinda feels like—”

The glass container over their heads exploded. Sunset raised her arms to block the falling glass but caught sight of the motes of light zipping off to the left. When the glass stopped raining, she made to run toward the door they had disappeared behind, but quickly stopped and put a hand to her chest, feeling briefly winded. Her fire flickered and dimmed.

Rainbow gripped the side of her head, her pony features fading in and out of existence. “What’s happening?”

Sunset didn’t answer. She steeled herself and ran for the door, but like the entrance, this one needed a card key. “Applejack!”

Pony ears popping back to life, Applejack stormed over and gripped both sides of the door, throwing them open with a yell.

Sunset had two seconds to take everything in. Starlight clinging to a golden ray gun device. Moondancer grinding her heels into the ground to stop sliding forward. Two scientists running in place to escape the pull of gravity emanating from a white hole on the other side of a glass screen… that Twilight was pressed against.

Sunset jumped forward as the glass shattered and Twilight was yanked backward toward the portal. She grabbed Twilight’s right hand with both of hers. Between the strands of her whipping hair, she saw Moondancer grab Twilight’s left, wings of light beating back against the pull of gravity.

Twilight’s legs were already engulfed by the white light, now steadily shrinking. Sunset beat her own wings faster, her phoenix form suddenly harder to maintain. She could feel her strength, no, her magic quickly depleting.

“Sunset…” Twilight looked at her with wide, fearful eyes.

“I got you, Twilight! I got you!” Sunset shouted over the sucking roar of the wind.

Moondancer pulled Twilight’s arm, tears falling forward into the vortex. “Don’t let go! Don’t let go!” she chanted, more to herself. Like Sunset, her wings were struggling to stay manifested.

There were shouts and thuds and scrapes behind Sunset. Pieces of metal and wire occasionally shot by into the portal. She ignored all of it. She kept her eyes on Twilight and pulled with all her might. It was a losing battle. Twilight inched deeper and deeper into the shrinking gate.

“Sunset, please!” Twilight gripped Sunset’s hand as tight as she could.

“I’ve got you, Twilight, I promise!” Sunset pulled with all her strength, but it was like fighting a hurricane.

Sweat poured down Moondancer’s face. She screamed as she pulled on Twilight, then screamed again as her grip slipped and her wings threw her across the room.

Twilight surged backward, shoulder-deep in the portal now. Every muscle in Sunset’s body strained as she made one last desperate bid to keep Twilight from sinking further. Like Moondancer, she let out a defiant roar and heaved, but the portal heaved back.

“Sunset,” Twilight said, the portal up to her neck, “I—”

Sunset’s flames went out. Her grip and strength failed. Twilight’s hand shot out of her own, and she disappeared into the portal as it swirled closed. Sunset hit the floor, Twilight’s glasses dropping next to her. The wind died, the pressure stopped, and everything was quiet.

Falling Star II: Sunset

Twilight was gone.

Sunset knew. She could feel her friends. She could feel Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. The Lulamoons. Even Shimmer, though she was faint. She could feel the tethers to their souls. They were all a part of her, anchoring her own soul, making her whole.

She couldn’t feel Twilight.

She was only aware of these tethers because she couldn’t feel Twilight. The bonds to her friends had been natural, ever-present. Twilight’s sudden absence was comparable to losing a limb; it had been such a part of Sunset, she couldn’t comprehend it being gone until it was.

She pushed herself up onto her knees and looked at the spot where the portal had been. Nothing. Sunset could still feel Twilight’s grip in her own. Her last expression of confusion and terror was burned into Sunset’s mind so that when she finally blinked, it was clear as day on the back of her eyelids.

Twilight was gone. Her soul was gone.

Even still, despite the growing, splintering pain in her soul, despite the space that Twilight had just occupied remaining empty, Sunset spoke out in a quivering, scratchy voice.

“Twilight?”

No response came.

She vaguely heard actions behind her, but none of them sounded like Twilight. Her mind discarded it, splitting into two layers. The top layer moved at a sluggish pace, replaying the last minute of her life over and over again, looking for a hint that would disprove the reality that Twilight had just been pulled into a collapsing void. The bottom layer moved at rampant speeds trying to decide her next course of action. Did she cry? Did she scream? Did she fight? Did she just run?

The two layers mashed together, and short-circuited her brain, forcing her to repeat her last action.

“Twilight!” she called again, a little louder this time.

Twilight did not answer her.

Weak sparks jumped between her synapses, urging her to do something. But she didn’t know what. And Sunset felt that if she moved, she would break. Not just her person, she would break this moment in time. If she made a physical action, it would push time forward and solidify Twilight being ripped from her. But if she stayed still, there was a chance things could be undone; she could call Twilight back.

She had to call Twilight back.

“Twilight!” she yelled.

But time moved forward. And Twilight did not return.

Sunset broke from her frozen position, desperately grabbing her chest like she could hold in the grief fighting to explode outward. She tried to breathe, but someone had stolen most of the oxygen from the room. She doubled over, trying to suck in what air she could, when she saw Twilight’s glasses upturned on the ground. Her hand went for them instinctually. They were warm.

A weak sob escaped from Sunset as she pressed the glasses to her chest. “Twilight…”

Her ears attuned to the world around her. She picked up muffled crying just behind her, and turned to find Moondancer on her knees, face pressed into the floor, hands gripping the back of her head as she sobbed. “No… no, no…”

Starlight stood next to the ruined remains of a machine, wearing a defeated expression. “My portal… my protege.”

Applejack held the two scientists by the back of their coats, staring at the spot where Twilight had been, grief and disbelief in her eyes. The rest of the girls stood crowded around the door, their pony features absent.

Sunset absently placed Twilight’s glasses in one of her vest pockets. She got to her feet, staggering backward and forward as her world tilted to and fro. Her foot nudged a glowing circular device, and she stooped down to pick it up.

Magic prickled her fingers as she held it. Equestrian magic. This device had touched the statue. This was the culprit. Sunset’s grip tightened, the urge to crush it rising.

“Aaaaugh!”

Every head turned to the source of the scream. Starlight stomped her foot several times and threw her shaking fists down. “We had it! I had it! We were this close! Now, my most brilliant worker is gone!”

“Bring her back!” Sunset screeched. The dam was breaking; every emotion threatened to pour out at once.

Starlight glared at her. “You think I wouldn’t if I could? Look at our machine! And I don’t even know what went wrong! It could take weeks to make another attempt!”

“I don’t want your excuses!” Sunset’s hair snapped like a fire trying to rekindle itself. “Give me back my Twilight!”

“I can’t!” Starlight slammed the side of her fist into the broken portal machine. “And you’re in no position to make demands of me, Sunset Shimmer! You’ve broken into my laboratory!”

“And you sent my girlfriend into oblivion!” Sunset’s eyes were wide with fury. She slipped the circular device into her other vest pocket and stepped closer to Starlight.

Starlight clenched her jaw and looked away. “And that is a terrible, terrible loss. Twilight was the most brilliant asset I had.”

Sunset froze mid-stride. Her throat convulsed as her vocal cords worked overtime to form a word. “Asset?” she choked out.

Starlight snapped her head back, eyes wide with guilt. “No, I didn’t mean—”

“Asset!” From deep inside Sunset’s soul, a blistering heat sparked. Whatever exhaustion that portal had inflicted on her burned away. Her blood boiled, possibly, quite literally as her internal temperature rose like she had swallowed fire.

“She was smart, considerate, compassionate!” Sunset seethed. She dug her nails into her chest again. The dam was on its last legs. “She saw the best part of me when I couldn’t! I loved her! I loved her so much! And you took her away!”

Starlight took a backstep toward the door. “I did no such thing! Twilight did everything of her own volition! She knew the risks involved. It’s deeply regrettable, and if there were a way to get her back, I would do it.” She tapped a finger against her chin.

“Perhaps if we worked together, we could bring her back? Surely, you have a similar understanding of magic as she did. Perhaps even better. We could make a new portal and rescue Twilight in due time.” Starlight paused to think. “If she’s still alive, that is.”

The dam broke, and Sunset yelled, the pitch rising until it sounded like a bird of prey. Her wings and tail roared back to life, blazing like a wildfire. Her hair was a dancing pyre atop her head. But instead of their usual orange and yellow glow, the fire blazing off Sunset was a molten red and hot enough that she could feel the spike in temperature. She didn’t care. Steam curled up from her eyes, her stream of tears evaporating the second they fell free.

Moondancer finally looked up from her kowtowed position and scrambled back to the wall with a yelp, hand over her mask. Sunset ignored her. She had only one target.

“You’re right, Starlight; my soul is fragile,” Sunset said her voice crackling like a bonfire. “And you found the one thing that could hurt me the most. Now, you’re going to reap the consequences.”

******

“You know once we go down there, it’s going to turn out just like Greece.”

Artemis didn’t respond immediately to his wife. He kept his wand up to his eye, using it as a telescope to see the ground floor from the abandoned high-rise his family occupied.

In the time that had elapsed between Sunset and her friends being arrested and the Lulamoons returning to the city, Adagio had made herself a queen in all but name. She lounged on a red velvet loveseat carried by four civilian thralls, eyes green and empty. A group of police officers acted as the procession as Adagio was paraded down Main Street.

She occasionally sang a few hypnotic notes, usually when any unenchanted officer or civilian got too close—that was to say—within a half-block radius. Adagio’s siren form circled above, amplifying Adagio’s voice and occasionally firing a beam of magic. Never to kill, at least. Adagio aimed at buildings or at the feet of fleeing groups of people. All of it was just so she could keep feeding off the city’s fear.

“I am well aware, turtle dove,” Artemis said, looking at the scene with disgust. On one hand, Artemis didn’t think it would be that bad. This time, there was only one Siren and three of them. On the other hand, this one Siren had more power than the other two ever did, and already had an armed guard surrounding her.

The second they made their move, Adagio would be on high alert. And like with Tirek, she would show little to no mercy. Adagio would go for the kill.

Artemis lowered his wand. “Our family sure has made a lot of enemies over the years.”

“And triumphed over each and every one!” Trixie said, raising herself to full height, pride in her smile. She only came up to Artemis’ chin. He was glad. No matter how old she got, Trixie would always be his little baby girl.

His heart hurt over how much she looked like Apalla, especially when she smiled with the level of bravado only a Lulamoon was capable of. Artemis fought the muscles in his jaw from turning downward. Tirek had the Rainbow of Light, but he didn’t have his own body yet. Which meant the easiest way to ensure the safety of the world was to…

He blinked hard. No, one thing at a time. First, they dealt with Adagio once and for all.

“That’s right!” Artemis said, regaining his vigor to match Trixie’s. “Which means the only question is: how do we take down this one?”

Trixie spun her wand around her finger. “We could just turn Adagio into a toad.” Her wand hit her thumb, and she fumbled before grabbing it with both hands and continuing like nothing had happened.

“While nothing would give me greater joy,” Artemis said with a longing sigh, “she has enough magic to resist a simple spell like that.”

“She does, but her guards don’t,” Selena said. “We neutralize her security force so we’re only dealing with magic instead of bullets.”

Artemis nodded. “We’ll all need to strike at once. The second one of her guards disappears, Adagio will know we’re here.”

“You handle the guards, love. Trixie, make as many illusions of us as possible—keep Adagio confused.” Selena raised her scabbard. “I’ll get the necklace off of her.”

Artemis rubbed his neck. “Try not to be too good at your job, dear.”

Selena just smiled. “Ready, family?”

“Trixie was born ready!”

“No more songs for this Siren!” Artemis pointed his wand skyward. “Lulamoon!”

He teleported and reappeared on a corner store awning just behind Adagio’s procession. Four more of him appeared at various spots down the street, including right in front of Adagio.

She sat up in her makeshift throne, eyes flaring with hatred. “Wizard!”

“Sea hag!” the copy said. The real Artemis fired a rapid round of frog spells, hitting all of Adagio’s guards and leaving only green amphibians behind when the smoke cleared. Adagio swiveled about, noticing the additional Artemises surrounding her.

They were joined by four Selenas coming from four different directions. Adagio jumped and floated away from the street, but a fifth Selena launched herself from a third-story window and grappled Adagio, wrestling her into a messy landing on the pavement.

“Unhand me, you worthless—”

Selena flipped Adagio onto her front and had one arm locked when two of Adagio’s throne bearers tackled her.

Artemis circled his wand over his head and flicked his hand forward, casting two coils of rope out. Both found their marks and bound the two men’s arms to their sides. Selena got to her feet, but Adagio was already high in the air again.

“Oh look, two Lulamoons,” she said, eyes vanishing into deep pools of red. “Now all we’re missing is—”

A bolt of magic hit her in the back. Adagio snarled before flipping around and spotting Trixie ducking out of sight in their high-rise hiding spot. Adagio flung a bright firework, exploding the wall and shuddering the building. Trixie fell out of the newly made hole, frantically waving her wand and disappearing halfway through her fall.

With a yelp and thud, Trixie landed next to Artemis. She jumped to her feet and brushed her hair out, smiling like it had all been part of her plan.

“And now, the family’s all here,” Adagio said with sinister sweetness. “I already took care of those blasted Rainbooms, so it’s only fitting you would be next!”

Artemis shared a quick look with his wife and daughter. All three of them nodded in silent agreement. They would add insult after the injury.

“How dare you lock our friends away!” Trixie said, pressing the back of her hand against her forehead. “I guess that means we’ll just have to fight harder for them!”

“Fight all you want! This city is mine, and so are the people!” Adagio clenched her fist and vanished in a red flash. The monstrous fish stopped aimlessly circling and opened its mouth, Adagio’s terrible song spewing from its throat.

Trixie fired bolts of magic up toward it, but Artemis closed his eyes and concentrated. In the darkness, he could see wisps of magic flowing through the air. Beside him was a bright font of it: Trixie. Across the street was a dim glow: Selena. And one block over, hiding in a parking garage was a bloody red silhouette.

“You can’t hide from me,” Artemis said with a smirk. He teleported, landing behind a concrete pillar. Adagio’s song echoed off the walls in a haunting stereo that made Artemis want to claw off his ears. He peeked around the pillar and down an avenue of parked cars. Adagio stood at the end, eyes closed.

Gunshots rang out from where Artemis had just been. His fatherly instincts almost took complete control to teleport him back to Trixie. He took a calming breath. Trixie had faced far worse than a few handguns. She would be fine.

Alright, Adagio. Let’s see how well you sing with your lips glued together! Artemis charged up a spell then leaped out from behind the pillar and fired. The sticky green substance he had conjured sailed and hit the wall behind where Adagio should have been.

Artemis heard the crackle of magic behind him but felt nothing. Adagio yelped and the crunch of metal echoed through the garage. Artemis turned around, cape swishing as he did. Adagio was scrambling to her feet, and the car behind her sported a scorched and dented fender.

“You forgot my cape reflects magic, didn’t you?”

Adagio aimed her palm at Artemis’ face and fired. He ducked to the side and retaliated with a rope spell that bound Adagio’s ankles together. She hobbled two steps before hitting the ground, then opened her mouth, no doubt to scream in Artemis’ face. He didn’t give her the chance. With another flick of his wand, more green goo shot out and covered Adagio’s mouth.

She lifted her hands to try and pry it off, only to succeed in getting her fingers stuck.

Artemis snickered. “You’re really not that tough without your sisters.”

Adagio’s eyes flared. With a hateful look, she disappeared in another flash of red light.

Artemis sighed and closed his eyes. She couldn’t have gone far. In the darkness, amidst the streams of magic, he could see Selena and Trixie fending off the unseen civilians. Twisting around, he saw a massive silhouette speeding toward him. He opened his eyes to see the siren’s maw yawning wide, a ball of energy at the tip of its tongue.

He teleported just as the beast fired, reappearing on an adjacent rooftop and watching the fourth floor of the parking garage explode. Dust and fire plumed out from the balconies, and a chorus of distorted alarms warbled beyond the smoke.

The beast snapped its head to Artemis and fired another mass of energy. Artemis widened his stance and gripped the hem of his cape. The ball was upon him, and he threw his cape out reflecting the attack. While the energy itself didn’t harm him, the force of the blast still sent him flying across the roof and over the edge.

The ground flew toward him. Artemis swung his wand in a wide circle in front of himself, and gravity slowed down, dropping him gently on the sidewalk. Across the street, Selena nerve-pinched an enthralled civilian and gently lowered him to the ground.

“How’s Adagio?” she asked.

In the distance, the siren beast let out a roar that shook the ground.

“Oh, you know. Angry as usual,” Artemis said.

Trixie warped in, panting. “Okay, Trixie has turned enough people into frogs to open her own aquarium. And yet, more officers keep popping out of nowhere!”

“The good news is, I’ve managed to shut Adagio up for…” Artemis tilted his head. It was faint, but he felt an… emptiness? No, something was leaving. The summer wind whipped through the streets of downtown, but Artemis felt something else brushing past him.

Trixie looked over her shoulder, then at her father. “Do you feel that?”

Artemis nodded. “I do but…”

Selena raised her hand and ran it slowly overhead like she was feeling for something. “The world’s magic… it’s… leaving?”

Artemis closed his eyes. Selena was right: the wisps of magic, once flowing in all directions, were being pulled somewhere. Then, it stopped. The streams hovered in place for a moment before aimlessly drifting through the darkness again.

“What on earth is happening?” he asked, mostly to himself. He opened his eyes to see Trixie looking befuddled, and Selena with a grim countenance.

“I have a bad feeling something’s happened to the girls,” she said.

Artemis nodded. He hoped they were still on the island, but whatever had happened to the magic, he had a sinking suspicion it involved them too.

A piercing screech dropped all three Lulamoons to their knees. The astral hippocampus loomed overhead, and hovering above it was Adagio. The slimy goop was gone, but Artemis could see claw and burn marks around the edges of her mouth.

“Unlike those spectacular losers, I’m not going to make you endure what I endured! I’m just going to kill you!” Adagio surrounded herself with diamonds and began to sing, her avatar amplifying her voice.

Like they had been hiding just out of view, police officers and enthralled civilians appeared and began to surround the Lulamoons from all sides. The song faded out, and the troopers cocked and aimed their guns.

“We WiLl Be AdOrEd!

“TeLl Us ThAt YoU wAnT uS!

“We WoN’t Be IgNoReD!

“It’S tImE fOr OuR rEwArD!”

Artemis clapped his hands over his ears and ground his teeth at the worst singing he had ever heard. It was enough to make his skin crawl.

It had a similar effect on the enthralled. They dropped their weapons, tried to cover their ears, and groaned in agony over the caterwauling. So strong was the awful singing that it was enough to lift the green haze from their eyes.

“You two!” Adagio screeched.

Artemis twisted around. Walking down the block, voices cracking as the warbled off-key, were Sonata and Aria. The closer they got, the more people fled, rushing to get as far away from the noise as possible.

Both girls paused to take a breath, and Aria glared up at Adagio and said, “Seriously, you’re just gonna go full supervillain now?”

“Half this city is under my control!” Adagio shouted. “I’ve gotten further on my own than I ever did with you two holding me back!”

Aria pinched the bridge of her nose. “Been here five seconds and she’s already blaming us for her screwups. This is why I left.”

Sonata clasped her hands in front of her. “Dagi, please, you don’t have to be evil anymore! And we don’t have to feed on hate and fear!”

“Although it is pretty tasty out here,” Aria muttered.

Adagio responded by having her siren charge up and fire another pulse of energy directly at her sisters. Both girls turned to run, but Artemis put himself between them and the energy ball and twirled his cape, reflecting it right back to its sender.

The hippocampus was struck, and Adagio cursed, doubling over in pain. In that moment of distraction, Artemis pulled a smoke bomb from his sleeve and threw it against the ground. A cloud of blue smoke engulfed half the block, and Artemis grabbed Sonata and Aria’s wrists, dragging them off to the side.

“Trixie, illusion time,” he called. He and the two Sirens settled into an alley, and when the smoke cleared, half-a-dozen Trixies, Artemises, and Selenas littered the street.

Artemis turned to Sonata and Aria while Adagio screamed in rage and started firing magic blasts at the dodging doppelgangers.

“Why are you here? And where’s your parole officer?”

Aria gave a blasé shrug. “Well, we were picking up trash by the side of the highway when we thought we saw Adagio. Then we heard Adagio’s screaming.”

“We decided we wanted to come and confront her, so we may or may not have used our screams to knock everyone else out and steal the bus to drive here,” Sonata said, palms up and smiling.

“Too bad traffic proved to be a nightmare to get through. We had to ditch the bus and start walking. Anyway, we’re here to help.” By her distant tone and perpetually bored expression, Artemis wasn’t sure if Aria even believed her own words.

“You’re going to fight your own sister?” Artemis asked.

Sonata nodded. “Remember what we told you? Dagi probably isn’t going to stop unless someone makes her. We just wanna make sure nothing super bad happens to her.”

“Better the hospital and jail than the morgue,” Aria said, crossing her arms.

Artemis copied her, giving the girls a discerning eye as he thought. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them at this point; between giving Pinkie her key to the Rainbow of Light, showing them the leygate, and just showing up here and driving the mob away was enough proof that they had a change of heart. Artemis still wasn’t particularly fond of them, but that’s what therapy was for.

No, it was their willingness to fight their sister.

They had it easy. They didn’t have to kill Adagio, just knock her out and lock her away. Tirek had the Rainbow of Light, and if he got into his real body, would be nigh unkillable. Meaning if Artemis wanted to protect the world, he would have to fight his twin to the death.

Never, in his entire life, did Artemis think he would ever have to raise a hand to his twin sister. They had been together through thick and thin, parting only for a few years when they separated for college, then joining for a world tour with Selena accompanying them. Losing her had been the worst day of Artemis’ life.

He envied the Sirens. Their situation, and their willingness to fight one of their own.

“Alright,” Artemis said with a nod, “you can help.”

Trixie teleported in with Selena on her arm, the hem of Trixie’s dress singed.

“There’s only two copies left, and they’re just running in circles, so Trixie thinks Adagio will catch on any second.”

“Aaah aah ah. Aaa ah.”

Artemis growled. “She’s going to throw as many people as she can at us and hope we get overwhelmed.”

“Our voices may totally suck now,” Aria said, making no attempt to hide her bitterness, “but they’re still magic. You saw what happened; we can nullify Adagio’s song.”

Trixie dug a finger into her ear. “Too bad it disorients us, too.”

Artemis gave his wand a thoughtful spin around his finger. “It’s risky, but I could cast a sound-dampening spell around the three of us. We either fight with no sound…”

“Or with the worst sound we’ve ever heard,” Trixie finished.

Sonata rubbed her throat, a hurt look on her face. “It’s not that bad.”

Selena walked to the mouth of the alley and peeked out. “We need to make a decision now. Our copies are gone and the mob is mobilizing.”

Artemis tightened his grip on his wand. “Alright then. You two,” he said to the Sirens, “stay close but try to keep out of sight. Sing as much as you can to keep the enthralled away. Trixie, Selena, once I cast the spell, keep moving and keep Adagio off-balance.”

Everyone gave an affirming nod. Aria followed up with a lazy salute. “Try not to die. I still don’t really like you guys, but you're our best hope at stopping Adagio.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” Trixie said, sticking her tongue out.

The two parties broke off, and Trxie and Artemis joined Selena near the alley entrance. “I can’t believe we’re fighting alongside the Sirens,” Selena said.

“In times like these, I’ll take any ally we can get,” Artemis said. He raised his wand and drew a large circle above all three of their heads. “Lulamoon!”

Silvery dust drifted from the sky. and covered Artemis’ ears like warm hands. Adagio’s singing, the shouts of the civilians, the whispering wind; all of it faded until Artemis could only hear his heartbeat. He looked behind him. Sonata and Aria’s mouths were open, and Artemis felt his skin crawl. He couldn’t hear them, but his body still felt their distorted magic.

With a single gesture, he beckoned his family to follow him out to the muted street. The crowd Adagio had mustered was already dispersing, grasping their heads as they staggered into shops and offices. Overhead, Adagio mouthed something and pointed at the Lulamoons.

Artemis just smiled at her and shrugged.

Shaking with rage, Adagio threw her hand out, and her siren roared down at the street. Artemis held onto the brim of his hat, feeling the force of the soundwaves, but little else.

He drew a playing card from his sleeve and tossed it toward Selena. Halfway through its arc, he hit it with a quick bolt of magic. The card tripled in size until it was the length and width of a skateboard and hovered just off the ground.

Selena jumped on it, and it zoomed her up to the sky. She drew her sword and slashed at Adagio, the blade soundlessly striking a diamond barrier. Adagio retreated, nervousness starting to overtake her anger.

Trixie teleported away from Artemis’ side, reappearing on the lip of a nearby building. The hippocampus took notice and fired a blast of magic, destroying part of the rooftop. Trixie, however, remained standing.

From across the street, a greater burst of magic hit the avatar and sent it careening into the building. The real Trixie stood on the opposite roof and jumped up in victory.

Adagio, now looking panicked, turned and fled deeper into the city, Selena in hot pursuit.

Artemis smirked and twirled his wand, another spell forming at its tip. Maybe he couldn’t fight Apalla. But he could do this.

******

Starlight rushed past the rest of the girls, elbowing her way back to the central lab.

“Go ahead and run,” Sunset snarled, “but there’s nowhere to go!” She kicked off the ground and blazed past her friends and after Starlight.

“Sunset, wait!” Fluttershy called.

Sunset didn’t listen. She flew straight for Starlight, fist drawn back. Starlight looked over her shoulder and dropped into a slide, narrowly avoiding Sunset’s first swing. Sunset lapped the lab and dove at her again as she reached a workstation. Starlight grabbed a wristband off the desk and ducked, Sunset’s hand brushing through her hair.

Sunset wasn’t going to just throw a fireball at her. No, she wanted—needed to get her hands on Starlight and beat the apology out of her. She turned and threw herself at Starlight again.

The scientist held her wrist up, and a blue shield materialized and bounced Sunset across the room.

“This confrontation is meaningless!” Starlight snapped. “Both of us lost something today.”

Sunset shook herself off from the surprise defense. “You lost something? You’re the reason she’s gone!” she shouted, steam still pouring from her eyes.

“You’re really blaming me for a freak accident?”

“You shouldn’t have been messing with my way home! You shouldn’t have dragged Twilight into it!” Sunset dive-bombed her.

Starlight held her shield up again, and Sunset slammed into it, digging her fists in to break through.

“Stop, both of y’all!” Applejack yelled. Her pony features appeared for a few seconds, then vanished in a burst of light.

Tears ruining her mascara, Rarity looked between Sunset and Starlight and said, “We’re all hurting right now, but this isn’t going to solve anything!”

“I know that!” Sunset shrieked. Her hands shook against the hard light shield. It was taking all of her strength not to break down right at that moment. “But I need to… I need…”

“Need what?” Starlight sneered. “Someone to blame? You don’t want to blame Twilight for her own agency and decisions, so you want to pin the blame on me!”

“You exploited her!”

“I did not!” Starlight threw her weight into her arm and shoved Sunset away. “She came here of her own volition! I merely showed her what true progress and potential looks like!”

Sunset clenched her fists. “Oh yeah? Did you show her what it looks like when you rip out someone’s soul? When you tear it in half? When you put someone’s darkness inside someone else?”

Starlight waved a dismissive hand. “If she asked, I would have. Twilight came to understand that everything done here is done for the greater good.”

“What ‘greater good’ is there in reviving Tirek?” Rainbow asked.

“If he’s true to his word, a new golden age for humanity.” Starlight closed her eyes and said longingly, “And I get back what I’ve lost.”

She opened her eyes and said, “It’s not too late, you know. Help Tirek in his little crusade, and he might reward you by bringing Twilight back.”

“I refuse to help that lunatic!” Sunset yelled.

“Nor should you!”

Sunset turned her head. Leaning on Fluttershy, eyes red and swollen, hair disheveled was Moondancer. Fluttershy helped her further into the room until Moondancer grabbed a chair and collapsed into it.

She took several trembling breaths before speaking to Starlight. “I warned you after she found out. I never wanted her anywhere near all of this! Especially Tirek! I told you not to let anything happen to her!”

Starlight put her hands up. “Moondancer, we can fix this.”

“You can’t fix this!” Moondancer screamed, jumping up and kicking her chair back. She pointed up to the broken container hanging over the center of the lab. “How can you fix this?”

“We’ll get more magic!” Starlight said, an edge of desperation to her voice. “And if we have to rely on Tirek for just a bit longer, then so be it! We’ll all get what we want in the end; just trust me!”

“Trust you? Trust you?” Sunset spoke up, indignation spiking again. “Twilight trusted you and look what happened to her!” She rushed at Starlight again and met her shield once more.

“Enough, Sunset Shimmer!” Moondancer yelled.

Sunset kicked at Starlight. “Not until she admits she was wrong! Not until she apologizes! Not until she gives Twilight back!”

“Alright, you’ve thrown your tantrum, now enough’s enough!” Starlight said. “I’m furious about my machine exploding, but you don’t see me lashing out like a child!”

“You took away Twilight!” Sunset struck the shield again. “You used her for your stupid magic projects!”

“She was wonderful, and I do feel bad,” Starlight snapped, stepping back from the force of Sunset’s blows. “But I will use anything and anyone I have to elevate humanity and get my Sunburst back!”

Sunset’s eyes dilated. Starlight bit the corner of her lip and looked away.

Jumping back, Sunset curled her fingers, flames gathering at the tips to resemble talons. She rushed forward and blitzed Starlight’s shield, striking over and over, the hard light flickering and warping more and more with each strike.

With one final uppercut, the shield faded out, and Starlight fell backward onto the floor. Sunset pinned her, digging her knees into Starlight’s arms.

Starlight struggled to free herself, but Sunset proved herself immovable. She gave Sunset a defiant glare instead and said, “Now what? You’re going to kill me? Some ‘hero’ you are!”

Sunset looked down at her, claws raised. All of the anger inside her told her to strike. But a voice in the back of her head told her to stop. Starlight was misguided, amoral, and hypocritical. She was on Tirek’s side. But she didn’t deserve to die.

Still, Sunset couldn’t put her hand down. Even if Starlight wasn’t directly responsible for Twilight’s vanishing, she had led her down this path. Convinced her that bringing back Tirek would be good in the long run. Even if Starlight was right, the cost was already too great. Yet she was already prepared to move on. She didn’t understand the pain burning through Sunset.

Sunset’s hand trembled, her fiery claws flickering. “I want to hurt you… so bad,” Sunset choked out, watery tears running down her cheeks again.

“Go ahead,” Starlight spat. “Prove that deep down, you’re still that demon you fear so much.”

Sunset curled her hand tighter, claws, blazing again. She wanted to do it. It would be so easy to do it. Deliver a fraction of the pain she felt.

“Sunset, don’t!” Fluttershy called, echoing the voice inside her. “You’re better than that! Twilight knew you’re better than that!”

It was true. Twilight was the first person to truly believe Sunset was better than this. All of Twilight’s confidence in her. All of her compassion. All of their conversations. Twilight had told her again and again that she wasn’t evil.

But now…

Sunset let out a guttural scream. Her powers flared, fueled by the unrestrained release of her sadness, fury, and pain. She screamed until her throat was raw, then slammed her hand down.

There was an audible crack as the floor tile next to Starlight’s head split.

Sunset’s fire died. She rolled off Starlight, huddled her legs against her chest, and sobbed. Five pairs of arms wrapped around her, and Sunset cried harder, feeling the absence of the one pair she needed the most.

00: Midnight

Artemis had to commend Adagio for sticking out the fight for as long as she did. Between her sisters nullifying her hypnotic song and the Lulamoons batting her around like a toy, Adagio had put up a decent fight, doubly so when a surge of magic rushed through everyone and gave Adagio a second wind.

Whatever influx of magic had swept through Canterlot gave Artemis and Trixie a boost as well, and between them and Selena’s speed and grace, Adagio remained on the back foot, and in the case of her siren avatar, the back fin.

When the sphere of magic appeared in the sky and cast an eerie purple pall over the city, Adagio used the momentary distraction to finally teleport away, taking her avatar with her.

Artemis took a deep breath and shook out his wand hand. He looked up at the pulsing sphere and shuddered. It was a spell and an extremely powerful one at that. What it would do, he couldn’t say, but he bet his entire store it wasn’t anything good.

He canceled the mute spell, wincing as sound rushed through his ears: cars honking as more people fled downtown, wind rushing between buildings, and to his trained ear, the faint static of magic.

Trixie, Selena, and the Sirens ran over to him, Aria and Sonata massaging their throats. While Artemis still wasn’t fond of them, he gave credit where credit was due. Singing (if it could be called that) for almost an hour straight was no small feat.

Trixie pointed up to the sphere. “What is that?”

“Someone’s charging a spell,” Artemis said.

“Tirek?” Selena asked.

Artemis pulled on his goatee. “I don’t know. I don’t recognize the magical signature coming off from it.”

“Unless it’s about to explode, we have more important things to worry about,” Aria said, her voice croaky. “Adagio got away again!”

“No she didn’t,” Artemis said with a smirk. “I know where she warped off too.”

“You do?” Selena asked. “You never have before.”

“Before, she didn’t leave a massive trail to follow.” Artemis pointed south. “Her siren avatar is literally just a magical projection. An admittedly powerful one at that. I felt it the second she popped up again. She’s in the Everfree Forest.”

Trixie bounced on her toes. “Then let’s go get her!”

Artemis spun his wand. “My thoughts exactly.”

“Oh, hahaha! There’s no need for that,” a new voice said.

Everyone swiveled about, trying to find the voice’s origin. It sounded familiar to Artemis, yet it also sent goosebumps up his arms.

“You’ve done a fantastic job so far, friends,” the voice continued. “But Adagio and I have some unfinished business. I’ll take it from here, so please, sit back, relax…”

Artemis rotated one more time and nearly jumped out of his skin as he locked eyes with a winged purple girl hovering inches from him. Blue fire danced around her manic red pupils.

“And don’t touch my spell,” she said, a thin line of malice hidden behind her smile. In a blink, she vanished.

“What the heck was that?” Aria asked.

Artemis put a hand against his pounding heart. “I… think that was…”

“Artemis!”

He turned around again. From down the broken street came four familiar faces, Rarity at the forefront. She skidded to a stop in front of the Lulamoons and the Sirens.

Wiping tears and mascara away, she said, “We have a problem! We have a lot of problems!”

*****

Pathetic that we ever lost to a spoiled brat like her.

Midnight didn’t teleport into the chateau; that would have been too easy. No, she allowed her body to become as vapor and blend into all of the shadows the old manor provided. She was everywhere and nowhere, and she had Adagio surrounded.

The Siren sat in the main foyer, leaning against the banister of the stairs. She was covered in cuts and bruises, and her messy volume of hair managed to look even more disheveled.

“I had them! I had all of them! If those two hadn’t turned traitor!” Adagio let out a petulant scream.

Noisy and miserable, Midnight thought lazily. Every eye in every shadow stared at the creature. No matter the angle, Midnight saw nothing redeeming about her.

Her friends said she couldn’t be judge, jury, and executioner for all of humanity. Of course, Midnight disagreed. She had infinite knowledge and unlimited magic, what more could one ask for to pass judgment upon others and carry it out? And Adagio had wronged her. She deserved the right to judge and execute the woman.

Besides, she wasn’t even human!

Adagio pushed herself off the banister and limped toward the kitchen door. She pulled it open and immediately stepped off into a dark chasm.

Midnight laughed as she listened to Adagio’s shriek. Pulling herself from the shadows, she dove into the swirling darkness after her. Adagio flailed her arms, fruitlessly grasping for something to stop her fall.

“Hi, Dagi,” Midnight said, her physical body rematerializing.

Adagio stopped screaming and stared at her. “What the… who are you?”

Midnight didn’t answer. She smiled and snapped her fingers, and the world shifted from vertical to horizontal. Adagio slammed back into a wooden chair and steel manacles clamped over her wrists.

“Adagio Dazzle,” Midnight sang, looking down from her judge’s bench. “You’ve been charged with numerous crimes.”

She pulled out a roll of parchment and unrolled it, watching it flow down her desk and end at Adagio’s feet.

“All of them quite serious. The worse one being…” The scroll lit on fire, smoldering into ashes that shaped themselves into an image of a skull.

“You almost killed my brother!” Midnight shrieked. In a kinder tone, she asked, “How do you plead?”

Adagio stared down at the skull, a rare look of fear on her face. She snapped her head up to Midnight and squinted her eyes. “Twilight Sparkle?”

Midnight stood up and grinned. “In the flesh. But I go by Midnight Sparkle now, Goddess of Magic.”

Adagio dared to laugh. “You, goddess of magic? Please, there’s no way a nobody like you—”

With a snap of Midnight’s fingers, Adagio’s mouth disappeared. Her eyes bulged in horror, and she desperately flailed in her seat.

Midnight hurdled over the bench and landed on the polished floor. She leaned in and stroked Adagio’s cheek with a finger.

“You wanted to see me again, didn’t you? Wanted to see how all my anxiety and anger and fear would taste after you had beaten me and left it to fester?” Midnight grabbed Adagio’s cheek and dug her claws in. “So, how does it taste, hmm? Are you satisfied yet?”

Adagio shook her head, pulling away from Midnight as hard as she could.

“Hehehehe…. Hahahahaha!” Midnight let go and drifted back. “You don’t know how much I hate you. You don’t know how many fantasies I have about finally getting revenge for everything you put me and my friends through!”

Adagio kicked her legs, muffled noises coming from where her mouth should have been.

Midnight just grinned. She looked over to the pulpit. “Has the jury reached a verdict?”

Two rows of Cadence and Shining Armors rose. In one voice they said, “We the jury find the defendant guilty on all charges!”

“Naturally. Now, the question is, what shall the punishment be?” Midnight clapped her hands twice and the courtroom dissolved, dropping Adagio onto the grassy hill in front of the chateau back in the Everfree. She clambered to her feet and clenched her fists.

The hippocampus rose from the trees and rushed at Midnight. Three feet from her face, Midnight waved her hand, and the astral siren shattered like glass.

Eyes wide, Adagio broke into a sprint for the trees. Roots broke up from the ground and wrapped around Adagio’s legs, locking her in place. She snatched and clawed at them, but the more she broke away, the thicker the remaining ones became.

Midnight descended before her, laughing softly. Magic was so much fun. “Tell me, Adagio, how does it feel to be the prey this time?”

In a flash, Adagio’s mouth reappeared. She doubled over and took several deep breaths. “If you think I’m going to beg, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Haha! I know better than to think that! You’re an unrepentant bitch! Even if I dragged you to death’s door, you would never apologize for the things you’ve done.”

Adagio glared at her. “Then what are you going to do to me?”

Midnight tapped a finger against her lip. “An excellent question. I could just leave you here. Let you simply expire when this world comes to an end. But no, I think we can be more creative than that.”

She snapped her fingers. “Hehehe… hahahaha! I know what we can do with you! How about a little dose of irony?”

Adagio’s glare melted, and the fear returned. “What?”

Midnight raised her hand. “You just love to hypnotize people. Get them riled up and do things they don’t mean to do. Make them hurt the ones they love. You love taking away their free will.”

“No! Don’t you dare!”

“Let’s see how you like it!” Midnight said with a hungry grin. She tapped Adagio’s gem.

Adagio trembled as a wave of purple spread out over the red gemstone like ink spilled on a page. “N-no! Stop…” Her voice faded out as her eyes glossed over.

“Now you get to be enthralled! Now you get to lose yourself and have someone else tell you what to feel! Now you’re under my spell!”

The roots fell away and Adagio was released, a calm, dreamy expression on her face. “Yes, Your Grace.”

Midnight laughed again. A goddess was going to need servants after all.

A singular applause snapped her attention to the tree line, where out walked a familiar-looking woman. She had silver hair that went down to the small of her back and purple eyes that reminded Midnight of Moondancer. In fact, the woman’s face as a whole reminded her of Artemis.

Midnight cocked her head. “You’re Apalla.” She narrowed her eyes. No, something wasn’t right. The house was being occupied by someone else.

“Tirek!” she hissed.

“Ah, so you can see through to my true nature,” Tirek said with an amused smile. “The level of magic you possess is truly impressive.”

Midnight made a mock bow. “I am so glad I have your approval. Moreover, I thank you for coming to me! Now, I can get rid of you for the sake of my friends!”

Tirek raised his hands in a calm, placating fashion. “I’m sure you’ve heard numerous tales about me. And if we must come to blows then so be it. But before we duel, I would like to voice my reservations about your plan.”

Midnight bared her teeth. “What do you know about what I have planned?”

Tirek pointed up to her sphere of magic, visible above the clearing. “I can feel the magnitude of power that spell contains. It’s on a level that could alter reality on a massive scale. So I can take a few guesses on what it is you want to accomplish with it.”

Static crackled across Midnight’s hands. “I’m going to remake the world. I’m going to create a new paradise where no one gets hurt or sick, and anyone can use magic! Once I fix it into a new, orderly system.”

Tirek smiled and nodded. “An admirable goal. However, it won’t work.”

Midnight clenched a fist and her hair billowed. She had already had her friends reject her plan, she didn’t need to hear it from her friends’ archnemesis! She thrust her palm forward and unleashed a beam of pure magic. It ripped through the trees, leaving behind a scar of charred earth and smoldering twigs.

“Impressive.”

Whirling around, Midnight found Tirek standing on the porch of the chateau.

“I say it won’t work, not for a lack of power or vision on your part, but because the gods won’t let it,” Tirek said with a calmness like he hadn’t just been shot at.

Midnight raised an eyebrow. “‘The gods’?” So, Starlight and Moondancer were right: you truly believe in gods?”

“Of course. I have seen their power. I have seen their blessings. And I have seen their neglect.” Tirek folded his arms behind his back and started to pace.

“They are fickle and scornful and seem to have left this world to fend for itself. But it is still their world. And the gods are possessive. I’m sure watching us struggle in our lives still brings them some level of amusement. But, if someone were to disrupt their creation, remake this world so it is no longer under their thumb…”

Midnight scoffed. “They would be upset? Like a child that had their toy taken away?”

“And they would take it back.” Tirek stopped pacing and looked at Midnight. “For all of your newfound strength and magic, even you could not fight an entire pantheon alone.”

Midnight pursed her lips. Did she believe in gods? Her mind dragged her back to the void, where she saw infinity. In between the threads of knowledge and whispers of truth, she could see the shapes and faces of beings ancient and untold.

And then there was Midnight herself. She had declared herself a goddess. So surely there were other beings with her level of power. As much as she hated to admit it, maybe there was a kernel of worth in Tirek’s words.

Tirek sensed her consideration and his lips curled in a smile. “Everyone wants to paint us as monsters. But we both want to create a better world. I want to rid this realm of the gods that abused it, and you want to create a perfect paradise. And so I ask…”

He held his hand out. “Can our goals not be complementary?”

“An alliance?”

“A truce, but an alliance is not out of the question either. I see no reason why we should be in conflict with each other beyond petty, personal, emotional squabbles. But we are beyond such things, are we not?”

Were they? It was true Midnight’s friends had rejected her. And Tirek was standing right here. She could rip out the source of her friends' anxieties right here and now. But would they even be grateful? From what she had witnessed in the last few hours, probably not.

She sneered. No, her friends would not understand until the deed was done. And if Tirek was telling the truth, the deed couldn’t be done until the old gods were out of the picture.

A marriage of convenience. Until Midnight had what she wanted.

She sat in the air and crossed one leg over the other. “Go on.”

Volume V: Hallowed Harmony—1. Long Road's End

Sunset Shimmer fell.

She didn’t know how long she had been falling, nor did she care. She was too lost in her own thoughts to pay much attention to it.

Where had everything gone wrong? Three days ago, she and her friends had discovered they had five keys to the Rainbow of Light; a divine artifact that served as the ultimate weapon against Tirek and his desire to use people’s souls to strengthen himself and challenge gods.

Then, that evening happened.

Sunset discovered the secrets Twilight had been hiding from her. Secrets involving working with Starlight Glimmer and Moondancer on a way to access the lost magic of the human world using Sunset’s portal to Equestria. All in the name of killing Tirek supposedly.

They had fought. Sunset had walked away. Their relationship…

Everything that followed, from breaking into Starlight’s lab the first time to fighting Adagio, to dueling Tirek, to getting arrested, finding out Shimmer had lost her soul, trying to stop Starlight from opening a portal to the lost magic of the human world, Twilight disappearing…

Twilight reappearing, overflowing with magic and a desire to remake the world.

All of it made Sunset’s mind swim and her heart ache.

Through lidded eyes, Sunset looked about the white void she had been cast into. This colorless limbo was unlike the one her consciousness entered after defeat at the Fall Formal. There was no warmth, no heavenly hum, no ground to land on. It was bright, almost painfully so. And unlike the experience she felt through Twilight, there was almost no magic here; nothing to press against her mind or warp her form. It was an empty realm; vast, cold, and quiet.

Horribly, painfully quiet.

Sunset couldn't hear the fluttering of her clothes or her heart in her chest. She inhaled but heard nothing. She screamed but heard nothing. She sobbed, but still, she heard nothing.

All she could do was drift further into open nothingness. Her body slowly revolved until she was facing downward, at least, she perceived she was. Moondancer floated a short distance away, still unconscious.

Sunset didn’t know if she was blessed to at least have company, or cursed that said company was one of the people she detested the most. At the moment, she supposed it didn’t matter. They were in the same boat now—forced to languish in the void while Twilight, drunk on power, remade the human world.

Twilight.

Sunset’s eyes stung with fresh tears. Her girlfriend was on a magic-induced frenzy, and Sunset couldn’t help but feel it was partially her fault.

She had tried so hard to reassure Twilight that she was useful. That she didn’t need magic to make a difference. It hadn’t been enough. And Sunset had yelled at her for keeping secrets, pushing her further away and into Starlight’s clutches.

Sunset opened her mouth and screamed again, feeling the vibration in her throat yet still hearing nothing.

Nothing. So much nothing.

Outside and in, Sunset felt nothing. No, that wasn’t true. Her left forearm throbbed in agony from where Twilight—Midnight—had broken it. Yet the despair blanketing Sunset dulled much of the pain. It dulled or nullified most of her senses. She couldn’t feel her magic. And she couldn’t feel her friends.

The tethers that bound their souls to hers had all been cut. Fundamental pieces of her had been ripped away. She was unmoored, aimlessly drifting. Alone.

Her bleary eyes looked about. She couldn’t stay here. She knew she would go mad. And Twilight needed her help. Her friends needed her help.

“You’re so desperate to keep playing the hero!”

Sunset stopped her frantic search. Had Twilight—Midnight—Twilight—been right? Was she just trying to be a hero? Did her friends need her to save the world?

Did Twilight need her?

But, she’s going to upend the world. People are going to die!

But did the world need her to save it?

Sunset hung there, uncertainty creeping over her. She had been instrumental in their past victories, but that didn’t mean her friends needed her, did it? And ultimately, wasn’t all of this her fault to begin with? If she hadn’t stolen the Element of Magic… if she and Princess Twilight hadn’t clashed… would Earth’s magic have stayed dormant?

Maybe… it was better if she stayed out of everything.

That’s the defeat talking. You can’t quit now.

But even her rebellious spirit sounded subdued. Twilight’s words echoed nonstop in her head. She was just trying to play the hero. It gave her purpose. It helped cover up the sins of her past.

No! You do it because it’s the right thing to do!

Sunset’s eyes fluttered close. She didn’t know what the right thing was anymore. All of her choices in the last few days had been the wrong ones. Twilight had been wrong. Sunset was no hero. She was no leader. Falling here was what she deserved.

Really? You’re going to give up? Just like that? Pathetic.

Sunset opened her eyes. That was a piece of her subconscious she hadn’t heard in a long time.

We’re better than that. We don’t roll over after one loss, do we?

Despite being unable to make any noise, Sunset spoke aloud. “Feels like more than one loss.”

So we had a bad run. Big deal! The last time we lost, we still managed to bounce back! Why? Because Sunset Shimmer doesn’t quit!

“But maybe Twilight was right. Maybe all I’m doing is playing the hero.”

So? Then play the hero! You convinced me we were better at that than playing the villain! Maybe our friends don’t need us, but we need them! Maybe they can save the world on their own, but they shouldn’t have to! You made us believe in the magic of friendship! So let’s get back and help our friends!

Sunset set her jaw. Her former darkness was right. Sunset Shimmer wasn’t a quitter. And she wouldn’t just sit on the sidelines. She needed her friends. And she needed her Twilight.

But how was she going to get out of this place? All of the magic was gone, and even if it wasn’t, Sunset couldn’t just rip open a hole in space.

Her body slowly spun over again, and something solid in her vest pocket hit her chest. Gingerly moving her good arm, she reached in and pulled out the circular device she had plucked from Starlight’s lab. The purple lines on it glowed, even in the blindingly bright void.

This is what powered their portal device. It has Equestrian magic.

Even now, Sunset could faintly feel the magic’s warmth through the cold metal. She rotated again, facing downward, and slipped her finger under the latch. If this didn’t work…

It has to.

She snapped the latch and flipped the compact open. A small ball of purple-hued magic shot down into the white aether, just past Moondancer, then expanded into a small, swirling portal. Beyond it, Sunset could see green grass. The opening wasn’t very large, and Sunset could already see its edges slowly knitting themselves back together.

Sunset braced herself, and with a burst of pain, placed both her arms at her side and angled into a nosedive. She kicked her feet, propelling herself downward instead of just floating. The opening steadily grew smaller. Sunset was an arm’s reach away from Moondancer now. The darkest part of Sunset considered leaving her here. But no, not even Moondancer deserved that.

Sticking her right arm out, Sunset pinned Moondancer around the waist as she traveled down and pulled her close. She kicked her feet harder, desperate to make it to the portal before it closed. It already looked so small. Could they fit?

As they drew near, the pull of gravity from the world beyond hastened their descent. Sunset pulled Moondancer as close as she could to make sure they both slipped through the narrow opening. It came closer, and Sunset could feel a brush of cool air. She gave one last hard kick and closed her eyes.

One moment, she was floating through nothing. The next, wind rushed against her face, and a grassy plain rushed to meet her. Still holding onto Moondancer, Sunset leaned her body to the left and braced her shoulder.

The impact came, and a double shot of pain reverberated through Sunset. Her ears rang, her vision blurred, and a scream tore from her throat, the first noise her ears picked up in what felt like forever. She rolled onto her back and pressed her wounded arm against her body, pounding the grass with her other fist.

She repeated the action for several minutes until the bulk of the immediate pain began to die down. Taking deep gulps of air, Sunset forced herself into a sitting position. She wiped her tears away and finally took in her surroundings.

Tall, wild trees with thick foliage and underbrush surrounded her. She had managed to land in a large clearing. The sound of rushing water reached her ears—a river somewhere off to her left. Above her, the sun shone a luminous yellow with no clouds to block its light. The portal had vanished.

As Sunset climbed to her feet, something tingled on her skin. Something familiar. She stuck her tongue out and smacked her lips. It was in the air too.

Magic.

She looked down, first at Moondancer, then at the exhausted portal device. If it had stolen magic from the portal linking Earth to Equestria, did that mean…?

But then where was she? She needed to get a better look at where she was geographically. She scooped up the compact and slipped it back into her pocket, then looked at Moondancer. Her mask was cracked, and she had a mournful expression on her face even as she lay unconscious.

“After everything you’ve done, I have half a mind to leave you here. I already got you out of that place.” The temptation was strong, but if Sunset was where she suspected, the last thing she wanted to do was leave Moondancer unattended.

She stooped down, grabbed Moondancer’s arm, and pulled it over her shoulder, hoisting Moondancer up. Sunset half dragged, half carried her toward the sound of the river, sweat quickly coating her brow as she bore Moondancer’s additional weight on top of her aching arm.

“You’re just determined to be the biggest pain in my ass, aren’t you?” Sunset asked under her breath.

Wisely, Moondancer didn’t respond.

Sunset reached the edge of the clearing and was already out of breath. It wasn’t just Moondancer’s weight; her muscles were tired, and the burns Midnight had left on her stung with every step.

Don’t have a choice. Gotta keep going. Gotta see her.

With another deep breath, Sunset plunged into the foliage. She did her best to kick her way through the bushes and nettles, but leaves and vines smacked her face and her bad arm. She wanted to phoenix up and torch a path, but the image of a burning forest and a crispy Moondancer kept her from trying.

She counted her blessings that the swath of foliage was a short venture. She tumbled into another clearing, finding a wide rushing river splitting through the forest. It moved south, turning around a bend. To the north was more forest, but towering in the distance was a snow-capped purple mountain. And just below its peak, Sunset could see the marble spires and golden roofs of a city.

“Canterlot,” she said breathlessly. Tears filled her eyes. “My Canterlot.”

She was in Equestria.

She was finally home.

Sunset tightened her hold on Moondancer and squared her shoulders. “Have to get to Celestia.” She marched north, following along the side of the river. The grass was muddy, and hidden reeds tried to trip Sunset as she progressed.

Soon, the muddy grass devolved into just mud; a swampy bank that stretched down the forest. The squelching sound of Sunset’s boots entering and exiting the muck was the only other noise in the vicinity besides the river.

Until Sunset heard something hiss.

She paused and looked about, seeing no sign of wildlife. She hurried on, wincing as exhaustion ate away at her resolve. She kept her eyes trained on Canterlot until the tops of the trees swallowed the city up along with most of the sunlight.

This time, Sunset heard a cross between a hiss and a growl. She twisted her head about, but kept moving, coming to a stop at an outcropping of rocks. Two parallel rows of thin walls jutted out from the mud.

Grunting, Sunset turned and climbed up the embankment to grassier ground, only to slip near the top and tumble back down into the mud. Moondancer landed on her back, while Sunset fell on her rear end, shuddering at the cold slime splattering against her legs.

Before she could bemoan her fate, the growling hiss returned, and the rocks in the mud shifted. Sunset scrambled to her feet at the same time the creature raised itself from the mud. It looked like a crocodile, only with more jagged features and rocks embedded in its scales. Its teeth were also far larger than any earth crocodile Sunset had seen on the nature channel.

A cragadile!

Sunset swore, and the monster let out a hungry roar as it waded toward her. Even with her physical exhaustion, the magic radiating through Equestria flowed through Sunset. With an empowered cry, her wings burst forth and her hair ignited. She put a hand to her chest to catch her breath from the surge of power.

The cragadile tensed its legs to pounce. Sunset extended her hand and charged a fireball, unleashing it just as the beast lunged. The flames caught it in the chest and sent it back into the mud. It roared again, rolled over, and charged for Sunset.

With a flap of her wings, Sunset took to the air, wincing at the jolt of pain the sharp movement sent through her arm. Her wings flickered, and Sunset stumbled down onto a strip of grass over the bank of mud. The cragadile clambered up and took a mighty swing at her. Sunset ducked and shot another fireball at its foreleg. It hissed in pain and swung around, slamming its tail into Sunset’s ribs.

She flew through the air and slammed into a tree. The wind left her lungs upon impact, depriving her of any scream. She slid onto her bottom and slumped over, dazed and shaking from the accumulated pain. Straining, she lifted her head enough to see the cragadile stalking toward her, jaws opening for the final blow.

Sunset tried to lift her arm and conjure one last fireball in self-defense but managed only embers that blew away on the wind. Her wings dispersed and her hair fell limp.

I’m sorry, girls, was the only thought she could process as the cragadile approached. Sunset closed her eyes, not wanting to see her gruesome end.

Instead of painful daggers of teeth in her skin, she heard the forest beast roar in pain. Sunset opened her eyes to see the river across from her. Turning her head, she found the cragadile lying on its side. It rolled back to its legs but before it could take another step, an orb of light crashed into it and sent it flying into a tree of its own.

Sunset turned her head in the other direction. Moondancer stood with another ball of magic in her hand. She flung it at the cragadile before it could get its bearings, driving it deeper into the tree. It let out a pained, guttural hiss as it pulled its spines out from the bark and retreated into the underbrush, tail hanging low.

Moondancer’s aura faded and she turned to look down at Sunset. Sunset looked up at her. Surprise must have been written on her face, for Moondancer said, “What? Did you want to be eaten by that beast?”

“No.” Sunset let out a strained cough, feeling a new, sharp pain in her ribs. “I just never expected you to save my life.”

Moondancer brushed a lock of hair from her face and scoffed. “I don’t want you to die, Sunset Shimmer. Not anymore. And certainly not like that. It would be a poor way for your story to end.”

Sunset wheezed out a short laugh. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome.” Moondancer crossed her arms. “Now, would you kindly explain where we are, how we got here, why such a beast like that was trying to eat you—” She made a half rotation and gestured to her muddy backside. “—And why I’m covered in filth?”

Sunset gave another weak chuckle that quickly turned into a loud cough. She could taste iron in the back of her throat.

Moondancer knelt beside her, the shadow of concern on her face. “And how did you sustain so many injuries?”

All traces of humor left Sunset and she slumped further down. “Look… Twilight…”

Moondancer’s eyes widened. “Twilight!” She bolted up and looked around the area. “Where is she? That… that thing was only pretending to be her, right? That didn’t… she didn’t really…”

She turned back to Sunset, eyes frantic. “Sunset, what happened?”

Sunset grimaced and stared at the ground. “We lost,” she said quickly, trying to fight off the creeping flashbacks of what couldn’t have been more than two hours ago.

“Lost? What do you mean we lost?”

“I mean, that was Twilight. She knocked you out and I couldn’t fight her. So, she banished the both of us. Wanted us to wait while she remakes your world into her perfect utopia.”

Moondancer stepped back. “No… no, that can’t have been Twilight. She… she would never do anything like that. I-I know she hates me, but… but that monster… she hurt me! Twilight would never—”

“She did.” Sunset gripped the hem of her skirt. The tears were falling again.

Moondancer sank to her knees, disbelief giving way to heartbreak. “Why?”

Sunset didn’t answer. There were too many answers to give. She pressed her palm into the grass and forced herself back to her feet, leaning against the tree for support. The act left her winded, and every breath she took sent a sharp pain through her center. Something was bruised at the very least.

“Where are you going? Where are we?” Moondancer asked.

“Equestria,” Sunset said with breathy reverence. “You’re in my world now.”

“What?” Moondancer clambered to her feet. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re in another dimension. My dimension. This is where I’m from. This is where I was born.”

Holding her ribs, Sunset stepped out closer to the river and pointed. “More specifically, there.”

Moondancer followed her finger to a gap in the trees that showed the top of Canterlot. She took in the sight of the spires, then turned in place, looking at the forest around them. “But… why? Why banish us here? And… why can I feel so much magic?”

Sunset took a gingered step forward. “She didn’t banish us here; she threw us into the void Starlight’s stupid portal machine sent her to. I managed to get us here. And magic is a given in my world—agh!” Sunset dropped to one knee.

Moondancer knelt by her side and looked Sunset over. Her eyes lingered on the deep bruise on Sunset’s forearm. “Did that crocodile do that, too?”

Sunset held her arm close to her chest. “No. That was…”

She didn’t need to finish her sentence. Moondancer turned her head away. She stood up and walked around the area, pushing apart bushes and reaching up to low-hanging branches. In a few minutes, she had thick pieces of bark and some vines.

She returned to Sunset’s side. “I don’t know how to make a splint, but I figured I could try. Your arm needs something.”

Sunset looked at her, eyes wide. “You’re helping me?”

“Believe me, it’s the last thing I would like to do,” Moondancer said. “But I have too many questions, and you’re the only one who can provide answers.”

Sunset could buy that, even if she wasn’t inclined to share much about her world with Moondancer. She reached for one of the wood barks. “I vaguely remember watching a video on how to make a splint. Grab the vines.”

After ten minutes of fumbling and swearing, Sunset’s broken forearm sat between two pieces of wood wrapped together by copious amounts of vines. It was crude and stifling, but Sunset hoped it would stop her arm from feeling worse.

She pushed herself off the ground, doubling over at the shot of pain in her ribs.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything we can do about that,” Moondancer said. Instead, she offered her shoulder.

Sunset grunted and slung her good arm around Moondancer. Together, they limped along the narrow grass between the riverbed and the forest.

“Alright,” Moondancer said, “so we’re in your world now. Are creatures like that thing commonplace?”

“Oh yeah,” Sunset said with a grin. “Dragons, phoenixes, bugbears, cocatrices…”

“So you live in a fairytale?”

Sunset’s grin softened into a nostalgic smile. “Yeah… I guess I did.”

Moondancer muttered a few words under her breath and shook her head. “And where exactly am I dragging you to? I’m assuming you have a plan?”

Sunset nodded. “We’re going to Canterlot. My Canterlot,” she added before Moondancer could interrupt. “My world and your world share a lot of similarities. Don’t ask me why. But my Canterlot is the shining capital of Equestria. We’re going to find Princess Celestia and I am going to beg for her forgiveness.”

She let out a wet cough. “And then, I’m going to beg for her help.”

“Forgiveness?” Moondancer raised an eyebrow. “What did you—”

“Moondancer, I appreciate the help so far, but I’m gonna need you to do something really difficult and shut up for a while,” Sunset said, the pain in her chest intensifying. “I’ll answer your questions when my bones aren’t broken. Just keep moving.”

Moondancer clucked her tongue but otherwise, remained silent.

******

Thanks to Sunset’s slow shamble, it took the two girls the better part of the day to reach the edge of the forest. Thankfully, no other creature had deigned to make them an evening meal.

Exiting the thicket of trees, Sunset could see Canterlot in its full glory now. It hung off the side of the mountain, waterfalls flowing off the marble balconies that glittered in the last light of day. Somewhere up there, Princess Celestia was lowering the sun.

A job Sunset thought she would inherit someday. She let out a laughing cough.

Moondancer, hair plastered to her face through a thick coat of sweat, contemptuously asked, “What?”

Sunset shook her head. “It’s just… when I first imagined returning home, it was always with an army at my back or with enough power to overthrow the most powerful creature in this world. Returning like this… this is much more fitting.”

“You were planning on conquering your own homeworld?”

“I wasn’t always this nice a person.”

“Shocking,” Moondancer said, squeezing Sunset’s hand with as much force as she could muster. She let out a tired sigh. “It’s getting late. We need to rest.”

“First intelligent thing you’ve said all day.”

Moondancer let go of Sunset and shrugged her off. Sunset lost her balance and fell over, yelping in pain. The splint did its job, but Sunset’s ribs ached. Moondancer at least looked guilty.

Sunset grimaced and pushed herself into a sitting position. “Just… go get supplies for a fire.”

Moondancer huffed and headed back into the trees. Sunset looked at the stretch of plains in front of her before they rose into the slopes of the mountain. She knew where she was now: the south face of the Canterlot meant they had just climbed out of the Everfree Forest. Sunset considered it a miracle a cragadile was all they had run into.

For almost three years, a mirror had separated her from Princess Celestia. A thin glass that served as a border between dimensions. Yet now, being on the same plain with only a few miles between them, Sunset felt further than she had ever been.

How is Celestia going to react when she sees me like this? She looked down at her human hands. Another bubble of bitter laughter rose in her. She never imagined meeting Celestia again in this form. Would she think Sunset ugly? Would she even recognize her former student?

Would Celestia forgive her?

A mirror. Sunset had sabotaged her studies under the Princess of the Sun over a stupid mirror! Of course, it had been more than that. It had been her pride, her arrogance, her desire for power. The rift between her and Celestia had steadily grown as Sunset got stronger over the years. But thinking back on how it had finally ended, the straw that broke the pony’s back. It seemed so foalish. Sunset throwing a tantrum, demanding to be an alicorn.

Sneaking into the restricted section of the library certainly hadn’t helped her case.

Why had Celestia shown her that mirror in the first place? All it had done was fuel Sunset’s ambition. It was a question Sunset could ask when they reunited. If they reunited.

All you have to do is cross this field, climb the mountain, sneak through the city and the castle, and hope she forgives you.

Sunset laughed again.

“I’m so glad you find our predicament hysterical.”

Moondancer returned, rocks and pieces of wood in her arms. She dropped them onto the ground and brushed the dirt off her sleeves before arranging the supplies into a circular campfire. She looked up at Sunset.

“There. The least you could do is light it.”

Sunset closed her eyes and allowed the familiar magic to flow through her. It still took some effort, but she reignited her fire and shot an ember at the wood, setting it ablaze. She instantly powered down and slouched forward before shooting upright and holding her side.

Moondancer settled down on the other side of the fire. She pulled her knees up to her chest and settled her chin on top of them. She looked out to Canterlot, the lights of the city coming alive as the night settled in. “Is that truly the closest civilization for us to receive help?”

Sunset looked out across the river. “There’s a small town not too far from here. But… I don’t think we’ll get a warm welcome there.”

“Why not?”

“Let’s just say, some of my people aren’t great at dealing with new faces.”

Moondancer quirked her visible eyebrow. “You think we’ll stick out that much? If that’s the case, why would we fare better in the capital?”

“Because I know how to navigate the capital without being seen. Trust me, we need to see Princess Celestia first and foremost.”

Moondancer made a small growl in the back of her throat. She stared into the fire, the orange light reflecting off her cracked mask. “Do your people take prisoners? Because that might be a better alternative than this. They might feed us.”

Sunset’s stomach growled, but she didn’t answer. She would love to sneak out and get some food. But she knew well enough not to trust anything in the Everfree without a proper guide. And if any pony in Ponyville saw them, they would be sent into a panic. That panic would no doubt reverberate to Canterlot and set it on high alert, and they could kiss their chance at meeting Celestia goodbye.

“You’re just gonna have to trust me,” Sunset said.

Moondancer laughed bitterly. “And curse my fate that I have no choice but to. Trapped in another world with you of all people. While my world is at the mercy of Tirek and…”

A tear rolled down Moondancer’s cheek. She wrapped her arms around her knees. “It’s not fair.”

It was Sunset’s turn to raise her eyebrow. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“This!” Moondancer flung her arms out. “This entire situation isn’t fair! Exiled, no food, no shelter! Stuck with my mortal enemy! And my best friend has lost her mind!”

She cupped a hand over the visible half of her face. “I wanted you to lose, you know,” she said in a more subdued voice. “After you scarred me at prom, I didn’t want you to die, just lose something like I did. And the predictable irony is that even when you do lose, I still lose, too.”

Sunset watched her with expressionless eyes. Part of her could understand Moondancer’s frustration. Sunset had similar feelings when she had first gone to the human world: confused, helpless, resentful of her teacher. Another part of Sunset thought Moondancer was being a whiny child.

The last part of her—the largest—was too tired to deal with her either way.

Sunset gently laid down on her back and looked up at the stars. The constellations were different than the ones orbiting Earth. But Sunset could still recognize each of them.

“You should get some rest. We have to keep moving soon.”

Moondancer didn’t answer, but Sunset heard a soft rustle of grass and knew Moondancer had taken her suggestion without a fuss.

The constant throbbing in Sunset’s arm and ribs made it hard to settle into a comfortable position. Sunset supposed it was for the best; she wanted to rest not sleep. Yes, her body was exhausted and her mind wanted to shut down, but she had to reach Canterlot first.

Gotta get to her. Almost there. Almost home.

Sunset heard Moondancer sniffle on the other side of the campfire. Once again, Sunset found herself torn between wanting to empathize, wanting to disregard her, and being too tired to actively pick a side. Given what Sunset was about to ask Moondancer to do, she thought it best to leave the poor rich girl alone.

So, the silence stretched out between them, broken by the snapping fire and the chirping crickets. When Sunset’s eyes grew heavy, she sat up and stared into the fire.

After a few minutes of gazing into the embers, she heard Moondancer shift and ask, “Am I allowed to go to sleep? Or do you have some sort of master plan to get us into your Canterlot?”

“That depends. How well can you fly?”

Moondancer raised her head and looked at Sunset over the tips of the dwindling fire. “Why do I get the impression you’re about to ask me to carry you?”

“Because I can’t power up for longer than a minute, and it’s a long walk to the city,” Sunset said matter-of-factly.

Moondancer sat up and looked at the city glittering on the mountain and gave a bitter laugh of her own. “All of this and somehow, this still isn’t the worst day of my life. But you’re really trying to get it there, aren’t you?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I’m trying to get us help as fast as possible. We get to Canterlot, we talk to Celestia, we jump through the—”

Mirror that is inactive and will be for another nineteen moons. Earth time. In her drive to get help from Celestia, Sunset had overlooked what that help would actually entail. Celestia could do many things. Ripping a hole through dimensions was not one of them.

“Jump through the what?” Moondancer pressed.

“Cross that bridge when we get there,” Sunset said quickly. “First, can you fly us to the city?”

Moondancer sucked in air between her teeth. “Maybe. Depends on how heavy you are.”

Sunset cracked a venomous smile. “I know you didn’t just call me fat.”

Moondancer smiled in equal measure. “I would never do anything of the sort. Why, you’re not feeling self-conscious, are you?”

“Around you and your Phantom of the Opera mask? Never.” Sunset’s smile broke and she shook her head. “We do not have time to be taking potshots at each other!”

Slowly, she got her feet, lances of pain arching through her arm and ribs. “Let’s just go. Get as close as you can.”

Moondancer huffed through her nose but stood up and walked over. “And pray tell, why do we have to do this at night?”

“I told you, my people aren’t great with outsiders sometimes. I know how to navigate Canterlot, and there’s less chance of getting caught at night.”

“Joy.” Moondancer stepped behind Sunset and scooped her into her arms, wrinkling her nose like Sunset was a bag of garbage. “My first night in a different world and I get to spend it skulking around like a criminal with you.”

Sunset gave her a deadpan look. “Once again, I’m gonna need you to do something really hard and shut up.”

Moondancer expression changed from disgust to puckered annoyance, like she had just bit into a lemon. Her powers came to life, lighting up the field just as their fire died, and she took off into the night sky.

The splint did little to stop the cold air from blowing against Sunset’s arm and intensifying the pain. She kept it cradled against her chest while her right arm was hooked around Moondancer’s neck.

Moondancer’s flight path was wobbly. She lilted from one side to the other, and took large leaps in altitude with her wing flaps, sending jolts of pain through Sunset. She had half a mind to comment but thought better of it considering Moondancer had the power to drop her.

They flew over the foothills and ascended the mountain face, the waterfalls now audible in the night. A smattering of old magic lanterns lit the mountain path below them. It switched backed up the slopes and disappeared into a cave before coming back out on a wide terrace. In the dim illumination, Sunset saw rocks and large branches of trees littering the road. With the advent of the train and later, the airship, fewer and fewer ponies traveled the mountain road to the capital.

“There!” Sunset pointed down to a bend in the road. “Put us down there.”

Moondancer obliged, swooping down and coming to a stumbled landing off the side of the stone path. Sunset grit her teeth from the herky-jerky motion, grateful when Moondancer let her down.

“Thank you for not dropping me,” Sunset said with only half sarcasm.

“I told you before, I don’t want you to die,” Moondancer spat. She powered down and wiped her brow. “And you’re my only guide in this world. I’m stuck with you.”

“Lucky me.” Sunset started down the road, managing two steps before she degraded to limping, clutching her side.

Moondancer came up beside her and offered her shoulder again. Begrudgingly, Sunset took it, and the two continued up the slope. Sunset looked off the mountainside. Even under the veil of night, Sunset could see her homeland’s beauty. The light of Ponyville clustered in the valley, lighting up the homely hamlet and its pink houses with thatched roofs. Cloudsdale hoovered over the Unicorn Range, rainbow waterfalls flowed off the edge and down toward the patchwork fields.

Sunset couldn’t help but smile again. I can’t believe I’m back.

It was all she could do to not break out in tears as she and Moondancer rounded the last bend, and the walls of Canterlot appeared before them. Towers of marble and purple-painted stone topped with brass domes and pointed roofs reached up before them. The lights of the city illuminated the golden spires and bridges.

“My word,” Moondancer whispered in awe. “It’s gorgeous.”

Sunset wiped a tear. “Yeah, it is.”

“Hmm… curious. Armored horses with no guards. Wait… does that horse have a horn?”

Sunset lowered her eyes to the main gate beyond the drawbridge. Two royal guards stood on either side of the open gates: white stallion unicorns with golden armor.

“Right, first challenge.” Sunset steered her and Moondancer behind a bush. “Gotta get into the city.”

Moondancer peered over the green foliage. “Your people employ… unicorns to guard their cities?”

“Okay, so here’s the thing…” Sunset knew she would have to tell Moondancer eventually, she just didn’t know how to break the news. Yes, she had told people before, but just telling them and hoping they believed it was different than telling someone and pointing to the very thing Sunset used to be.

“I’m just gonna say it outright,” Sunset said. “Those are my people. Equestria is a land full of ponies. Regular ones, pegasi, and unicorns.”

Moondancer whipped her head from the guards to Sunset. “What?”

“I know you heard me.”

“Yes, I heard you, I don’t understand!”

“Keep your voice down,” Sunset growled. “My people are ponies. I used to be a unicorn before I came to your world.”

Moondancer looked over the bush again. “You mean Shimmer wasn’t being hyperbolic? You were an actual unicorn?”

Sunset whipped her head from the guards to Moondancer. “Shimmer blabbed? Ugh, of course she did! What did she tell you?”

Eyes still wide with astoundment, Moondancer said, “She told me you were from another dimension. That part I believed. She said you and everyone there were magical ponies, and I didn’t know if she was being dramatic or not. I thought she meant like, how you girls look when you ‘pony up’. Maybe you’d have a few more equine features like muzzles or hooves. Not that they’re actual ponies!”

Sunset grabbed Moondancer’s wrist and pulled her down behind the bush as one of the guards looked in their direction. “Keep your voice down,” she hissed again.

Moondancer snatched her wrist back and fanned her face. “So, you’re telling me that horse over there is sentient? And all of this was built by and is lived in by more horses?” She pointed to the city.

“Yes, and yes.”

She slumped forward and massaged her temples. “This is a fairytale,” she said dazedly.

“Yeah, so you can see why I was hesitant to make a pitstop anywhere,” Sunset said. “They’ve never seen a human before, and the few creatures that are close to humanoid are usually not friendly. So, we have to sneak around them somehow.”

“Could I have a moment, please?” Moondancer asked, squeezing her eyes shut. “This may be basic fact for you, but I am having a little trouble coming to grips with the fact that I’ve woken up in a new dimension where the dominant species are talking ponies!”

Sunset could have added that there were also talking griffons, zebras, yaks, and a whole menagerie of other creatures, but decided to spare Moondancer’s psyche.

“I get that this is jarring. Believe me, I had a similar reaction when I crossed over into your world. But I really need you to focus, Moondancer, because I’m in a lot of pain.”

Moondancer took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “Okay. Okay, yes. Let’s keep moving. Just keep repressing, Moondancer, it’s what you’re good at.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, feeling the smallest spark of concern.

Keeping a neutral expression, Moondancer got up and creeped out from the bush, hand raised. Sparkling dust appeared at her fingertips leveled at the guards, and as one, they collapsed to the ground.

Sunset jumped to her feet, regretting it immediately and doubling over. “What did you do?” she said, clenching her jaw.

“Relax. I merely put them to sleep.”

The two crossed the wooden bridge over the moat and sure enough, as Sunset drew near, she heard both guards snoring soundly. She gave a small, approving nod to Moondancer, and the two carried on through the gate and into the city proper.

The main thoroughfare was quiet and steeped in shadow save for a few patches of light coming from the windows of houses lining the street. The true glow of Canterlot came from deeper in, as did the smell of grilled vegetables.

Sunset’s stomach grumbled, urging her to follow the cobblestone path to the heart of the city. Instead, she directed Moondancer down the nearest side street. They quickly ducked down behind a garbage can as two late-night dwellers walked by, laughing loudly.

Moondancer looked at them as they walked away. “They’re… wearing little outfits. And they’re so small.”

“Focus,” Sunset growled. She limped in the opposite direction of the two ponies. She ducked again as a pegasus floated by on wobbly wings.

He turned his head and squinted his eyes, looking directly at Sunset and Moondancer. “Musta had too mush to drink.” He vigorously shook his head and kept flying.

Moondancer stared at him as he flew off, eyes as wide as a child’s on Christmas morning. “And they talk…”

Sunset sighed. “Yes, of course we talk!”

“I don’t know what the rules here are!” Moondancer hissed.

“Here’s a rule then: no gawking! Anything humans can do, we can do, too. Now keep moving!”

They continued for another block, ducking out of sight at any sign of movement or whisper of conversation. Sunset kept her eyes on the ground as they walked. Being Celestia’s student had come with its perks, including a (mostly) free reign of the castle. Sunset had explored every nook and cranny and found several passages that led in and out. One of them was the typical waterway passage.

“Here!” Sunset stopped and pointed down at a bronze cover embedded into the cobblestone with the sun etched into the metal. “Help me get this off.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Moondancer said as she reached down and settled her fingers into a side groove. Sunset grabbed the other side and together, they heaved the plate up and set it to the side.

Sunset’s ribs felt like they were on fire. She took a series of short breaths, only to wobble at the onset of dizziness.

“Let me guess,” Moondancer said, sounding slightly distant in Sunset’s ears, “we’re going to sneak into the castle through the sewers?”

Sunset shakily nodded. “Got it in one. Let’s go.”

Moondancer looked up at the stars overhead. “I hate you.” Without another word, she clambered into the sewer hole, shuddering as she touched the ladder and descended.

Sunset climbed down after her, a slow affair with only one useable arm. Her boots touched damp stone, and the stench of tainted water and sewage hit her nose. She suppressed a gag and looked around. Moondancer held a small sphere of light in her palm, illuminating the rough stone passage. They stood on a gray raised pathway, a murky river of filth off to their right. The ceiling was low, forcing them to hunch over.

Moondancer kept a hand pressed over her nose. “Now what, O great guide?”

Ignoring Moondancer’s tone, Sunset pointed down the corridor. “This way to the castle. I’ll let you know when I think we’re close.”

“When you think?”

Sunset didn’t answer. With the sewer passage low and narrow, she couldn’t rely on Moondancer to help her keep moving. Sunset struggled ahead on her own power, moving slowly. Her hunched position only aggravated the pain in her ribs.

The flow of the sewer and the drips of moisture from the roof were the only conversations had in the tunnels. Like Moondancer, Sunset tried to breathe through her mouth. She could faintly taste the putrid smell permeating the air.

They passed under the occasional sewer cover and the thin thread of light beaming down from the city above. As they crossed central Canterlot, Sunset could hear the murmur of crowds and the echo of music above.

“Please tell me we’re almost there,” Moondancer begged in a nasal voice.

“Fine, we’re almost there.”

“...Now tell me and actually mean it.”

“That would be lying.” Sunset almost smiled at Moondancer’s exasperated growl. Though she desperately hoped they were close; she couldn’t take the pain much longer.

After what felt like an hour of walking, Sunset noticed the walls changing from rough stone to polished marble. Even the underside of Canterlot Castle had to be high class. She scanned the walls, quickly finding what she was searching for: a crescent moon painted into one of the inlaid bricks.

Sunset pressed her hand on the brick and held it there for ten seconds. At first, nothing happened. Sunset bit her lip, wondering if she remembered the instructions wrong. Then the wall slowly began to groan and turn sideways, revealing a stone staircase spiraling up.

“Almost there,” Sunset breathed. She climbed up the first few steps. “C’mon, Moony.”

“Don’t,” Moondancer said with such frigid venom, Sunset looked back at her and saw serrated daggers in her eyes. “Call me that again, and I will throw you down these stairs.”

“Sorry,” Sunset said genuinely. Of all the barbs they had exchanged, apparently that had been the line not to cross. Thinking about Twilight, Sunset quickly pieced together why.

They ascended the stairs, Sunset keeping a palm on the wall for support. Her legs burned along with everything else, but she refused to rest. Not yet.

The staircase turned into a stone corridor that led to another staircase that sloped into another thin corridor, this time ending with a silver wall. Sunset pressed her full weight into the wall until something clicked. It then pushed forward and slid down into the floor, smooth and silent like water.

Sunset carefully stuck her head out, finding herself inside a large, decorated hallway. They had come out from the base of a silver statue of Chancellor Puddinghead. Sunset clambered out and straightened her back out, sighing in relief at the pops her spine made.

Moondancer climbed after her, letting out a soft, “Ooh,” at the sight of the castle hall. Silver suits of armor lined the royal purple walls. A rich red velvet carpet rolled out across the polished marble floor.

“This is the castle?” Moondancer asked, looking at the silk banners hanging from the ceiling.

“Third floor, east wing,” Sunset said. She had walked these corridors so many times as a foal, had stared at the portraits on the wall, admired herself in the polished armor. She knew exactly where she was in the castle, even after all these years.

“Celestia’s bedroom is in the north wing, one floor up.” Sunset took a step forward and wobbled. The pain in both her arm and her side flared, and she leaned back on Chancellor Puddinghead.

Moondancer stepped over and offered her shoulder again. “Like you said, we’re almost there. Come, I wish to stop sneaking about like a common criminal.”

“Even when you’re being helpful, you’re just so…” Sunset was too tired to come up with a fitting adjective. She put her good arm around Moondancer and eased her weight onto her. “Down that corridor, then take a right.”

They moved in the dimly lit halls of the castle. Most of the braziers had been extinguished for the night. Twice, they had to retreat and duck behind a statue and a potted plant to hide from a guard patrol. Sunset noted that these guards were dressed not in the usual golden armor, but in suits of midnight blue with a crescent moon emblazoned on their chest.

Right… Princess Luna returned, Sunset thought groggily. She had caught glimpses of the blue alicorn in the statue so long ago.

They reached a staircase to the fourth floor, and Moondancer had to use her magic again to put a guard standing directly in front of it to sleep. Even with Moondancer’s help, by the time they reached the top, Sunset was wheezing. Her vision dimmed for a moment before she blinked the scenery back into existence.

“C-come on, almost there,” Sunset said between breaths.

Moondancer gave her a look of concern, or perhaps pity. But she marched forth, mostly dragging Sunset at this point. They paused at a corner, and Sunset detached herself from Moondancer’s side to peek around.

Down at the other end of the hall was a set of double doors painted with an eight-rayed sun. Two golden guards flanked them, armed with horns and spears.

Sunset smiled deliriously. One wall separated her from her princess. She glanced up at Moondancer.

Moondancer took the hint and raised her hand, a soft glow illuminating her fingers.

One of the guards scratched the side of his helmet, then shook his head. “Do you hear something, Cobalt?”

Cobalt scratched his head too. “No? But… I think I’m feeling something?” He looked down the corridor. “Is someone there?”

Moondancer and Sunset quickly retreated and pressed themselves against the wall. “Now what?” Moondancer mouthed.

Sunset tried to think through the haze filling her head. How did they get past two guards without being caught?

Maybe the answer is to get caught.

Sunset nodded in understanding. If they were this close, if they made enough noise… maybe she wouldn’t have to go to Celestia. Maybe Celestia would come to her.

She looked up at Moondancer. “Stay here. If things go wrong, I’ll need you to vouch for me.”

“What do you—where are you going?” she whisper-yelled.

Sunset swung around the corner. One of the guards had started to move up, spear at the ready. With a deep breath and the last of her strength, Sunset ignited her phoenix form.

“Halt!” the guard shouted. “Who… what are you?” He and his partner brandished their spears at Sunset.

Sunset ignored them, wreathing her hand in fire and waving it about as threateningly as she could. “Celestia! Come out here!” she bellowed.

“Get her!” the guard shouted. They rushed Sunset, one of them launching their spears at her.

Sunset snatched from their air, igniting it with her fire and burning it to ash. As the other one drew near, Sunset realized just how small the ponies were compared to her and Moondancer, only coming up to her waist. Had she really been that small once upon a time?

She snapped out of her reverie and took evasive action, ducking and leaning to the left to avoid the other spear and a shot of magic. She flung a fireball at Celestia’s door, watching it dispel off of a protective ward.

“Celestia, wake up and face me!”

A bolt of magic caught her in the back of the leg, blistering like fire. Sunset yelled and fell to one knee, her phoenix powers fizzling out. The second guard tackled her to the floor and held his spear against the back of Sunset’s head. “Whatever you are, you’re under arrest!”

“Wait a moment!” Moondancer’s voice came from behind.

“There’s another one?”

Celestia’s door burst open, and from it, the most graceful creature Sunset had ever seen appeared. She was without her regalia but still retained her regal appearance.

“What is going on out here?” she said, her voice stern and demanding, yet still never rising to a shout.

“Your Majesty, stay back! These creatures are trying to assault you!”

Sunset moved her head up just a smidgen to get a full view of Princess Celestia. Her coat still shone like a flawless diamond, and her rainbow mane still danced on the wind. Celestia looked down at her with surprise and perhaps annoyance. To be fair, Sunset reasoned she had woken the princess up at some unruly hour.

Celestia stared hard at Sunset, first just at her physical appearance. Then, her eyes shifted to an expression Sunset was all too familiar with. Celestia’s purple eyes pierced Sunset’s teals and her mouth remained an unwavering line. Sunset could only grimace, wondering what Celestia saw now. She kept her head up though, meeting Celestia’s eyes despite the darkness creeping around her vision. She wasn’t going to last much longer with the magic she had fired off.

Slowly, Celestia’s calm mask slipped off. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened. She took a step back, inhaling deeply. “S-Sunset… Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset gave her a weak smile. “Hey, Princess. Long time, no see.” Really? That’s how I’m gonna open this? Sunset would have berated herself more, but that was it. Her body finally decided enough was enough.

Celestia was saying something, Sunset could see her mouth moving. But the world had gone silent and was now growing dim. The pressure lifted from her back and allowed Sunset to float away. She had done it. She had made it to Celestia. She could finally close her eyes.

******

Sunset knew she couldn’t be dead. She felt too groggy to be dead, and her arm and chest had a dull ache in them. Yet, whatever ground she laid on was soft enough to be the fields of grass ponies said grew in the Summerlands.

Part of her wished she was dead. As she flitted in and out of consciousness, her mind played back pieces of the long day she had endured. Adagio, Tirek, Starlight, Moondancer…

Twilight.

Sunset groaned and clenched her hand, soft, silk sheets massaging her fingers. No, she couldn’t be dead. She still had work to do. She had to get back to her friends, back to Twilight.

She cracked an eye open and groaned again at the sharp light blinding her eyes. She raised her right arm to block it out and numb the sharp ache behind her eyelids.

“Easy, Sunset,” a melodic voice said. A golden horseshoe rested on her shoulder. “You’re not quite ready to move.”

Sunset lowered her arm and turned her head. Through narrowed, watery eyes, Princess Celestia swam into view. Her eyes were filled with worry, but the smile she wore spoke of joy and relief.

“Princess,” Sunset whispered. Her heart spun in a roulette of emotions. She cleared her throat, trying to hold back the first wave of tears, and said, “You look lovely as always.”

Princess Celestia lowered her hoof and looked over Sunset, her smile of relief never fading. “And you look like ever the fighter.”

Sunset took stock of herself, or at least, as much as she could see. She was in the infirmary ward of the castle, where two beds had been pushed together to make one large enough for her to lie on. The blankets were pulled up to her chest. Her clothes had been replaced with a simple hospital gown, and she could feel wrappings around her ribcage. Most notable was the cast her left arm now sat in.

Her fingers were exposed, but everything up to her elbow was wrapped tight in proper bandages and nestled in a blue sling.

Sunset let out a hiccuping laugh. She could only imagine what she looked like through Celestia’s eyes. “Yeah, well… you know me.”

“Indeed I do.” Celestia’s smile fell away. “Sunset, I am so happy to see you. But in such a state… And how did you arrive back in Equestria? Even your friend Moondancer couldn’t explain your arrival.”

Sunset let out another laugh. “‘Friend’ might be a strong word for her.”

Celestia leaned in. “Sunset, please. What happened in that other world? Twilight said she left you in good hands.”

Sunset bowed her head. “Twilight…” She gripped her bedsheets tighter. The confrontation played out in her head again, far more vividly than before. Sunset could see Twilight’s pinprick pupils and her manic smile, hear her distorted voice and deranged laughter…

Feel the burning energy of her saber.

“Then if you won’t bow, you’ll cower!”

Sunset’s shoulders shook. Her mind returned to the quintessential question: how? How could Twilight have done this? How could Sunset have failed to stop her girlfriend's descent? How did they fix this?

She choked out a sob. “I… I don’t…” Her chest tightened and the temperature in the room rose.

“Sunset!”

She snapped her head to the left. Princess Celestia had a hoof on her shoulder again, eyes wide and brimming with concern. “It’s okay, Sunset, you’re okay. You’re safe. You’re home.”

Sunset didn’t realize just how hard she had been breathing until Celestia’s calm voice eased her heart. Sunset looked at Celestia, truly taking her in. She held the same divine grace and regality as the last time Sunset had seen her. Yet, Sunset felt as if she was truly seeing Celestia for the first time since her arrival.

She moved her eyes about the room, taking it all in. She could see the setting sun out the window along with the rooftops of the lower floors of the palace and the Unicorn Range beyond. She was truly back in Equestria. She was back where it had all started.

She was home.

Sunset looked down at her hands. She was still in her human form though. An alien in her own home. She looked back at Celestia, watching her with purple eyes filled with eternal wisdom. She could still see Sunset for what she truly was. Celestia could always see.

Celestia, her teacher. Her ruler. Her surrogate mother.

“Princess,” Sunset spoke in a croaky whisper. “The last time we spoke, you dismissed me from your teachings.”

Celestia flinched and turned away. “Yes. I—”

“Because I was a spoiled brat,” Sunset continued, a little louder. “I thought I deserved to be your equal because I was born in squalor but had extraordinary talents. I clawed my way to the top on my own. I thought because you hand-picked me, because I had so much talent, because our cutie marks were so similar, I had the divine right to rule. That becoming a princess was my destiny, and you were just holding me back.”

Celestia turned her head back, watching Sunset with pained curiosity.

Sunset’s voice shook and tears made their way to the corners of her eyes. “You told me no. You said I wasn’t ready. So I ran away to prove you wrong. I would find the power to surpass you, conquer you if I had to.” Sunset hunched forward, gripping her blanket as tight as she could.

“But I was wrong!” she shouted. “I was wrong about everything! I was never meant to rule! I finally learned what you had been trying to teach me! I finally stopped and reflected on everything I had done! I was terrible! I was so prideful! I was… I was just… and for what?”

She hiccuped and took a shuddering breath. Celestia opened her mouth, but Sunset barreled ahead. “I understand friendship now! And love! And how people want to help you not out of pity, but because they actually care about you! I made friends—wonderful friends that I’d do anything for! They helped me become a better person! Because of them, I want to help people! I-I want to show people how great it is to have friends that accept you!”

Sunset lifted her face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked upon Princess Celestia once more. “I’ve learned, Princess, I swear I have! I don’t want to rule anymore; I want to save my friends! So please, please forgive me! Please forgive your arrogant, selfish student!”

She focused on Celestia's face, straining to see her through her tears. Through a sob and a hiccup, she managed to choke out the two words she had wanted to say since the elements had hit her.

“I’m sorry.”

The rest of her wall broke, and Sunset dissolved into a quiet, sobbing mess, hunched over with her shoulders shaking from her outpouring emotions. She had imagined this scene hundreds of times in hundreds of different ways. In some, Celestia had indeed forgiven her. In others, she had been rejected and shunned, her crimes too great for Celestia to forgive.

In all of them, Sunset had broken into tears.

Celestia said nothing. She looked at Sunset, her previous concern replaced by an unreadable mask. Her horn lit up in a soft glow, and Sunset watched as her crown floated off her head and set itself on the table. Then, her golden chest piece came off. And one by one, she removed her golden horseshoes.

Her regalia removed, Celestia lifted a bare hoof and brushed Sunset’s cheek, breaking the flow of tears. “The night you left, Sunset Shimmer, was the second worst night of my life.”

Sunset’s heart tightened. “Princess—”

Celestia gently shushed her. “You had your turn to speak. It is mine now. When you left, I spent weeks tossing and turning trying to figure out where I had gone wrong… where I had failed.” She broke eye contact with Sunset and her entire body hunched forward, briefly showing her true age.

“And I realized the only place I had erred in was telling you to leave.” She looked at Sunset again, eyes wet. “I can’t say I was never angry with you, Sunset. Your temper tantrum left me concerned and frustrated. But I shouldn’t have dismissed you.”

“You had every right to dismiss me! You gave me a million chances, and all I did was belittle other students and hound you about the mirror!”

“But knowing your situation, knowing how hard you struggled with friendship… I shouldn’t have tried to push you away. I didn’t know how else to make you see reason. But isolating you away from me? I was scared my dismissal had scorned you irreparably. I thought I had been the cause for you losing your way. Despite everything, I shouldn’t have turned away from you like I did.”

Celestia closed her eyes and wiped away a stray tear. “And for that, I am so sorry.”

Sunset took her good hand and gently curled her fingers around Celestia’s hoof. “You don’t need to apologize, Princess. Yeah, I was mad too. Furious at you for a lot of things. But you were never the reason why I strayed so far. When I finally realized what a monster I had become… you were the first person I had hoped to make it up to… the first person I had hoped would forgive me.”

Celestia smiled, tears spilling in earnest and running down her cheeks. “Of course, I forgive you, Sunset Shimmer. I can only hope you’ll forgive me in turn.”

Sunset nodded, fighting back another sob. “I told you, you don’t need to apologize. But yes, absolutely.”

Celestia leaned forward and Sunset threw her arm around her, letting out a long cry.

“I missed you so much, Princess!”

“And I missed you, little sun.”

******

“My brother and I once asked the question ‘What is magic?’ We searched the globe for answers. And the answer we found was that there is no answer. Magic takes many forms. Music, Friendship, Love, Empathy.

“It is through our souls that we channel those aspects and turn them into magic. And when two souls connect and resonate with that magic, it creates Harmony.

“And the more souls that connect through friendship or love, the greater that Harmony becomes.

“A new era is coming—an era of magic. And I have met the soul who will bring it about. The greatest Harmony the world will ever know.

Sunset Shimmer… our future—our souls, rest with you.”

Volume V

Hallowed Harmony

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Sunny and Moony's Excellent Adventure

Volume V Opening

2. Once Upon a Time

When all the tears had been shed and Sunset had been given a simple meal to settle her rowdy stomach, she began regaling her tale of the human world to Celestia. Ashamed as she was to recount the beginning of her story, Sunset told it anyway. She owned up to all her mistakes and shortcomings, though she couldn’t look Celestia in the eye as she did. Finally, she got past the Fall Formal and could talk about her journey of making friends and making up for her past.

She talked about Halloween, the Winter Ball, living with the Lulamoons, the Battle of the Bands, accepting her past at Prom, Shining and Cadence’s wedding. She slowed down when she approached current events.

Throughout her tale, Sunset couldn’t bring herself to tell Celestia the exact nature of her relationship with Twilight. She was just her ‘best friend.’ That didn’t lessen the difficulty of describing what had happened in Starlight’s lab, and the creature that had emerged from the rift in spacetime, without breaking down anew or getting into the emotional impact of it all.

She knew Celestia wouldn’t be the kind of pony to hold prejudices towards her regarding her sexuality. Equestria was far more progressive in that regard than the human world. Even still, Sunset wasn’t ready to tell her. Calling Twilight her best friend was painful enough. Describing Twilight as her girlfriend and then explaining that said girlfriend was now threatening the reality of an entire dimension felt more incriminating to Twilight and Sunset herself. Especially since her decisions had played a part in turning Twilight into what she was now.

Her girlfriend being the doppelgänger of her arch-nemesis and Celestia’s successful student was the icing on the awkward cake.

It was well past sundown when Sunset finished. Celestia had listened attentively, smiling, frowning, and gasping in all the right places, but never once interrupting Sunset.

Sunset’s throat hurt from the amount of talking she had done. She laid back in bed and accepted the refilled cup of water Celestia offered her.

“You have certainly lived quite a life in such a short time, my little sun,” Celestia said. “Let me start by saying, I am immensely proud of you.”

Sunset’s entire face turned red. Even after all these years, Celestia’s praise sent a warm feeling from her stomach to her ears. “Thank you, Princess.”

Celestia beamed at her. “My only regret is that I could not be there to see your beautiful transformation. But it warms my heart to see the path you walked led to such growth.” Her smile wavered. “Though, joyous as I am to see you, I have mixed feelings about how you came to be here again.”

Sunset lowered her eyes. “Yeah, me too. I… I’m worried about the human world. I’m worried about my friends.”

“I share your concern. But if this… you said she called herself Midnight, correct? If this Midnight can tear holes in reality and knows about our world, how long before her curiosity leads her here?”

Celestia looked out the window to the night sky. “Part of me is admittedly a little unnerved at the idea of a variant of Twilight Sparkle being corrupted by wild magic. I’m not sure how to break the news to our Twilight.”

Your Twilight, Sunset thought bitterly. My Twilight is back there.

Out loud, Sunset said, “I know the mirror is only meant to work once every thirty moons, but is there any way to override that?”

Celestia sighed. “I’m not sure. Starswirl the Bearded is the one who constructed that mirror. If we were to override his enchantments, we would have to find his notes on it. And besides, you are in no condition to go back there and fight.”

Sunset looked down at her arm in the sling. Her bone still ached but the pain was far less than before.

“You know pure healing magic is rare. I did the best I could with my powers, but your anatomy is foreign to me,” Celestia said somberly. “I settled for accelerating your body’s natural mending, but you still need time to rest.”

“How long?”

“A week. Maybe two—”

“Two weeks?” Sunset nearly jumped out of bed. “Princess, you don’t understand! Twilight—Midnight is going to remake that entire world! And that’s if Tirek doesn’t take her out first! I need to get back there ASAP!”

“Sunset, I understand your haste, but even if you could return this instant, it would be foolhardy at best,” Celestia said in a firm but not unkind tone. She rested a hoof on Sunset's chest and eased her back against her pillow. “Let me remind you about the time dilation between the two worlds. Two weeks here would only be a few days there.”

“That’s still a lot of time for everything to go wrong!”

Celestia shook her head. “I’m afraid that’s the best I can offer.”

Sunset sank deeper into her pillow, despair eating at her insides. She had already spent a whole day traveling and another day sleeping. She didn’t know the exact math in her head. All she knew was, the longer she spent here doing nothing, the worse things would get for her friends.

No, you have to believe they can fight for themselves, at least for a while.

That may have been true, but how were they going to stop Midnight and her sphere of mass magic? How was Sunset going to stop her if she joined the fight in time?

First thing's first, get back to them.

Sunset took a deep breath, though it did nothing to untighten the knot in her stomach. “I can rest and do research at the same time. That way, the second I’m done recovering, I can go back to the human world.”

“I think doing anything while resting defeats the purpose of resting.” Celestia let out a soft chuckle. “But I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. I will merely urge you not to overwork yourself.”

“Me? Overwork myself? Never.”

Celestia quirked an amused eyebrow. “Need I remind you of your third-year finals?”

“Hey, when you’re taking six advanced courses, coffee makes you think you can do anything.”

Celestia leaned in and nuzzled Sunset’s cheek. “Get some rest, Sunset. Twilight should be here in the morning. The two of you and Moondancer can decide on your next course of action then.”

Sunset’s earnest smile stretched into an uncomfortable jaw clench. “Great. Can’t wait.”

******

Moondancer looked down at the thick crack running along her mask. She hadn’t noticed it until she had looked into the vanity her guest room provided. Picking it up, Moondancer could see how deep the crack ran. The poor thing was a tight grip away from snapping in half.

Lifting her face, Moondancer looked at herself in the mirror. She lifted a hand to the four scars running across the left side of her face.

If Sunset had shown her any mercy, it was that she had missed Moondancer’s eye. One of the scars ran just over the corner of her eyelid to the bridge of her nose, and the other three stretched from her ear down to her cheek. They had simmered from blistering red to just red now, and no longer constantly burned. They would still flare up occasionally, but it was far less frequent.

Moondancer stared at her reflection, cleaner after the shower she had taken. Her freshly washed hair was the only graceful thing left about her. The light in her eyes was dull and bags sat underneath them. There was a crack in her lips from one of Twilight’s blows. And of course, there were her scars.

Looking back down at her mask brought the temptation to put it back on despite its fragility. She could hide her ugliness, her schemes, her fears.

But who is there to hide from?

Moondancer forced a laugh. She was in a castle in a dimension full of magical talking ponies. Of which, Sunset hailed from. Sunset. The firebrand who once had an actual demon inside her.

Lowering her hands and gripping the corners of the vanity, Moondancer laughed again. Tracing the path her life had taken so far, even with all the wrong turns and pitfalls, she couldn’t understand how she had ended up in this situation.

“It’s okay. It’s just another detour. We just have to get back home, and then…”

And then what? What was going to be waiting when she finally made it back to her world? Would Twilight still be crazed with magic? Would Tirek have his body back? Would there even be a world to return to?

“Don’t think like that,” Moondancer whispered. “Don’t falter now. We’re almost there. We have to be.”

We’re a dimension away! This is the furthest we’ve ever been from our goal!

Moondancer spun away from the mirror. “Keep going. Get home. Kill Tirek.”

What about Twilight?

Moondancer gripped her chest. A piece of her wanted to grasp onto the delusion that that creature hadn’t been Twilight. But her heart of hearts knew it was true. And Sunset had confirmed it. Sunset would lie about many things; Twilight wasn’t one of them.

What did Moondancer do about Twilight? What could she do? She had tried standing up to her once and…

Moondancer winced at the beatdown she hazily remembered taking. With the Deus Ex Machina, perhaps she could fight back. But that was meant for Tirek, not her best friend.

Even if Twilight hated her, even if she had ignored Moondancer’s desperate pleas to stay out of this, Moondancer didn’t know if she could fight against Twilight. But if she was going to stand in the way of getting to Tirek…

Moondancer walked over to the bed, picked up a pillow, and screamed into it. None of this was fair! None of this made any sense! Heroines had to struggle, they had to suffer to become stronger and stand up to the darkness their story unleashed upon them. But this? All of this?

She dropped the pillow. Screaming wasn’t good enough. She needed to walk around, maybe escape her own head. She turned toward her vanity and looked at her mask. Should she still put it on?

Why? There’s no one to fool here.

No one here knew who she was. No one could judge her. And if they did judge her, why did it matter? She was set to return to her own world soon.

Moondancer looked at herself in the mirror one last time, gingerly running a finger across one of her scars. The only person she didn’t want seeing them was herself, and she just needed to avoid looking in the mirror to do that.

She walked across the room and pulled the door open. Posted outside was a single guard dressed in blue armor with a spear strapped to its back. This one was a pegasus. Like the other ponies Moondancer had encountered save for the princess, the guard only came up to her waist.

“Excuse me,” Moondancer said, her measured voice bouncing down the quiet corridor, “is it alright if I walk around for a little while?”

The guard nodded. “Certainly. The princess has permitted you to explore the castle. She only asks that you do not leave the grounds or enter any restricted areas,” she said.

Moondancer stepped out of her room and bowed. “Thank you.”

Night had settled in over this foreign world. Moondancer had slept half of the day and felt quite alert. The magic that permeated through the air didn’t hurt either. The only time Moondancer had felt constant power like this was when she had worn the Archon Amulet for far too long. It tingled like static just under her skin and felt like a warm hearth rather than the angry heat the corrupt magic had given her.

“You could have had real power. Now, you’re a failure, just like your mother!”

Moondancer froze in the deeper shadows of one of the colonnades. Twilight’s whispered words slithered back into Moondancer’s head. Cruel, pointed… possibly true. Twilight had known the perfect button to push to get Moondancer to act erratically.

She held her arms to keep the creeping cold away and continued walking.

Had her mother failed? Perhaps, from a certain perspective. Despite her sacrifice, Night Shade had worked with Tempest to restore Tirek. But the old warlock wasn’t truly resurrected, not yet. Apalla was no failure, and neither was Moondancer. Her reckoning was still to come.

But what if she had missed her chance by not siding with Twilight? Moondancer had felt the magic radiating off of her. She saw the impossible feats Twilight performed. What if Twilight could make a perfect world?

And what of all the people she is willing to sacrifice?

Moondancer drew a sobering breath and nodded. She had already been complicit in innocent people losing their souls. She would not further involve herself in the loss of life.

She came to a crossroads in the hall. Unlike yesterday night when she and Sunset skulked about at an ungodly hour, it was early enough in the evening that most of the braziers were still lit. It didn’t particularly help with navigation though, as the adjoining halls looked identical even in the light. Moondancer simply chose to keep moving straight.

She climbed a flight of stairs, walked down a corridor lined with beautiful tapestries depicting moons and constellations, then climbed another set of stairs. Despite the residents of this world being half her size, almost everything in the castle looked like it had been made with human-sized creatures in mind. The windows, the paintings, the doors, the stairs. Even the bed and shower back in Moondancer’s room fit her comfortably. Only the occasional suits of armor and the guards themselves reminded her that she was not on earth.

At the end of the next corridor, she found tall, double doors engraved with a crescent moon. There were no guards to obstruct her, so Moondancer pushed one open and stepped out onto a hanging bridge. The night air swept against her, leaving her arms covered in goosebumps.

The bridge connected the main castle to a tall tower. Moondancer didn’t realize how high she had climbed. From here, she could see the majority of the city, shimmering with enough light to illuminate the entire mountainside.

Moondancer walked to the midpoint of the bridge to get a better view. This version of Canterlot was far smaller than the bustling city and sprawling suburban neighborhoods Moondancer knew, but it was also far more organized. Most of the city had been arranged in a circular pattern on a massive disk that jutted off the mountain. Smaller disks had been added, no doubt to accommodate for city growth.

Pearly white houses with purple or gold roofs made up the majority of buildings around the city except for the center and the main road that led to the castle: taller buildings decorated with brass finishing and marble statues that spoke to their importance. To the west, on one of the additional disks, was what looked to be a marina. Only instead of sailing boats, Moondancer observed airships docking and unmooring. Long dirigibles and actual ships held aloft by large awnings and propelled by mechanical wings.

“This place is amazing,” Moondancer whispered. She had said it to Sunset, but the more Moondancer saw, the more she was thoroughly convinced she was actually in a child’s fairytale. Ponies and princesses and magic and castles and airships. Who would want to leave a place such as this?

The click of a lock drew Moondancer’s attention to the tower. The door at its base opened up and out stepped a tall pony with a coat the same blue as the night sky. She didn’t have hair for a mane, instead, a starry nebula flowed from her head and made up her tail. She wore black regalia and silver horseshoes, and like Princess Celestia, possessed a horn and wings.

As she drew near, Moondancer felt an aura of regality flow from her. The pony only came up to the base of Moondancer’s neck, not including her horn, yet she managed to somehow look down on Moondancer. It wasn’t condescending or intimidating. It was a look of authority that stated this pony knew she was in charge and compelled Moondancer to bow.

So, bow she did. She placed her arms at her side and bent as far forward as her back allowed. “Um, good evening, miss.”

The blue pony silently regarded her with bright teal eyes and an unreadable expression. “You must be the human Moondancer. My sister told me we had received visitors from that world.” Her voice was deep and regal.

Moondancer straightened up. “Your sister?”

“Celestia. You met her, yes?”

“Oh! Yes, briefly.” Princess Celestia had given her a cordial enough welcome but quickly left Moondancer in the care of the castle staff while she saw to Sunset. “Then, you’re a princess as well?”

“Indeed. I am Luna, Princess of the Night.” Luna dipped her head in greeting.

Moondancer hastily bowed again. “My apologies for my rudeness, Your Highness! It is very nice to meet you!”

Princess Luna let out a soft chuckle, and whatever tense aura she had presented melted. “Your cordiality is appreciated, but not necessary, young Moondancer. It is a pleasure to meet you. We have not met a human in well over a thousand years.”

Moondancer stumbled back as she straightened up again. “You’ve met a human before? A thousand years ago?”

“Quite. When Starswirl the Bearded experimented with gateways to other worlds, yours was one he opened. T’was a brief encounter, yet a memorable one. Yours was one of the few worlds we encountered with no magic. Though it sounds like that has changed recently.”

Twilight’s manic giggle played back in Moondancer’s ears. “Y-yes.”

One of Luna’s ears folded back. “My apologies if we have brought up a sore subject. We are not aware of all of the details.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Moondancer said quickly, putting on a smile. “Or, it will be!”

Luna regarded her, her eyes quickly but carefully roving over Moondancer’s scars. “There’s no need to put on a brave face in front of us, child. We know hardships and tribulations well.”

Moondancer’s smile faded. “Sorry. I suppose it’s a reflex. It’s hard to… take off the mask.”

“A mask you say?” Luna took a step closer, examining Moondancer with a blend of sagely wisdom and childlike curiosity. “Hmm. Your eyes carry much sadness for one so young.”

Moondancer regarded her reflection from earlier and chuckled darkly. “I’ve known a lot of sadness for one so young.”

“Such burdens are easier to carry when one shares them with others.”

It was Moondancer’s turn to examine Luna. She was everything the wise queens from Moondancer’s fairy tales had been, condensed into a winged unicorn. Though Moondancer no longer felt the need to bow, she still felt an aura of authority from this princess. But within Luna’s eyes, she saw something other than authority and wisdom. There was a vulnerability, deep and venerable. Yet, tempered by joviality and warmth. It was like looking at the rings of an ancient tree.

Yes. This pony had known hardship and tribulation in her time. Still…

Moondancer turned away and looked out over the sparkling city. “I would never expect others to take upon my burdens for me. And even if I did, I do not have anyone I would trust to do so.”

Luna followed her gaze. “What about Sunset Shimmer?”

“Ha!” Moondancer couldn’t help herself. “She’s the last person who would want to help me, and the last I’d seek help from! More than strictly necessary anyway. Us getting here was a partnership of convenience, nothing more.”

She grabbed the bridge railings and squeezed until her knuckles were white. “I have only one true friend, and she’s… missing.”

Luna stood by Moondancer’s side, unresponsive for a time. She tilted her head toward the girl and said in a soft voice, “Friendships can grow in the most unlikely of places. Perhaps your partnership can blossom into something more if you allow it.”

Moondancer clicked her tongue.

To her surprise, Luna gave a mirthful chuckle. “Of course, we are no princess of friendship. That title belongs to another. We have little moral high ground to lecture you on such matters.”

She turned her head to the sky again and let out a small hum. “We have somewhere to be. But if time allows, we would like to speak with you again, if you are willing.”

An unexpected butterfly fluttered through Moondancer’s stomach. A princess wished to spend more time with her? “Truly?”

She turned her head, but Luna had already crossed by her and was on her way toward the castle proper.

“Indeed. But for now, I must meet my own friend for our weekly astronomy nights.” Luna paused and looked over her shoulder, a mischievous look in her eye. “I would invite you to come along, but I don’t think you’re ready to meet yourself just yet.”

Moondancer gaped at Luna’s retreating form. She lifted a hand, but Luna had crossed the threshold and vanished into the dimness of the castle. What on earth had she meant by that?

She shook her head of Princess Luna’s cryptic thoughts, making way for her ridiculous ones. Make friends with Sunset Shimmer? Her hatred for the girl had greatly diminished, but it would be a cold day in hell when she tried to actually make friends.

******

Sunset couldn't help but smile as the guard pushed open the door to the throne room for her. So many nights, she had glimpsed it from the other side of the mirror. Now, at long last, she stood once again before the golden dais.

She and Moondancer crossed under the arched ceilings, walking up the crimson carpet to the base of the throne. Fountains flowed on either side, watering small potteries of ever-blooming flowers. Princess Celestia sat on a velvet pillow, backed by a golden chair. She smiled as the two girls approached.

“Good morning, ladies.” Her smile lingered on Sunset for an extra second.

Sunset did her best to bow with her arm in a sling. “Good morning, Princess.” Save for her leather vest, Sunset was dressed in the clothes she had come here in. They were washed and most of the holes had been stitched, but it felt odd to be wearing yesterday’s outfit, especially knowing that this would be her only clothes until the tailors could learn how to fit a human.

Moondancer bowed as well. “I never got a chance to thank you for the room you gave me, Your Highness.”

Celestia shook her head. “Think nothing of it. Any friend of Sunset’s is welcome here.”

Sunset and Moondancer side-eyed each other and both let out stilted laughs. Sunset hadn’t commented on it when she had first regrouped with Moondancer outside her room, but it was the first time Sunset had seen her without her mask on. Looking at the angry red scars running across her face, Sunset wasn’t sure how to feel.

On one hand, after everything she and Moondancer had gone through, Sunset felt a little guilty about having permanently wounded Moondancer’s face. On the other hand, Moondancer had helped steal her soul and tried to hurt her friends, and Sunset would never take that lying down.

Sunset cleared her throat. “So, when is Princess Twilight supposed to arrive?” She made sure to keep the impatience out of her voice.

“She should be along shortly. I did not disclose the entire situation, but she understands the urgency you both have.”

Moondancer lifted her hands and began gesticulating like she was setting things into categories. “So, we have a Twilight at home. And there’s a Princess Twilight here. And there was Lamia who was you—” She pointed to Sunset. “—but the human version. And we had a Principal Celestia at school. Is… is there a pony version of everyone from my world here?”

“Theoretically,” Sunset said. “At least, around Canterlot. Your Canterlot. I don’t think the human world is an exact copy of Equestria and the lands beyond it.”

Moondancer looked around the room with renewed awe. “That means there’s a pony version of myself here?” She gasped and held a hand over her mouth like she had just discovered something else.

“Yes,” Celestia said with a nod. “But let us try to keep the mirror interactions to a minimum. We don’t know what prolonged exposure to our other selves will do.”

Sunset thought about her experiences with Shimmer. Other than not being able to touch one another without seeing the other's past, nothing terrible had ever come about. Still, two Moondancers were the last thing she needed in her life.

A knock sounded at the throne door, and Sunset turned as it was pushed open, a painful knot tightening in her stomach.

Princess Twilight Sparkle trotted in. She looked exactly how Sunset remembered her, coat obnoxiously purple, hair cut terribly, wings nervously strapped to her sides. Something rolled in on wheels behind her, a large blanket covering it. Judging by the ovular shape, Sunset could guess what it was.

The purple alicorn stopped a yard short of Moondancer and Sunset. She spared Moondancer a smile and a sheepish wave before focusing her attention on Sunset.

Sunset tightened her good hand into a fist. The urge to punt the princess back across the room was unbearably strong. Here she was again; the mare who had taken everything from her. Yes, Sunset had shot herself in the foot by being a spoiled brat. Yes, it had been Sunset’s own fault she had run away. And yes, Sunset had chosen to steal the Element of Magic and abscond with it.

But here was the girl who Celestia had chosen to replace her. The annoying purple brat that spouted friendship and shot rainbows and left her alone in a magicless world after ruining her plan. Yes, it was an ill-conceived plan, but that wasn’t the point!

Sunset took a deep breath through her nose. Celestia she would grovel and kneel before, but it would be a cold day in Tartarus before she asked for Princess Twilight’s forgiveness. But, for the sake of keeping cordial in front of Princess Celestia, Sunset unballed her fist and exhaled.

“Princess,” she said curtly.

“Um, hi, Sunset Shimmer.” Princess Twilight pawed the carpet. “How are you doing?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow and twiddled the fingers in her cast.

“Right.” Twilight looked away and rustled her wings. “I’m sorry you got hurt. Princess Celestia said it was… the other me that did it?”

Sunset tightened her jaw and looked away. “Something like that.”

Silence.

Moondancer cleared her throat and made a stiff half-bow. “Um, hello… Princess Twilight. My name is Moondancer.”

Princess Twilight turned her attention to Moondancer. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I actually have a friend named Moondancer. You look… rather different from her.”

“Oh, um, thank you?”

More silence.

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, let’s just get to the point. I know the mirror portal only works once every thirty moons—”

“It what?” Moondancer asked, eyes wide.

“—but we need to find a way to bypass that. Our world—I mean, the human world—is in critical danger. And Equestria might be next.”

Princess Twilight nodded. “I understand the urgency, and I would be more than happy to help, but…” She bit her lips and pawed the ground again.

Sunset clenched her jaw. “But what?”

“Umm…” Twilight ignited her magic, her horn lighting up in a magenta aura. The curtain lifted off the mirror, revealing the silver frame encrusted with purple gems and placed atop a crystal dais. But when Sunset caught sight of the reflective glass, she let out a short scream before covering her mouth.

A crack ran down the center of the mirror. It couldn’t have been longer than Sunset’s index finger, but it might as well been a death knell. Sunset ran along to the back, but the crack cleared through to the other side.

“Oh dear,” Celestia whispered, drawing a hoof to her mouth.

Sunset dropped to her knees. Bypassing an enchantment was one thing. How did they cross through if the mirror itself was broken?

Moondancer looked from the crack to Twilight’s horn. “But, surely you can fix it, right? I’ve seen my mother cast repair spells before.”

Celestia shook her head. “If only it were that simple. For an object like this that reaches across worlds, if there’s a crack on one side, it means there must be similar damage on the other.”

“Similar damage…” Moondancer clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh no… Twilight.”

Princess Twilight cocked her head. “Yes?”

Moondancer jumped. “Oh sorry, not you! My Twilight! She… she used a device to drain some of the magic from the portal on our end! She must have damaged it!”

A molten anger flooded Sunset that threatened to spill out through her phoenix form before cold despair smothered it. She wanted to be furious. She ought to be. But the pain and sadness over seeing what Twilight had become overrode her fury and betrayal. She needed to stop Twilight and save her friends. But how did they do that now?

“The other me had a device that could drain magic?” Princess Twilight asked in disbelief.

Sunset reached into her pocket and tossed the amulet out onto the floor at Princess Twilight’s hooves. “It’s how we managed to get here after we got tossed into a pocket dimension.”

Princess Twilight lifted it in her magic and turned it about, giving it a discerning eye. “Given that this magic was siphoned from the other world’s portal, I’d wager that any portals we could open with it would lead back to this world.”

“Brilliant deduction, detective,” Sunset snapped. “So unless you can magically reverse engineer it, we’re stuck here!”

“Sunset,” Celestia said in a gentle, warning tone. The same Sunset had received on so many occasions as she flaunted her power and superiority.

Sunset snapped her mouth shut and bowed her head. “Sorry, Princess.”

Princess Twilight sighed. “I understand this is frustrating. I’m worried about the human world, too. But, there has to be another way there, right?”

Celestia stood and started to softly pace in front of her throne. “Unfortunately, that mirror is the only connection I know of that links our two worlds. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t make a new one.”

Sunset climbed to her feet. “You know how to make a new portal?”

“Not I, no,” Celestia said. “I was quite young when Starswirl began his portal experiments. But, as I told you yesterday, if we can find his notes, we might be able to make a new one, perhaps without the moon limitation.”

Princess Twilight’s wings flared up. “We get to build a portal to another dimension? Using Starswirl the Bearded’s notes! Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!”

Sunset snapped her fingers. “Hey, this isn’t a science fair, Princess! We’re not here to have fun!”

Snapping her wings back to her sides, Princess Twilight cleared her throat. “Y-yes, you’re right. We have people counting on us.” She took a deep breath. “So, Princess Celestia, where are Starswirl’s notes?”

Celestia let out a forlorn sigh. “I’m not one hundred percent sure. But, I believe they’re somewhere in the restricted section of the Royal Archives.”

“The restricted section of the Royal Archives!” Princess Twilight yelled, jumping and hovering in the air this time. “We get to go into the restricted section?”

Sunset pressed a finger against the space between her eyes. “Irony as she’s cast.” She got to go back to the scene of her greatest crime.

A wing draped over her shoulder, and she lifted her head to look into Celestia’s eyes. “I trust you will find what you’re looking for in there.”

It was amazing what a smile from Celestia could do. Sunset’s anxiety, deep as it was, melted, and her irritation with Princess Twilight was pushed to the back of her mind.

“Thank you, Princess.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Princess Twilight said, clapping her hooves to her cheeks. “We have a restricted section to search!”

Still, Celestia’s smile could only go so far. Sunset cast a withering glare to Princess Twilight that proved strong enough to send her back to the ground. She smiled sheepishly.

“Eheh… right, sorry.”

******

Once upon a time, Sunset had walked into the royal archives with the sole intention of finding out what the mirror did and why she had seen herself as an alicorn in it. She had put the attending archivist to sleep, snuck into the back, undid the protective ward around the door to the restricted section, and let herself in.

It had been almost too easy.

She had gotten cocky. She had gotten so engrossed in the secret knowledge stored within the withering stone walls that she stopped keeping track of time. She hadn’t just found out that the mirror was also a gate to another world, but that Celestia had the power to ascend ponies to alicornhood. Sunset didn’t have to just be the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, she could have been the next Princess of the Sun!

That was when Celestia had arrived…

Now, three and a half years later, earth time, Sunset stood once again before the olden oak doors inscribed with runes of preservation on them. Only this time, she wasn’t alone. Celestia stood next to her, trust renewed.

Princess Twilight and Moondancer were there too.

Lighting her horn in a beautiful golden sheen, the doors to the restricted section creaked open, a musty air rushing out from the sealed chamber on the other side. Before it was even fully open, Princess Twilight bolted in, with a loud squee.

Moondancer let out a small titter. “She um… reminds me of my Twilight.”

“Our Twilight,” Sunset corrected sharply. “And no, I don’t see the resemblance.”

Moondancer pierced her with a questioning gaze, but Sunset shook it off. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped into the restricted section.

It was a singular stone chamber curved roughly into a circle. Books were stored in alcoves dug into the walls rather than placed on any shelf. And there were more scrolls than books. A single table sat in the center of the room. Ancient tapestries hung from the wall, some looking like they dated back to pre-Equestrian times.

Princess Twilight zipped about the room, gasping and squeeing like it was Hearth’s Warming Day. “I can’t believe it! There’s a first-edition copy of Meadowsong’s Botched Botany! And Canterlot Cantibles Volume 36! That’s when it gets good!”

Sunset let out a few choice grumbles under her breath. Loudly, she said, “You can geek out all you want later! We need to find Starswirl’s notes!”

Hugging a bundle of scrolls, Twilight cleared her throat and placed them back in the alcove. “I’m sorry. I just love learning new things. And we’re in the restricted section! Nopony ever gets to go in here!”

Sunset felt an odd mix of pride and guilt well up in her. Most ponies never came in here. She wasn’t most ponies. The urge to brag about the material she had already read (illicit or otherwise) was strong, but with Princess Celestia beside her, it would be in poor taste.

Celestia clopped a hoof against the stone to get everyone’s attention. “I will leave the three of you to get started on the search. I still have royal duties to adhere to. If you need anything though, don’t hesitate to find me.”

She nuzzled Sunset on the cheek, then gave her one more look that Sunset knew all too well. ‘Play nice,’ it said. Sunset made no promises.

The door closed behind Celestia as she made her exit, leaving the two girls and princess alone in the archive. Twilight was still making quiet ‘oohh's’ and ‘aahh’s’ as she pulled scrolls and books free. Moondancer looked around uncertainly before drifting toward the east wall.

Sunset let out a longstanding sigh. “Great, I get to work with two of the people I hate the most,” she said under her breath. Unlike the other two, she at least had an idea of where to start. She walked over to a familiar alcove and pulled out the book that had set her path years ago.

It had told her about the secrets of the mirror. Perhaps it had a few more secrets to tell.

She took a seat at the table, pushing back the intrusive memories and feelings of the last time she had held this book. Princess Celestia had forgiven her. Which meant she could forgive herself. She wasn’t doing this for power, she was doing this so she could get back to her friends.

“Oh, did you find something already?” Princess Twilight fluttered next to her, a scroll in hoof.

Sunset turned the book open, trying to not look at the purple alicorn. Though hearing her familiar voice without seeing the face attached to it might have made things worse. “I’m starting with the guide to the mirror I found years ago.”

“That makes sense. I found a scroll that might be promising.”

“Good for you. Then instead of chitchatting, why don’t you get to reading? You do love learning, right?”

“Umm, right.”

Sunset heard her take a seat and unfurl the scroll. Moondancer continued to rustle through the archives. For several blissful minutes, the room was quiet.

“So, umm… Sunset Shimmer,” Princess Twilight said.

Sunset lifted her head, eye twitching.

“Princess Celestia relayed a pretty condensed summary of what happened. It might be helpful to know a bit more.”

Sunset glared at the princess, gaining a satisfying flinch from her. “Fine. What exactly do you want to know?”

Princess Twilight fidgeted in her seat. “Well, honestly, I would like to know everything that happened since I left. But, maybe just the events that led up to you and Moondancer being trapped in limbo. And… maybe how bad the other me is now.”

“She isn’t bad!” both Sunset and Moondancer snapped. They looked at each other and blinked in surprise.

“Okay,” Twilight said slowly, leaning back. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to believe the other me is bad either. I guess I just want to know what happened.”

Sunset didn’t want to talk about it. It had been painful enough when she spoke to Celestia. But, she knew she would rather explain events than have Moondancer do it.

“My—our Twilight Sparkle was—is a good person. After you and I had our little incident at the Fall Formal, magic started popping up in the human world. And because my friends inherited Equestrian magic from you, we all started gaining magical powers. All of us except Twilight.”

Sunset interlocked her fingers and gripped them tight. “I tried to tell her that it didn’t mean she was useless or less than us. She had helped us so many times before. She could use a sword, she had gadgets to back her up. She was…” Sunset’s mouth went dry.

She pressed on. “Anyway, there’s a group of insane people who want to revive a warlock from ancient times named Tirek.”

“What? There’s a Tirek in that world?” Princess Twilight screeched.

Moondancer whipped around. “You mean there’s a Tirek in this world?”

“Yes! A few years ago, he broke loose from Tartarus and tried to steal all the magic in Equestria until me and my friends stopped him!”

If Moondancer’s face could get any paler, it would have. She let out something between a laugh and a sob and sank to her knees. “Even a dimension away, he haunts me,” she whispered.

Twilight got up from her seat and trotted over to her. “Are you okay?”

“I…” Moondancer wiped her eyes. “I’ve spent more than half my life under his thumb. Even though I’m not supposed to be here, I thought for a little while, I was truly away from him. Only to hear that you have a version of him too.”

“Yeah, remember when I said there was a group trying to revive him?” Sunset interrupted. “She’s one of them! I don’t know why she’s getting all teary-eyed!”

“So I can do what my ancestors couldn’t and kill him properly!” Moondancer yelled.

Sunset jumped to her feet. “That’s where Twilight got that from! She got this idea that we couldn’t use the Rainbow of Light on him and needed to help you lot bring Tirek back to life!”

“I told her I didn’t want her involved! She threw herself into this anyway! I told her the truth because I was tired of lying to her! Starlight’s the one who convinced her to work on the Arcane Access project! I protested from the start, I knew it was a bad idea!”

Princess Twilight looked rapidly back and forth between the two screaming girls. “Wait, Starlight?”

“Yeah, Starlight Glimmer!” Sunset said heatedly. “A stupid scientist who wanted to bring magic back to the human world. Her stupid machine opened a hole to a pocket dimension where all the world’s magic had been sealed. Twilight got sucked in, absorbed all the magic, and came out with a new idea to remake the whole world to be ‘perfect’.”

“I see,” Twilight said, dumbfounded. “That’s… really different from the Starlight I know.”

Sunset and Moondancer stopped glaring at each other and fixed their gaze on the princess. “There’s a Starlight here too?” they both yelled.

Princess Twilight flinched. “Um, yes? She’s my personal student.”

“Oh, of course she is!” Sunset said, throwing her hands up. “Any other people who have ruined my life you wanna bring into the conversation now? Is Lyra waiting outside?” She dropped back into her seat and stared at the book. “Whatever. You know the important parts of the story now. I raised objections to Midnight’s plan, so she tossed me and her bestie over there into a void.”

“Midnight?”

“It’s what she calls herself now,” Sunset said bitterly. “Any more questions? Or can I finally get back to looking for a solution to our problem?”

Princess Twilight folded her ears. “Actually, I did want to know… you know, before all of that happened, how are our friends doing? I mean… they did make friends with you, right?”

Sunset glared down at the book again. “Yeah, my friends were doing great. They’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Princess Twilight let out a relieved sigh. “That’s great to hear! I knew my friends would—”

“Haha! Hold on there, Princess!” Sunset said, glaring at her again. “Your friends? You only knew them for two and half days.”

“Just because we only knew each other a short while doesn’t make us any less friends,” Princess Twilight said with a furrowed brow.

“Maybe not. But because I’ve known them for a year and have spent the highs and lows with them instead of ditching them and going home at the first chance I didn’t actually get, I would say that makes them more my friends.” Sunset was fully aware of the pettiness in her voice.

Princess Twilight scrunched her nose, looking angry for the first time. “I had to go home! The portal was going to close!”

“What happened to that whole speech about Equestria surviving without you and you choosing to help your ‘friends’ back there?”

“That was when you were threatening to take over the world with my crown!”

“So your friendship with them only matters when the world is at stake, hence why you’re helping now. Cool, got it.”

The princess flared her wings. “What is your problem with me?”

“I have a long list of problems with you!” Sunset shouted, standing up from her seat. “Let’s start with you replacing me as Princess Celestia’s student!”

“You betrayed her and ran away—”

“You got to be an alicorn!”

“I never asked to be—”

“You went back to Equestria without even asking me if I wanted to come home!” Sunset said, surprising herself with a few tears. “You just left me there and asked your ‘friends’ to take care of me for you!”

Princess Twilight flinched. “I… I never thought—”

“You’re the reason my Twilight has self-confidence issues! Because on some level, she keeps comparing herself to you!”

“But I—”

“And let’s not forget my favorite one: what you did to me with the Elements of Harmony!”

Princess Twilight snapped out of her sorrowful look and shouted, “You stole my crown!”

“You hit me with a rainbow!”

“You turned into a demon!”

“You hit me with a fucking rainbow! Do you know what that feels like? It burns! Everywhere! And I won’t even start on what they did afterward!”

Twilight pulled back, curious concern on her face. “Afterward?” She shook her head and stamped her hoof. “You were about to burn us to a crisp!”

“I’m not saying I was ever in the right! I’m just saying, I hate you,” Sunset finished in monotone.

Princess Twilight nickered. “Then if you hate me so much, why did you ask for my help?”

“I didn’t! Princess Celestia did! The only reason I’m not saying no is because the faster we get through this, the faster I can get back to my friends and hopefully away from you!”

“Our friends! And fine! Right now, the feeling's mutual!” Princess Twilight turned, nearly whipping Moondancer in the face with her tail. She took her scroll and stomped off to the west side of the room.

Sunset furiously rubbed away the remaining tears before leaning over her book again. She read the words but couldn’t process any of them.

A shadow crossed over her, and Sunset looked up to see Moondancer, a tattered book in hand and a contemptuous look in her eye.

“I know you didn’t ask, but I’m sure what you did to me burned as much as what she did to you,” she whispered.

“You had yours coming for a long time.”

“I wonder if the princess would say the same thing about you.” She took her book and sat on the wall opposite of the princess.

The three girls continued to read in silence long into the afternoon.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Sunset Shimmer: No Way Home

3. Light Up the Sky

Midnight hummed as she worked, an orchestral symphony of synth waves and violins that flowed from her throat and filled the open air around her. She kept her eyes closed while she swished her hands about, fingers tracing patterns only she could see.

She had never known she had an eye for architecture and interior design before! But the construction of her new castle was coming along nicely. How easy it was to shift a couple of atoms and transmute steel into marble or wood into brass. The raw materials flew up from the noisy city below. So many people needlessly screaming in panic. She hadn’t even done anything to them. Most of her supply came from buildings that had already been abandoned, and the ones that hadn’t, she made sure not to take any critical support structures. But, Midnight reasoned, a chunk of land appearing overhead with a self-constructing castle would probably be a little unnerving to the unenlightened. They would all understand soon.

Midnight twitched her ring finger, and a corded steel cable unraveled itself down to its molecular level and was reforged into a glossy marble tile. She was thinking classical Ottoman-style architecture for the main body of the castle: high domes and semi-domes to make up the central citadel. And she would blend it with French Gothic flying buttresses and ambulatories with tall, cathedral-like towers! All constructed from reflective marble and brass, giving her entire design a nice purple sheen. She did love purple.

Purple. The color of royalty. A symbol of beauty and mystery. A color not present in the visible light spectrum nor the rainbow. Often confused with its close sister, violet. Some would say it was a negligible difference, but Midnight knew better. She knew almost everything now. She saw the thin line between science and magic. She knew the paradoxical nature of the universe. Beneath the illusion of order was chaos. There were no laws, only predictions and probabilities. Answers before the question was even asked.

She interrupted her symphony with a throaty giggle. Magic acted quite the same. Orderly and functional on the surface, but when left alone, it was unpredictable. In the right hands, it could be bent and controlled. But the how and the why could never be measured by normal means. Like the wave functions of electrons that scientists could only guess were real. But Midnight knew. And she could use magic to track the electron as it moved. Both its position and momentum were known to her!

She tilted her head five degrees and grinned. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle wasn’t so uncertain anymore.

Midnight tilted her head ten degrees in the other direction and frowned. What was uncertain was the behavior of her subjects in her new world simulation.

In experimenting with her magic, Midnight found that she could split her consciousness, both from the actions of her body and further into separate halves. She also realized she had thrown a wrench into the Mind-Body problem, but that was a colloquy for later.

In the spare half of her consciousness, she had taken to running simulations of how best to operate her new magical world. While magic would be far more predictable, people still needed to learn how to use it. Governments would need to be completely restructured, and she needed to incentivize social harmony and prevent any seeds of corruption.

Midnight frowned. Scenario 089 had been progressing well. She had even managed to get Sunset on board in this one. Yet, someone’s magic had overcharged for some reason, leading to… explosive results. She swore she had created magic limiters in this universe. And now, people were questioning the safety of magic! Why were people so resistant to change?

“Reset. Commence scenario 090,” Midnight said aloud. She needed the perfect world locked in place before she could unleash her spell.

The active consciousness of her mind fine-tuned the intricate matrices of the ball of magic floating just over her head. It was a delicate process; forcing magic to bend to her will not just in this moment, but for all forthcoming time. She had to fill in the gaps of the quantum universe, change the code of randomness to perfect predictability. She needed to attune human bodies to be more readily receptive to magic. She needed to restore the natural world to a healthier state.

And because her world could not be superimposed atop this old one, she needed to make sure it would be destroyed.

“So much to do, so much to do,” she said in a light, sing-song fashion. At least she could multitask.

“Your Grace!” a chipper voice called up to her.

Midnight opened her eyes and looked down. She floated above her tallest completed tower, a perfect cylinder open to the early morning sky. Adagio smiled obediently up at her, dressed in a floor-length purple and white maid gown.

Adagio bowed. “Please forgive my interruption, Your Magical Grace, but Lord Tirek is returning.” She pointed to one side of the tower.

Instead of a parapet, a short set of stairs led up to a crack in reality. White light poured out of it and was briefly obscured as a figure emerged from the other side and stepped down the stairs.

Midnight descended from the sky and hovered just off the floor. She floated closer to Tirek, still nesting in Apalla Lulamoon’s body, and gave a self-serving smile. “See? I told you.”

Apalla’s gaunt face made an ugly sneer. “They are more cowardly than I thought. And that is the closest you can get me?”

Midnight spread her fingers. “Even I have limits. For now. Whatever is on the other side is actively repelling any sort of external entry. If you want to go fight gods, you’ll have to go through the front door.”

Tirek growled. “And my magic did not lay even a scratch on it. I would theorize that only godly magic could break through.”

“But I couldn’t get in.”

“Because, despite your self-proclaimed title, you’re not a god,” Tirek said with a little more smugness than Midnight cared for.

She held back a sneer and the urge to break apart his atoms, and asked, “Then how are you going to get in?”

Tirek walked to the edge of the tower and looked out over Canterlot below. “With the Rainbow of light, of course. A weapon handed down by the gods themselves. I think it’s time it was returned to them.”

Midnight leaned back in midair and folded her hands under her chin. “You’re missing a key.”

“But those colorful heroines are still around. In this tumultuous situation, they’re bound to obtain it soon. And when they do, they’ll come try to take the chest back. I’ll have their magic and their key.”

He held a hand out and opened a black portal. “In the meantime, Starlight should be finished with the final preparations. It’s finally time I got out of this wretched body and into my own.”

Tirek gave Midnight a bow. “I will see you soon, ‘Goddess of Magic.’ I look forward to seeing your finished castle.” He stepped through the portal and it collapsed behind him.

Midnight leaned further back, dropping her arms to let them dangle and groaning in disgust. “He’s so obnoxious, isn’t he, Adagio?”

“Absolutely, Your Grace,” Adagio said with a smile.

It didn’t matter. He could have the Rainbow of Light for all Midnight cared. Though, he was sorely mistaken if he thought he was going to take the souls of her friends. He was more valuable than a pawn, but he was still nothing more than a piece to be expended.

She tilted her head toward the tear she had made for Tirek. Wherever the highest powers of this universe resided, Midnight could not just teleport there, nor open a rift. The closest she could get was an intermediary plane. She had seen the door, beautiful and haunting. And she had felt something emanating from the other side. Something ancient and powerful.

Be it gods or the collective consciousness of the universe, there was still something out there that eluded her knowledge and her power. And if it outstripped her, what chance did Tirek have? Hopefully a little more with his precious rainbow. Midnight did need him to succeed. She wanted no interference when she created her new world.

Speaking of…

“Adagio, be a dear and put on some tea.” Midnight straightened up and grinned, turning her face to the south. “I have a friend coming home.”

*****

Rainbow touched down on the lawn in front of Equilibrium Labs and immediately doubled over. Her wings and pony features vanished and she took several exhausted gulps of air.

Her runner’s instincts kicked in, and she straightened up and placed her hands atop her head. Looking around, she saw the lawn was normal again, the hole in reality absent.

She made a quick rotation to take in everything but didn’t bother shouting for her friends. She knew there was a slim chance they would still be here.

It had taken Rainbow over twelve hours to fly back from whichever South American country Twilight had sent her to. Two of those hours had been spent trying to figure out where she was and which way was home, and four more had been spent power-napping on an island the size of her living room.

The sun rose from the trees, its orange light mixing oddly with the ethereal purple glow emitting from the sphere hanging in the sky. It was far larger than the last time Rainbow had seen it, casting a shadow over most of downtown Canterlot. When the sun reached its apex, it would be completely eclipsed.

With an exhausted growl, Rainbow ponied up again. She had to find her friends. Ignoring the strain in her wings, she launched herself into the air and headed for the city proper. With the city skyline in her sight, she saw another new addition floating over downtown.

A chunk of land floated between Canterlot Tower and the pulsing sphere of magic. A half-constructed castle sat atop it, its tallest tower already completed. As Rainbow drew near, she saw pieces of stone and steel fly up from the surface and add themselves to the construction.

“Twilight’s going full super-villain on us,” Rainbow muttered dejectedly.

What kind of friend was she if she hadn’t noticed Twilight had been in pain? The same kind that hadn’t realized her best friend had had a crush on her for six years. Rainbow let out a tired sigh. She had never once thought Twilight was useless or not as good as them. She could have said it more though.

As Rainbow transitioned from the city outskirts to the residential areas, she saw families hastily shoving their belongings into their cars and taking off down the road out of town. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t make it very far.

Abandoned cars clogged the main road. Groups of people tried to commandeer them and move them out of the way. So far, only one lane was open and backed up with people desperately waiting to get to the freeway. Many more people were fleeing on foot, still finding the time to turn back and take a picture of the sphere pulsing overhead. Some even took a snapshot of Rainbow. She didn’t care at this point—the world was ending.

Panic held all of Canterlot in its grip. But while the roads out of town were overcrowded, the people there moved with some semblance of order. Chaos reigned over downtown, however. On approach, Rainbow heard the panicked cries of the people in the shadow of Twilight’s magic. Police sirens and megaphones broke over the wild din as officers tried to instill some order amongst the citizens running about.

Rainbow furrowed her brow. “Where’s the army or national guard?”

A warbling roar quickly reached her ears. She stopped in midair and looked above. The roar rose into the scream of speeding engines, and three fighter jets shot past her, the bulk of their sound slamming into Rainbow two seconds later.

As they approached the self-constructing castle, three jets of purple light shot from the high tower. Each one struck a jet and wrapped it in blinding light. When it dimmed, Rainbow thought they had vanished entirely, until she saw three small objects falling to the ground.

“Woah!” Rainbow broke into a speeding dive, ignoring the points and shouts of the people on the ground. She swept down and around the falling objects, snatching all of them before they smashed against the roof of a house.

Squattiing on the ground, Rainbow examined what she had caught: three perfect models of the fighter jets, only, they had been reduced to plastic toys. Rainbow popped open one of the cockpits and gasped at the sight of the plastic human sitting inside, a look of stunned fear permanently sculpted onto her face.

“Not cool, Twilight,” Rainbow whispered solemnly. She took to the sky again, jets still in hand, and flew into the city. She found a suitable rooftop and set the jets down before sitting herself on the ledge and taking another tired breath.

Rainbow rubbed slow circles around her temples before dropping and cradling her head in her hands. With all the races she had run and all the games she had played, she had never experienced this kind of exhaustion. It wasn’t just her eyes or her limbs that were tired, her heart carried a weight she hadn’t felt since the night Sunset disappeared.

She couldn’t have known Tempest was out to kidnap Sunset. All Rainbow had to do was help find her and everything would be alright.

She should have seen Twilight was feeling insecure, right? Hadn’t she learned from Fluttershy? They all could have prevented this. Rainbow pinned the bulk of the blame on Starlight, but she couldn’t call herself innocent. Now, she had to fight her friend, unless this was another Sunset/Scarlet/Lamia situation, and the real Twilight was still stuck inside a portal. Rainbow didn’t know which situation would be worse.

Rainbow climbed back to her feet and popped her spine. She didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity; she needed to find her friends.

That’s if they’re okay. If Twilight is still flying around and being crazy…

An echoing bark snapped her attention to the street below where a familiar ghostly wolf was looking up at her.

“Harbinger?”

“Rainbow!”

Soarin came from around a corner and waved his arms at her. Rainbow’s heart backflipped before slamming itself against her ribcage. She bolted down from the roof and tackled Soarin in a flying hug.

“You’re okay!” she shouted before planting a rare kiss on the cheek.

“You’re okay!” Soarin parrotted. “I saw you girls get taken away on the news and thought I might never see you again!”

Rainbow unwrapped her arms from around him but kept one hand in his. She made a fist with her free hand and grinned. “Please, it’ll take more than a few cops to stop us.”

Her heart sank and her smile sagged. Twilight on the other hand… If they didn’t stop her, she could definitely stop them.

Soarin gave her a gentle shake. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Rainbow gestured a hand out. “You mean besides all of this?” A police car whizzed by them.

He chuckled weakly. “Yeah. You don’t know what’s going on, do you?”

Rainbow bit down on one side of her tongue, choosing her words carefully. “We were fighting one bad guy, and then she created another bad guy that wants to remake the whole world.”

Soarin looked from her to the magic sphere. “So, we really are just living in a comic book now. I’d say ‘cool’ but…”

“Yeah.” Rainbow’s excitement for the superhero life had diminished when Twilight had been pulled into that vortex. “Anyway, what are you doing out here? And what happened to Adagio?”

Harbinger padded to Soarin’s side, and he gave her a pat on the head. “Don’t know about Adagio. She just disappeared. As for me, I’m trying to find people who need help. The mayor’s given an evacuation order, but has also opened the stadium for anyone who can’t get out of the city.”

Rainbow gave him a light punch in the shoulder. “Thanks for stepping up.”

“What are you doing?”

Rainbow stretched her wings. “I got separated from the girls. I gotta regroup with them, and then, we gotta think of a plan to stop Tw—the bad guys.”

Soarin nodded. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Not unless you know where the Rainbow of Light is. Tirek took it from us.”

“Oh, that’s an easy one,” a hauntingly familiar voice said from every direction. “Tirek keeps it near him at all times. And he’s back at the lab, getting ready to get his body back.”

A creeping cold ran down Rainbow’s spine. The voice broke into a manic giggle, and Rainbow spun around, straining her eyes to find its source.

Soarin raised his fists in a defensive stance. “Is that the bad guy you were talking about?”

“‘Bad guy’?” Midnight materialized on the arm of a light post, wings spread with indignation. “Still so ungrateful. My only goal is to make the perfect world!”

Rainbow held her arms out. “Does this look perfect to you?”

“It’s a work in progress.”

“Twilight, you can’t be serious!”

Soarin jerked his head from Rainbow to the winged creature. “Wait, Twilight?”

Midnight’s eyes flashed red, and she said from behind a dangerous smile. “Actually, it’s Midnight now. Don’t make the same mistake Sunset did. It’s one of the reasons I had to give her a time-out.”

Rainbow clenched her teeth and fists. “What did you do to her? Where are our friends?”

Midnight dropped into a sitting position on the light post and kicked her legs. “I told you: Sunykins is on timeout. She’ll be back when I say she can come back. As for our friends…”

She closed her eyes and hummed to herself. “Aha! They’re hiding in Greece. An obvious spot, but I can’t fault them for trying.” She held a hand to her mouth and giggled. “Sunset was right; magic is like another form of radiation, and yet, everyone has a slightly distinct wavelength. Too bad our friends’ wavelengths are so easy to pick up, even from here.”

Soarin leaned on his back foot. “I know I’m late to the party, but I’m really confused. Wasn’t she on our side?”

Midnight vanished in a flash and reappeared above Soarin’s shoulder. “There are no sides, only objective truths.”

Harbinger jumped and snapped at her, but instead of clamping down on Midnight’s arm, she passed straight through and crashed against the ground.

“Truth number one,” Midnight said with a sharp-toothed smile, “science and magic are two sides of the same coin. Teleportation is just quantum tunneling! Transmutation is just shifting a couple of protons and electrons! Magical blasts are just concentrated energy! Magic is a shortcut to make those things happen! But, just like quantum physics, trying to study and measure it is almost impossible! Magic has contradictions! So, I’m ironing out those contradictions on a cosmic scale. Once I bridge the gap between the known and the unknown, I can bestow magic onto everyone else, and reshape the world into a paradise!”

Midnight flung her arms out and twirled in the air before vanishing and reappearing upside down in front of Rainbow. “But I know that was a lot of big words for you, so I’ll move on.” She teleported again and reappeared upright before Rainbow could snap back.

“Truth number two: to create my perfect world, the old one must be overwritten. The universe can only hold one save file. And this one is gonna have a heck of a load time, so I’m still working on breaking down everything in the current world. But that’s fine because it lets me be more efficient by using its pieces to create my new world instead of starting from scratch!” She thrust a finger to the mass of magic above.

“I’m going to overwrite everything in one fell swoop! It gives me time to make sure everything is perfect!”

“And truth number three: higher powers do exist and don’t take kindly to having their toys messed with. So, I’m giving Tirek the opportunity he so desperately craves. He can go and fight gods if he wants; it means I’ll have less opposition to my superior designs!”

Throughout Midnight’s speech, Rainbow had fluctuated between gaping like a fish, and clenching her jaw until it hurt. Siding with Tirek? Fighting gods? Twilight had jumped into the deep end now.

“The world isn’t perfect, but it’s not up to you to fix it, Twilight! Especially if you’re going to sacrifice people!”

“You’re going to have to find a new argument, Rainbow. That one is getting stale,” Midnight spat. She flared her wings, blue lines running along the top. “I’m going to prevent a Malthusian catastrophe by leaving the wicked and the undeserving to perish! I’ll start a new world with those entitled to inherit it. You should be elated that you’re coming with me!”

Rainbow leaned toward Soarin. “What’s a Malthusian catastrophe?”

“Beats me.”

Midnight sighed and held a hand to her temple. “Sunset would get it. The point is, I’m using my powers for the betterment of humanity! If you think about it, it’d be more evil to stop me.”

Rainbow stopped clenching her jaw and put on a neutral expression. She knew heavy topics like this weren’t her strong suit, but her gut told her Midnight was wrong. Rainbow doubted she could talk Midnight down though; that was a job for Sunset. No, she needed to get the information about the Rainbow of Light to her friends.

Keeping her neutral gaze on Midnight, Rainbow asked, “Soarin, remember that portal in the forest I told you about?”

He nodded, giving her a measured look. “Yeah, why?”

“Find it and tell the others what’s going on.”

Midnight lazily rolled her eyes. “Maybe Sunset got the noble sacrifice idea from you. You know I could stop both of you in an instant, right? The only reason I haven’t is because I like you!”

Rainbow gave Soarin a starting shove. “Go! Now!”

Soarin stumbled and hesitated, locking his eyes onto Rainbow’s. He gave her a look before turning and sprinting off, Harbinger by his side. Rainbow knew she wasn’t the smartest. She could be emotionally aloof or just unobservant. But she knew what that look was.

“Love you, too,” she said under her breath.

A dreamy sigh next to her ear made her jump sideways. Midnight lay flat in the air, hands pressed to her cheeks and kicking her legs back and forth. “Aww, that’s so cute. I’m really happy for you, Rainbow. I could snap him back here, you know. So you can tell him to his face.”

“No.” Rainbow turned her head from Midnight. “I just didn’t want him around for this part. ‘Cause… I think you’re right.”

She heard Midnight’s wings rustle. “You do?” There was a veil of skepticism in her voice.

“Yeah. The world can be better. I don’t know if it needs what you’re going to do to it… but I know I can't stop you. So if it’s what you really want, Twi—um, Midnight, then I’m on board.”

Midnight curled around Rainbow, a delighted smile lighting her face. She pressed a hand to Rainbow’s chest. “Really? Oh, you don’t know how happy I am to hear that! It’s been so hard not having any support from my friends! But if you’ve come around, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of them do, too!”

“Y-Yeah.” Rainbow turned her head again.

Midnight uncoiled herself and drifted down the street, back turned to Rainbow. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle most of the work! Unless you want to go convince our friends that what I’m doing is the right thing! Oh, just wait until you see your room in my castle! It’s not done yet, so feel free to put your input in—”

When she had floated halfway down the block, Rainbow launched herself toward Midnight like a cannonball, grabbing her by the back of the head and smashing it down into the pavement. Rainbow landed on Midnight’s back and grabbed her wrists, pulling them together.

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but you need to—what the?”

Midnight melted in between Rainbow’s fingers like ice cream and pooled against the street. As a collective puddle, it shifted out from beneath Rainbow before bursting up and forming back into a solid and angry Midnight Sparkle.

She let out an errant scream and lunged forward, grabbing Rainbow by the neck and slamming her against the ground.

“So was there a plan, Rainbow? Or was this one of your ill-fated, spur-of-the-moment ideas?” she snarled.

“Was hoping to knock some sense into you,” Rainbow gasped, Midnight’s fingers tightening around her windpipe.

Midnight lifted her up. “All I want,” she seethed, “is to help my friends—help the world! But none of you seem to get that! So let’s see if I can’t knock some sense into you!”

She drew Rainbow back and threw her through the glass of an office building. The impact barely slowed her momentum. Rainbow soared through the office, crashing through one wall, then another, and another, her aura dampening the impacts. She broke through another glass window and landed on the street below, scattering a marauding crowd.

Rainbow rolled onto her back and groaned. She felt a punching bag. With tremendous effort, she rose to a sitting position, ignoring the aches across her bruised body. She smeared the dust and plaster off her face. This wasn’t a fight she was going to win, but she needed to make sure Soarin got away.

“So, did I clear the morning fog, Rainbow?” Midnight said, descending behind her.

Rainbow pushed herself to her feet and turned around. “Sorry, Twi. Still think you’re crazy.”

Midnight bared her teeth and raised a glowing finger. Rainbow raced across the ground, pain dissipating as adrenaline surged through her. She leaped up and slammed a fist into Midnight’s face, sending her spiraling across the street and into an ATM.

I’m sorry. Rainbow dropped to the ground and rested her hands on her knees. The moment she stopped moving, the pain hit her like a truck. It took everything she had not to collapse to the ground.

Midnight pulled herself off the ATM and looked at it with childish glee. “Let’s change your attitude, Rainbow!” She clenched her hand, and arcs of purple electricity danced across the machine before a barrage of change spat out of the dispenser.

Rainbow’s adrenaline surged again, and she blurred out of the coins’ path. Midnight raised her hands and redirected them, maintaining their momentum even as they changed course. Rainbow sped down the street, shifting her wings and head as the coins shot past her like bullets, striking and embedding themselves in the concrete when they missed.

She weaved between abandoned cars, hearing the ping and screech of metal crashing against metal. A quarter whizzed by her ear and took off the side mirror of a taxi. She broke out of the stalled traffic and took a sharp turn around a corner, almost screaming at what she saw.

Several people were migrating down the street; individuals with large backpacks and families with young children shuffling down the road instead of trying to drive down the congested streets.

Rainbow chanced a glance behind her. A swarm of coins still hunted her like an army of angry wasps. She was too close to stop, and there were no side streets to turn onto.

Fine, the hard way! Rainbow put in a burst of speed, blue aura glowing brighter. She grabbed the first person in her path and shoved him onto the sidewalk, then pinballed and grabbed a mother and child, hauling them behind a large truck. She grabbed one man and stuck him on the stoop of a building, and grabbed another and tossed him up a tree. All before the cloud of coins ripped down the street behind her.

Rainbow shifted one last old lady off the road, clearing the path for her and her pursuers. She pushed down the street and came upon a van that had been left dead center. Rainbow dropped into a slide, skidding under the van across her back. As she came out the other side, she heard the torrent of a hundred pieces of change punching the back doors.

Once again, Rainbow’s adrenaline faded, and she felt the impact of Midnight’s throw again plus the new street burn she had picked up down her back. She rolled onto her knees and staggered to her feet, using the fender of the van as a crutch.

“Aw, don’t tell me you’re tired already, Dashie!”

The van burst into cubes of light that spun around and recombined into Midnight. Rainbow teetered back, flapping her wings to keep her balance.

Midnight tutted. “If Sunset couldn’t beat me, what chance do you have?” She held a hand out and a purple blade of crackling power extended from her palm.

Crap, she has a lightsaber!

Midnight jabbed, and Rainbow sidestepped to avoid getting skewered. She ducked under Midnight’s next swing, then broke into the air before the follow-up. She arched up over the buildings and sharply swerved to the left when Midnight popped into existence right in front of her and swung her sword.

“Aaagh!” Rainbow lost altitude, grabbing her calf where Midnight had struck her. Her pants leg had been burned, and a cauterized wound ran across her skin, still smoking. She dropped onto a high-rise rooftop, leaning on her good leg.

“I hope you know,” Midnight said as she landed on the balcony, twirling her energy blade over her wrist, “I’m going easy on you because we’re friends. I don’t want to hurt you.”

The quarter bullets say otherwise. Rainbow decided to keep that one to herself. She didn’t need another lightsaber lashing.

“So, are you ready to surrender?”

“Stop acting like a Sith Lord and maybe I’ll think about it,” Rainbow snapped.

Midnight scrunched her nose, but her saber vanished from her hand. “I am not a Sith Lord,” she said in a voice that almost sounded like normal Twilight.

“You had a lightsaber,” Rainbow deadpanned.

“Jedi use lightsabers, too!” Midnight cleared her throat and folded her arms behind her back. “The world I envision is far more utopian, like Star Trek. It’s your unwillingness to embrace change that’s forcing me to resign to more authoritarian actions.”

“And all the people you’re ready to sacrifice?”

Midnight smiled unnervingly. “‘The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.’”

“I don’t even watch Star Trek and I know you’re twisting that!” Rainbow yelled.

“Am I? Truth number four: the ends justify the means. I’ll use any means necessary to maximize happiness for the greatest number of people! I’ll get rid of one or two billion to save all the rest! You’ll all get to live in a magical paradise!”

Rainbow stomped her foot. “I don’t know what your definition of paradise is, but mine isn’t a place where innocent people die!”

Midnight’s sneer fell into a contemplative frown. “So what is your ideal paradise? What’s your dream, Rainbow? What world do you want to wake up to?”

Rainbow stalled, trying to see Midnight’s angle. She couldn’t see the harm in answering, and the longer they talked, the more time Soarin had. And the less time Rainbow had to fight.

“I want to be one of the greatest athletes to ever live,” she said, feeling the drive stir in her heart. “I want to lead whatever team I’m on to the pinnacle of our sport. Basketball, soccer, track, whichever. I want to push myself to the limit, then find out I can go beyond it. I want to be an inspiration to the next generation of athletes.”

Midnight smiled and held her hand out. “I can give that to you. I can make you the greatest star in the world. The number one athlete at anything! Everything!”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “I don’t want anyone to just give it to me. It defeats the whole purpose! I can’t just wake up one day and be number one; I have to earn it! And I’m definitely not going to do it by sacrificing someone else’s dream!”

“Gaaah!” Midnight’s wild hair snapped and erupted like fire. “What do you want then? What will it take to convince you that my world will be better?”

“What do I want?” Rainbow grit her teeth. Her blue aura deepened, and the pain ebbed away. She tightened her fists, fighting back tears as she shouted, “I want my friend back!”

She blasted forward and tackled Midnight around the waist, taking off higher into the sky. She beat her wings with all the force she could muster, leaving Canterlot far below in her wake.

“Hahaha!” Midnight laughed in Rainbow’s ear. “What is this supposed to be; another impulsive idea?”

“Just watch.”

Rainbow flew up until the air was thin, until she was level with the top of Midnight’s spell. She tightened her grip around Midnight, looped around, and plummeted back toward the earth. Cold air rushed into Rainbow’s eyes and dragged out her tears.

Faster!

Midnight laughed again. “You know I can escape whenever I want, right?” she yelled over the howling wind.

Rainbow ignored her. She clenched her teeth and threw her entire weight into the dive, momentum doubling as she sped toward the ground.

Faster!

She reached a fist out. A Mach cone formed around her body. The cold air grew hot. The wind sparked around her. Her aura blazed like a shooting star. Midnight laughed.

Faster!

Rainbow roared as she smashed through the sound barrier and reached supersonic, speeding even faster than when Sunset had boosted her. A kaleidoscope of colors exploded in her peripheral, and the ground flew at her, threatening to smash her in a second.

She threw Midnight down and kicked off of her, ricocheting back into the sky and ripping a shockwave of rainbow colors behind her. It flowed out across the city, reflecting against the glass towers until all of downtown shone like a prism.

A thunderous slam and the cracking of concrete came from where Midnight impacted the earth. The sonic boom hit four seconds later, rattling and cracking windows and setting off car alarms.

Rainbow lapped the entire city three times, a rainbow contrail in her wake. At the end of her third lap, her momentum finally slowed enough to where she could descend to the crater Midnight had created. She dropped to the ground, wincing at the burn on her leg.

As Rainbow neared the lip of the crater, the exertion of her actions hit her full force. All of her pain and exhaustion struck with a vengeance. She grabbed her chest and dropped to both her knees, gasping for air. Her wings and tail evaporated, her vision blurred, and she swooned back and forth, thoughts muddling together.

“Keep… keep it together,” she slurred, shaking her head. It only made her dizzier. She felt like throwing up, and the feeling doubled when she looked down.

Midnight lay curled on her side, unmoving at the bottom of the hole, at least five feet deep. Her face was bruised, her dress was torn, and a broken pipeline dribbled water onto her cheek. Her hair still flickered, a sign Rainbow took to mean she was still alive.

Still, Rainbow cupped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t wanted to do it, but she didn’t know what else to do. Midnight had been right: it had been another impulsive idea.

Tears rolled down Rainbow’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just… you needed to be stopped.”

Onlookers slowly began to draw near the scene, evacuees and people who had hidden in their homes instead of fleeing. Rainbow heard their murmured questions and speculation, she saw them pointing at her, at Midnight, and at the remnants of the rainbow shockwave fading above the city.

Need to get us both out of here. But Rainbow couldn’t move. Her legs had turned to jelly, and her heart still raced a mile a minute.

Midnight snapped her eyes open, pupils the size of pinpricks. She sat up and snapped her head toward Rainbow, who felt a chill dread run down her spine.

“Fascinating,” Midnight said, angling her head to watch the last of the rainbow. In a flash, all of her wounds and scrapes disappeared, and she began to float out of the crater. “You always find ways to impress, Rainbow Dash.”

People screamed as Midnight rose above Rainbow, casting a shadow over her. Rainbow looked up. She still couldn’t move. And despite the compliment, Midnight’s eyes were narrowed.

“Too bad your choices today have been poor.” Midnight looked off to the side, seemingly staring at nothing. “And my most recent simulation failed for similar reasons. It’s starting to leave me concerned for humanity’s decision-making prowess.”

She snapped a hand out and grabbed Rainbow by the collar, lifting her limp body into the air. “I’ll have to take note of that. In the meantime…”

“Twi… please,” Rainbow panted.

Midnight lifted a finger and pressed it to Rainbow’s lips. “Midnight. And no need to worry, Rainbow. I’ll make sure you get plenty of rest.”

Rainbow’s legs stiffened. Something cold crept up her body. It wasn’t exhaustion keeping her motionless now; she had been paralyzed.

“Stop!” Rainbow shouted as the crystal quickly spread up her torso.

“I’ll let you out soon,” Midnight said gently. “I just need to keep you preserved and out of the way.”

As the crystal moved up her neck, Rainbow’s eyelids grew heavy. She wasn’t tired enough to fall asleep, was she? No, this wasn’t her.

“Mid…night…” Rainbow mumbled, the world growing dark.

“Very good. Sleep tight, Rainbow.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Quantum-mania(c)

Chapter music provided:

Volume I: Rainbow Rocks—1. Long Road Home

“Music comes from the soul.

“It’s the purest form of expression—how we learn about our true selves. It can be soft and controlled, or wild and free! Just like life, our songs have rises and falls.

“When lives cross paths, the encounter can create either harmony or dissonance. And that encounter—that song can change the world.

“That is the melody of life.”

Volume I

Rainbow Rocks

A warm breeze tousled her hair and tickled her cheeks. The grass beneath her boots whispered hymns of summer delight. Even from here, she could smell sweet pastries and roasting vegetables carried down on the gentle wind.

Sunset Shimmer was home. She stood on the crest of an emerald hill in the middle of the Unicorn Range. Within her reach, just over her head was Canterlot, perched on its royal purple mountain. The sun sat over it, basking it in golden rays, making every tower and turret, every marble wall and glass window, every waterfall sparkle with perfection.

Tears welled in her eyes. She was almost there. Just across the plains, just through the forest, just up the slopes.

Before she could move, something soared out from the city. It rode the wind on wide alabaster wings, turning translucent at a touch of the sun’s light. A rainbow flowed behind it, swirling and dancing as the figure descended. It touched the ground with long, slender legs while the rainbow settled into a mane that ebbed and flowed like the tide. Her regal white coat was untarnished and unmarked saved for the sun adorned on her flank.

Princess Celestia smiled; the same smile that could melt Sunset’s heart and make her feel like anything was possible. “Do you want to come home, Sunset?”

Her mouth hadn’t moved, but Sunset heard the words loud and clear in her head. She wanted to respond ‘yes’, but instead, the world swiveled beneath her feet.

Behind her, six girls smiled and waved, calling her name. Sunset’s heart swelled, filled with a heavenly euphoria. She knew them: those were her best friends.

Applejack: strong and reliable.

Rarity: resourceful and a shoulder to lean on.

Rainbow Dash: competitive and unbreakable.

Fluttershy: kind and brave.

Pinkie Pie: bubbly and upbeat.

Twilight Sparkle: compassionate, intelligent, and beautiful.

Sunset took a step toward them, and fell off the edge of the world, straight into darkness. She tumbled head-over-heels, spinning in an empty sea of nothing. No sound, no light… no friends. Soon, her fall slowed, and she merely floated.

Where am I going? She thought. Which way was up or down? Did it even matter?

She appeared before Sunset, hanging upside down (or perhaps rightside up) with her arms crossed. Her skin was a blistering red, covered only by her yellow and black dress. Fire billowed off of her head, and she kept her wings tucked behind her back.

“Which way are you going, Sunset?” her demon asked, flicking her tail back and forth.

Sunset looked at the twisting roads all around her. Up and down, backwards and forwards, spiraling, loop-de-looping. She couldn’t see where any of them went. Darkness obscured the horizon.

“I don’t know.”

The demon grinned. “That’s because you have nowhere to go!” She grabbed Sunset in one hand and raised her to her face. “You will wander forever!” The demon opened her mouth, preparing to devour Sunset.

*******

Sunset snapped her eyes open, forcing herself to do nothing more than inhale deeply. She kept her head against her pillow and took slow breaths, finding a rhythm with the six sleeping girls around her. Her eyes focused on the high ceiling, barely visible in the midnight gloom.

That’s it, girl. Just take it easy. Just being in the presence of her friends gave her peace of mind. Still, Sunset felt the restlessness that came with being unceremoniously jolted awake. It would take a while to get back to sleep, she could feel it.

As quietly as she could, she unzipped her pink sleeping bag and slipped out of it. She navigated the maze made up of her friends and their sleeping positions across Pinkie’s living room floor, stepping lightly to not wake any of them up. She froze when Fluttershy moved, but sighed and smiled when she saw it was just to snuggle against her stuffed bear.

Sunset made it over to the couch and settled down against its side. Leaning against it, she had a front row seat to a transparent theater screen, complete with grey curtains on either side—her own private show. Tonight’s feature presentation: an encore of the winter storm that had hit Canterlot a few days ago. Supposedly, it was the final showing.

Flurries of soft white flakes fell onto the frozen ground. If Sunset squinted into the murky night, she could see a soft blanket tucked over the rooftops of other houses; a simple, bewitching sight.

With a shiver, Sunset pulled her knees close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Snowflakes drifted about on the wind, aimless, with no decision on where they would land or when. I can relate, Sunset thought, resting her head on her knees.

A long time ago, she had known what she wanted. She had wanted power. Enough power to make Princess Celestia acknowledge her as worthy to be a princess herself.

But that power had backfired on her.

It had almost been four months since the Fall Formal—since Sunset had been brought low by the meddling Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Since the Elements of Harmony, after she refused to repent for her actions, laid upon her a penance: to help anyone who asked for a favor, and to only tell the truth.

If Sunset had to describe her life after that in one word, it would be ‘chaotic.’

She smiled wearily, watching a snowflake land against the window. At the end of it all, she had seen the errors of her ways. She had gained friends, albeit, at the cost of some of her sanity. But she supposed that was part of the deal: friends drove you crazy. She had gained a pseudo-family, she had gained happiness...

Sunset frowned. The only thing she hadn’t gained was a new sense of purpose.

“Do you want to come home, Sunset?”

Equestria was Sunset’s home. But the portal linking the human world back to the land of equines and magic was sealed, forcing Sunset to endure another two years. Could she go home at the end of that? Would Celestia forgive her for her transgressions? And could Sunset swallow her loathing of Princess Twilight Sparkle enough to acknowledge her as a ruling monarch?

The answer to the last question remained an emphatic ‘no’.

A blanket fell over Sunset’s shoulders, and she looked up to see the sweet smiling face of the human Twilight Sparkle looking down at her.

With the lifting of her penance, Sunset had also gained a girlfriend. The fact that she was the human version of her mortal enemy was irony at its finest. But, Twilight had wanted to be Sunset’s friend, not out of a promise to someone else, but because she had been genuinely curious about Sunset.

The fact that Sunset had saved her life probably hadn’t hurt either.

Twilight settled down next to Sunset and wrapped the blanket around both of them. She rested her head on Sunset’s shoulder and joined her in watching the snow fall. “Can’t sleep?” she whispered.

Sunset tilted her head against Twilight’s. “Yeah. Just a bad dream.”

“I thought they went away?” There was that note of concern; that compassion that had melted Sunset’s cold exterior.

“They have. It’s just… I don’t know.” Sunset no longer experienced nightmares like she had after the Fall Formal, but from time to time, her darkness liked to catch up with her.

The snow outside settled down, falling in slow, lazy spirals. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah.”

Twilight lifted her head and pecked Sunset’s cheek. “You’re going to be fine. You have us, okay?”

Sunset smiled and snuggled closer to Twilight. “Yeah, okay.” I know I have you girls. But for how long? She suppressed a sigh. Just tackle the future one day at a time, Sunset. She closed her eyes, letting Twilight’s subtle aroma of lavender lull her back to sleep. One day at a time.

*******

“All right, you two. Best get up before Rainbow goes and eats everything,” a voice drawled somewhere above Sunset.

“You snooze, you lose!” Rainbow shouted.

Sunset blinked the sleep out of her eyes. Applejack came into focus above her, smiling and holding Twilight’s glasses out. Twilight lifted her head off Sunset and yawned before taking her glasses and setting them on her face. She stretched her arms and got up, helping Sunset to her feet.

Applejack chuckled at the sight of them before walking off to the kitchen. Twilight folded the blanket and set it on the couch, rolling her eyes at Sunset’s rolling eyes.

“It’s common courtesy,” she chastised.

“Whatever,” Sunset said playfully. It earned her a poke in the shoulder. The couple wandered over to the kitchen where the rest of her friends sat at the table, save for Pinkie who was dancing around the stove in her pajamas and an apron.

“I made pancaaaakes!” she sang, flipping two more golden brown pastries off the skillet and onto a plate.

Sunset settled down at the table, eager to indulge in Pinkie’s famous pancakes. It had become a staple breakfast thanks to their many sleepovers during winter break.

“I can’t believe this is the last weekend before school starts,” Rainbow moaned. “It feels like it just ended.”

Rarity placed a napkin over her lap. “Don’t be so melodramatic. Besides, this is our last semester of high school. We’re almost done! And think of all the exciting things we have to look forward to this semester!”

Rainbow shook her head. “The only thing I’m looking forward to is grad night. Nine hours in an amusement park just for us! That’s going to be awesome!”

Sunset picked a blueberry from the fruit bowl and popped it into her mouth. She looked forward to any time spent with her friends. Ugh, I’m growing way too sentimental.

Pinkie skipped over with a large stack of pancakes and set them on the table. “Dig in!”

The Spectacular Seven, as Pinkie had affectionately dubbed them, helped themselves to the breakfast Pinkie had prepared. Along with pancakes, fruit, toast, eggs, bacon, and sausage, regular and tofu laid out in front of them.

Like every other batch, the pancakes were light, fluffy, and delicious. The girls passed their compliments to the chef, setting off Pinkie’s infectious smile. They partook in desultory conversation until every scrap of food was gone, leaving only bloated bellies.

“Well, time to hibernate until school starts,” Rainbow said, leaning back in her chair.

“Ah thought we were goin’ outside?” Applejack asked, getting up and gathering plates. “It’s the last time it’s supposed to snow this season.”

“Right, right, just give me a sec.”

Fluttershy stood up and began collecting plates as well. “Here, let me help, Applejack.”

Chairs screeched and silverware clattered as everyone (save for Rainbow) helped clean up before getting dressed. Sunset bundled up in her winter coat and gloves, and wrapped her red scarf around her face.

As Twilight emerged from the bathroom, Sunset had to bite back a laugh. She had seen Twilight’s winter get up before, but it still tickled her every time. Twilight caught Sunset’s tightened expression and narrowed her eyes from behind her glasses. “Stop it.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it if you look like a grape!”

From her overstuffed winter jacket that made her waddle more than walk, to her cap, and down to her snow boots, Twilight wore some shade of violet. “Blame my mom.”

With everyone dressed, they filed out the door, Twilight having to turn sideways to fit. Snow had stopped falling from the sky, though a steel grey tarp still hung over them. Snow, soft, deep and perfect for fighting and sledding coated the world in front of them.

Pinkie’s front yard was wide and mostly empty save for a few large rocks sticking out of the snow. They looked like powdered dates.

No one was sure who threw the first snowball, but within seconds, a full scale war had erupted. Sunset used Twilight’s added bulk as a moving shield, much to Twilight’s annoyance. When she tried to bend over to grab snow to fling at Sunset, she fell and became stuck on the ground. Sunset joined her, but only because her laughter brought her to the ground.

It was worth getting pelted by an onslaught of snowballs.

When Sunset could breathe again, she helped Twilight to her feet, and immediately received a faceful of snow. Sunset thought about pushing her back down, but decided she had tormented Twilight enough for now. With the score even, they teamed up against the other girls, using one of the powdered dates as cover.

Their outing reflected the rest of their winter break together. They pelted each other with snowballs until the chill numbed every finger, then submitted themselves to further frozen torture by marching to Canterlot Park and sledding down the biggest hill. They would go separately and then in pairs, with Twilight managing to fall off at least once.

Clothes soggy and bodies freezing, they hurried back to Pinkie’s house to warm up with a roaring fire and hot chocolate. A simple routine, perhaps even monotonous; they had done this every time it snowed in the last two weeks, opting to see a movie or play laser tag whenever it hadn’t.

Sunset found pleasure in the simplicity of it. She had the one thing she had been missing her entire life: friends. It didn’t matter what they did, as long as they did it together. She found solace in the sanctuary of their company.

She sipped her cocoa. I’m being sentimental again. Of course, with Twilight leaning against her, it was hard not to feel something.

They were all gathered around the fireplace, reheating their fingers and faces; thick mugs of hot chocolate and marshmallows clutched in their hands.

Rainbow took a large slurp of hers and belched, ignoring the wrinkled nose Rarity made at her. “Pinkie, is there anything you can’t make delicious?”

“Haggis,” Pinkie said, narrowing her eyes. “Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“What’s haggis?” Sunset asked.

“Sheep intestines cooked in its own stomach,” Twilight said, turning green at the thought.

“And now I wish I hadn’t asked.”

“Ain’t nothin’ a little hot sauce can’t fix,” Applejack said.

Rarity scoffed. “That’s your answer for anything with food.”

“That’s proof that it works.”

Just then, Igneous, Pinkie’s father stuck his head in from the kitchen. “Pinkamina,” he drolled, “would any of thine friends care to stay for supper?”

“No thanks!” they all cried, scrambling to their feet. Anyone but Pinkie cooking signaled the time to leave.

Everyone gathered their stuff and headed out the door. The sun had begun to break through the clouds as it sank through the sky. The snow sloshed rather than crunched beneath their feet.

“Bye, girls!” Pinkie waved them off from the porch. “See you at school!”

Applejack packed hers and Rarity’s things into her old pickup truck, while Rainbow did the same for herself and Fluttershy, roughly shoving everything into the trunk of her car.

"You two need a lift?” Applejack asked Sunset and Twilight.

“No thanks,” Twilight said. “It’s just a few blocks from the park.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “They just want time alone to make-out.”

Sunset crossed her arms and smirked. “Rainbow, if you’re jealous, just say something. I’m sure one of us would be happy to accommodate you.”

“I’m not—” Rainbow ended her sentence by flipping Sunset the finger. Sunset blew a raspberry, and Rainbow blew one back as she got into her car. Fluttershy sighed, perking up a little as she waved to everyone before getting in the passenger seat.

Applejack climbed into her truck. “All right, well, you two just get home safe now, ya hear?”

Sunset nodded. “Will do. See you tomorrow.”

“Ta-ta, dears!” Rarity waved, giving them a wink as Applejack pulled away. When they rounded the corner, Sunset slipped her glove into Twilight’s and they started down the road.

Other kids still played outside in the melting snow. A snowman bid the girls farewell as they passed by, his body sagging to the right with one of his arms raised in a final salute. Most of the ice had thawed off the roads, though it was still covered with snow, much of it black from the asphalt. It was probably safe for Sunset to ride her motorcycle again, but she’d wait a few more days just so Twilight wouldn’t worry.

Twilight pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Do you think Rainbow is jealous of us? She comments on our relationship a lot.” Sunset could see Twilight’s breath as she spoke.

“Nah. She just likes to be funny. Or at least, attempt to be funny. If she really wanted someone, I’m sure half the boys on the sports teams would love to get with her. Some of the girls, too.”

“But she’s not gay.”

“I know, I just like to remind her.”

Twilight made a cute snort. “You two are terrible to each other.”

Sunset shrugged. “She started it. You know, if we’re not counting the actual terrible things I did to her.” She felt Twilight give her hand a squeeze. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

“You’re a good person, Sunset. We all know that.”

Sunset looked away, giving herself a chance to flex her cheek muscles before giving Twilight her most convincing smile. “You’re right. Thanks, Sparky.” The kiss Twilight gave her made her smile a little more authentic.

Still, it was a shallow reflection of her real emotions. She tried her hardest to never lie to Twilight. But how did Sunset tell her that she still had a literal demon haunting her from time to time; reminding her of her past failures and cruelties, reminding her what awaited if she slipped up at any moment?

Reminding her what would happen when graduation came, and everyone left.

Sunset avoided the conversation like the plague, knowing what Twilight’s answers would be. Sunset loved having Twilight’s support, but she didn’t want to hear more reassurances that she was good and that she had friends. Sunset knew she had friends, and maybe she was good now if her lack of a harmonic curse was anything to go by. But a few good deeds didn’t mean she couldn’t fall back into old habits. And it certainly didn’t make her future any clearer.

A little tug from Twilight told Sunset she wasn’t being discreet in her brooding. Twilight looked at her, sad eyes magnified by her glasses.

“I’m fine, really.” Sunset put on another smile. “You know I just think too much sometimes.”

Twilight lifted her glove and ran her thumb along Sunset’s cheek. “You always look sad or lost when you do.”

Sunset found herself leaning into Twilight’s hand. “You make a little pouty expression whenever you’re worried. It’s really cute.”

If the cold hadn’t already turned her cheeks red, Sunset’s compliment would have done the job. “D-don’t change the subject,” Twilight said, pulling her hand back.

“I’m not.” Sunset grinned. “The subject of this part of the conversation was how I looked at a particular time. You noted how I looked when I’m thinking, I noted how you looked when you’re worried. No subject change.”

“That’s…” Twilight pinched her nose. “Okay, you’re fine.”

Sunset took Twilight’s hand and they continued their walk. Keeping her thoughts and feelings closed became a challenge when Twilight learned to read Sunset’s facial cues. It was a rather impressive for a social introvert. Though Sunset guessed that wasn’t so much the case anymore. Twilight could be awkward at times, but she had come a ways from her first interactions with the group; the driving factor being to set herself apart from Princess Twilight Sparkle.

It had worked in Sunset’s eyes. She saw nothing of the princess when she looked at Twilight. This wasn’t the girl who had stolen Sunset’s apprenticeship, ruined her plans, then left her to languish in the human world. This Twilight, while annoyingly curious at times, had only been kind, caring, and optimistic, rooting for Sunset even when Sunset wasn’t rooting for herself.

They came to Twilight’s house, situated in what Sunset referred to as Suburbia, where every house looked identical save for paint colors and personal touches. They were all organized in perfect rows with perfect lawns (even in winter, they were uniformly dead) and perfectly paved streets. An unnerving shudder always ran up Sunset’s spine when she walked through it.

Twilight’s house was light blue with a small fountain on the porch as its mark of personality. Sunset thought the porch itself carried a curse, as every time she and Twilight stood poised to kiss, something went wrong. Granted, the first time had been her own fault, but after that, they were either interrupted or Twilight, with the girth of her snow jacket, would lean forward too much and topple Sunset over.

This trend didn’t go unnoticed by Twilight either. She bounced on her heels, looking eagerly at Sunset, then nervously at the door.

“Think we can get away with it this time?” Sunset asked.

Twilight didn’t respond. She just closed her eyes and stood on her toes. Just as Sunset leaned down, lips puckered, the door opened and Twilight’s father walked out, pausing mid-step.

Sunset looked at him from the corner of her eye, lips still puckered. “Hello, Mr. Night Light.”

“This is statistically impossible,” Twilight muttered.

“Caught in the act again, Miss Shimmer,” Night Light said, trying and failing to sound serious. “I thought I told you to stop kissing my daughter in public.”

“Can’t help it, Mr. Night Light, she’s just so pretty.”

Twilight hid her melting face behind her hands.

Night Light smiled in satisfaction. “You always know just what to say, don’t you Sunset?” He stepped aside and gestured to the open door. “All right, get inside before you two freeze to death. I’m off to pick up dinner. Are you going to stick around, Sunset?”

“Oh no, I’m just here to drop Twilight off.”

“All right, but you’re missing out on some good Chinese food,” he said as he walked out to the car.

Twilight ushered Sunset inside and shut the door before peeling off her coat and boots. Spike rushed over before she could even finish, pawing at her leg until she picked him up. “Heehee, I missed you too, buddy,” she giggled as Spike licked her face.

Sunset unzipped her jacket but kept everything on. A hello to anyone else home and a kiss to Twilight, then she would be on her way. She followed Twilight to the kitchen, where Shining Armor and Cadence sat at the counter, stacks of envelopes between them.

“Good evening, Sunset,” Shining said cordially, though like always, there was that underlying tone of ‘I’m watching you’, only it wasn’t a joke like Night Light’s.

“Officer,” Sunset said with a dip of her head.

“Detective.”

“Right, sorry.” Sunset had almost forgotten about Shining’s new promotion. As impressive as it was, it almost took a backseat to the other news he and Cadence had shared with everyone.

Speaking of which…

As soon as Sunset turned, she was met with a full body hug from Cadence. “Sunset, how are you, sweetie?”

“Suffocating.” Cadence let go, allowing Sunset to breathe. She gave Cadence an annoyed look, but it bounced off her impenetrable cheery demeanor. While Sunset was on good terms with this world’s Cadence as opposed to her pony princess counterpart, she still hated surprise hugs.

Cadence pulled an envelope from the stack and handed it to Sunset. “Here you go, you get one of the first invitations.”

Sunset turned the white envelope in her hand. 'You’re invited!' was scrawled in elegant cursive across the front. “Wow, I’m kinda honored,” Sunset said.

Cadence made a quick gesture with her hands, her diamond ring catching the kitchen light. “Go on, open it.”

Sunset gently tore open the envelope and pulled out the authentic parchment within. White doves were printed in the corners, and the paper carried the hint of white roses. “Dearest friend,” Sunset read aloud, “you are cordially invited to the wedding of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza.”

Cadence clapped and jumped up and down. “Isn’t it exciting? This summer, me and Shiny are finally going to be married!”

“I’m happy for you both, really.” Sunset looked at the invitation again. “I’m just surprised you made these so soon. He only proposed, like, a week ago.”

“Oh, we started making wedding plans months ago.” Cadence showed off her engagement ring again. “We didn’t make anything official because I was waiting for Shining to give me the goddamn ring!”

Shining squirmed in his seat. “I was waiting to see if I would get the detective position. Now we can actually pay for everything.”

Cadence draped her arms over Shining. “I know, you were being big and responsible.” She poked him in the chest. “But never keep a wedding ring from a girl who knows you’re going to propose to her.”

Sunset slipped the letter into her pocket. “I bet a lot of your fans must be heartbroken now.” Across Canterlot, Cadence was known on the radio as the Goddess of Love and Fortune.

“Oh, I’ve already gotten a few calls asking me to ditch Shining for them. But I wouldn’t trade my knight in Shining Armor for anyone.” She kissed him then added in a serious tone, “I also told them he was cop, so I doubt anyone will try anything.”

Twilight held Spike in front of her. “Don’t worry, we’ll have Spike on guard duty during the ceremony.”

Spike barked and wagged his tail.

With her greetings done, Sunset retreated back to the front door, escorted by Twilight and her faithful dog. “I get to be the maid of honor,” Twilight said with a happy squeak. “I can’t wait.”

Sunset rezipped her jacket. “Neither can I. I bet you’ll look amazing.”

Twilight’s smile grew a little hesitant. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it and smiled like nothing had happened.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Twilight shook her head. “Nothing important.”

Sunset gave her a skeptical eye, but let it drop. Guess we’re both guilty of keeping secrets today. She leaned down and pressed her lips against Twilight’s, giving them a gentle knead. Nothing more than that since Sunset knew Shining was watching from the kitchen. She did, however, move her hands down to Twilight’s waist.

Twilight finally pulled away, smiling too much to keep contact. She fixed her askew glasses and said, “Walk home safe, okay?”

“When have I ever not been safe?” She kissed Twilight again and stepped out the door. “See you tomorrow, Sparky.”

Sunset felt Twilight’s eyes stay on her until she was two houses away. She couldn’t help but wonder what Twilight had been about to say, but knew better than to pry. Twilight was an open book and would tell Sunset anything in due time.

The sun had fallen completely by the time Sunset got home. She was still in Suburbia, but it was the older half where the houses at least had individual designs. Hers in particular had a medieval tower sticking up off the side.

“Hello?” she called as she stepped into the spacious living room. Photos and tapestries coated every wall, giving Sunset a detailed account of her host family’s life. A delicious aroma wafted into the living room from the kitchen. Sunset’s mouth watered up as she imagined what Selena had cooked up tonight.

The first response was a jingling collar followed by the pitter-patter of paws against the hardwood floor. A little white dog with a brown mark around his left eye and a torn ear ran up to Sunset and started hopping on his back legs, wagging his tail.

“Hi, Spot!” Sunset cooed, picking him up and scratching his chin. “Did you miss me?”

Sunset had adopted Spot from Fluttershy's animal shelter. Like Twilight, Spot had been a terrible judge of character, liking the bitter, spiteful version of Sunset. In turn, Sunset found Spot to be the cornerstone of adorableness.

Making sure the living room was empty, Sunset put him down on his back and started scratching his belly, getting Spot to kick his leg in delight. “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? Who’s my little Spotty-wotty? Who’s the cutest—”

“Ahem.”

I knew I should have done this in my room. Sunset looked up from her coddling to find Trixie leaning on the banister with an impish smirk. Sunset straightened up and gently nudged Spot away with her toe. “That was my impression of you.”

Trixie’s smirk diminished a fraction. “One time.”

“All the time.”

She blew her bang out from in front of her face. “Whatever. Trixie has better things to do than argue with you. Dinner should be almost done.”

Sunset followed Trixie into the kitchen, breaking into a smile at the sight they had walked in on. Spatula in one hand, earbuds lost somewhere in her cascade of sky blue hair, Selena danced in front of the oven, singing one of Sapphire Shore’s songs under her breath.

She twirled, and her eyes fell on Trixie and Sunset. Selena jumped, her emerald eyes wide and her cheeks red. “Girls!” She took out her earbuds and switched her expression from surprised to stern. “What have I told you about sneaking up on me?”

Trixie raised a finger. “We didn’t sneak up on you, Mother. We just walked in.” Trixie took a seat at the island table. “Your dancing is getting better though.”

Selena put her hands on her hips. “What do you mean ‘getting better?’ My dancing is fine, thank you very much.”

As Sunset approached the table, a large cloud of purple smoke exploded in front of her. Out of it stepped a tall man with sleek silver hair gelled back, and a silver goatee that curled at the tip. He wore a blue suit with a cape and hat, both purple and covered in stars and moons.

“Hello, family!” Artemis bellowed, flashing them all with his boyish smile. “I hope you’re all having a magnificent day!”

Selena glared at him, waving a dish towel at the remaining smoke. “Artemis, how many times have I told you not to teleport in the kitchen? You’re going to set off the smoke alarm.”

Artemis flinched at her scalding tone. “Sorry, turtle dove. Won’t happen again.”

“Mmmhmm.”

Artemis turned around and gave Sunset a one-armed hug, then swooped over to plant a kiss on Trixie’s forehead. “How was your last day of vacation? Do anything exciting?”

Trixie shrugged. “Lavender Lace went to get concert tickets for some new band and bought one for Trixie. Trixie’s heard them over the radio and they’re okay, she guesses. But Lavender said that her friend’s cousin went to a show and supposedly they’re much better live.”

“Exciting!” He looked over to Sunset. “And how was your eighth sleepover in two weeks? With the amount of time you spend outside the house, I’m starting to think you don’t want to stay with us,” Artemis pouted.

Sunset paled. “N-no, it’s not—I-I, we just, you know—”

Artemis patted her on the head. “I’m kidding, Sunny.”

Her guilt burned away, and she gave Artemis her usual annoyed glare which, as usual, went completely unnoticed. Sunset didn’t know why she bothered. A month of living with the Lulamoons should have made her used to their quirks and familiar teasing.

Force of habit I guess.

Selena came and set two dishes on the table: lasagna, one meat, and a smaller vegetarian. Along with them was a bowl of salad and some rolls.

One of the many perks that came from not living in an abandoned factory anymore was the amount of food Sunset now had access to. She sometimes wondered if Selena cooked this much to make up for Sunset’s previous living conditions, or if they always had a mini-feast for every meal.

Either way, Sunset helped herself to the steaming lasagna, ‘accidentally’ dropping a few pieces for Spot to lick up off the floor. The disapproving glare Selena gave her told Sunset she wasn’t being discreet, but Spot was happy, so Sunset wasn’t too concerned.

Dinner was never a quiet event with Artemis around. He enjoyed recounting one of his many adventures from his youth. He often tried to embellish them, adding extra bad guys, spike pits, or handicaps that he overcame. Selena, having been with him for most of these adventures, would correct him, though for some of his more ridiculous accounts, she would just smile and shake her head.

Since Selena enforced a firm ‘no magic’ rule in the kitchen, dishes were cleaned the old fashioned way. Sunset always helped, feeling it was the least she could do cover her free room and board. Once she finished, she headed upstairs to her room, Spot right on her heels.

When she had first came to this world, Sunset had been under the impression it held no magic, or at least so little of it, using or manipulating it proved impossible. Artemis (and to a much lesser extent, Trixie) had proven her wrong. There were a scant few who had magic in their blood and could wield it. As far as Sunset could tell, it wasn’t like Equestrian magic that could literally do anything if you knew enough and were strong enough. The magic of human world seemed to have a short range of powerful illusions to basic thaumaturgy.

Sunset entered her room, leaving the door open just a crack in case Spot wanted to weasel out. Her adopted bedroom was painted a soothing baby blue and had come with a desk, a dresser, and a nightstand, upon which sat a picture frame with ‘friends for life’ scribbled on it. A picture of the Spectacular Seven dressed in their gowns at the Winter Ball filled the frame. A small closet was off to the right of her bed, and the window across from her gave a view of the snowy streets.

Pulling off her sweater, Sunset looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the back of the door. A few months ago, if she had learned that magic sat under her nose, Sunset would have pounced on it, anything to reclaim her lost power and further her goals of revenge.

Now, as she looked into teal eyes empty of scorn and vindictiveness, the very thought of touching anything magical made her skin crawl. Sunset turned away from her reflection before anything else could rear its head.

“You really should have told Twilight everything that’s bothering you,” a squeaky voice said.

Sunset sat on her bed, taking Spot onto her lap, and glared at the little pink unicorn doll lying on her nightstand. It had a roll of duct tape running around its neck from when Sunset had torn it off. Princess Twilight Sparkle was its name, and being the annoying conscience that nagged Sunset and told her to do the ‘right’ thing was its reason for existing.

Talking to it sat somewhere between insane and cathartic.

“Twilight doesn’t need me dumping all of my stupid problems on her,” Sunset said. “It’s not like she can do anything about them anyway.”

“But talking about it is still healthy. You should have an open relationship and talk about anything that’s troubling you.”

“Thanks, but I’m not going to take advice from a stuffed toy.”

Spot barked.

“That’s right, you tell her,” Sunset said proudly. She sighed and fell back against her blanket. “I’m a mess.”

Author's Note

Curse these humanized ponies. They drove me to write a sequel.

Volume I Opening Theme

12. Sgt. Shimmer’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Cadence pulled up to the studio parking lot at 5:32 A.M, before the sun had even risen. Turning off the engine, she wanted nothing more than to curl up and go back to sleep, preferably wrapped in Shining’s arms.

Her head thumped against the steering wheel. She didn’t register the pain. Her groan was for an entire different reason. “You can do this, Cadence. It’s just one day of the year.”

Her most hated day of the year. Valentine's Day.

She loved love. She loved spreading it and encouraging it. Pure, honest love. Not commercialized horse manure that told vulnerable teenagers when it was appropriate to tell someone you cared about them and that you had to do something special on this particular day otherwise you were a bad partner, while the single men and women of the world were left out and reminded they were alone.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Being Canterlot’s Goddess of Love and Fortune, she spread the message of love and kindness through music and talk segments. Being a radio personality with a contract, she had to spread the commercialized manure around through sponsors and romantic clichés she abhorred.

“Just one day,” she grumbled. “You’ve done it before. Then, there’s a nice hot bath waiting at home.” She brought her head up, a cheery smile stuck on her face. “Happy Cadence! Perky Cadence!” she said, taking deep breaths.

After repeating her mantra a couple of times, she stepped out of her car, taking her cup of coffee and scarf with her. Her breath appeared in little puffs in front of her face as she crossed the nearly empty parking lot.

Cadence warmed considerably upon entering the radio station. She waved to Clear Note, the early morning receptionist, and headed upstairs to her studio. Her new intern Vinyl Scratch waited on the loveseat outside the door.

“Morning, boss,” Vinyl said, removing her expensive looking headphones. Her shades, however, never left her face. In the two weeks she had worked here, Cadence still hadn’t seen her eyes.

“Good morning, Vinyl. How are you?” Cadence unlocked the door and allowed Vinyl to step inside first. The studio was comprised of two rooms, the first of which belonged to Vinyl. She kept track of incoming calls and gave Cadence her cues. It also served as a staging area for guests. Visible through a glass screen was Cadence’s recording room. A large desk with mixers, mics, and other miscellaneous objects curved along the wall. A comfy black rolling chair sat in the middle.

“I’m okay. Octy got reservations for some fancy-shmancy restaurant downtown tonight, so, you know, that’ll be fun.”

Cadence held in a sigh and just nodded. She pushed into her recording room and crashed into her seat. Only fifteen hours to go. She flipped the system on, fit her headphones and mic around her head, and rolled out the kinks in her neck.

“You doing anything today?” Vinyl asked.

“A very long bubble bath,” Cadence said with relish. “Shining and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

Vinyl bobbed her head. “Riiight. Forgot you hate today. Heh, irony.”

Cadence sighed. “Yes, it’s not lost on me.” She checked the clock. Only two minutes to showtime. She warmed up her voice with a few exercises and ran through her mantra again, coming out of it with her best smile.

“Ready?” Vinyl asked before shutting the recording door.

“As I’ll ever be,” she said in a chipper voice.

“All right.” Vinyl’s voice now came through a small speaker. “You’re on in 5… 4… 3…” Through the screen, Vinyl counted off the last two seconds on her fingers, then pointed to Cadence as the sign over head blinked green and read, ‘On air.’

Cadence clapped her hands and held them to her cheek. “Good morning, Canterlot!” She sang into her headset. “This is your Mi Amore in the Morning wishing you the happiest of Sundays! But not just any Sunday; that’s right, it’s that time of year again! Grab that special person in your life, partner, parent, sibling, or friend, and tell them Happy Valentine’s Day!” She had to sell it, but that didn’t mean she had to only sell it to couples.

“I’ll be with you all day, playing all of your favorite love songs, and starting at noon, I’ll be taking caller requests, so have your phones ready! Plus, I have three special guests here for an exclusive interview at three, so stay tuned!” She flipped a few switches and set the queue for the first ten songs. “Well, let’s get right to it! Start your Valentine’s Day right with some soothing love songs courtesy of your Mi Amore in the Morning!” She hit play and switched her microphone off, then slumped back in her chair. Only fourteen hours and fifty-seven minutes to go. She rubbed the space between her eyes.

“You okay, Boss?” Vinyl asked through the intercom.

Cadence sat up and took a large gulp of her coffee. “Yep! Doing great! When are the Dazzlings arriving?”

Vinyl checked a clipboard. “They promised to be here an hour before the interview.”

“Great, thank you.” Cadence leaned on one of the arm rests. Why the station and the Dazzlings wanted her to interview them still puzzled Cadence. Had the Dazzlings heard her remark that she wouldn’t play any of their songs? It wasn’t anything personal; it was in her contract: only play love songs. That was her thing. The Dazzlings could be the nicest people she ever interviewed, it wouldn’t change anything unless they wrote a love song.

Besides, every other station already played them around the clock. Something Cadence found a little odd. Sure, she liked the Dazzlings’ music and found herself humming it at odd times, but playing them every fourth song seemed overkill. No one had done that when Countess Coloratura debuted last year.

Cadence made a mental shrug. Maybe today she’d see what all the hype was about.

*******

Sunset laid the blanket out over the dead grass. Despite being the middle of winter, Canterlot Park still looked nice from the top hill. She put the basket on top and took out two bowls, two cups, a thermos, a small pot, and some bread.

“I know you don’t like Valentine’s Day that much, but still, it’s been awhile since we’ve been on a date,” she said. She sat down and patted the the spot next to her.

Twilight sat close and nuzzled up to Sunset. Her thick jacket took some of the intimacy away, but Sunset still appreciated the closeness. “Yeah, you’re right. Anytime we’re alone together, we’re usually studying.” Her pink nose twitched. “Mmm, it smells really good.”

Sunset pointed to the pot. “I made my special: vegetable ramen with egg.”

“How gourmet.” Twilight giggled. “Cadence kinda rubbed off on me in regards to Valentine’s Day. But the fact that you made all of this yourself and that we’re out having a picnic instead of fighting for a space at some dumb restaurant makes up for it.” She leaned over and kissed Sunset on the nose.

Sunset cupped Twilight’s cheek and kissed her back on the lips. “You’re cold,” she said afterwards. She dug in her bag for the ladle and opened the pot up. “Here, hot ramen before you freeze to death.”

“It’s not that cold.” Twilight took the bowl and fork from Sunset and started blowing on the heap of noodles and vegetables.

“She said while wearing her giant jacket and gloves.”

Twilight glared at her through the steam rising from her food. “You can’t go one day with being snarky, can you?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sunset ladled herself a bowl, the poured each of them a cup of hot cocoa. “Happy February 14th, Sparky.”

Twilight raised her cup and clinked it against Sunset’s. “Happy February 14th, Shimmy.”

Sunset snorted, thankful she hadn’t taken a sip yet. “Shimmy?”

Twilight blushed. “You don’t like it?”

“I never said that. It’s just, you never call me anything other than Sunset.”

Twilight threw a hand up. “I know. But you call me Sparky all the time.” She tapped her fingers together. “I kinda wanted a pet name for you.”

Sunset’s heart fluttered in the way all the cheesy romance novels described. “Awww. Wait, what about Sunny?”

“Pinkie and Artemis already call you that. I wanted one to myself.”

“Awwww,” Sunset repeated. “Well, Shimmy isn’t bad, but keep trying.” She dug into her ramen, pleasantly surprised at how it turned out.

Twilight hummed in delight and nodded her head. “This is really good, Sunset!”

“Well, it’s one of the few things I lived off of for three years, so I hope I’m good at cooking it.” They let their quiet munching and slurping speak for themselves for a time.

Twilight set her bowl down, melancholy leftover on her face. “I know you wanted us to just forget things for a day but…” She laced her gloved fingers together. “Is it wrong for us to be having a good time when there’s so much going on around us?” She looked at Sunset directly. “I mean, the Sirens kidnapped Artemis, and the Crystal Heart is in the hands of a thief. But we’re here having a picnic.”

Sunset took her time responding. She had thought about it a lot between their conversation yesterday and now. This did feel like something her selfish version would have done: had fun while others suffered. It bounced back and forth through her head all night; she thought she wouldn’t sleep. She laid a hand over Twilight’s fingers. “I know, it kinda sucks. But we’ve done all we can right now.” She tightened her other fist. “I know Artemis is gone right now, but you know what he’d tell me if he were here?”

Twilight shook her head.

“He’d tell me to go out and have fun, and to smile more.” Sunset actually allowed herself a small smile. “Just because we’re out having fun doesn’t mean we don’t care. We can’t be consumed by bad events all the time.”

Twilight leaned against her and closed her eyes. “I know that. It just feels different when it’s happening right in front of you.”

Sunset rested her head atop Twilight’s. “It’s just one day, remember? That’s all we’re taking. We’ll get through it. I promise.” A cold wind blew over them, but in each other’s embrace, they hardly felt it.

A yawn escaped Twilight, and she leaned up and stretched. “Hold on. I need to give you your February 14th present before I fall asleep.” She reached back for her violin case and pulled it onto her lap. “I composed a song just for you.”

Sunset’s heart did that cheesy romance novel fluttering again. “R-really? Just for me.” Her cheeks heated up. “Twilight, I don’t know what to say.”

Twilight tuned her violin and tucked it under her chin. “Don’t say anything. Just listen.” She made a quick test of her strings, then began to play. It opened with a quick tempo composed of many short and sharp notes that created a harsh sound. It Twilight’s hands, it still sounded elegant, but Sunset knew it was meant to be rough. Twilight’s strokes became slower and softer, and she played in long low notes. Sorrow and loneliness welled up in Sunset, almost bringing a tear to her eye. Something else stirred within the music. Nostalgia perhaps? It wasn’t her own sadness Twilight tried to capture in her strokes, but the emotion proved strong enough for her to shed a tear. She rose up to higher notes and played a much more jovial and heartwarming melody.

Sunset thought of her time spent with her friends, getting to know each of them, their hobbies and likes. She sucked in a sharp breath, realizing why this song was written for her. This song was her. Starting from the moment she and Twilight had first met, to Sunset pouring out her all of her painful fears and sorrow, to them spending time with each other while Sunset grew as a person. Twilight drew to a close, finishing with a regal and confident flourish, the last note echoing off the hill. Sunset’s future: that she would do something incredible.

"That...” Sunset couldn’t help it anymore. She wiped away the tears running down her face. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. And-and you made it for me. It was like a symphony of angels.”

Amidst her modest blushed cheeks, Twilight said, “Huh, Symphony of Angels. That would be a good title for it.” She set her violin down and snuggled up to Sunset again. “I’m glad you liked—mmmmph!” Sunset pressed her lips onto Twilight’s and brought her to the ground.

Hands tangled in hair, bodies pressed against each other, Sunset proudly called this her first sloppy make-out session with Twilight. It was a good thing the surrounding area was empty. Twilight kept her hands on Sunset’s waist, moving them in a way that warmed her more than any winter pants.

When Sunset let up so they could both breathe, Twilight asked in a winded and hesitant voice, “We aren’t about to…?”

Sunset rolled off Twilight, face scarlet. “Oh, oh n-no, no. I was just… sorry, I got caught up in the moment. I-I mean… unless…”

Twilight sat up, glasses askew. She looked away as she took them off and cleaned them on her shirt. “N-no! I mean, not right now! I mean, we’re in public! Th-that is to say, I don’t not want to! I-I just…”

Sunset put a gentle hand on Twilight’s leg, prompting her to turn around. “It’s okay. I get it,” she said sincerely. “It hasn’t even been two months yet. And I like where we are right now.” She was relieved Twilight had shown enough sense for both of them. A primal and longing urge had started creeping up on Sunset; one that she knew she was nowhere near ready to give into.

Face-to-face again, Twilight smiled and set her glasses on again. “Yeah. This is good for us. The books I’ve read—and Cadence—say it’s important to go at a pace that is comfortable for both of us and that we communicate to make sure we both know what that pace is.”

“There’s my little nerd,” Sunset said with a laugh. She gave Twilight a much gentler kiss. After Twilight pulled away, she lowered her head into Sunset’s lap and closed her eyes.

Sunset kept one hand on Twilight’s head and used the other to lean on while she looked up at the patchy sky.This is all that I need. This is all that I want to happen right now.

“Umm… did you ever… do it with Flash?”

Tranquility broken. Sunset looked down at Twilight with a lidded glare. Twilight opened an eye and recoiled. “O-open communication!” she pleaded.

Sunset sighed and looked to the sky again. “No. Flash and I never had sex. Of any kind.” She could feel a tense breath leave Twilight.

“Sorry, pooky.”

Sunset looked down again. “Pooky?”

“No pooky?”

“No pooky.”

*******

Surprise and gratitude filled Sunset. The universe had seen fit to give her two uninterrupted, drama free, Moondancer free hours with her girlfriend. Of course, she should have known the second she let her guard down something bad was due to happen.

She and Twilight had just finished their last mugs of cocoa when Sunset’s phone went off. A second later, so did Twilight’s. They looked at each other then examined their phones. “Mine’s from Rarity,” Sunset said.

“Mine’s from Rainbow.”

Sunset flipped her phone open. “This can’t be good. Hey, Rares, what’s up?”

“Hi, Sunset!” Rarity said in a voice that sounded a little too chipper for Sunset’s liking. “How’s your date going?”

“It was going great,” Sunset said, not trying to be subtle. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a date with Flash?”

“We had brunch earlier and saw a movie. Oh, it was such a wonderful time! Ahem, but uh, that’s not the reason I’m calling.”

“What?” Twilight’s outburst made Sunset fumble with her phone. Sunset looked over to see her on her feet, pacing the blanket.

“Rarity, Rainbow just called Twilight, so if you don’t want me to hear a second hand account, you better tell me what’s up.”

Rarity took a deep breath. “The Dazzlings were just on the radio, Cadence’s radio station to be exact. She just had an interview with them, and they’re hosting a city wide Battle of the Bands competition. The winner gets 50,000 dollars and a chance to open for them at an encore concert here in Canterlot.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know. But I sincerely doubt it’s for publicity alone.”

Sunset looked up at Twilight, still walking the length of the blanket. A competition? And an encore performance? With them around, any competition is sure to breed negativity for them to lap up. But why a Battle of the Bands? And why let the winners perform with them? Her phone buzzed in her hand, and her screen told her she had a new message. “I’ll call you back, Rarity. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Of course, Sunset.”

Her new message was a short one from Selena. ‘Come home.’

“Right then.” Sunset tucked her phone away and stood up. “Not even a full day, huh? It was nice while it lasted though.” She started packing everything away while Twilight wrapped up her conversation with Rainbow.

“This is… unexpected,” Twilight said.

Sunset rolled the blanket up and put it in the basket. “Yeah. But it does mean we get to keep an eye on them. Text the girls and tell them to meet at my… Trixie’s house in half an hour.”

Twilight took to typing while Sunset continued to think. That Lamia thief has the Crystal Heart, so they don’t want to leave without it. Sunset lined a few of the pieces up, but she couldn’t help but think there was something missing.

She and Twilight left the park as the wind grew colder and the sun sank lower in the sky. It was a short ride back to Sunset’s house, where Selena and Trixie waited in the kitchen, along with the last sound Sunset expected to hear in their house.

“Battle! We wanna win it

“Let's have a battle, battle of the bands

“Let's have a battle, we'll go all in it

“Let's have a battle, battle, battle

“Battle of the bands!”

Sunset dropped her supplies at the sound of the Sirens’ voices. “Why are you playing that?” She raised an eyebrow. “And I thought you only listened to Mi Amore in the Morning?”

Selena gave her a glum look. “This is Mi Amore in the Morning.”

“That’s right!” Cadence’s upbeat voice came on as the song faded out. “You just heard the Dazzlings’ brand new song, tying in perfectly with their announcement of the Canterlot City Battle of the Bands! Anyone between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are eligible to sign up for a shot at winning 50,000 dollars in prize money and the chance of a lifetime! Opening for the Dazzlings themselves when they play Canterlot in an encore performance! Do you have what it takes to shine with the brightest? Remember: there can only be one winner!”

Twilight whimpered and dropped her face into her hands. “They got to her too. She only plays love songs. I tried to tell her they were evil but she wouldn’t listen to me!”

Sunset wrapped a comforting arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be all right. This is all temporary, I promise.”

Selena switched the radio off. “They’re trying to extend their stay so they can find the Heart,” she said, matching Sunset’s thoughts. “I just don’t understand why they’re offering such extravagant prizes. You would think they wouldn’t want to share the stage with anyone.”

“But this means we have another chance to rescue Father,” Trixie said excitedly.

“Actually—” A knock at the door cut Sunset off. Huh, they got here faster than I thought. “Sorry, Selena, I didn’t think they’d be this quick, but I invited some friends over,” Sunset said as she went to let them in.

“Hello, Sunset,” Rarity said, standing at the front of the whole group. “Sorry your date got interrupted.”

Sunset stepped aside to let them in. “Yeah, it’s a bummer, but this is kinda important. I’m just surprised you all got here so fast.”

Applejack said, “The four of us were already at Rainbow’s house spendin’ the day together. We just had to wait for Rarity before we could move.”

“Selena,” Sunset said as she led them into the kitchen, “these are the rest of my friends.” They all gave a polite wave.

Selena smiled genuinely at each of them in turn. “It’s nice to meet all of you, truly. Sunset speaks fondly of you.” She looked at Sunset. “And I don’t want to sound rude, but why are they here right now?”

“Because I think they can help. They’re the ones that…” Sunset sighed and looked at the floor. “They beat me when I turned into a demon.” She perked up again. “They have magic now that resists the Sirens.”

All eyes were on her now. Selena gave her a trusting nod, urging her to continue. Trixie looked dubious at best but gave Sunset her attention.

Sunset took a deep breath, lining up the pieces in her head. “So, the Sirens want to have a music competition while they look for the Heart so they can feed off the negativity it’ll create. The bad news is, no matter what, they’re going to get stronger. But, I think I might know how to stop them.” Everyone leaned forward, hooked onto Sunset’s every word. “Before Artemis… left, you guys were trying to find a counterspell against the Sirens’ magic, right?”

Selena nodded. “That’s right. We didn’t find anything conclusive though.”

“That’s okay, because I think the answer was in front of us the entire time.” Sunset raised her arms. “What’s the best way to forget a song you don’t like?”

Pinkie flailed her hand about. “Oh, oh! I know! Another song!"

Sunset snapped her fingers. “Exactly! The best way to counter the Sirens’ is with more music! We need a musical counterspell! Artemis said it himself: music is one of the oldest forms of magic. If we can create a counterspell and win the competition, we can play it at the concert! Everyone who’s already being influenced will be there or be listening, so the spell will break!”

Her friends looked back at her with amazement and pride. “That’s not a bad plan at all,” Twilight said.

Selena nodded, looking contemplative. “No, it’s quite good. It just…” She pursed her lips. “It requires you girls standing in harm’s way.”

“But that’s just it,” Sunset continued, “it’s the safest plan we have. The Sirens already captured Artemis; they probably think they don’t have any enemies left to worry about aside from you. They won’t suspect a thing as long as the girls don’t pony up. The hard part is just getting to the finals and winning.”

“That’s a pretty big hurdle to jump, Sunset,” Applejack said. “Ah mean, Pinkie can play anything and Rainbow can play the guitar pretty well—”

“Amazingly well.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “But the rest of us aren’t all that great.”

“It’s a competition for teenagers, Applejack,” Sunset said. “You don’t have to be amazing, just stay in rhythm and sound better than the other garage bands playing.”

Rainbow punched a fist into the air. “I’m all for this plan! We get to rock out and kick some Siren butt! We’ll make a band, save the world, get paid for it, and become stars! There’s no downside to this!”

Applejack held a hand out in front of Rainbow. “First and foremost, we’ll do it to protect our loved ones. It’s gonna take some practice, but if it means keepin’ Apple Bloom safe, Ah’ll do it.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun along the way!” Pinkie said, bouncing on her toes.

“Or look fabulous doing it,” Rarity added.

Selena yielded a sigh. “Technically, I can’t stop you girls. But since you’re all dead set on trying to help, then I’ll do whatever I can to assist.” She smiled again. “If anyone can save Artemis, I have a feeling it will be the eight of you.”

“No."

Every head turned toward Trixie. “What?” Sunset asked.

“Trixie said no!” She balled her fists. “You all just waltz in here like it’s no big deal, claiming you all have magic and can beat the Sirens and save Trixie’s father! Well, Trixie won’t be upstaged or held back by a bunch of talentless nobodies! Especially if you’re going to treat this like a game!” Her heated glower hyperfocused on Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow.

Selena narrowed her eyes to cold slits. “Trixie, watch yourself!”

“I am!” Trixie pointed to Applejack. “She said it herself: half of them don’t know how to play an instrument, and you want to place all our hopes on them?” Trixie ground her teeth. “Trixie won’t have it. Trixie has the magic and the skills to win the competition and save her father! She doesn’t need or want their help.”

Selena grabbed Trixie by the ear. “Enough of this foolishness. We can’t afford to fight amongst ourselves. They’ll have a better chance at beating the Sirens if you add your magic to theirs.”

Trixie yanked her ear free with a cry of pain. She looked at her mother with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re taking their side. I have the magic to beat the Sirens and save Dad! I’ll prove it!” She turned and ran for the stairs.

“Beatrice Lulamoon, get back down here!” A slamming door was the only response. Selena rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think she would act this way.”

Sunset responded first. “Maybe she has a point though. She does have some magic.” However weak. “If she competes as one team and the girls compete as another, we have two shots at getting to the Sirens.”

“It also means you’ll be fighting against each other, which is exactly what the Sirens want.”

“Don’t worry,” Rarity said. “If that time comes, we’ll be sure to act with cool heads and keep our confrontation graceful and dignified.”

“Even though we’re totally gonna whoop butt! Ow!” Rainbow rubbed the shoulder Applejack had jabbed.

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said, hiding in her hair. “I don’t think I have what it takes to ‘whoop butt’, especially in front of a c-crowd.”

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Fluttershy. You’ve already ponied up twice. And if it makes you more comfortable, we’ll keep you in the back of the group.”

Rainbow beat a fist against her chest. “Besides, everyone will be paying attention to me and my awesome guitar skills! No one will even notice you. Ow!” She glared at Applejack again.

“All right, we’ve finally got a plan,” Sunset said. “Go home, get some rest, and get ready to start practicing tomorrow. I’ll start trying to figure out the counterspell.” She walked them to the door and saw them out. Twilight made sure she was last and lingered in the threshold.

She looked down at her shoes. “Should… I be in the band too?”

“What? Of course! Why wouldn’t you be?”

“I don’t have any magic.”

Sunset shrugged. “Well, I don’t think that’s going to hinder them or anything. Besides, you’re the best instrument player out of all of us.”

Twilight looked up and beamed. She leaned in and kissed Sunset, long and soft. “Thank you for today,” she said softly when she pulled away.

Sunset gave a dazed nod. “Yeah, no problem. Thanks for the song. I really, really loved it. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” They both hesitated again before Twilight turned and hurried after the group. Sunset slowly shut the door and made her way back to the kitchen, finding Selena was already gone. Off to talk to Trixie if Sunset ventured to guess.

She pulled up a chair and sat at the counter, drumming her fingers on the surface. “A counterspell, huh?”

*******

“Happy Monday, everyone,” Luna said over the PA as first period began. Sunset sat next to Rarity in the front row, pencil and paper out as she continued to scribble notes for her spell. “I hope you all had a good weekend. Due to the announcement of the Battle of the Bands hosted by the Dazzlings, we have seen this as a conflict of interest with our school’s musical showcase. As such, the showcase has been cancelled so anyone participating can focus on the battle. You can pick up official registration forms in Principal Celestia’s office along with rental waivers for the instruments in the music room. Good luck, everyone. Remember: there can only be one winner.”

Sunset lifted her head, face twisted into a scowl. “Great, looks like they got to the principals too.”

“We may as well resign to the fact that we’re the only ones not influenced in any way,” Rarity said.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Now, if Miss Shimmer and Miss Belle would stop talking, we could begin the lesson,” Mr. Noteworthy said. Sunset was almost relieved to see him acting normal.

The beginning of the day passed without incident. Sunset picked up the registration forms and a few rental papers, and discreetly filled them out during English. When lunch came around, all they needed was a band name.

The atmosphere Sunset walked into upon entering the cafeteria was a far cry from the usual warmth and openness. In fact… a chill went down her spine. It reminded her of when she had the school divided. The tables were still integrated with students from different cliques and interests, but they all seemed cut off from one another, scattered islands on a vast sea.

Sunset paddled over to hers and sat down. “Anyone else feel a mood shift here?”

Applejack nodded. “Everyone here is more tense than a turkey before Thanksgiving dinner.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and pulled out the registration form. “Anyways, I’m almost done filling this out.” Rainbow snatched it from her hand and started reading over it. “We just need a name,” Sunset said irritably.

“The Spectacular Seven, duh!” Pinkie said.

“But there’s only six of you playing.”

“Yeah about that,” Rainbow said, holding the form up. “Why aren’t you on here, and why is Twilight playing violin?”

Twilight winced like she had been hit.

Applejack looked ready to thump Rainbow again, but her eyes caught sight of the paper. “Wait, why do you have me playing bass?”

“In order,” Sunset said, counting off on her fingers. “I can’t play any instruments, and even if I could, you know why I’m not playing in the band. Twilight’s amazing on her violin, so be thankful she’s here. And because, Applejack, if I have to go through the whole competition hearing you twang on your banjo, I guarantee by the end of it, either it or you will be broken in half.”

Applejack crossed her arms and sat back in her chair.

Rainbow snickered. “She’s got a point, A.J. But then, why can’t Twilight play something else? A violin is going to cramp our rock and roll style. We already have a tambourine.”

“And a keytar,” Sunset said, patience starting to strain. “You’re not a rock band, you’re pop. Get over it. Now, names?”

“Little star! Little star!” a voice sang.

Ponyfeathers.

Moondancer danced over, a form of her own in hand. “My cosmic flower, I’m sure you heard the news! A music competition with fabulous prizes!” She swooped down and took Twilight’s hands into her own. “What do you say, Twily? You and I, on stage together, bringing an air of class and refinement to the drove of ameture performers and homemade bands doomed to toil in obscurity! Your sweet strings and my delicate keys could sweep them all away into stardust!”

Sunset smiled, but felt a muscle in her cheek straining. “Well, as one of the ‘homemade bands doomed to toil in obscurity’ Twilight is playing with us.”

"Yep, a violin in a now pop band,” Rainbow said, making a poor attempt to hide her bitterness.

Twilight turned her hurt look into a sharp glare. “Moondancer,” she said sweetly, “could you give me a second? We need to have our first band meeting.”

“Of course,” she said. Sunset took some satisfaction on seeing her put out. Irritation replaced it as she joined Twilight in staring Rainbow down.

“What’s wrong with the violin?” Twilight asked in a heated whisper.

Rainbow held her hands up in defense. “Nothing. I’m just saying, having it in a pop band seems weird. How many pop songs on the radio do you hear with violins? Now, if we were still a rock band…”

“Rainbow, get over it. Twilight’s playing violin in a pop band. End of discussion,” Sunset said.

“Actually…” Twilight spared a glance to Moondancer. “Maybe I should play with her instead.”

If looks could kill, Sunset would have committed first-degree murder on Rainbow. “Why?”

Twilight wrung her hands. “Well, like I said yesterday, I don’t have any magic. And I know you said it won’t effect anything, but we don’t know that for sure.” She dropped her voice lower. “Besides, if I play with Moondancer, we can help make sure other bands don’t make it too far. Then in the semi-finals, I’ll have a bad day and get us disqualified, helping you girls make it to the end.”

“That’s rather devious of you, Twilight,” Rarity said. “But certainly appreciated.”

“It’s a fair compromise, right?” Twilight asked Sunset. “Rainbow gets her violin free band, I get to spend some time with Moondancer and play violin, and I’ll help you girls save everyone!”

Sunset heard the slight resentment in Twilight’s voice and wanted to sock Rainbow square in the mouth. ‘No’ formed on her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Twilight had sound points. Still, Sunset couldn’t look Twilight in the eyes. “Yeah, it’s a good plan. I’m sure you two will sound great together."

Twilight kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, we’re just friends. I’m doing all this to help you, okay?”

“I know. I appreciate it, really.”

Twilight nodded and stood from the table. “Moondancer!”

Moondancer reappeared in an instant, as if coming from thin air. “Yes, my little star?” Her eyes shone with hope.

“I’ve decided to team up with you. It’ll be just like old times!”

Moondancer threw her arms in the air and spun around. “Oh, joyous day! The Muses have granted me their favor!” She took Twilight by the arm and whisked her off. “Marvelous, simply marvelous! Come now, we have so much to do! Compose, practice, dress up! We’re going to shake the heavens, you and I!” As they exited the cafeteria, Moondancer looked back with vain triumph in her eyes.

She wrote you a song. Remember, she wrote you a song. Even then, Sunset couldn’t help but clench her fists under the table. She turned back to Rainbow, who now found her fries were incredibly interesting. Applejack raised her fist and slugged Rainbow in the shoulder.

“Ow!”

"Thank you, Applejack.”

“No problem, sugarcube.”

Pinkie picked up the form. “Well, we can’t be the Spectacular Seven now. Anyone else got a name?”

Rainbow rubbed her arm. “How about the Rain—”

“Rainbow, I swear to every god listening, if you try to name this band after yourself, I will reach over and strangle you until you’re purple,” Sunset said in a dark monotone.

“...booms. We can be the Rainbooms. That’s totally what I was going to say.”

Fluttershy raised her hand. “I like it.”

Pinkie nodded. “We are going to shoot a rainbow at the Sirens, right? I say it fits.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and wrote ‘Rainbooms’ at the top of the paper. “All right, you girls are officially the Rainbooms.”

“What about you, Sunset?” Rarity asked.

“Consider me your band manager, I guess. You girls focus on practicing, I’ll worry about everything else.” The lunch bell rang soon after, and everyone shuffled into the halls, bumping elbows and brushing shoulders without acknowledgement or apology. And it’s only going to get worse, Sunset thought.

“Hey, Rarity!” The rest of the girls stopped and looked back as Flash strolled up to them.

Rarity twirled a finger through her hair and smiled. “Hello, Flash dear. How are you?”

“I’m good. Totally psyched about this Battle of the Bands. Once my band wins, my music career will be set!” He straighten the collar of his jacket and gave Rarity that smile that made other girls swoon while Sunset inwardly gagged. “So, do you wanna come listen to my band practice after school?”

Rarity’s smile became pained. “I’d love to, Flash, but… the girls and I are set to practice after school as well.”

Flash stared dumbfounded at her. “Practice? For what?” Sunset could tell he already knew the answer.

“The Battle of the Bands. We’re competing as well.”

He looked over Rarity’s shoulder to the other girls for a moment, then stared back at her. “You’re joking, right? Aside from Rainbow, none of you play any instruments. You don’t even have a band.”

Rarity wilted, still trying her hardest to give a polite smile. “It’s not a joke, Flash. Most of us have some musical background, we’re just learning to play different instruments.”

Flash’s calm veneer split, revealing the scowling teen beneath. “I can’t believe you.” He jabbed a finger at her. “I can’t believe you’re going to compete. Against me! I thought you liked me!”

“Flash, you don’t understand!”

“I understand that you’re trying to take my one chance at proving to my parents that I can be somebody—that music isn’t just a hobby! You knew how badly I wanted that!”

Sunset stepped in front of Rarity. “Lay off, Flash! This isn’t just about you, okay?”

Flash narrowed his eyes. “It never is, is it? Not when you’re around. You just like seeing me miserable, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

He banged a fist against the locker. “Every time something good is about to happen to me, you’re around and it goes away. The first Twilight comes to Canterlot, you turn into a demon and then she goes home. The second Twilight, turns out she likes you instead. I start dating Rarity and have a shot at my dreams, you turn her against me to make sure I lose!”

“You’re out of your mind!” Sunset yelled, blood boiling.

“And you’re out of your league! There’s no way I’m going to let you beat me this time!” He snorted and stomped past them, hands still curled. “I can’t believe I thought you changed! We’re not friends, Sunset.” He looked back at Rarity. “And whatever we were, we’re not that anymore.”

They watched him go, as did the small crowd that had gathered during the escalation. Applejack gently ushered them to keep moving to class while Sunset kept an arm around Rarity’s shoulder. She looked more shellshocked than anything, but soon, the tears started falling.

Yeah. It’s only going to get worse.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: The Last Time Something Good Happens to Sunset.

Okay so, now's a good time to make this clear to everyone: Princess Twilight will not be appearing in this volume. There are several reasons why, all of which I'll explain in the Volume 1 postscript, but the largest reasons are 1: I have no way to bring her here. There is no journal in this story, I almost explicitly said last story that Sunset took nothing with her from Equestria, so me putting in the journal would be a retcon to myself. And 2: Any roll P. Twi did in the movie can be easily filled by someone in the current story. So yeah. She will show up in story, that I can promise. I won't say when, and I won't say how, but she'll be here.

And once again, forgive any formatting and punctuation errors. The importer is still being a pain in my ass.

18. Winners and Losers

They weren’t broken up; Sunset refused to believe that. She and Twilight were just taking a short break due to magical influences. Influences Sunset planned to beat into submission if she ever got the chance.

The rest of her weekend had been quiet thanks to Rarity and Applejack still being punished. Sunset’s phone sat quiet on top of her notebook for the spell. She stared at them both, waiting for either one of her friends or Twilight to call, or for inspiration to strike.

Neither happened.

I suppose it won’t matter if we don’t make it to the finals. Monday couldn’t come fast enough, and in that anticipation, the weekend dragged on as long as it could. Sunset’s nights were filled with dreams absent of Twilight and filled with a trio of laughter and occasionally a scarlet inferno.

When she awoke at six o’clock on Monday, it was in a cold sweat. Realizing the day had changed, Sunset booted up her computer and navigated to the Battle of the Bands website. Heart pounding in fear and anticipation, she looked for the semi-final results.

Three names appeared in the final’s brackets: Moonlight Requiem, Trixie and the Illusions, and The Rainbooms. Sunset clapped a hand over her mouth to stop from screaming. They still had a chance! Their fight wasn’t over yet!

Her spirits plummeted when her eyes grazed across her notebook. She now only had a week to rewrite the song and finish the counterspell. All that time wasted. Every wrong note and stupid line.

It’s okay! You work well under pressure! You can do this! She wouldn’t fail, not after all the hard work her friends had done!

Her surge of confidence only lasted until she reached school. Before she walked through the front doors, she felt the eyes of suspicion and doubt lock onto her. It only intensified when she entered the rotunda. Everyone briefly paused to make scrupulous faces at her before walking away.

They already know who moved on. Sunset clenched her fist. And they think I cheated! Sunset stomped to her locker. “You know what, it doesn’t matter,” she said to herself. “They can think what they like. We got there on our own, even with Trixie’s meddling.” She traded her backpack for a textbook and continued her stomp to class, pausing when Flash came into view at an intersection. They locked eyes for a moment, and Sunset could almost taste the waves of hatred pouring off of him. Flash squared his shoulders and kept walking, keeping his head down.

Sunset sighed. “Sorry, Flash. Maybe you’ll thank me someday.” Class went by at a snail’s pace, and Sunset could hear all the unsavory rumors about her and the Rainbooms while she and Rarity did their group work. Neither of them paid it too much heed. Rarity shared Sunset’s mentality; they had made it to the finals, that’s all that mattered.

In fact, despite having the cynicism of the entire school upon them, practice held a steady, upbeat tone. Smiles and compliments were passed around, and it almost felt like things were back to normal.

“One more match, girls!” Rainbow said, punching a fist into the air. “We can do this! Then we’ll send those Sirens packing back to their island where they belong!”

A collective cheer rolled through the factory, and the girls broke into song. Sunset nodded along, a warm flicker stirring in her heart. She scribbled a line in the notebook. That’s it. One line at a time.

“So, I guess our partnership is about to come to an end.” Lamia slid up to Sunset and leaned against the wall.

“Looks like it,” Sunset said, relishing the thought.

“Well there’s no need to sound so excited about it. I might get the impression you don’t like me.”

Sunset lifted her eyes from the book. “You are fifth on the list of people I hate right now. Granted, that’s only because I’m counting the Sirens as one person, but the point still stands.”

“Harsh. Well, come this weekend, I’ll be rich and out of your hair.” She looked over Sunset’s shoulder. “How’s that deus ex machina coming along?”

Sunset snapped it shut. “Just fine, thanks for asking. While you’re off making a profit from a stolen magical artifact, we’ll be saving the world.”

Lamia shrugged and pushed off the wall. “Like I said, we can’t all be heroes. Have fun saving the people who hate you.”

Sunset rapidly clicked the button on her pen. I hope that snake bites her someday. Huh, this is a new form of self-hate.

The Rainbooms finished their set, but still hadn’t ponied up. There had been a few sparkles and light glows, but nothing more. Sunset still considered it a step in the right direction.

Rainbow took a seat on an empty crate. “So when we win, what are we going to spend the prize money on?”

“Whatever you guys want,” Sunset said. The prize money had been the furthest thing from her mind. Thinking on it now, she supposed it would be a great financial boon. Then she remembered she had no bank account and would be forced to carry around hundreds of dollars in cash.

“We could have one heck of a party with that kind of moola,” Pinkie said, spreading her fingers. “Think about it! Fancy location, full catering, super awesome decorations!” She gasped. “A bounce house! We could get a bounce house! With a slide!”

“Personally, I’d like a weekend spa trip with all the accommodations,” Rarity said with a dreamy sigh. “Deep tissue massage, mud bath, facials, seaweed wraps.”

“Or, we could be practical and put that money away for our futures,” Applejack said.

Pinkie pretended to think it over. “Nah, party sounds better.”

“I say we use the money to record an album, go platinum, and become superstars!” Rainbow said.

Applejack gave a definitive shake of her head. “You can go start your solo career if you want. After this, Ah’m done with pop bands. The only instrument Ah’ll be playing is my banjo.” She glared at Sunset as she said it.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “I’ll be glad when we don’t have to play anymore. I don’t like being on stage.”

“Gee, I wouldn’t have guessed by the way you were playing hide-n-seek on Saturday,” Pinkie said with a bite. “I was hoping being in a band would be fun, and so far, it’s been kinda disappointing, so sorry, Dashie but you can count me out.”

Rarity huffed. “So sorry this didn’t live up to your expectations, Pinkie. We’ve been a little busy stopping everyone from turning into brainwashed zombies!”

Sunset stood and clapped her hands. “Okay, I think we’re good for today! Let’s pack it up and try some more tomorrow!” The looks of frustration in her friend’s eyes gave her dangerous flashbacks to the week before the Winter Ball.

Indeed, clean up was tense and silent, the elation from before completely evaporated. Sunset bade the girls farewell and got half-hearted returns. As she rode home, her thoughts turned to Trixie. Sunset hadn’t told Selena of Trixie’s saboteuring and wondered which was worse: keeping it a secret or ratting her out? On one hand, there was a chance Selena could talk sense into her. On the other, it could sully Trixie’s feelings for Sunset further.

If they wanted to win, Sunset couldn’t afford any more underhanded tricks. And Trixie already didn’t like her. But, Sunset remembered the fear in Trixie’s eyes, a fear that hadn’t been there before. Concern and anxiety maybe, but not terror. Would telling Selena just push her into a corner and force her to act out?

Sunset arrived home and walked through the front door, scooping up Spot as he ran toward her. She nuzzled him all the way up to Trixie’s door, then set him down and knocked. “Trixie?”

A beat. Then, “What?”

“I just want to talk.”

“Trixie doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Sunset leaned on the doorframe. “Trixie, tell me what’s wrong. I know there’s something else going on.”

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. It’s none of your business.”

“Trixie, I just want to help,” Sunset said, too tired to be annoyed with Trixie’s flippant attitude. “Is there anything me or your mom can do?”

“No, there isn’t!” Sunset heard Trixie’s voice crack. “Now go away!”

Sunset lingered for a moment. “Okay. But if you want to talk, you know where I am.” She waited for any response. When none came, Sunset returned to her room. Before she closed the door, she was sure she heard a sniffle from down the hall.

*******

Come Tuesday, Sunset’s brief sense of victory had been completely extinguished. Even within their shared classes, Twilight refused to speak or even look in Sunset’s direction. She took a different lab partner during chemistry and sat on the opposite side of the room for economics and trigonometry.

Band practice ran more smoothly than school, but still had its speed bumps; side comments and small barbs made against one another. Lamia’s usual snark didn’t help either.

Sunset poured every second of her free time into making the counterspell perfect. With each passing day, her heart clenched tighter, and she found herself pulling harder and harder on her hair. Time loomed over her, it's indomitable shadow shaping itself to look like the Sirens.

She scribbled and scratched, sketched and erased, filled page after page of her notebook with half-finished ideas and sappy lyrics about friendship.

“See? In the end, you haven’t learned anything,” her reflection taunted her while she laid on her bed Wednesday evening.

Sunset kept the notebook clutched to her chest. “I can do this. I can do this.”

“No you can’t. You’re powerless. You had one job and you couldn’t even do that right.”

“I can do this. I can do this.”

“Look at everything you’ve already lost. Look at how far you’ve fallen. Artemis, Twilight, and soon, all your friends will be gone.”

“I can do this. I can do this.”

“If you gave in again… if you reclaimed the fire right here in your heart…”

Sunset forced her eyes closed. “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this,” she repeated until sleep overtook her.

She stood in the center of a stadium, the crowd cheering wildly. In front of her were the Sirens, towering like colossi.

Adagio opened her mouth and let loose an ear-piercing caterwaul that knocked Sunset off her feet. She rolled across the stage, stopping at the back of Rainbow’s legs.

Sunset got up to see all of her friends walking away, heads bowed in defeat, instruments destroyed. “Girls, wait!”

Applejack looked back at her with scornful eyes. “Thanks for nothing, Sunset.”

Sunset yelped and dropped the notebook she had been holding, now smothered in flames. She spun around to see the Sirens stalking forward with sharp-toothed smiles.

“You can still win.”

Sunset clutched at her heart, burning hotter and more wildly than the notebook at her side. The heat coursed through her veins until she thought it might incinerate her from the inside out.

“Just give in!”

She cried out in pain, and at her shout, the Sirens started to withdraw. Dragging her hand from her chest, Sunset saw it dyed bloody red and curled into claws instead of fingers. Her hand rose, palm toward the cowering Sirens. Sunset’s pained yell became malicious laughter, and a scarlet inferno tore across the stadium, and drowned the Sirens in a hellish blaze.

“No!” Sunset started awake, sweat pouring down her face. Spot jumped off her stomach and pressed against her neck, whining softly. Sunset sat up and took in quivering breaths of air. “It’s… it’s okay, buddy.” She set him in her lap and stroked his fur. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Princess Twilight sat on her nightstand, completely silent.

*******

Though the finals were on Friday, Sunset couldn’t stand another day in Lamia’s presence, so with only three bands left, she snagged the music room for Thursday’s practice. The school day leading up to it dragged on slowly, time seeing fit to nearly come to a standstill while Sunset shared a room with Twilight.

Sunset would have gone through her entire penance again if it meant Twilight would talk to her, ask her about magic, scold her whenever Sunset became too abrasive.

Goosebumps ran across her body as she thought about their dividing argument on Saturday. Had she just been using Twilight to further her own goals? Had Flash been right all along?

But Twilight volunteered to drop out of the competition. That’s on her, right? But then, what of trust? Did Sunset not trust Twilight with more dangerous roles? She strangled her pencil. I trust her! We’re just dealing with magical forces she has no defense against! She’s spinning this back on me like it’s my fault! I’ve been trying to keep her safe! Sunset eased her grip and took a breath. She’s not in her right mind. Don’t blame her.

From her seat in the back of the class, Sunset had a perfect view of the back of Twilight’s head. Sunset dropped her chin onto her desk and sighed again. Their picnic seemed so long ago, done by another version of themselves. Shifting a little, she felt something poke her just above her cleavage. She reached into her shirt and pulled out her cutie mark necklace given to her by Trixie at Christmas. Putting it on had become such a daily routine, sometimes Sunset forgot it was even there.

She held it in her palm, smiling at the perfect likeness, the red and gold chasing each other in an eternal dance of duality. It was funny. After all these years, she still wasn’t quite sure what her cutie mark meant. But just looking at it gave her hope. It flickered and sputtered, but Sunset clung to it.

School let out, and the Rainboom’s final jam session began back where it all started. The girls positioned themselves on the bandstand with Rainbow at the front, tuning her guitar.

“So, any particular reason we’re here instead of the factory?”

Sunset made an innocent shrug. “I thought we could use a change of scenery.”

Everyone raised an unconvinced eyebrow at her..

Either we’ve been friends way too long, or I’ve really lost my touch at lying. “Okay, I got sick of Shimmer and her smug attitude.”

“You mean your smug attitude?” Rainbow said with a smirk.

“Dash, stop trying to make it onto the list of people I hate.”

“All right, no more of that,” Applejack said. “What are we gonna play tomorrow?”

“‘Awesome as I Wanna Be’!” Rainbow said automatically. Everyone groaned. “Come on! We haven’t played it at the fair yet, and it’s the next song we’ve practiced the most.”

Sunset opened her mouth to protest, but realized Rainbow had a point. Now would be a really good time to finish that counterspell. “Yeah, fine, indulge her ego one more time. We’re never singing it again after this.”

“Hey, you’ll thank me when this song gets my band—”

“Our band!”

“—to win the finals.”

Sunset made herself comfortable in the corner. “Just shut up and start playing.”

*******

Moondancer exited the theater department and hurried down the hall, not wanting to keep Twilight or the limo waiting. Since the Rainbooms had managed to snake their way into the band room today, she and her precious flower had to go back to the manor to practice.

I suppose there are worse fates. She smiled, bemused by her own humors. Yes, this week had almost been perfect. She had Twilight all to herself, just like years past. They had joked and laughed and read and played, and it filled Moondancer’s heart until she thought it fit to burst. The only thing that marred it was…

She curled her fingers at her side. Even with a chasm between them, Twilight still turned her eyes for Sunset. She would speak nothing of the fiery-haired harpy, but Moondancer could see the desire in Twilight’s poise, and at the furthest point of her absent stares.

Moondancer stopped and breathed, keeping herself collected. Hers was a jealousy that Othello would find troubling. But she could not help it. Twilight: pure, gentle, with an intellect that put all others to shame. Sunset: wild, temperamental, with a dark aura that made Moondancer’s skin crawl. Yet Twilight drew to her like a butterfly to sweet nectar.

I know not what foul spell you’ve cast that I cannot break, Sunset Shimmer, but I will have my due. One more victory should serve as a coup d'etat to your foul game, then I can move on to what really matters. Her mouth curled into a frown as she remembered Sunset’s verbal flaying from last week. I’ll consider your loss tomorrow recompense for your words. Though I will admit… it was a well-worth monologue. You have my reluctant applause.

Her walk took her past the music room, where she paused out of curiosity and peeked through the window. She thanked the moon the room was sound proof, as she could see Rainbow Dash wailing away on her guitar, no doubt making obstreperous noise that would wake Hades. Moondancer turned to go, sickened by the very thought of Rainbow Dash’s ‘contribution’ to the musical arts, when the guitarist began to glow. Moondancer snapped her head back, seeing wings sprout from Rainbow’s back and pony ears pop out from under her elongated hair. The rest of the girls glowed in a similar manner, but none of them underwent the same transformation. Sunset walked into view with a content smile. She spoke to Rainbow, who proceeded to make a loop in the air with her newfound wings.

Moondancer stepped away from the door. New scenarios and possibilities wrote themselves within her mind. She folded her hands in front of her and continued her walk.

“Interesting, and… quite curious.”

*******

It was a very small crowd that greeted the last bands after school on Friday. With all three bands coming from Canterlot High, it left little room for diversity. Pinkie’s sisters sat in the stands not too far away from Night Light and Shining. Anyone else’s family either wouldn’t or couldn’t come.

Each band got a stage all to themselves. The Rainbooms had the center stage and would be the last to perform that night. Sunset paced behind the curtain, chewing the top of her pen. “This is it,” she said between nibbles.

“Yeah, that’s the eighth time you’ve reminded us,” Rainbow said irritably. “Quit pacing and sit down somewhere; you’re making me nervous.”

Sunset found a chair to collapse in and bounced her leg up and down. “Sorry, I can’t help it. We got this far, but what if it all goes wrong tonight?”

Applejack gave the best confident smile she could muster, though Sunset could see the strain in it. “It won’t. We’ll win the finals, beat the Sirens, and put this whole mess behind us.”

“Right.” Sunset clutched her necklace. “We can do this.”

On the stage to their left, Sunset heard Trixie pouring her heart and soul into her last song. Sunset got up from her chair and stuck her head out from the curtain to watch. Trixie took center stage, wearing a purple dress with a yellow belt embedded with a blue jewel, and yellow boots Rarity had gagged at. Her hat and cape fluttered in the breeze, the stars glowing under the stage lights.

“Ya better believe,

“I got tricks up my sleeve.

“See me dominate,

“'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat.”

She looked right at the Dazzlings, eyes inflamed with passion.

“I'm here to take you down a peg!

“Oh, whoa, oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh.

“By the time I'm done, you're gonna beg!

“Oh, whoa, oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh.”

Trixie looked over to Sunset now, her smile haughty as she swayed back and forth.

“To be in my band, application rejected!”

“Rejected,” her bandmates chorused.

“Don’t look so sad and so dejected,” Trixie sang in a babying voice.

Sunset pulled her head back. Well, she brought her A game today. Though she’s not exactly being subtle. Sunset swallowed a lump in her throat. I hope the Sirens don’t see the family resemblance. Someone grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back to the chair.

“Sit,” Rainbow commanded.

Sunset squirmed but did as she was told, at least until she heard Twilight’s violin from the other stage. She sprung up and ran back to the curtain, Rainbow facepalming in the meantime.

Moondancer and Twilight played flawlessly, uninterrupted by any of Trixie’s tricks. Even with just the two of them, Twilight kept her eyes closed, lost in her own world of heavenly music.

Their last duet was a long one, soft and slow, packed with sorrowful emotion until the last minute when they sped up, almost racing each other to the end of the song. Twilight ended with a flourish, and despite everything that had happened between them, Sunset found herself clapping with the tiny crowd.

She retreated behind the curtain again as the judges drew near. “Okay. This is it. I have complete faith in you girls!”

Rainbow picked up her guitar. “Sunset calm down. We got this.”

Sunset breathed. “Right. Yeah. I’ll just be over here. Good luck.” She carried herself over to the side as the curtains parted.

“And last but not least, the Rainbooms,” Adagio said with a purr. “I hope you can give us a showstopping performance.”

“Count on it,” Rainbow said. She gave a nod to the others.

Pinkie gave a quick, unenthusiastic sigh, then perked up and counted them off.

“Hey! hey! hey! hey! hey! hey!

“Awesome as I wanna be!”

Sunset gripped one of the support rails. We should have picked a different song.

“First you see me riding on a sonic boom.

“Got my guitar shreddin' up my latest tune.

“There is nothin' you can do to beat me.

“I'm so good that you can't defeat me!”

Sunset looked out to the judges. Aria didn’t look impressed, and Adagio was impossible to read. Sonata bobbed her head along in delight, but as Sunset had seen throughout the competition, she liked just about everything.

“I’m awesome! Take caution!

“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be!”

Rainbow’s wild playing aside, the rest of the girls struggled to look inspired. Pinkie forced a smile the entire time, and Fluttershy kept a thin mask of disappointment while she shook her tambourine. Sunset saw their moods dip further south when Rainbow entered her guitar solo.

What was I thinking when I said we could play this song for the finals? Sunset’s eyes widened to saucers as she witnessed a blue glow surround Rainbow, and sparkles manifest themselves around her head and back. No, no, no, no! A slew of profanities flew through one half of Sunset’s mind while the other searched for a solution to the looming tragedy. She looked behind her, and gave the chair she had been sitting in a hard kick.

The noise made Fluttershy jump, but Rainbow was still lost in her own world. The blue aura intensified, and any second now, Rainbow’s pony features would burst forth and their entire plan would be ruined. Sunset pulled at her cheeks. There was no time to close the curtains, no time to find a big enough distraction, no time to do anything except…

Sunset broke into a sprint, preemptively regretting the next ten seconds of her life. She ran onto the stage, turned to her side, and shoulder tackled Rainbow to the floor. The song came to a crashing halt, Rainbow’s guitar smacking against the stage and sliding from Rainbow’s hand. The crowd gasped, and Sunset heard a few gales of laughter. She didn’t look up, choosing to believe none of them came from Twilight.

“Sunset, what the actual hell?” Rainbow yelled in her ear.

“Uhh… there was a spider on your back?” Sunset tried to look guilty in front of the judges. It proved easy with all of her friends glaring at her. Rainbow threw Sunset off and stood up to grab her guitar and make sure it hadn’t been damaged.

Cadence cleared her throat. “Well… nice job, girls. I think we’ve heard enough.”

Sunset continued to lay where she had fallen. This was it. Their gambit was over. All she could do now was hope Trixie won and somehow pulled a miracle out of her pocket.

“Nice performance, Raingoons.”

Speak of the devil. Sunset turned her head and saw Trixie leaning against the stage.

“I especially loved the part where you sabotaged your own friends, Sunset.”

Sunset smashed her teeth together, then screamed to the sky, “I haven’t sabotaged anyone!” It at least got Trixie to back up a foot. Sunset took that as her chance to get up and join the others backstage in a very cold reception.

“Mind explainin’ what happened out there?” Applejack asked, crossing her arms.

“Rainbow was about to pony up! I panicked!” Sunset threw her arms in the air. “What did you want me to do?”

“Give us a signal?” Rarity offered. “Throw something at her? Unplug her microphone? Anything other than that?”

“I’m sorry, did you miss the word ‘panic’ in that last sentence?”

Rainbow snapped her guitar case shut. “Well thanks to your ‘panic’ we can kiss everything we know and love goodbye. Thanks a lot, Sunset.”

Sunset curled her fists and hunched her shoulders. “Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t such a narcissist!”

Rainbow stepped over and got in Sunset's face. “Hey, at least I have some self-confidence, unlike you! ‘Oh boo-hoo, woah is me! I turned into a raging she-demon so I’m going to sit in the corner for the rest of my life!’”

Sunset drew her fist back, but Applejack grabbed her arm before it came forward. “Sunset, will ya quit tryin’ to pick fights with everyone!”

“Everyone’s trying to pick a fight with me!”

“Attention, everyone!” Adagio called over the mic. “We have the winners of the first Battle of the Bands!”

Applejack let go of Sunset’s arm. As a group, they rushed to the edge of the stage, standing over the other bands and the judges. The air stilled as everyone waited on baited breath.

“This year’s winner, the best band in Canterlot is…”

This is it. Sunset inhaled a nauseating breath. Do or die. And she was almost positive they were dead.

Adagio pointed a finger at the center stage. “The Rainbooms!”

“What?” Twilight yelled.

“Impossible!” Trixie said with equal volume, tears already in her eyes.

Moondancer stood with her mouth hanging open for a moment before remembering her dignity and turning away with a pout.

The Rainbooms looked to one another, stricken by confusion and disbelief. Sunset knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this defied all explanation. They had won? Even after her mid-song tackle of Rainbow? Their plan was still alive?

“Congratulations, Rainbooms,” Adagio continued, either oblivious to their confusion or reveling in it. “You’ll get to perform in front of Canterlot and the entire world live on Sunday as our opening act!” She swung a reaching arm out. “And all the bands that participated will get free tickets to the show!”

Said bands gave no response.

Adagio just continued to smile. “We can’t wait to see you come Sunday! It’ll be a show to remember!” She cackled as she walked away with her sisters in tow, leaving the crowd to turn to the Rainbooms. Sunset looked down on them and saw nothing but contempt for the Rainboom’s ill-earned victory.

Twilight marched away, glasses fogged to the point where Moondancer had to guide her. Trixie had vanished completely, leaving her band mates to clean up the rest of their equipment. The crowd slowly dispersed into the settling evening, leaving the Rainbooms on stage to ponder their fortunes.

One by one, they walked back to finish putting their instruments away. Rainbow sat her guitar case upright and leaned on it. “We won,” she said, dazed.

“Yeah,” Applejack said with an absent nod.

Fluttershy sighed. “This doesn’t feel like a victory.”

“It isn’t,” Sunset said. She kept a distance from the others. “They saw an opportunity to create even more anger and resentment: give the victory to the one band who deserved it the least.”

After a beat, Pinkie asked, “So, what do we do now?”

Sunset picked her notebook up. “They were dumb enough to let us win. So now, let’s finish this once and for all.” They weren’t quite the harmonious smiles she had been looking for, but her friend’s expressions told her they were ready for a showdown.

*******

Trixie had beat Sunset home, ran upstairs, and locked her door. Sunset found Selena in the kitchen, bags starting to appear under her eyes. She sipped her mug of tea, then said, “I can take a guess that Trixie didn’t win, so please tell me it was you.”

Sunset nodded. “It wasn’t the most conventional win, but we did it.”

Selena breathed a sigh of relief. “Then all we need is a plan for the big event. Even if the Sirens don’t suspect anything, they’ll still try whatever they can to get as much negative energy as possible.” She gave Sunset a look of sympathy only a mother could know. “But first, you should get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

Sunset shook her head. “I’ll sleep better when this is all over. Besides, I’m not the only one who needs rest.” For a moment, Sunset thought she might have crossed a line with the sharp look Selena gave her.

A second later, Selena cracked a tired smile. “You’re right. This hasn’t been easy for any of us.” She looked over to her sword leaning against the wall. “But I intend to help put an end to this and bring my family back together.” She focused her attention back to Sunset. “At least go wash up. Hot water is good for clearing the mind.”

There was little point in arguing. Besides, Sunset never said no to a hot shower. She headed upstairs, Spot at her heels. As she sifted through her drawers to find pajamas to change into, she heard a soft knock at the door. She turned and stared at Trixie in the threshold, holding herself so tightly, Sunset was afraid any sudden movement might break her.

Trixie looked at Sunset, not with contempt or disdain. Her purple eyes held only heartbreak. “Trixie…” She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. “I… I just… You won, so…”

Sunset took a step forward, and as she suspected, Trixie slowly crumpled, sliding down to her knees, face wet with tears. Sunset joined her on the floor while Spot settled in her lap. Trixie pressed her face into Sunset’s shoulder and let out a slow sob.

“Please… I just want him back.”

Sunset wrapped her arms around Trixie. “Don’t worry. I promise, we’ll bring Artemis home.”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: You Can't Win, You Can't Break Even, And You Can't Get Out of the Game!

Attention everyone! The Volume I finale is drawing near! Volume finales are broken into three parts and will be released consecutively over one weekend: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! So, be here for the first finale, 'Showdown in Canterlot'!

Volume II: Phantoms Past—1. Étoile en Avant

“We’re all connected. Tied together by invisible threads that link our souls. The more we laugh and share and love, the stronger those threads become, until they’re unbreakable.

“Likewise, souls themselves have the power to become stronger. Every experience, every triumph over adversity helps us grow a little more.

“Trust in your soul. That’s where the magic is.”

Volume II

Phantoms Past

Greens, browns, and glints of blue danced in a kaleidoscope above her head. The earthly colors dominated, making the flashes of blue a treat.

Her boots sunk into the grass as she weaved between the trees. They stood close together, their branches interlocked with their leaves fanning over one another.

In the brief flashes the trees allowed, Sunset saw a dazzling blue sky lit by the ever elusive sun. The breaks in the trees provided circles of sunlight that guided her along her way.

She was almost there. Just through the forest. Just up the slopes. She could almost see it.

Her heart raced faster as she neared the end of the forest. She could see light streaming out from in between the trees. From the corner of her eye, an elegant white figure caught up to her, nimbly maneuvering through the trees on angelic wings.

Celestia gazed lovingly at her. “Do you want to come home, Sunset?”

Sunset opened her mouth to speak as she ran, but she reached the end of the forest first. She burst through the trees, only to find herself falling through darkness. Celestia did not appear to catch her; Sunset fell alone, her hand outstretched.

Despite the thick veil of night that surrounded her, Sunset could see shadows moving about. They circled closer, trapping her in the center of a vortex. Distorted music began to play, screechy and haunting and full of misery. Try as she might, Sunset couldn’t block out the noise.

“You think one song is going to absolve your guilt?” The shadows around Sunset thickened into three outlines, and far below her, she could see the light of a fire.

One of the shadows materialized to resemble Adagio. “You were the one who set us free in the first place.”

Aria appeared on Sunset’s right. “Look how close we got to winning. All thanks to your arrogance.”

Sonata formed on Sunset’s left. “Thanks for not finishing us off. Next time, we’ll make sure to take you out first.”

Sunset raised her arms to block them out as they lunged at her, but a pillar of fire engulfed all three of them, turning them to ash and leaving behind agonizing screams.

The blaze then swirled around Sunset, wrapping her in an inferno. “Look how much more magic you could have gotten! You could have taken control, right there and then!”

“I don’t want control anymore!” Sunset yelled.

A face appeared in the fire. “We both know that’s not true. You had your taste of power, and now, you’ll just want more until you’re satisfied. I’ll be waiting, Sunset. Waiting for you to beg me to help you win!” The face roared and raced toward her, and the heat became blistering…

*******

Sunset sat up in a cold sweat, wrestling her arms free from her sleeping bag to wipe the perspiration from her brow. She steadied her breathing and urged her stomach to settle down. When it continued to churn, she quietly wiggled her way free from her bag and stood up. Her eyes made out the familiar outline of Twilight’s bedroom, perfectly organized save for the overflow of books near the bookshelf. Twilight herself slept in her bed, her back currently toward Sunset.

Quietly, as not to wake her or Spike, Sunset shuffled out the room and down the hall to the bathroom, shutting the door before turning on the lights. The sharp transition blinded her momentarily. After she blinked the spots away, her reflection greeted her, hair messy, pupils dilated. Other than the beads of sweat, she looked as fine as she did any other school night.

Sunset turned the faucet on and cupped some water to her mouth, then splashed some on her face. She took a deep breath of air and slowly exhaled it. “You’re fine. You’re good, just like Twilight said. You don’t want power.” She looked down at her hands. Sure, now she had power. Through harmony, her equine magic had manifested earlier that very evening to help her friends defeat the Sirens. She didn’t need anything more than that.

Still, even with the magic of friendship flowing through her, Sunset could hear the voice of her old self, still scheming, still wanting revenge. Maybe she would never truly be rid of it. She had been terrible for a very long time.

Sleep still pressed on the back of her eyes. The events of the day had left Sunset exhausted, and she had planned to sleep like a log. Her subconscious had other ideas it seemed. She was ready for another try though, and crept back to Twilight’s room, leaving the door open a crack as per her parents’ instructions. In celebration of their victory and getting back together, Twilight had insisted on a sleepover while the rest of their friends got to reconcile with their families. Sunset thought the Lulamoons could use a little alone time, and had happily agreed.

She shimmied her way back into her sleeping bag and was convinced she had run her errand without waking Twilight up.

“Sunset?” a groggy voice asked.

Ponyfeathers. Sunset looked over to Twilight’s bed, its outline slowly coming into focus. She could almost see Twilight looking at her. “Go back to sleep, Sparky.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just wanted some water.”

Twilight was silent, but even in the dark, Sunset knew it was the ‘patiently waiting for an explanation’ silence. Sunset sighed, exasperated and touched by Twilight’s persistence. “It was just a bad dream, okay?”

She heard Twilight shuffle under her blankets. “I thought you didn’t have those anymore?”

“I don’t… for the most part. They just kinda come up now and again. Usually when I’m stressed out or something.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Sunset shook her head, then realized Twilight couldn’t see her. “No, it’s just leftovers from this week probably. Besides it’s…” She looked at Twilight’s alarm clock. “Almost one. We still have school in the morning.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Twilight’s blankets shifted again. As Sunset adjusted herself, Twilight spoke up again in a very meek voice. “Umm… if you wanted to… you know… share the bed… if it made you feel better…”

Sunset’s face heated up. “You mean, sleep next to you? In your bed?”

“Y-yeah.”

Her heart kicked into overdrive, and Sunset wished she had gotten more water for her parched throat. “O-only if you want me to.”

“Only if you want to.”

Sunset crawled out of her sleeping bag and eased her way onto the bed and under the covers, cuddling up to Twilight in her night shirt and pants. She could see Twilight clearly now, her hair bun undone, letting purple and pink strands fall over her shoulder. She tried to look shy, but by her eyes, Sunset could tell she was quite pleased to have company. “You know, if your brother finds us…” Sunset said, only half joking.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Even Shining knows to knock before coming into my room. And we’re not doing anything.” She pressed herself a little closer to Sunset.

They stared at each other for a long time, smiling and giggling and stroking each other’s hair. A primal urging rose up from within Sunset, and she appeased it by kissing Twilight on the mouth, long and soft until they needed to breathe. Twilight giggled some more, then turned over and scooted her back into Sunset. Sunset wrapped an arm around her and closed her eyes. “Good night, Twilight.”

“Good night, Sunset.”

Sunset felt the sleep quickly take over. She thought she heard Twilight whisper something else, but she was too far gone to properly hear it.

*******

Moondancer leaned on her balcony, overlooking the front yard and the driveway. She could hear the last remnants of the party downstairs and see the cars driving away one by one. She let out a sigh of satisfaction. The last thing she had wanted to come home to was one of her father’s business parties. Normally, she could tolerate smiling and waving and pretending to be interested in the lives of her father’s business partners, but her headache from earlier still persisted. She had even less of a desire to stand at perfect attention tonight.

She looked up at the moon, and rested her head against the banister. A cold mountain breeze rippled across her light dress, making her shiver, but she paid it little mind. “I wonder, do actors ever forget who they are sometimes? Jump from one role to another and another, and forget where you started?”

She held a hand to the moon. “I haven’t forgotten my purpose though. I know what I fight for. I will make this world beautiful.” She stood up and reached into her shirt to pull out a silver, heart-shaped locket. She flipped it open and smiled at the two pictures inside. One was of Twilight, glasses falling down her nose and a shy smiling gracing her perfect face. The other was of a much younger Moondancer on the shoulders of a silver-haired woman, both of them laughing in the middle of the garden.

“For you, my shining star. And for you, Mother. Everything I do is for your sake.” She snapped the locket shut. Below her, she could hear the last of the socialites move out into the driveway, talking and laughing, her father amongst them.

Moondancer turned back into her room, shutting the balcony doors behind her. With the noise dying down, perhaps now she could meditate in peace. She took a sip of the now cold tea left for her by the vanity, swallowing with a grimace. The price paid for ruminating in the moonlight for so long. Despite its low temperature, she finished her tea, allowing it to help clear her mind. Positioning herself in the center of the room, she sank down onto the purple satin carpet and sat cross-legged, hands on her knees. Eyes shut, she began to breathe slowly through her nose.

Let the magic flow. Warmth flowed from her heart and spread through the rest of her body. Let go of all other thoughts. Hard to do with the night’s events still fresh in her mind. With as far as she had come in her training, her magic wouldn’t have been enough to defeat the Sirens without backup. She had strained herself just trying to free Twilight.

Oh, Twilight. Moondancer had known from the first moment she had seen her that Twilight was to be the reward for her suffering. Moondancer had been patient. She had been nurturing. She had turned her back for two seconds and this Sunset Shimmer waltzes in and bewitches her sweet flower.

That’s what it was: bewitchment. Sunset wasn’t human, Moondancer was sure of it. She didn’t know what game Sunset was playing, but she had Twilight in her thrall, and Moondancer would find a way to set her free. Twilight was hers—the only bright spot in this dreary drama of life.

Soon, you’ll be safe and sound, my star. Moondancer let the thoughts fall away, freeing her mind and soul. I’ll get stronger and do what I must for you.

“One would think you knew someone would step up to beat the Sirens,” a cool, deep feminine voice said from Moondancer’s doorway.

She didn’t flinch at the intruder’s sudden presence. Instead, she clenched her teeth and hands, and said, “I know you come from some backwater country, but I would have hoped that from my urgings alone you would have learned the basic courtesy of knocking.”

“Moondancer, who were those girls at the concert?”

Moondancer eased her gritted teeth into a content smile. “What’s this? I know something you don’t? I should savor this feeling; who knows when it will come again.”

“Moondancer.” The woman’s voice didn’t change in tone, but Moondancer felt the pulse of irritation all the same. “I know one of them is your pretty little Twilight Sparkle. Who are the rest?”

“Concern yourself not with Twilight.” Moondancer moved her hands to the center of her lap and crossed her fingers. “They call themselves the Spectacular Seven.”

“And how long have you known they had magic?”

Bringing her fingers up to her mouth, Moondancer thought on the best response. “Long enough to know they had a chance to win.”

“And if they failed?”

“Well, I’m sure you and your brilliant mind would have come up with something.” She unlaced her fingers and waved a hand. “I assured you the Sirens would not pose a threat for very long, and was I wrong? They’re gone, the board is clear again.”

The woman drummed her fingers against the doorframe. “Save for seven new pieces.”

“Six. Twilight has no magical powers. She does not need to be part of this.”

A pause. “Perhaps not, but I’m beginning to think she’s a hindrance to your focus. I gave you a decent leash, Moondancer, and I’m already starting to regret it.”

Years of self-conditioning gave Moondancer the strength to not give any tells. She exhaled slowly through her nose and said in her pleasant voice, “Have you checked any of your magic monitors in the last few hours?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Moondancer smiled. “See that you do. I’d love to hear what they say. And when you’re done marveling at the results, I’ll be here.”

The woman made a ‘harrumph’ but didn’t leave. “In the meantime, I want to know about these magic wielding girls. Especially the red and yellow haired one. What is her name?”

A growl escaped as Moondancer spoke. “Sunset Shimmer.”

Silence. Then a faint whisper of, “Impossible.”

“Something troubling you?”

“Unimportant,” she snapped. “The rest of them, who are they and where did they get these powers?”

With a slight raise of her shoulders, Moondancer said, “Astute questions of which, I’m afraid I do not have concrete answers to. Perhaps with time I could discern more about their origins but… oh yes, of course, I believe you claimed my ‘leash’ to be too long.”

The room dropped a few degrees, leaving goosebumps to rise on Moondancer’s skin. She heard the hiss of shadows behind her, flowing freely through the air. “You’re pushing me, Moondancer,” the woman said, still maintaining her calm veneer. “Don’t forget your place.”

Moondancer opened her eyes, a shadow crossing over them. “I’ve never forgotten my place.”

An extra layer of darkness smothered the air, sucking away the light from the lamps and chandelier. Darkness crawled down the back of Moondancer’s neck, cold, oily, unnatural. She pressed her teeth together to keep from gasping in disgust.

The shadows vanished in an instant, returning the natural light to the room. “You are to gather all the information you can about these girls and their magic by any means necessary and report it to me. Is that understood?”

Moondancer tilted her head to the side, just enough to see the woman’s shadow on her wall. “Crystal.”

“Good. And later, we’re going to have a talk about your obsession with this Twilight Sparkle.”

Moondancer turned her head back toward the balcony. A rush of cold wind and an absent feeling told her her unwelcome guest had departed. She placed her hands back on her knees and closed her eyes in meditation.

“It is not an obsession,” she whispered. “I am merely protecting the last joy this life has given me.”

*******

A curtain of purple greeted Sunset as she woke up to Twilight’s alarm going off. Spike got up first, wedging his way between the two girls to lick Sunset’s face until she sat up. “All right, I get it.”

Twilight sat up next and took Spike into her lap. “Did you sleep better?”

Sunset stretched her arms over her head. “As a matter of fact, I did. Must be your soft bed.” She bounced up and down a few times. “Seriously, this is nice.”

Twilight rolled her finger around one of her messy locks. “Oh… well, I’m glad you liked it.”

Sunset wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Twilight close. “I’m joking. Sleeping next to you was what I needed.”

There was a knock on the door, pushing it open a hair, and Sunset jumped back onto her sleeping bag just as Night Light said, “Twilight, I’m opening the door. Don’t make me regret letting you and Sunset share a room.” The door pushed open and Night stuck his head in, finding Sunset tucked into her sleeping bag, and Twilight on her bed, smiling innocently.

“Morning, Dad!”

“Uh-huh.” He scrutinized each of them in turn, and Sunset learned where Shining had gotten his glare from. “You’re off the hook for now. Hurry and get ready for school.” He pointed from his eyes to Sunset’s. “I’m still watching you, Miss Shimmer.”

When he backed out of the room, Sunset and Twilight shared a muffled giggle. “Who would’ve guessed you of all girls would lie to her parents,” Sunset said.

“It’s not lying!” Twilight said defensively. “We didn’t do anything.”

Sunset couldn’t help but put on her raunchiest grin. “Did you want to do something?”

Twilight’s face immediately turned scarlet, and she threw a pillow at Sunset. “G-go get dressed!”

“I’m not hearing a no!”

“Sunset!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll change.” Sunset got up and started unbuttoning her pajama top.

Twilight jumped off her bed and shoved Sunset into the hallway, Sunset laughing the entire time. Even after Sunset had changed and brushed her teeth, she came back to find Twilight’s cheeks were still a light shade of red. Sunset chose not to persist in her teasing, knowing she was probably toeing a line already. She didn’t want to make Twilight, or herself for that matter, more uncomfortable on the subject than two teenagers needed to be.

Sunset helped Twilight tidy her room up, then joined her downstairs where breakfast was being prepared. The news was on in the living room, showing pictures of last night’s concert while the news anchor narrated.

“Social media and the music industry are abuzz with questions about last night’s performance featuring the Dazzlings, and the winners of Canterlot’s Battle of the Bands, the Rainbooms, or as they announced themselves on stage, the Spectacular Seven. Before the concert started, it was reported the Spectacular Seven would no longer be playing. However, in the middle of the show, they appeared with an impressive display of special effects and empowering music. But what stunned the crowd the most was what came afterwards. After what appeared to be an actual battle of bands, the Dazzlings tried to sing again, only to deliver the worst singing anyone had ever heard. No one has seen them since they fled the stage, leaving behind many questions. Was this all a publicity stunt? Did the Dazzlings fake their talents? Where are they now? And will the Spectacular Seven play again?”

“Well, girls?” Twilight Velvet asked as she set a plate of eggs and toast in front of Sunset. “Will the Spectacular Seven play again?”

Sunset traded a look with her girlfriend and shook her head before digging into her eggs. “Having a band is more trouble than it’s worth.” She thought about the rush of magic, the feeling of light within her, and protecting her friends from peril. “But, if the world needs us to be a band again, we’ll be there.”

”Stirring words from the band leader,” Night said, taking his bowl to the sink. “That reminds me, Twilight, how’d you end up on stage with them? I thought you and Moondancer had made a band?”

Twilight froze, her fork full of eggs halfway to her mouth. “Uhh, good question! You see… umm…”

Seeing Twilight had hit her limit of parental deception, Sunset tagged in. “We thought it’d be a cool twist to show that there were seven members of our band instead of just five! Besides, Twilight has a great singing voice!”

“I really don’t,” Twilight mumbled into her eggs. They finished up breakfast and hopped into the car. Night dropped them off in front of the school, giving Twilight a peck on the cheek, and Sunset another stern glare that she knew had no real weight behind it.

Students across the grounds and in the halls had only one topic on their minds. They repeated their own personal tales of what they did at the concert last night, and whispered their own theories as to what happened to the Sirens. They halted their conversations to wave and cheer at Sunset and Twilight as they passed by, some even handing out compliments, or asking where the Dazzlings were.

The duo stopped by Twilight’s locker first. “I’m surprised we got out of that with relative ease. I thought they would have asked more questions,” Twilight said while she dialed her combination.

Sunset leaned against the locker next to her. “It’s just like the Fall Formal. Weird stuff happened, but no one wants to look too far into it. Yeah, they have questions, but they won’t go looking too hard for answers because ‘it can’t be magic’. The human psyche is fascinating. It does help that almost everything that happened last night can be explained by pyrotechnics and special effects.”

Twilight traded her backpack for a book and closed her locker. “That just makes me want to look into magic even more. Where did that giant pegacorn—”

“Alicorn.”

“—right, alicorn come from? How did waves of light manifest into something… well, physical enough to look like it did physical harm to the Sirens and their amulets? Or for that matter, how did the girls playing their instruments create projectiles? And why were they shaped like butterflies and diamonds?”

Sunset led the way to her locker to get her history book. “Well, to take a shot at the last question, it probably has something to do with their pony counterparts’ cutie marks.”

Twilight gripped the sides of her head. “Uugh, there’s so much I want to understand! None of this magic makes any sense!”

“Twilight, remember what I said. I’ll teach you everything I can. But if something doesn’t make sense even after you’ve thrown all the science you can at it, then maybe it isn’t supposed to make sense.”

Twilight lowered her hands and exhaled. “Right. You’re right. Getting worked up over nothing.” The bell rang, and she kissed Sunset on the lips before running off. “See you at lunch!”

Sunset watched her go until she disappeared into the crowd. Everything’s back to normal, she thought contentedly. Yes, but for how long? She shut the cynical thought away as she slammed her locker and pushed on to her first period.

Rarity beamed as Sunset drew close. “Good morning, dear. How was yours and Twilight’s evening?” She winked.

“Just fine, Rarity,” Sunset said, easing into her chair. She could play Rarity’s game, but there was a chance Rarity would take whatever Sunset said seriously. Sunset wasn’t ready for the consequences of that.

“That’s it? Just fine?” Rarity asked, a twinkle in her eye and a coy smile on her lips.

“Rarity, stop trying to live vicariously through me. You have Flash.”

“Yes, but you two are just so cute! I’m happy you’re back together where you belong.”

Sunset closed her eyes, finding Twilight waiting for her with a smile. Together where we belong. With the Sirens gone, all Sunset had to worry about was Moondancer butting her pretty head in where it didn’t belong. But if mind-controlling sea ponies from another world couldn’t split them apart, maybe Sunset had nothing to worry about.

Except the future and Twilight eventually moving away to go make something of herself, leaving you alone again.

Thank you, brain, you’re a ball of sunshine.

The bell rang again, and Luna came over the PA. “Good morning students. Glad to see so many of you up bright and early despite last night’s excitement. And speaking of which, congratulations to the Rain—ahem, I mean the Spectacular Seven for winning the Battle of the Bands, and their amazing performance last night.”

The room broke into applause, of which Sunset just leaned back in her chair and soaked it in. Luna continued with the general announcements, ending with a reminder that spring break began at the end of the week. With everything going on, Sunset had nearly lost track of their school schedule. A vacation sounded heavenly after everything she had been through so far.

Mr. Noteworthy started class the second Luna was finished, sparing no praise for Sunset or the Spectacular Seven. Geez, a few naps in his class, and he hates me forever.

*******

The start of Sunset’s lunch was interrupted every few minutes by someone running up to the Spectacular Seven’s table to tell them they were awesome. Sunset outgrew the praise after the third wave of freshmen. Rainbow, however, took it all in stride, taking pictures and signing autographs for any and all who asked.

“Figured I better get used to it,” she said, putting her shoes up on the table and reclining in her chair. “I am going to be a soccer star someday. Or a track star. Or both.”

“If she don’t die from a swelled head first,” Applejack said behind her hand to Sunset. They both shared a quiet snicker.

“This is quite the turnaround from a week ago,” Rarity said. “I know they were all being influenced, but it’s still a bit overwhelming.”

Sunset took a sip of her soda. “Maybe some part of their brain is telling them to make up for everything they did and worship us like the saviors we are.”

“Sunset.” Twilight nudged her.

“What? I’m just putting out a hypothesis. Even if it should be true.”

“I’ve got a ‘hypothesis’ for you girls,” Rainbow said. “What are we gonna do with our prize money? Now that we’ve officially won, we can officially talk about how we’re gonna spend it.”

“Didn’t we already talk about this?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, but that was before when we were all mad at each other. New day, new answers.”

Applejack shook her head. “Well mah answer hasn’t changed. Ah’m puttin’ my cut away for a rainy day.”

Rarity nodded. “Agreed. Well, about the answer not changing part. I still say a weekend retreat is just what the doctor ordered. Maybe I won’t spend all of it. Just as much as it costs to get a really good deep tissue massage. I have stress knots like you wouldn’t believe.”

“I still want a party!” Pinkie said, confetti popping out behind her.

Rainbow put her hands up. “You always want a party.”

“Thank you, Captain Redundant,” Sunset said, putting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder to stop her from looking where Pinkie’s confetti had come from.

Rainbow straightened up in her seat. “Well, I wanted to get a record label, but I decided to put my music career on hold for a second. Being an athlete is still priority number one.”

Sunset made a loud slurp with her drink. “Get to the point, Dash.”

“My point is that I decided I want to live in the now! We’re about to get ten-thousand dollars and go on spring break! Do you know what that means?”

“We’re about to end up on an episode of Girls Gone Wild?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow pointed and grinned. “Close! We won’t get too crazy, but we should totally go on vacation together!”

“That’s…” Sunset set her drink down. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”

Rarity clapped her hands together. “That’s a marvelous idea actually! That fulfills most of our individual wishes! I’ll get a spa date, Pinkie will get her party, and we’ll all get to spend some relaxing time together!”

“The seven of us on vacation together sounds wonderful,” Fluttershy said. “But would our parents even allow that?”

Rainbow stood up and raised a confident fist in the air. “Come on, we’re all good students and have good grades!”

Twilight and Sunset shared a blank look with her.

“...Decent grades. But we’re responsible. And we’ll pick some place that’s still in the state.”

“Oh yeah, narrowing the possible places where we could cause or get into trouble down to one state will definitely get our folks to sign off on this,” Applejack said.

“Why you gotta be like that, A.J?”

She shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, sugarcube, Ah’m just being realistic. Ah’m not sayin’ spendin’ quality time with you girls is bad, but we’re all seventeen… ‘cept for Pinkie technically.”

“Still four!”

“And there’s no way all our parents will let us go out without someone supervising us,” Applejack finished.

Rainbow slouched back in her chair. “Killjoy.”

“Would one or two adults really ruin our time together?” Twilight asked. “We weren’t going to do anything illegal, right?” She looked at a quiet Rainbow. “Right?”

“Twilight,” a voice sang.

Sunset and Rainbow managed a quick groan before Moondancer made her way to the table. She gave a deep bow, then took Twilight by the hands.

“I’m so glad you’re unharmed! I was so worried when you never came back to the booth, but then I saw you down on stage facing those nasty Sirens and for a moment, I thought I was going to die!” She swooned, then looked over at six nervous faces. “But how surprised was I that you girls of all people carried a gift like my own family’s! You saved the day and cast those monsters back into the abyss!”

Rarity let out a high-pitched laugh. “Darling, w-what are you talking about? Magic? Pffft, we don’t know what you mean. We’re just six regular girls who—”

“Drop it, Rarity,” Sunset said, keeping her eyes locked on Moondancer. “She’s a Lulamoon. She knows what the Dazzlings really are.”

“Indeed.” Moondancer released Twilight and put a hand to her forehead again. “And I curse my fate that I did not inherit any of my mother’s magical gifts, leaving me vulnerable to their dastardly hypnosis.” She clasped her hands together and made a deep bow. “You must forgive me for any transgressions I might have committed. I fear I was not myself.” She rose her head. “Especially toward you, Sunset. May you find it in your heart to look beyond any of my past actions that may have hurt you.”

Clever little… All eyes turned to Sunset as she struggled to curve her mouth up into a smile. “Of course, Moondancer,” she said, fighting not to choke on her own words. “It’s all water under the bridge.”

Moondancer put a hand to her heart and sighed. “You don’t how happy that makes me. By the way, you have a lovely singing voice.”

“Thank you.” Sunset dug her nails into her palm under the table.

Moondancer rested her chin in her hand and made a soft hum, looking at none of them in particular.

“What is it, Moony?” Twilight asked.

“It’s nothing, really. Idle curiosity. And you know what they say about it and the cat.” She shifted from one mid-heel sandal to the other, the sparkle of curiosity growing brighter in her eyes. “But I simply must ask, where did you acquire such abilities? Magic isn’t common place in this world, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“None of your business,” Sunset said, her forced smile becoming a superior grin. “We keep that on a need to know basis.”

“It’s kinda a long story anyway,” Pinkie said. “And I already ate my food, and I can’t sit through a long story without at least three snacks.”

Moondancer dipped her head. “Very well. I shall respect your privacy. Still quite fascinating. I hope you’ll continue to use your powers for the greater good.” She leaned over and gave Twilight a hug. “At the very least, keep my little star nice and safe.” She bounced up and backed away. “I’ll leave you to your friendship bonding for now. I’m sure you have some catching up to do. Au revoir!”

Sunset waited until she exited the cafeteria. “Okay, so she knows we have magic. How many ways can this go wrong?”

Rainbow began packing her lunch away. “As long as she doesn’t blab to anybody else… oh man, we’re gonna get probed, aren’t we?”

“Relax, girls. Moony can keep a secret this important,” Twilight said. “And who knows, maybe she has a good understanding of how magic works! I could ask her for her thoughts on my notes!”

“You can try, but somethin’ tells me that girl ain’t all that interested in the sciencey part of magic,” Applejack said. The bell rang, dismissing them from lunch. They herded out of the cafeteria and into the halls, still getting the occasional note of praise. The girls broke off to their classrooms one by one, until only Sunset, Rainbow, and Rarity remained, waving goodbye to Pinkie.

“See you girls later!” she said, skipping down an adjacent hall.

Rarity smiled and waved after her, then whipped around and grabbed Sunset by the shoulders, eyes wide and maniac. “Do you know what we’ve done?” she hissed.

“Said goodbye to our friend Pinkie? You know, the happy one?” Sunset said blandly, masking her startlement.

“Thanks to all this mess with the Sirens, we forgot her birthday!”

Sunset paled. “Celestia’s auxiliary feathers, you’re right!”

Rainbow tugged at her collar, trying her hardest to put on a joking smile. “I mean, we didn’t technically forget. It was on February 29th, which didn’t exist this year, so we’re in the clear.”

“Rainbow!” Rarity yelled, letting go of Sunset.

“I know, okay? I already feel horrible! Why didn’t she say anything though?”

Rarity looked down the hall Pinkie had traversed. “You know how she is. She’ll find any reason to throw a party except her own birthday.”

“Why not?” Sunset asked.

Rainbow scratched her head. “I asked her a long time ago. She said something about it being in her ‘party code,’ throwing a party for yourself, especially on your birthday, is just selfish.”

“And with us dealing with the Sirens and starting to get on each other’s nerves, she probably didn’t feel like reminding us of the matter,” Rarity said.

“With how boring her family is, she probably hasn’t even had a party since before we fell apart the first time.” Rainbow jumped at the loud clang of the locker next to her.

Sunset rubbed the back of her hand. “Spider,” she said nonchalantly. “Look, clearly there’s only one thing to do. We use our prize money to give Pinkie the best birthday she’s ever had.”

Rainbow punched a fist into the air. “Oh yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!”

“Genius, Sunset! We’ll go all out!”

Sunset gave a thumbs up with her still throbbing hand.

Author's Note

Alternate chapter title: The Star Steps Forward

Volume II Opening Theme

Phoenix Rising I: Angels and Demons

The days leading up to Prom passed in a whirlwind of activity. It served as a welcome distraction from the odd dreams and nightmares that plagued Sunset while she slept. On top of catching up with her school work, Sunset found herself doing something different everyday in preparation for the big dance. On Wednesday, she and Trixie went shoe shopping. Trixie offered to pay on the condition that Sunset’s weren’t as pretty as hers.

“Trixie was wondering,” she began, looking over a pair of silver stilettos, “if perhaps she could come to Prom with you and your silly entourage?”

Taking off a pair of heels that were a size too small, Sunset said, “I mean, I think my friends would be okay with it. Why don’t you want to go with your friends though?”

“Trixie just thought you could do with some enrichment to your poor social circle, so she will gladly volunteer her stupendous presence.” She cleared her throat. “Also because Lavender and Fuchsia are ditching me for their boyfriends. Traitors.”

Sunset smiled sympathetically. “Of course you can join us, Trixie.”

On Thursday, Sunset went to Rarity’s to get fitted for her dress. Despite the calamitous state the back room was in, what with sheets of fabrics thrown everywhere, the floor covered in sparkles and ribbons, and the wastebasket so overflowing with crumpled papers that a new mountain had formed next to it, Sunset felt relaxed here.

She had given a mere thumbs up at Rarity’s design for her dress. Rarity, who had clearly been expecting more, took Sunset’s measurements in silent poutines.

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I like it, I really do,” Sunset said, trying her hardest to sound sincere.

“No, it’s fine, darling, really. I know you mean it. Maybe seeing the real thing will spark something in you.” She marked down Sunset’s numbers and walked over to her workbench.

Sunset took a seat on the edge of the stage. “Rarity… what if I’m stuck like this forever? I… I want to feel things again. I know I love your dress… I just don’t feel it.”

Rarity swiveled around in her chair and looked at Sunset over her red glasses. “Don’t worry, Sunset. I’m positive we can find a way to spark your fire again.”

Sunset hoped so. If not, she was going to end up like Maud.

“It’s not as if you don’t feel anything, is it?” Rarity asked reaching for some black fabric.

“No. It’s like… standing in the shallow end of a pool,” Sunset said, using the first analogy that came to her head. “It goes deeper, I just can’t seem to go that far. I know I can, I just… don’t.”

“Hmm. An emotional block? It could be some form of post traumatic stress. We just need to get you back into a comfortable environment where you can freely express yourself.”

Sunset didn’t know how many environments were left for that theory to work. If she couldn’t express herself when her friends were around, or when she was alone with Twilight…

“Oh, yeah.” Sunset remembered what Rarity had told her during their skiing trip. “Umm, Twilight told me… she loved me.” She quickly covered her ears as Rarity let out a euphoric scream.

She was up and in Sunset’s face, stars twinkling in her eyes. “Yes! And, and, and? What did you say?”

“I… I told her I loved her, too.” She covered her ears again, though they still rang with Rarity’s happy shriek.

“Yes, yes, yes! At last! Oh, Sunset, you have no idea how happy I am for you!”

“I think I have a good idea,” Sunset muttered, rubbing her ears.

“And see? If you told Twilight that, you must be getting better!”

“That’s the thing, Rarity. I… I know I love her but… when I say it, I don’t feel anything. Being with her doesn’t make me happier or anything. It’s just something I do.”

The jubilation on Rarity’s face winked out of existence. “Oh. W-well, umm… y-you know that deep inside your heart you still love her. Maybe on the surface you don't feel it, but you still know.”

Sunset stared into her lap. “I feel like I’m lying to her. Or not giving as much as she is.”

Rarity sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. “Sometimes love isn’t a fifty-fifty split. Sometimes, one partner has to give a little bit more because the other can’t. You’re still trying. That’s all that matters. I know you’re tired of hearing this, but you’ll get better. Then, you can tell Twilight how much you love her in excruciating detail. And then, you can tell me.”

Sunset almost laughed. “Thanks, Rarity.”

*******

If Twilight had any concerns about their relationship, she didn’t voice them. In fact, Sunset thought Rarity was right on the nose about Twilight giving more. She praised Sunset every time she got a question right, put more passion into her violin, and even more into her kisses. Something weak stirred in Sunset, and she thought maybe Twilight was starting to break through.

On Friday, Prom was the only thing on the seniors’ mind. In a shocking move, Rarity had skipped classes to finish the last round of dresses, which included her own and Sunset’s. Pinkie was also missing, presumably putting the finishing touches on the dance.

Sunset also realized she had not seen Moondancer the entire time she had been awake. When she told her remaining friends at lunch, they all gave conspiring looks toward one another.

“I know,” Twilight said, pulling her phone out. “She texted yesterday saying she was fine, but nothing else. I’m really worried about her.”

“I’m sure she has a good explanation,” Sunset said consolingly.

The intercom came on, and Vice Principal Luna’s voice echoed through the school. “A reminder to everyone attending Prom tomorrow night. Ballots for Prom King and Queen will be handed out in your last period. Be sure to vote. Prom officially begins at six o’clock at the Canterlot Castle hotel. We hope you all have a memorable experience.”

“You know, Sunset,” Applejack said after the feedback faded, “if you had run, you probably could have won Prom Queen. You know, if Rarity didn’t kill you for it first.”

“I’m fine. One crown is good enough.” She remembered winning the Winter Ball and the surprise and happiness that had followed after the initial shock.

“One crown?” Rainbow looked at Sunset like she had sprouted a second head. “You mean like, eight crowns, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Uhh, you’ve won nearly every dance since you’ve been here, remember?”

Sunset honestly couldn’t. She furrowed her brow in concentration, but all that came was a light pressure on the front of her skull. She couldn’t remember half of her high school experience up until the night of the Fall Formal, and even that was extremely hazy. She remembered, with regret, unleashing some dark magic and becoming something monstrous. She remembered crying. She remembered saving Twilight later in the night. Something told her she didn’t want to remember the rest.

“Sorry, girls. I really don’t. A lot of my memories are kind of scrambled.”

They all looked at her with increasing concern. “What do you remember?” Applejack asked.

“Well… everything in the last couple of months… I think? Parts of the last three years. Mostly just what I learned in class. I can’t remember much about spending time with you girls until around the Fall Formal.”

Silence. Then Fluttershy said softly, “Oh… dear.”

“Yeah, I know it’s pretty bad.”

Rainbow grimaced. “So, which one of us should tell her?”

Applejack sighed. “Sunset, we weren’t exactly friends before the Fall Formal.”

“O-oh.” The hesitant look in Applejack’s eye told her there was more to it than that. “Any particular reason why?”

“Aw, sugarcube. You’re a great girl now. You’re our best friend, and we love you. But… you weren’t always the sweetest apple in the cart. Let’s just say, you had a tough time making friends.”

Sunset looked around the table. Everyone else was avoiding her eyes. She pressed a hand to forehead, trying to draw up a memory, any memory. She could see herself sitting in the factory, listening to music and relaxing, studying for tests, walking down the hall while students jumped out of her way. Her mind then skipped to her going to the mall with Twilight, her first sleepover with everyone, playing music against the Sirens.

“Bad memories,” she whispered.

Twilight leaned in. “What?”

“I can’t remember anything bad.” She looked wide-eyed at Applejack. “But you’re right. I was a bully. I don’t remember it, but I know it.” That almost explained the dark power she remembered from the Fall Formal.

“Do you think this has something to do with coming back from the Soul Lock?” Fluttershy asked.

“Maybe,” Sunset said, dejected. “Maybe not all of me got out.”

“Well…” Twilight began hesitantly. “If you can’t remember the bad… that just means there’s more room to make good memories, right?”

Sunset smiled at her. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was a good thing Sunset couldn’t remember all of the terrible things she had done in the past. She could start fresh; build on the good memories of her friends.

Lunch came to an end, and the girls parted ways for their last period. Voting ballots were handed out as the lesson started, and Sunset recognized most of the names on the list. She voted for Flash in an instant, but hesitated when it came to Prom Queen. She had never interacted with half the girls on the list, at least, she couldn’t remember interacting with them. In the end, she closed her eyes and jabbed her pencil down, landing on ‘Wallflower Blush.’ Sunset wasn’t even sure if that was a real student, but since fate had chosen for her, she filled the bubble in.

*******

Sunset woke up early Saturday morning to go get her hair done. Admiring her new style in the mirror, Sunset had to admit she felt very pretty. Her hair coiled and spiraled down in thick red and gold curls that reminded her of pasta, complete with its own sauce. It bounced against her neck and face as she twisted her head left and right. Two thicker noodles perfectly framed her cheekbones.

After a quick shower, taking care not to get her hair too wet, Sunset slipped on her Rarity-made Prom dress. Silky and glossy, the black fabric glittered under her room light. It trailed down to her ankles, fanning out a little in the back. Red and orange flames danced around the hem trailing up her legs and vanishing around her waist. Black gloves ran up her arms, ending just below her naked shoulders. She put on a pair of emerald earrings and her cutie mark necklace to round off the ensemble.

Returning to the mirror, Sunset smiled at the beautiful girl looking back at her. Maybe tonight really was what she needed to feel okay again.

But beauty is so fleeting. Tomorrow, you’ll go back to looking like your plain old self. Sunset watched her smile fall apart. The cynical voice had a point. And she couldn’t dress up like this everyday. It would look shallow and conceited.

Please, just enjoy tonight for what it is. We can go back to self-loathing tomorrow. Sunset finished applying her lipstick and eye-shadow, then grabbed her purse and the crimson corsage for Twilight, and headed downstairs. A floating camera waited for her at the bottom step. Sunset looked around, seeing neither Artemis nor Trixie nearby. When she looked back at the lens, a bright flash left her stunned.

As she blinked the spots out of her eyes, Artemis appeared in his usual puff of smoke, eagerly grabbing the camera. “It’s time already? Goodness, you don’t take nearly as long as Selena to get dressed up.”

“I heard that!”

Artemis looked at the picture then at the real Sunset, eyes glittering in delight. “You look so beautiful! And on fire! My compliments to the dress maker!”

Sunset smiled. “I’ll pass that along to Rarity. And thank you.” She heard footsteps descend behind her and saw Trixie coming down the stairs, holding the ends of her starry blue ball gown. Unlike Sunset, Trixie’s dress had puffy shoulders and a tall collar, making her look like an old world aristocrat.

The camera snapped another photo when Trixie reached the bottom step. Artemis beamed at her, tears in his eyes. “I remember the day we brought you home from the hospital. Look at how much you’ve grown.”

Trixie tilted her head up and closed her eyes. “Daddy, please. I just put my makeup on and I am in no hurry to do it again.”

Selena walked in from the kitchen and clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh… look at my two girls. You both look amazing.”

To Sunset’s surprise, something stung the corners of her eyes. She followed Trixie’s lead and tilted her head back to make sure her makeup didn’t run. “We should probably get going. Don’t want to be late for our dinner reservations.”

“Hold on, I still have pictures to take.” Artemis raised the camera and snapped a shot of both girls with their heads back. “Now come on, get together and smile!”

They spent fifteen minutes taking photos, alternating between singles, pairs, and family shots. At a quarter past four, Trixie finally opened up the front door and carefully stepped out to the car. The sun shone brightly overhead, but the ground was still wet from a sudden shower yesterday.

Trixie squeezed herself through the door of her car, then struggled some more with the seatbelt, quietly complaining that it would wrinkle her dress. Once she was all settled, she said, “Trixie thanks you again for allowing her to grace your meager friend group with her presence.”

Sunset mentally removed the condescension from Trixie’s words. “You’re welcome.”

They arrived in front of Rarity’s house ten minutes later, spotting her posing while her mom and dad took pictures. The diamonds running down the trim of her slim silver dress shone in such a dazzling light, Sunset had to question if they were really fake. Rarity had gone with a simple elegance for Prom, the diamonds and a golden ribbon around her waist being the only features to her shoulderless dress. It hugged and emphasized all her best features though, and Sunset thought she resembled a Greek goddess.

“Hello, girls! Oh, goodness me, you both look so fabulous! Sunset, I love what you’ve done to your hair! Come take a few photos with me!”

Sunset and Trixie happily obliged, standing on either side of Rarity while the camera continued to flash. Sweetie Belle watched from the porch, cheeks puffed and arms crossed.

“It’s not fair. I wanna go to the prom too!”

Rarity walked over and kissed her forehead, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the lipstick stain off. “Don’t pout, Sweetie, you’ll have your moment in a few years. Maybe even next year if some strapping senior asks you to accompany him.”

“Over my dead body,” her father mumbled.

Flash arrived next, wearing a black tuxedo with a silver tie to match Rarity’s dress. He presented his corsage and slid it over her wrist, then stood with a goofy smile as Rarity pinned his boutonniere to his chest. They took a dozen pictures together, Flash trading his goofy smile for his trying-to-be-cool-one, which, incidentally, made him look goofier.

Rainbow and Fluttershy arrived next, wearing long dresses that almost touched the ground. Rainbow’s dress matched her name, a vertical spectrum of colors starting with red on one end and transitioning to purple at the other. Puffy white clouds decorated the hem and a golden wreath sat in her curled and bouncy hair.

“This is a one time thing,” she said flatly, catching Rarity’s excited gleam.

Fluttershy wore a glossy green curtain decorated with small flowers and a blue sash that ran down her right shoulder. Her open-toed boots used vines instead of laces, and a blue butterfly sat pinned in her hair.

Applejack arrived not too long after them. Her dress was forest green with a folded collar decorated with a jeweled red apple. She had a brown corset that hugged her middle with a second apple placed at her navel. Her hair was done up in a braided ponytail, and without her stetson hat, Sunset thought she looked quite odd.

Twilight came next, bringing her whole family and Cadence with her. As she stepped out of the car, Sunset’s heart tried to do a backflip, but landed on its face. Twilight wore a shoulderless dark blue dress with purple and white stars decorating the folded skirt. Beneath was a glittering light blue gown that trailed down to her ankles. She had purple bracelets and an orchid in her hair, which was rolled up into a large side bun.

When she stepped onto the sidewalk, she stopped and stared at Sunset, her face turning pink. While Sunset’s face remained its normal color, she too could not take her eyes off Twilight, nor could she think of something to say.

Thankfully, Cadence poked Twilight in the back and said with a happy grin, “Don’t you have something to give Sunset?”

Twilight underwent a quick restart, blinking furiously before clumsily stepping forward in her high heels. She opened her mouth, only to make a soft squeak. She tried again, this time hiding her mouth behind her corsage for Sunset. “You look really beautiful.”

“So do you.” Sunset offered up her own corsage, gently wrapping it around Twilight’s wrist. She watched as Twilight did the same to her, feeling another faint flutter in her heart.

Cadence and Mrs. Velvet pulled their cameras out and began snapping photos of Sunset and Twilight together. Sunset found it easier to smile today.

Pinkie was the last to arrive, bringing their limousine with her. She hopped out with a somersault and threw her arms in the air. “Are you ready to party?” she shouted.

The main portion of her dress was yellow with darker yellow polka-dots. Underneath that were layered ruffles of purple and white that matched the corset and the bow in Pinkie’s hair.

“You all look so wonderful!” Rarity cried, pressing her hands into her cheeks. “Okay, just a few group photos, then we’re off to the night of our lives!”

She herded them onto the front steps and tried to arrange them by color, keeping Rainbow in the center. Sunset managed a genuine smile for the group shots, but with all the picture taking she had already endured, her cheeks were beginning to hurt.

They filed into the limo, finding comfortable positions despite their large number. Their parents cheered and waved them off as Pinkie directed the driver to the Tasty Treat, their restaurant of choice for Prom dinner. Excited chatter and laughter filled the car, their spirits already high before the fun had officially begun.

“So, R.D, what happened to Thunderlane?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow blew a raspberry. “He’s an okay athlete, but we didn’t really connect outside of that. Besides, I only asked him to the Winter Ball to prove a point.” She pointed two fingers at the pairs of Twilight and Sunset, and Rarity and Flash. “You’re not gonna catch me acting all doey-eyed over anyone.”

Rarity paused in her act of feeding Flash a grape from the mini-fridge. “You say that now, darling, but don’t be so sure you won’t find that special someone.”

“Please. There isn’t a guy awesome enough to keep up with me.” Rainbow grinned. “And I mean that literally now. I’m the fastest girl on the planet!”

Pinkie pressed her lips together and snorted, but lost control when Applejack tried and failed to contain her own laughter. Flash couldn’t help but snicker either, while Fluttershy turned red as a beet.

“Immature children,” Rarity said under her breath.

Twilight looked around at her laughing friends. “I don’t get it.”

The Tasty Treat was a family owned hole-in-the-wall restaurant in downtown Canterlot. Rarity had originally rejected it for not being reviewed in the dining column of The Canterlot Times, but after some hard reassurance from Pinkie, eventually gave in. The Indian themed restaurant was on the small side, but with so few guests already there, there was plenty of room to seat nine. Both the host and the head chef clearly had never had such a large party enter before, for their faces lit up in surprise and excitement.

The food proved excellent, sating a craving for spicy food Sunset didn’t know she had. Trixie complained about the decor, but fell silent once their dishes had arrived. Even Rarity with her refined palette admitted that the food was exquisite. Just after six, they took their leave and moved onto the main event.

The Canterlot Castle Hotel stood proud in the center of downtown, spotlights lighting up its ivory body and gold turrets. A silver, three-tiered fountain bubbled in the center of the driveway, surrounded by purple and gold flowers. Palm trees lined the gold dusted walkway to the front entrance. Limo after limo rolled up to drop off students dressed in their absolute best. Even Ditzy looked like a princess in her cheery yellow ball gown, lending her arm to Bulk Biceps.

Pinkie led their party of nine through the polished lobby and up to the third floor. Sunset could feel the music vibrating against the violet carpet, sending a small thrum through her feet. The thumping bass grew stronger as the girls drew closer, and Sunset could feel the shadow of excitement building in her gut.

The doors to the grand ballroom were wide open, and the imposing crystal chandelier had been dimmed, allowing large braziers filled with blue fire to bathe the room in an eerie glow. They hung from the top of the pillars and matched the blue and gold ribbons spiraling below them. Against the back wall was the DJ table, shooting gold laser lights that bounced against the walls. Large tables circled the dance floor, where hundreds of bodies moved, twirled, and grinded against one another to the rhythm of the music.

“Canterlot High!” an unfamiliar voice boomed over the mic. “Make some noise!”

The room shook with their collective yells and hollers of delight. Sunset squinted her eyes at the turntables, finding a red-haired young man instead of Vinyl. As she brought her sights closer to home, she saw Vinyl dancing with Octavia in the middle of the crowd.

Rarity looked into the crowd and wrinkled her nose at some of the suggestive displays happening. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was hoping for a party with a little more class.”

“Are you kidding?” Rainbow asked, her face split with glee. “This is gonna be awesome! Come on, ‘Shy, let’s dance!” Rainbow grabbed Fluttershy’s arm and ran into the crowd, Fluttershy looking both pleased and terrified.

Pinkie put a hand on Sunset’s back. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go out there and find your spark!” She gave Sunset a little shove. Sunset flailed her arms to keep her balance. She looked into the mob of people, her excitement dissolving into apprehension. She felt a hand slide around her arm and looked over to Twilight.

“It’s not really my thing either, but we could give it a try.” She smiled and pushed her glasses up.

Sunset nodded. “Sure. Why not?” She took Twilight by the hand and led her deeper onto the dance floor, but once they found a spot big enough for them to squeeze into, she was unsure what to do next. She watched Twilight give her shoulders alternating bobs in time with the music and followed suit, eventually adding her arms into the mix. The two fell in sync with one another, moving their arms and hips in a motion one could almost consider dancing. Sunset couldn’t help but feel she was doing something wrong. Hadn’t she been fairly good at this before?

A fine layer of sweat had built up on Sunset’s brow and neck by the fourth song. She slowed the movement of her hips and pointed to the refreshment table off in the corner. “Do you want to get some punch?”

Twilight stopped her duck-footed dance and sighed in relief. “That sounds great.”

It took a great deal of maneuvering to escape the writhing mass of dancers, but Sunset and Twilight eventually found their way out, inhaling a wave of cool air upon their escape. Twilight ladled two cups of punch and handed one to Sunset before taking a sip of hers. She quickly spat it back into her cup. “Ugh, Pinkie was right. Someone spiked it.”

Curious, Sunset took a sip and swished it in her mouth. She swallowed and shrugged. “I don’t taste much.”

“Lucky you.” Twilight dumped her punch into the nearest potted plant and got a cup of water instead.

Pinkie pulled herself from the crowd and twirled over, pressing herself against Sunset, an expectant grin on her face. “Soooo, are you having fuuuuun?”

“I’m enjoying myself, yeah. You know how to throw a good party, Pinkie.”

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. “Not good enough. But just wait until the chocolate fondue fountain gets here. Then this party will really knock your socks off!”

Rarity emerged next from the mob, fanning herself with a hand. “Goodness, I can’t believe I’m sweating this much.” She sat down at the nearest empty table, gratefully accepting the cup of punch Sunset offered. She took a sip and frowned. “Of course someone spiked it.”

“Told you,” Twilight said.

Sunset took a seat next to Rarity, taking the weight off her sore feet. Who knew dancing in high-heeled sandals would hurt after a while? She felt a small vibration from the small satchel around her waist and pulled out the new phone the Lulamoons had bought for her. She had a text message from a number that looked familiar. It clicked a second later, and something crawled up her spine. It was the number of her old phone. She swiped the message open, and the crawling came again.

“Girls,” she said, her voice lost in the music. “Girls!” It hadn’t been much louder, but her moving mouth caught their attention. She showed the message to them, watching their faces turn pale.

“‘If you value the lives of your friends, come to the terrace alone’,” Rarity mouthed. She lifted her wide eyes to the others. “Do you think it’s Lamia? Or Tempest?”

“I don’t know.” Sunset bit her lips. “What should I do? They… they could be bluffing. But if they aren’t…” Sunset wildly shook her head, feeling her heart accelerate. “I can’t go back to that place! I can’t lose my soul again!”

Twilight pulled her into a protective hug. “We’re not going to let that happen. Not again.”

Rarity placed a hand on both their shoulders. “She’s right. If they want one of us, they get all of us.”

Pinkie put on a savage grin and punched a fist into her palm. “They’ll get a full ballroom blitz! I’ll go get the team!” She bounced into the crowd.

Sunset got control over her breathing and slipped her hand into Twilight’s, a life preserver in the rising deluge of fear. Pinkie returned promptly, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Trixie, and Flash in tow.

Rainbow rolled out her shoulders, an anxious grin on her face. “I hope it’s Lamia up there so I can give her the butt whooping of a lifetime.”

“Do you really think we can beat her? Or Tempest?” Fluttershy asked.

Applejack popped her knuckles. “It’s nine against one, maybe two. Magic or no magic, Ah like our odds.”

They formed a protective guard around Sunset and proceeded out of the grand ballroom and down the corridors. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to fit into the elevator and ride it up to the twelfth floor. A narrow corridor and a short flight of stairs led them up to the rooftop courtyard. A stone path lined with marble columns split two square patches of grass and led to a balcony overlooking the city.

Sunset squinted her eyes at the skyline around them. The sky and buildings flickered and rippled, moving back and forth in a slow, hypnotic fashion. It was like someone was trying to adjust an old television set.

Sunset’s eyes moved across the balcony. There, leaning against the last pillar, was Lamia.

“Of course you all came.” Her words sounded slurred and forced. “Ask for one and they all come running. Predictable.”

She pushed herself off the pillars and stumbled, hunching forward with her arms swinging lazily. Sunset gently pushed her way to the front of her friends to get a better look. Lamia’s hair was disheveled, thick bags hung under her eyes, her skin was pale and clammy, and she shivered with an occasional violent twitch.

“This plan is stupid. You’re all stupid,” Lamia said, panting.

Applejack put an arm in front of Sunset. “What do you want? You got a lot of nerve showing up here tonight of all nights!”

“That’s what I thought!” Lamia threw a hand up. “But she just loves being dramatic!” She let out a bark of laughter then tapped her temple. “Not right in the head, that one. None of them are right in the head. I’m not right in the head anymore!”

She gripped her skull. “I can’t get her to stop. Somebody make her stop. She won’t stop talking… won’t stop hating everything!”

Sunset’s soul shuddered. She felt a pull toward Lamia—a desire to touch, to connect. Was it some kind of empathy? Sunset could see the pain and confusion on Lamia’s face. Something about the whole situation seemed peculiar. “Are you okay?”

Lamia’s eye honed in on Sunset. “You! How did you deal with this? How did you handle this everyday?”

“What do you—”

“I don’t want this anymore!” Lamia clawed at her chest as a sinister blue aura engulfed her body. “I don’t want to be anyone’s pawn! I don’t want this magic! I don’t want your soul! I—” Her rant was cut short as the blue light erupted into a pillar that reached into the night sky. A pained scream came from within, morphing into malicious laughter.

Sunset brought her arm down as the light began to fade, then stumbled back into Twilight’s arms as her worst nightmare hovered overhead. Scarlet’s shadow engulfed them, her wings blocking out the crescent moon.

“She put up one hell of a fight that time.” Scarlet lifted her arms. “But I always win in the end. And oh look, everyone’s here tonight! Boy, this brings back a lot of memories! Like the time you hit me with a rainbow and left me in a crater.”

“Man, you really need to let that go,” Pinkie said.

Scarlet showed off her fangs. “You’re right. We should move on from the past and let bygones be bygones.” She crafted a fireball in her hand. “So, this isn’t for the Fall Formal. This is just because I don’t like you.”

“Scatter!” Applejack yelled. They broke across the terrace, narrowly avoiding the first attack.

Sunset thanked their lucky stars they all managed to move quick enough in their dresses and heels. Her friends were scattered about the courtyard, with Trixie battling Scarlet, firing small lightning bolts from her wand.

Applejack, who had landed across from Sunset, turned toward Flash. “You get outta here! Don’t let anyone come up to rooftop, and if this fight looks like it’s about to get messy, try to get everyone outta the building!”

Flash helped Rarity to her feet and cast an uneasy glance at Scarlet cackling in midair. “Y-yeah, I think I can handle that.” He gave Rarity a quick peck on the lips. “Just be careful, okay?” He ran off before Rarity could respond, with Scarlet paying him no mind.

“You know,” she said, batting Trixie’s magic away with a wing, “as much as I’d love to turn you all to ash, there is a simple solution that will let you all walk away alive… for now.”

Rainbow looked out from behind a pillar. “Yeah right!”

“It’s true. I just want Sunset. Give her to me, and I’ll leave the rest of you alone.”

“Screw you!”

Sunset snuck behind a pillar and huddled against it, trembling uncontrollably. Come on, she willed her body. Do something. Yet her legs had frozen in place. If you give yourself up, your friends might live.

“Why do you even want Sunset?” Twilight shouted.

Scarlet created a ball of fire which morphed into a ring and spread out from around herself, forcing everyone to duck again under the heat wave. “Mostly, I’m just following orders. I’ve been promised the power of a god if I help these losers. But I have to admit, I’m getting real tired of all these rules and orders. I haven’t gotten to run free in days!”

She curled her fingers, and several of the floors tiles ripped themselves from the ground, then flung themselves in Applejack’s direction. “So forgive me if I indulge a little!”

Applejack dove for the ground, avoiding the stone projectiles, only to have them come back around for a divebomb. Sunset screamed, both at the oncoming assault, and at Rarity running to intercept it.

Rarity threw herself in front of Applejack and crossed her arms in front of her, like it might cushion the impact. Sunset threw an arm over her eyes and bit her lip, waiting to hear a scream and a crunch of bone. Instead, she heard the tiles collide with steel. Sunset lowered her arm and gasped in time with everyone else.

Before Rarity floated a diamond shaped shield, glittering like it was made from the actual precious gem. Rarity herself had ponied up, her horn glowing as bright as her diamond. “Oh… wow…” She lowered her arms, watching as the shield faded away.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Applejack said.

Rarity looked back at her. “O-of course. I just… wasn’t expecting to live through that.”

“Yeah, that’s a disappointment for all of us.” Scarlet drifted closer, a dark energy ball in hand. “But, that problem can be easily corrected.”

A rainbow blur crashed into her backside and sent her down into the grass, giving her a mouthful of dirt. The blur stopped in front of Applejack and Rarity, grabbed them both by the wrists, and before Sunset knew it, three of her friends stood before her.

Rainbow looked at Sunset, brow furrowed and eyes hard, but her voice held a note of desperation. “We need a plan, now.”

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Because you’re the leader! And because you have the most know-how on magical stuff, and—” Rainbow grabbed them all by the wrist and rushed to the other side of the courtyard. Sunset got a brief since of whiplash before she even knew what had happened. She looked back and saw a pile of cinders where they had all been standing a second ago.

Scarlet perched on the pillar across from them. “You twerps are really starting to piss me off!” Her hair billowed up like an erupting volcano. “Give me Sunset, and I might spare most of your lives!”

Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight ran to stand next to their friends. Pinkie threw her arms out. “If you want her, you have to get through all of us!”

“Fine by me!” Scarlet lifted both hands over her head, conjuring a fire bomb. “Let Tempest throw her hissy fit! It’s time to settle our score once and for all!” She pushed herself off the pillar and rose higher into the air.

“Think you can make another shield, Rarity?” Applejack asked as the group huddled together.

Rarity lifted her hands. “I don’t know if I can make one big enough to block that.”

“The last time this happened, all our pony powers turned on and we made a rainbow,” Pinkie said. She made a weak optimistic smile. “Maybe it’ll happen again?”

Behind Scarlet, Trixie created a lasso from the tip of her wand and flung it around Scarlet’s middle. She gave a harsh tug, interrupting Scarlet’s conjuring. With a loud hiss, the demon lowered one hand and released a pulse of black magic.

Trixie yelped and dodged out of the way, severing her rope’s connection. She perfectly avoided the first shot. The second, however, caught her in its blast radius and swept her into the air. With a loud cry, she hit the railing of the roof and tumbled over it.

“Trixie!” Sunset screamed.

Scarlet sneered and threw the fire bomb toward them with a flick of her wrist. Sunset felt the intense heat against her face, a hundred fire ants biting her skin as the fire descended. She watched Rarity thrust her hands out, conjuring a larger shield than the first time, but far too small to block the fire.

Just like all my nightmares, Sunset thought, clutching tight against Twilight, the heat drying her tears out. This is how they die. By my hand.

A white outline drew itself around the conflagration, halting its fall. The fire shrank more and more until it was back down to the size of a baseball. The outline vanished, and the fire bounced harmlessly off Rarity’s shield.

“Did I do that or…?”

“Moondancer!” Twilight shouted, pointing up to another pillar.

Everyone’s head turned upward as a ray of light dropped from the sky and struck Scarlet in the chest, sending her crashing into the dirt. Moondancer touched down upon the pillar a second later. She wore her white dress with billowing sleeves that flapped in the wind. A pair of wings made from moonlight fanned out from her back, glowing under the night sky.

The smile she gave made the hairs on Sunset’s neck stand up. It was strained, cracking almost, and the look in her eyes was one of fury hiding behind sadistic glee. It was, Sunset thought, rather insane.

“My sincerest apologies for the scare, everyone,” Moondancer said, waving at them in a welcoming gesture. “Let me assure you that only one of you will die tonight. The rest will be kept nice and safe while your souls are sleeping.”

The hopeful light in Twilight’s eyes died. “M-Moondancer… what do you mean?”

Scarlet snarled as she pulled herself off the ground. “You ungrateful brat! What do you think you’re doing?”

Moondancer gave her a sharp look. “You were not ordered to kill them.”

“I’m doing you a favor, honestly. They’re all more trouble than they’re worth.”

“You’ll follow orders or suffer the consequences!”

“Moondancer!” Twilight shouted, drawing both hers and Scarlet’s attention. “What’s going on?”

The maniacal look in Moondancer’s eye flickered and dimmed. She turned her head away.

Scarlet laughed. “Isn’t it obvious? Moondancer’s been playing for the bad guys the whole time, haven’t you, Moony?”

She growled and clenched her fists.

“But, she’s screwed up pretty bad this time. So, she’s going to sacrifice all of you to save her own skin. Either she takes your souls, or Tempest takes hers. Of course, there is the easy way out of this and we just kill all of you here.”

Moondancer hissed. “There’s only one person who has to die tonight. That’ll put an end to the universe’s favoritism.”

Twilight inched to the front of the group, every part of her shaking, even her voice. “She’s… she’s lying, right, Moony? This is some kind of joke, right? You… you would never kill anyone.”

“And that’s where you’d be wrong, Sparky,” Scarlet said, rising into the air again. “She’s the one who told Tempest about Sunset’s magic. She’s why they went after Sunset. That’s why you were pretending to be friends with all of them, right? You wanted to see how their magic worked.”

A red haze drifted over Moondancer’s pupils. “Shut up, Scarlet,” she said, clenching her jaw.

Scarlet put a finger against her bottom lip. “Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?”

“You bitch!” Rainbow shouted. She raced into the air, her fist aimed at Moondancer.

Moondancer angrily swatted her hand through the air, and a vicious gale funneled around Rainbow and threw her hard onto the ground. Sunset swore she heard a bone crack.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy was ponied up and racing to Rainbow’s side the second she hit the ground. Fluttershy didn’t even notice the fireball aimed at her, and thanks to Rarity, never did.

Rarity snapped her wrist out, and a blue shield appeared in the air between Fluttershy and the fire, taking the blow.

“Stop trying to kill them!” Moondancer yelled at Scarlet.

“The thing is,” Scarlet began with a sadistically amused grin, “they’re like cockroaches. They never die when you want them to anyway.”

“I told you, I need them alive! You can kill Sunset after I get her soul back!”

Sunset sucked in a shuddering gasp. She knew Moondancer didn’t like her, maybe even hated her. But that she wanted Sunset dead? And she had already sold Sunset out once before? Sunset wiped a few tears away, but they were nothing compared to stream flowing down Twilight’s face.

She had one hand clutched tightly onto Sunset’s shoulder while the other made a trembling fist. “Moondancer,” she choked out, “how could you?”

The red haze in Moondancer’s eyes vanished. “I—”

“Moondancer!”

Every head turned to the edge of the roof, where Trixie had just climbed back over, the hem of her dress badly torn. “Take it off, Moondancer!” She thrust her hand out, like she was expecting something returned.

Moondancer clutched at her blouse protectively, her eyes turning red again. “Go home, Trixie! This does not concern you! Go home and forget what you saw!”

Trixie stepped forward tentatively. “Moondancer,” she said pacifically, “I know what it’s like to be forced to do something you don’t want to do. Please, let me help.”

“You can help by leaving! I appreciate the sentiment, cousin, but you cannot fathom my situation right now!” Moondancer’s voice broke and she clapped a hand over her eyes, trying to stop a tear from falling. “You can’t…. I have to do this. I have to take their souls, or she’s going to take mine. I have to survive!”

“Moondancer—aaaah!” Trixie cut her sentence to deflect a stream of fire toward the balcony.

“Yeah, it’s shame, really,” Scarlet said, unleashing a second blazing inferno with her other hand. “Guess I’ll settle for killing only one Lulamoon tonight!”

Moondancer struck Scarlet down with a pearl of light. It denoted against Scarlet’s back and flung her toward the door.

“Curb your blood lust or else I add your souls to the delivery pile!” Moondancer bellowed. “The rest of you, stand still, and I will make this as painless as possible!” She raised both of her hands into the air, and a salvo of light flares fired into the air before raining back down upon the terrace.

Everyone snapped out of the trance created by the spectacle between the Lulamoon cousins and Scarlet. Rarity threw one hand up and crafted a shield above the remaining Spectacular Seven. Trixie created a half-bubble above her head. Rainbow and Fluttershy, however, were still in the open.

Rainbow scooped Fluttershy in her arms and zipped in between the light spheres. It almost looked like a high-speed choreographed dance with how Rainbow moved her feet and twirled about with Fluttershy. Despite Rainbow’s surprising amount of grace, a sphere touched the tip of her wing, and she dropped to the ground, her body stiff as stone. Fluttershy rolled across the stone path and jumped to her feet, only to be hit as well and fall to the ground, eyes wide with horror but unable to so much as twitch.

Applejack let out a bellow like an enraged bull and charged out from under Rarity’s protection. She ran to the pillar Moondancer was perched on and slammed her heel into it. It exploded in a shower of dust and rubble, dropping Moondancer to the ground just as Scarlet lobbed a mass of wildfire at her.

Moondancer’s wings caught her, and she spiraled to the right, avoiding Applejack’s fist and Scarlet’s fire. After she gained some distance, Moondancer formed two balls of light tinged with a blood red aura and fired them at Applejack and Scarlet.

Scarlet met hers with a blast of fire. Applejack drew her fist back, but a small diamond shield appeared between her and the attack. Applejack punched it instead.

The shield flew forward, smashed through the light ball, and carried on to crash into Moondancer, throwing her back several yards.

“I don’t know how long I can keep this up!” Rarity yelled, crafting another shield around Rainbow and Fluttershy as Scarlet turned her attention on them again.

Trixie brandished her wand and unleashed a bundle of ropes that lashed out and bound Moondancer’s arms to her side. She thrashed against them, uttering a loud curse.

“Go!” Trixie called to Rarity and Applejack. “I’ll help your friends! You handle the demon.”

Applejack nodded to Rarity, then grabbed a chunk of the fallen pillar and hurled it at Scarlet. She blasted it to ash, then dived at Applejack, claws wreathed in flames. They collided against Rarity’s shield, and just like before, Applejack punched it forward, throwing Scarlet into the wall.

Sunset watched the entire procession with her hands pressed against her mouth. This is all my fault. I’m the one Moondancer really wants. If I had come up here alone, they all wouldn’t be in this mess. If… if I had stayed in the Soul Lock...

Beside her, Pinkie danced on her toes, looking like she desperately wanted to do something, but didn’t know what. Twilight appeared to be watching, but there was a haunted look in her eyes, like she had just seen someone die. Her eyes widened quickly, and her head shot in Moondancer’s direction. She had broken free of her bonds and was rushing toward them on her wings.

Applejack and Rarity were following up on their attack, and Trixie was waving her wand over Rainbow and Fluttershy. Pinkie ran up to meet Moondancer, her pony features coming to life. But before she could do anything, Moondancer cupped a silver orb in her hand and slammed it into Pinkie’s stomach. She wheezed and wrapped her arms around her middle as she collapsed to the ground, whimpering in pain.

Moondancer advanced on Sunset and Twilight, a rapier appearing in her left hand. “Let the stars bear witness to the moon eclipsing the sun.” Her jagged smile returned and a red mist gathered around her eyelids. “This world’s spotlight shines for one.”

Twilight stepped in front of Sunset and threw her arms out. “I won’t let you do this!” Her voice shook, not with fear, but with a sadness Sunset could only barely begin to comprehend.

Moondancer stumbled back, as if seeing Twilight for the first time. She shook her head, then pointed her sword forward. “Step aside, little star.”

“Don’t call me that.” Her voice grew tighter.

The mist around Moondancer’s eyes faded. “Twilight,” she said, her voice more controlled, “please move.”

“Why?” The question rang not just in Sunset’s ears, but across the whole terrace. It was so heavy that she felt the atmosphere shift, and saw Moondancer hunch her shoulders.

“Because she stole everything from me,” Moondancer said in a breathless whisper. “She, a faceless background character, comes in and steals everything I was working toward. She gets magic, she gets my family, she gets you! I’ve been patient! I’ve done my waiting! It’s time I took something! I don’t care if it’s hollow—I don’t care if it’s fleeting! I’ll take revenge and the satisfaction of knowing that Sunset Shimmer can’t beat me ever again!”

She slashed her sword through the air. “Now, move, Twilight! I wish no harm to fall upon you, but I will make you move if I must!”

Twilight stood her ground, arms still fanned out. “You’re not getting to her, Moondancer. Not without a fight.”

Something flickered in Sunset’s heart. A quick spark before it faded away. But Sunset recognized it for what it was: deep, unfathomable affection and admiration.

Moondancer stared at the pair of them, her mouth drawing into a thin line. “Of course,” she growled.

With a thrust of her hand, another gale whipped up and threw Twilight aside. Moondancer took a menacing step forward. “You won’t die yet. I still need your soul. But I promise you, this will hurt.”

A far away instinct, like a quiet voice in her ear, told Sunset to fight back. But she had no idea what to do. She put her fists up in defense, but where did she go from here?

A light so intense came from Sunset’s feet that she had to shield her eyes. She heard a bang and several pops like a firework, and Moondancer shout in surprise. The light faded from behind Sunset’s eyelids, and when she looked, Moondancer was back in the air, fanning the hem of her smoking dress.

Pinkie got to her feet. In one hand she held what looked like a compressed cluster of multicolored lights. They swirled around each other, never leaving Pinkie’s palm.

Sunset didn’t like the way Pinkie smiled. It was a smile of one who had just been given an unreasonable amount of power. “Leave my friends alone!” she shouted, and hurled the prismatic clump at Moondancer. It exploded and let off a burst of colors, just like a firework, lighting up the sky for a brief moment.

Moondancer had danced to the side to avoid it, but a different multichromatic blur streaked into the air and punched her across the face.

Rainbow continued on to rescue a struggling Rarity from Scarlet’s onslaught of fire. She dropped her off in front of Sunset, then looped back around to grab Applejack before she could become Scarlet’s next target.

Sunset hurried over to Twilight, who sat on the ground, looking dazed. She looked up at Sunset’s approach.

“I’m sorry.”

Sunset cocked her head. “For what?”

A jet of fire from one side, and a beam of light from the other stopped Twilight from responding. Rarity threw her arms up and encased them all in a massive forcefield, but the combined energy from both attacks shattered it upon impact.

Rarity swooned and fell to the ground, her ears and horn fading away. “I’m… at my limits,” she panted. “I’m so sorry.”

“Good effort, girls,” Scarlet said, looking battered. Her frock was scuffed and torn along the waist. She brought her hands close together, generating a pulsing black sphere. “But, ultimately futile. There’s no princess to save you. Tonight, you die!”

Moondancer let out a errant scream and flung a bolt of magic at Scarlet, disrupting her dark spell. “You savage, moronic animal! I need them alive!”

“And I don’t care what you want! I’m going to kill all of them!” Scarlet pointed a claw at Moondancer. “Hell, you can join them! Nobody’s going to miss you! Tempest can whine if she wants; I just want all of you to die!”

Scarlet rushed at Moondancer, balls of fire in her palms. Moondancer gracefully stepped to one side and slashed at Scarlet’s arm, leaving a sizeable gash. In a fury, Scarlet brought her other arm around, and Moondancer ducked under it, raising her sword in an uppercut slash. Scarlet propelled herself backward with a flap of her wings, but still got a nick across her chin. She unleashed both her fireballs, snarling in fury when Moondancer repelled both of them with a protective bubble.

Perhaps it was Sunset’s imagination, but it looked like Scarlet’s fire was getting steadily weaker.

The rest of her friends regrouped, taking the opportunity to catch their breaths. Fluttershy had her hands over Rarity, bathing her in soothing waves of pink.

Pinkie watched the fight above them unfold, another firework in her hand. “So, are we rooting for Moondancer?”

Applejack crossed her arms. “Let’s be honest. We’re rooting against Scarlet.”

“Perhaps it would be best for us to take our leave,” Rarity suggested.

“And what happens when they’re finished?” Applejack asked. “Scarlet wins, she’ll come and burn down the whole ballroom. Moondancer wins… who knows what she’ll do.”

Twilight winced every time Moondancer’s name came up. Sunset put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, feeling it shake under her touch. Twilight looked back at her, more pain than sadness in her eyes.

“Sunset, I’m sorry,” she said again, her words almost inaudible.

“It’s not your fault.” It felt like a prerecorded message, but it was all Sunset could think to say. Her mind was trying to process eight different thoughts at once. On top of the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she still felt a pull inside her chest. A longing to be whole again.

She watched Scarlet rip a pillar from the ground with her magic and try to smash Moondancer. There was an intense fire in Scarlet’s eye that seemed familiar.

No…

Lamia’s pained words before her transformation echoed back to Sunset. “I don’t want your soul!”

Sunset pressed a hand to her heart. That was it, wasn’t it? Scarlet was part of her. The missing piece—that was where it went. Scarlet had Sunset’s flame. Now, how did Sunset get it back?

Do I want it back?

Scarlet threw the entire pillar at Moondancer and the hotel behind her. Moondancer caught it in her magical grip and used it as a shield against Scarlet’s burst of fire.

Sunset could remember becoming that monster. Taking Scarlet back meant taking back all of the darkness. All of the anger and hatred that she had bottled up and carried with her for years.

The light around the pillar grew in intensity, and its shape split and narrowed. Golden chains danced where the pillar had been, and with a snap of Moondancer’s fingers, they lunged at Scarlet. She disintegrated one with her burning palms, but the rest coiled around her, locking her arms against her sides and her wings against her back. She fell and hit the concrete with a mighty thud!

But if Sunset didn’t take her back, she would never be whole again. She would never be able to truly feel. And Lamia… she was in tremendous pain taking on Sunset’s darkness.

Moondancer aimed her palm at Scarlet. “Looks like this is farewell, treacherous beast. You shall not be missed.” Light gathered at the center of her hand and exploded forth.

Scarlet raised her head and roared, a jet of fire spewing from her mouth. The two forces collided, lighting up the terrace with flashes of red and white.

Sunset saw Moondancer’s light slowly overcoming Scarlet’s fire, and felt conviction stir within her. “Girls, I know how this is going to sound, but we can’t let Moondancer finish off Scarlet.”

Rainbow looked at her like she was crazy. “Yeah, you better have a good reason.”

Pinkie gasped and slapped a hand against her forehead. “Because Scarlet is part of Sunset! She needs her to be Sunset again!”

Rainbow frowned. “Okay, that’s a pretty good reason,” she said begrudgingly.

“And because Lamia is still in there,” Sunset said. “You saw how she was before she transformed. She didn’t want this. I know she kidnapped me but… we have to help her.”

“Ah’m guessing you have a plan?” Applejack asked, watching the beam struggle turn in Moondancer’s favor.

Sunset bit her lips. “I have… a hypothesis.”

“Good enough,” Rainbow said. “What’s the plan?”

“Distract Moondancer, please.”

Rainbow gave her wings a quick ruffle. “Oh, I’m all over that!” She took to the air, looping around the light beam and up to Moondancer, giving her a solid shoulder tackle to the side. The beam dissipated, leaving the fire to erupt through the air.

“Rainbow Dash, how dare you interrupt me! I’m about to rid the world of this darkness!”

“And then, you were gonna steal our souls!” Rainbow put her fists up. “Sorry if I’m not in a grateful mood!”

While Rainbow threw the first punch, Sunset approached Scarlet, still struggling in her chains. Sunset took baby steps, freezing for a second every time her feet matched up. I can do this. She took another step, froze again, gathered her courage, then took another step. Almost there.

Scarlet snapped her head toward her, and Sunset became no more than well-dressed stone.

“You. Maybe I can’t beat Moondancer, but I can still beat you!” Scarlet opened her mouth, an orange glow rising in her throat.

“You need me!” Sunset blurted out.

The glow faded. “I need you?” Scarlet said with humorous disbelief.

Sunset inched closer. “You’re only half complete. And so am I. We’re two halves of the same person. We need each other to survive. Lamia is only human—she doesn’t have any magic in her. You’re feeding off the surrounding magic and it’s fading. I can tell. And I bet you sharing a body isn’t healthy for her either.”

Scarlet made a resentful growl. “Her body is as weak as her will. But I just need her as a vessel. My own strength will come back in time. And then, I’ll have the powers of a god! So no, I don’t need you.” She flexed her arms against the chains, straining their durability.

“You’ve done nothing but shoved me away and ignored me!” she grunted. “I won’t be denied any longer! You’re going to regret throwing away your past—your power!”

The chains snapped, and Sunset threw herself back into the protective arms of her friends as Scarlet stretched her wings and lifted herself up before them.

“This is where you die.” Scarlet’s hand glowed molten red. Rarity raised her arms and tried to conjure another shield, but Scarlet swiped her hand and shattered it like glass. “Sunset first, then the rest of you will follow.”

Pinkie threw her firework, and the blast pushed Scarlet back, but otherwise only irritated her. She glided forward, hand outstretched.

Twilight stood in front of Sunset again. “I will not move this time! I will not lose her again!”

Scarlet drew her hand back. “Don’t worry. The separation will be temporary!”

As Scarlet struck her claws forward, a fleeting inferno blazed through Sunset’s soul. She shoved Twilight out of the way and raised her hand to meet Scarlet’s. They connected, and before Sunset could feel the blistering pain, her world went white.

Author's Note

I hate describing dresses...

Forgot to mention: yes, I borrowed Rarity's gem shields from Legend of Everfree because, awesome! I made adjustments to Pinkie's powers.

11. Fathers and Daughters

Trixie kept a tight grip on her hat as she sprinted through the underbrush, ducking and weaving through vines and low hanging branches. Her cape snagged on something sharp, but a hard tug set it free. The rancorous yells and jeers had become uncomfortably close in that short break. Trixie broke into a run again, fumbling her hand in her pocket to pull her wand out. Her sweaty fingers had a hard time getting a grip, and she nearly dropped it once it was finally free.

With a hop and a twirl, Trixie pointed her wand at the ground behind her and shouted, “Lulamoon!”

The ground rumbled and churned. Green tendrils began to spring up, growing as high as Trixie’s ankle before halting and blossoming into tulips.

Trixie gave a frustrated shout and stomped her foot. “That was supposed to be a wall of vines and thorns!”

An iron spear whizzed dangerously close to her head and embedded itself in a nearby tree. She could see the silhouette of her pursuers in the green canopy rapidly drawing closer. Forgoing magic, Trixie broke into a run again, hating the amount of sweat this adventure had caused so far.

The humidity of the jungle didn’t help. Trixie felt like she was trying to breathe underwater. Insects struck her as she ran, gluing themselves to her bare arms. She wasn’t sure what made her angrier: the fact that her repellent spell hadn’t worked, or that the bugs were still alive when they struck her and liked to bite!

Trixie wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep running. Her lungs burned and her legs ached. She desperately wanted to pause and take a long draught from her canteen, even if the water was lukewarm. Her foot caught on a root and she stumbled and tottered before catching herself. Just as she righted her posture, something grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her off course into a tree.

The trunk rippled like water as she fell through it and into her father’s arms. Artemis pressed a finger to his lips, but Trixie didn’t need to be told to keep quiet. She was too busy catching her breath in the cool space to bother with words anyhow.

The angry mob drew closer, shaking the ground with the force of their footsteps. Trixie tensed as the shouts surrounded them on both sides, English mixed in with the native tongue: cries to tie up the intruders and burn them at the stake. Trixie was too young and pretty to be burnt alive!

But the screams and stomps rolled past them with no one slipping into the tree to take hold of them. When the jungle fell silent, Artemis peeked his head out, then gestured for Trixie to follow after him.

She slipped out from the illusion, feeling the full humidity of the region again. Insects hummed and a warthog snorted somewhere in the distance, but the Lulamoons were alone.

“So…” Artemis put his hands on his hips and gave Trixie a stern look. “What have we learned today?”

Trixie took one more breath to refresh her lungs. “Don’t assume the natives can’t speak English when you insult their village?”

Artemis rubbed his temples. “Close enough. Let’s go before they double back.” He marched off through the greenery, a pep in his step like they hadn’t just been chased.

Well, if her father wasn’t worried about it, then neither was Trixie. She followed close behind, trying to rub the remaining bugs off her arms.

Aside from the bugs, angry natives, and less than favorable climates, Trixie had been enjoying her world tour. Sure, they still hadn’t found the Rainbow of Light, but Trixie had got to see so many new cities and people! They had outrun an avalanche, fought off a tiger, and snuck into a forbidden temple of doom! Sure, it had already been emptied, but it was still cool.

And yet...

Trixie frowned as she scrubbed off the last mosquito. Every time they were in danger, her magic didn’t want to cooperate, no matter how hard she tried. Even simple spells were an effort to cast. She didn’t understand; her father made it look so easy. And she was his daughter, so it must be easy for her too, right? She was fine when they practiced, but here in the real world…

It couldn’t be stage fright. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie! She wasn’t scared of anything! She had absolute confidence in her powers!

She sighed. Perhaps she just wasn’t trying hard enough. Yes, that was it. She just had to try harder. She had a great family name to live up to, after all. She would make her father and all her ancestors proud.

They continued their trek through the dense foliage, the sun reaching its zenith and the heat and humidity reaching a new record. With no path to follow, they had to tread lightly on the soft, loamy soil, watching for stray animals or quicksand. Artemis tried not to cut down any plant out of respect to the already furious indigenous people.

After an hour of walking and Trixie finally getting her insect repellent spell to work, the jungle thinned out to a short cliff face. Large roots jutted out from it thanks to the healthy trees above.

Artemis reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn scrap of parchment. “Judging by the map, there should be an opening somewhere close by.” The jagged and jutting rocks made spotting any entrance difficult.

“It could also be magically concealed,” Trixie said.

“Excellent point, little moon! We must keep an extra sharp eye out.”

They stuck close to the wall, Artemis running his hand against the surface. Trixie tapped random parts of the wall with her wand, hoping for any kind of reaction. She begged for them to find it soon so they could escape this horrid heat.

As she dragged her wand against the rock, Trixie felt a jittery tingle run up her arm. She doubled back, feeling it again as she tapped around. “Haha! Father, Trixie has found it!”

Artemis hopped back over and poked the wall with his own wand. “Why yes, Trixie, you have! Brilliant as always!”

Trixie’s ears turned pink.

Artemis stepped back and made a sweeping gesture with his wand. “Lulamoon!”

There was a mighty crack and a spray of dust as a fragment of the wall fell away, forming a narrow crevice for them to squeeze through.

“I’ll go first,” Artemis said, raising his wand. “Stay close behind me.”

He slipped into the crevice, having to turn sideways to do so. Trixie tailed him, being just skinny enough to squeeze through normally.

The temperature dropped drastically, as did the lighting. It was near pitch black when the crevice opened up into a small cavern. Artemis lit his wand, tinting the room in a blue hue. Trixie did the same, her wand sparking and sputtering a few times before igniting.

“Do you think the Rainbow of Light is here?” Trixie asked just as she had at every cave, temple, and pawn shop they had come across.

“I’d be lying if I said I was confident,” Artemis said. “But that skeleton was clutching this map desperately, and the one rune on here I can decipher is ‘magic.’ Something magical is in here.”

Trixie didn’t want to lose faith but was starting to wonder if this was a wild goose chase. What if the Rainbow of Light didn’t even exist?

But Megan and Merlin had to have beaten Tirek with something.

Whether or not the rainbow existed, Trixie doubted they would find it in here. Water dripped down from sharp stalagmites into shallow pools, the only source of noise apart from the crunch of hers and her father’s boots. The still air and silence made Trixie almost miss the buzz of insects in the jungle.

But, while the cave was devoid of life, it was also devoid of skeletons. Trixie had had enough of them back in the temple. She’d be perfectly happy going through the rest of her life never seeing another one again, including her own.

The path before them sloped downward, steadily at first, then into a steep drop. Twice, Trixie nearly lost her footing thanks to the runoff from the dripping water.

“Hmmm. This seems a bit too easy,” Artemis said once the path had leveled out again. “Not that I’m complaining, but usually something tries to kill us by now.”

“Does the angry mob not count?” Trixie asked, an edge of irritability in her voice. “Trixie prefers it being easy.”

“So do I, but the fact that it is makes me nervous.” Artemis continued forward, occasionally giving his wand an extra wave and distorting the blue light.

They were halfway down the last slope when the ground moaned behind them and a rumbling upset their footing. It grew louder, with loose gravel falling from the ceiling.

Trixie groaned. “Don’t tell Trixie it’s another boulder.”

Sure enough, speeding toward them was an obsidian ball of stone, taking up the entire passageway. Artemis and Trixie gave long-standing sighs before Artemis grabbed Trixie by the shoulder.

“Lulamoon!” The world popped out of existence, throwing Trixie into a colorful void. It lasted for only a second before everything popped back. Artemis and Trixie stood in the same spot, but the boulder was now rolling away from them. They watched it disappear into the dark, carrying on for almost a minute before a terrifying smashing noise echoed back to them.

Artemis sighed again. “It’s like every civilization got the same idea for a boulder at the same time. It’s so cliché now.”

Trixie couldn’t help but snicker. Only her father would find a boulder run cliché.

They carried on down the tunnel, following the boulder’s path. When they caught up to it, they found it had crashed into the entrance to the next room. Artemis pointed his wand at the rock. The blue light disappeared, leaving the tunnel to be illuminated only by Trixie. The light from his wand transferred around the rock in a soft glow. Slowly, it shrank down, diminishing from its massive size down to a marble over the course of a minute.

Artemis kicked it away and stepped into the room beyond. It was a large box made up of tiles in different shades of brown. They lined the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. Each tile had the same symbol on it: a wide eye with a tiny red pupil. The only panel in the room that didn’t was the one Artemis currently stood on. Resting at the back of the room was a small plinth with long wooden staff standing upright. A glowing crystal sat nestled between two sharp branches.

Trixie slumped her shoulders. “Something tells Trixie that’s not the Rainbow of Light.”

“Correct,” a cool voice said from behind.

Artemis and Trixie whipped around, wands pointed. Strutting down the tunnel, dressed in a dark traveling cloak was the woman from Prom, the one who had ordered Moondancer to leave. A triangular golden amulet hung from her neck. One look at it made Trixie’s skin crawl and her soul shudder.

“You,” Artemis growled. “You must be Tempest Shadow.”

Tempest made a small mock bow. “It’s an honor to meet the famous Artemis Lulamoon. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“What did you do to my niece?” Artemis shouted.

“Nothing that she didn’t bring onto herself.” Tempest curled her lips into a smirk. “Everything she’s done has been a free and conscious choice.”

Artemis narrowed his eyes. “Funny enough, I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you wish. Now, I will ask you once to step aside. I would like to take what’s in that room.”

Trixie brought herself to her fullest height. “Never! We found it first! Also, you’re probably going to use it for something nefarious.”

“I suppose that depends on your definition of ‘nefarious.’ Regardless, I expected such an answer.”

A shadowy pressure descended upon the tunnel. Trixie felt the temperature drop even further, making her almost long for the heat outside. A wind whipped around Tempest’s cloak, revealing a suit of light, thin armor plating. Trixie saw one of her arms was whole, albeit covered with scars and pockmarks. The other was missing from just below the shoulder, or it was until a rush of shadows swarmed down and formed a full functioning arm ending in sharp claws.

“Trixie, go get the staff,” Artemis said, his voice absent of all his normal joviality.

“But—”

“Now!”

Trixie turned and entered the chamber. A flash of light from behind compelled Trixie to turn around and look. Artemis was holding off Tempest’s shadow arm with a shield of light. He pushed her back and with a sweep of his wand, summoned bright doves to divebomb her. Tempest raked her claws through one, turning it to white dust before she was attacked by the others.

Turning her focus back to her given task, Trixie took her first step onto one of the tiles. She heard a short hum to her left and had a split second to duck and throw herself forward before a jet of red light blasted out from one of the tiles on the wall. When she hit the ground, three more hums sounded, and three more red lasers, one from the ceiling, one from the back wall, and one from the right, all blasted at her.

Trixie screamed and rolled up and out of the way before jumping back as another laser came from above, then another from the left, then from the right, then from the left again. No matter where she stepped, a laser blasted from one of the tile eyes.

She danced back and forth, desperate to not get fried. A laser shot down through her cape, leaving a gaping singe mark. She screamed again and threw herself back to the entrance, landing on the only safe square. The lasers stopped and Trixie doubled over, taking a large gasp of air.

Artemis flew over Trixie’s head, tucking into a roll as he landed and springing to his feet just as seven lasers fired at him from all directions. He spun, ducked, and jumped, dodging most by the skin of his teeth. One fired through his hat, leaving a hole similar to the one in Trixie’s cape. Another one brushed against his shoulder, and he yelled in pain as it seared his skin.

“Father!”

Artemis jumped again, waving his wand as he did. Before he landed, a blue sigil appeared beneath his feet, floating just above the ground. Instead of the tiles, he landed on the sigil, and the lasers stopped.

Trixie turned back toward the tunnel in time to see five shadowy claws reaching for her. She hopped backwards and thrust her wand forward, shooting a desperate beam of purple energy forward. It hit Tempest’s shadow hand, forcing her to recoil, but Trixie was now left to the mercy of the laser blasts again.

“Trixie, bubble shield!” Artemis called.

She hopped to the left to avoid getting shot and frantically swung her wand, trying hard to think of a shield around herself.

A shield did pop up, but it formed around Tempest instead, who had been watching the chaos with a bemused expression up until that point. Her grin melted and she punched the bubble. It wobbled but stayed firm.

Thinking quick, Trixie ran forward and shoved Tempest back down the hall, Tempest turning and tumbling inside the dark blue sphere. It bounced against a sharp rock and popped, freeing Tempest and dropping her on her back. She rolled up and charged toward Trixie.

Trixie pointed her wand out, imagining the doves like her father had summoned and cried, “Lulamoon!”

A few motes of light drifted out and floated toward the ceiling.

“Eeep!” Trixie huddled as Tempest lobbed a ball of dark energy at her.

Artemis jumped in front of Trixie and swung his wand like a tennis racket, knocking the energy ball back. He then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a deck of cards. Like a Las Vegas dealer, he whipped the cards out onto the ground at breakneck speed, lining the space between them and Tempest.

Tempest smacked the energy ball into the wall where it left a deep singe mark, then stared blankly at the cards on the ground. “What kind of dumb trick is this?”

“I call it, solitaire!” Artemis flicked his wand upward. The cards crackled with electricity before arcs of lighting shot up to the ceiling. They spread out like a spiderweb, creating an electric curtain between Tempest and the Lulamoons.

Artemis turned with a flourish of his cape and ran back to the edge of the chamber. He pointed his wand at the staff in the back but it refused to move. “Figures.” He looked over his shoulder to see Tempest reaching out with her shadow hand to grab the cards on the ground. Electricity arced up her arm, but she merely gritted her teeth and bared it, crushing the cards in her grasp.

“Trixie,” Artemis said, “I need you to teleport over there and grab the staff. I’ll hold Tempest off.”

Trixie looked at the space between her and the staff. It couldn’t have been more than twenty yards, but it felt like an entire football field to her. She gripped her wand and swallowed. “O-okay. Trixie can do that.”

Artemis patted her shoulder before strolling forward. “Of course you can. You’re a Lulamoon!”

Tempest swatted the cards away, canceling the electric wall. She rolled her neck and scowled. “If parlor tricks are the best you can do, perhaps I was wrong to be cautious of you.”

“I find beauty in the simpler things in life.” Artemis adjusted his hat and raised his wand over his head. “But if it’s razzle-dazzle you want, I’m more than happy to provide! Lulamoon!”

Tempest’s cloak fluttered and drifted upward before her entire body rocketed up to the ceiling and remained there. She growled and extended the claws on her black arm. Artemis stepped out of the way, watching them impale the hard dirt. Tempest fell to the floor, landing like a cat and lunging at Artemis. He spun out of her reach and ducked under her first swing before she caught him with a hard kick to the side. He stumbled back but let loose a fireball that grazed Tempest’s armor.

Trixie tore her gaze away as her father found his footing again and leaped out of the way of Tempest’s next punch, which left a crack in the wall. Her father could handle himself, Trixie had to believe in that. Just like how he believed she could get the staff.

“Just teleport,” Trixie said to herself. “Just like Father. You’ve done it before. It’s easy.”

She stared at the plinth, etching it into her mind, then closed her eyes. Trixie imagined herself standing on it, the staff an inch away from her face. Holding her wand out in front of her, she let the magic flow through her veins into every part of her and whispered, “Lulamoon.”

The world twisted around her, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Spacetime shoved her forward, and the cave reappeared before her eyes in a second puff. A hum rose to her ears, and Trixie realized the staff wasn’t as close as she wanted it to be.

She twisted on her heel, a red beam of energy shooting up from the floor, grazing her cheek and singing her hair as she dodged out of the way. She ducked under a shot from the left wall, then frog-hopped onto the plinth as another shot burned a second hole in her cape. She grabbed the staff and held it like a life preserver. It was warm in her hands and she could feel magical energy running through it.

Trixie almost called out to her father, stopping herself when she saw the battle he was locked in.

Tempest had turned her shadow hand into a jagged blade and was trying her hardest to cut Artemis in half. Artemis, for his part, put on a display of incredible and artful dodges, staying just out of harm’s way by the hairs on his chin. Though by the panicked murmurs of, “No, no, no, nope!” Trixie knew his oddly graceful display wasn’t by choice.

Artemis finally got just enough distance to swing his wand and blast a gust of air to shove Tempest further down the tunnel. He then began to swing it in a wide circle, a thin trail of fire following his arc. The flame grew larger with each rotation until he moved it over his head, where it began to take form. Thin arms ending with clawed hands, a long snout with wide whiskers, and a narrow, serpentine body. The cavern glowed red from the fiery Chinese dragon making circles over Artemis. From her place in the back, Trixie had to hold a hand up to block the heat radiating from it. Artemis pointed his wand at Tempest, and the dragon let out a roar before surging forward.

Tempest took a knee and smashed her palm into the dirt. A black dome rose up and encased her as the dragon descended and engulfed everything in flames. The heat magnified, but Artemis didn’t look away. He raised his hands, and the fire swirled into a towering inferno that hit the ceiling. He then clapped his hands together, and in a flash of white, the flames turned into ice.

It was beautiful; tendrils and swirls of fire perfectly frozen in time to create a swirling crystal pillar. Artemis made another wide circle with his wand, and the faint sheen of a forcefield rippled between him and the crystalline tower. He turned to face Trixie.

“That won’t hold her forever. Come, let’s get out of here while we can.”

Trixie nodded. As she prepped herself to teleport back, Tempest smashed through the ice, eyes narrowed and brow creased as she charged full speed toward Artemis. She slammed into the forcefield instead and flew onto her back. Trixie could hear a muffled curse from the other side of the barrier. She snickered to herself before closing her eyes and shouting, “Lulamoon!”

In two puffs of smoke, she stood beside her father, the staff still in her hands. “Ha! I did it! Trixie is amazing!”

Tempest dropped from a black portal above them, slamming a boot into the side of Artemis’ head as she fell. She landed, grabbed the staff with one hand, and backhanded Trixie with the other.

Trixie’s face stung, both from the force of impact and from the shadowy burn Tempest had left on her. Trixie pointed her wand at Tempest, unsure of what exactly she wanted, but shouted, “Lulamoon!”

Brightly colored magnolias burst from the end.

Tempest smirked and lifted her shadow palm at Trixie’s chest. A sphere of black energy burst to life, and Trixie tried to conjure her bubble shield, praying it would work this time.

Two strings of multicolored ribbons wrapped around both of Tempest’s wrists. Her arms snapped behind her back, and Artemis swung her around and slammed her into the wall. He reached forward, ripped the staff from Tempest’s grasp, and cut the ribbons extending from his sleeves. They continued to move on their own, trying Tempest’s arms together.

Tempest’s shadow arm faded out of existence, freeing up her real one. She spun around and shook the ribbons off before summoning her left arm back.

Artemis tapped his chin. “Hmm. Never really considered that flaw in my trick.” He jumped back, avoiding Tempest’s claws.

Trixie scrambled out of the way of her father, retreating up the tunnel to give him more room to fight. She bit her lip, watching as a blast missed him by inches. There had to be something else she could do to help. She pointed her wand at Tempest, trying to think of the most effective spell that wouldn’t backfire. Tempest got dangerously close to hitting Artemis who was stuck on the backfoot, using quick shield spells and small blasts of magic.

With a wave of her wand, Trixie threw a fireball at Tempest, briefly giddy at how effortless it had been. Tempest batted it away, barely giving it a glance as she aimed a high kick at Artemis.

Stamping her foot and huffing, Trixie prepared to cast the spell again but paused as an idea struck her. Instead of hitting her, I’ll just hinder her instead! She moved her wand to aim at her father. If there was one thing Trixie prided herself on, it was her illusion magic.

“Lulamoon!” she cried, a spark of energy shooting from her wand.

Artemis pivoted on his heel, twisting out of Tempest’s slash and forcing her to overextend. The spell struck her instead, and in a flash of light, two Tempest Shadows stood in front of Artemis.

“Eeeep!” Trixie cried.

The two Tempests stared confused at each other. One leaned away, and the other mimicked her movement. They both raised a fist to strike each other, the one on the right passing through the other like it was smoke. Its figure disrupted for a moment, then formed back together. Both of them grinned maliciously and turned toward Artemis.

He was shoving the staff down his long sleeve, pushing the crystal just past the cuff when the twin Tempests returned their attention to him. The crystal vanished into the confines of his shirt, and he raised his arms. “Tada! Nothing up my sleeves!”

Both Tempests growled. They reared their fists back, but Trixie waved her wand again, forcing the illusion to fade into vapors. Down to one opponent, Artemis bloomed a venus flytrap looking flower from his wand that snapped onto Tempest’s hand, drawing blood. Her fist kept going, however, and crashed into Artemis’ chest, sending him to the ground.

Tempest planted a boot on his abdomen, ripped the flytrap off, and aimed a dark blast at his face. “Where did you send the staff?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Artemis said airly. “As long as you don’t have it, it doesn’t matter where it is now.”

Before Tempest could retort, Trixie flung the strongest blast of raw magic she could muster. A bright ball of white energy surged down the tunnel, coalescing into a spinning sphere. Tempest brought her shadow hand to block it but it still flung her back. She stumbled but stayed on her feet, digging her heels into the dirt as the magic shoved her backwards. It pushed her right up to the threshold of the laser chamber, whereupon her claws dug into it and she blasted it back toward Trixie.

Artemis bounced to his feet and held his wand up. The magic sphere hit it and transformed into a swirling vortex, growing smaller as the wand absorbed it, leaving nothing behind.

Tempest rolled her shoulder and scoffed. “Well, it’s good to know all those rumors weren’t baseless. But if the staff is no longer here, I have no more business here either.” A rush of cold air blew down the cavern and a black portal opened behind her.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Artemis shouted. A golden lasso sprung from his wand.

Tempest smirked and jumped backwards, vanishing into the swirling darkness before the lasso could reach her. The portal closed on itself and melted away, leaving a few wisps of shadows behind.

“Dang it!” Artemis huffed before clutching his chest and dropping to one knee. “Ngh… maybe I am getting too old for this.”

Trixie ran to his side and knelt next to him. “Are you okay?”

He gave her a full-toothed smile. “Just a few bruises. Nothing a veteran adventurer like me hasn’t dealt with before.” He looked at the burn on Trixie’s face and frowned. “The question is, are you okay, little moon?”

Trixie huffed and turned her nose up. “Of course Trixie is fine. That Tempest Shadow barely laid a finger on me.”

Because Father did all the work.

Her confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. Sure, her father had done most of the fighting, but she had gotten the staff like he asked… after almost getting fried by lasers. And she had used her illusion magic on Tempest instead of him. And her bubble shield had backfired...

Her haughty smirk faltered and her shoulder dropped half an inch. It wasn’t much of a change from her proud presentation, but it was still enough for Artemis to notice.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Nothing!” Trixie said automatically. “Here, Trixie can heal your wounds!” That would make up for her lack of contributions! “Lulamoon!”

A soft light glowed from her wand tip. Artemis winced, grabbing his chest and sucking in a deep breath. The glow washed over him like a wave, and the bruise on the side of his head faded. The light dulled, and Artemis poked himself a few times in the gut, laughing nervously. “Well, sweetheart, you’ve definitely removed the pain… but, er… I think you may have removed my spleen by accident as well.”

Trixie’s hand fell limp and she bowed her head. “Oh…”

“Now, now, little moon, that’s easily fixable! You still did a tremendous job!”

“No, I didn’t,” Trixie mumbled, tears starting to sting her eyes. “I’ve been messing up spells this entire adventure! I couldn’t even get the insect repellent spell to work! I couldn’t help you fight Tempest, I almost lost the staff. Maybe… maybe I’m not cut out to be a Lulamoon.”

The solemn idea caught Trixie’s heart in a vice. If she wasn’t good at magic, then what was she good at?

Artemis cupped a hand to her face. “Trixie, don’t say that. Of course you’re a Lulamoon,” he said gently.

“But, look at all the times I’ve messed up! I’m nowhere near as good as you are! I try to picture all my spells working like yours and they all backfire! Every time we’re out doing real adventures, I just… panic. You make everything look so easy.”

Artemis let out a soft chuckle. He moved into a sitting position and patted the dirt next to him. “You know… I used to compare myself to Apalla all the time,” he said wistfully. “She was always the better one between the two of us. She learned spells quicker, she was more nimble, she had more friends. Of course, I inherited the best looks.”

Trixie chuckled weakly, wiping her eyes.

“She was the older twin, so naturally, I looked up to her. I tried to do everything like she did. More often than not, my own spells would backfire on me. We would put on dual performances for our friends. Hers would always go off without a hitch. Mine would… not a lot of the time.”

“Really?”

“But of course! Magic may run in our blood, but it needs refinement, just like any other skill. And what works for some may not work for others. I make everything look ‘easy’ because I’ve found my own rhythm, just like you will someday.”

Trixie looked down at her wand sitting idly in her palm. Was that what she was doing wrong? Was she thinking too hard about what her father would do instead of doing what felt right? Her illusion spell had worked, it had just been misaligned. But the secret to success couldn’t be that simple. Though, she reasoned, her spells worked better when she wasn’t thinking too hard about them. Maybe it really was that easy.

She breathed deep and nodded her head. She had been mimicking her father for so long, it would be a hard habit to break. But if it meant being better at magic, she would try.

“Good,” Artemis said. “And, more to the point…” He placed a finger under Trixie’s chin and lifted her head up so she met his eyes.

“Being a Lulamoon isn’t just about knowing spells and going on magical quests,” he said in a soft but serious voice. “Yes, you come from a long line of witches and sorcerers, and we do have an important role in the world. But that’s not what defines us, Trixie. I love that you love magic, but if you had wanted to be an accountant, I would have been just as happy. Being a Lulamoon means following your dreams, doing your best, and trying to leave the world a better place than you found it. Magic or not, you will always be a Lulamoon. And your mother and I will always be proud of you.”

Trixie hiccuped and buried her face in her father’s shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, and she cried harder. She hated sappy, cheesy monologues like that! Specifically because it led to tears and she hated crying! But her heart swelled at her father’s words, of knowing that she was, in fact, making her ancestors and more importantly, her parents proud.

Though why on Earth would she ever want to be an accountant?

Once her tears had stopped falling, Trixie pulled herself away and got to her feet. She put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out, holding her head up high. “Trixie is going to become the greatest magician in the world and find the Rainbow of Light! That is her dream! Then, everyone around the world will know of her amazing feats of magic and heroism!”

Artemis threw his head back and laughed heartily. “That’s my girl! I can’t wait to see your name up in lights!” He climbed to his feet as well, wincing and grabbing his side as he tried to straighten up. “Wait, one second. Lulamoon!”

He pointed his wand at his stomach and sighed. “All right, spleen’s back. Now, let’s get out of here. This cave is depressing.”

“Agreed. Trixie can’t believe she’s saying this, but she actually misses the jungle.” The two turned up the tunnel and started their hike. They were halfway up when Trixie paused. “Wait, Father… do you really not know where you sent the staff?”

Artemis laughed again. “Of course I do! Granted, I warped it in a hurry, but I sent it to one of the safest places on the planet!”

********

A soft thunk woke Selena up and forced her upright from the bed, hands raised in self-defense. The bedroom was still pitch black… save for a soft glow coming from near the door.

Cautiously, she grabbed the dagger behind the headboard and crept out of bed. She lowered her guard an inch when she saw it was just a wooden staff with a bright crystal on top. Her first thought was Artemis had sent it from wherever he and Trixie were. Her second thought was, how much trouble did they get into getting it?

Curiosity sated, Selena put the dagger back where it belonged and climbed into bed. The staff could wait until she was properly awake.

*******

Two birds chirping outside on her balcony roused Moondancer from her slumber. A groggy groan rose from the back of her throat. Thanks to last night’s exploits, she couldn’t have gotten more than six hours of sleep, and like most nights recently, it had been restless.

Morning light shone from her balcony door and across her bed. Combined with the chirping birds, Moondancer saw little point in trying to go back to sleep. She lifted herself into a sitting position and gently peeled off the wet washcloth from the burn on her face. She winced as the cool air brushed against it, letting the pain run its course before she got up from her bed.

She shuffled into the bathroom and began her morning routine, trying her hardest to not look at herself in the mirror. She freshened up, changed into a casual blouse and long skirt, and made her way back to her nightstand, where her mask and a bottle of aloe vera waited for her. Very, very gingerly, she rubbed the clear gel onto her burns, stifling her hisses of pain by clenching her jaw. When the aloe vera was applied, she carefully slipped the mask on, feeling the gel squish across the inside.

Moondancer sighed, then placed her hand against her chin. Today was like every other morning, even if she was starting a little earlier than usual. But she couldn’t help but feel she had forgotten something.

Negligible, I suppose. If it was truly important, she’d remember eventually. She opened her room door and headed down the corridor. Breakfast first, then I’ll see if the roses are in bloom. I’m sure Mother would love to see them.

That would take Moondancer to about noontime, then she would have to do the maddening task of finding something to occupy her time for the rest of the day. She was quickly running out of books to read, and the piano brought her less and less joy every time she played it. She pushed the thought away for now. There were still a few hours before she had to cross that bridge.

Moondancer made her way downstairs and into the dining room. A silver serving dish with a cloche resting on top waited for her on the massive table. The room was empty otherwise, as it usually was. She walked over and lifted the lid off, blinking hard at what laid beneath.

Pancakes coated in frosting and sprinkles greeted her, still warm. Planted into the top were a 1 and 8 candle, currently unlit.

“Oh,” was all Moondancer could say. That was what she had forgotten.

She was eighteen today.

Which meant it had been almost ten years since her life had been upended.

“Happy birthday, Lady Moondancer!”

Moondancer didn’t jump at Lemon Fresh’s sudden voice. She was too transfixed by the candles. “Thank you,” she said weakly.

If Lemon noticed the lack of energy in Moondancer, she didn’t comment on it. She approached the birthday pancake with a lighter in hand and ignited the candles. “You’re never too old to make a wish!” she said cheerily.

Moondancer took a seat and watched the tiny twin flames flicker. In years past, she had wished for one thing: Tirek’s permanent death so her mother could wake up. Now, she was torn between that or wishing her face would stop burning.

She took a short breath and blew out the candles, deciding to keep with traditions. What was a little pain compared to the eradication of evil?

Lemon clapped her hands. “I hope you enjoy your birthday today! I’m making your favorite pasta for dinner as well!”

Moondancer managed a weak smile. Putting on her other mask took more effort than usual today. “As always, you spoil me, Lemon Fresh.”

She gave Moondancer a sympathetic smile. “I just want your eighteenth birthday to be nice, My Lady. I know the last month hasn’t been easy for you…”

“You’re too kind.” Moondancer pulled the candles out and set them aside. “After recent ordeals, I have to believe that things can only go up from here.”

“That’s the spirit, My Lady.” Lemon Fresh took the candles and gave Moondancer a curtsey before retreating to the kitchen. Like all of the food she made, the pancakes were delicious; sweet and fluffy with an extra sugary layer thanks to the frosting. It was almost enough to lift Moondancer’s spirits.

She cleared her plate and leaned back in her chair, taking in the hush of the dining room. Ten years ago, the room had been filled with her parents, her aunt and uncle and Trixie, and a few friends from school. Then she had gone six years sitting by herself.

Then Twilight walked into her life. Three perfect birthdays where she got to go out into the world and share everything with her best friend.

Moondancer stood from the table and made her way to the garden. There was little point dwelling on the past; she had to keep walking forward. She didn’t have a choice.

Fair weather greeted Moondancer as she stepped outside, a surprise with how close summer was. A cool breeze blew over the mountains, keeping the morning heat down and wafting the scent of budding flowers through the air. Moondancer slipped her gardening gloves on, picked up her old wicker basket, and grabbed her shears.

The early spring flowers were beginning to wilt and drop their petals as the heat increased, while late bloomers stood proud and healthy. A large patch of dirt sat empty close to the gazebo, where Moondancer would plant her summer seeds when she found the energy to sneak out and buy them.

A beautiful batch of blue roses bloomed along the back wall. Taking her shears, Moondancer snipped off an even dozen and clipped their thorns before laying them neatly in her basket. Her main task done, Moondancer gave all of her flowers a generous sprinkle from the hose, creating a shimmering rainbow as the water caught the sun’s light.

Back inside, Moondancer selected a vase from the glass cabinet, filled it with water, and neatly arranged the roses: six on the outside, five tucked behind them, and one in the very center. Flowers in hand, Moondancer ascended to the tower at the back of the mansion.

“Hello, Mother,” she said, pushing the door open with her hip. “I brought your favorite… what are you doing here?”

Night Shade sat by Apalla’s side, one hand resting atop hers. Despite his nice suit and clean-shaven face, he looked haggard and despondent, and his eyes held no light. He looked in Moondancer’s direction as she entered. “Good morning, Moondancer. Happy birthday.”

Moondancer was careful not to slam the vase on the bedside table. She took the time to make sure it was centered while she calmed her nerves. When the display was perfect, she turned on her heel and addressed her father. “Good morning. Why are you here?”

He looked at Apalla, her lidded eyes vacant as she stared out the window. “I came to see your mother. And I knew you would be up here today.”

“There’s only so many places I’m allowed to go.” Moondancer crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Can I help you with something?”

Night Shade reached over and pushed a lock of hair out of Apalla’s face. “You take good care of her.”

“Someone has to.” Moondancer chilled her words to the lowest temperature they could go. She could count on her hands the number of times she had run into her father up here, and none of them had been recent.

He moved his eyes to the window. “I saw you in the garden earlier. The flowers look lovely.”

Moondancer pretended to swoon and held a hand over her heart. “Goodness, your approval has set me all atwitter. I should savor such praise; who knows when you’ll give it out again.”

“Moondancer—”

“What are you doing here?” she asked again.

“Am I not allowed to see my wife?”

“Well, I suppose it is time for your once a year check-up.”

Night Shade narrowed his eyes, a rare heat filling them. “You shouldn’t make baseless assertions like that.”

“They’re hardly baseless with the scant amount of times you’ve been up here.”

The heat left her father’s eyes, and he said in a guilt-laden voice, “I admit, I made it a point that our paths did not cross up here. I preferred to spend time with Apalla alone. As I’m sure you did.”

Moondancer moved her hands to her hips, her foot still tapping erratically. While she couldn’t fault him for that line of thought, it was still a point against him for largely ignoring her all these years. “So, you decided our paths should cross today? Is this the part where you give me my birthday money then go back to hiding in your office?”

Night Shade fixed his gaze on the blue roses. “I just thought… it’s been a while since we’ve all been together as a family.”

“Not at all helped by you,” Moondancer said, the ice in her voice beginning to crack.

“I… admit, I’ve—”

“No,” Moondancer said firmly, swiping a hand through the air. “Don’t spend ten years avoiding me and then think showing up by Mother’s side on my birthday is going to magically make everything better!”

“I wasn’t—”

“Then why—are—you—here?”

“Because I’m trying to make up for it!” Night Shade yelled, jumping to his feet and finally looking Moondancer in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Moondancer! I’m sorry for pushing you away all these years! I’m sorry for letting Tempest barge her way into our lives!”

He turned toward the window. “That woman…. After she took Apalla’s soul… she threatened to do the same to you if I still needed persuading, and I… I couldn’t lose both of you. She kept holding it over me as a bargaining chip, and anytime that wasn’t enough, she’d put the damn necklace near me and… all my strength just drained away. I thought, maybe if I just held you at arm’s reach, pretended I didn’t care…”

“What, she’d stop threatening to take my soul away?” Furious tears welled up in Moondancer’s eyes. “You thought virtually abandoning me would spare me from Tempest’s wrath?”

“Yes,” he said quietly.

“Then you’re a coward and you’re stupid.” She wiped the tears off her cheek. “Tell me, when did you finally realize your brilliant plan wasn’t working? May I have a guess? Was it when I came home with half of my face?”

Her father, wisely, chose not to answer.

Moondancer gave a loud, slow applause. “Fantastic job protecting me. Father of the year, everyone!”

“I didn’t expect you to join with Tempest!” Night yelled, spinning around to face Moondancer again. “I wanted you to stay out of all this!”

“She stole my mother’s soul, has a hold over your company, and comes over to the house every other day! How was I supposed to not get involved!”

Night Shade pulled on his hair. “I don’t know! I thought after I convinced her to let you go to school, you’d get to have a normal life!”

Moondancer balled her fists, digging her nails into her palm. “That’s real hard to do with her hovering over me and constantly reminding me that if I breathe one word to anyone, she’ll take mine and Twilight’s soul!” She gave an incensed huff and looked down at her mother, completely unaware of the shouting match between her husband and daughter.

“I wish I couldn’t care what Tempest is doing. But, I want my mother back. I had to do something.”

“So you thought helping Tempest even more with this… this world domination scheme was the best way to do something?”

Moondancer raised her head, eyes burning. “Well, unlike you, I have a—” She bit her tongue.

Night Shade looked at her, bewildered. “What? You have a plan?”

“No,” she said evenly.

“Moondancer—”

“Enough!” she yelled. The scars on her face flared, forcing her to press a hand to her mask. “I have no desire to continue this conversation!”

Night Shade reached a hand out. “But—”

Moondancer turned her back to him. “Your apology is just a touch too late, Father!” she spat, the burning getting worse. “If you’re trying to make up for lost time, I’d advise you don’t. You’ll just waste more of it.”

She stalked out the door, leaving her father to look dejectedly after her.

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Family Matters

This is the first chapter that has no mention of Sunset. At all! What's up with that!?

8. Botanical Bedlam

“The Twilight I know doesn’t quit.”

Twilight breathed in, held it in her core, then breathed out.

“You’re not useless.”

She inhaled again, filling her lungs to capacity before exhaling.

“Ow! Hey, that was a cheap shot!”

A muscle in her cheek twitched, but she kept her eyes closed and concentrated.

“You’re so amazing, Sparky.”

Her heart fluttered as a clear image of Sunset appeared in her mind’s eye.

“Pinkie, watch where you throw those things!”

Twilight tightened her clasped hands, trying harder to tune everyone out.

“Don’t you think she deserves someone more her speed?”

Her jaw tightened. Focus.

“You’re not cut out for this.”

She straightened her spine as she could and squeezed her eyes.

“You had to come to my rescue again!”

A loud firework overhead shattered the remainder of her fragile concentration. Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and the rest of the backyard chaos flooded her senses. Pinkie’s miniature explosions, Applejack punching Rarity’s diamond shields, Shimmer teaching the rest basic martial arts.

Selena sat across from her, head bowed, hands in her lap; the perfect picture of zen. Twilight allowed herself a growl of frustration before breathing deep again and shutting her eyes. The world around her dulled to a faint buzz as she found her center again. Her heart beat in a steady rhythm and the tension left her shoulders.

Twilight fell into her internal mantra: positive and reaffirming thoughts, half of them spoken in Sunset’s voice. She held onto them as tight as she could, using them to drown out the outside world and her own insecurities. As she sank deeper into her meditation, she slowly became aware of every part of her body. The tiny hairs on her arms, her veins coursing with blood, her lungs filling with air; it all meshed together in harmony.

I can’t control magic, but I can control myself.

“Okay, Twilight, that’s enough.”

Selena’s voice pierced the veil of silence Twilight had shrouded herself in. She blinked and winced at the sunlight jabbing her eyes. Still, even as the rest of the backyard chaos flooded her ears again, the grounded feeling Twilight had gained persisted. She reached for her practice sword and got to her feet.

Selena gave her a knowing smile before getting up to join her. They bowed before drawing their blades and taking their stances. Twilight made the first move, striking Selena from the left. The dull swords still made a powerful ring across the backyard as they collided. Selena disengaged but quickly followed up with a powerful lunge. Twilight barely managed to block it, pushing it to the side and wincing as their sword scraped against one another.

They exchanged a quick back and forth, blocking and parrying every attack the other threw. Twilight knew Selena was still holding back but even then, she noted how fast they were moving. She also noted she wasn’t keeping track of her foot placement; it was just happening naturally.

Or it was until she took notice of it.

She positioned her backfoot too far, and her balance teetered. One strike from Selena’s sword, and Twilight was on her side in the grass.

Selena held her hand out. “You’re getting better every day, Twilight. Your movements are much more certain than before.”

Twilight took her hand and gave a broad smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Still not good enough. I can do better, I know I can!

As she got to her feet and reset her stance, Artemis wrenched the kitchen door open and popped a firework from his wand to get everyone’s attention.

“We’ve got trouble! Magical trouble!”

“Is it Adagio?” Rainbow asked from her place on the ground after Shimmer had flipped her over her shoulder.

Artemis shook his head. “Can’t say yet. I felt a spike in magical activity, and not the good kind that you all let off.”

Pinkie bounded up to him, mouth open and stars in her eyes. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

Artemis leaned back as she leaned forward. “Well, I would like some assistance, yes—”

She spun around and held a sideways peace sign to her eyes. “Spectacular Seven, suit up!”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, we’re just puttin’ on some masks.”

“That’s Pollyanna to you!” Pinkie said with a thrust of her finger. “From here on out, we’re using our codenames! Isn’t that right, Phoenix?”

Sunset sighed. “I already regret this.”

Twilight couldn’t help but give a tiny smile. Seeing Sunset exasperated dulled the apprehension of going out to fight Adagio. It would be at least seven versus one, yet the idea of knowingly walking into a fight gave Twilight a nervous shudder.

Selena gave a small ‘tut’, then relaxed her shoulders. “Alright. You girls have had less than a week of training, but it’s better than nothing. And you’ve already fought her before.” She fixed her gaze on Artemis. “Just come get me the second things get overwhelming.”

“You’re not coming with us?” Twilight asked, gripping her sword a little tighter.

Selena shook her head. “If that box really does have the Rainbow of Light in it, it needs to be guarded at all times.”

Artemis put a hand to his chest as he puffed it out. “I should be the one to guard our sacred family treasure, but someone needs to get you kids to where we’re going.”

“And where exactly are we going?” Sunset asked.

“That direction.” Artemis flopped a hand toward the fence. “Feels like… Six Pillar Park.”

“You don’t know for certain?” The skepticism in Sunset’s voice rose.

“Magical detection isn’t always pinpoint precise. Sometimes it’s more like an art than a science.”

“That’s baking,” Twilight countered.

“And also magic,” Artemis said with an impish smile. “The bigger the magic source, the easier it is to track down. It’s at the park, and it’s steadily growing. Should be easier to find once we’re actually there.”

“Then what are we waiting for? It’s superhero time!” Pinkie yelled, two fireworks springing from her palms and into the air. “Trixie, get our masks!”

“Trixie does not take orders from you!” she said, sweeping her hat off her head. “But she is eager to put this Siren into her place!” She pulled her wand from her pocket and tapped the rim of her hat. From the opening, seven masks floated out and drifted toward each of the Spectacular Seven.

Twilight lifted her glasses up and pressed the mask to her eyes. A warm wind brushed across her and she looked down at her hands, seeing her skin had turned from purple to a pale pink. Pulling her ponytail around to the front, she saw her hair was white with a single streak of blue.

Pinkie squeed as she stuck the mask onto her face. Her skin turned ivory white and her hair turned gold. “This is so exciting! How do I look, how do I look?”

“Like a palette-swapped version of yourself,” Applejack said dryly. Both her hair and skin were a dark shade of brown like she had been out in the sun far too long. “Do you really think this’ll stop people from recognizing us?”

“Don’t doubt Trixie’s amazing abilities!” Trixie put her hat back on. “Besides, it’s not like you’ll be posing for the paparazzi. This is just to stop anyone who’s looking too hard.”

A loud groan from overhead made Twilight jump. Rainbow hovered not too far from her, arms extended in front of her hair and a mortified expression on her face.

“Pink? Seriously?” She grabbed a tuft of hair and brought it to eye level. “Blue hair I can live with, but c’mon! Anyone wanna switch with me?”

“Switching masks won’t do anything,” Trixie said with a smug smirk. “They’re attuned to be the same for each of you, in case you ever got them mixed up.”

“Relax, Rainbow; you look fine,” Rarity said, paying more attention to her own reflection in her compact. Her skin was now a minty blue, and a red streak ran through her lavender hair. “I on the other hand… it’s not bad, but it could be much better.”

“People, Adagio,” Sunset snapped, mask on and illusion up. “How are we all going to get there?”

Artemis twirled his wand around his finger. “A few teleportation trips. Easy.”

“Pfft, bet you I can beat you there!” Rainbow said, irritation evaporated. Before anyone could argue, she was a pink dot on the horizon.

“Trixie accepts the challenge!” she shouted at the fading contrail. She looked at the remaining group. “Alright, who is coming with Trixie? She can teleport two with her!”

Twilight looked at Sunset. Sunset gave a subtle shake of her head. She figured as much. Still, Twilight wasn’t sure Artemis would be much better. The idea of teleportation always fascinated her, and she longed for the day humans could reach near-instant travel. She just always thought it would be through constructed gateways or transporters. Instead, she was relying on someone who could do it with a snap of his fingers.

What if part of me gets left behind? Or, I get entangled with someone else upon re-entry? Wait, how does magical teleportation work? Do my atoms get disassembled and reassembled at our destination? Does he fold space-time around us and move us across the flattened plane? No, that’s far too complicated, even for magic. How else could it—

“C’mon Sparky.” Sunset took her by the arm and led her to Artemis.

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked around. Fluttershy, with moss green hair and light green skin, trembled next to Applejack and Trixie. Pinkie and Rarity stood off to the side, waiting their turn.

Shimmer gave a two-finger salute. “Try not to die.”

Before Twilight could issue a retort, Artemis put a hand on her shoulder, and the world twisted around her and sped forward. She hurtled through space and time, mixing up with down and backward with forward, losing feeling in her body and any sense of where she was. She was sure it all only lasted a second but it was the longest second of her life.

The world burst back into existence as Twilight landed feet first on grass. She immediately fell to her knees, dropped her sword, and clutched her chest.

“Twilight, you okay?” Sunset had a hand on her back and knelt beside her.

“Y-yeah…” Twilight took a deep breath, fighting the wave of nausea that rolled through her. “I just…” Her heart and stomach told her to never do that again. Her mind demanded to know how she had just teleported halfway across the city.

“It takes some getting used to for some people,” Artemis said somewhere above her. “Take a moment to settle in. You’ll be okay.”

Twilight took another breath, then reached for her sword and climbed back to her feet. They had landed on the outskirts of one of Six Pillar Park’s larger fields, a dense grouping of tall hedges hiding them from any potential eyes.

Artemis tapped his wand against his tongue and held it above his head. His arm fell and jerked toward the thicket. “Whatever we’re searching for, it’s in that direction.”

“Shouldn’t we gather everyone else?” Sunset asked.

A scream hit Twilight’s ears and drowned out some of her dizziness.

“I’ll fetch them in a moment. Let’s see what we’re up against first.” Artemis jumped into the line of trees and immediately fell onto his back with a grunt.

Sunset took a closer look at the hedges and saw hints of metal meshing inside the curtain of green. Turning her head, the hedge ran some ways in both directions, forming a long-running barrier.

Artemis jumped to his feet and started running its length, Twilight and Sunset sprinting after him. They banked around a corner and found the main road leading to a large, wooden, curved gate. The Mistmane Botanical Gardens was carved over the turnstiles, currently crammed with people trying to run away.

A small number of pedestrians had apparently heard the scream as well and paused to stare at the garden entrance and the fleeing crowd. Some stared and pointed as the three of them jogged up the road. Twilight reached up and touched her mask, just to be sure it was there. She still felt exposed, just walking out in the open, sword in hand. What if her parents found out just how far she had taken her ‘self-defense classes’? What if Shining found out? More importantly, what if these illusions weren’t enough and her friends got recognized? People would come after them for their magic! What if the government took Sunset away?

A rough bump from an oncoming civilian brought her back to the moment. She moved her hand back to her pommel, forcing herself to worry later. They had a job to do.

Unlike the bystanders, very few of the fleeing crowd gave second glances at the pointy-hatted wizard, pony-eared girl, or the girl with the sword. The three finally crossed under the ivy-covered gates and broke free of the crowd. The central plaza was a wide, grassy plain crisscrossed with stone paths leading to different areas of the enclosure.

Twilight swatted a rouge piece of ivy touching her shoulder. “I don’t see anything wrong.” At a glance, everything appeared to be in place. Hedges and redwood trees blocked sections of the garden, but Twilight saw no signs of destruction. People still milled about, looking visibly confused at some of the fleeing crowd, but showed no other signs of distress.

Artemis shook his head. “There’s magic here. I can feel it. You girls start a search, I’ll get the others.” He vanished in a puff of smoke.

Another parkgoer came sprinting down one of the paths and past Twilight and Sunset, panic etched on his face.

Sunset pointed toward the direction he came from. “Let’s start there.”

The path wove underneath a group of native deciduous trees in the prime of their life. Ferns sprouted from the loamy soil between them and evenly placed planters contained collections of colorful flowers. They must have been well cared for because their petals were huge.

Twice, Twilight almost tripped over an exposed root reaching onto the path, and nuts and berries constantly rained on their heads. Add to all that, Twilight’s nose refused to stop itching. She sniffled and let out a loud sneeze.

“Ugh. The pollen count here is high,” she said nasally.

“Gee, can’t imagine why,” Sunset said, ducking under a low-hanging branch.

Twilight readied a retort but the words died in her mouth as someone rounded the corner and tripped onto his face. He looked up at Twilight, his expression wrought with fear. He reached a hand out and yelled for help as something dragged him off the path and into a shaded grove.

Sunset and Twilight sprinted after him, only to dig their heels into the dirt at the scene in front of them.

They stood in the presence of a large banyan tree. It stood tall in the center of the grove, its massive aerial roots twisting around its circumference. Twilight narrowed her eyes, picking up movement beneath the long brown tendrils.

No, not beneath them. The roots were actually moving.

The roots, the tangling branches, the large, leathery leaves. They were all shifting and growing. And it wasn’t just the tree. Flowers and ferns on the outskirts of the grove were growing larger as well, rising from the ground and their planters to stand taller than the two girls. The thickening leaves reduced the sunlight from overhead, drenching the grove in shadows.

Twilight looked deeper into the banyan tree. Locked into the ropey, hanging roots, vines pressed to their mouths were park visitors. A few were passed out, but some were wide awake with terror.

“Okay, this is new,” Sunset said, switching from pony to phoenix in a burst of light and warmth.

Twilight threw her hands out. “Wait! You can’t use your fire powers now! Remember what happened in the forest?”

“What, you’d rather we let them become plant food?”

The ground trembled briefly before a root ripped free of the knotted mass surrounding the tree and lashed at Twilight. She drew her sword and slashed through the root in a single motion. A wild rustling from the boughs overhead told Twilight the banyan didn’t take kindly to that. Another root rose up and two thick branches stretched downward to grab her.

Twilight swung again, slicing another root then followed through, spinning on her toe and striking one of the branches, lodging her blade in the bark. The other branch reached for her, Sunset struck like a viper and caught it, smoke curling between her fingers.

She snapped the wooden wrist and tossed it to the ground, stamping it out before it could smoke. Twilight drew her sword back and sliced again, cleaving through the remainder of the branch.

“We need to get those people down!” Twilight said, looking at the hostages in the tree.

Sunset lit a finger on fire. “On it.”

“Su—Phoenix…” Twilight corrected herself, remembering their codenames.

“I’ll be careful—move!” Sunset grabbed Twilight by the arm and swung her out of the way of a speeding vine that had burst from the undergrowth.

Twilight pulled herself away and took a ready stance. “You save the people, I’ll hold off the plants!”

“Deal!” Sunset launched herself up into the tree.

The vine came back around, lashing at Twilight in a manner that was too snakelike for her comfort. She sidestepped its first strike, parried its second, and slashed it as it recoiled. Half the vine fell to the ground, but the remainder tried to attack again, aided by a second vine.

Twilight danced between them, hopping and sweeping her sword down as one reached for her ankle. She brought her schiavona back around and swung at the shortened stem, cutting it down further. As she came to en garde, several small, sharp blades cut against her arm, forcing her to drop her sword.

Turning around, Twilight saw leaves—razor-sharp foliage—rushing toward her. She threw herself onto the ground to avoid further shredding. The leaves embedded themselves into the garden wall. More flew at her from a distant evergreen tree, and Twilight rolled on her back to avoid the kamikaze leaves. She grabbed her sword and jumped back to her feet just as Sunset swooped down and dropped an unconscious pedestrian onto the dirt. She flew in front of Twilight and fanned her wings out against the next set of leaves, burning them to a crisp as they passed through a curtain of fire. Sunset winked at her before flying back into the eaves of the tree.

Said tree rustled wildly, and a low-hanging branch whipped out at Twilight. It was too large to cut with her sword and too long to leap out of the way. Twilight braced herself for the impact, holding her sword out to blunt some of the damage.

The branch collided with a prismatic blue forcefield and rebounded. A glittering streak of light then streaked past Twilight’s face and collided with the gnarled bough. Twilight twisted around and saw Pinkie and Rarity running up behind her.

“Are you alright, Tw—Paladin?” Rarity asked.

“No, no, no!” Pinkie said, wildly shaking her head. “You’re supposed to say a cool or funny hero quip! Like, ‘you look like you need a gardener!’ Or, ‘I don’t think green is your color!’”

“But the vine was brown,” Rarity said flatly.

“But the leaves are green!”

“Girls, focus!” Sunset shouted from over their heads. One arm was ensnared by a tendril with more creeping toward her ankles and waist. The other humans trapped up in the tree were almost completely encased in vines.

Rarity conjured a diamond disk and threw it up at the vines surrounding Sunset. Her arm was cut free, and Sunset generated a ball of fire in her hand before blasting it outward and staving off the rest of the creeping vines.

“Sun—Phoenix!” Twilight admonished.

“I got this!” Sunset shouted back. Cinders jumped onto the writhing plants and roots, singing them black. The flames crawled up the tendrils like a spark down a trail of gunpowder until the limbs of the banyan tree were completely alight. With a wild shudder, the tree dropped its captives, unable to hold them any longer as its vines shriveled.

Twilight gave a panicked shout as they plummeted to the ground. They passed through a ring of blue light, and their ascent slowed to a crawl until they came to a gentle rest in the dirt. The ones who were conscious scrambled to their feet and took off for the exit, rushing past Artemis on their way.

“Hmph, not even a thank you,” Artemis said, hands on his hips.

“The tree is on fire!” Twilight yelled, watching as Sunset’s flames ate their way to the body of the banyan.

“I got this,” Sunset said. She raised her hands and made a pulling motion toward herself. Twilight watched as the flames jumped off of the tree and flew toward Sunset, trailing through the air in thin streams before coalescing into a ball above her palm.

“See, no problem,” Sunset said with a confident smirk.

Twilight gave a deadpan point to the fraction of the tree that was burnt and crispy.

“… In my defense, it tried to kill us.”

As she spoke, another root ripped from the ground to lash out at her. Twilight jumped in front of Sunset, sword raised, and took the brunt of the blow, flying backward and tumbling to the ground.

Sunset raised the ball of fire, but Artemis pointed his wand at the tree and fired a single beam. The tree gave a wild rustle, then the roots fell back into the ground and the remaining healthy vines went limp.

Artemis twirled his wand around his finger. “Someone used magic to bring the flora around here to life. Simple but dangerous if allowed to go unchecked.”

Twilight rubbed her tailbone as Sunset pulled her to her feet, the ball of fire still in her other hand. “What are you going to do with that?” Twilight asked.

“It should fizzle out eventually. In the meantime, it’ll make a good deterrent for any more plants.”

Rarity looked at the still tree. “So, is all the magic gone now?”

A distant scream answered her.

Pinkie put a fist on one hip and pointed out with her other hand. “Pretty Soldiers, move out!”

“Did not agree to that name!” Sunset yelled as the group broke into a run. Much of the garden was empty by now, though they could hear commotion happening in other sections.

From the wooded grove of the banyan tree, they crossed the open-air pavilion and entered a damp and verdant grotto. Moss-covered stones were planted next to shallow ponds, and lichen covered the trunks of trees. A green canopy blocked out most of the sunlight here as well.

Just off the gravel path, the ankle-high grass gave an ominous rustle. Twilight leaned over to inspect it, but something flew out of the foliage and crashed into the dirt.

“Rainbow—I mean, Ace!” Pinkie cried, pulling Rainbow up.

Rainbow shook off her daze and glared at them. “What took you guys so long?”

“Sorry, we got held up by a living tree,” Sunset said blithely.

“Yeah? Well, I’ve been dealing with that and Adagio!” Rainbow pointed from where she had flown from. The orange-haired Siren jumped into the clearing and hurled a globe of red magic at Rainbow. Rarity jumped in front of her and raised a shield to take the blow and dissipate the magic.

“Oh good!” Adagio gave them a savage grin. “The whole gang's here—ack!” An emerald vine grabbed her by the ankle, lifted her into the air, and flung her like a ragdoll over the group’s head and into the pond.

Artemis doubled over and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Ahahahahaha! Ahaha! Oh, that was—whaaa!” A similar tendril grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away into the canopy.

Sunset unleashed her dwindling ball of fire at the creeping tendrils of a weeping willow, dousing it in orange flames before it could touch anyone. As it reeled back, Twilight stepped up and cut it in two. The pieces fell onto the ground, igniting the grass and spreading the flames.

“Crap!” Sunset cried.

“I warned you!” Twilight yelled. She hopped to one side as another weeping willow swung its overgrown vines like a whip and slapped the ground.

“I can fix it!” she retorted, raising her hands to draw the fire back.

Adagio, having climbed onto the opposite side of the pond, raised her hand and shot a blast of energy into Sunset’s back. Sunset flew forward and landed face-first on the ground. She rolled over and sat up to see Rainbow throwing punches at Adagio on the other side of the pond. Adagio held up a red mimicry of Rarity’s shields to hold Rainbow off. Rainbow zipped around to Adagio’s other side and renewed her assault, but the shield proved formidable from every angle.

“You can’t hide in there forever!” Rainbow yelled.

“You’re right.” Adagio threw her arms out to the side and the shield exploded open, shooting the hexagonal crystals in all directions. One smacked Rainbow in the face, and as she reeled back, Adagio slammed a fist into her and sent her back into the thicket. Before she could gloat, a bush reared up from its roots and glomped down on her.

“It’s official,” Twilight said, turning back to face the weeping willow lashing at her, “my life can’t get any weirder.”

A familiar cry preceded Applejack flying in from between the branches of the willow tree and landing on a patch of burning grass. She yelped and hopped to her feet, patting out the fire that had jumped onto her shirt.

“Applejack, are you okay?” Rarity asked, running to her side.

Applejack snorted like a bull. “Ah will be as soon as Ah show that overgrown shrub who’s boss!”

Said overgrown shrub lumbered into the grove a moment later. It was a walking bush, a head taller than any of the girls with flowers for eyes, a gap where a mouth would have been, and large thorns jutting off its stubby arms.

Twilight took one look at it and sighed in exasperation. “Of course I spoke too soon.”

“The magic here is getting worse,” Sunset said. “We need to end all of this quickly.”

“Which means, we need to find Adagio and make her stop it,” Applejack said.

“Uhh, she’s being eaten by a bush,” Pinkie said, pointing to the rustling shrubbery. “I don’t think she’s doing it.”

Rarity looked away from Adagio’s predicament. “If she’s not making the plants go crazy, then—” She threw a shield up as the bush creature rushed at her and Applejack. Its thorn claws raked against the diamonds but didn’t leave a scratch.

Twilight ran over and made a downward slash, chopping off one of its arms. As it turned to face her, she slashed horizontally and cut it in half. Both halves hit the ground… and began shuffling toward the girls, crawling up Rarity’s shield.

A jet of fire engulfed the remains of the bush monster and reduced it to ash, embers clinging to the scorched earth.

“Alright, next target!” Sunset said, turning her palm toward Adagio as she climbed out of a shriveling bush. The crystal in her palm glowed with a sinister green light.

“Well, I got what I wanted,” she said with a sneer. “Time for a test run!” She slapped her palm against the earth.

Nothing happened.

“What?” she asked incredulously, raising her glove.

“Get her!” Sunset launched herself at Adagio, flames flickering off her fingers. She made it halfway across the pond before a lily pad threw itself out of the water and attached itself to her face. Sunset made a muffled curse, floundering in the air before she veered off to the side and crashed.

“Sunset!” Twilight cried. She ran along the edge of the pond to reach her girlfriend while Pinkie shot a barrage of fireworks at Adagio.

The Siren dodged a few and blocked several more before raising her hand and absorbing one and taking the blow from another. She hit the ground, rolled up, then gave Pinkie a taste of her own medicine.

The blast hit Pinkie square in the chest and lifted her off the ground and into the arms of another willow tree.

As Applejack ran to rescue Pinkie, Twilight reached Sunset and helped her pry the stubborn lily pad off her face. Sunset took a deep breath of air and said, “I’m over today.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon!” Adagio shouted, turning her sights back on them. It was short-lived, as a jet of blue magic streaked toward her and forced her to duck.

Trixie jumped into the glade, brandishing her wand as she charged Adagio.

Adagio threw a firework at her, only for it to fly straight through Trixie and collide against a rising flower.

The illusion faded as the real Trixie came from Adagio’s other side and shot a length of rope from her wand that snaked around Adagio’s ankles and brought her to the ground.

“Aaaaaagh!” Adagio snarled. “You’re all just a bunch of gnats!” She clenched her fist. A loud howl preceded an ethereal shimmer in front of Adagio before a red wolf materialized and lunged at Trixie.

Trixie yelped and threw herself out of the way. The wolf turned on its heels and made to lunge again.

Rainbow dropped from the sky and dive-kicked it in the head, sending it into the water. She then brought her foot down on Adagio’s wrist before she could make another move.

“Not so tough without your lackeys, huh?”

“Don’t mention those traitors to me!” Adagio hissed.

Twilight walked up and made to wrestle the backpack off Adagio when the earth gave a short, sudden shake. Twilight paused for a second, then reached again, only for the rumble to happen once more. It happened a third time and sounded like it was getting louder.

“I don’t like what’s about to happen,” Sunset said, looking at the tree line.

Fluttershy burst through first, looking panicked. “Rock monster!” she screamed.

On cue, a golem made of a hodgepodge of different stones stumbled into the glade. Its central stone couldn’t have been larger than Spike, but what the golem lacked in size, it made up in numbers. A hundred rocks made up its arms and legs, with a tower of pebbles as its neck and a perfect ball of marble for a head.

“It must have come from the rock garden,” Applejack said, having pried Pinkie free from the tree.

“Oooh, Maud would love this!” Pinkie pulled her phone out.

The golem struck its arm forward and slung a rock out like a slingshot. It went through Pinkie’s hair and smashed against the tree, leaving a deep dent.

“Right! Still fighting!” Pinkie said in her chipper tune. She stuffed her phone away and launched a multicolored rocket from her finger.

It hit the monster in the arm, but it shrugged it off like nothing happened and shuffled forward.

Applejack charged and threw her fist forward to connect with its own. Twilight winced at the hard slap of flesh against stone, but it didn’t phase Applejack in the slightest. Her orange aura burned brighter, and she threw her other fist into the golem’s arm, knocking several rocks to the ground.

The golem tried to retaliate with its other stone hand but connected with Rarity’s diamond shield instead. It recoiled then whipped its arm again to throw more stones out. Pinkie shot them all down with her fireworks, and Sunset jumped forward and unleashed a gout of fire upon it. Applejack jumped back as flames doused the rock monster. As they settled down, she threw a punch into its center and staggered it backward.

The rest of the girls started to close in on it, Twilight included, though she knew her sword wouldn’t be a match against stone. She saw Rainbow fidget, eager to join the fight, but she still had Adagio pinned down. Twilight then noticed the Siren taking a deep breath.

“Look out!” she yelled a second too late.

Adagio’s wail flooded the grove, and Twilight clapped her hands over her ears to futilely suppress the noise. Rainbow fell to her knees, giving Adagio enough time to blast the rope binding her legs and jump to her feet. She gave a second, short scream, then dashed off into the thicket.

Twilight clenched her teeth, ears ringing and head pounding. She gripped her sword and ran after Adagio. There wasn’t a plan really; her head was too fuzzy to form one. Twilight just knew she couldn’t let Adagio get away.

Trying to only bat away the reaching vines and branches instead of cutting them, Twilight emerged back onto one of the stone paths of the botanical garden. Adagio wasn’t too far ahead of her, having been attacked by a pine tree shooting its needles at her in large clusters. She let them clatter against her shield, then blasted an enormous firework at the tree. Twilight covered her ears from the thunderous boom it made, and winced at the deep, splintered indentation and scorch mark it left.

Adagio turned her attention to Twilight and raised her hand, her haughty and superior smirk returning. “Would you like to be next, little girl?”

Twilight didn’t answer. With her sword in front of her, she took a ready stance and stared Adagio down.

“Cute.” Adagio flung out a bolt of magic.

Twilight jumped to the right and ran at Adagio, keeping her schiavona crossed in front of her defensively. Adagio shot at her again, and Twilight slashed the magic bolt back toward her. Adagio yelped and ducked, then raised her shield just as Twilight was on her. The metal hit the diamond, and Twilight cried out as the reverberation shook her whole body. Adagio lowered her shield and blasted at Twilight again. Twilight narrowly spun out of the way, the blast, brushing across her midsection and tearing her shirt. Adagio followed up with a boot to her sternum and sent Twilight skidding back.

“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. She could feel Adagio’s song slip into her ears, brush against her mind. It was foreign, alien. And familiar.

No…

Adagio had erected her barrier again, a vainglorious smile on her lips as she sang.

Why am I fighting her? I can’t beat her. I should give up. Twilight’s sword hand slacked.

No! She’s manipulating you! Fight back! Remember Selena’s training! Focus!

But focusing was hard. The melody was so nice. It made her feel good. Like she was floating on a cloud. This fight was pointless.

Have to snap… out of it… have to fight… don’t fight her… No, fight her!

Twilight’s grip tightened.

“Aaah aah—ack!”

A curtain of fire descended on Adagio, blocking her from Twilight’s view. The haze in her mind cleared up, and anger and loathing filled the dreamy void Adagio had created in her mind. She watched Sunset drop from the sky and punch a fiery fist against Adagio’s diamonds.

Adagio winced, but the smirk never left her face. “Well, I think it’s time I made my exit. So long spectacular losers.” She squeezed her fist, and in a bright explosion, she vanished. Leaving the barrier to fade away.

Sunset cursed, then spun to face Twilight, her expression softening immediately. “Are you okay?”

Twilight sheathed her sword with a little more force than she intended, then put a hand to her forehead. “I’m… annoyed. Frustrated. Peeved!” Twilight snorted, as she rode her emotions. “I fell under her stupid voice spell again! This time, I knew it was happening, but I couldn’t fight it!

She kicked a stray pebble. “Dang it!” She looked up as Sunset made an odd choking sound.

“‘Dang it’. That’s all you can say?” Sunset asked, a hand over her mouth.

Twilight crossed her arms. “She’s not worth cursing over.”

Sunset swallowed the rest of her laugh. “You’re right.” She stepped closer and pulled Twilight into a hug, her phoenix wings making it extra warm. “I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”

Only because you swooped in to save me again. Twilight shoved the bitterness down. That wasn’t a path she felt like treading again.

From between the flames of Sunset’s wings, Twilight saw the tree Adagio had assaulted begin to rustle again. One of its branches drew back.

“Sunset, duck!”

Without hesitation, Sunset dropped to the ground, pulling Twilight with her. A swarm of pine needles flew over their heads and embedded into another tree.

Sunset rolled off Twilight to see what had attacked them. “Seriously, why the killer flora?”

A wave of blue washed over the tree just as it raised another branch to shoot. Its limbs went slack, and the tree settled into place.

Twilight got to her feet as Artemis walked over, his suit and cape scuffed up and torn in several places.

“What happened to you?” Sunset asked.

“I got dragged over to the bamboo garden, where several bonsai trees used me as a punching bag.” He rubbed his ribs. “Not fun. I dispelled the magic there, then started running around the rest of the garden. Someone placed a severe enchantment over the entire vicinity.”

“Who?” Twilight asked. Is Moondancer strong enough to do something like this?

“Question for later,” Sunset said. “We still have one more place to disenchant.”

Sunset led them back to the willow glade where Applejack was still trading blows with a much raggedier rock golem. Many of its stones had been knocked out or cracked. One leg was shorter than the other now, keeping it lopsided as Applejack punched its center again, then danced away as Pinkie hit it with another firework.

Artemis held his wand above his head, and a sphere of blue energy coalesced at its tip, steadily growing larger. It exploded outward, washing everything in another wave of blue light. In an instant, the rock golem collapsed, its stones spilling everywhere. The arms of the willow trees went limp, and a lily pad that had stuck itself to Trixie’s arm fell off.

Everything was quiet until the girls gave a collective sigh. Fluttershy immediately flitted between everyone, healing their wounds and exhaustion.

“Okay, so, can Adagio control plants now or what?” Rainbow asked.

Artemis shook his head. “That was a very powerful enchantment; not something Adagio can do, even if she is copying our magic.”

“So, who then?” Applejack asked. “Tempest? Moondancer?”

“You’re guess is as good as mine.” Artemis sighed. “That’s enough magical excitement for one day. Let’s go home before the media shows up.”

Fluttershy looked nervously around the remainder of the glade. Rocks scattered everywhere, trampled and scorched grass, and trees with missing and broken limbs. “Goodness, what are they going to say about this? Are they going to find out about us?”

Sunset pointed to her face. “That’s why we have the masks. And I don’t think there were enough people around for them to do anything more than speculate. But let’s get out of here, just in case.”

Artemis gave a gentle ‘come hither’ wave. “Alright, girls. Two at a time. Sunny and Twilight first.”

Twilight whimpered. Sunset’s hand on her shoulder only partially mitigated the onset of dread.

*******

“Meanwhile, security has confirmed that the alleged terrorist attack at the Mistmane Botanical Gardens was committed by former pop star, Adagio Dazzle. Adagio was also responsible for the attack on one of Canterlot’s malls just last week. Authorities are asking anyone who has any information to come forward. It is still unclear exactly how Adagio damaged many of the trees in the garden, or what her motives were. Current reports of ‘attacking plants’ are unfounded.”

Sunset sat on the arm of the Lulamoon couch, the rest of her friends packed around the television. The media hadn’t shown any eye-witness interviews, but it looked like they were in the clear if they were already dismissing the idea of wild, living foliage.

“If Adagio wasn’t behind it, why was she there?” Rainbow asked.

“Probably to steal more magic,” Rarity said. “You saw her leech off that bush. And she absorbed some of Pinkie’s magic.”

“Big meanie,” Pinkie said, pouting and crossing her arms.

“Hey, I just realized something,” Rainbow said, sitting up from her slouched position in front of the couch. She looked over her shoulder and up at Sunset. “So like, I got punched super hard by Adagio, at the mall and at the gardens. And she has Applejack’s super strength! Shouldn’t I have broken bones or something? Like, it hurt, but just normal hurt.”

“Hey, yeah,” Pinkie spoke up. “She hit me with my own firework. It hurt but not a whole lot.”

Twilight tapped her chin. “Maybe when she absorbs magic, it dilutes it?”

Artemis hummed, leaning against the wall. “The Staff of Sacanas isn’t supposed to dilute the magic it absorbs. But what she has left is only a shard, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

Sunset closed her eyes. “I don’t know. When I fought Tempest, she got some pretty good hits on me. When I think about it, a few of those should have done more damage than it did.”

Her chest hitched, remembering the black magic Tempest had struck her with. Tempest hadn’t been pulling her punches. If she had meant to deal serious damage, something had dulled the pain.

“Maybe it’s that magic glow you girls have when you pony up,” Trixie said. She lounged in an armchair, idly tapping on her phone.

Sunset tilted her head up in thought. That was a definite possibility. She had never heard of perpetual personal magical force fields in Equestria. Of course, in the human world, it seemed anything went.

She flinched hard as a memory bubbled up to the surface. She had seen this before. Her attack on Princess Twilight and her soon-to-be friends at the Fall Formal. She had launched a fireball at them, expecting them to be incinerated. Instead, when the smoke cleared, they were still huddled together, surrounded by magic. Sunset thought it had been a one-off protection from the Elements.

“I think Trixie’s right,” she said, shaking herself free of the memory. “Whatever magic we have, it’s given us a protective aura as well.”

“Wow, we really hit the magic jackpot huh?” Rainbow said with a grin.

A strong knock at the door broke their conversation. Sunset grunted and got up from the couch. She looked through the peephole and furrowed her brow. The only thing she could make out was a black shirt straining against a set of very defined abs.

She unlocked the door and opened it just enough to stick her head through. She then had to crane her neck upward to see her guest’s face. The man had to be at least six and a half feet tall and was all muscle. His gray biceps bulged in his sleeves which looked ready to tear. He had a sculpted jawline with a tuft of black beard, and a buzz cut on top. His eyes were narrowed, and his mouth set in an annoyed grimace.

“Um, can I help you?” Sunset asked.

The man brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, his glower softening. “Pardon the interruption,” he said in a masculine, gravelly voice. “I was informed that I could find a girl by the name of Pinkie Pie here.”

Sunset fought the urge to look back to Pinkie and give this stranger any sort of confirmation. “And, who told you that?”

He cleared his throat again. “Let me start from the beginning. My name is Iron Will. I am a parole and corrections officer at the Canterlot Detention Center. You see, I have in my charge—” He stepped to the side, his massive frame having perfectly hid two people.

“Aria? Sonata?” Sunset blinked at the two Sirens, a nervous prickle of déjà vu running down her spine.

Aria gave a bored peace sign. “‘Sup?”

Sunset opened her mouth to respond, but someone grabbed her arm and spun her off to the side before throwing the door wide open.

“Sonnie!”

“Pinkie!”

Pinkie ran onto the porch and pulled Sonata into a hug. They spun around, laughing with tears in their eyes, acting as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

Sunset returned to the threshold, scowling until she saw the warm embrace. Aria stepped around them, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

“Today was our free day, and Sonata wouldn’t shut up about seeing you again,” Aria explained. She poked Iron Will in the bicep. “It took a while to convince iron head here it wasn’t some ploy.”

Iron Will slapped her hand away. “Iron Will still doesn’t trust you. I only agreed because it was within your parole limits.”

Sonata and Pinkie pulled away from each other but kept their hands on the other’s shoulders. “Oh my gosh, there’s so much I wanna tell you, Sonnie!”

“Me too! The detention center is actually a lot of fun! We have arts and crafts every other day! Oh! But we actually really wanted to talk to you about something important!” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “It’s about Adagio.”

“So, can we like, come inside?” Aria asked.

Sunset raised an angry eyebrow.

Aria groaned and tossed her head back. “We’re sorry about last time and we’re not up to anything evil. We turned ourselves in, didn’t we?”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you came into my house and attacked my family!” Artemis swept up behind Sunset and glared at the Sirens.

“Joy, the old man’s back,” Aria deadpanned.

“I am not old!”

Iron Will cleared his throat, a rumble that sounded like an avalanche. “Sir, I will be more than glad to remove these delinquents if you feel they’re a problem.”

Artemis opened his mouth, but Aria cut across him. “Look, we’re sorry, okay? We mean it. We’re sorry for all the crap we put you through. Your dumb colorful friends here showed us that maybe there’s a better life than following Adagio’s orders. And we’re here because we want to help.”

“I believe them!” Pinkie said, hugging Sonata again.

Sunset saw a rare scowl on Artemis’ face, distrust in his eyes. She put a hand on his shoulder and said into his ear, “Pinkie’s key to the chest came from Sonata. I think they’re really reformed this time.”

Artemis opened and closed his mouth a few times, resembling a gasping fish. He let out a sigh and turned into the house. “Just remember: you’re outnumbered and outmatched.”

Aria rolled her eyes as she followed him inside. Pinkie looped her arm through Sonata’s and led her into the house with a skip. Iron Will, face stoic, followed last.

The Lulamoon’s living room was big, but Sunset had never seen it filled with this many people. Perhaps it was Iron Will’s hulking frame that took up so much space. He took up a whole corner to himself while everyone else fanned out around the couch and center table.

Shimmer glared at the Sirens from her perch on the banister. “You really wanna bring those fish people in here again? You are seriously too nice.”

“As I have been reminded,” Sunset muttered. She sat down next to Twilight and looked over at Aria who stood next to Rarity’s chair. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Well…” Aria trailed off and gave a subtle tilt of her head toward Iron Will.

Sunset looked to the parole officer leaning against the wall and back to Aria. How were they supposed to have a conversation with a civilian around?

Selena stood up and gave Iron Will a hospitable smile. “Would you care for some tea, Mr. Iron Will?”

He held his hands up. “I couldn’t impose after the intrusion we have already caused.”

“Oh, but I insist! You’re working so hard on behalf of these girls. You must be thirsty.”

Iron Will cleared his throat. “Truth be told, I am a little parched. Very well, tea sounds lovely.”

Selena dipped her head and retreated into the kitchen. Sunset saw a knowing smirk on Artemis and Trixie’s faces.

“So, what’s it like in prison?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s not prison; it’s just the detention center,” Aria snapped. “The beds are comfier.”

“It’s actually really nice! Sonata chirped. “Like I said, we get arts and crafts days! Aria’s been going to the gym there—”

Aria flexed, showing a little definition in her bicep.

“—I’ve made a lot of new friends! Most of them are just kids who made bad decisions like us, but they’re really nice when you talk to them! And then we have field trip days where we do community service!”

Aria gave a puff of a sigh. “Our deal is three-hundred hours of community service and five years probation. If we stay on good behavior.”

“If you don’t wanna do the time, don’t do the crime,” Iron Will growled.

Selena returned with a single porcelain cup and saucer, steam rolling off the top. “Here you are.”

Iron Will accepted it and inhaled the flowery aroma Sunset could smell from across the room. “My thanks,” he said before giving it a single blow and taking a sip.

He teetered back and forth before his eyelids drooped shut and he fell forward. A blanket of blue magic covered him and the tea, stopping it from spilling on the carpet.

“Alright, make some room for our guest,” Artemis said as he guided Iron Will toward the couch. Rainbow and Applejack got up, giving just enough room to sit Iron Will down and have him slouch back.

“Sleeping potion?” Sunset asked. She looked at Selena. “I thought you didn’t allow magic in the kitchen.”

Selena gave a small, mischievous smirk. “Potion-making is more chemistry than magic.”

“Well, now that musclehead is out…” Aria crossed her arms. “We knew Adagio was at the gardens before the news broke. And we know you girls fought her. The media is keeping it vague, but we could taste the magic.”

“The media keeping things vague works in our favor though,” Twilight said. “The less people who know about magic, the better.”

“Yeah, but I think Adagio wants people to know. She has the Crystal Heart—she’s trying to stir up as much negative energy as she can to feed off it.”

Sunset nodded. “That’s what we figured.”

Aria seated herself on the arm of Rarity’s chair. “After our banishment, we became more subtle. A lot of the reason was because we didn’t have magic to back us up if we got caught. But this?” Aria shook her head. “Adagio’s desperate, I can feel it.”

Sonata pulled on her fingers. “Dagi gets scary when she’s desperate.”

“She’s always been ambitious, always been power-hungry. But when things start going south, she takes it up a notch. And this time, she doesn’t have us to back her up.” Aria rolled her shoulders. “Adagio always has a plan. Even when backed into a corner. It might be wild, even dangerous, but she’ll have a plan.”

“Any idea what that plan might be?” Sunset asked.

Aria looked at the carpet, focusing on nothing in particular. “Hard to say. There has to be more to it than just building fear and feeding on it. This is just to buy herself time. But, if she keeps pulling these stunts and getting away, she will get stronger; strong enough to start putting people under her thrall.”

Sunset put a protective hand on Twilight's shoulder.

Artemis pulled on his goatee. “You’re being awfully forthcoming with all this.”

Aria crossed her arms again, though it wasn’t in her usual grumpy manner. She was almost holding herself. The frown on her face wasn’t one of annoyance but reservation. “We told you, we wanted to help. Adagio may be a total bitch but…”

“We’re still family,” Sonata said, looking at her hands with a forlorn expression.

Aria nodded her head toward her. “I can’t stand her right now. But… we’re bonded. I don’t know if she can ever be ‘reformed’ but I don’t wanna see her dead. Like I said, she’s desperate, which means she’s gonna get sloppy, especially trying to do what she’s doing. The way I figure, if you girls get to her first, you’ll put her in a hospital at worst and then in jail. That’s probably what’s best for her at this point.”

There was a brief interlude of silence before Applejack said, “Well, you’re right about her fightin’ wild. Thanks to that piece of magic, that girl has more moves than an octopus in a wrestling match. Doesn’t help that she can steal our magic and turn it against us.”

“Or that our training place is so small,” Rainbow said. “We could probably get a leg up on her if we got some real practice in.”

Sonata tilted her head to the side, then straightened up with a loud gasp. “I know where you guys could train!”

Pinkie gasped. “Really?”

“Yeah! You could go to our island!”

“What?” Sunset asked, surprised.

“What?” Aria asked flatly.

“What?” Artemis asked, outraged.

Sonata looked at all three of them and gave a confused shrug. “What? It wasn’t, like, super big, but there’s probably a lot of room to train and stuff. And there’s no one around.”

“Uh, weren’t you guys locked away in Greece or something?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, but a magic, glowy portal brought us to Canterlot. It goes two ways, so if you found it, you could use it too. I think.”

“The leygate,” Artemis breathed.

Sunset straightened up, remembering what Selena had told her months ago. Leygates were the openings of Leylines—veins of magic that ran through the planet. They could be ridden and act as long-distance teleporters. If what Sonata said was true…

“That’s a dumb idea, Sonata, even for you,” Aria said. “Whatever that was that let us out is probably gone by now. And even if it isn’t, there’s no way in hell I’m going back to that place.”

“Let’s say, hypothetically, that it was still there,” Sunset said slowly. “Do you remember where the leygate is?”

Sonata nodded. “I think so.”

“And is there any chance Adagio would use this place as a hideout or come look for us there?”

Aria scoffed. “She hated that place more than me. She’d never step foot there again if it was the last safe haven on this planet.”

Sunset looked over to Artemis with a hopeful grin. “Artemis!”

He kept a hand over his mouth, brow furrowed. “And what if it’s a trap?”

“It’s not!” Sonata jumped to her feet. “We wanna help, we swear! And I can take you to the gate thingy right now! I’ll prove it’s not a trap!”

“I think she’s telling the truth!” Pinkie said, standing up beside Sonata. “And I really wanna see the leygate thing too!”

Sunset caught Artemis’ eye. “I think she’s telling the truth too. And we still outnumber them.”

Aria leaned back in her seat and blew a raspberry. “Count me out. I told you: I’m never stepping foot on that island again.”

Selena looked between her and Iron Will, softly snoring. “I’ll stay here then. Someone needs to make sure our guest stays asleep.”

Artemis gave a defeated sigh. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” He pointed at Sonata. “Fine then, lead the way!”

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: Little Garden of Horrors

We now return to your (semi)regularly scheduled magical girl shenanigans.

Falling Star III: Apotheosis

It took a while to get the lab door open. Applejack’s powers came back in short spurts, lasting five to ten seconds at a time. Eventually, she managed to uncrimp the door and push it open just enough for people to start squeezing out.

No one was sure what to do about Starlight. Within the parameters of the law, she technically hadn’t done anything illegal. And while Sunset would have loved to tie her up and toss her somewhere where she couldn’t help Tirek, they had no means by which to do it.

Both parties could only glare at each other as the remains of the Spectacular Seven showed themselves out of the laboratory, Moondancer awkwardly following behind them.

“All of our hard work,” Sunset heard Starlight bemoan to her two assistants. “It’s going to take months to fix our containment unit alone!”

Sunset’s temper flared. She almost turned around to go scream some more at Starlight, but Rarity’s ginger hand around her shoulder kept her moving forward, half carried by her friends.

The six of them crowded into the elevator. Moondancer stopped at the threshold and stepped back. “I’ll just… wait for the next one,” she said in a hoarse whisper, her bloodshot eyes on the floor.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but the doors closed in Moondancer’s face and carried them up to the ground floor.

The rest of the building appeared empty. No other scientist confronted them. The receptionist was still out to lunch. There weren’t even any police, which had briefly crossed Sunset’s mind in the elevator.

“What are we going to do now?” Pinkie asked as they crossed through the lobby.

Sunset didn’t answer. Her throat hurt from crying. Starlight’s machine broke, so she wouldn't be opening a portal anytime soon. That evened the odds against Tirek. If they could get the Rainbow of Light back, they still had a chance to turn things in their favor.

But they did still have the police and the public to deal with. When the frog spell wore off and the guards learned of the girls’ escape, their families would be the first to be questioned.

And speaking of families, what was Sunset supposed to tell Twilight’s? How could she explain that their daughter had been pulled into collapsing portal?

Sunset stumbled, held up only by Rarity and Rainbow. She wanted to stop. She wanted to sleep. She wanted time to think, to grieve. But, she knew she had to keep going. They had to plan and act quickly.

The girls stepped out to the front lawn, just as quiet as the inside of the building. The sun was beginning to go down, casting rays of orange light through the trees.

“So, what exactly happened back there with our magic?” Rainbow asked. “And why is it so hard for us to pony up now?”

“Starlight’s portal malfunctioned,” Moondancer said, coming up behind them. She stopped at the edge of the curb and stared off into the trees. “It did open a portal to this world’s lost magic. But for whatever reason, it began pulling the magic away instead of pouring back in.”

“Why?” Rainbow asked again.

Sunset’s muddled thoughts mashed together. Even in her exhausted and depressed state, her mind couldn’t help but ponder an answer. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for her to stumble on one.

“Magic begets magic,” she said emotionlessly. “Smaller magic is attracted to a larger magical source. There’s probably a lot more magic in that pocket dimension than there is out here.”

Moondancer grimly nodded. “Sounds believable. So, the magic tried to go back to its source. And because of that, Twilight… Twilight…” She cupped a hand over her mouth and fell to her knees, sobbing anew.

Fluttershy ran over and put an arm around Moondancer’s shoulder. Sunset quirked an eyebrow. Even in Fluttershy’s near-infinite kindness, something about that seemed weird. She didn’t have the energy to care at the moment. Rainbow looked like she too wanted to protest, but likewise, rolled her eyes in dismissal.

“We should probably get back to the, uh… somewhere safe,” Applejack said. “Hopefully, the Lulamoons have done somethin’ about Adagio.”

“Yeah,” said Sunset. Then, Artemis could be in charge, at least for a little while.

She took a few steps forward, then stopped and pressed a palm to her forehead. A pressure was building, and Sunset felt it quickly spread throughout her whole body. Her skin tingled and her spine bent. It was like a lightning storm was approaching, and intensifying gravity as it got closer.

“Okay, you all feel that too, right?” Rainbow asked, looking around.

Rarity nodded. “I’m getting an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu.”

“Sshhh!” Sunset held a finger up. “Do you hear that?”

Everyone held their breath and strained their ears. Even Moondancer held her sobs in and looked around. Faintly, the tinkle of glass drifted on the evening breeze. It sounded like something was cracking ever-so-slightly.

“What is it this time?” Applejack whispered.

Sunset’s pony ears burst to life on top of her head, and her exhaustion burned away like she had taken a shot of pure adrenaline. Around her, her friends ponied up as well, and judging by the surprise on their faces, it hadn’t been intentional.

“Did our magic just come back?” Rainbow asked.

“Maybe the effects were temporary?” Rarity guessed.

“Girls, what’s that?” Pinkie pointed to a spot out on the front lawn. Sunset stepped closer and rubbed her eyes, unable to process what they were seeing.

A jagged, glowing crack stretched across the grass, with offshoots splintering out like the branches of a tree. Sunset looked on with horrid fascination, watching the grass the crack spread over dissolve into glittering dust. The more the break in reality spread, the stronger the pressure became.

“Is Starlight doing this?” Rainbow asked.

Sunset shook her head, ominous dread pooling in her core. “No… I don’t think so.”

The cracking intensified, the splintered lines spreading out until it resembled a jagged spiderweb. When it had spread over almost half of the front lawn, it finally shattered like glass, shards of earth and grass falling into a white void. Wind rushed out and knocked everyone to the ground.

The gale only increased, and Sunset felt the exact opposite of what she had experienced inside the lab. Magic was flowing. It felt like she was in Equestria again. It was a different kind of magic, but it permeated her being and filled her lungs.

She forced herself up and edged closer to the hole in the earth. At first, all she saw was white nothingness. Then, a figure emerged, slowly rising out on wings of the deepest night.

Her skin was dark purple, with her hair another shade darker. It billowed upward like wildfire and sported familiar highlights of pink and violet. She wore a purple dress with a low neckline, long, fingerless gloves, torn stockings, and heels that glowed with an unearthly pale light. That same light made up the grooved, spiraled horn sprouting from her forehead. A long tail hypnotically swished from side to side behind her.

The creature rose higher into the air, eyes closed, arms spread like she was in a trance. Sunset looked up at her, in awe, in confusion, in horror. She felt the missing tether in her soul reattach itself.

“Twilight?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The creature opened her eyes, revealing small red pupils that almost vanished in a sea of teal, while magical flame ignited around them like a sinister pair of glasses. She let out a soft chuckle, then gripped her head and let out a mad cackle.

“I understand, hahahaha!” she said, a slight gravely distortion in her voice, “I understand everything now!”

She laughed again, and the pressure around everyone increased, forcing Sunset down on one knee. She kept her head up, heart pounding as she kept her gaze locked on the familiar presence above her.

“Twilight, is that you?”

The figure looked down at her and gasped, delight dancing in her dilated eyes. “Sunnykins! My love!”

Rainbow pushed herself onto her hands and knees. “No way. That’s Twilight?”

Twilight clasped her hands next to her cheek, noticing the entire crowd before her for the first time. “My friends! You’re all here! I missed you all so much!”

Applejack, strong enough to stand, asked, “Sweetheart… what happened to you?”

Twilight laughed. It wasn’t the laugh Sunset knew: the shy giggle whenever Sunset kissed her, or the jubilant chuckle whenever Twilight found something truly funny. There was an unhingedness to this new laugh; an edge that made Sunset’s insides turn.

“I found the magic,” Twilight said with excited delirium. “Well, it’s more accurate to say, I fell into the magic. I floated there for what felt like forever! But the magic came to me. So much magic came to me! And then, I understood. Every formula, every function, every contradiction!”

She held her hand out. A mote of blue fire burst to life. Before everyone’s eyes, it solidified into a chicken egg. The egg wiggled and cracked, and a tiny blue whale crawled out on a set of six insect legs. The whale then turned into bubbles that sank toward the ground.

“I can do anything now,” Twilight whispered. “This world’s magic makes no sense. But I can make it make sense.”

The pressure in the air alleviated, and Sunset got back to her feet. “Twilight, I’m… I’m really happy for you. I’m glad you’re okay. I…” Sunset didn’t know how she felt. Yes, she was overjoyed Twilight was still alive. But, was this actually Twilight? Sunset could feel the magic radiating off of her. And one look into Twilight’s eyes told her the magic had done more than just change Twilight’s appearance.

Twilight drifted down to Sunset and placed a hand on her cheek. Despite its warmth, Sunset’s entire body shivered and her breathing quickened.

“I missed you,” Twilight whispered into Sunset’s ear. “I wanted so badly to see you. To show you what I can do now. You don’t have to fight. When I’m done, you’ll never have to fight again.”

Sunset swallowed. “Done with what?”

Twilight looked her straight in the eyes. “Remaking the world.”

“What?”

Removing her hand, Twilight drifted back into the air. “This world is chaos. And so is its magic. So, I am going to reset both. I will create a new, orderly paradise, with new, orderly magic to go with it. I told you: only I can make it make sense,” she said with a perfectly calm veneer.

Pinkie slowly tilted her head to one side. “Aaaand…. What’s gonna happen to this world?”

“It’ll be erased,” Twilight said simply. “Out with the old, in with the new. Of course, you’ll all be fine. I’m taking you all with me. Even you, Moony!”

Moondancer, down on her knees with a look of horror on her face, shook her head. “You can’t do that.”

A manic smile broke out across Twilight’s face. “Of course I can! I have the power of ruin and creation in the palm of my hand! I can do anything!”

She struck her arm out to the side, and everything from the elbow up appeared to have vanished into nothing. Twilight pulled back and watched her arm slide into view like it had been hidden behind a curtain. She held in her hand what appeared to be a moon rock.

“I can warp space!”

Twilight closed her fingers around it. When she opened it again, a solid gold bar sat in her palm. It bubbled and liquified, losing its color as it melted between Twilight’s fingers, turning into water. The streams coiled up one arm and down the other before settling into a ball above her opposite hand.

“Reconstruct matter!”

She tossed the ball up into the sky. Sunset followed it, gasping at the scene above her. She was staring down at herself and all of her friends gathered in front of Equilibrium Labs. She looked down again, seeing open air, and let out a yell as she dropped. It was a short fall, as she and everyone else landed exactly where they had been.

“Bend reality!” Twilight drummed her fingers together in front of her mouth. “So yes, I think I can do that.”

Sunset took a step forward and raised her hands in a non-threatening fashion. “Twilight… I’m happy you have magic. But maybe, you have too much of it.”

“Too much?” Twilight blinked out of existence and reappeared right in front of Sunset. She reached out and pinched Sunset’s cheek. “Is someone jealous? Are you sad that I’m not your damsel in distress anymore?”

Sunset stepped back. “No, that’s not it. It’s just…” She shook her head. “You’re messing with forces you don’t understand.”

“I understand better than you!” Twilight snapped, her cordiality vanishing instantly. “I did the research! I tried to put the pieces together! I have been rewarded with pure power! All my efforts to make sense of this chaotic mess have finally come to fruition!”

Twilight hovered back and clenched her teeth. “But of course, you’re not happy for me. Anytime I do something a little dangerous, it’s a dumb idea.’”

Sunset flinched. “Twilight, this idea isn’t dumb, it’s crazy. The world isn’t perfect, but you can’t destroy it!”

“I prefer the term ‘remake’. And I don’t know why you’re complaining. You’re coming with me! All my friends and family! Everyone important to them! The smartest people in the world! All of the innocent! All of the worthy!”

Twilight extended her hand.

“But you most of all. I want you, Sunnykins, to rule by my side. Think about: a perfect world! No more sickness, no more injury, no more death! Just us, studying the secrets of the universe with everyone we care about in pure bliss.”

“And everyone else?” Sunset asked, dreading the answer.

Twilight gave an uncaring shrug. “Whatever happens to the leftovers of this world, happens.”

Sunset stepped back. She thought losing Twilight had been the worst pain she had ever experienced. But seeing Twilight like this, twisted and maniacal and cold. Sunset felt sick. “Twilight, this isn’t you.”

Twilight scowled. “Yes, it is. This is the ultimate form of me. I have been blessed by magic and unlocked my full potential!”

“I know that’s what it feels like right now,” Sunset said slowly. “I know what it feels like to have that much magic coursing through you. I’ve been there, I’ve had that power! You feel like you can have everything you’ve ever wanted! Twilight, I made that same mistake—you know I have! You know how that magic overwhelmed me! That’s what’s happening to you right now!”

“Except I’m not overwhelmed!” Twilight snarled, her hair surging and snapping in all directions. “Unlike you, I can have everything I want! I’m not a failure anymore!”

Sunset put her hands together pleadingly. “No one ever thought of you as a failure, sweetie.”

Twilight raised a glowing blue hand and curled her fingers. The same light appeared on the corner of Sunset’s vest, and she was jerked into the air and hoisted in front of Twilight.

“Sunset!” Rarity called.

Her friends all took uncertain steps closer, but the fire around Twilight’s eyes flared, and a wicked tempest burst forth, throwing them all into the parking lot. Twilight turned her red eyes back to Sunset.

“You think I’m a failure,” she said in a manic whisper. “You couldn’t trust me. You didn’t think I knew what I was doing. You always thought I needed to be rescued.”

“That’s not true,” Sunset said with a shaky breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. But you didn’t give me a good reason—”

“Sometimes you have to take risks to get results!” Twilight shouted. Her magic shook Sunset by the collar. “Everything I did, I did for you! I wanted to understand how magic worked! I wanted to help bring it back into this world, not just so I could have it, but so anyone could! So I would never have to see you or Shining or anyone else in a hospital again! So that we could have enough power to kill Tirek and permanently end this cycle!”

Twilight raised a gentle hand and ran her thumb along Sunset’s cheek, stopping just below her lip. “I wanted the power to protect you,” she said softly.

Ice ran down Sunset’s spine. Twilight’s touch was warm and loving. Yet, Sunset felt only twisted perversion on her skin. “I’m glad you have it. But I need you to let a little bit of it go.”

Twilight’s thumb dug into one side of Sunset’s chin, and her remaining four fingers followed suit on the other. “You really do just want me to remain on the sidelines. To remain helpless! You’re so desperate to keep playing the hero!”

Sunset reached for Twilight’s arm. “No, I just—” She had forgotten she had ponied up. Her fingers curled around Twilight’s wrist, and the scenery around them vanished in a pool of light.

No other scene resurfaced. There was only nothingness.

She was falling, drowning. She could breathe but every breath was fire and the pressure crushed her lungs. Her skin tingled, then buzzed, then rippled. Something was trying to get in; it was blanketing her from all sides. Angry claws dug into her mind, prying it open and letting in more pain.

No, not pain. Knowledge!

But why did the knowledge hurt so much? She couldn’t make sense of it. Millions of images flashed in her assaulted mind. Whispers flowed into her ears. Tales of the impossible. Deeds done and undone. Past, present, and future spoken in one breath.

She could see infinity reaching out before her, reaching out to her. She could touch the seams of reality. The secrets of the universe flooded every fiber of her being, drowning her senses. She was everything and nothing. The void smothered her further, burning, stretching, remaking. Twilight screamed.

And Sunset screamed with her, ripping her hand free.

Her eyes returned from pandemonium and found Twilight looking at her with an almost sultry pout.

“You see now? It hurt. It hurt so much. But it was worth it, to come back to you like this. What truly hurts is you not understanding what I’m trying to do.”

Sunset took deep gulps of air. “Twilight, I do understand—”

“No you don’t!” Twilight flung Sunset to the ground. She skidded and landed on her back, right at the feet of Applejack who pulled her up.

“This world is broken!” Twilight yelled. “The magic is broken! I’m the only one who can see it, so I’m the only one who can fix it! I can fix everything! I can protect everyone! I can build paradise! Why won’t you let me?”

“Twi, the world may not be perfect,” Applejack said, “but it don’t need that type of extreme fixin’! You’re talkin’ about lettin’ other people die!”

“Only the bad ones!”

“And who’s going to decide that?” Rarity asked. “You can’t be judge, jury, and executioner for all of humanity!”

Twilight’s face darkened. “So you’re all going to reject me, too? I should have known better. We all picked Sunset to be the leader, didn’t we? She always knows best, so of course you side with her.”

Fluttershy sniffled. “No, Twilight, we just think—”

“Silence!” Twilight’s magnified voice shook the pine trees surrounding the campus. Birds fled from the branches, only Sunset couldn’t hear any panicked cries. She couldn’t hear her own breathing. She looked at her friends. Rainbow opened her mouth to yell, but nothing came out.

Smirking in satisfaction, Twilight drifted over to the curbside where Moondancer still sat on her knees. She stared at Twilight as she approached, an utterly haunted look on her face.

“You’ll join me though, won’t you, Moony?” Twilight asked in a syrupy sweet voice.

“Join you?” Moondancer’s shuddering voice broke through the silent barrier.

“I can bring her back, Moondancer. I can bring them both back. Your parents. You can live happy and free in my new world.” Twilight extended her hand down. “Just believe in me.”

Moondancer looked absently at Twilight’s outstretched hand. Her lips trembled. “Believe… in you…”

“Moondancer, don’t!” Sunset begged, but the words were smothered in the silence.

“I…” Moondancer looked down and gripped the hem of her white dress. “Tempest told me I could have my mother back. Tirek told me he would give them both back. I just had to join them. I just had to obey.” She let out a jittery laugh and her voice went up a pitch.

“I’m so tired of making deals with devils.”

“It’s not a deal, Moony. It’s a promise,” Twilight whispered.

Moondancer snapped her head up. “They promised me, too. But they were only lying.”

Twilight pouted. “I would never lie to you. We’re friends.”

“No, we’re not!” Moondancer slammed her fists against the ground. “You’re not Twilight! You’re not my Twilight! You may sound like her, but you’re not!”

Moondancer’s eyes vanished into a lake of white energy. She got to her feet, pearly wings sprouting from her back. “I will not be used by another monster! I won’t be lied to anymore! I won’t be anyone else’s puppet!”

She rose into the air and put her palms together. “Return my friend to me!” She fired a beam of white light at Twilight.

Twilight held her palm up, and a small portal ripped open in front of it. Moondancer’s attack was sucked in, and from behind her, another portal opened and unleashed the beam into Moondancer’s back.

Moondancer screamed once in pain, then again in frustration. A white rapier materialized in her hand, and she charged at Twilight with a flurry of slashes and stabs.

With effortless grace, Twilight evaded each attack, her smile growing wider with each of Moondancer’s misses. Moondancer made a broad downward slash, and Twilight folded her wings in front of herself. Moondancer’s rapier recoiled with a sharp ring like she had struck a steel wall.

Twilight emerged from her wings and struck her hand out, grabbing Moondancer’s sword hand. She twisted until Moondancer dropped her blade, then spun around her back and whispered into her ear.

Whatever she said sent Moondancer into a screaming rage. She flipped forward, heels kicking into Twilight’s chin. Moondancer followed up by spinning around and blasting Twilight in the chest, knocking her higher into the sky.

The blast looked like it hadn’t done any damage, however. Twilight brushed some of the scuff off and looked at Moondancer with a crooked smile. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

Twilight disappeared and popped up behind Moondancer, a sphere of pulsing purple energy in her hand. She fired and caught Moondancer in the back, then teleported again, appearing on Moondancer’s right. She fired again, scoring another hit, then teleported above and attacked again. On and on, Twilight danced around Moondancer, laughing with every shot she took. Moondancer tried to fight back, but every time she fired, Twilight had already moved onto the next position and struck back.

Twilight appeared above Moondancer again, but instead of a magic attack, she dove down and slammed her heel into Moondancer’s chest. The poor girl shot out of the sky and hit the grass, rolling to a stop at the lip of the hole in reality. She didn’t get back up.

“Now then, there will be no more debate on this topic.” Twilight turned her attention back to the girls. “I have the magic now, and I’m going to do as I see fit. You will thank me later.” Her last words sounded more like a threat than a reassurance.

Sunset felt her voice return. Tears building behind her eyes, she said, “Twilight… you know we can’t let you do this.”

Twilight covered her mouth and giggled, sending goosebumps across Sunset’s skin. “You’re going to try and stop me, Sunnykins? Pray tell, how?”

Sunset clenched her jaw, body shaking.

“Hahahaha! See? You can’t! You wouldn’t lift a finger against me!” Twilight teleported, appearing once again right in front of Sunset. Only this time, she stood upside-down in midair, her Chesire grin reversed into an ecstatic frown. “Or would you?”

“Don’t test me, Twilight,” Sunset said, trying her hardest to keep an edge to her voice.

Twilight turned her cheek toward her. “Go ahead then. Hit me.”

Sunset could barely close her fist. This creature barely sounded like Twilight, barely looked like Twilight, but Sunset’s soul knew this was indeed Twilight Sparkle.

“I’m waiting!” Twilight brought her face closer.

Sunset lifted her hand, tiny embers jumping across her knuckles. But she couldn’t phoenix up. She couldn’t even finish her swing.

Twilight pouted. “Maybe you just need some help.”

Fire engulfed Sunset’s hand, though it didn’t burn her. It felt like her own powers, warm and comforting. Yet, like with Twilight’s touches, there was a perversion hidden beneath the heat.

Twilight moved her cheek an inch from Sunset’s fist. “There! If I’m the bad guy, then fight me!”

Sunset’s hand trembled. She unclenched her fist and looked away. “I can’t.”

“Hehehe…. Hahahahahaha!” Twilight laughed in Sunset’s face. She gently tapped Sunset on the forehead, and the force was enough to drop her to the floor.

“Twilight, stop!” Rainbow yelled. “We’re your friends; what are you doing?”

“Proving that I’m in control now!” She teleported and wound up hovering over Pinkie’s shoulder. “Proving that I’m not helpless!”

She warped again, returning to hover in the air above everyone. “Proving that you can’t stop me,” she growled, eyes narrowed. She raised her hands, holding them inches apart from one another. In between her palms, a small orb formed, colorless before transitioning from pink to purple to indigo. It grew in size from a soccer ball to a beach ball.

The wind picked up and swirled around Twilight’s magic. Sunset got back up, skin prickling again from the magical output. She wanted to phoenix up and disrupt whatever spell Twilight was generating. But without knowing what it was, Sunset feared it would only make things worse.

Twilight flashed them a feral grin. She held a hand under the swirling mass of purple energy and hurled it up into the evening sky. Even as it grew more distant, it continued to grow in size.

“What is that?” Pinkie asked.

Holding her hands against her cheeks, Twilight released a dreamy sigh. “The beginning.”

“No!” Sunset yelled. “Twilight, you can’t—”

“Enough!” Twilight’s magnified voice echoed again. “No more debate! No more of your prattling!”

“Twilight, please!”

“And enough of that name! Twilight Sparkle was too weak to protect herself or anything she cared about. But not I. I am her evolution! I will reshape the world to magical perfection, and I will protect everyone in it, even my poor, ungrateful friends!”

Her horn glowed brighter, and the flames around her eyes danced. “It is the start of a new day… and the end of an old one. A new era is coming! And I am that bridge. I am the end and the beginning! The zeroth hour!” She flared her wings out and stared hungrily at her orb of magic, now resembling a second moon in the sky.

“I am Midnight.”

Rainbow’s blue aura brightened. “That’s it! This is for your own good, Twi!” She zipped into the air, leaving a rainbow contrail behind.

A blur whipped past Midnight, leaving her recoiled as she clutched her stomach. The blur came back around and struck from behind this time. On the third pass through, Midnight moved to one side and slashed open a portal. Rainbow tried to draw to a halt, but had already crossed through the tear when Midnight sealed it again with a trace of her fingers.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy screamed. “Where did you send her?”

“Paraguay, I think,” Midnight said with a shrug. She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh don’t worry. Little Rainbow will find her way back eventually.”

Sunset couldn’t take anymore. With an agonized yell, her phoenix powers ignited and she launched herself into the air. “Twilight, enough is enough! You need to stop this!”

Midnight dangerously narrowed her eyes. “It’s Midnight now. And I refuse! I’m doing what Twilight never could! I’m going to help the world!”

“You’ve already helped the world! You’ve helped our friends!” Sunset pressed her hands over her heart. “You’ve helped me! You’ve helped since the first day we met! If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know if I would have made it this far! You wanted to be my friend, not because someone else asked you to be, but out of the compassion in your own heart. Even after learning all the terrible stuff I did, you still stuck beside me.”

Sunset teared up and her throat tightened, strangling the words trying to get out. “You put up with all of my brooding and temper tantrums. You love me despite what I am and what I’ve been. You, Twilight; you’re what I dreamed about when my soul was trapped. You’re the reason I found my way back. You’re the reason I keep fighting! You’rethe reason we even had a chance to beat the Sirens! You’re the reason we found out about what happened to this world’s magic!

“I’m sorry if we ever made you feel like you were stuck on the sidelines! And I’m sorry I didn’t trust you before! But I need you to trust me now! All that magic you have is warping your mind! You can’t remake the world! So please, stop. Come back to me, Sparky. I love you.”

Midnight had watched her, unblinking, face inscrutable. When Sunset finished, a soft smile graced her lips. She floated closer and cupped Sunset’s face.

“I forgive you. And I love you, too, Sunnykins.”

Sunset froze mid-smile. Something hard and cold was creeping along her cheek. Her entire body was stiffening. She turned her head. Purple crystal was creeping down her neck and across her shoulder. She stretched an arm out. “Twilight, stop!”

“I love you,” Midnight repeated. “And that’s why I’m doing all of this. To make a better world for us. But I know you. Maybe you won’t fight me, but you’ll try to stop me. Always needing to play the hero.”

The crystal had coated Sunset’s entire left arm and was spreading across her chest and torso. It crawled up her back, putting out her wings and tail.

“So, I need to make sure you can’t interfere.” Midnight’s insane grin reappeared. “Don’t worry! You’ll make an adorable trophy girlfriend!”

“Twili—!” Sunset’s cry was cut off. The crystal encased her mouth and the rest of her body shortly after. Yet, she was still conscious. Through her crystal prison, she could still see the world, albeit tinted through purple fractals. She couldn’t breathe, yet she didn’t need air. And despite her ears being covered up, she could still hear Midnight laughing.

She was set on the ground, one arm outstretched in desperation, the other still pressed against her heart. She was forced to stare straight ahead at the hole in the ground, Moondancer still lying at its edge.

“Twilight, how could you?” Rarity shouted.

“Continue to object and you’ll share the same fate!” Midnight snarled. “Why is it so hard for you girls to understand that I’m trying to help humanity!”

A pause.

“In fact, if you’re not going to understand, I should get someone who does.”

Right on the cusp of Sunset’s line of sight, Starlight phased up through the ground and landed feet first on the lawn. Eyes wide, she quickly patted herself down, as if to make sure she was all there.

“What… what happened?”

“Doctor Starlight!” Midnight sang. “It’s so good to see you again!”

Sunset took brief pleasure in seeing the shadow of fear in Starlight’s eyes. “Who are you? What are you?”

Midnight floated into view. “I was once Twilight Sparkle. Our portal machine did work! I was taken to the lost magic and it has chosen me as its new host!”

Starlight looked from her to the chasm in the ground. Curiosity quickly eclipsed any fear. “Fascinating…” she whispered.

“I understand its secrets now, Doctor. And the secret is, none of it makes sense. Just like this world, the magic is twisted and wild. Corrupted! But I can remake both!” Midnight pointed to the sky. “I will create a new world of perfect order and magic!”

“Please, don’t listen to her!” Pinkie shouted. “She’s still our best friend, but she’s completely loco in the coco right now!”

Midnight pointed a finger past Sunset’s head and fired a quick jolt. She expected to hear a scream or cries of distress, but no sound reached her ears.

Looking content, Midnight continued, “I have the power now, Starlight. You don’t need Tirek. Join me, and I will return Sunburst to you.”

“Deal,” Starlight said with no hesitation. A giddy smile danced across her face. “Sunburst! A world of magic! Humanity at its apex! Of course I’ll help!”

Sunset tried to scream, but her vocal cords were completely crystallized.

Midnight looked over to the girls just outside of Sunset’s range. “You see, friends? See how easy it is just to accept change? Such loyalty deserves a reward!”

A pale flame appeared over Midnight’s palm. It circled in her hand before blasting out and striking Starlight in the chest. Starlight staggered back, looking winded. She took several deep breaths. Then, a smile crept across her face.

“Magic,” she whispered.

“My first task for you, Starlight, is to start gathering those you believe worthy to go to the new world! Starting with—”

A firecracker struck Midnight in the head, the only proof Sunset had that her friends were still in commission.

Midnight let out a ferocious growl, hair billowing again. “Starting with my ungrateful friends!”

Both Starlight and Midnight left Sunset’s field of view. She could hear blasts of magic. Yet she remained immobilized, helpless to render aid.

I need to get out! I need to stop her!

Sunset didn’t want to fight Twilight. She was the last person in the world Sunset wanted to face. But if she didn’t do something, the entire world was going to get torn apart.

But how was she going to get out of this prison? She couldn’t move, she couldn’t even struggle.

Physically, I can’t. But maybe…

Heat blazed in Sunset’s chest. She drew on her phoenix fire, letting it run through her veins. She imagined breaking free from the crystal, her magic surging and giving her strength. She could feel it rising, giving her the energy to struggle and chip pieces of the crystal.

“Applejack!” Fluttershy cried, breaking her friends’ silence.

She wasn’t working fast enough! She needed more fire! She needed the strongest heat she could produce to even have a chance at breaking out!

If she could furrow her eyebrows, she would. She didn’t want to do it, but Sunset thought back to her emotions when Twilight had first disappeared into the aether. Her pain, her fury at Starlight, her fresh grief.

A new heat surged. Sunset clung to it, remembering how badly she wanted to make Starlight feel what she felt. Her anger at knowing she had failed to save her girlfriend.

The crystal chipped and cracked. Sunset inwardly roared. She imagined what would happen if she failed now; if Twilight got away with her insane plan.

The crystal shattered, Sunset emerging with a vicious yell, her wings and tail blazing. She spun around, finding her friends hiding inside Rarity’s diamond dome with Starlight and Midnight assaulting from both sides with bolts of magic. Everyone froze and stared at the newly freed Sunset.

Midnight’s shocked expression gave way to a bemused smile. “Ha… haha... hahahahahaha! Of course you broke out, Sunnykins! Only you could!”

She blinked away from Rarity’s barrier and reappeared just over Sunset’s shoulder, casually lounging in midair. She stroked Sunset’s fiery locks. “Oh, Sunnykins. It looks like I’m going to have to break that rebellious spirit of yours. Even if it is one of your cutest attributes. If crystal can’t hold you, I’ll have to think of something more creative.”

Sunset swatted at her, striking air as Midnight warped away again. A blast of magic struck her from behind and threw her onto the blacktop of the parking lot. She scrambled to her feet and looked around, but Midnight was nowhere to be seen.

Something burbled under Sunset. She looked down to see pavement bubbling and threw herself into the air as the whole parking lot regressed into a tar pit. Another force of magic struck Sunset in the head, and she flew down toward the gurgling sludge. The area just beneath her twisted and rose as if to embrace her.

A diamond manifested in between Sunset and the ground, catching and speeding her to safety over the grass. Rarity had forgone their protective dome, leaving Pinkie and Applejack to duel Starlight and her burgeoning powers.

Without Midnight to back her up, Starlight was quickly overwhelmed. Pinkie hit her in the chest with a firework, and Applejack followed up with a haymaker, knocking Starlight into a light post. She groaned and slumped to the ground.

Midnight tutted into Sunset’s ear. “We’ll have to work on that.” Sunset spun around, finding no one.

“Oh, friends,” Midnight said in a sing-song voice that came from every direction, “you’re starting to get on my nerves!”

Dusk was falling. The shadows were lengthening. And Midnight’s sphere of magic colored the night sky with a purplish hue.

Sunset made a short rotation, hands raised in defense. “Girls, I think it’s time for you to go.”

“Hold on,” Applejack said. “What about you?”

“Right now, Twilight wants me the most. I’ll cover your escape.”

“See?” Midnight’s voice dripped from the shadows. “Always needing to be the hero. The self-sacrificing play. It’s cliché, don’t you think, love?”

Midnight burst from nothing and tackled Sunset to the ground, pinning her arms. “But if you really want some alone time with me, who am I to decline!”

Rarity threw a diamond at her. But with a flash of Midnight’s horn, the projectile bounced off a purple barrier and fell to the side.

“Sassaflash!” Pinkie cried, firing a volley of fireworks from her fingertips.

Midnight folded her wings around herself and Sunset, blocking out their friends and the rest of the noise. “What’s it going to take for you to join me?” she asked with a purr.

“I can’t,” Sunset said, shaking her head. “I can’t help you destroy the world.”

“Remake,” Midnight corrected. She leaned in closer, lips centimeters away from Sunset’s. Her breath was warm and odorless. “Please, love. Join me. We can rule together. Perfect order. Perfect harmony.”

“I’ve seen harmony, Twilight,” Sunset said, her entire body quivering. “And what you’re talking about, isn’t it.”

Before Midnight could rebuttal, she was shoved off by a charging Applejack. With a furious snort, she rose into the air and aimed a finger at the cowgirl.

Sunset stood in between the two and threw her arms up, raising a wall of fire between herself and her friends. “Go, tell the Lulamoons what happened!”

“But, Sunset!” Fluttershy called from beyond the flames.

“I’ll be fine, I promise.”

She heard Applejack stomp her boot. “Consarnit, Sunset! Fine, but we’re comin’ back for you! For both of you!”

Sunset heard the flap of wings, the hum of magic, and the crack of fireworks, and knew her friends were on the move. She focused all her attention on Midnight who returned a lazy smirk.

“I could go after them, you know. Just to prove you wrong. But, I’ll take your bait, Sunnykins. Now what?”

Sunset lowered the firewall. “Now we talk, one last time. I get wanting to fix the world, but is destroying it and creating a new one really the best option?”

“It’s certainly the most efficient one.” Midnight held up her hand, and a small model of Earth appeared. “Who knows what’ll happen if we just try to integrate magic into the world as is? We’ve already seen how unpredictable it can be. And your Equestrian influence hasn’t helped.”

She closed her fist, crushing the planet. “But if we start at zero and build from the ground up! Weave magic into the foundation of the world! We can create a perfect system!”

“The world doesn’t need to be perfect.”

“It needs to be better!” Midnight’s eyes flashed a deeper shade of red. “So why not aim for perfection?”

“Because you’re not a god, Twilight!” Sunset stomped her foot. “You can’t be the one to decide these things! No one should!”

Midnight folded one arm under her bust and held her cheek in the other, contemplating. “What makes a god? Is it divinity? But then, what is divinity? I certainly have the powers of a god.”

A new smile stretched over her face. “Midnight Sparkle, Goddess of Magic. I like the sound of that.” Midnight began to laugh, and a gale whipped up. The magical pressure returned, and it felt like someone was pushing on Sunset’s spine.

“Come, Sunset! Bow before your new goddess!” Midnight said, spreading her arms.

Sunset dug her feet into the ground and straightened her back. “I bow to one person. And you’re not her.”

Midnight’s smile dissolved into a sneer. “Then if you won’t bow, you’ll cower!” Electricity crackled around her right hand, and a purple blade of energy snapped to life in her grasp. She rushed and slashed at Sunset.

Sunset beat her wings and flew backward, feeling the heat of Midnight’s saber as it grazed her shirt. Midnight vanished, and it was only from watching Moondancer’s fight that Sunset knew Midnight would strike from a new angle. She leaped forward, hearing the static of the blade hum past her ear.

She heard Midnight’s giggle from above and jumped to the side as she came down and struck the earth, shooting purple sparks up from her strike.

“What’s the matter, Sunny? Aren’t you going to fight back?” She spun on the tip of her heel and slashed again.

Sunset didn’t answer. She jumped back and raised another wall of fire between them, then took flight toward the treeline. The world rippled around her like water, and Sunset found herself flying straight into the grass, hitting it face-first.

She spit out a clump of grass and stood up. Midnight’s purple blade slammed into Sunset’s gut, sending a paralyzing current through her whole body. Her nerves seized up and spasmed, and the point of impact left a crispy burn mark.

Sunset flew back from the force and collapsed near the void. She wheezed and managed to prop herself up on one arm. “Twilight, stop,” she coughed.

Midnight hovered above her. “I don’t want to. I don't want to hurt you either, but you continue to be obstinate.”

Sunset pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at her burn. “You can’t remake—”

“Stop telling me what I can and can’t do!” Midnight screeched, bringing her blade down.

It was instinctual self-defense. Sunset raised her hands and turned away. Gouts of fire erupted from her palms, and she heard Twilight screech in agony. Sunset quickly closed her fists to stop the fire, but it appeared too late. Soot danced in the air, and ash lay scattered on the ground.

Sunset hyperventilated. She crawled over to the ash-stained grass Midnight had hovered over only a moment ago. Static crackled through her mind, preventing her from processing the true weight of what had just happened. “Twilight?”

Nausea riled her stomach. She wildly looked about. “Twilight? No! No!” Sunset looked down at her hands in horror.

I can’t… I can’t have… I didn’t mean to…

“Just kidding,” a gleeful voice sang in her ear.

The blistering burn and convulsing shock of Midnight’s blade struck into her back and threw Sunset across the lawn again. She spasmed painfully for several seconds before her muscles relaxed and she could breathe again.

“You can’t hurt me, Sunnkykins,” Midnight said with a condescending laugh. “But you should have seen the look on your face!”

Sunset balled her fists and pushed herself up. In one swift motion, she spun up and threw her hand out to strike.

Midnight caught her arm and hoisted her in the air. She pursed her lips and said, “Did you actually try and hit me that time? I don’t know if I’m hurt or impressed.” Her grip tightened.

Sunset tried to wrench her arm free, kicking her legs and pulling on Midnight’s arm. She sucked in a deep breath when Midnight squeezed even harder.

“Oh, Sunset. What to do with you?”

A whine was Sunset’s only response. Midnight’s grip was ironclad now. Sunset could feel her muscle and bone bruising.

“I really want to show you the utopia I can see in my head.” Midnight gazed longingly past Sunset, eyes wide, pupils tiny. “If you saw it, you’d understand. All the knowledge I have. All the power I have. I could do it. And look at this world. Disease, war, corruption, death. So much suffering and pain. I have to do it.”

“Twilight, please, don’t,” Sunset begged.

The grip tightened. Dark shadows crossed Midnight’s face. “‘Twilight’ isn’t doing anything anymore. My name is Midnight now. Tell me you at least understand that.”

“Twilight—”

Snap!

“It’s. Midnight.”

Sunset opened her mouth, letting out a soundless scream. Sharp ringing pierced her ears, and black lines crossed her vision. She had never known pain this intense, this concentrated before. Her fire extinguished, and her aura flickered out.

“Hmm, so high amounts of pain can nullify your magic. Ah, there’s always more to learn!” Midnight said.

Sunset beat a weak fist against the hand holding her. “Please… let go.”

Midnight frowned. “Even now, you’re still fighting against me. You’re going to keep trying, even though you can’t win. It really does hurt to see you struggle like this.” She quickly brightened. “I know what to do with you.”

She brought Sunset over to the edge of the broken hole in the world. The white light of the void lit up the darkened grounds. Midnight looked down at Moondancer, hand hanging off the edge.

“Poor Moony. She’s already suffered so much. I think this will be good for her, too.” Midnight nudged Moondancer with her foot and rolled her off into the chasm. Sunset watched in shock and dread as Moondancer sank into the portal.

Midnight turned her attention back to Sunset. “Don’t worry. I can get you out whenever I want to. Think of this as a little time-out. I’m going to build a whole new world! And when it’s done, I’ll come and get you both! Then you’ll see I was right all along!”

She held Sunset over the pit. Sunset desperately dug her fingers into Midnight’s arm. “Twilight, don’t!”

“See you soon, Sunnykins!” Midnight released Sunset’s arm.

Sunset hung on to Midnight, sweat coating her palm. She made the fatal mistake of moving her free arm. Pain burst from the break Midnight had created and sent a shockwave through the rest of Sunset’s body that almost blacked her out. Her grip weakened, and a simple shake from Midnight cast her down into the void.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Sunset screamed, watching the human world drift further away. The edges of the portal closed in, obscuring her view until all she could see was Midnight and the purple orb hanging in the sky behind her.

Sunset reached her hand out, but Midnight merely laughed. She waved as Sunset fell backward, the human world drifting further away. With a snap of Midnight’s fingers, the portal sealed shut, leaving Sunset to sink ever downward into the abyss.

Volume IV

End

Author's Note

Playtime's over. See you all soon...

Volume IV Closing Theme