Sunset Shimmer: The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well

by Joeycrick

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 6, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure, Sunset Shimmer, Mare Do Well, Alternate Universe
Length: 80762

During one fateful Nightmare Night, a last-minute costume choice turns Princess Twilight's student into a hero.

Sunset Shimmer, the protege of Princess Twilight, originally planned to wear her mentor's old Mare-Do-Well costume to a Nightmare Night party. A near-disaster that evening drove her to keep it, taking up the role of Equestria's newest hero.

Takes place after Season 4 in an alternate timeline where the Equestria Girls series and The Cutie Map, and as a result the map episodes of Season 5, never happened.

My first attempt at fan fiction. Any constructive feedback is appreciated!

Special thanks to my proofreader (Chapters 22 & 23), professorsawyer!

Published 2015-01-14 05:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-12-30 00:48:21 UTC

Chapter 2: Nightmare Night Beginnings

Three months ago...

"Come on!" Sunset angrily shouted, rummaging through her closet. "Just give me SOMETHING...!"

"Sunset?" Twilight stuck her head through the doorway, watching Sunset toss stuff across the room in frustration. Twilight was already dressed up for Nightmare Night. This year, she was sporting a blue pointed magician's hat and cape, both containing a star pattern. "Pinkie Pie and Stray Wind's party is gonna start soon! Aren't you ready?"

"GAH!!!" Sunset flopped down onto her bed and groaned. "I knew I should've asked Rarity for a costume!"

Twilight entered the room and approached her student. "And why didn't you?"

"I thought I could throw together a good costume with what I had, but nope! I got squat!" Sunset threw her hooves up in defeat.

"Hmm..." Twilight thought for a moment, trying to find a solution to Sunset's dilemma. She grinned when she finally came up with an idea. "Hold on, I think I've got something for you."

"Wait, wha...?" Before Sunset could respond, Twilight teleported away. Sunset picked herself off the bed and waited for her mentor. A few moments later, Twilight reappeared, levitating a small dusty chest.

"Here's something from when I was Celestia's student," she said. "It's not exactly one of my proudest moments, but I think it'll work fine for your costume problem."

Sunset grabbed the chest and opened it, coughing slightly as the dust flew upwards. Gazing inside the chest, she only had one word: "Whoa."

Inside was a purple bodysuit roughly her size, and wrapped around the ends of each of the sleeves were dark blue bandages. A dark blue cape with a brooch styled with the letter "M" was sitting next to the suit, along with an identically-colored face mask, with a spot for a unicorn horn and light blue eye lenses. On top of the bundle was a purple, wide-brimmed fedora, also styled with dark blue bandages. Sunset reached into the chest and picked up the hat with her hooves.

"The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well," Twilight told her student. "A while back, Rainbow Dash's ego got out of control, so me and the other girls came up with Mare-Do-Well to try to teach her about humility." She sighed. "Looking back, it wasn't exactly a good idea. Yeah, Dash's ego has deflated a ton since then, but she didn't exactly appreciate how we went about it."

Sunset stared at Twilight, holding the hat in her hooves. She glanced at it before spinning it around and placing it on her head. Perfect fit.

"Heh, that looks pretty good on you," Twilight chuckled.

"Don't get used to it," Sunset retorted. As she looked in the mirror, though, she had to agree that she looked rather stylish in that hat. "It's better than nothing, though."

"I'll get out of your hair now," Twilight replied as she turned around to leave. "Meet you at the town square?"

"Yeah..." Sunset replied as she took off the hat and began pulling the rest of the costume on.

It took some time (and a lot of struggling) to get herself into the suit, but once that was on, the cape was no problem. She then took the mask in her hooves and pulled it over her head, adjusting it so the lenses were over her eyes. All that was left was the hat. Levitating it with her horn, she placed it on her head, making sure to secure it so it wouldn't fall off easily. Sunset took a glance at the mirror and gasped.

If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn that the dark mare staring back at her was a completely different pony. Her reflection copied her movements. Sunset couldn't help but be amazed and excited.

Whoa, that's really me under that mask? She giggled at the thought. Smirking, she goofed off for a few minutes, posing in front of the mirror and checking herself out. She even conjured up a small breeze that made her cape flow. Wow, I look GOOD.

A rumble of thunder outside brought Sunset back to her senses. She ran up to her window and glanced outside. Nearby, flashing storm clouds were gathering around Ponyville, and an evil laughter pierced the sky as the silhouette of Nightmare Moon was made visible.

In a panic, Sunset pulled her mask off, letting it hang behind her head. "Crap, I'm late!" she cried as she galloped out of the room and outside the castle. At a full sprint, she headed towards Ponyville.

In the center of town, the festivities were going strong. Ponies dressed in all sorts of costumes were everywhere, participating in games and snacking on apples and pumpkin pies. The young fillies were gathered around Zecora, who was reciting the tale of Nightmare Moon as they screamed in excitement.

Sunset Shimmer made her way to the center of Ponyville, spotting Twilight speaking with Pinkie Pie (dressed as a clown) and her Nightmare Night party partner, a pink brown-maned unicorn named Stray Wind. She was donning a Batmare costume, one of many different costumes that she made herself. As Sunset approached, the three ponies glanced in her direction and waved.

"Sunset!" Twilight exclaimed. "I thought you decided not to come!"

Sunset shrugged. "Nah, it just took forever to get into the suit."

"Is that the Mare-Do-Well suit?!" Pinkie Pie gasped, pointing her hoof at Sunset.

"Uh... yeah?"

"You. Look. AMAZING!!!" Pinkie shouted as she jumped into the air.

Sunset chuckled. "Thanks, Pinkie. You guys all look great, too."

"Thanks!" Stray Wind responded, gesturing to her costume. "I'm surprised I managed to finish this in time with all the party planning I helped Pinkie with."

"Looks like you two really outdid yourself this year," Twilight said as she looked around at the excitement around her.

"Come on Twilight, you know how much Stray Wind LOVES Nightmare Night," Sunset replied, nudging Twilight with her forearm. She spotted two more ponies behind Pinkie and Stray Wind. "Hey look, here comes Applejack and... uh..."

Applejack made her way to the group, once again wearing her scarecrow costume. There was somepony grumbling behind her, but Sunset couldn't figure out who it was.

"Howdy, y'all," Applejack greeted as she tipped her hat. "You guys enjoyin' yourselves?"

While everyone else nodded, Sunset said, "Just got here. Got held up with my costume. It was a last minute thing," she added when Applejack opened her mouth. "Uh, who's that behind you, Applejack...?"

Applejack turned to the pony behind her. "Aw, come on out, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash stepped out from behind Applejack. Twilight and Stray Wind tried their best to stifle their giggles. Sunset and Pinkie, on the other hoof, couldn't hold it in and fell over, exploding into laughter at the sight of the mare in front of them.

Said mare looked NOTHING like Rainbow Dash. She was wearing a long, fancy light-blue dress adorned with crimson gemstones. Her mane and tail were cleaned up and dyed to match her magenta eyes, now curved at the lashes and accompanied by small amounts of makeup. Rainbow Dash looked absolutely stunning and beautiful...

...except for the fact that she was wearing a massive scowl on her face.

"Ha ha ha, go laugh it up," she muttered angrily at Sunset and Pinkie before glaring at Applejack. "I'm so getting you for this."

"Rainbow...?" Stray Wind wheezed, trying her best to contain her laughter and failing miserably. "Why are you...?"

"Me and Dash here had a bet," Applejack said with a smirk on her face. "Whoever manages to eat more pumpkin pies in a minute gets to decide what the loser's costume is." She glanced at Rainbow Dash and smiled mischievously. "She passed out halfway through her fifth one. Decided to have her all froufrou'd up."

"Well, Rainbow," Sunset giggled in a mock posh accent. "You look positively radiant, darling!" At that last word, she lost herself again, uncontrollably pounding her forehooves against the ground.

"You're lucky I can't move around that well in this dress, Sunset," Rainbow snapped. "Otherwise, I'd be kicking your flank right now." She took a quick glance at Sunset's Mare-Do-Well costume, looking it over for a minute. "Wanna trade?"

Her friends burst out laughing.

"You sure this is a good idea, Applebloom?" Sweetie Belle asked as she followed her fellow bunny-costumed Crusader through an eerily quiet part of Ponyville.

"C'mon, where's the harm in tryin' to get cutie marks in ghost catching?" Applebloom replied.

"Or maybe monster hunting!" Scootaloo added, jumping excitedly.

Sweetie Belle still felt uneasy. "I dunno..."

As they passed by a nearby alleyway, a clattering sound was heard. The Crusaders froze and turned towards the alley.

"Y'all heard that?" Applebloom asked quietly.

"Uh, girls? I think we should go now," Sweetie Belle nervously replied, backing away.

"What if there's a ghost or monster there? We can try to catch 'em!" Applebloom told her.

"And how exactly are we supposed to catch them with just bunny costumes and our Crusaders' capes?"

"We'll just improvise, right Scootaloo?"

No response.

"Uh, Scootaloo?" Applebloom called out.

"Here, guys!" Her voice was coming from inside the alley. "This way!" she gestured.

"Wait for me, Scootaloo!" Applebloom shouted, running in after her.

"Hey! I don't think it's a good idea to go in there!" Sweetie Belle called out. Both of her friends ignored her and continued on, eventually vanishing into the darkness. "Ugh..." Groaning in frustration, she took off after them, lighting up her horn as she went.

Several minutes went by, and not a ghoul or ghost did they stumble upon. Scootaloo groaned in frustration.

"Well, that was a huge waste of time," she muttered. "There's nothing here!"

"Can we please go back now?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking around nervously. "This place gives me the creeps."

"Good idea," Applebloom replied. "I don't think our sisters would like it if they found out we wandered-OOF!" She and the other Crusaders fell over as they bumped into something... or somepony big.

"Well well well..." a low, rough voice muttered. "What do we have here?"

The fillies looked up at the large, burly earth pony in front of them. He was carrying a large sack behind him, and Applebloom could've sworn she heard struggling coming from inside. Sweetie's horn lit up the stallion's rough and unpleasant features, including a greasy mane and a 5 o'clock shadow. The fillies slowly backed away, only for him to chuckle as he approached.

"Think you can outrun me, huh? Not a chance," he said quietly as he extended his forehoof.

Eyes widening in fear, the Crusaders screamed.

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED, YO!" Vinyl Scratch yelled into the microphone as she dropped a record onto her turntable and cranked the volume up. Being the DJ didn't stop her from dressing up for the occasion: she was wearing fake vampire teeth and red-tinted shades.

As her techno rock song picked up speed, ponies gathered in front of the stage and started dancing wildly. Even Princess Luna seemed to get in on it, showing off her thousand-year old dance moves with the crowd cheering her on. Sunset and her friends (except for Rainbow Dash, who was sitting at a nearby table with a frown on her face) also joined in, rooting for the Princess of the Night.

After a few songs, Sunset stepped out for a minute to rest, making her way to the punch bowl. Gulping down her drink, she was joined by Spike, donning a puppy costume.

"Hey, looking great, Sunset," he said as he sat down next to her.

"Thanks, Spike. You look great as well," Sunset replied. "Enjoying yourself?"

"You bet! Look at this year's haul!" Spike held out a massive sack of candy. Sunset did a double take.

"Whoa, that's a lot!" she exclaimed as he grabbed a couple pieces and tossed them into his mouth. "Uh... you might wanna slow down so you don't get sick."

"Come on, I'll be fine," Spike responded, holding out a few pieces for Sunset.

Sunset grabbed one of the candies with her magic. "You sure about that?" she asked as she popped it into her mouth. Spike didn't respond, continuing to devour the sack's contents. "Suit yourself," Sunset said, looking out at the dance floor. The spotlight was on Princess Twilight as she did her "crazy dance," and Applejack was trying to drag the dolled-up and grumpy Rainbow Dash onto the floor.

"Poor Rainbow Dash," said Spike as he watched the two friends struggle. "You gotta admit, though, that mane color looks incredible on her." Sunset nodded in response.

Just then, her ears perked up. She thought she heard a faint scream coming from behind her. She ignored it at first, just assuming it was fillies sacrificing their candy to Nightmare Moon to avoid becoming pony chow. However, she heard another scream. This time, it didn't sound like an excited scream, but a more fearful one.

Sunset turned around, glancing at the dark street. "Hey Spike?"

"Huh?"

"Did you hear that scream?"

"It's Nightmare Night, of course ponies are gonna scream."

Sunset shook her head, pointing her hoof in the direction she was looking. "No... it's coming from over there. It didn't sound like an excited scream..."

"Come on, don't worry about it."

Sunset stood up, adjusting her hat. "No Spike... I've got a bad feeling about this. I'll go check it out."

"Eh, whatever," Spike replied, holding the sack of candy over his head and pouring the whole thing into his mouth.

Sunset took a deep breath, and stepped into the dark street. She slowly made her way through, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything suspicious. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

A few minutes passed as Sunset checked around the area, but she didn't see or hear anything out of place. She stopped at a nearby lamp and sighed. "I think Nightmare Moon's getting to me," she muttered. Just as she was about to make her way back to the party, she heard a scream pierce the sky. Sunset spun around, a sense of dread coming on.

"What the-?!" She looked around frantically, spotting a faint light coming from a nearby alleyway. Sunset galloped over and peered around the corner. She gasped, holding her forehoof to her mouth, shocked at what she was witnessing. "Sweet Celestia..." she murmured.

Inside the alleyway, a massive, ugly-looking earth pony was holding Applebloom in his grasp, trying to stuff her into a large sack. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were attempting to escape, shouting at the top of their lungs.

"SOMEPONY HELP US!!!"

Sunset watched in horror as the stallion caught up to the fillies and scooped up Scootaloo.

"Scootaloo!!!" Sweetie Belle cried out.

"Let go of me, you-!" Scootaloo shouted, pounding her tiny hooves on the stallion's to no avail.

"Or what?" the earth pony mocked. "Gonna go all wide-eyed and adorable with that bunny costume?"

"Just wait until Rainbow Dash finds out about this! You'll be sorry!" Scootaloo growled, trying to bite the stallion's forearm.

"Yeah, I'll be long gone by the time she finds out," the stallion chuckled as he shoved Scootaloo into his bag. Only Sweetie Belle remained.

Sunset couldn't watch any more. She was about to run back and call for help, but she stopped when she heard a grunting sound coming from the alleyway. A quick glance confirmed her fears: Sweetie Belle tripped and fell on the ground, tears falling from her eyes as the stallion moved in for the catch.

I can't go back, there's no time! I have to do something! Sunset looked down at her costume. The costume of a former Ponyville savior.

It was a crazy idea, one that could possibly end badly for her. But she couldn't think of anything else.

Celestia help me... Pulling the mask over her face, she took a deep breath and stepped into the alleyway.

"HEY YOU!"

The stallion and Sweetie Belle looked in the direction of the voice. Sweetie's fearful expression turned into one of joy when she saw who was there.

"Mare-Do-Well?!" she cried out. Underneath the mask, Sunset couldn't help but smile. Heh, she thinks I'm actually Mare-Do-Well...

The stallion looked confused. "What the heck are you supposed to be?"

"I'm the mare that's going to beat you senseless if you don't release those kids right now," Mare-Do-Well replied coldly.

The earth pony chuckled. "Heh, good one. How 'bout you hand over that small fry unicorn and you go play hero somewhere else?" He started to reach out to Sweetie Belle, but Mare-Do-Well teleported in front of him, shielding the young Crusader and glaring menacingly.

"I don't think so. You want her, you'll have to go through me."

The stallion shrugged. "Fine, guess I'll do just that!" He raised his forearm, preparing to strike the masked mare.

Sunset's eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down for her as she saw the stallion launch his attack. Without thinking, she grabbed Sweetie Belle in her arms and dove to the side, narrowly missing the brute's blow.

The two girls landed on the ground, Sunset slightly groaning from the impact. Shaking her head, she quickly took a glance at Sweetie. "You okay?"

Sweetie gasped and pointed her hoof past Mare-Do-Well's head. "Behind you!"

Mare-Do-Well turned around and froze when she saw the stallion charging at her, his bag tied up and slung over his shoulder. She quickly pushed Sweetie Belle aside and rolled away as the stallion smashed into the wall. Looking up, Mare-Do-Well saw the stallion grabbing his head with his hoof, and right next to him was Sweetie, looking at her savior in shock.

"Get out of here!" Mare-Do-Well shouted, snapping the Crusader out of her trance. "Go and get help! I'll hold him off!"

"B-but...!" Sweetie stammered. In front of her, the earth pony was coming back to his senses.

"GO!!!" Mare-Do-Well yelled, causing Sweetie to jump back. Not needing to be told twice, she fled the alleyway just as the stallion recovered. He glared at his opponent.

"You shouldn't have done that," he growled through gritted teeth.

Sunset gulped, looking around frantically for something she could use. Spotting a trash can lid, she quickly grabbed it with her magic. She managed to shield herself just in time as the earth pony swung his forehoof at her, the impact pushing her back slightly. He took another swing, which Mare-Do-Well narrowly sidestepped. As she tried to block and evade her opponent's attacks as best she could, only one thought ran across her mind:

What have I gotten myself into...?

Twilight looked around, trying to locate her student amidst the massive crowd of dancing ponies. She spotted Spike sitting next to the punch table, rubbing his stomach as an empty sack lay next to him.

"Ugh..." he groaned.

Twilight approached the baby dragon, shaking him with her hoof. "Spike, have you seen Sunset Shimmer? It's been ten minutes since she took a break from dancing, and she hasn't come back yet."

Spike slowly sat up, still feeling woozy. "She-" *belch!* "-said she heard screaming coming from over there and...ugh...went to check it out." He gestured at the darkened street behind him.

Twilight raised her eyebrow. "She does know that ponies screaming on Nightmare Night isn't unusual, right?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah. Said she got a bad feeling about it th- uh oh." His face turned green as he reached out for a paper bag.

Twilight sighed. "You gobbled up all your candy, didn't you? We're having a talk about this later." She turned around, about to head back to the dance floor and ask around for Sunset's whereabouts. But a panicked voice coming from behind stopped her.

"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!!!"

Twilight turned around, spotting Sweetie Belle running towards her at full speed. She stopped in front of the princess, sweating and gasping for breath.

"Sweetie Belle! What's going on?" asked Twilight. Suddenly noticing that Rarity's sister was alone, she added, "And where are the other Crusaders?"

Sweetie Belle was still out of breath, but she managed to get some words out. "Large pony... Applebloom... Scootaloo... other fillies... ponynapped... Mare-Do-Well..."

Twilight already felt uneasy at the first five things, but her eyes widened at that last one. "Hold it, did you just say MARE-DO-WELL?!" Sweetie nodded as the crowd fell silent and ponies began murmuring to each other.

The princess's face went pale. "Take me to her, now!" Spreading her wings, she let Sweetie Belle jump onto her back before zooming towards the dark section of town, the crowd following behind her.

What the hay are you doing, Sunset?!

Mare-Do-Well ducked, the wagon wheel her opponent tossed smashing against the wall above her head. Diving to the side to avoid another swing, she grabbed a cardboard box with her magic and threw it at the stallion. It somehow landed on top of his head, blinding him momentarily.

"What the-?!" he yelled, trying to shake it off. Seizing the opportunity, Mare-Do-Well charged at the stallion and tackled him to the ground, knocking the sack loose. She quickly untied it with her magic, and as soon as she did, Applebloom and Scootaloo's heads popped out. They stole a glance at their savior, and their jaws dropped.

"Mare-Do-Well?!" Applebloom shouted.

"Yeah! Kick that guy's flank!" Scootaloo cheered, pumping her hoof in the air. More fillies climbed out of the bag, joining the two Crusaders in their cheering.

Mare-Do-Well pointed at Applebloom and Scootaloo. "You two, get them out of here! It's not safe!" she ordered.

"Aw... I wanna watch!" Scootaloo groaned before Applebloom nudged her with her forearm.

"You heard her!" Applebloom shouted to the group. With the two Crusaders leading the way, the young ponies made a run for it, some of them turning their heads at their hero. In a few moments, they were clear of the alley.

For a moment, Mare-Do-Well glanced at the exit where they vanished. She breathed a sigh of relief. Whew, they're safe now-

Suddenly, she felt a hoof around her neck. Her eyes widened, her heart thumping rapidly against her chest. No...! NO!!! The stallion ripped the box off his head and stood up, pinning the masked pony to the wall. He was fuming.

"You little punk," he seethed as he tightened his grip. Gasping for air, Mare-Do-Well kicked and pounded her hooves in an attempt to break free, but it was no use. "Looks like this'll be your last Nightmare Night."

Can't... breathe... Mare-Do-Well frantically looked around for anything that could help her escape. Her eyes fell on a pile of concrete blocks and a long rope, next to the alley entrance and a street lamp. Her horn lit up, but before she could do anything, the stallion shook her violently, causing her to lose her concentration.

"I don't think so," he growled.

Sunset's vision slowly began to fade as she struggled weakly. Please... she silently pleaded. Please don't let it end this way...

*SPLAT!*

Something struck the back of the stallion's head. He and Mare-Do-Well turned around to find Sweetie Belle levitating an apple with her magic. Behind her was the rest of the townsfolk, including Princess Twilight and her friends. All of them were glaring at the stallion.

"You leave her alone!" Sweetie Belle shouted, flinging another apple towards the hulking brute. It struck him in the face with a loud SPLAT!, the impact causing him to reel back a bit.

That was the opening she needed. Lighting up her horn, Mare-Do-Well grabbed one of the concrete bricks and slammed it against her captor's head. He stumbled and released his grip, dropping Mare-Do-Well to the ground. She jumped to her hooves and quickly shook the stars out of her eyes. Now's my chance! Refusing to hesitate, she grabbed the rope with her magic and wrapped it around the still-dazed stallion, tying him up. He struggled to break free, but the rope was made of a sturdy material that refused to unravel. Grunting, Mare-Do-Well brought the rope over the street lamp and pulled, hoisting the earth pony into the air like a piñata.

Some of the citizens, especially the fillies, put on blindfolds and grabbed some sticks, approaching Mare-Do-Well's hostage and proceeding to whack him repeatedly as he yelped in pain, unable to fight back.

Her adrenaline gone, the masked pony turned to the townsfolk staring at her. No one said a word. Though they couldn't tell, Sunset was wearing a nervous look on her face.

"I... uh..." she stammered, rubbing the back of her head.

Before she could say anything, the young ponies she rescued earlier pushed their way through and gathered around her, cheering happily. As it grew, so did the applause from the rest of Ponyville.

Sunset Shimmer didn't know what to say. She looked at the fillies and their excited smiles, at the crowd of ponies cheering and stomping their hooves. At the front of the crowd, her friends were whooping loudly.

"Yeehaw! Nice goin', sugarcube!" Applejack shouted.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash (no longer sporting her dress and makeup, but keeping her magenta mane) cheered, jumping into the air with her wings outstretched.

"WHOO!!!" Pinkie Pie broke out her party cannon and fired it, confetti and ribbons raining down on Mare-Do-Well.

Sunset glanced at Princess Twilight. Her mentor simply smiled and gave her a nod of approval.

Sunset looked around at the cheering townsfolk, before shifting her gaze back to the smiling fillies gathered around her. Thankful for the mask, she grinned sheepishly.

Yep, definitely worth it.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure, Twilight."

"You'll be putting yourself in constant danger. You know that, right?"

"If that means somepony gets to stay safe another day, I don't care. It'll be worth it."

Back at the castle, Twilight looked at her student, still clad in the Mare-Do-Well costume, save for the mask and hat. The rest of her friends were gathered behind her.

"Come on, Twilight, I want to do this," Sunset told her mentor, a serious and determined look on her face.

Twilight chuckled and shook her head in amusement. "And to think your top priority when you first came here was becoming an alicorn princess. You've changed a lot since then." She looked up and nodded. "I'll allow it."

A grin formed on Sunset's face as she ran up and hugged Twilight. "Thank you so much!" she happily exclaimed.

"Hold on a minute!" Rarity called out. Everyone else looked at her in surprise. "Sorry darling, but I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to go out saving ponies in that costume."

Sunset eyed the fashionista, an incredulous look on her face. "Wait a sec, what do you mean I can't-?!"

Rarity held up her hoof, silencing Sunset. "You didn't let me finish. The costume you're wearing right now is not designed to handle the stress that frequent heroics can put on it. It's just for show, darling! If you're going to be a serious hero, you need something more suitable for the job!"

Sunset looked down at her costume. "Fair enough," she replied. "Maybe some padding for extra protection, and a cape that can also function as a glider."

"Exactly," Rarity pointed out. "Now, I believe you told Twilight that you had difficulty getting into the suit? I think she and I can come up with something to help you with that, plus some other enhancements to make sure you're a force to be reckoned with!"

"And in the meantime," Twilight added, "I think it's best that you get some physical training as well. You can't always rely on your magic to help you out."

Sunset remembered when that stallion she fought earlier shook her when she tried to use her magic. If Sweetie Belle hadn't been there... "Yeah, definitely." She looked towards Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. "You girls wanna help out?" The three of them nodded.

"You bet, sugarcube," Applejack replied. "Y'all can help out with apple buckin' at Sweet Apple Acres to build your strength. Rainbow Dash can handle teaching you how to fight while Pinkie Pie helps out with your mobility. That okay with you two?" she asked Rainbow and Pinkie.

"You bet!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"Sounds like a great idea!" Pinkie squealed.

"Then it's settled," Applejack finished.

Fluttershy stepped up. "Um... if you get hurt, Sunset... you can always stop by my place... and I can fix you up," she stammered.

Sunset grinned at the six mares in front of her. "Thank you, girls. I really appreciate this," she said.

"GROUP HUG!!!" Pinkie shouted, pulling the six other ponies together in a tight embrace.

"Gah, a... a little warning next time, P... Pinkie?!" Rainbow Dash grunted in pain, struggling to free herself.

As Nightmare Night came to a close, Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and smiled, thankful for such wonderful friends.

Her mind was made up. No matter what came next, no matter the risks...

She was ready to face it.

As the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

Author's Note

And there you have it: Sunset's first heroic act as the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well! :pinkiehappy:

The next chapter won't be done nearly as quickly as this one (especially since I have a bit of a gaming backlog consisting of pretty lengthy titles), but here's hoping I don't take too long to write it! :twilightsheepish:

For those that don't follow me on DeviantArt, Stray Wind is my OC, a unicorn sharing the same name and interests as a highly talented real-life cosplayer who absolutely enjoys Halloween.

Chapter 3: Taking Up The Mantle

*cough, cough* "Uh... there goes another one..."

Sunset pulled off her goggles, proceeding to shake the ashes off herself while Twilight did the same. In front of the two ponies was a half-melted cauldron containing a Daring Do novel that was burnt beyond recognition. Two victims of yet another explosion resulting from a failed experiment.

Twilight threw her hooves up in exasperation. "That's the sixth one today!"

Sunset looked at her mentor. "You sure you wanna keep doing this?" she asked. "I don't think a potion that lets you recite an entire book's contents from memory is worth a hundred more exploded cauldrons or books."

Sighing in defeat, Twilight nodded. "You're right. I'm just glad you advised against using the extremely rare books." She shuddered, not wanting to picture her one-of-a-kind "1001 Nights In Saddle Arabia" going up in flames.

Levitating a dustpan and broom, Sunset proceeded to start cleaning up the mess in the center of the lab while Twilight gathered up her notes.

"Hey, Sunset?" Twilight asked as she sorted the papers floating in front of her. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

Twilight's horn lit up, and a book covered in wrapping paper appeared on her desk. Sunset walked up to her.

"This was supposed to be delivered to a friend of mine in Canterlot, a pegasus named Daisy Petal," Twilight explained. "It's a book that explains all you need to know about flowers and gardens."

Sunset raised her eyebrows. "Canterlot? How'd it end up here in Ponyville?"

Twilight looked at her with a cross-eyed expression.

"Oh, that explains it," Sunset replied.

"Normally, I'd send it back to the post office," said Twilight, "but it could take awhile, and Daisy's already flipping her lid over it."

"Let me guess: you want me to head over to Canterlot and deliver it to her?"

Twilight nodded. "Could you?"

Sunset raised her hoof to her chin. "Well, I don't have anything else planned for tomorrow," she said before nodding. "Sure, I'll deliver it."

Smiling, Twilight hugged her student. "Thanks Sunset," she told her.

"No problem, Twilight," Sunset replied, returning the embrace.

...

"Uh... we're still covered in ashes..."

The two mares looked at each other and started laughing.

Sunset glanced out the window as the train rolled past the Equestrian countryside, trees and hills whizzing by in a blur. Her saddlebags took up the seat next to her, Daisy's wrapped-up book among the contents inside.

Her forehoof brushed the pendant hanging around her neck. It was in the same shape as her cutie mark...

...and it also contained her Mare-Do-Well costume.

It had been three months since she first put the costume on. Sunset's mind wandered to the weeks following the Nightmare Night incident. True to their word, her friends helped her prepare to take up the mantle of Mare-Do-Well.

In the weeks that followed Nightmare Night...

Applejack worked her hard at Sweet Apple Acres, having Sunset help out with their harvesting. At first, Sunset struggled heavily. Despite kicking as hard as she could, she could only shake two or three apples loose at a time, and transporting them from the orchard to the farm was a tiring ordeal. Her body ached all over, and she wanted nothing more than to just lie down and rest.

"C'mon, sugarcube," Applejack told her while she lay on the ground, a heavy wagon behind her. "Don't give up now!"

Sunset struggled to her hooves, sweat pouring down her face. "How..." *pant* "...do you guys manage..." *pant* "...to do this?!" she sputtered between gasps.

"Well, we're all earth ponies, and you're a unicorn," Applejack pointed out. "It's safe to say that's part of why you're strugglin'. You're probably not used to this much physical activity."

"Gee, thanks for the helpful words," Sunset muttered.

"Hold on, Sunset," Applejack responded. "I'm not sayin' it's a bad thing. I'm sure you'll get stronger with time." Reaching up with her forehoof, she took off her Stetson and placed it on Sunset's head. "Would ya believe me if I told you that I also had a hard time gettin' used to all this hard work?"

Sunset looked at the farmpony with disbelief. "You're serious?"

Applejack nodded. "Yep. Had just as much trouble knockin' off apples and pullin' the wagons. But I kept at it, and look at me now." She gave a swift kick to the tree next to her, knocking all the apples into the basket below.

Sunset glanced at the basket, then back at Applejack. "No way."

"Eeyup." The two girls looked up and saw Big Macintosh walking by, pulling a double wagon behind him.

With Applejack's encouragment, Sunset pressed on, pushing herself to the limit. Her strength slowly grew, making her tasks easier to perform. Soon enough, a solid kick from one of her hind hooves was enough to shake a ton of apples loose, and carrying the wagon became second nature.

Rainbow Dash became Sunset's sensei, teaching her the basics of hoof-to-hoof combat, and Sunset was learning the hard way. The fighting moves, she could pick up pretty quickly. But her sparring matches with Rainbow Dash often ended with her getting knocked onto her flank within five seconds. Rainbow blocked or dodged her attacks with ease, following up with a counter. Defense wasn't any better, with Rainbow breaking her guard and catching her as she tried to evade. Fluttershy had her hooves full cleaning up Sunset's many bruises.

"Sunset," Rainbow Dash told her, "you need to be patient and keep a level head. Don't panic, that's just asking to get your flank kicked. Watch your opponent carefully, try to anticipate their attacks, and make sure you make the right move."

Following her advice, Sunset found herself hitting the mat less frequently. She stayed in the fight longer, managing to land a couple blows on Rainbow Dash. At one point, one of her kicks sent Rainbow crashing into a nearby wagon. Fluttershy gasped loudly while a wide-eyed Sunset looked at the wreckage in shock.

"Oh my-! Sorry, Rainbow Dash!" she cried out.

Rainbow stuck her head out of the debris, looking at Sunset with a serious expression.

"Sorry?" she replied as she pulled her body free from the wreckage. A grin slowly formed on her face. "That was incredible!" She tried walking over to Sunset, only to stop as her body ached in pain. "Oh jeez, that hurts," she muttered. "Fluttershy?"

"On it!" Fluttershy flew up, carrying her medical supplies with her. As the animal caretaker wrapped bandages around the blue pegasus, Rainbow Dash looked over at Sunset and grinned happily.

Sunset just scratched the back of her head, blushing.

Pinkie Pie's idea of helping Sunset improve her mobility was a race through an insane obstacle course full of hurdles, ledges to climb, and gaps to jump across. Pinkie bounded through with ease, while Sunset lagged behind, stumbling over the hurdles and missing her jumps. In an effort to help, Pinkie showed the unicorn how to effectively get past the obstacles, offering her own advice.

"Don't think, just move! If you think too much, you're only going to slow down! Make your mind as blank as you possibly can and just jump for it! Ooh, try closing your eyes!"

"Wait, you want me to close my eyes?!" Sunset shouted, an incredulous look on her face. "How am I supposed to see where I'm going?"

Pinkie's smile never wavering, she simply said, "Ever notice how I just happily bounce through with my eyes closed and I get through just perfectly fine?"

"I thought that was just you being Pinkie Pie," Sunset pointed out.

"Oh, you silly Sunny," Pinkie responded, patting the annoyed unicorn on her head. "You never know until you try!"

Sunset approached the gap in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she backed up, and closed her eyes. Here goes nothing, I guess. At a full sprint, she galloped forward. She was tempted to open her eyes just to see when she should jump, but she fought the urge. Instead, her instincts kicked in, telling her Jump now!!! Without pausing, she launched herself into the air as high as she could. As the gap passed beneath her, part of Sunset's head told her to look down. She refused, knowing that she'd screw up the jump... if she hadn't already done so yet.

Her hooves hit solid ground. Sunset's momentum carried her a couple feet before she came to a full stop. She heard Pinkie's excited voice behind her. Opening her eyes, she turned around and gasped. Between her and the pink party pony was the gap. A smile formed on her face. She made it.

"I knew you could do it, Sunny!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing high into the air as confetti rained down.

In the races that followed, Sunset found herself traversing through the obstacle course with ease, her stumbles and trip-ups becoming less of an occurrence. However, despite her vastly improved agility, she still couldn't keep up with Pinkie Pie. The party pony just had too much energy.

"What do you think of your new costume, darling?" Rarity asked.

Sunset glanced at her reflections in the mirrors surrounding her. The Mare-Do-Well costume looked the same as the one she wore on Nightmare Night, but it felt different.

"Hmm..." She moved around for a bit, getting the feel of the costume. "It's a bit easier to move around in this," she replied.

"A fabric that's stretchy and tear-resistant, but also with soft padding to protect yourself from harm," Rarity told her. "With Twilight's help, I've also provided some enchantments to improve its durability. It's fireproof and magic resistant, and the hat won't be blown off easily. The cape also glides if you need to chase any ruffians in the air!"

Sunset shook her cape, noticing how it fluttered around a bit. "Huh," she said to herself. Sunset looked over herself some more before taking the mask in her hooves and pulling it on. Once the lenses were over her eyes, she noticed that she could see a lot more clearly, and the mask offered a wider peripheral vision than the old one. "Whoa," she muttered, looking around. "You and Twilight really outdid yourselves."

"Oh, you flatter me," Rarity giggled. "If you need anything else, be sure to let me know!"

"Will do," Sunset replied. She raised her hoof, about to pull the mask off.

"Wait a minute, darling!" Rarity stopped Sunset. "Here's something Twilight and I cooked up that I'm sure you'll love." She pointed at the brooch on her cape. "Tap that twice with your hoof."

Sunset paused, glancing at Rarity for a moment. She looked down at the brooch, raising her hoof and tapping it twice. She gasped as it glowed brightly, enveloping her entire body. "Uh... Rarity...?"

"Just give it a moment, dearie!" Rarity replied. Sunset closed her eyes as the glowing intensified. In a moment, it vanished. "You can open your eyes now, Sunset."

As Sunset opened her eyes, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Instead of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, however, she saw Sunset Shimmer, Princess Twilight's protege. "Wait, where's the costume?" she asked.

"Why, it's in the pendant you're wearing," Rarity replied, gesturing to Sunset's neck. She looked down and noticed that she was now wearing a pendant shaped like her cutie mark. "If you need to change into Mare-Do-Well in a hurry, just tap that pendant with your hoof twice, and poof! You'll be all suited up, ready to take on any ruffians unfortunate enough to stand in your way!"

Sunset looked over the pendant. "And if I want the costume off, I just tap the brooch twice, right?" Rarity nodded. Sunset smiled as she hopped off the stage. "Thanks a lot, Rarity. Really liking the cutie mark, it's a nice touch."

"My pleasure, Sunset," Rarity replied, clapping her hooves together in delight.

Sunset hopped across the rooftops of Ponyville, keeping an eye out for trouble. This was her first night out as Mare-Do-Well, and so far, things had been calm. It was common knowledge across Equestria that Ponyville was prone to disaster: just last week, one of Twilight's experiments backfired and caused all the flowers within a mile to go on a rampage across town. But tonight, nothing was happening. No fires, no collapsing buildings, no army of flowers attempting a takeover. To add to that, crime in Ponyville was an extremely rare occurrence. Nothing noteworthy had happened since Sunset foiled the foalnapping on Nightmare Night last month.

As she took another leap, Sunset's mind began to wander. This is just pure irony, she thought to herself. Ponyville gets hit with a ton of disasters while Twilight and her friends were Mare-Do-Well. Here I am in the costume two years later, and nothing's even happening. Other than a few gasps and cheers from bystanders that looked up as she passed, it was a pretty quiet and uneventful night.

After patrolling for another half-hour to no avail, she sighed. Guess I'll just head back to the castle now and try again tomorrow-

"Hey! Gimme back my bag, you punk!"

Sunset was snapped out of her thoughts. Following her ears, she dashed across the rooftops until she found the source of the shouting. She saw Amethyst "Sparkler" Star chasing another mare through an alleyway, a bag hanging from her teeth.

"Get back here, you thief!" Amethyst shouted, using her magic to fling whatever was within reach at the mare with no success. The thief turned a corner and vanished. Amethyst stomped her hoof in frustration. "Oh, for the love of-!"

Sunset teleported onto a nearby rooftop and waited as the mare closed in. Opening her cape, she dropped down into the alleyway, landing in front of the thief, who stopped with a surprised expression on her face.

"Whoa, nice entrance and costume," the mare remarked. "Really love the hat. But wasn't Nightmare Night a month ago?"

"Thanks," Mare-Do-Well replied. "But doesn't that sack you're carrying in your mouth belong to somepony else?"

The mare glanced at the bag and chuckled. "So what?"

"You want to give that back to the mare you stole that from, or should I make you?"

The thief snorted. "Good one," she replied, pushing her way past the masked mare. She only walked about ten feet before she heard a pop and nearly bumped into somepony in front of her.

Mare-Do-Well leaned into her face. "You think I'm kidding, huh? I got some news for you: I'm not."

The mare looked unamused, her smile fading from her face. "Okay, this stopped being cute ten seconds ago." She gestured to the bag in her mouth. "You know what's in this bag? Diamonds. Lots and lots of diamonds. And I heard it hurts a lot when a face gets struck with them." The thief leaned into Mare-Do-Well's masked face. "Unless you want me to test that theory out on you, get out of my way."

Mare-Do-Well just stood still, refusing to take her glaring eyes off the diamond thief in front of her. "Go ahead and try," she said coldly.

The mare shrugged. "Fine, have it your way." She raised her head back and swung the bag at Mare-Do-Well, who simply ducked the attack. She performed a sweeping kick with her hind leg, knocking the mare onto her back. Mare-Do-Well lowered herself into a battle stance as her opponent struggled to her hooves. She charged forward, attempting a few jabs at the heroine. Mare-Do-Well blocked her attacks before countering with a hoof to the side. Lifting a nearby trash can with her magic, she slammed it into the pony, who hit the wall with a thud and fell unconscious.

Relaxing for a moment, Mare-Do-Well picked up the bag with her magic and made her way back to Amethyst Star. Rounding the corner, she nearly bumped into the unicorn.

"Oof! There you are, you little-!" Amethyst raised her hoof, about to strike, but she stopped herself upon seeing the masked mare. "Mare-Do-Well!" she exclaimed. "Somepony stole my-!"

"Already took care of it," Mare-Do-Well replied, levitating the bag towards Amethyst.

Amethyst took it with her magic and smiled. "Thanks for the help." Pausing for a moment, she added, "Uh, you're not going to just up and disappear like you did two years ago, are you?"

Mare-Do-Well turned her back to Amethyst. "No," she replied, facing the unicorn and tipping her hat, a smirk hidden behind her mask. "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well's here to stay." With that, she launched herself into the air, jumping between the two walls before disappearing over the rooftop.

In the two months that followed, Sunset let Ponyville know that Mare-Do-Well was back, stopping crimes and preventing disasters. But she didn't stop with Ponyville. After Twilight told her about the chaos going on in nearby cities, Sunset expanded her operations, teleporting to Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and Fillydelphia to help out the citizens there. All over Equestria, as citizens stomped their hooves and cheered her on, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well was making a name for herself.

Present day...

"We'll be arriving in Canterlot in five minutes. Prepare to disembark, and please check to make sure you have your belongings with you. Keep your children with you at all times."

The train's loudspeaker brought Sunset back to the present. Blinking for a few moments, she stood up and levitated her saddlebags onto her back as the train pulled into Canterlot. Following the crowd, she made her way off the train and onto the platform.

"Okay, Twilight said that Daisy lives near the botanical gardens," she muttered to herself, checking the nearby map. "Let's see... here's the station... and... aha, there it is." She pointed at the dot marked "Canterlot Botanical Gardens," located near the gates to Princess Celestia's castle. Sunset made her way onto the bustling streets of Canterlot, heading towards the castle as ponies in the crowd passed by, minding their own business.

Suddenly, Sunset stopped in her tracks, narrowing her eyes. Wait a minute... She turned around and peered up at the rooftops behind her. She thought she saw something unusual, but everything looked normal. Huh, I could've sworn somepony was there... she thought to herself. Shrugging, Sunset turned around and continued walking.

Behind her, a fluttering black cloak disappeared over a rooftop.

Author's Note

And that's it for Chapter 3! With the help of her friends, Sunset undergoes her transformation into the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well! Sunset is now in Canterlot, helping Twilight deliver a book that was mistakenly delivered to the wrong address. She doesn't know it yet, but something's about to go down, and she'll have to step in to protect the citizens of Canterlot.

I always planned on Sunset having flashbacks during her train ride, but it was originally going to just be a series of short ones, with her Canterlot visit taking up the rest of the chapter. However, as the flashbacks became longer, I decided instead to expand on them and make the Canterlot visit into a separate chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter, Sunset's about have her first encounter with a dangerous enemy! :pinkiegasp:

Chapter 4: A New Enemy

"Looks like this is the place." Sunset made her way to the house sitting at the end of the street, right next to the city's gardens.

As she trotted down the path leading to the front door, she took in the sights around her. The lawn was decorated with all kinds of flowers and plants, from rosebushes and sunflowers, to lilies and daffodils. It made the Flower Trio's garden back in Ponyville look like a pile of dirt. Out the corner of her eye, Sunset spotted a patch of poison joke. She chuckled for a moment, recalling how Twilight and her friends met Zecora. I kinda want to hear Flutterguy singing Pinkie's "Evil Enchantress" song now...

Sunset approached the front door and knocked. A few moments later, the door swung open to reveal a light-gray pegasus wearing a sunflower in her pink mane. On her flank, a trio of daisies made up her cutie mark.

"Can I help you, miss?" she asked.

Sunset cleared her throat before speaking. "Excuse me, but are you Daisy Petal?"

The mare nodded. "Yeah, my name is Daisy Petal. What do you need?"

"I've got something for you from Princess Twilight," Sunset answered, opening her saddlebag and levitating the wrapped-up book.

Daisy gasped, pointing her shaking hoof at the package. "Is that Absolutely Everything You Need To Know About Flowers and Gardens?!"

Sunset smiled and nodded. Daisy took the book in her hooves and hastily unwrapped it, squealing in joy.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this for weeks! Thank you so much, miss..." Daisy paused for a moment. "Uh..."

"Sunset Shimmer." the unicorn replied. "Princess Twilight's student."

Daisy grinned. "Well, thank you, Sunset Shimmer. I've been eager to give this a read for a long time." She stepped aside. "Want to come in for a bit?"

"Sure, I've got some time," Sunset answered, following Daisy inside the house.

As Daisy led the way, Sunset's eyes wandered. Her gaze fell on several flowerpots lined up on a table, and a couple more were hanging from the ceiling. Passing a bookshelf, Sunset quickly scanned the titles and noticed that all of them were about flowers. Daisy Petal: confirmed flower fanatic.

The two ponies eventually arrived at the back porch. Daisy opened the door and gestured for Sunset to go first. Sunset's eyes widened as she stepped through the doorway. "Holy crap."

Sunset thought the front garden was impressive. It paled in comparison to the one she was looking at now. A massive garden with rows upon rows of flowers of all kinds, including a ton that she didn't recognize. "I... I... I..." she stuttered, in a state of utter disbelief.

"You like it?" Daisy asked, setting her book down on a nearby table.

"Like it?!" Sunset turned around, gesturing to the scenery around her. "I've never seen anything like this! It's incredible!"

Sheepishly grinning, Daisy replied, "Been all around Equestria, collecting seeds and planting them."

"Yeah, I can tell." Sunset continued looking around in amazement as Daisy brought out a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and a few glasses. "So Daisy, how do you know Twilight?"

Daisy lifted the pitcher with her hooves and began pouring a glass for Sunset. "It was before she became a princess," she told her. "She was visiting Princess Celestia. I was just carrying some groceries home as she was leaving the castle, and we just bumped into each other by accident. I dropped all my bags, and she offered to help me carry them home. The whole way, she wouldn't stop apologizing." She smiled as she remembered Twilight's panicky meltdown.

Sunset chuckled. "That sounds like her, alright."

Offering Sunset a glass of iced tea before pouring her own, Daisy continued. "She noticed my garden, and she was really fascinated about it. She kept naming all the different plants and their special characteristics. Turns out, she's read a lot of books about them, and she even offered to lend me a couple from Ponyville. We've been keeping in touch ever since." Taking a sip from her glass, she turned to Sunset. "What about you? How'd you become Twilight's student?"

Sunset looked down, sighing for a moment. "I used to be Princess Celestia's student. We... didn't exactly get along. As time went by, we started clashing more often. I did and said some things I'm not proud of." She looked at Daisy, a solemn expression on her face. "When Twilight became the Princess of Friendship, Princess Celestia figured that she'd be able to get through to me, so she sent me to Ponyville. I was reluctant at first, but Twilight, despite hearing what I had done, was willing to give me a second chance."

Sunset's expression changed from one of sadness to one of happiness. "She introduced me to her friends, five truly fantastic ponies. Like Twilight, they were also willing to give me a chance to turn myself around. And you know what?" She looked up, a smile on her face. "I'm really, really glad I met them."

"They showed me just how truly magical friendship is."

A lone mare stood on a clifftop overlooking Canterlot. She was wearing a black cloak that flowed with the breeze, a hood covering her head and mane. The mare's eyes kept watching the city below.

She heard beating wings behind her, but she didn't turn around. Behind her, a pegasus also donning a black cloak and hood approached. He was wearing a mask that covered his snout.

"Is everything ready?" the mare asked.

"Yes," the stallion answered. "We're ready to send Celestia and Luna our... message."

The mare closed her eyes in satisfaction. "Good. Make sure they understand clearly that we mean business, and we are not to be trifled with."

"Of course." The stallion opened his wings and took off, flying towards the city.

Beneath her hood, an evil grin slowly formed on the mare's face.

I hope you two crones enjoy what I have in store for you...

"Wait, she did WHAT?!" Daisy shouted, a highly amused grin on her face.

"Yeah, she tried coming up with a spell that would allow flowers to survive the wintertime," Sunset told her, trying her best not to burst out in laughter. "Not only did she fail, but all the flowers within a mile from Ponyville came to life and started parading through the streets, armed with pitchforks and torches while shouting some crap about plant oppression!"

Daisy spat out her tea and started banging her hoof on the table, laughing uncontrollably. "Oh wow, that's just rich!"

"It gets even better: want to know who stopped it? FLUTTERSHY!"

"Wait, you mean that really shy pegasus who takes care of animals? Her?" Daisy seemed highly amused at the thought.

"Yeah, she stared them down and gave them a good lecturing while Twilight got her counter-spell ready. The whole town couldn't believe it!" Sunset remembered everypony staring, slack-jawed and buggy-eyed, as Fluttershy got into the sunflower leader's face, her famous Stare working its magic while she spent a good forty minutes berating them for starting a riot. Even two months later, the memory still gave her a good chuckle.

"Wow... I wish I could've seen it," Daisy giggled. "So even though she's a princess, Twilight's still experimenting?"

"Yeah, her title hasn't stopped the mad scientist in her," Sunset replied. "You know what she was just doing yesterday? She was trying to come up with some potion that allows you to recall an entire book's contents from memory."

"How'd that work out?"

"Why don't you ask all the melted cauldrons and burnt Daring Do novels that resulted from the explosions?"

Daisy grinned. "I figured." As she gulped down some tea, her eyes drifted to the sun. "Whoa, late afternoon already?"

Sunset followed her gaze. "Jeez, time certainly flew by." She stood up and gathered her saddlebags. "I'd better get going now, want to make sure I get a seat on the train."

Daisy put her glass down on the table and escorted Sunset to the front door. "It was nice meeting you, Sunset," she told her, smiling as she raised her hoof. "Thanks for the book, and be sure to keep in touch."

Sunset raised her own hoof and bumped Daisy's. "I will. Nice meeting you too, Daisy, and thanks for the tea."

"No problem," Daisy replied. She waved as Sunset followed the winding path through her front garden, watching as she disappeared onto a side street.

Sunset trotted through the busy streets of Canterlot and the crowd of ponies, a smile on her face. She was really eager to tell Twilight about her visit with her new friend, Daisy. Arriving at the city square, she spotted the ticket booth at the train station. She took a step forward-

*CRASH!*

Sunset snapped her head to the right, looking for the source of the noise and finding it. One of the souvenir carts was wrecked, and several ponies were lying on the ground. She turned her head to the opposite direction, and her eyes narrowed.

Opposite the cart stood four ponies, all of them wearing black cloaks with hoods over their heads, and masks covering their snouts. The pony at the front of the group, a unicorn, lifted another cart and sent it flying towards a family of screaming ponies nearby.

Sunset dashed forward, grabbing the cart with her magic and throwing it aside. She turned to the ponies, shouting, "Get out of here and find some help!"

"Thank you, miss!" the mother cried as she ushered her kids off the street.

Sunset's gaze drifted to the cloaked ponies. A determined look in her eyes, she dashed into a nearby alleyway. Quickly checking to make sure nopony was around, she gave two taps to the pendant handing around her neck.

As it began to flash brightly, Sunset closed her eyes. Wind started blowing around her as a purple bodysuit with blue wrappings around the hooves appeared out of thin air and covered her body. It was followed by a long, flowing cape held in place by a brooch monogrammed with the letter "M". A purple, wide-brimmed fedora appeared, floating slowly onto her head. As the breeze died down and the flash disappeared, Sunset slowly lifted her head, a fire burning in her eyes.

Grabbing the mask with her hoof, she pulled it over her face before vanishing.

In the city square, chaos ensued. The four black ponies were running rampant, smashing carts and store windows, terrorizing the citizens. A few of them tried fighting back, but were quickly overpowered. One stallion stood defensively in front of his wife, trying to shield her from harm.

"Nopony lays a hoof on my wife!" he shouted.

The hooded unicorn in front of him smirked. "How sweet of you to try to keep your special somepony safe. Too bad it won't do you any good." Her horn lighting up, she lifted a nearby street lamp out of the ground. "I wonder what'll hurt more when I'm done with you: your body, or your marefriend's broken heart." She raised the lamp, preparing to strike. The stallion closed his eyes while his wife screamed in horror.

Suddenly, a blast of magic struck the cloaked mare, knocking her aside and causing her to drop the lamp. "What the-?!" She looked in the direction that the blast came from, and her eyes widened. On the rooftop stood her attacker, a masked dark-costumed pony, a stylish hat on her head and her cape flowing in the breeze. The pony couple gasped. "Mare-Do-Well!"

The hooded mare lifted her hood, revealing light-brown fur, a pink mane, and a smirk. "So you're the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, eh?"

The masked heroine jumped off the rooftop, extending her cape and softly landing between the unicorn and the couple. She glared at her opponent. "So you've heard of me. Guess my reputation precedes me," she replied coldly.

The unicorn chuckled. "I've heard a lot about you," she said as the two ponies began circling each other.

Mare-Do-Well's eyes narrowed, never taking her gaze off the unicorn. "So you must know that anypony who stands in my way gets beaten senseless, right?"

"We'll see about that." Raising her hoof to her mouth, the cloaked unicorn whistled, summoning her three lackeys. They all gathered together, surrounding Mare-Do-Well. Two of them were earth ponies, and the last one was a pegasus.

Mare-Do-Well turned to the pony couple next to her. "You two, get out of here now," she ordered. "I'll handle these thugs." The two ponies nodded quickly and fled while Mare-Do-Well lowered herself into a battle stance.

The two earth ponies and the pegasus all charged at once. As they closed in, Mare-Do-Well crouched down and waited. Once they were close enough, she leaped into the air. She bounced off the pegasus's head, sending him to the ground with a thud. One of the earth ponies swung his hoof at the heroine, only to get jabbed in the side and kicked into a bench.

The other earth pony rammed into Mare-Do-Well, tackling her to the ground. The two ponies rolled around, exchanging blows until the earth pony was on top. The cloaked mare raised her hoof, ready to smash her opponent's face in. Before she could, however, Mare-Do-Well grabbed her foreleg and flipped over, throwing her off and jumping to her hooves as the earth pony crashed into a lamp, knocking it over.

A trash can zipped by, narrowly missing Mare-Do-Well. She turned to find the leader of the group magically flinging objects at her. The masked mare charged at the unicorn, dodging the thrown debris as she went. Sliding underneath a water fountain, she grabbed a nearby sign and slammed it into her opponent, knocking her aside. Mare-Do-Well moved in, only to get struck from the side and sent crashing into a nearby taco stand.

As Mare-Do-Well shook the stars out of her eyes, she lifted the brim of her hat and saw the pegasus and the male earth pony charging towards her. Sitting up quickly, she looked around and spotted a bin full of hot sauce packets. Levitating a couple, she flung them at her attackers, striking them in their eyes and causing them to scream out in pain.

"Gah, sweet Celestia, that's hot!" "MY EYYYYYYYEEEESSS!!!" Unable to see where they were going, the pegasus wobbled wildly in the air while the earth pony stumbled and slid forward. Her horn lighting up, Mare-Do-Well ripped the menu off the stand and swung it at the earth pony, knocking him into the pegasus. The two soared through the air before crashing through a store window, where they lay unconscious.

Mare-Do-Well turned to the remaining earth pony as she approached. The two mares swung at each other, blocking and dodging each others' attacks. A sweep kick from the earth pony knocked Mare-Do-Well onto her back again, where she pinned the heroine's hooves to the ground.

As Mare-Do-Well struggled to break free, the earth pony leaned towards her masked face, a smirk visible beneath her hood. "Gotcha now, hero," she taunted.

Underneath her mask, Mare-Do-Well returned the smirk. "You sure about that?" she replied, her horn lighting up before she vanished. The earth pony fell flat onto the ground, looking around frantically. Just as she glanced skywards, her face hit the ground hard as Mare-Do-Well landed on her back. Rearing up, the heroine slammed her forehooves onto her opponent's head, knocking her out.

Mare-Do-Well faced towards her last opponent, the unicorn leader. The two stared each other down, circling each other.

"Impressive," the unicorn slyly remarked. "Glad to see for myself that you live up to all the hype."

"Gee, I'm flattered," Mare-Do-Well replied. "Too bad that won't save you from getting thrown into a cell." At that moment, she disappeared. The unicorn looked around, scanning the area for the masked mare. Out the corner of her eye, she spotted a fluttering cape. Before she could react, Mare-Do-Well flipped over her and landed on her forehooves. Extending her hind legs, she gave the unicorn a solid buck, sending her crashing headfirst into the side of the building.

Before she could recover, Mare-Do-Well magically lifted her opponent into the air and slammed her against the wall, holding her in place. The cloaked unicorn chuckled. "Looks like I underestimated you. Too bad you won't be stopping us anytime soon."

"'Us'? So there's more of you out there?" Mare-Do-Well shouted in a menacing tone. "Answer me!"

The unicorn simply grinned, remaining silent as she blew into her mane. Losing her patience, Mare-Do-Well slammed her into the wall again before leaning into her face.

"Listen, you scum," she growled. "You're already going to the dungeons once I'm done with you. If you don't want me to send you there with broken teeth, I suggest you talk right now."

The unicorn just chuckled, her laughter getting louder before she smirked. "Be sure to tell this to Celestia and Luna: Night Shade sends her regards."

"Night Shade? Who the heck is-?" Before Mare-Do-Well could get her question out, she spotted an orb in her hostage's hoof. Underneath her mask, her eyes widened. "Don't you dare-!"

Too late. The unicorn threw down the orb, and a cloud of smoke erupted. Mare-Do-Well lost her concentration, the glow around her horn vanishing. Coughing and sputtering, she quickly conjured up a gust of wind, blowing away the smoke. As it cleared, she glanced at the wall where her hostage... used to be. "Oh, don't tell me..." She looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the escaped unicorn.

Well, this is just lovely. Mare-Do-Well teleported onto the nearby rooftop and quickly scanned the streets below her. Although she could spot the Royal Guards' carriages closing in, not a glimpse of pink on light-brown did she spot. "Great, she got away," she muttered to herself as she descended into the street. Around her, the Royal Guards were rounding up the unconscious thugs.

"Mare-Do-Well!" a familiar voice called from behind her. Pausing for a moment, the masked mare slowly turned around to the pony who called her. Spotting her crown and flowing multi-colored mane, she bowed before the tall white alicorn in front of her.

"Princess Celestia," she said.

The Princess of the Sun smiled. "No need for such formalities, my little pony," she said warmly, offering a bow of her own. "I'd like to personally thank you for protecting the city of Canterlot from those four invaders."

"You're welcome, Your Highness," Mare-Do-Well replied. "Unfortunately, one of them... she got away."

"Hmm..." Princess Celestia closed her eyes. "Did she say anything before she escaped?"

"She mentioned that there's more of them out there, then somepony named Night Shade," answered Mare-Do-Well. Shaking her head, she added, "I don't know who she is, though."

"I see. My guards will try to get as much information from the three you've captured. I'll let you know if we find out anything."

"Thank you, Princess," Mare-Do-Well told her, starting to turn around.

"Oh, one more thing," Princess Celestia added. She smiled and gave the masked hero a wink. "Tell Princess Twilight I said hi," she quietly told her.

Sunset Shimmer smiled underneath her mask, tipping her hat. "Don't worry, I will." She turned around and leaped into the air, disappearing over the rooftops.

Behind her, Princess Celestia smiled and glanced in the direction of Ponyville.

You've done well, my faithful student.

Author's Note

That's another chapter down! After a chat with Twilight's friend and a scuffle in Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer learns about a new enemy, a mare named Night Shade. And whatever she has planned for Equestria, Sunset is determined to stop her. :rainbowdetermined2:

I apologize in advance if this seems rushed. I wanted to get this out before the weekend started. :twilightblush:

Also, credit for the image goes to Fluttershy626 on DeviantArt.

Chapter 5: Relics and Costumes

"So... how did things go in Canterlot?"

"Well... everything was fine until the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well showed up."

"... Mare-Do-Well, eh? I take it that's why you came back alone?"

"She subdued the others. Only I managed to escape."

"Did you at least let her know who she's dealing with?"

"Yes, and I'm sure she's told the Royal Sisters as well."

"... Good."

"So what do you want us to do with that masked mare?"

Underneath her hood, a smirk formed on Night Shade's face. "... Just keep her busy while we continue our search."

Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, my faithful students...

Despite the our best efforts, we were unable to acquire more information about Night Shade or her plans. Even my sister was unable to get them to talk, despite using her Royal Canterlot Voice. We will continue interrogating them, and we will contact you if we find anything out. We will not let any harm come to the ponies in Equestria.

Yours truly,
Princess Celestia

"Well, that stinks," Sunset muttered as her Mare-Do-Well costume vanished, having just returned from a patrol in Fillydelphia.

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Hopefully they manage to get something out of them."

"Got any idea who Night Shade might be, Twilight?" Sunset asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No. From what you've told me, she might have some grudge with the Royal Sisters. But Princess Celestia didn't recognize her name. So I'm not really sure."

"Hmm..." Sunset stretched for a moment before turning to the staircase. "Well, I'll be heading off to bed now. G'night, Twilight."

"Night, Sunset," Twilight replied as her student made her way up the stairs.

The following week was pretty normal for Sunset. Well, as normal as it you could get if you were a superhero. Besides assisting Twilight with her experiments, volunteering to help out at Sweet Apple Acres, and just hanging with her friends, she was also cleaning up the streets as the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. In addition to petty crimes like robberies and muggings, she also had a few run-ins with Night Shade's henchponies. They were bent on causing as much chaos and destruction as they could, only to suffer a massive beatdown at the hooves of Mare-Do-Well.

The ones that she didn't knock into unconsciousness, she interrogated. Like before, they refused to talk, and often tried to escape. Thankfully, Mare-Do-Well was prepared. Sunset had Rarity enhance the mask with an air filter enchantment, and the eye lenses were also enchanted to allow her to see clearly through smoke. The panicked look on the ponies' faces when she caught them brought a smirk to her face. Still, this wasn't enough to get them to talk. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna tried her best, but their interrogations of the ponies Sunset captured in Canterlot proved fruitless.

However, Sunset got lucky one late afternoon.

"I ain't talkin', ya weirdo!" a pegasus shouted as Mare-Do-Well magically lifted him into the air by his cloak.

"I think it's in your best interest that you do," Mare-Do-Well answered in a cold voice. "Otherwise, you might end up looking like your little friends here." She gestured around her, where five cloaked ponies were scattered around, out cold. Two lay on the ground while a third was hanging from a street lamp. The fourth was knocked into a pile of garbage, and the fifth had his head stuffed into a mailbox.

"Ha!" the pegasus just laughed. "Go ahead, do your worst! It won't stop Night Shade!"

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"You think you or Celestia are gonna stand a chance against her once she gets her hooves on the Celestial Amulet?"

"Celestial Amulet...?" Mare-Do-Well muttered, a smile forming underneath her mask.

The pegasus covered his mouth, his eyes widening as he realized what he just said. "Oh crap-!"

Mare-Do-Well responded by slamming the pegasus against the wall and leaning into his face. "Mind telling me what this Celestial Amulet is?"

"Look, I don't know much!" the pegasus stammered. "Just some all-powerful trinket that's assembled from three relics! We're still looking for them!"

Mare-Do-Well smirked. "Thanks for telling me," she replied. As the pegasus's eyes widened, the masked mare delivered a solid punch to his face before dropping him to the ground. Her ears perked up as she heard somepony muttering behind her. Turning around, she saw Derpy Hooves, carrying a sack full of mail and staring at the cloaked pony sticking out of the mailbox. As the masked mare approached, Derpy turned her head towards her.

"Jeez, that looks painful," she muttered, gesturing to the mailbox.

Without saying a word, Mare-Do-Well lit up her horn, her magic enveloping the cloaked pony's body as she began to pull. With some effort, she managed to free the still-unconscious pony from the mailbox. Mare-Do-Well laid him next to the mailbox before turning to Derpy. "There you go."

"Thanks," Derpy replied as she began gathering the mail inside. Behind her, Mare-Do-Well vanished onto the rooftops.

"Here it is: the Celestial Amulet." Twilight flipped through the large tome on her desk, until she came to the correct page.

"So what's it say?" Sunset asked, still wearing her costume save for the mask.

"Let's see... an enchanted amulet that bestows incredible power to the wearer, transforming them into an alicorn and giving them the abilities of all three pony races."

"Sounds bad," Sunset replied with a worried look on her face.

"It does, Sunset." Twilight continued reading. "Five hundred years ago, somepony attempted to overthrow Princess Celestia using its power. After a great battle, the Sun Princess emerged victorious. She had the Amulet split into three relics and scattered them all across Equestria to prevent anypony else from acquiring its power. Night Shade must be searching for the relics so she can assemble the Amulet and overthrow Celestia."

"Does it say where the relics are now?" Sunset asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, here's all it's got on the relics: there's one for each pony race. An Earth Relic, a Relic of Magic, and a Relic of Flight. By itself, a relic will grant the wearer the power of the pony race it represents. When brought together, they will become the Celestial Amulet." Twilight looked at Sunset. "If this is what Night Shade is after... we need to let the Princess know about this now." Levitating a scroll and quill, the princess began scribbling down a letter. "She might be able to tell us something that can help."

"Okay, I'll head upstairs to my room to get some rest," Sunset answered as she turned to leave. "See you in the morning, Twilight."

"You too, Sunset," Twilight replied as she finished the letter and sealed it. "Spike! I need you to send this to the Princess, ASAP!"

The next day, Sunset Shimmer was taking a stroll around the busy streets of Ponyville. Stands were set up, the ponies running them shouting out the products they were selling. Young fillies were running around playing.

"Make some room!" a voice shouted from behind Sunset. She turned around and jumped back, accidentally dropping her saddlebags. Her eyes followed Scootaloo as she sped by on her scooter, pulling Applebloom and Sweetie Belle's wagon behind her.

"Hi, Sunset!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she waved.

Smiling, Sunset waved back before gathering her bags. She checked to make sure they were secure before taking a step forward, only to bump into somepony in front of her.

"Oof!" the other pony grunted, shaking her head. Sunset glanced at her, and her eyes lit up.

"Stray Wind!"

The pink unicorn looked up, and smiled upon seeing Sunset's face. "Hey, Sunset! How are things going?"

"Oh, just taking a walk, trying to relax for a bit," Sunset replied as the two unicorns began walking down the street.

"Need a break from being a hero, huh?"

Sunset looked up at Stray Wind. "I'd like one, but Night Shade and her goons have other ideas. I've got an idea of what she's planning, though."

"Really?" Stray Wind replied. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that you'll kick her to the curb."

Sunset smiled. "Thanks, Stray Wind."

The two turned a corner onto the main road, where the town was at its busiest. It was packed with ponies selling products and carrying wagons filled with goods.

"So, what have you been up to?" Sunset asked Stray Wind.

"There's an upcoming con at Manehattan this weekend," the pink unicorn replied. "Been occupied with getting my costume ready. I'm going as Daring Do this year." She levitated a pith hat from her saddlebag and placed it on her head. "Just got this in the mail earlier."

"Decided to take a break from Sailor Scouts, huh?" Sunset teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that you've dressed up as pretty much all of them. Not just that, but multiple versions of all of them."

Stray Wind nudged Sunset's shoulder. "Hey, there's a bunch I haven't cosplayed yet! Like Jupiter and Mars!"

Sunset rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sure, whatever."

Suddenly, a bulb went off in Stray Wind's head. "Hey Sunset, I got an idea. Want to come with me to the con this weekend?"

Sunset Shimmer stopped, taken aback. "What?"

"You heard me," Stray Wind responded. "I think you deserve a break after wiping the floor with countless thugs."

"But... I don't have a costume or money to go," Sunset told her. "Even if I did have the money, I'm not planning on going as Mare-Do-Well, since I'm actually her."

"I'll pay for it, my treat. And I'll also lend you one of my costumes."

Sunset pondered for a minute. "You sure about this?"

Stray Wind nodded. "Absolutely."

Well, I could use a break after the last week. Besides, it could be fun. Where's the harm in going? Sunset looked at Stray Wind and smiled. "Sure. I'll go."

Stray Wind clapped her hooves together. "Awesome! You can come by my place later, and we can try to get you something to wear."

"Sounds great," Sunset replied before hoof-bumping Stray Wind. "See you, then."

"Later, Sunset!" Stray Wind called out as the two unicorns went their separate ways.

"This one?"

"Nah."

"Uh... how about this one?"

"Um... not really."

"Okay... hmm... ooh, this one?"

"I already told you, I'm not dressing up as Sailor Moon."

"Actually Sunset, this is Shinku from Rozen Maiden."

"... Who?"

"Never mind."

Stray Wind put the costume back on the rack. She was donning a pith hat and an olive colored vest, and her mane and tail were styled to match Daring Do's. Now she was struggling to find a costume that Sunset wanted. Even though Stray Wind had a ton of handmade costumes under her belt, Sunset couldn't find one that she felt comfortable with.

"Hey, here's my Snow White costume," Stray Wind piped up, levitating it from her closet. "I think you'll look great in this!"

Sunset shrugged. "Sure, I'll give it a shot."

A few minutes later, it went back in the closet. Even with Stray Wind's help, Sunset had an extremely difficult time squeezing into the costume, and it was really uncomfortable: the corset was a tight fit to the point where she had trouble breathing. "How the heck do you manage to wear that thing without passing out?!" Sunset gasped once Stray Wind got the costume off.

"I don't blame you," Stray Wind reassured her. "That corset makes it pretty difficult to wear. I really need to fix that sometime soon."

"No kidding," Sunset replied as the pink unicorn rummaged through her closet again.

"Let's see here... nah... nope... another Sailor costume... that one's falling apart... need to fix the dress on that one... hey, this might work!"

Sunset looked up as Stray Wind pulled out another costume. Her eyes lit up as she recognized the dark blue cape and cowl, yellow boots, and black bodysuit. "Hey, isn't that the Batmare costume you wore on Nightmare Night?"

"Yeah," Stray Wind replied. "If you're still itching to dress up as a superhero, this'll do the trick."

Sunset nodded. "Sure, I'll try it out."

Within a few minutes, a suited-up Sunset was looking herself over in the mirror, moving around to get a feel for the costume. "Yeah, this'll work," she told Stray Wind.

"Great!" Stray Wind said in delight. "You look really awesome in that costume, Sunset."

Sunset chuckled. "It's kinda funny when you think about it. I'm an actual superhero dressing up as one from a comic book." Giggling, she grabbed the cape with her hoof and held it up to her face, covering her muzzle. "I'm Batmare..." she said in a low, raspy voice.

Stray Wind's smile faded as an unamused expression took its place. "Don't do that. That's already been beaten to death countless times."

Sunset dropped the cape and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry..."

"Got everything ready, Sunset?" Twilight asked Sunset. The princess and her friends were at the train station to see off Sunset and Stray Wind.

"Sure, it's all right here," Sunset replied, patting her saddlebags. In one bag, she had a couple scrolls, quills, and an ink bottle, along with a couple books to read on the train. Her other bag contained Stray Wind's Batmare costume, neatly folded inside. "I've also got my pendant if anything happens there, though I'm really hoping it doesn't come down to that."

"I hope so, too." Twilight walked up and hugged Sunset, who returned the embrace. "I'll contact you if we find out anything about the Amulet. Have a safe and enjoyable trip, you guys."

"Hey, I heard that Daring Do's gonna be there!" Rainbow Dash called out. "Be sure to get me her autograph, okay?"

"And make sure to get some photos as well," Rarity added. "I'd love to see you two looking fabulous at the convention!"

As Applejack and Fluttershy nodded in agreement, Pinkie Pie jumped up from behind the group, pulling Sunset and Stray Wind into a tight hug. "I'm really, really, really, REALLY gonna miss you guys!"

"Don't worry, Pinkie," Stray Wind grunted as she tried to free herself. "It's only for the weekend."

"We'll bring you something from the con," Sunset added. The train's whistle blew, signaling to everyone that it was about to disembark. "Um... Pinkie, the train's about to leave..."

Pinkie's eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh no!" She let go of the two unicorns in a flash. "We don't want you missing that now, do we?" She grabbed the two unicorns and dragged them onto the train. She hopped back onto the platform just as the doors closed.

Smoke billowed from the engine as the train started to move. As it pulled out of the station towards Manehattan, Sunset Shimmer and Stray Wind leaned out the window of their cabin and waved. Princess Twilight and her friends waved back, Pinkie Pie bouncing in place and shouting at the top of her lungs.

"HAVE A FUN TRIP, YOU TWO!!!"

Author's Note

Yes. In this MLP universe, anime is a thing. :twilightblush:

After a week of laying the smack down on criminals, Sunset discovers Night Shade's plan: find the relics that make up the Celestial Amulet, and use its power to overthrow Princess Celestia. As Twilight attempts to find out more from the Princess, Sunset decides to take a break from the action and joins Stray Wind on her trip to a cosplay convention in Manehattan.

Unfortunately, her plans to relax are going to get shattered. :trollestia:

Chapter 6: Daring Discoveries

As Sunset Shimmer stepped onto the convention floor, she only had one word to say:

"Whoa."

Everywhere she looked, she saw costumed ponies. A lot of costumed ponies, many of them posing for photos and chatting amongst friends. Booths were set up everywhere, with ponies selling figurines, posters, and comics. Sunset also spotted a couple celebrities handing out autographs and answering fans' questions.

"This is just... whoa." Sunset blinked a few more times, taking in the sight around her.

"Hello, Earth to Sunset!" Stray Wind waved her hoof in front of Sunset, trying to get her attention.

"Wha...? Oh! My bad," Sunset answered as she came back to her senses. She walked alongside Stray Wind, who was leading the way. "It's just... I didn't expect the convention to be like this."

"Really?" Stray Wind looked surprised. "You haven't even caught a glimpse of what one would look like?"

"No," Sunset replied. "I was always studying, I didn't give social events that much of a thought. I've been getting out more since becoming Twilight's student, but I still didn't pay attention to these conventions."

Stray Wind looked around the convention floor. "Huh, looks like a lot of ponies came this year. There weren't this many last time." As she turned her head, she spotted a group of ponies. The sight of the costumes they were wearing brought a grin to her face. "Hey Sunset, check those ponies out."

Sunset looked in the direction Stray Wind was pointing, and she couldn't help but chuckle at the purple and dark blue costumes worn by the group. "Heh, didn't expect Mare-Do-Well cosplayers. I'll be honest, I'm a little bit flattered."

"Why don't you join them as well?" Stray Wind pointed at Sunset's enchanted pendant, hanging around her neck.

Sunset shook her head. "Nah, I only brought that if somepony decides to crash this event." She gestured to the Batmare costume she was wearing now. "I can't exactly fight thugs in this."

"Oh right," Stray Wind replied as she remembered the enhancements Rarity placed on Sunset's Mare-Do-Well costume. "I'm pretty sure you could still take them without those enhancements, though."

"Better safe than sorry," said Sunset. The two unicorns stopped, looking at the crowd of costumed ponies around them. "So where you do want to go first?"

"Hmm..." Stray Wind scanned the area, tapping her hoof on her chin. "I kinda want to check out the booths, see if there's anything we might want to grab... I also want to see if we can get any photo opportunities. What about you, Sunset?"

Sunset shrugged. "I'm not exactly into this stuff as much as you are. I'll just let you lead the way."

"Excuse me!" somepony called from behind them. Sunset and Stray Wind turned around to find a pegasus mare holding up a camera. "You mind if I take a photo of you two?"

A grin forming on her face, Stray Wind nodded. "Ooh, I'd love that very much! Come on, Sunset!"

"Uh..." Before Sunset could say anything, Stray Wind dragged her in front of the camera.

The photographer raised her camera, pointing the lens at the two cosplayers. "Ready? Smile!"

Stray Wind tipped her hat and looked at the camera with a fierce expression on her face. Sunset, on the other hand, just stared blankly as the photographer snapped a photo.

"Alright, Daring Do! C'mon, Batmare! Why don't you show me what you're made of!" the photographer shouted as she took a couple more photographs.

Stray Wind chuckled as Sunset continued looking flustered. "It's her first time doing this," she explained to the photographer.

The pegasus smiled at Sunset and raised her camera, aiming it at her before shouting words of encouragement. "Well, surely you know how to look heroic! Show me that you're the hero Equestria deserves!"

If only you knew... Sunset's eyes darted around for a moment. "Well, um..." Her mind wandered back to Nightmare Night, when she first put on the Mare-Do-Well costume. She grinned as an idea came to her. "Hold on a sec, let me conjure up a small breeze!"

On a nearby rooftop sat a unicorn mare in a cloak, a hood covering her face. Her eyes watched the ponies wandering the streets below. She heard wings, but didn't turn her head as a similarly dressed pegasus mare landed beside her.

"Got anything to report?" the unicorn asked.

"Yes, Night Shade," the pegasus replied. "We just found the first relic. It's at the Manehattan Convention Center, in the auditorium, backstage."

Night Shade looked up. "Are you sure?"

The pegasus nodded. "It's the real deal. That archaeologist we encountered in Saddle Arabia... she's the one who put it there. Apparently, she's gonna be showing a presentation later."

"Interesting..." Night Shade grinned. "Maybe we should drop by..."

"So, anywhere else we should hit before we leave?" Stray Wind asked, her saddlebags stuffed with photo albums and other stuff she had picked up from booths.

"We haven't seen A.K. Yearling yet," Sunset replied. She was also carrying a saddlebag, its contents including an autographed copy of Fallout: Equestria, a Power Ponies poster, and a figurine of a white, hooded Spider-Mare. "I'm hoping I can get an autograph for Rainbow Dash."

"Well, there's her booth." Stray Wind pointed her hoof at a nearby booth. Sitting at the table with a huge pile of books was a tan pony wearing a dark red cloak and glasses. She looked up as the two unicorns approached the booth.

"Let me guess: you two want autographs," she said with a small grin on her face.

"Uh... if you don't mind," Sunset replied. "We're both really big fans of your books."

A.K. Yearling grabbed a book and a quill, ready to sign. "I figured. So who am I making this out to?" she asked, looking at Stray Wind. "Really nice Daring Do costume, by the way."

"Thank you so much! I really worked hard on this, glad to hear you like it!" Stray Wind said cheerfully. "Oh, I'm Stray Wind."

"I'm Sunset Shimmer," Sunset added. "And can we also get an autograph as a gift for our friend? Her name's Rainbow Dash."

Yearling stopped writing and looked up. "Hold on... you said 'Rainbow Dash'?"

"Uh... do you know her?" Sunset asked, confused.

A grin appeared on the author's face. "Actually, yeah. I met her a while back, she helped me get out of a real jam. One of my books actually has a character based on her. My way of saying thanks to her."

Sunset and Stray Wind looked at each other in bewilderment. "You're kidding, right?!" they both shouted in unison.

Yearling smirked. "I take it you haven't read Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny?"

"Yeah, but it's been a while! We didn't realize...!"

"Wait... the cover had a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane on it! That's Rainbow Dash! How the heck did we miss that?!"

"Doesn't she say 'twenty percent cooler' at one point in the book? Rainbow Dash says that a lot!"

"Oh... of course! There's also that rainbow-colored explosion she pulls off near the ending! That's got Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom written all over it!"

A.K. Yearling couldn't help but giggle as she watched Sunset Shimmer and Stray Wind yelling at each other in utter disbelief. Apparently, finding out that one of their best friends was a character in a bestselling novel was a lot to take in. "You two gonna calm down anytime soon? You're holding up the line."

Sunset and Stray Wind stopped their shouting, looking at the author. As their cheeks grew red and they grinned sheepishly, the two laughed nervously. "Sorry about that..." Stray Wind muttered.

Yearling chuckled as she went back to autographing her books. "No worries. You two look like really close friends of Dash."

"You have no idea," Sunset answered. "She and her friends have really changed my life."

"In that case... let me tell you something." Yearling motioned for Sunset and Stray Wind to come closer. As they leaned in, she began whispering. "You know there's a show coming up later in the auditorium, right?"

"We've heard about it, but we don't really know the specifics," Stray Wind replied.

"You know how the artifacts that Daring finds in the books are based on ones that actually exist?"

While Sunset nodded, Stray Wind looked surprised. "Really? This is the first I've heard of it."

Yearling turned to the pink unicorn. "Yeah, those artifacts that Daring Do fights her rivals for, they exist in real life. That includes their supernatural characteristics."

"Whoa." Stray Wind was awestruck.

Yearling smiled before continuing. "Anyways, that show coming up later, I'm hosting it. I'll be showing off the artifacts from the books to my fans, giving them a bit of a backstory."

"Wait a minute..." Sunset held her forehoof up. "You're gonna be showing them the actual artifacts?"

Yearling chuckled. "Yeah right. They're all going to be replicas, except for one my friend recently found during an expedition in Saddle Arabia. That'll be the artifact Daring fights for in her next book. Consider it a sneak preview."

"Sweet!" Sunset whispered excitedly. "What's the artifact called?"

"The title of the next Daring Do book: Daring Do and the Relic of the Earth."

Sunset froze. 'Relic of the Earth'...? She can't possibly mean...?! Sweat began rolling down her face. "Uh... Ms. Yearling..." she asked nervously.

The writer glanced at Sunset with a puzzled expression. "You okay there, Bats?"

The amber unicorn took a deep breath. "That artifact your friend found..." she said slowly. "It wouldn't happen to be the Earth Relic, would it? One of the three relics that make up the Celestial Amulet? Because there's something you really should know about it."

Stray Wind glanced nervously at Sunset. "What's going on here?"

Sunset waved her hooves defensively. "Never mind that! There's these ponies in black cloaks tearing cities apart looking for those relics! If they find out there's one here...!"

A.K. Yearling did a double take. "What the-?!" she whispered furiously. "You playing games with me or something?"

Sunset turned her head towards the ponies behind her, who were waiting anxiously for a chance to get autographs. She looked back at Yearling before whispering, "I'm serious, but we can't discuss it here. Is there someplace private we can talk?"

The pegasus glanced past Sunset and Stray Wind's shoulder at the fans waiting behind them. She hesitated for a moment before clearing her throat. "Excuse me for a moment," she called out. "I'm gonna be taking a break for a couple minutes. You two..." She pointed at Sunset and Stray Wind. "Come with me."

As the fans groaned in frustration, Yearling placed a sign on the table and gestured for Sunset and Stray Wind to follow her. She led the two unicorns through the crowd before reaching a door that led into an off-limits hallway. Once Sunset and Stray Wind were through, she slammed the door and turned around, removing her hood and glasses to reveal a grayscale mane.

"Okay, you two. Spill it," she growled.

"What's going on, Ms. Yearling?" Stray Wind asked.

"I should ask you the same thing," Yearling answered. "Those cloaked ponies, I've been dealing with those bozos for a week. Care to explain how do you know what they're looking for?"

"What are you talking ab...?" Sunset began, but she stopped. The gears in her brain turned, and something clicked. Hold on... she's got the same mane color as Daring Do... same eye color, same fur color... She can't be...! She gasped as she came to a realization. "Wait... you're Daring Do?! The same one in your books?!"

"Hold on, Dash never told you?" Sunset simply went pale while the cloaked mare sighed. "I'll take that as a no." She flicked her cloak upwards, revealing an olive vest very similar to the one Stray Wind was wearing, a pair of wings, and a cutie mark of a compass on her flank. "Remember that jam I told you Dash helped me out with? It was getting the Ring of Destiny back."

Sunset and Stray Wind stared at her, their mouths hanging open. "Holy crap..." Sunset muttered.

Daring Do lowered her cloak. "That answer your question? Now how about mine?"

Sunset looked at Stray Wind, who simply nodded. She took a deep breath before answering. "I've also been dealing with them for the past week. They've been attacking cities around Equestria searching for the relics that make up the Celestial Amulet. They're being led by somepony named Night Shade."

"Really?" Daring Do replied, pointing at Sunset. "No offense, but you don't look like much of a fighter, even with that bat costume."

Sunset looked at Daring with an annoyed expression on her face. She lifted her forehoof to the pendant hanging around her neck. "Seriously, I'm a lot tougher than I look. Ever heard of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?"

"That masked vigilante who's been running all over Equestria pounding the ever-loving snot out of criminals? What's she gotta do with this?"

Sunset smirked before answering. "You might want to stand back." She double-tapped the pendant. Daring and Stray Wind closed their eyes as the pendant glowed brightly and wind began blowing. Once the wind and glowing died down, both ponies opened their eyes. Daring Do looked up, and where Batmare stood earlier, there was now the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

Sunset Shimmer lifted her mask. "That answer your question?"

Daring Do looked at Sunset for a couple seconds. "You're the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well? How do I know you're not just some fan in a costume?"

"Enchanting a pendant to suit me up quickly in a really flashy manner is a bit much for a fan simply cosplaying as her, isn't it?" Sunset pointed out. "Plus, why didn't I just wear the Mare-Do-Well costume instead of a Batmare one?"

"Well, you've got me at the first point. Not so much on the second one."

Sunset shrugged. "Fair enough. But I'm the real deal, just ask Rainbow Dash. She's the one that taught me how to fight."

"Really? Dash taught you?" Daring looked at Stray Wind. "And what's your story?"

"Hey, all I do is cosplay and help plan Nightmare Night parties," she answered as she shrugged. "Only physical fight I got into was with Rarity. She saw that I ruined one of my dresses for a costume I was making. She wasn't too happy about it." Sunset and Daring just stared at her before turning to each other.

"Okay, Miss Mysterious," Daring said. "You know what the relics do and the guys who are after them. Know anything else?"

Sunset raised her hoof to her chin, walking for a bit. "When those cloaked ponies attacked Canterlot, one of them mentioned that their leader is somepony named Night Shade. She's got a grudge against Princess Celestia, and she's planning on using the Celestial Amulet to take her down." Turning to Daring, she added, "What about you? Got anything to share?"

Daring mimicked Sunset's movements. "Let's see... I know for a fact that the Relic of Flight is somewhere up north, probably the Crystal Empire. As for the Relic of Magic, I haven't been able to pinpoint where it is yet."

"You have an idea of where it is?" Stray Wind asked.

Daring nodded. "It's somewhere on the Equestrian countryside. Where exactly, I don't know."

"And you've got the Earth Relic in the auditorium right now for the show later..." Sunset stopped in her tracks as a thought struck her. "Hold on... you said you ran into Night Shade's goons back in Saddle Arabia... you don't think...?"

Realizing what Sunset was saying, Daring's eyes widened. "Oh crap!" She grabbed her glasses and threw the hood over her head before dashing out the door onto the convention floor, Sunset and Stray Wind following right behind her.

"You think Night Shade might be trying to make off with it?" Stray Wind asked.

"I'd count on it," Sunset replied as she continued to follow Daring, who was pushing her way through the crowd of ponies while they looked on in surprise.

"Excuse me! Hey, we're in a hurry here! I'll get you an autograph later, this is urgent!" she shouted at the onlookers. "Out of the way, Frodo!" She shoved aside a cosplayer, accidentally knocking him to the ground. He looked up as Sunset and Stray Wind dashed past him.

"Yeesh, what's her problem?" he muttered, picking himself up before walking away.

The trio of mares arrived at the doors leading to the auditorium. With Sunset (now pulling the mask over her face) and Stray Wind behind her, Daring Do slammed the doors open and charged through.

The auditorium was dark inside. The trio heard groaning, and looked around to find the source. At a nearby wall, they spotted two unconscious ponies in black cloaks, victims of the door Daring just barged through.

"Uh oh." Daring Do galloped through the aisles and jumped onto the stage, disappearing behind the curtain. Mare-Do-Well and Stray Wind followed suit, stopping when they rounded the corner. In front of the three ponies stood a cloaked mare with a hood over her head. She was facing towards the wall, where a chest sat at her forehooves.

"You'd better step away from that chest, you scumbag!" Daring shouted, tossing her glasses and cloak aside before pounding her hooves together.

"Otherwise, you'll be in a world of hurt!" Mare-Do-Well added, crouching into a battle stance and pawing the ground with her forehoof.

The mare didn't move, but only turned her head to look at the archaeologist and masked mare. A grin was visible underneath her hood.

"So..." she muttered as she turned around slowly. "Looks like we finally get to see each other face to face, Mysterious Mare-Do-Well... Daring Do..." Using her forehooves to pull back her hood, she revealed her dark gray fur, a tomboy-styled mane consisting of several shades of red, deep blue eyes, and a unicorn horn. Her mouth curled up into an evil smirk.

"Allow me to introduce myself... I am Night Shade."

Author's Note

That's a wrap for Chapter 6! After some shocking discoveries, Mare-Do-Well finally meets her nemesis, Night Shade, face to face! :pinkiegasp:

This one took a lot longer to get out for a few reasons. Besides being busy with real life stuff, I've been constantly revising this chapter as ideas came and went. I'll be honest: I'm kinda making this up as I go along. :twilightblush:

By the way, that Fallout: Equestria reference is because I just started reading it, and I'm liking it so far. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 7: Night Shade

"Allow me to introduce myself... I am Night Shade."

Mare-Do-Well and Daring Do stared down the dark gray unicorn in front of them. Stray Wind stayed behind the two heroines, her heart pounding as she peeked over Mare-Do-Well's shoulder.

"So you're the sleazeball that's been ordering around those cloaked ponies, tearing apart cities and attacking innocent bystanders, huh?" Mare-Do-Well snarled as she pawed the ground.

Night Shade grinned and brushed her red mane out of her face as she began to walk in place. "And you're the costumed weirdo giving my followers a difficult time." She looked over Mare-Do-Well before adding, "Though I have to admit, you actually look pretty stylish. Especially the hat."

"Pfft," Mare-Do-Well scoffed. "Go ahead and flatter me all you want, that's not gonna stop me from stomping you."

"Is that so?" Night Shade chuckled. Her eyes shifted to Daring. "And you, Miss Daring... you saved me quite a bit of trouble getting that Relic from the temple in Saddle Arabia. You really are as good as you make yourself out to be in those books."

Daring snorted as she spread her wings. "And you think I'm just gonna hand it over after all that? How about we hand you a prison sentence instead?"

Night Shade simply laughed. "Sorry, I'll just have to decline that offer. I've got prior engagements." She whistled, and stood back as six ponies in cloaks dropped down from the rafters above, landing between Night Shade and the two heroines. Mare-Do-Well and Daring stood their ground as they slowly approached.

Night Shade's mouth curled into a smirk. "I'll see you ladies later, if you're still conscious then." She turned around...

...and the chest containing the Relic was gone.

"What the-?!" she shouted, her eyes darting around for the chest. She spotted it floating behind Mare-Do-Well and Daring, enveloped in a pink aura.

Everypony turned around and spotted a pink unicorn in an olive vest and pith helmet, her horn glowing. Stray Wind's eyes widened as everypony's gaze fell on her. "Aw dammit," she muttered.

Daring turned towards Night Shade with a sly grin. "You weren't even monologuing, and she already snatched the Relic out from right under your nose. That's pretty pathetic," she teased.

Night Shade's eyes narrowed into an intense glare as a large scowl formed on her face. "GET HER!!!" she shouted, pointing her hoof at Stray Wind.

"Oh crap!" Stray Wind turned around in a flash, sprinting towards the opposite direction as she maintained her magical grip on the chest. Night Shade and three of her minions charged forward and leaped over Mare-Do-Well and Daring Do, pursuing Stray Wind through the auditorium. The remaining three pawed the ground as they glared at the two heroines.

"You go after her!" Daring Do ordered. "I've got these punks!" Mare-Do-Well nodded and ran off in the opposite direction as the three cloaked ponies charged at Daring. She responded by taking off into the air and extending her hind leg as she slammed into one of the ponies, knocking him to the ground. She ducked as another pony swung a hoof at her, following with a sweep kick before flipping up and launching herself into the third pony.

Mare-Do-Well chased Night Shade and her three goons through the backstage area, using her telekinesis to launch whatever she could at them. One of the lights she threw clocked a cloaked pony on the head, knocking him out instantly. Night Shade's horn lit up, her blue aura enveloping a large speaker that was promptly tossed in Mare-Do-Well's direction. The masked mare leaped onto the speaker, bouncing off it and propelling herself towards her target. She tackled the gray unicorn, the two of them tumbling around before crashing into a pile of stage equipment.

Mare-Do-Well threw Night Shade off and jumped to her feet, narrowly dodging a swing from one of the cloaked ponies. She blocked another blow before striking the pony in the stomach, flipping over him, and giving a strong kick with her hind legs. The impact sent the pony flying into a large wooden crate where he lay unconscious. The hero turned to Night Shade, glaring at her through her mask.

"Not bad," Night Shade remarked with a sly grin on her face.

"I'm just warming up." Mare-Do-Well tapped her forehooves against the floor before charging towards Night Shade. As she approached, however, the cloaked unicorn's horn lit up. With a taunting wave of her forehoof, she vanished.

Underneath her mask, Mare-Do-Well's eyes widened. What the heck-?! Skidding to a halt, she spun around, frantically trying to catch a glimpse of her opponent. Lovely, my first fight with a unicorn that can teleport. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a flapping black cloak above her. A quick glance upward revealed Night Shade running across the rafters high above. Eyes narrowing, Mare-Do-Well lit up her horn and teleported in front of the gray unicorn, who stopped in her tracks.

"And just where you do you think you're going?" Mare-Do-Well snarled as she swung her forehoof towards Night Shade. She ducked the attack before taking a jab at the masked mare, who retaliated by swatting her forehoof aside. The two unicorns fought on the rafter, neither one of them backing down as their forehooves moved in a flurry of attacks. Night Shade's horn lit up, firing a magic blast that was easily dodged by Mare-Do-Well. She charged towards Night Shade, using her acrobatic skills to avoid additional blasts as she approached the gray unicorn. Closing in, she rolled forward and used her forehooves to propel herself towards her opponent, her hind legs extended as she slammed into her. The impact from the blow sent Night Shade flying a couple feet, landing on her back at the end of the rafter.

Grunting in pain, she started to get up, only to hit the rafter with a thud as Mare-Do-Well pinned her down. She looked at the masked mare's featureless face. "Gotta say, I'm really impressed," she complimented with an amused grin. "Never thought I'd see a unicorn who can hit as hard as an earth pony and move like a Wonderbolt."

Mare-Do-Well leaned towards Night Shade's face, her eyes glaring menacingly through her mask. "And that'll be the last thing you see before I knock you unconscious and drag you to the Royal Guard," she growled as she raised her forehoof.

Night Shade looked down and smiled. "I'd be more concerned about your pink friend down there."

Mare-Do-Well froze at Night Shade's remark before turning to the direction that she was pointing. Below her, she spotted Stray Wind with her back against a wall, her pith helmet gone and the chest sticking out from one of her saddlebags. She was levitating a broom in front of her, ready to defend herself from two cloaked ponies who were slowly approaching her.

"You boneheads better stay back!" she shouted, though there was a hint of fear in her voice.

One of the cloaked ponies, a hovering pegasus, turned to the other, gesturing towards the pink unicorn with her hoof. "Get a load of her, she thinks she can take us because she's dressed up like Daring Do," she chuckled as the other pony tried to keep himself from bursting out in laughter. "You think we should go easy on her?"

The other pony shook his head, and the two began closing in as Stray Wind flattened against the wall, frantically rummaging through her saddlebag with her forehoof.

Mare-Do-Well's eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of her friend in trouble. Oh no, you don't! she thought as she prepared to drop down and assist Stray Wind. But before she could move, she was struck with a burst of magic that knocked her off the rafter. Though disoriented by the blast, she managed to grab on with her forehoof, her body dangling precariously above the stage as she tried to shake the stars out of her eyes. As her vision corrected itself, she looked up and saw Night Shade standing above her, her horn lit up as she grinned evilly.

"It's nothing personal, Miss Mysterious," she said as Mare-Do-Well, still dazed from the sudden attack, tried to concentrate on a teleportation spell. "Well, getting rid of Celestia is, but dealing with you isn't." Another blast of magic struck Mare-Do-Well. She lost her grip on the rafter and began to plummet to the stage below.

Oh crapcrapcrapcrapcrapCRAP!!! Mare-Do-Well frantically extended her cape in an attempt to break her fall. She was somewhat successful: the cape's gliding enchantment slowed her descent, but not enough to keep her from hitting the ground with a thud and skidding across the floor. "Ow... jeez, that's gonna leave a mark..." she groaned as she shook her head and slowly got to her hooves.

"Hey Mare-Do-Well!" a voice called out. Mare-Do-Well turned her head and spotted Daring Do flying towards her. "You okay there?" she asked as she hovered next to the masked mare.

"Been better," Mare-Do-Well replied as she stretched her legs, checking to make sure nothing was broken. "But Stray Wind's in trouble-"

*SMACK!* "Ow!!! You're asking for it now, you brat! ...Wait, what're you're doing wi-? GAHHHH! HIT THE DECK!!!" *SMASH!!!*

Mare-Do-Well and Daring turned towards the direction of the commotion just as one of the cloaked ponies flew through the air and smashed cleanly through a wall, creating a pony-shaped opening. Stray Wind ran out into the open, dropping a broom that had snapped in two. On her tail was the cloaked pegasus, who was stumbling as she rubbed her head.

"Whoa," Daring muttered as she stared at the damage Stray Wind just caused. "You sure she's not a fighter?"

"Hey! Stray Wind!" Mare-Do-Well called as she and Daring dashed after her.

The pink unicorn looked towards Mare-Do-Well, her horn lighting up as the cloaked pegasus closed in on her. "Heads up!" she shouted. The chest floated out of her saddlebag, flying towards Mare-Do-Well just as Stray Wind was tackled to the ground. The masked mare's horn lit up as she snatched it.

The cloaked pegasus pushed herself off Stray Wind and charged full speed towards Mare-Do-Well.

"Up here!" Daring Do yelled as she flew up into the air, gesturing to Mare-Do-Well. She threw the chest in Daring's direction, and the tan pegasus caught it with her forehooves before zooming off. Night Shade's minion stretched out her wings and took off after Daring. The two fliers looped and flipped through the air, with Mare-Do-Well following behind on the ground. Just as her pursuer was catching up, her forehoof outstretched as she reached for her opponent's grayscale tail, the archaeologist tossed the chest over her head. "Too slow!" she teased with a smirk as it soared over the cloaked pegasus's head. Groaning in frustration, she turned around and flew after it, only to hit the ground with a thud as Mare-Do-Well jumped up and propelled herself off her back.

"Coming your way, Stray Wind!" she shouted as she used her hind leg to kick the chest towards the pink unicorn.

"I got it!" Stray Wind called as she backpedaled, stretching out her hooves. At that moment, however, she was shoved aside as the chest was enveloped in a blue aura. Night Shade stepped out from behind the curtain, her mouth curled into an evil grin. Mare-Do-Well and Daring stopped in their tracks, eyes widening.

"Oh no..." Daring muttered.

"Looks like I win this round, you three," Night Shade taunted as her horn lit up. "Thanks for the souvenir."

"Don't let her get away!" Mare-Do-Well yelled, galloping as fast as she could towards Night Shade. She dived towards her target, but the last thing she saw before the gray unicorn vanished right in front of her was a goodbye wave courtesy of her forehoof.

As Mare-Do-Well got to her hooves, Daring ran up to Stray Wind, who was rubbing her head. "You okay there, Stray Wind?" she asked.

The pink unicorn nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. What about you two?"

Daring smiled. "A few small bruises, but nothing I can't handle."

Sunset pulled off her mask and hat, letting her mane fall loose. "Still a bit sore from that fall, but I'm alright." She sighed as sat down next to Stray Wind. "But now Night Shade has the Earth Relic."

"We'd better make sure to find the other two, then," Daring replied. "As long as we keep the other two Relics away from her, she can't unlock the Amulet's full power."

Stray Wind looked up. "Even if Night Shade did find the other two Relics, it's not gonna do her much good," she said.

Sunset and Daring stared at Stray Wind. "You DID see her make off with that chest containing the Relic, didn't you?" Daring asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I saw her make off with the chest. But I didn't see her make off with the Relic." Seeing her two companions' confused expressions, Stray Wind opened her saddlebags, a sly grin visible on her face. Using her magic, she levitated something from it. Sunset and Daring gasped, their eyes widening at the object she was holding.

A miniature, crystalline bust of an earth pony, its empty eyes emitting a small glow.

"The Earth Relic!" Sunset and Daring shouted excitedly, Sunset wrapping Stray Wind in a tight hug while Daring took the Relic in her hooves.

"I hope you don't mind," Stray Wind muttered. "I kinda used some of its power to fight off those two goons that were chasing me."

Sunset grinned. "That guy who crashed through the wall, huh? I don't think even Applejack could buck that hard."

"Yeah, that Relic packs a lot of punch," Stray Wind replied.

"How'd it feel?"

"I can't exactly say... exhilarating, I guess." Stray Wind let out a sigh. "But I think I'll stick with cosplaying and decorating, this is just too much for me."

Daring hovered in front of the two unicorns as she held the Earth Relic in her hooves. "Okay, we've managed to keep the Earth Relic safe. But now there's the matter of finding the other two."

Sunset nodded. "Right, the Relic of Flight is up north, and the Relic of Magic is somewhere on the countryside."

"And even if she doesn't have all three, they can still be a threat by themselves, as Stray Wind demonstrated," Daring added, gesturing to the missing chunk of wall nearby before turning towards Stray Wind with a cocky grin. "But for now, all Night Shade has is an empty chest."

Stray Wind smirked. "Not exactly... I left her a little something inside."

An empty cave sat on a cliff overlooking the outskirts of Canterlot. Suddenly, a bright flash of blue light appeared, and a gray, red-maned unicorn in a black cloak appeared out of thin air. Her horn was lit up, and hovering next to her, enveloped in a blue aura, was a chest.

"Heh heh heh," she chuckled. "That was too easy. Now I just need the rest of the Relics, and then I can pay a visit to Celestia!" Levitating the chest in front of her, she pried it open, ready to claim her prize...

"MOON PRISM POWER!!!" a female voice shot out.

"What the...?" A puzzled expression appeared on Night Shade's face, followed by an annoyed one as she looked inside. Instead of a magical relic, she found a figurine of a white, blonde-maned alicorn with a pair of incredibly long, curly pigtails. On her forehead was a golden tiara with a red gem in the middle, and she was wearing a white sailor outfit with a blue skirt and red bow.

Night Shade levitated the figurine from the chest, staring at it for a full minute before deadpanning, "You've gotta be freaking kidding me."

"I right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means YOU!" the figurine declared heroically.

"Oh shut up," Night Shade snapped as she tossed the figurine over her shoulder and off the cliff behind her. "Your series sucks, anyway."

"Welcome back, guys!"

Sunset Shimmer and Stray Wind disembarked from the train as Rainbow Dash greeted them on the platform.

"Glad to see you, Rainbow Dash," Sunset answered as she hoof-bumped the blue pegasus. "Where's the others?"

Rainbow hoof-bumped Stray Wind before answering. "All of them are busy and couldn't make it. Rarity's working on a commission for Sapphire Shores, Pinkie's throwing a birthday party for Cheerilee, and Applejack's off on a delivery to Dodge Junction. Fluttershy's looking after Tank, he hasn't been feeling well lately."

"And Twilight?" Stray Wind added as the the three ponies made their way from the train station to Twilight's castle, Rainbow hovering beside them.

"At the Canterlot Archives. She's trying to find out more about that Amulet thing Night Shade's after. But enough about that, how was the convention?"

Sunset and Stray Wind looked at each other. "Well..." Stray Wind slowly answered. "You could say that meeting A.K. Yearling was the highlight of the trip. Speaking of which, we've got a little something for you." Her horn lit up as she levitated an autographed copy of the latest Daring Do novel. Rainbow's eyes widened as she snatched it out of the air.

"Aw, yeah! Thanks a lot, you guys!" she exclaimed excitedly as she pulled Sunset and Stray Wind in a tight hug.

"Ack...! No problem, Rainbow Dash..." Stray Wind gasped as she and Sunset tried to push her off.

Rainbow released her grip on the two unicorns as she flipped through the air. Flying backwards, she read the signature on the cover. "'To Rainbow Dash and her friends, always stay adventurous and daring! Your friend, A.K. Yearling, aka Daring Do.'" She squealed in delight as she held the book tightly to her chest, Sunset and Stray Wind smiling widely.

"She also trusted us to keep an eye on something for her," Sunset said, bringing Rainbow out of her fangirl state.

"Really? Sweet! What is it?" Rainbow asked, trying to contain her giddiness and failing miserably.

Sunset's eyes drifted to the saddlebag on her side. "Actually... we should wait for Twilight to get back first."

Rainbow groaned in disappointment. "Aw come on, can't you show me now?!"

"Sorry, Rainbow Dash. But it's incredibly important that she hears about it."

"Why? It's not like it's a..." Rainbow's voice trailed off as a thought came to her head. She stopped in midair, eyeing her friends suspiciously. "Wait a minute... did something go down at the convention?"

Her crimson eyes met Sunset's cyan ones as she leaned in closely, pointing her forehoof at the pendant around Sunset's neck. "Something that required a certain costumed hero to step in?"

Sunset Shimmer smiled nervously. "Maybe...?"

Author's Note

That's it for Chapter 7! With the help of Daring Do and Stray Wind, Sunset returns to Ponyville with the Earth Relic, while Night Shade is stuck with a talking figurine that's mocking her. :ajsmug:

This chapter took a lot longer to finish because of a temporary case of writer's block, a bunch of revisions, and frequent distractions (to the point that simple proofreading took HOURS :pinkiecrazy:). I don't know how long it'll be for the next chapter to be posted, but I'll try my best. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 8: Caped Crusaders

When Twilight arrived at her library, she was surprised to find Sunset, Stray Wind, and Rainbow Dash already waiting inside. What surprised her even more, however, was the crystalline bust that was sitting next to Sunset.

"Sunset, is that the Earth Relic?! What's going on?"

Sunset spent the next couple minutes explaining to Twilight and Rainbow what happened at the convention: Night Shade's attack, Stray Wind getting a power boost from the Relic, and Daring Do entrusting them with it while she went up north to find the Relic of Flight. When she finished, Twilight held her hoof up to her muzzle, closing her eyes in thought, while Rainbow Dash's eyes were on the nearby Relic.

"So..." the blue pegasus said slowly as she looked into the bust's glowing eyes. "This thing is what Night Shade's after, huh?"

Sunset nodded. "Yep, that's it. One of the three Relics needed to form the Celestial Amulet."

"And from what Sunset has told us, having just one is enough to make Night Shade a threat," Twilight added as she glanced at Stray Wind. "I mean, if it made Stray Wind strong enough to send a pony crashing through a brick wall with just a small kick..."

"I'd have loved to see that..." Rainbow muttered with a cocky grin as she gave a wink to Stray Wind, who smiled nervously.

"That's why Daring's having us hold onto it while she's at the Crystal Empire searching for the Relic of Flight," Sunset said. "Better to play it safe than to risk both Relics falling into Night Shade's hooves."

"I see," Twilight answered as her horn lit up. The Relic was enveloped in a violet aura as it floated towards her.

"Where are you taking that?" Rainbow asked.

"In my lab, there's a safe hidden behind one of the cabinets. It's where I keep anything that is potentially dangerous, and I'm the only one that can access it, nopony else."

Rainbow looked at Twilight, surprised. "Seriously?"

"Dead serious," Twilight answered.

"And you sure the Relic's gonna be safe there?" Stray Wind asked.

Twilight responded with a nod. "There's nothing inside right now, and the safe is insulated. The Relic won't affect or be affected by anything while it's inside."

Sunset turned to Twilight. "Speaking of which... did you find out anything from the Canterlot Archives?"

The lavender alicorn shook her head. "I haven't found out anything new, and there's still a bunch of books I haven't looked through. However..." Her horn lit up, and a massive pile of books popped into existence. The other three ponies' eyes widened as they gazed upwards, the pile almost reaching the ceiling. "Princess Celestia gave me permission to take a couple back here to look over," Twilight explained.

Rainbow turned to Twilight with an unamused look on her face. "Seriously, Twi? A couple?" she deadpanned. "Yeah, maybe a couple hundred."

"Whoa..." Sunset's eyes traveled up the pile. "That looks like a lot. Need any help going through them?"

Twilight shook her head. "I've got it covered. Besides, what if Mare-Do-Well is needed?"

Sunset looked down at the sun-shaped pendant around her neck for a moment. "Good point..."

"Don't worry," Twilight reassured her. "If I find out anything, you and Daring will be the first ones to know. Just leave it to me." With that, her horn lit up again, and both Twilight and the Earth Relic vanished into thin air.

The following week seemed to pass in a blur to Sunset. While she was out stopping minor crimes as Mare-Do-Well, Twilight was holed up in the library, trying to find out more about the Celestial Amulet. Her priority was to narrow down the location of the Relic of Magic, and so far, her efforts were fruitless. All she had to go on was that it was somewhere on the Equestrian countryside, and none of the books she grabbed from the Archives offered an exact location. Even Princess Celestia, the one who split the Amulet into Relics before scattering them, didn't know its exact whereabouts.

However, after one night of non-stop research, she managed to find something.

"Twilight?" Sunset called out as she stepped into the library. "You still here?" She spotted Twilight at the desk, dozing off with her head slumped over one of the books. She shook her head in amusement. "Of course..." she muttered as she walked over and tried shaking her mentor awake. "Hey, wake up."

"Ugghh... five more minutes..." she murmured.

"It's already past noon."

Twilight jerked awake at Sunset's response. "WHAT?!?!" She looked outside the window, and began panicking as she jumped out of her chair, knocking some books to the floor. "GAH!!! I should've been awake by now!"

Sunset facehoofed. Oh great, another breakdown. "Twilight!" she called out.

"Aaagh, now my schedule's all messed up! All that planning, wasted!"

"Twilight!!!"

"I didn't even eat breakfast yet! YOU DON'T MISS BREAKFAST!!! That's the most important meal of the day!"

"TWILIGHT!!!" Sunset grabbed Twilight's shoulders and shook her. "Calm down!"

Twilight stopped as her violet eyes met Sunset's cyan ones. Her ears drooped as she began blushing. "Sorry about that," she muttered sheepishly.

Sunset smiled as she pulled Twilight in for a hug. After a few moments, she turned to the big stack of books next to the desk while Twilight stretched her legs and let out a yawn. "You've been busy. Did you find anything?"

"Still don't know where the Relic of Magic is, but I think I've found something that can help." Twilight levitated the book and flipped to the correct page. "It says here that the glowing eyes on the Earth and Flight Relics gaze in the direction that the other one is in. Take a look at this." She levitated the Earth Relic and pointed her hoof at its glowing eyes. "The eyes appear to be empty, but they're actually not: if you look hard enough, you can barely make out the irises that are obscured by the glow." Sunset leaned in close, and upon closer inspection, she saw that her mentor was right.

"See the direction it's looking in right now? Watch this." Twilight turned the crystalline pony's head as Sunset kept her gaze on the glowing eyes. As the head turned, the eyes kept their gaze locked northward. Sunset stared in awe as Twilight rotated the head further until it was facing away from the Crystal Empire. The eyes were now facing the back of the pony's head.

"Whoa..." Sunset muttered.

"That's how Daring found out the location of the Relic of Flight," Twilight stated. "If she had this, it'd be easier for her to track it down. But it's also riskier if Night Shade decides to go after her."

"So what about the Relic of Magic? How does it help us find that?"

Twilight flipped to the next page before replying. "Because the Relic of Magic is the most powerful of the three, you need both the Earth Relic and the Relic of Flight to find it. Only when they're together will the eyes point to its location."

"So we just wait for Daring to come back with the second Relic, and then we'll know where the third one is," Sunset said. "Then we just need to find a way to get rid of them for good."

"Still haven't found anything about that yet," Twilight responded as she closed the book. "I'll continue searching later, once I get myself cleaned up, fed, and fully awake."

"Actually, I think you should take a break," Sunset pointed out. "You look like you really need one."

"No, I'm..." *yawn* "...I'm fine."

Sunset wasn't convinced, as shown by the stern expression on her face. "Seriously, take a break. Don't stress yourself out more than you need to."

Twilight rubbed her eyes. "You sure about that?"

Sunset nodded. "You've found a way to locate the third Relic. You've definitely earned one."

The alicorn remained silent as she pondered for a few moments. With a sigh, she said, "I guess you're right."

"How about we just take a walk around Ponyville?" Sunset suggested as the two ponies stepped out of the library and into the main hallway. "It'll give you a chance to unwind."

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Sounds good, but I still need to clean myself up, and-" At that moment, her stomach grumbled loudly. Twilight remained silent while Sunset tried to keep herself from giggling. "...that."

"Okay, meet you at Sugar Cube Corner?" Sunset called out as she headed for the front door.

"Sugar Cube Corner," Twilight answered, lighting up her horn. As she disappeared in a flash of light, Sunset made her way outside the castle and started following the road to Ponyville.

After grabbing a bite to eat at Sugar Cube Corner and taking a stroll around Ponyville, Twilight and Sunset paid a visit to the bookstore. They spent the entire afternoon there, just browsing through the many selections the store offered. Now, as the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, the two ponies were returning to Twilight's castle on the outskirts of Ponyville, their saddlebags filled with the books and comics they bought. As they made their way through the now-empty streets, Twilight and Sunset decided to pass the time by checking out one of the comics Sunset grabbed. It was entertaining... but not in the way they thought it would be.

"Oh, you've gotta be... you can't be serious!" Twilight snorted as she finished reading the last panel on the page they were on.

"I know, right?!" Sunset was trying to stifle her laughter, but she was failing miserably. "What kind of hero blows up a cruise ship, then boards it to hunt down a terrorist while it's sinking?!"

"Did he or whoever wrote this even think that plan through?!" laughed Twilight. "This just keeps getting more ridiculous!"

Sunset closed the comic and levitated it into her saddlebag. "We should show this to Rainbow Dash, she'd get a real kick out of this one. How much do you bet this would get even more bizarre?"

"From what I've seen so far, it's extremely likely," Twilight answered. "It'd be pretty difficult to top that, though-"

Suddenly, Sunset's ears perked up, and she stopped in her tracks, holding her hoof up. "Hold that thought... you hear that?"

Twilight stared at Sunset before looking around. "I didn't hear anything."

"No, I definitely heard something," Sunset replied as her eyes narrowed. "I'll go check it out."

Twilight nodded. "Okay, if you say so. I'll see you when I get back. Be careful, Sunset."

"I will," Sunset assured her. With that, she ran into a nearby alleyway while Twilight continued towards the castle. When she looked back, she saw a dark figure with a flowing cape and fedora leaping across the rooftops of Ponyville.

A small smile formed on Twilight's face. You've come a long way, Sunset Shimmer...

It definitely came from over here... Mare-Do-Well galloped across the rooftops, trying to locate the source of the sound she heard earlier. She continued along until she heard muttering below her. Crouching down and peering over the rooftop, she spotted an earth pony mare in a black sweater behind a building, rummaging through a pair of saddlebags. Lying next to her was an unconscious pony, whom Mare-Do-Well recognized as Roseluck.

"C'mon, don't you have anything other than seeds in this stupid thing?" the thief grumbled as she tossed packets of plant food behind her.

Eyes narrowing dangerously, Mare-Do-Well prepared to jump down and teach the unicorn a lesson-

"WHOA!!! Hey, watch it, Scootaloo!"

Oh crap! Both Mare-Do-Well and the mugger turned their heads as a scooter screeched around the corner. Behind the wheel was Scootaloo, and on the wagon behind her, clinging tightly to each other as they screamed, were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The mugger jumped back as Scootaloo narrowly avoided crashing into her. Just as the filly looked back, ready to apologize to the pony, she spotted the unconscious Roseluck lying next to her.

"Hey!" she shouted as she glared at the mugger. "What do you think you're-"

"SCOOTALOO!!!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shouted, pointing their hooves forward. Scootaloo turned her head, eyes widening as she saw a pile of trash cans ahead. Unable to react in time, the scooter crashed and sent the Cutie Mark Crusaders flying a couple feet before hitting the ground.

The mugger dropped the saddlebags and turned around, galloping at a full sprint. The Crusaders lifted their heads as they saw her disappear behind the corner.

Scootaloo stood up first. "Come on, guys! We should go after her!" she shouted. "What if our special talent is stopping crimes?"

"Seriously?" Sweetie Belle groaned. "If our special talent was stopping crimes, why didn't we stop her before we crashed?"

"Cut me some slack, I didn't know she was a criminal until I sped right past her!" Scootaloo replied. She opened her mouth to continue, but stopped as the sound of hooves slamming reached her ears. The Crusaders looked towards the corner where the mugger disappeared, and ran over to check out the commotion. As they turned the corner, they spotted the mugger lying unconscious on the ground. They gasped as they saw the pony standing over her, recognizing the wide-brimmed purple fedora planted on her head.

"Mare-Do-Well!"

The masked mare simply turned her head towards the Crusaders. "You three should head home, it's getting late," she said. With a tip of her hat, she jumped up and vanished over the rooftops, the three fillies watching in amazement.

"She is SO cool!" Scootaloo remarked as she and her fellow Crusaders made their way back to the scooter. "Well, not as cool as Rainbow Dash, but she's pretty close!"

"Must be an exciting life being a superhero," Apple Bloom remarked.

"Duh!" Scootaloo replied. "Of course she's got an exciting life! Going all around Equestria, saving ponies and knocking out bad guys..." Suddenly, an idea came to her. She turned to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with a grin on her face.

"Uh oh..." Sweetie Belle muttered. "She's got that look in her eye again."

"We should become superheroes!" Scootaloo declared loudly as she jumped onto her scooter and tied her Crusaders' cape around her neck. "And Mare-Do-Well can teach us how to totally kick some major flank!"

Sweetie Belle, clambering onto the wagon alongside Apple Bloom, raised her forehoof. "And what makes you think she'll agree to that?"

"Come on, it's worth a try!" Apple Bloom answered, smiling eagerly as she tied her Crusaders' cape around her neck.

She and Scootaloo leaned their heads close to each other and yelled, "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER SUPERHEROES!!!"

Sweetie Belle groaned as the Crusaders sped off, in search for their new mentor.

However, after an hour of riding around town, their search didn't yield any results. Scootaloo continued to push on, while Apple Bloom's eyes began drifting shut and Sweetie Belle yawned.

"Can we go home now? It's getting late, and I don't need Rarity chewing me out for it," she asked.

"Same here, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom added as she glanced towards Celestia's sun, barely visible over the horizon. "Granny Smith'll get into a massive fit if I don't get back."

"Come on, just one more pass!" Scootaloo begged as she turned another corner. She was also tired, but she was too excited about getting her cutie mark to realize it.

"We can search for her tomorrow, let's just go," Sweetie Belle protested.

"But what if she's not in town tomorrow? You know she travels all over Equestria, right?"

"Then we'll wait until she comes back here."

"Don't be ridiculous, Sweetie Belle! What if nothing happens that causes her to show up?"

"Ponyville faces disasters every week. Remember last week when one of Apple Bloom's botched potions accidentally turned Fluttershy into a-"

"I see her! Up there!" Scootaloo pointed towards a nearby cliff that overlooked the nearby countryside. Standing at the edge, her cape flowing in the wind, was the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

Grinning excitedly, Scootaloo parked the scooter behind a pile of bushes and jumped off, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle following behind her. The three fillies hid behind a tree and peeked out from behind it, watching the masked mare as she pulled off her hat and sat down on the edge of the cliff.

"What's she doing?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Probably taking a break from smacking bad guys around," Scootaloo answered.

"You think she'll teach us how to become superheroes?" Apple Bloom whispered excitedly.

"Of course she will!"

Sweetie Belle scoffed. "Yeah, I don't think so, Scootaloo. Why don't we visit Pinkie Pie and try to get our cutie marks in party planning?"

Scootaloo responded with an eye roll. "Pfft, boring!"

"You're seriously calling Pinkie Pie, the massive pink party pony, boring?"

"No, but come on! Being a superhero is more exciting than... wait, what's she doing now?"

The Crusaders looked back at Mare-Do-Well, and suddenly held their breath once they noticed that she was pulling her mask off. A familiar yellow-colored mane, complete with red streaks, fell over the mare's shoulders as she began to shake it loose. The Crusaders gasped loudly and their eyes widened as they recognized the unmasked pony.

"No way!" Scootaloo shouted.

Just then, the mare turned around, and her eyes met those of the three fillies, who gasped and, in a panic, fell over on top of each other before they could hide.

"Dagnabbit, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom groaned as she picked herself up off Sweetie Belle. The three fillies got to their hooves, and looked up as the unmasked heroine walked up to them, wearing a stern expression on her amber-colored face.

"Didn't I tell you three it's getting late, and you should get home?" she asked.

A wide-eyed Scootaloo started babbling incoherently while Apple Bloom just stared slack-jawed. The only Crusader who managed to get actual words out of her mouth was Sweetie Belle.

"Sunset Shimmer... you're the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?!"

Author's Note

Chapter 8 comes to a close as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, once again trying to earn their cutie marks, accidentally discover who the pony behind the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well is! :pinkiegasp:

The next chapter will reveal details about Sunset Shimmer's life before she met Twilight Sparkle, and the events that changed her life forever as she discovers just how truly magical friendship is. Stay tuned for Chapter 9: Wayward Sun! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 9: Wayward Sun (Part 1)

Sunset Shimmer had expected many challenges to face when she decided to become the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

Unmasking herself in front of three young fillies with a reputation as troublemakers wasn't one of them.

"Sunset Shimmer... you're the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?!" Sweetie Belle shouted while her fellow Crusaders were still trying to process this fact.

Sunset, still clad in her costume except for the mask and hat, simply nodded.

Apple Bloom snapped out of her trance. "And you're the one who rescued us on Nightmare Night?!" she blurted out.

Sunset nodded again. "Yes, that was me."

Scootaloo continued staring at the unmasked Mare-Do-Well, wide-eyed and utterly speechless. Sweetie Belle waved her hoof in front of her. "Hello? Earth to Scootaloo!"

Sunset covered her mouth with her forehoof as she tried to hold back a grin. "Uh... you okay there?" she asked Scootaloo.

Scootaloo blinked twice before suddenly jumping into the air with her tiny wings flapping. She leaned into Sunset's face with a wide grin.

"That's. So. AWESOME!!!" she squealed as Sunset took a step back in surprise.

"Um..."

"Who'd have guessed it?! Sunset Shimmer, the bad-guy flank kicking Mysterious Mare-Do-Well! THIS IS SO COOL!!!"

Sunset, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom just stared at Scootaloo as she continued jumping around, fangirling over her idol.

"All those sick fighting moves, those amazing leaps and glides! Woosh! BAM! And Sunset Shimmer's the one behind it all!"

Sunset rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Not entirely," she told the Crusaders. "My friends are also helping me out with this."

Scootaloo hovered up to Sunset. "Really?! Even Rainbow Dash?!"

"Those 'sick fighting moves' you mentioned? You've got Rainbow Dash to thank for that. And Pinkie Pie's responsible for those 'amazing leaps and glides.'"

"Wait a minute..." Apple Bloom's eyes lit up as a thought occurred to her. "You've been helping Applejack out at Sweet Apple Acres the past couple months... that's for making yourself stronger?"

"And those visits at Carousel Boutique..." Sweetie Belle added. "Rarity's helping you out with your costume, isn't she?"

Sunset confirmed their claims with a nod.

Scootaloo turned to her fellow Crusaders, trying to contain her excitement. "Alright girls!" she said with a wide grin. "You ready to train with Sensei Sunset?"

Sunset's smile faded as she did a double take. "Wait, what?"

"Scootaloo wants to try to get cutie marks in being a superhero, and for some reason, she thinks you're gonna train us," Sweetie Belle explained, looking unamused.

A stern look suddenly appeared on Sunset's face as she walked up to the three fillies. "No," she replied in a firm voice. "I'm not going to do it. And I'm certainly not going to let you three run around fighting bad guys."

"Told ya," Sweetie Belle muttered.

A look of disappointment formed on Scootaloo's face. "What?! Why not?!"

"You are aware of how dangerous being a superhero can be, right?" Sunset answered.

"Aw, come on!"

"No. I'm not going to change my mind."

"Aaaggh!" With a loud groan, Scootaloo flopped onto the ground, pouting.

Sunset knelt down next to Scootaloo, putting her wrapped forehoof over her shoulder. "Listen, Scootaloo," she said in a calm but serious voice. "I don't want to see you three getting hurt because I decided to put you in harm's way. What if something happens to you? I'm not going to take chances with that."

Scootaloo lifted her head and sighed. "I guess you're right," she admitted. "Well, this stinks."

Sunset looked at Scootaloo for a few moments, and an idea came to her. "Well..."

"What is it, Sunset?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Sunset tapped her chin with her forehoof. "I suppose I could teach you three self-defense..."

Scootaloo's eyes lit up. "Seriously?!"

Sunset held her hoof up. "But first, you need to get permission from your sisters, or in Scootaloo's case, Rainbow Dash," she stated.

Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side. "Why's that?" she asked.

"I'm not going to teach you if they're not comfortable with it," Sunset pointed out as her expression got more serious. "Also, I only want you using what I teach you as a last resort if you're in trouble and can't get away. If I find out you're running around picking fights with bad guys, we're done. Got it?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded. "Got it," they answered in unison.

"Alright then." With a satisfied smirk, Sunset lit up her horn. Her purple fedora floated over to the four ponies and slowly placed itself onto Scootaloo's head. The young pegasus smiled as she lifted the hat with her forehoof.

"Thanks, Sunset," she said.

"No problem," the older unicorn replied. The four ponies sat on the cliff in silence for a couple moments, gazing at the bright orange rays of Celestia's sun as it slowly descended behind the faraway horizon. Sunset closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"What's wrong, Sunset?" Sweetie Belle piped up.

"Nothing, Sweetie Belle," Sunset told her. "Just... thinking about... things."

"Like what?" Apple Bloom asked.

Sunset remained silent for a few moments, her gaze towards the sunset never wavering. Finally, she spoke up.

"Princess Celestia."

The three Crusaders looked at each other for a few moments, then back at Sunset. "What about the Princess?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Sunset's smile faded as a saddened expression took its place. She sighed heavily. "I... I used to be Princess Celestia's personal student, just like Twilight was."

"Really?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes, but... during that time, I've done and said things I'm not proud of." Sunset held her mask in her hooves and stared at it, her reflection in the eye lenses gazing back at her. "I became Mare-Do-Well because I wanted to protect others, but... I guess there's another reason why."

"What's that?" Apple Bloom asked.

Sunset paused for a moment before answering. "To make up for those things I did."

The three fillies looked at each other for a few moments, then turned back to Sunset. "What'd you do?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Sunset remained silent as she glanced at the three young fillies beside her, trying to come up with an answer. For a brief moment, she felt jealous of them. Innocence... something young ponies have plenty of... something I absolutely didn't have back then... Suddenly shaking her head, Sunset pushed those thoughts out of her head. "It's nothing," she answered.

Sweetie Belle spoke up. "If something's bothering you, you can tell us," she told her.

Sunset waved her forehoof dismissively. "Thanks for your concerns, but it's something I don't really want to bother you with."

"Sunset." The older unicorn gazed towards the Crusaders, surprised as she noticed that all three of them were looking serious. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo placed their hooves onto Sunset's. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it, and no matter what you did, we won't hold it against you," Apple Bloom stated firmly.

Sunset hesitated. "You sure?"

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo nodded confidently. "We're sticking by you, no matter what," Scootaloo declared.

Sunset couldn't help but smile a little. Either they're really good actors, or they're more mature than they seem... she thought.

"Okay, then," she said as she turned towards the sunset. Taking a deep breath, she began her story...

I first met Princess Celestia when my parents were signing me up to be a student at the School of Gifted Unicorns. She saw how skilled at magic I was, and she saw a lot of potential in me. I studied under the regular program at the school for a few months, and everypony was impressed with how well I performed. Eventually, she did take me under her wing and made me her personal student.

You wouldn't believe how ecstatic I was. Me, Sunset Shimmer, receiving private lessons from Princess Celestia! And I get to live in the castle with her! My parents were so proud of me! I still attended regular classes for stuff the Princess couldn't teach me. My life was fantastic...

But at the same time, it began falling apart... and I completely failed to realize it.

I let my status as Princess Celestia's get to my head, and I just became an arrogant snob, bragging about how much better I was, and picking on those that I felt were way below me. I even sent Trixie Lulamoon the wrong way during her first day when she asked me where her classroom was. The other students complained to the faculty about how much of a bigot I was becoming, and Princess Celestia eventually caught wind of it. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed. She gave me a good long lecturing about humility, saying that even though I was at the top of the class, I shouldn't consider myself superior over other ponies. When she finished, she also gave me a suggestion...

"Make some friends."

But I refused to listen to her.

"Pfft! Who needs friends when you're the best?" I thought to myself.

Turns out, everypony needs friends. I needed friends. But I was too stubborn and egotistic to admit it.

Many years went by, and the Princess's frequent talks about humility and relationships were refusing to sink in. I wasn't getting along with other students, only driving them away with my elitist attitude.

Then came... the mirror.

After hearing about how rudely I turned down a fellow student's invitation to hang out, she began lecturing me again about humility. During that, she brought me to an old chamber that contained a giant mirror. She asked me to look into it, and tell her what I saw.

I told her I saw myself as an all-powerful alicorn princess, a ruler of Equestria.

However, something in the mirror caught my eye. But I didn't know what it was, and Princess Celestia escorted me out of the chamber before I could get a good look. I'm not entirely sure, but that thing I saw for a split second... it looked a lot like me, but... different somehow.

During the next few weeks, the mirror was the only thing I could think about. I kept barraging the Princess with questions about it, and she refused to give me an answer, telling me I wasn't ready. It stayed like that for weeks: both Princess Celestia and I were losing our patience, tensions were building up, the two of us slowly drifting apart...

...until it all came crashing down one evening.

I snuck into the dark magic section of the library, trying to dig up some dirt on the mirror. After some searching, I found out that the Crystal Mirror was actually a portal leading to another world, a portal that opens up every thirty moons.

When I turned the page, I saw something else that Princess Celestia didn't tell me about...

She had the power to turn me into an alicorn princess.

My mind filled with rage at that moment. Princess Celestia knew I had the potential to be a great ruler, and she was holding me back! She was worried that I could surpass her, so she was hiding this from me and lying through her teeth! I just couldn't believe it!

Just then, Princess Celestia arrived in the library, two Royal Guards escorting her.

I still remember it like it was yesterday...

Sunset slammed the book shut, a furious glare directed at her mentor. "How dare you keep this kind of magic from me!" she yelled. "You know that I'm ready for this! That I can be great!"

Princess Celestia lowered her head in disappointment. "You could be great," she told Sunset. "I thought I saw compassion and sincerity in you... but it was nothing but ambition. You're being selfish, you need to step back and reflect-"

With a loud yell, Sunset magically flung the tome towards Princess Celestia, only for it to be deflected by a barrier the Princess quickly conjured. "I'M SELFISH?!" Sunset screamed, pointing her hoof at the book between the two of them. "That book right there says I could become as powerful as an alicorn princess! I could rule here! It's selfish of YOU to keep me from my rightful place!"

Sunset approached her mentor, her angry gaze unwavering. "I deserve to stand beside you and be your equal... if not your better," she said.

"Make me a princess."

The two ponies stared each other down for a few moments. Princess Celestia raised her head, an angry, yet disappointed expression on her face as she looked down on her pupil. With a deep breath, she replied to Sunset's demand with one word.

"No."

That one word got Sunset's blood boiling. "What did you just say to me?" she growled, her voice filled with rage.

"No," Princess Celestia stated firmly. "Being a princess must be earned. I have been trying to teach you everything you need to know... but you've turned from it. Every time you say you 'deserve' to get something without the effort... it just proves to me that you are not ready."

"Oh... so I'm not ready, huh? Is that it?" Sunset pointed her forehoof at Princess Celestia. "Or maybe you're just worried that I could become more powerful than you, that you'll lose your precious position as ruler of Equestria to me! That's why you're holding me back!"

Princess Celestia sighed deeply, her eyes closing in disappointment. "I'm sorry that it has come to this," she said.

"Sunset Shimmer... I am removing you from the position of my pupil."

That was it. With those words, I was no longer the Princess's personal student.

At that instant, something inside me snapped. You wouldn't believe how downright FURIOUS I was. It was like I had become a vicious beast, thirsting for blood. Right then and there, I wanted to tackle the Princess, just wanted to strangle her and force her to make me a princess. The only thing that held me back was that I knew Celestia could easily overpower me.

Sunset just stood there, her furious gaze intensifying as the princess continued.

"If we cannot get past this, your studies end here. You are welcome to stay in Canterlot, but you are no longer welcome in the castle."

Sunset stomped her hoof in frustration as she approached her now ex-mentor. "We'll never get past this, because you aren't seeing how great I deserve to be," she snarled. "Is that really all you have to say to me?"

Princess Celestia stood back as her guards approached Sunset. "No. The guards will escort you out," she said.

Sunset never took her glare off the Princess as one of the guards nudged her from behind and directed her towards the door. As she stepped out of the chamber, she paused and looked back at Princess Celestia with an intense scowl.

"You'll regret this, Princess," she growled, putting as much malice as she could into the last word. "This is the biggest mistake you'll make in your entire life."

As Sunset and the guards disappeared from view, Princess Celestia's expression saddened as her gaze fell on a tapestry hanging nearby, a reminder of a painful decision she was forced to make nearly a thousand years ago.

"One of many..." she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes, letting a single teardrop fall.

I didn't know it back then, but Princess Celestia was right.

I did have the potential to achieve great things. The two of us could see that clearly.

But the Princess saw something that I was completely blind to: I wasn't ready. I didn't deserve to be a princess, and by lashing out at her like a spoiled brat that night, I had made it perfectly clear.

But at the time, all I felt was pure hatred towards her for denying me something that I felt I deserved.

And I wasn't going to take that lying down.

Using some dark magic spells I picked up while researching the mirror, I knocked out the guards escorting me and escaped. I heard other guards calling for backup, but I had only one thing on my mind: the mirror.

I dashed through the corridors of the castle as fast I could, until I found the chamber where the Crystal Mirror was stored. As I approached, I saw that the portal was open... and it was my ticket out of Canterlot. I braced myself and prepared to dive through...

...but something stopped me.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I saw myself... but as a tall, skinny figure wearing a black jacket, an orange skirt, and a pair of boots. I paused for a few moments, staring at my reflection as a grin formed on her face.

Just then, it happened.

Her skin turned a deep red, and demonic wings sprouted from her backside. Her eyes blackened, and fangs sprouted from her mouth. Her clothes and mane transformed, taking up the appearance of demonic flames. A star-shaped crown appeared on her head, and it was pulsing with dark magic.

As flames erupted around her, she threw her head back... and laughed like a complete maniac.

I didn't know it then, but that image of myself was only the beginning of a nightmare... a nightmare that would haunt me for the next thirty moons. At that moment, however, there was only one thing I could say about it:

It was terrifying.

I knew that the guards were coming: I could hear their hooves and shouts as they closed in on me. But despite that, my legs refused to move. I was frozen in place as I stared at the monster in the mirror, refusing to accept that it was my reflection.

Suddenly, I was struck with a blast of magic from behind. The impact sent me flying from the mirror and crashing into the wall. I tried to stand, but I felt myself getting weaker, and I slumped over, my strength gone and my vision fading. A moment later, I felt myself being lifted into the air by magic.

The last thing I remember before I drifted off into unconsciousness was a familiar voice whispering to me, a voice full of sadness and regret...

"Please forgive me, Sunset Shimmer..."

Though my eyes could see... I still was a blind mare.
Though my mind could think... I still was a mad mare.

To be continued...

Author's Note

The journey into Sunset Shimmer's past begins. :pinkiegasp:

For those wondering, the argument between Sunset and Celestia was taken from the comic "The Fall of Sunset Shimmer," with some extra dialogue thrown in.

What's going to happen to Sunset? :rainbowhuh: Keep an eye out for Part 2!

Chapter 11: Wayward Sun (Part 3)

If you had told me when I first moved to Ponyville that I would end up befriending Twilight Sparkle, I would've called you insane.

Today, we're extremely close friends, and she's made a major impact on my life. I'm really grateful to have somepony like her as a friend.

But when we first met, all I felt towards her was hatred. And I made no effort to hide it.

I absolutely refused to listen to her, and whenever she talked to me, I did my best to respond with as much snark and rudeness as I could. All I was concerned about was getting away from her, and I was praying that she would get fed up with me and send me back to Celestia.

But she was persistent, and kept trying to get through to me. I was impressed, but at the same time annoyed.

She tried to introduce me to her friends, hoping that one of them could help.

Pinkie Pie, naturally, was the first to meet me. She tried throwing me a "Welcome To Ponyville" party, and was relentless in her efforts to befriend me. What annoyed me even more was the fact that she simply defied logic, and her tendency to literally pop out of nowhere only added to my paranoia. To be honest, it was still preferable to my inner demon, who continued to torment me at night, taunting me about how Celestia loved Twilight more than me.

Twilight then brought me to Sweet Apple Acres to meet Applejack. It's ironic that today, I enjoy working there and helping out with the harvesting: back then, I wouldn't have even thought about getting within a hundred feet of that "hick farm", as I used to call it. I was pretty much treating her like your typical Canterlot snob would: blindly assuming that she was an unsophisticated idiot and that her apples reeked of "commoner."

Rainbow Dash... she tried showing off her aerial acrobatic skills. I'll admit, I was impressed by the stuff she could do. However, there was no way I was actually telling her that. Instead, I just taunted her, saying that if she was indeed the best flier in Equestria, why wasn't she a Wonderbolt? Seeing her squirm and get all defensive over it was just entertaining.

When Twilight brought me to Carousel Boutique to meet Rarity, the fashionista kept going on about how gorgeous and fiery my mane was. She insisted on making me a dress to go with it, and when I first saw it... I was blown away by how absolutely gorgeous it was. When I saw myself in the mirror, I was speechless. Everypony in the room kept going on about how I looked positively radiant. But like Rainbow Dash, I refused to let her know what I actually thought about it, and just told her I wasn't at all impressed, that it looked pathetic. She looked like she was having a seizure when I left the Boutique.

Finally, there was Fluttershy. I noticed that she was very easily intimidated by me, and was scared easily. That's pretty much what my early interactions with Fluttershy were: scaring her for fun. She just made it way too easy. And I was often getting chewed out for it by Twilight and Rainbow Dash while she cowered.

It was like that for two weeks: Twilight and her friends tried to befriend me, and I just did my best to irritate them as much as possible. I didn't want anything to do with them. And while that was happening, my nightmares continued: the demon inside me kept up the tormenting.

One late afternoon, I was passing by the library, and I overheard Twilight and her friends talking about me...

Sunset wandered through the hallways of the castle, half-asleep due to another night of restlessness.

"Stupid nightmares..." she muttered as she rubbed her eyes. As she passed the library, she heard voices arguing.

"...come on, Twi! How much longer do we have to put up with that snob?!"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash! I didn't think she'd act this hostile!"

Sunset's ears perked up as she caught wind of the conversation. Her eyes narrowing, she tiptoed to the entrance to the library and listened in, making sure to keep herself hidden.

"Sugarcube," Applejack said. "I know you don't want to let down Princess Celestia, but with Sunset acting the way she is, I don't think it can be done."

"I know," Twilight sighed. "I'm not trying to help her for Princess Celestia's sake. I'm doing it because she needs friends. But there's something definitely bothering her, and whatever it is, it's making her act out this way. I've been hearing her screaming in the middle of the night, talking to herself. When I go up to her room to check on her, she's against the wall, crying and shaking. But whenever I try to approach her, she just snaps at me to go away. I honestly don't know what to do with her."

"What about a 'Sorry That You're So Crabby All The Time' party?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't think that'll work. Especially since you won't stop bugging her about it."

Pinkie lowered her head. "Aww..."

"Why don't you just send her back to Princess Celestia?" Rainbow Dash asked. "She's been doing nothing but getting on everypony's nerves!"

"Princess Celestia told me I'd have to be patient with her," Twilight answered. "But I didn't expect her to act like this. Even Discord wasn't this hard to work with, and he's a troublemaker!"

"Why do you think she's acting so mean, though?" Fluttershy wondered out loud.

"Hmm..." Twilight raised her forehoof to her chin, lost in thought. "Well... she's definitely got something against me, that's for sure."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"She's always glaring intensely at me, and whenever she talks to me, it's always in a hateful voice. Especially when she calls me 'Princess.' She never calls me Twilight, just 'Princess.' And the way she says it... it just sounds so... angry."

As Twilight talked to her friends, Sunset's blood began boiling again. She clenched her teeth as she remained hidden behind the doorway, continuing to listen in on the conversation.

"You think Sunset's angry at you just because you're a princess?" Rarity asked. She scoffed. "Pretty petty reason for anger, if you ask me."

"But Rarity, she used to study under Princess Celestia, just like me," Twilight pointed out. "Princess Celestia told me that tensions between her and Sunset were building up the last couple months they were together, until they broke apart after a massive argument one night. This is just a hunch, but maybe when she looks at me, it serves as a reminder of what transpired between the two of them..."

"Gee, you think?!"

Twilight and her friends quickly turned towards the doorway of the library, spotting Sunset Shimmer standing in the middle of it. Her eyes were in an intense glare, and she was breathing heavily.

"Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight gasped. "Were you eavesdropping on us?!"

"So what?!" Sunset shouted as she stomped into the library, making her way towards Twilight. "You want to know why I despise you? BECAUSE YOU STOLE WHAT WAS RIGHTFULLY MINE!!!"

A look of confusion appeared on Twilight's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Hmph!" Sunset began to slowly circle Twilight, their eyes locked onto each others'. "I have the potential to achieve great things. Princess Celestia knew this, and she still held me back by refusing to turn me into a princess! Meanwhile, she just gladly hands the title over to you just for hanging out with a bunch of ponies!"

"Well, no wonder you didn't become a princess!" Rainbow Dash shouted, hovering in the air as she crossed her forehooves and directed a glare at Sunset. "You're acting like a total brat!"

"Oh shut up, not-a-Wonderbolt!" Sunset shot back, causing Rainbow Dash to cringe angrily. "You should know how I feel: you're the best Young Flier in Equestria, and you're still not in the Wonderbolts! I was the top student in the school, but no, that's not enough for Celestia!"

"With that attitude of yours, I hardly blame her," Rarity replied. "Twilight has shown compassion and humility towards other ponies, and she's always been there for us when we needed her. You, on the other hoof, only seem obsessed with getting what you want. Not an attitude befitting a princess, if you ask me."

"Any of you know what it's like to be told you can achieve great things, and yet you're never given a chance to do just that?!" Sunset asked as her gaze fell on everypony in the room. "I'm ready to become a princess, and she keeps insisting I'm not!"

"I don't know nothin' about royalty," Applejack said. "But I sure as heck know that you ain't actin' like a princess should!"

"You've lived on a hick farm all your life!" Sunset stomped up to Applejack, the two ponies staring each other down. "How would you know what royalty should act like?!"

"Well first off..." Applejack growled, leaning in towards Sunset's face. "They don't act like a spoiled brat over somethin' so stupid! And as a matter of fact," she added. "I did get a taste of the royal life when I was a little foal, but I decided it ain't my thing."

"Why'd you leave? Was being sophisticated too much for a simpleton like you to handle?"

"WHAT'D YA JUST CALL ME-?!"

"That's enough!" Twilight dove between Applejack and Sunset, pushing them apart before they could lunge at each other. She turned towards Sunset, who was looking more furious by the second. "Sunset Shimmer, there's no reason to act like this! Whatever happened between you and Celestia, don't take it out on everypony else!"

The two former students of Princess Celestia stared at each other for a couple seconds, neither one saying a word while the rest of the occupants held their breath. Twilight sighed. "Sunset," she began. "There's something bothering you, I can tell. It's not just your history with Princess Celestia that's making you act like this. Why don't you just tell us what's wrong?"

Sunset snorted. "And why should I tell you? I don't need your pity."

"Jeez, what a hothead," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight shouted as she turned around to glare at the blue pegasus.

Sunset stomped her hoof. "Hmph! I don't need this!" Turning around in a huff, she stomped out of the library, a teal aura of magic enveloping the doors before they were slammed shut. The impact sent a couple dozen books on the adjacent bookshelves tumbling onto the floor.

"Nice goin', Rainbow Dash," Applejack muttered, nudging the pegasus with her hoof.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing!"

"I was thinkin' it, not sayin' it!"

As the two friends argued behind her, Twilight's eyes remained on the closed doors. She was too distraught about Sunset to focus on the books that now lay on the floor, unorganized. Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh.

Sunset Shimmer... why won't you talk to us?

Sunset wandered through the grassy plains outside Twilight's castle, adrenaline from her confrontation still coursing through her.

"Pfft, don't act like you know what I'm going through, Twilight," she muttered angrily as she dragged her hooves across the dirt. "You have no idea what I'm going through!" She turned her head towards Twilight's castle, the sunset reflecting off its crystalline surface. "Your life has been peachy..." she muttered, turning away as rage continued to overtake her. "You've been here yucking it up in this town, while I've been going through crap the past two years!"

At the time, all I could think of was my hatred of Twilight and Princess Celestia. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going...

...and I ended up wandering into the nearby Everfree Forest.

I had heard weird things about that place, that it's got its own kind of warped magic. Plants thriving without ponies looking over them, animals taking care of themselves, and clouds moving on their own. On top of all that, I had heard about some really strange creatures that inhabited the forest.

I didn't buy any of it, just convinced that it was all made up to keep young foals from wandering in and getting lost.

I found out the hard way that it was all true...

"Stupid unicorn," Sunset scolded to herself as she trotted through the forest. "Pay attention to where you're going, you idiot..."

The unicorn made her way between the trees, the fallen leaves crumpling underneath her hooves. She had been wandering for the past half hour, the light from Celestia's sun growing ever dimmer with each passing minute.

"Come on, where's the freaking exit?!" Sunset blurted out angrily. No matter where she turned her head, all she saw were trees.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to her, and she slapped herself in the face for not thinking of it earlier. "Duh... teleportation." Concentrating as much as she could on Twilight's castle, she ignited her horn.

A bright flash of light later, she found herself...

...a couple yards away from where she was standing earlier.

Sunset spun around, bewildered. "What the heck?" She lit up her horn again, putting as much effort into her spell as she could.

It was an improvement: she managed to teleport farther, but not by much.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Sunset groaned loudly. She attempted to teleport again, only to end up with the same result. "Come... on... get... me... outta... here!" she shouted between multiple attempts. Her last attempt resulted in her popping into existence a couple feet in the air before flopping onto the ground with a thud.

"Dammit..." she muttered as she slowly got to her hooves. "Is this stupid forest messing with my spell or something...?" Shaking her head, she tried to teleport again. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, her efforts only resulted in her horn sparking and a headache. "Ugh... that's just brilliant..." she groaned as she rubbed her forehead.

Suddenly, she spotted some woodland critters running past her, apparently in a panic. A squirrel stopped in its tracks and turned to Sunset, squeaking frantically as it waved its arms. Sunset just tilted her head in confusion, narrowing her eyes. "You trying to tell me something?" The squirrel continued chattering, stopping to point behind Sunset. The unicorn looked behind her, and she noticed something moving between the trees, the sound of loud stomps echoing through the forest. Whatever it was, it was huge, and approaching fast.

At first, Sunset was curious to see what the creature was, but she shook her head, brushing that thought out of her mind. "No, better safe than sorry," she muttered to herself before turning around and sprinting as fast as she could.

The Everfree Forest whizzed past Sunset as she galloped through the trees, her heart pounding and her breathing growing rapidly. She heard a roar behind her, but she kept her eyes forward as she fled the area.

I just want to get out of here... she thought to herself. She continued running, weaving in and out of the trees and keeping her head down to avoid low branches. The roaring from the creature behind her began to grow faint, until she could no longer hear it.

Sunset continued running, quickly glancing behind her. The only thing she saw was an empty forest, nothing but trees and bushes. She breathed a sigh of relief-

"OOF!"

Sunset slammed into something in front of her, grunting in pain as she recoiled from the impact. "Ugh... nice going, Sunset," she muttered, lifting a forehoof to her head. Blinking a couple times, she glanced forward, spotting the rough wooden surface that brought her to a halt. "Stupid tree..." she muttered to herself, getting to her hooves and giving it a kick.

She began to brush herself off, but she froze, her ears perking up as she heard a soft growl that seemed to be coming from nearby. She turned her head, but didn't find anything. She glanced at the "tree" that she just ran into, suddenly noticing that it seemed to be moving. Oh no...

The unicorn tilted her head upward. Her eyes widened, and she began backing up slowly.

She found herself looking at a live head made entirely of logs, bearing sharp wooden teeth and glowing green eyes with leaves that resembled eyebrows. As her eyes moved, she noticed that the creature in front of her strongly resembled a wolf, except that it was composed entirely of logs and branches.

What the heck is that thing?! Sunset thought to herself. The creature slowly advanced on her, growling softly as it stared her down. Sunset continued backing away as slowly as she could, racking her brains in an attempt to remember what she had heard about the Everfree Forest. Her eyes darted around, hoping to find something she could use to defend herself.

She glanced upwards and suddenly spotted a giant branch above the creature. It was loosened quite a bit, and it looked heavy enough to do some damage. Gritting her teeth, Sunset slowly lit up her horn, continuing to back away from the monster in front of her. She prayed that the glow of her horn wouldn't set off the creature as she led it underneath the branch. Come on... just a little more-

At that moment, however, her leg caught on a stray log behind her, and she tripped, tumbling over backwards. As she fell, she accidentally fired a blast from her horn, hitting the wolf-like creature squarely in the face. It reeled back in pain before letting out an ear-splitting roar.

At that moment, the gears in Sunset's head clicked as she remembered something Applejack told her during her tour of Sweet Apple Acres. She mentioned something called 'timberwolves' while boring me to death with her Zap Apple story... is this thing in front of me what she was talking about?! She slowly got to her hooves and glanced at the timberwolf pawing the ground and growling softly.

Suddenly, the timberwolf lunged towards her with its mouth open and claws extended. Eyes widening, she quickly dove to the side, turning her head as it sped past her. Her opponent quickly spun around, letting out a growl before taking another leap at its prey. Sunset barely had time to duck as a claw whizzed over her head, slicing a few strands of hair off her mane. As the unicorn backed up, her hind leg brushed against something. She turned her head, her eyes falling on the log she tripped over earlier. Her horn lighting up, she quickly grabbed it and levitated it in front of her, shielding herself just as the timberwolf launched another attack.

Sunset backed up with her makeshift shield raised, the timberwolf continuing to swipe at her. "Come on... give me an opening..." she muttered, parrying another attack. A strong blow from the creature struck the log, and Sunset's eyes widened when she noticed that it was starting to break in half. Sweat began to roll down her face as the log slowly began to bend under the pressure of additional attacks. Sunset strained with effort while she tried to keep herself protected, hoping she could hold her ground long enough for the timberwolf to lower its defenses.

The timberwolf suddenly reared up on its hind legs, getting ready to trample its prey. Spotting the opening she needed, Sunset grit her teeth and raised the log. Time seemed to slow down as she swung it at her opponent's hind legs, striking as hard as she could. The log snapped in half as it connected, knocking the howling timberwolf onto its stomach.

Sunset collapsed onto the ground, the glow of her horn dissipating from exhaustion. Gasping for breath, she glanced at the injured timberwolf that lay motionless on the ground. Her eyes fell on one of the legs she had struck, and grimaced once she noticed that it appeared bent out of shape. "That looks like it hurt a lot..." she muttered to herself. She struggled to her hooves, taking one last look at the creature before turning around.

Sunset only took a few steps before she heard another roar. She quickly turned around, her eyes widening as she spotted the timberwolf right behind her with its paw raised. Before she could react, it swung its paw and struck her.

The unicorn flew through the air, gasping in pain as she slammed into a tree and hit the ground. Sunset groaned, trying to push herself up. But her aching legs refused to obey her, and she was too drained to conjure up a spell with her horn. She looked up from the ground as the timberwolf limped towards her, grunting as it put pressure on the broken leg.

Sunset struggled to get to her hooves, but her strength finally gave out and she collapsed to the ground. As her breathing grew shallow and her eyesight began to fade, visions of her past began to race across her mind. Her life went by in a blur, until she heard a familiar evil laugh. She looked up at the timberwolf approaching her. Her vision flashed, and her eyes widened when the timberwolf transformed into the last thing she wanted to see:

The demon inside her, cackling loudly as it hovered in the air.

"LOOKS LIKE THE END FOR YOU, LITTLE UNICORN!!!" she taunted, her demonic voice echoing in the forest as flames erupted around her. Tears flowing from her eyes, Sunset's vision flashed between the timberwolf and the flaming demon as the monster raised a claw, preparing to strike.

No... please... not like this... Sunset silently begged. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for the end.

*SMACK!*

The monster suddenly stopped in its tracks as a rock bounced off it. Sunset opened one of her eyes, barely making out the demon hovering in front of her looking around for the source of the disturbance.

*SMACK!*

"Over here, blockhead!"

Another rock bounced off the demon, who disappeared from Sunset's vision as the timberwolf took its place. The unicorn's ears perked up, recognizing the voice behind her. She turned her head, and gasped once her gaze fell on two familiar ponies.

"You want her?" Applejack shouted, gripping a lasso in her teeth.

"You'll have to go through us!" Rainbow Dash yelled, hovering in the air and tossing a small rock in her hooves. She then spun around quickly before flinging it at the timberwolf. It sped through the air, hitting its target with a *SMACK!* and knocking off one of its wooden teeth. The creature howled loudly in pain before taking a massive leap over Sunset.

Rainbow Dash dove out of the way of an incoming claw swipe as Applejack ran underneath the timberwolf, using her lasso to snag the creature's hind leg. Rainbow stuck her tongue out, flipping and rolling through the air while the timberwolf continued to lash at the blue pegasus. Applejack was dragged across the ground, tugging on the lasso with all her strength.

Sunset's jaw dropped as she tried to process what was happening. Suddenly, she heard rustling beside her. Shifting her gaze, her cyan eyes met a pair of violet ones.

"Sunset Shimmer... are you all right?" Twilight Sparkle asked, holding out her forehoof.

"When I began to fall,
And I lost the path ahead...
That's when your friendship found me,
And it lifted me instead..."

To be concluded...

Author's Note

Finally, got the next chapter done! :yay:

Twilight's attempts at befriending Sunset Shimmer have fallen short, with no progress for two weeks. Storming out of the castle after an argument, Sunset accidentally wanders into the Everfree Forest... and attracts the attention of a timberwolf that easily outmatches her. At the last moment, Twilight and her friends arrive to help Sunset...

So yeah... sorry this took so long. This was originally going to be the last chapter in the "Wayward Sun" arc, but due to its length, I'm splitting it into two parts. At best, I'm at least halfway through Part 4, where Sunset finally decides to open up to Twilight. Hopefully I'll get it done a lot more quickly this time... :twilightblush:

Chapter 12: Wayward Sun (Part 4)

"Sunset Shimmer, are you all right?"

Sunset's mind went blank as her feelings conflicted with each other. She tried to glare at the alicorn princess, but for some reason, she found herself unable to. She wanted to lash out at her, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.

Instead, without thinking, as if another force was controlling her, Sunset Shimmer slowly raised her forehoof.

With Twilight's help, Sunset slowly got to her hooves. A shot of pain went through her hind leg, causing her to stumble for a moment.

"Sunset!" Twilight gasped as she tried to keep her student upright. She lowered herself under one of Sunset's arms, using her weight to support her. "Come on, we need to get you back to the castle!"

"But..." Sunset turned her head towards Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who were still engaging the injured timberwolf. "W... what about those two?"

"They'll be fine," Twilight assured her.

"We can handle this, sugarcube!" Applejack shouted through her teeth as she continued pulling on her lasso. "We'll catch up with you later, just concentrate on gettin' out of here!"

"Come on, Sunset," Twilight urged, hoisting the injured Sunset onto her back. "Hold on!"

Sunset wrapped her forehooves as tightly as she could around Twilight's barrel, and the alicorn took off, sprinting through the Everfree Forest. Sunset looked behind her, the timberwolf's roaring and Rainbow Dash's taunting growing fainter.

She didn't know what to think.

Twilight and Sunset didn't speak a word to each other as they made their way through the forest. Sunset's mind wandered as she tried to take in what was happening. Twilight didn't slow down until she reached the edge of the forest. Sunset squinted as the last rays of Celestia's sun hit her eyes. Once her vision cleared, she made out Twilight's castle a short distance off, and the long road winding to Ponyville.

Twilight stopped at a nearby oak tree, gently lowering Sunset beside it. Sunset grunted as she rested her back against the trunk. The two ponies remained silent for a few moments, until Twilight spoke.

"Sunset... are you feeling okay?"

Sunset blinked a couple times, slowly nodding her head. "H-how did you find me?" she asked quietly.

"When you didn't come back, we tried searching for you around Ponyville. We asked around, and Lyra Heartstrings said she saw you heading towards the Everfree Forest. Applejack, Rainbow Dash and I went inside to look for you, while Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie remained at the castle in case you came back. We heard some roaring during our search, and decided to follow it. It led us to you, and the rest... you know what happened."

Sunset stared at Twilight as the princess answered her question. After a while, she asked another question: "Why were you looking for me?"

Twilight turned towards Sunset with a small smile. "Because you're our friend, and we care about you."

Sunset couldn't help but scoff. "I'm your friend? After all that crap I did to all of you? After I said I hated you for stealing what was mine? You'd still consider me a friend?" She turned away from Twilight. "You're crazy."

To her surprise, she heard a small chuckle. She turned around and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Twilight's smile.

"Tirek told me the same thing when I demanded him to release Discord," the princess said. "I still considered him a friend even after he betrayed us."

Sunset couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You can't be serious."

"Tirek just misguided him, tricking him into thinking he could offer something better than friendship," Twilight replied. "He even gave him his brother's medallion claiming it was a gift showing gratitude and loyalty, only to backstab him and take his powers once he captured my friends. Tirek twisted the knife further by saying the medallion was worthless, just like his brother."

"Sounds like a real classy fellow," Sunset muttered.

Twilight giggled at Sunset's remark. After a while, Sunset found herself joining her, letting out a small chuckle that gradually evolved into laughter. She didn't know why she was laughing, given that she was injured and in the presence of a pony that she hated, but she didn't care.

Eventually, the laughter died down as silence overtook the two ponies. Twilight let out a small sigh. "Sunset..."

Sunset raised her head. "What is it?"

Twilight slowly turned around. "After you stormed out of the library... Princess Luna came by the castle."

Sunset's smile faded; she knew what was coming up.

"The princess..." Twilight began. "She told me what's been going on in your head. That you've been haunted by-"

"A demon," Sunset finished, closing her eyes as she turned away. I can't believe I'm doing this... I don't even know why I'm doing this... but I might as well let it all out. "A reflection of what I've been turning into. She's been haunting me for the past two years, refusing to leave me alone." She let out a sigh. "My pride and my ego have been turning me into a monster, and I didn't realize it until that night when Princess Celestia dismissed me as her student. That was when I first saw it, when I saw my reflection in the Crystal Mirror.

"But I refused to accept it. I've been trying to push it away... and it only came back, stronger. When I found out that Celestia turned you into a princess... I snapped. I was furious. Furious that something I felt I deserved was given to you instead. I was the top student at the School of Gifted Unicorns... but it wasn't enough to convince Celestia that I was ready. All it took for you was saving Equestria and hanging out with other ponies." With that, Sunset flopped onto the ground, the grass brushing against her muzzle and her leg aching slightly. "And it only made things worse..." she muttered softly, to the point where Twilight almost didn't hear her.

Twilight slowly walked towards Sunset, sitting down beside her. "Sunset... there's more to it than just that. I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today without my friends. All of them have changed my life in wonderful ways. Before, I was just like you: my studies were always a top priority, and I didn't give a thought about making friends. I always thought it was pointless. But today... I can't imagine a life without them. I was supposed to head back to Canterlot after the Summer Sun Festival two years ago when I first arrived in Ponyville, but I couldn't bear to part from my friends so soon after we just met. I begged Princess Celestia to let me stay and continue my studies here...

"And I'm glad I did. My friends have taught me many valuable lessons, and we've faced so much together. The way I see it, it wasn't Princess Celestia that turned me into an alicorn... it was the magic of friendship. And I would like the opportunity to teach you about it."

Sunset opened her eyes and looked at Twilight for a few moments. "Twilight... why are you insisting on this?" she asked. "Is it just because Princess Celestia asked you to?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, I'm not doing this for Princess Celestia's sake," she answered. "For the past couple months, I was unsure about what I was supposed to do as a princess. 'What was my purpose?' I kept asking myself. It wasn't until a month ago that I discovered what it was... to help spread the magic of friendship around Equestria. And that includes you, Sunset Shimmer."

"Yeah... good luck trying to teach a monster about friendship," Sunset snorted.

Twilight gently brushed her forehoof against Sunset's dirty mane. "You're not a monster," she stated firmly. "It doesn't matter what you've done in the past. Don't dwell on it, just continue moving forward. It's not your past that defines you, it's today. Whenever I've looked at you these past two weeks, I didn't see a monster. I saw a pony who desperately needs friends. All of us are willing to give you a chance and pass the lessons we have learned on to you. But that cannot happen unless you stop trying to push us away and instead open yourself up to us. Sunset Shimmer... will you open up and give us a chance to do just that?"

Sunset paused for a moment, taking in Twilight's words. She stared at the alicorn princess in front of her, not saying a word.

Twilight noticed a look of worry across Sunset's face. "Is there something wrong, Sunset?" she asked.

"What... what about your friends?" she said quietly. "I don't think they'll be too keen on trying to become friends with me after what I did to all of you."

Twilight put her hoof around Sunset's shoulder and chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous. Remember what Rainbow Dash and Applejack did earlier?"

Sunset's mind wandered back to her time with Rainbow Dash and Applejack. She grimaced as she remembered how hostile she was acting towards them. "They were extremely furious with me..." she whispered.

"They don't act like a spoiled brat over somethin' so stupid!"

"Come on, Twi! How much longer do we have to put up with that snob?!"

And yet...

"You want her?"

"You'll have to go through us!"

"And yet..." Sunset's eyes began to water as she turned towards Twilight. "And yet they risked their lives to save mine..."

Twilight smiled as she placed her forehoof on Sunset's. "Exactly. Rainbow Dash never turns her back on anypony, especially her friends. And Applejack is one of the most dependable ponies you'll ever meet in Equestria. You can count on those two for anything. They'll have your back, no matter what."

"But... what about Pinkie Pie or Rarity?" Sunset asked, images of her interactions with the party pony and fashionista flashing in her head.

"Seeing smiles on everypony's faces is all it takes to make Pinkie Pie happy, so she does her best to make everypony smile. And I'm sure that after all you've been through, she'd be overjoyed to finally see you happy. Although you have to admit... she can go overboard with it at times. And Rarity may be a highly sophisticated mare obsessed with fashion, as well as a huge drama queen, but behind all that is a generous heart that keeps on giving. Ponies like her don't come across too often."

Sunset paused as she remembered her behavior towards Twilight's last friend. "And..." she said slowly, a hint of worry in her voice. "Fluttershy...? What about her? She's afraid of me because I've been tormenting her for fun. You think she'll give me a chance?"

Twilight chuckled. "Just give her time to warm up to you. She may be incredibly timid and nervous most of the time, but once she opens up, Fluttershy is one of the nicest ponies you'll meet. She has a kind and gentle spirit, almost like she's a reincarnation of an angel. It was actually because of her that we became friends with Discord."

Sunset raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Fluttershy was the one that reformed Discord?"

Twilight nodded. "She took him in and gave him the benefit of the doubt, even when the rest of us weren't," she said. "She helped him discover the magic of friendship, and just as he was about to lose it, along with the only friend he had, he realized that he didn't want to give it up. If she can open herself up to the Spirit of Chaos, I'm confident that she'll open herself up to you."

Sunset remained silent, taking in Twilight's words. She sighed before turning to the alicorn. "You think there's hope for me?"

Twilight nodded confidently. "All of us believe in you. We'll be here by your side the whole way. You'll never be alone."

Sunset closed her eyes, deep in thought.

I've been alone all my life. I mercilessly stomped on ponies I felt were inferior to me, and shut out everypony with my arrogance.

I was denied the role of a princess, a role I felt I was ready for and deserved. Instead, the title was given to the pony sitting next to me. All I've felt towards her was hatred. Hatred for stealing what I thought was rightfully mine.

I was an idiot. I threw two years of my life away, all over a stupid dream.

I was met with nightmares and visions that drove me to insanity.

Twilight and her friends reached out to me, and all I did was try to push them away. I wanted nothing to do with them.

I threw as many insults towards Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie as I could. I tormented and frightened Fluttershy.

And after all that...

They still believe in me.

They still want to be my friends.

...She still wants to be my friend.

.........

...Well played, Celestia. "The Princess of Friendship," indeed.

Sunset opened her eyes. As the sun vanished below the mountains far in the horizon, she turned towards Princess Twilight. She took a deep breath.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle..." I've been alone for too long. No more. "I would like the opportunity to learn about friendship. Could you and your friends teach me about it?"

Twilight nodded with a smile. "Of course we will, Sunset Shimmer," she said. "We would like that very much."

With that, Twilight and Sunset wrapped their forehooves around each other in a hug. Sunset grunted in pain as Twilight's hooves made contact. "Ow... jeez, that hurts..."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry!" Flustered, she quickly let go of Sunset. "I forgot you were hurt!"

Sunset just shrugged, rubbing her hind leg as it began to throb. "Don't worry about it, Twilight. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, tilting her head anxiously. "If it's too much for you to handle..."

A small smile formed on the unicorn's face as she shook her head. "Nah... if you don't mind, I'd like to just rest here a little bit."

Twilight just shook her head in amusement, chuckling to herself. Sunset turned her head, her eyebrow raised as she watched her new friend. A moment later, she joined her in laughter.

As she laughed, Sunset felt something inside her change. Her ears perking up, she turned her head, spotting an all-too familiar sight in the distance. Sunset watched as her demon's mouth curled into an evil grin, and flames began to build up around her.

This time, however, Sunset didn't close her eyes in fear. Instead, a smile of confidence formed on her face. Though the alicorn wasn't speaking, Twilight's voice rang through Sunset's head.

Sunset Shimmer... you're not alone. You're our friend... and we're here for you.

Sunset's inner demon froze in place and spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice. Suddenly, the flames began to die down, and the demon's eyes widened in fear as her body started to slowly fade away.

Your past is not today... do not dwell on it. Learn from it, and continue moving forward. We'll be here to guide you every step of the way.

Sunset continued watching, her gaze never wavering as the nightmare that haunted her for the past two years continued to vanish. Before completely disappearing, she opened her mouth to scream, but it was not heard over the sound of Twilight's voice in Sunset's head.

You're not a monster, Sunset Shimmer... you're our friend... We will not give up on you, do not give up on yourself.

As Twilight spoke, Sunset heard another set of voices... the ones that were singing to her in her dreams. This time, she could hear them clearly, and as she listened, a ray of hope sparked within her.

"Carry on, you will always remember...
Carry on, nothing equals the splendor..."

"Princess Luna really outdid herself."

The sound of Twilight's voice from next to her snapped Sunset back to reality. She turned to her new friend, lying on her back and gazing towards the night sky.

"The stars are very pretty tonight," Twilight murmured quietly.

"Now your life's no longer empty,
Surely heaven waits for you..."

Turning her head as she looked upwards, something caught Sunset's eye: a group of six familiar constellations, all arranged in a circle.

A seventh constellation slowly appeared, positioned in the center.

"Carry on, my wayward sun...
There'll be peace when you are done..."

As she watched the new member of the group, Sunset Shimmer smiled warmly.

"Yes... yes they are, Twilight."

"Lay your weary head to rest...
Don't you cry no more..."

Underneath the starry skies on the outskirts of Ponyville...
A friendship is born.

Author's Note

And there we have it! The beginning of Sunset Shimmer's friendship with Twilight Sparkle! :twilightsmile:

The chapter was originally supposed to end in the present day, with Sunset finishing her tale for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But this ending... I feel that it's too perfect, and returning to the present immediately afterward would just ruin it. Instead, it'll be its own short, separate chapter. It'll be kinda like an epilogue to the "Wayward Sun" arc, this time titled after another song that I think is perfect for Sunset Shimmer:

Don't worry: we'll be getting back to the action soon! :rainbowdetermined2:

Chapter 13: A Friend For Life

In the weeks that followed that fateful night, Princess Twilight and her friends were teaching me some of the many lessons of friendship that they had learned.

Naturally, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were skeptical at first, and Fluttershy continued to be frightened of me. With Twilight's assurance, however, Fluttershy eventually warmed up to me as we spent some time together. One day, she decided to show me her cabin where she raises her animals. We ran into Discord there, and he actually seemed like a nice fellow, a lot different from what I had read about him. At least, until he decided to have some 'fun' with me. Remember that monster inside me I was supposedly turning into? Well, I DID turn into it, thanks to him. Of course, I was NOT amused. Fluttershy hid behind the couch while I screamed at Discord to turn me back.

Rainbow Dash... I was surprised to find out that on top of being an incredible athlete, she was also a fan of reading. She showed me the Daring Do novels, which I hadn't read before: I was too busy sticking my muzzle into textbooks to read stories. She kept pestering me to give them a read, and both she and Twilight were happy to see me enjoying them. Daring Do's adventures, they're absolutely incredible stories. A.K. Yearling did a really great job with them.

Pinkie Pie threw me a "Congratulations On Becoming Friends With Twilight" party at the castle. I'm not really the type for parties, but I actually enjoyed myself. Pinkie kept going on about how she was super-duper happy to finally see me smile, even dragging me to the front of the party room to announce it to everypony. And she even invited Princess Celestia to join in the festivities. Considering our history together, it was a pretty awkward meeting, but she was glad to hear that I had welcomed friends into my life. Applejack also catered the party, offering up a ton of homemade treats from Sweet Apple Acres. I tried a bunch of them out, which was followed by Rainbow Dash dragging me away from the table before I devoured everything.

When the Grand Galloping Gala was coming up, I approached Rarity at Carousel Boutique, asking her if she still had that dress she made me earlier. She kept in case I changed my mind, and she offered to add in a couple extra touches. When I arrived at the Gala a week later, I was a sight to behold. Everypony's eyes were on me, all of them commenting on how gorgeous I was. It felt kinda awkward, but Rarity stood beside me to offer her support. The two of us were truly a beautiful couple... although that came to an end when Prince Blueblood approached Rarity and she began shouting at him angrily before decking him in the face.

As for Twilight... things were still tense, but not as bad as they were before. I was really nervous, and on a few occasions, I was worried about going back to the way I was. It took a while for the friendship lessons she taught me to sink in, but she and her friends continued to show their support and encouragement. It was really a confidence booster for me. Twilight showed me her friendship reports to Princess Celestia over the years, along with the journal she and her friends are writing in now. I slowly began to realize why Princess Celestia chose her to be a princess instead of me. The both of us had the magic and smarts. But there was one thing Twilight had that I did not: she was compassionate and caring for other ponies, eager to help out with friendship problems whenever she can. Me, I just wanted power and a kingdom to rule. No doubt I would've made an awful princess.

But that doesn't matter to me now. That part of my life is over. Twilight and her friends have made a huge impact on my life, helping me discover the magic of friendship and how wonderful it truly is. I'm just happy to have some of the best friends a pony could possibly ask for.

As the sun sank below the mountains in the distance, the Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Sunset Shimmer. Tears were once again rolling down her face, but this time, they were tears of joy. She let out a small smile as she wiped her eyes with her wrapped forehoof.

"Wow..." Sweetie Belle murmured. "That's quite some story. Who'd have thought a wild timberwolf would've brought you and Twilight together?"

Scootaloo's tiny wings fluttered as she jumped into the air in excitement. "I wish I could've seen Rainbow Dash fighting that timberwolf!"

"Maybe you should ask her about it," Sunset chuckled as she stood up. "I certainly wasn't expecting her or Applejack to show up, considering how hostile I was acting towards them, but I'm really thankful that they did." She walked to the edge of the cliff, her eyes looking out to the distance as her mane and cape blew in the gentle breeze. "It helped me realize how much they care for me."

The Crusaders trotted up next to the costumed unicorn, following her gaze silently for a few moments.

"Hey Sunset," Apple Bloom spoke up. "Ever wonder what would've happened if you had jumped through that portal?"

Closing her eyes, Sunset lowered her head in thought. "Hmm... to be honest, I haven't really thought about that," she answered. "However... that monster I saw that made me stop... this is just a guess, but it might've been foreshadowing what would've happened to me if I had stepped through the mirror. Would I have turned into the very thing that would spend the next two years haunting me? What if I had done something terrible to the inhabitants of the world on the other side of the portal?" She let out a long sigh.

"You want to know what I think?" Sweetie Belle piped up. Everypony else turned to the little unicorn, who was wearing a soft smile on her face. "I think that the magic of friendship would've found you there."

Sunset looked surprised at this response. "You... you really believe that, Sweetie Belle?" she asked hopefully.

"Definitely," said Sweetie Belle. "I have a strong feeling that the magic of friendship isn't just in Equestria. It's everywhere... it extends to other worlds. Even if you would never meet Twilight or her friends, I'm confident that it would've eventually found you."

Sunset pondered Sweetie's words for a few moments. After a while, she turned her head upwards, her eyes catching the stars glimmering in the sky. As she watched, she began to smile with confidence.

"You're right, Sweetie Belle," she said firmly. "Twilight said it herself: I was a pony who desperately needed friendship. If friendship was something I needed, then it would've found me no matter what... even if I ended up in another world. But the friends I have now... I can't imagine a life without them, and I wouldn't give them up for anything."

The unicorn closed her eyes, images of her past flashing through her mind: her argument with Princess Celestia, the Crystal Mirror, the demon that would torment her for a long time, her hostility towards Twilight and her friends, her near-death experience in the Everfree Forest... "Everything that I went through the past two and a half years..."

Slowly, her eyes opened and she smiled warmly. "I'm glad it happened. Because if it didn't, I would've never met Twilight Sparkle and her friends."

"And us too, right?" asked Scootaloo, grinning eagerly as she pulled Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle beside her.

"Of course," Sunset replied with a small laugh. She placed her forehoof over the shoulders of all three fillies. "You're my friends, too." She turned back to the starlit sky above her. "The stars tonight... they look wonderful, don't they?" she asked.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all followed Sunset's gaze, Scootaloo's eyes widening in amazement. "Whoa..."

"They're mighty beautiful," Apple Bloom murmured.

"Yeah, they are," added Sweetie Belle. All four ponies watched in wonder, mystified by the vast, starry sky while a gentle breeze blew through the air.

"Hey! Sunset Shimmer!" a voice called out. Sunset and the Crusaders turned around as Twilight Sparkle approached them, slowing down her descent before coming to a stop. "There you are, Sunset. What's been keeping... er..." She suddenly noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing next to the unmasked Mare-Do-Well, and she began to rub the back of her head nervously. "Heh heh..." she chuckled. "Um... Sunset...?"

Sunset just grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry, Twilight," she said. "They're not gonna tell anypony. Right?" She raised her eyebrow at the Crusaders on that last word.

"Don't y'all worry, Sunset," Apple Bloom responded. "Your secret's safe with us!"

"Alright then," said Twilight. Clearing her throat, she turned to face the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "It's getting late, and you three should be heading home now. Your families are probably getting worried."

"I'll take them, Twilight," Sunset responded, pulling on her mask and levitating her hat onto her head. "It's kinda my fault they're still out here, anyway."

"Really?" Twilight glanced towards her costumed student, raising her eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"She was telling us this great story!" Sweetie Belle piped up, a grin on her face.

"Huh... what kind of story?"

"Oh, just a story about a lonely unicorn who discovers the magic of friendship," Sunset replied as she led the Crusaders to their nearby wagon.

Twilight chuckled. She couldn't see behind Sunset's mask, but she knew that underneath the dark blue cloth was a sly grin. "I might've heard of that one," she remarked. "It's pretty fascinating. So I'll see you when you get back, okay?"

"Sure thing, Twilight!" Sunset called out. She turned to the Crusaders and asked them, "You three ready?"

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded from inside the wagon while Scootaloo, taking position on her scooter, straightened her helmet and started flapping her wings. "Ready!" she called to Sunset.

With a nod, Sunset galloped off, her cape flapping behind her as the Cutie Mark Crusaders followed the costumed mare.

Twilight stood on the cliffside for a few moments, watching the four ponies as they disappeared into the night. Spreading her wings, she took off, flying towards her castle on the outskirts of Ponyville.

Her mouth curled into a heartfelt smile. I'm really happy for you, Sunset Shimmer...

Sunset stood at the balcony outside her bedroom, her Mare-Do-Well costume stored away inside the enchanted pendant around her neck. A gentle breeze brushed against her mane as she leaned on the railing, taking in the breathtaking view of the night sky.

She wasn't sure why, but ever since she became Twilight's friend months ago, she had become fascinated with stargazing. During her night patrols as Mare-Do-Well, if nothing was going on, she sometimes liked to stop for a few moments and just watch as the stars shined brightly above her. Back when she was Princess Celestia's student, she didn't think much of them. And yet, after moving to Ponyville, they never ceased to amaze her.

Probably because that was the very first thing we did together, she thought, reminiscing on that memorable night.

"Princess Luna really outdid herself. The stars are very pretty tonight." "Yes... yes they are, Twilight." Closing her eyes, Sunset smiled as the memory played itself in her head. It was a night that she would never forget.

"Hey... Sunset?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, the amber unicorn turned her head around. Standing behind her at the doorway was Twilight.

"You alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Sunset answered as she looked back at the sky. "Just doing some stargazing. Never really got a chance to do it when I was studying in Canterlot."

"Ah. Mind if I join you?"

Sunset smiled. "I'd like that, actually." She took a few steps aside, making some room for Twilight as she approached the railing. The two ponies looked up at the sky in silence, the stars sparkling above them.

As she scanned the skies, Sunset's gaze fell on something familiar. It was a sight that she first saw after becoming Twilight's friend: a group of seven constellations. And even months later, it still shined brightly, giving Sunset a warm feeling inside her heart.

"Hey Twilight..."

"Yeah, Sunset?"

Pausing for a few moments, Sunset wrapped her forearms around Twilight in a hug. Twilight was caught off-guard by the sudden embrace, but she still smiled as she began to stroke Sunset's mane.

As a shooting star whizzed past the constellation group, Sunset Shimmer smiled.

"Ohh, like a star in the daylight...
Or like a diamond at night...
Your light was hidden from my sight
A friend for life... that's what you are to me..."

"Thanks... for everything."

"A friend for life... that's what you are to me..."

"Heh heh, looks like we've finally found it, Dusty Runes!"

*gasp* "Is that really it, Miss Do?!"

"Yes it is, old friend... the legendary Relic of Flight!"

Author's Note

And that's it for Sunset Shimmer's backstory! Hope you enjoyed it! :twilightsmile:

But now, back to the action! :rainbowdetermined2: I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can!

Chapter 14: Midnight Guests

Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer,

Good news! After a couple days of searching, we've managed to track down the Relic of Flight!

Me and my associate are heading for Ponyville, it shouldn't take us more than two days to arrive. Once we meet up, we'll use the two Relics to locate the third one, and hopefully we can get to it before Night Shade does!

We'll see you soon!

A.K. Yearling, aka Daring Do

Sunset looked over the letter a couple times, before turning to Twilight. "You sure this is from her?"

"Definitely," Twilight assured her. "I've got a ton of books autographed by Daring Do, and the hoofwriting matches perfectly."

"Too bad that Rainbow Dash is stuck at the Wonderbolt Academy for the next two weeks," muttered Sunset, her mind wandering to the rainbow-maned pegasus. "She'd go nuts over this."

"Her training comes first, and becoming a Wonderbolt's been her lifelong dream, so there's not much we can do about that." Twilight sighed as she rolled up the scroll and levitated it onto her desk.

"Hey Twilight..." Sunset spoke up. "Did you find anything more about those Relics?"

The alicorn shook her head. "I've read nearly all the books I grabbed from Canterlot about the Relics, and none of them mention a way to destroy them or drain them of their magic. If I still haven't found anything by the time Daring arrives, I'll contact Princess Celestia. She's the one that split the Celestial Amulet into the three Relics, maybe she could help us."

"Alright then," answered Sunset as she turned around to leave. "I'm heading off to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack with the harvesting. See you later."

"You too," Twilight responded as her horn lit up. A pink aura surrounded a half-dozen books as they orbited around Twilight, who was flipping through their pages furiously. Hopefully there's something here that can help...

But Daring Do didn't come.

Twilight and Sunset patiently waited for the archaeologist to arrive with the Relic of Flight. As the days passed, however, they grew uneasy, worrying that something probably happened to her.

Sunset couldn't shake the feeling that Night Shade was involved. She spent the last several patrols interrogating any minions she ran into, hoping to find out about Daring Do's whereabouts. But no matter how much she threatened them, they couldn't give her an answer, and she was getting frustrated.

"I swear to Celestia, I don't know where that archaeologist or the Relic is!" a cloaked earth pony screamed as Mare-Do-Well pinned him to the wall.

"You think I'm an idiot or something?" the masked mare hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You'd better tell me what you know about Miss Do's whereabouts, or-"

"I'm serious!" the earth pony cried out, shrinking away from his captor. "We haven't heard from Night Shade for the past several days! I'm just a lowly mook that spreads chaos across the cities! I'd tell you where Miss Do was if I knew, that's how much you're scaring me now!!!"

Mare-Do-Well looked over her hostage, who was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, his eyes filled with terror. After a few moments, she released her grip and dropped him to the ground. "Fine," she said, looking down on the earth pony as he struggled to catch his breath. "I believe you... for now. But if I find out you were lying..." In a flash, she swung her forehoof, striking the pony's pale face and knocking him out cold.

"You're in for a world of hurt."

It had been over a week since Twilight and Sunset received Daring's letter, and she still hadn't arrived in Ponyville. The two of them were at their wit's end with worry. As Luna's moon shone brightly in the sky, the two ponies were in the castle foyer, still wondering what happened to the archaeologist.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Twilight." Sunset shifted uncomfortably as she sat on the stairs, still wearing her Mare-Do-Well costume after coming back from a patrol in Fillydelphia.

"Same here," Twilight muttered, pacing nervously as she kept her eye on the front door.

"All of Night Shade's thugs I've interrogated said they don't know anything," Sunset remarked, spinning her fedora on her forehoof. "So I don't know what's keeping her."

"She's gotten in a ton of hairy situations in her books, especially when she had to go after the Sapphire Stone with a broken wing," said Twilight. "If she's in another one, you'd think that she'd have gotten out of it by now."

"You wanna try to use the Earth Relic to find her, in case she still has it?" Sunset asked, gesturing to the hallway leading down to the lab.

Twilight stopped, pondering for a moment before responding. With a sigh, she nodded. "We've got no choice at this point. We'll get some rest tonight, and we'll head out in the morning-"

Suddenly, a loud knocking sound caught their attention. The two ponies turned towards the front door. Sunset jumped onto her hooves, keeping an eye on the door as Twilight slowly approached it.

"Who could be visiting at this time of night?" the alicorn asked quietly.

"I don't know," Sunset answered her. "But just be r-"

Twilight held up her forehoof, silencing her student. She leaned in towards the door, straining her ears. Sunset did the same, and she could make out a voice calling to them from the other side.

"Princess Twilight, open up! It's me, Daring Do!"

"Wait a minute... Daring Do?!" Sunset whispered.

Twilight looked towards her student, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "You think it's odd that she's choosing now to show up?" she whispered.

"Yeah," the costumed mare answered back. "You think she might be an imposter?"

"We haven't heard from her in over a week, and she suddenly shows up in the middle of the night. It sounds pretty fishy to me," Twilight replied. "Just get ready if she tries anything." Sunset nodded and quickly dove behind a column. Doing her best to keep out of sight, she peeked out, watching front door as Twilight slowly opened it.

Standing underneath the night sky was a pony in a dark red cloak. She looked up to Twilight, who was eying her suspiciously. "Hi, Princess," the pony said, lowering her hood. "Sorry it took so long to get here."

Twilight gasped loudly. "Daring Do! Wh-what happened to you?!"

Sunset jumped out from behind her hiding spot once she spotted the grayscale mane. She ran up to the two ponies, her eyes widening as she caught a glimpse of Daring's face. "Holy-!"

Daring had a bandage wrapped like a bandana around her forehead, and there were a couple bruises on her face. Her eyes were baggy and bloodshot, and her mane was extremely filthy. "Hey, Miss Mysterious," she chuckled weakly.

"Come on, we need to get you inside!" Sunset lowered herself under one of Daring's forearms, using her weight to support the injured pegasus. As she carried Daring inside, Twilight called out to her.

"I'm gonna get Fluttershy, just keep an eye on her until I get back!" Spreading her wings, Twilight took off into the night, flying at full speed towards Fluttershy's cottage. Sunset watched her mentor disappear before lighting up her horn, shutting the doors.

"Come on, I'll take you to my bedroom," she told Daring. "Fluttershy will be here shortly to help you."

"Oh my goodness, this looks serious," Fluttershy muttered as she looked over Daring Do.

Twilight and Sunset, still in costume, couldn't help but cringe when Daring removed her cloak. Dirt, scratches, and bruises were covering her entire body, her olive vest was ripped to shreds, and her wings were bent out of shape. She grimaced as she stood up so Fluttershy could inspect her, holding up one of her legs to avoid putting pressure on it.

"What the heck happened to you, Daring?" Sunset asked, watching as Fluttershy rubbed one of Daring's legs.

"Night Shade and her goons got the jump on us," Daring grunted. "We were taking the train back, the two of us had a car to ourselves. They attacked us while we were traveling through a tunnel. Knocked us unconscious and dragged us off. They beat us pretty good, even broke my wings, but I managed to escape."

Twilight held up her forehoof, just coming to a realization. "Wait a minute... you keep saying 'us'... was somepony else with you?"

"Yeah, it was... ow..." Daring grimaced as Fluttershy began dabbing alcohol on her wounds. She grit her teeth as the liquid stung, but managed to get some words out. "It was my associate, Dusty Runes. She helped out with the expedition."

"So where is she?!" Sunset blurted out as she began to panic. "Why isn't she with you?!"

Instead of answering, Daring just lowered her head and turned away. Fluttershy gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves.

"W... was she... c-captured...?" she whimpered quietly.

Daring closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

"Oh my...!" Fluttershy closed her eyes, tears slowly falling down her face. "I'm so sorry, Miss Do...!"

Sunset's mind went blank as she tried to process what she just heard. "You... you left her behind?!" she shouted angrily, stomping up to the archaeologist and jabbing a wrapped hoof in her direction. "Just like that?!"

Daring rounded on Sunset. "Wha...?! You think I wanted to leave her behind?!" she growled. "We got separated while we were trying to escape! I tried to help her get out, I really did! But she kept telling me she didn't want to slow me down, insisting that I get the Relic of Flight to you guys first! Before I could argue with her more, a ton of goons showed up, and-"

"Um... guys..." Fluttershy muttered quietly.

"W-w-w-wait!" Twilight jumped next to the two arguing ponies. "You said you've got the Relic of Flight?!"

"Uh... everypony..."

"Yeah, I've got it," Daring replied.

"Everypony... um... you should really-"

"Well, at least we've got some good news!" Twilight cried out excitedly. "Where is it?!"

"Er... there's somepony else in-"

"It's in my saddlebags over..." Daring froze in place as she turned towards the bookshelf next to the bedroom door. Everypony else followed her gaze.

Sunset's eyes narrowed into a glare. "YOU!!!"

Standing at the doorway was a unicorn stallion in a black cloak, one of Night Shade's followers. His hooves were inches away from Daring's saddlebag, the crystalline Relic of Flight sticking out from inside.

"Don't you think about it!" Twilight shouted, crouching into a battle stance alongside Sunset, while Fluttershy dove behind the bed.

The unicorn remained still for a few moments, before smirking and lighting up his horn.

"Oh no, you don't!" Sunset yelled, leaping into action. She dove towards Night Shade's minion, only to get struck with a flying vase as he fled the room. Gritting her teeth, Sunset gave chase, her cape flapping behind her.

The cloaked unicorn sped through the hallways of the castle, carrying the saddlebag on his back. He took a glance behind him and spotted the unmasked Mare-Do-Well slowly closing in. With a sly grin, his horn lit up and he flung a pair of Twilight statues towards his opponent. Sunset slid underneath the first one and jumped onto the second, using it to propel herself through the air. Her forehooves outstretched, she tackled the unicorn to the ground. They slid forward a couple feet, before eventually falling down the staircase in the main hall.

The two unicorns swung at each other as they tumbled down the steps. One of Sunset's jabs knocked Daring's bag off the unicorn's back, sending it spiraling across the floor. He gasped loudly before turning to Sunset with a glare and firing a magic blast at her. Unable to react in time, she was knocked away from her opponent, hitting the floor with a thud. Grunting slightly, Sunset quickly jumped to her hooves just as her opponent sprinted past her and grabbed the saddlebag.

"You're not getting away with that, punk!" she shouted, her horn lighting up as she grabbed one of the bag's straps. The unicorn jerked back, spinning around and glaring at the unmasked heroine before pulling back on the other strap. The two ponies tugged at the bag, Sunset's magic easily overpowering her opponent's.

"Let... go!" Sunset growled loudly.

"No, you let go!" her opponent shot back.

Suddenly getting an idea, Sunset smirked. "Okay then, whatever you say!" Pulling as hard as she could, she released her grip on the bag's strap. Come on, come on... YES! As she had hoped, the stallion pulled with too much force and tumbled over backwards, losing his grip on the bag in the process. Seizing her chance, Sunset galloped up to him. Before he had a chance to look, she spun around and delivered a solid buck with her hind legs. He flew through the air, crashing through the door to the library and skidding to a halt on the floor.

Sunset jumped through the wreckage, approaching her opponent and levitating him into the air. She slammed him into the nearby bookcase, knocking a few tomes off the shelves. She leaned in towards his face, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Let me guess... you followed Miss Do here, didn't you?" she growled.

The stallion looked his captor over, before grinning. "Yeah, you got me... hate to admit it, but you're kinda pretty without that mask on. Almost like a sunset."

"You've got some nerve trying to flirt with me after breaking into my home," Sunset hissed.

"Sunset Shimmer!" The costumed mare turned around, spotting Twilight stepping through the wreckage. She was sporting a furious look on her face as she approached the stallion, levitating a metal ring with her horn. Sunset recognized it as the magic-canceling ring Princess Celestia used on her after she was locked up years ago. Princess Celestia removed it when she sent me to Ponyville... but she entrusted it to Twilight, just in case things got out of hoof. Good thing she kept it.

"'Sunset Shimmer'... so that's the name of the lovely mare behind the mask..." the stallion remarked, glancing at Sunset again. "Pretty fitting." He then turned to Twilight. "Why... hello, Your Highness. Looking rather dashing tonight."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, you criminal," Twilight replied firmly, sliding the ring onto the stallion's horn. "And neither will your magic." The stallion grunted as his horn sparked and a sharp pain shot through his forehead.

"Now then..." Twilight leaned in towards her hostage. "I don't appreciate uninvited guests in my castle, so I'll make this simple for you."

A smirk formed on her face. "Care to tell me where Miss Do's assistant is? Or would you rather have my costumed friend beat the answers out of you?"

Author's Note

Good news: Daring Do has finally arrived at Twilight's castle with the Relic of Flight! :rainbowdetermined2:
Bad news: She is seriously injured, and her partner has been captured by Night Shade! :pinkiegasp:

Fortunately, Sunset and Twilight have managed to capture one of Night Shade's minions, and they're hoping to get some answers about Dusty Runes' whereabouts.

Stay tuned for the next chapter! :raritywink:

Chapter 15: Rescue Mission

Several days ago...

"Oof! Hey, get your stinkin' hooves off me, ya creep!"

"You want another smack upside your head? Shut up!"

"How about you kiss my flank instead?!"

"I said SHUT UP!" *SMACK!*

A young earth pony with light-yellow fur and a chocolate-colored mane hit the floor of a small, dimly-lit storage room. As she rubbed her head, the cloaked pegasus that struck her gave her a strong kick to her side.

"Maybe next time, you'll learn your lesson," he taunted as she clutched her side in pain. With a chuckle, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

Dusty Runes slowly got to her hooves and lunged towards the closing door. As soon as she reached it, she heard a small click of a lock and started pounding her hooves furiously. "Oh yeah?!" she screamed. "You'd better hope you're not here when Daring comes back and stomps all of you!"

"Ha!" the pegasus laughed loudly. "That's if Night Shade's spy doesn't get to her first!"

Dusty dropped onto all fours as she heard the laughter fade away. Wrapping her light-brown cloak around herself, she closed her eyes and sighed, praying for her friend. "Please stay safe, Daring..."

It had been a few hours since she and Daring Do were ambushed during their train ride to Ponyville and dragged off to... who-knows-where. Daring managed to break free and escape with the Relic of Flight, but not before suffering major injuries at the hooves of Night Shade and her followers. Dusty almost escaped with her, but at the last minute, a gate closed, separating the two of them. Daring furiously tried to find a way to pry it open, but...

"Daring, don't worry about me! Just take the Relic and run!"

"Like hell I am! I'm getting you out of here now!"

"Just leave me, I'm only gonna slow you down!"

"Dammit, Dusty, I'm not leaving you with these psychos!"

"The Relic's more important! I'll be fine, just get that to your friends first!"

"No! Just give me a minute-!"

"THERE THEY ARE!"

As the two argued, several of Night Shade's goons showed up, quickly moving in to capture them. The last thing Dusty saw as she was dragged away was Daring Do furiously pounding on the gate, yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Psst..."

Dusty's ears perked up when she heard a voice whispering to her. She quickly turned around. "Huh? Wh-who's there?" Her eyes wandered for a moment, until she spotted somepony sitting on the floor against the back wall, gesturing to her.

"Who... who are you?" Dusty asked as she approached slowly. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the pony was an elderly unicorn, with dark gray fur and a light blue mane. On his flank was a cutie mark of a crescent moon.

"Dear... my name is Moon Dusk," the unicorn answered. "A former teacher at Canterlot's School of Gifted Unicorns. And the pony who calls herself Night Shade... is not what she seems."

Present day...

"So this is the place, huh?" Sunset remarked, lifting the brim of her fedora.

"Looks like it," Twilight replied, lowering the map floating in front of her.

Underneath the night sky, Sunset and Twilight were standing at the mouth of a cave hidden on the outskirts of Canterlot. Sunset was geared up in her Mare-Do-Well costume, while Twilight donned a black bodysuit and cloak. The two of them had a difficult time getting the location of the hideout from Night Shade's thug (despite being threatened by two of the most powerful ponies in Equestria, he still insisted on flirting with them), but they finally managed to squeeze it out of him, thanks to Fluttershy's Stare.

Daring Do wanted to go after Dusty Runes, but according to Fluttershy, she still needed more time to recover from the injuries. After seeing how frustrated Daring was, Sunset volunteered to go out and rescue her. Daring was reluctant at first, but she eventually agreed to it.

Twilight and Rarity added a few short-term enhancements to the Mare-Do-Well costume: padding at the bottom of the hoof sleeves to silence her steps, a miniature hoof-mounted crossbow with tranquilizer darts from Zecora, and a small belt with pouches containing smoke and flash bombs. In addition, the costume's color scheme was darkened, allowing Sunset to hide in the shadows more effectively.

Twilight turned to Sunset. "Now remember, those tranquilizer darts are only effective for thirty minutes," she explained. "It can take a while for it to kick in, though. And you've only got a limited amount, so only use them when you need to. Same with those flash and smoke bombs."

"Right," Sunset replied, pulling the mask over her head. "Once I find Dusty, I'll meet you back here, and then you can teleport us back to Ponyville. Until then, try to keep out of sight in case somepony comes by."

"Alright, then," Twilight replied, turning around. "Good luck, Sunset." With that, she quickly galloped off into the nearby forest.

"Thanks, Twilight," Sunset murmured quietly, before turning to the cave. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped inside, vanishing into the darkness.

Mare-Do-Well quickly but silently followed the path until she came to a staircase at the end of the tunnel. She crept down the steps, noticing that her hoofsteps were completely muffled by the padding below them. Mare-Do-Well descended the staircase, keeping her eyes and ears alert. Arriving at the bottom, she stepped into a wide, underground courtyard.

Mare-Do-Well dove behind a low wall, keeping her head down as she did a quick survey of the area. She noticed a couple guards patrolling the upper walkways, along with a couple stationed on the ground floor. Crystals lined the walls and pathways, lighting up the room. And at the opposite end stood a gate, which Mare-Do-Well assumed was the entrance. Unfortunately, it was sealed, and two guards were stationed directly in front of it.

Okay, that's out... hopefully there's another way in... She looked up, noticing a series of catwalks above her. I need to get up there for a clearer view of the area... but I can't teleport, I might blow my cover. She quickly looked around, spotting a series of collapsed ruins nearby that looked climbable.

Making sure to stay down, Mare-Do-Well swiftly made her way to the ruins, stopping as she approached the corner. She took a quick peek down the adjacent path, spotting an approaching patrol. Crouching down, she waited for her target to get closer. Once the guard rounded the corner, Mare-Do-Well quickly jumped up and wrapped her forehooves around his mouth, putting him in a chokehold. She held on tightly as he struggled to break free, or at least get his mouth uncovered so he could call for help. After a few moments, her captive's struggling ceased as he fell into unconsciousness.

Lowering his body, Mare-Do-Well quickly checked to make sure he was alive before dragging him out of sight. Hopefully no one noticed... she prayed as she climbed up the ruins and jumped onto the catwalk, doing her best to stay out of sight.

Pulling herself up, she spotted another patrol closing in. Thankfully, the catwalks weren't as lit up as the courtyard below, so Mare-Do-Well managed to stay hidden thanks to the darker costume. Crouching down, she raised the small crossbow attached to her right forearm. Using her other forehoof to steady her aim, she fired a tranquilizer dart at the unsuspecting guard. He stopped in his tracks for a few moments before slumping over and hitting the floor.

Smirking underneath her mask, Mare-Do-Well quickly ran past the sleeping guard, keeping an eye on the courtyard below her and her ears open. From her new vantage point, she could see more of the courtyard, including a previously-hidden passageway above the sealed gate. Bingo.

Keeping out of sight of the other patrols, Mare-Do-Well crept silently across the catwalk. Stopping above the gate, she crouched as low as she could and peered over the edge, spotting two guards marching side by side on the walkway below her. Arming another tranquilizer dart, she waited for them to pass before jumping down, using her cape to slow her descent. Landing quietly, she quickly sneaked up to the guards, firing her crossbow at one. As he hit the floor, the other guard jumped back in surprise, only to be grabbed from behind by Mare-Do-Well and smothered into unconsciousness. The costumed mare stashed their bodies behind a stack of crates nearby, and slowly approached the passageway leading into Night Shade's hideout. Peering around the corner, she saw that the coast was clear.

So far, so good, Sunset... she thought to herself as she entered, sticking to the shadows.

Mare-Do-Well followed the passageway, eventually stumbling into a large hall. In the middle of the hall was a collapsed fountain, surrounded by a series of cluttered gravestones. Along the sides of the hall were a series of adjacent hallways, and at the opposite end, two staircases leading in different directions. A few guards were stationed on the ground floor below and the second-floor walkways.

Mare-Do-Well dove behind a pillar, peeking out from her hiding spot as she surveyed the area. Underneath her mask, her brow furrowed. Guards won't be a problem... but this place is bigger than I imagined. It's gonna take a while to search this place, and I don't have a lot of time before those tranquilizers wear off and the guards back there figure out what happened. Her eyes fell on a lonely patrol slowly approaching her direction.

Why don't I just ask him where Dusty Runes is? Smirking, she crept up to the corner, loading her crossbow with a tranquilizer dart. Crouching down, she waited for her target to approach.

As the guard rounded the corner, he was suddenly grabbed. Before he could scream, Mare-Do-Well covered his mouth and dragged him away. As he struggled to break free, he was pinned against the nearby wall. Mare-Do-Well glared at him through her eye lenses.

"Don't even think about screaming for help, unless you want me to break something," she whispered menacingly. "Got it?"

The stallion gulped and quickly nodded, sweat pouring down his forehead. "Got it," he whimpered through Mare-Do-Well's forehoof.

"Dusty Runes, light-yellow earth pony in a brown cloak, Daring Do's partner. Where is she?"

"Uh..."

"And it would be in your best interest not to lie to me," Mare-Do-Well growled as she pressed the guard harder against the wall. "Because I'll find you and hurt you if you do."

"Eep!" The guard's eyes widened in fear and he began shaking uncontrollably. "O-okay! That brat... she's in one of the storage rooms! Second hallway on the left, past the corner, last door on the right!"

Mare-Do-Well paused for a few moments. "You sure about that?" she asked. "Because I don't take too kindly to liars."

"No-! No, wait-! I-I mean yes! Yes!" the guard cried out. "She's there, I swear to Celestia!"

"Well then..." With a sly grin, Mare-Do-Well raised her crossbow. "Thanks for the help."

"Wh-what are ya doin-?!"

"Good night." Mare-Do-Well shot a tranquilizer at the guard's neck, putting him to sleep in an instant. Setting him down behind a nearby plant, she quickly made her way to the left-side walkway. Keeping low to avoid getting seen, she made her way down the path.

As she reached the first branching hallway, she spotted the shadow of an approaching guard. She waited at the corner for her target before knocking him out with a swift swing of her forehoof. Quickly looking around to make sure she didn't attract any unwanted attention, she dragged his body into a nearby closet and shut the door.

Mare-Do-Well soon arrived at the hallway leading down to where Dusty Runes was being held. After a quick peek around the corner, she made her way forward, stopping at the corner. Keeping her head low, she spotted another guard. This one was leaning against the wall, glaring at the door in front of him. Hanging from the side of his cloak was a keyring with a single key.

"You want me to smack you again?!" he shouted at the door. "Knock that crap off!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Am I annoying you?" a female voice sarcastically answered. It was followed by a loud clanging sound.

That must be Dusty Runes! Mare-Do-Well grinned underneath her mask.

"Keep that noise up, and I'm personally dragging you to Night Shade!" the guard yelled, pounding his forehooves together.

"I don't know anypony named Night Shade! So why don't you just let us go?" Dusty Runes replied in a sing-song voice.

Underneath her expressionless mask, Mare-Do-Well was puzzled. What does she mean she doesn't know somepony named Night Shade? She's the one holding her hostage... wait a minute... Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what Dusty just said. Did she just say 'us'? Is somepony else with her? Her eyes narrowing dangerously, she jumped out from the corner and fired her crossbow.

"Oh, so you're playing stupid now, is that-?!" The guard winced as the dart connected, and he held up his forehoof to his neck. "What the...?" he muttered, before slumping over and falling asleep.

Mare-Do-Well moved towards the guard, the glow of her horn hidden by her fedora as she levitated the keyring from his cloak. As she stuck the key in the lock, the clanging from the other side of the door died down. With a click, the door unlocked, and Mare-Do-Well slowly pushed it open.

The door swung open, revealing a short light-yellow earth pony, her brown mane unkempt and her light-brown cloak dirty and ripped in a few places. She was carrying a metal pipe in her forehooves, standing on her hind legs next to a shelf.

"Yeah, bring it on! Do your wor..." Dusty Runes fell silent as her eyes fell on the costumed pony in front of her, and she dropped the pipe. "Who... who are you?" she asked nervously. "What happened to..." Her voice trailed off as she spotted the sleeping guard pony behind her rescuer.

"Don't worry, Dusty Runes," the costumed mare reassured her, crouching down to the earth pony's level. "My name's Mare-Do-Well, and I'm a friend of Daring Do."

"Daring Do...?" Dusty's eyes widened, and a grin formed on her face. "So... the Relic...!"

Mare-Do-Well nodded. "Princess Twilight has it. It's safe for now."

"That's good to hear!" Dusty squealed, clapping her hooves together in delight. Suddenly, her excitement grew into concern when she looked past Mare-Do-Well and realized something. "Wait a minute... where's Daring? Is she...?"

"She's not with me, she got beaten up pretty badly," the costumed mare replied. Spotting the worried look on Dusty's face, she quickly added, "But don't worry. A friend of mine's looking after her as she recovers. She's in good hooves, you can be sure of that."

"So she's okay!" Dusty jumped up and pumped her forehoof into the air in glee. "Awesome!"

Mare-Do-Well smiled as she watched Dusty jump up and down. "Okay then," she said, raising a forehoof. "But I've got something to ask you."

"Really? What is it?"

"I overheard your banter with that guard, and you said 'Let us go.' Is there somepony else here with you?"

"Oh, yeah!" Dusty turned around and held her forehoof up to her mouth. "Hey Moon Dusk!" she called out. "Somepony's here to break us out!"

Underneath her mask, Mare-Do-Well's eyes widened. Wait... 'Moon Dusk'?! She doesn't mean-?! She was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw somepony emerge from behind the shelf nearby. She stood up slowly as she recognized the dark grey unicorn standing in front of her.

"Hmm..." the unicorn muttered, looking over Mare-Do-Well. "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, I take it? I've heard quite a bit about you. My name is-"

"Moon Dusk..." the costumed mare whispered quietly.

Dusty and Moon Dusk both gasped. "Hold on... you two know each other?!" she blurted out, pointing her forehooves towards the two ponies.

"No..." Moon Dusk answered, his eyebrow raised in puzzlement. "I don't believe we've met before."

"Actually... we have," Mare-Do-Well said. "After I was dismissed by Princess Celestia, I lived with you for two years while you tried to help me sort things out." Using her forehoof, she slowly lifted her mask. Moon Dusk gasped in disbelief as he recognized the all-too-familiar yellow and red mane.

"Is... is it really you...?" he whispered, his eyes watering.

"Yes..." the unmasked Mare-Do-Well answered, shaking her mane loose, a warm smile on her tear-soaked face. "It's me... Sunset Shimmer."

Author's Note

Twilight and Sunset manage to find out where Dusty Runes is being held, and Sunset volunteers to go after her. With the help of some suit enhancements, she manages to sneak past the guards and make it to the storage room where Dusty is being held...

...and she has an unexpected reunion with Moon Dusk, an old friend from her dark past. And it turns out that he knows something about Night Shade. :pinkiegasp:

What's the secret about Night Shade that Sunset's former mentor knows? Stay tuned to find out! :trollestia:

Chapter 16: The Wrath of "Night Shade"

Sunset Shimmer was hoping that she would get a chance to encounter Moon Dusk again. However, she imagined bumping into him on the street, or maybe the train. The last place she expected to run into him again was a villain's hideout, with Sunset in her Mare-Do-Well garb, no less.

But as she ran up to her former mentor and hugged him tightly, she decided it didn't matter. She was just happy to see him again.

"Sunset Shimmer..." Moon Dusk murmured, trying to hold back his tears. "It's so great to see you again."

"I've really missed you, Moon Dusk," Sunset replied. "I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch with you."

Dusty Runes walking up beside the two ponies. "So you DO know each other?" she asked.

"I was his apprentice for two years, following an incident between me and Princess Celestia," Sunset told her. "Let's just say it was a dark time for me, and he tried his best to help me through it." She then turned to Moon Dusk, her happy expression turning into one of concern. "But what are you doing here?"

Moon Dusk sighed, his face becoming serious. "I've been kidnapped, I'm afraid," he answered. "These ponies want me to help them locate the Relics that make up the Celestial Amulet. Of course, I refused to offer assistance, and here I am." He lowered his head, and upon closer inspection, Sunset noticed a metal magic-canceling ring around the base of his horn.

"Hold on, just let me get that off you," she said. Lighting up her horn, she focused her magic on the ring, slowly lifting it from the stallion's horn. Moon Dusk grit his teeth as his horn sparked painfully, until Sunset finally got it off. "You okay?" she asked as she levitated the ring into one of the pouches on her belt.

Moon Dusk rubbed his head a few times before replying. "I'm fine, thanks for getting rid of that accursed thing."

"No problem," Sunset replied. "But why you? You were just a professor at the School of Gifted Unicorns. Why would they think you would know where these Relics are?"

"I'm assuming it's because of the vast knowledge of ancient artifacts I've accumulated over the years," Moon Dusk replied, furrowing his brow. "However, I don't know much about the Celestial Amulet, other than that Princess Celestia split up the Amulet into three Relics after another pony tried to use it to overthrow her." He then turned towards Sunset, looking over her facial features closely. He couldn't help but notice a major difference in the look in her eyes.

"Something's clearly changed within you, Sunset," he remarked. "You're not the same unicorn that left my side many months ago. Especially if you've taken up vigilantism, as your outfit suggests," he added, pointing towards the brooch holding Sunset's cape in place.

Sunset chuckled. "Long story short, Princess Twilight taught me about friendship, and I dressed up as a superhero on Nightmare Night, only to wind up actually becoming one."

"Really?" Moon Dusk's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, that's great to hear. I'm really proud of you, Sunset."

"Don't thank me yet," Sunset replied, pulling her mask over her face. "I still need to get you two out of here."

"So what's the plan?" Dusty Runes asked, pounding her hooves together.

"Twilight's near the entrance to the cave, ready to teleport us back to her castle," Sunset replied, leaning out the doorway and peering down the hall. "We just need to get to her and we're free." Seeing that the path was clear, she motioned for the two ponies to follow her.

"But what about the guards?" Moon Dusk whispered as he tailed Mare-Do-Well and Dusty Runes.

"Don't worry," Mare-Do-Well whispered back. "Hopefully the ones I knocked out haven't been found yet. And if they discover us, I've got a few tricks up my cape." She held up her hoof when she reached the corner. Dusty and Moon Dusk waited as the masked mare checked for guards. The hallway was clear, and Mare-Do-Well signaled with her hoof. The three ponies quickly but quietly made their way towards the main hall, Dusty Runes pulling the hood of her cloak over her head.

Upon arriving, Mare-Do-Well crouched down and surveyed the area. She turned to the others and whispered, "Stay low, and stick close to me."

Dusty and Moon Dusk nodded and followed Mare-Do-Well's lead. The trio kept their heads low as they silently made their way towards the entrance. The guards that Mare-Do-Well rendered unconscious apparently remained undiscovered, since she did not see any incoming patrols.

Eventually, without incident, the three made it to the hallway leading to the outer courtyard. Mare-Do-Well quickly leaned against the wall, peering around the corner. Nopony was approaching, so she gestured to the others. With the costumed mare leading the way, they followed the passage, sticking close to each other.

"By the way, Dusty," Mare-Do-Well said as they neared the gate. "Something's been bugging me."

"What is it?" Dusty asked.

"You told that guard you don't know anypony named Night Shade. But that's the name of the pony that locked you guys up here. What's the deal with that?"

Mare-Do-Well, Dusty Runes, and Moon Dusk rounded the corner, only to stop in their tracks. Mare-Do-Well's eyes narrowed dangerously behind her mask as she crouched into a battle stance.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" Night Shade replied with a smirk. Standing behind her were a dozen guard ponies in cloaks, all of them itching to pound intruders.

"Night Shade," Mare-Do-Well growled.

Dusty Runes stepped up, lowering her hood and directing her own glare at the villain. "Or should I say... Star Gazer?"

A bewildered Mare-Do-Well did a double take. "Wait... Star Gazer?"

"Night Shade is just an alias," Moon Dusk replied, stepping up beside Mare-Do-Well. "The mare's real name... is Star Gazer.

"And she used to study under Princess Celestia."

"Wh... WHAT?!" The realization struck Sunset Shimmer hard. She stared at the villain in shock, watching as she flicked her cloak upwards, revealing her cutie mark of the Big Dipper.

"Are you serious?!" Sunset blurted out, pointing her forehoof at Night Shade... or rather, Star Gazer. "She... she was a student of Princess Celestia?!"

"Better believe it, Miss Mysterious," Star Gazer smirked. "I was personal student of that old hag many years ago, until I decided to ditch her."

Sunset's mind went blank as she tried to process what she just heard. No way... she's just like me! An apprentice of Princess Celestia gone bad! I don't bucking believe this!!!

"Aw, what's the matter?" Star Gazer mocked. "Got your tights in a bunch?"

Sunset snapped out of her trance and turned towards Star Gazer. "This is all because of some stupid grudge against Princess Celestia, isn't it?!" she shouted, her voice shaking slightly as she pointed towards her nemesis. "Probably hungry for power, got mad when she wouldn't give it to you, and you decided to take your anger out on others!"

"Oh please," Star Gazer answered with a roll of her eyes. "You seriously think I'd do all this over something so petty? It goes even deeper than that, trust me."

"You seriously think that Sparkly Skies would be okay with this, Star Gazer?!" Moon Dusk shouted, stepping forward. "When she realizes what's become of her friend?!"

Sunset momentarily forgot about Moon Dusk and Dusty Runes. She turned towards them, her mind going into overdrive. Is this all because of an incident involving Star Gazer, Celestia, and this... Sparkly Skies? As much as I'd like to know what happened... I need to get those two out of here now. I'll just ask Princess Celestia once we're back in Ponyville. Hopefully she can shed some light on the situation.

"Shut your mouth, you old geezer!" Star Gazer snarled angrily, stomping her hoof. "Don't you talk about Sparkly like that!"

"You've been wreaking havoc all over Equestria just for the sake of a friend?" Mare-Do-Well asked, lowering her head. Obscured underneath her hat, her horn lit up. "What kind of friend are you?"

"SHUT UP, MARE-DO-WELL!!!" Star Gazer yelled, tears starting to flow down her face. "You know what it's like to lose your closest friend?! DO YOU?!"

"No..." Mare-Do-Well admitted, slowly levitating a flash bomb from her belt pouch. "But that doesn't give you the right to do what you did."

"Oh yeah?!" Star Gazer shot back. "What if the one who cost me my friend was PRINCESS CELESTIA?!"

Mare-Do-Well faltered for a moment. What...?! Princess Celestia...?! "What do you mean Princess Celestia cost you your friend?!"

"She's the reason why Sparkly can't fly again!!!" Star Gazer screamed. Her eyes were bloodshot and tear-soaked, and she was breathing heavily, a crazed expression on her face. Sunset couldn't help but feel sorry for her, seeing her nemesis break down like this.

"That wretched hag took my best friend's dream away from her!" Star Gazer continued, her horn lighting up. "I'm gonna make her pay! And nopony is going to stop me!"

Mare-Do-Well sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Star Gazer, I really am," she slowly said, her head hanging low. "But I won't let you harm anypony else." Snapping her head up, she tossed the flash bomb at the group of ponies in front of her. Before they had a chance to react, the resulting flash blinded them.

"GAH!!!" "DAMMIT, I CAN'T SEE!" "MY EYYYYYEEEEESSSS!!!"

"Follow me, and stay close!" Mare-Do-Well shouted. She leapt off the walkway, Dusty Runes and Moon Dusk right behind her. The group landed with a thud in front of the gate. Mare-Do-Well jumped to her hooves and waved towards Dusty and Moon Dusk, who were slowly getting up. The trio galloped for the staircase out of the cave.

"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!!!" Star Gazer screamed at the top of her lungs. She jumped down into the courtyard, the cloaked unicorns and earth ponies following suit while the pegasi took to the air.

Mare-Do-Well snatched a smoke bomb and threw it over her head, the smoke cloud temporarily disorienting Star Gazer and a couple of her minions. She followed up with several flash bombs to stun them longer.

The guards in the courtyard and the walkways above were relentless in their assault, divebombing and firing magic blasts at Mare-Do-Well, Dusty Runes, and Moon Dusk as they tried to make their escape. Mare-Do-Well fired off her remaining tranquilizer darts to take out the sharpshooters.

A couple guards jumped in front of the group and crouched down, ready to fight. Mare-Do-Well grabbed her last flash bomb and launched it at the group. Reeling back in pain from the sudden flash, they were unable to fight back as they were knocked to the ground by massive spin kicks from the masked mare and Dusty Runes. Followed closely by Moon Dusk, they eventually arrived at the staircase.

"Come on, hurry!" Mare-Do-Well shouted, frantically waving her forehoof. Moon Dusk started climbing up the stairs as quickly as his legs would carry him, while Dusty trailed right behind him.

Just as Mare-Do-Well was about to begin her ascent, she was struck on the side by a powerful magic blast and sent flying into the nearby wall. Dazed from the sudden impact, she shook her head and started to get to her hooves. Unfortunately, she felt herself being lifted into the air, and she was slammed painfully into the wall again.

"Mare-Do-Well!" Dusty shouted as she looked down in shock.

"You're not going anywhere, you freak!" Star Gazer screamed, her horn lit up and a dangerously crazed expression on her face. She grabbed Mare-Do-Well with her telekinesis again and sent her crashing into the ceiling. The masked mare cried out in pain as she fell flat onto the ground, her body aching furiously. She was extremely thankful for the protective padding that Rarity added to her costume: it absorbed most of the impact, but there was no telling how long it would hold out.

She got to her hooves and started to ignite her horn, only to get struck with another magic blast from Star Gazer. The impact knocked her aside, causing her to tumble across the ground painfully. No sooner did she came to a stop than she was telekinetically grabbed again.

"We're coming, Mare-Do-Well!" Dusty shouted as she began galloping down the steps.

"No!" Mare-Do-Well shouted back as she was slammed into the wall again. "Just get yourselves out of here! I'll be fine!"

"But-!" Dusty was about to object, but stopped when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned to Moon Dusk, who was looking at her with a serious expression.

"We have to listen to her," he told her.

"You want us to just leave her?!" Dusty shot back incredulously. "She's in trouble! We have to help her!"

"I'm aware of that. But remember what she told us earlier? She said she had a certain somepony waiting at the cave entrance."

Dusty's eyes lit up. "Of course! Just hang in there, Mare-Do-Well!" Pushing her way past Moon Dusk, she began to climb up the steps at an incredible speed.

Struggling to her hooves, Mare-Do-Well slowly looked up, watching as Dusty Runes and Moon Dusk frantically galloped up the staircase. Please hurry up, guys...

Twilight stood by the mouth of the cave. Her black cloak covered her head and wings, allowing her to blend in easily as she wandered in circles.

"Come on, Sunset," she muttered. "What's taking so long?" She wouldn't have let Sunset enter the cave alone if she didn't think she could handle it. Her student was very resourceful and incredibly skilled in magic, and for a unicorn, she was pretty strong and agile. She had proved herself a capable heroine over the last couple months.

And yet... Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the sound of hoofsteps. Turning quickly towards the cave, she spotted a pair of ponies galloping towards her. She was about to hide, only to stop as she recognized one of the ponies. Wait a minute... is that Moon Dusk? What's he doing here?

The two ponies reached Twilight and screeched to a halt, pausing to catch their breath.

"Moon Dusk?" Twilight said as she lifted her hood, revealing her puzzled expression. "What's a retired Canterlot professor doing in a place like this?"

"Not now, Princess Twilight!" the young cloaked mare blurted out.

Twilight turned to the other pony. "Are you Dusty Runes? Daring Do's assistant?"

"Yes, I am!" Dusty Runes shouted impatiently. "But we need your-"

"Wait a minute..." Twilight peered past the two ponies, glancing into the cave. However, she didn't spot a third pony approaching. "Where's Mare-Do-Well?"

"She's in trouble!" Dusty yelled, her eyes wild as she frantically jabbed her forehoof in the direction of the cave. "Star Gazer-!"

Twilight raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Star Gazer?"

"Night Shade! She's getting beaten really badly by Night Shade!"

Twilight gasped loudly, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh no..."

"You need to go to her aid, Your Highness!" Moon Dusk stated loudly. "Sunset Shimmer needs you!"

Twilight paused for a moment. Sunset Shimmer is in trouble... my friend needs my help...

Suddenly, her worried expression turned into a fierce one. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she turned to Moon Dusk and Dusty Runes. "I'm going to teleport you two to my castle, to the room where Daring Do is resting. I want you two to wait there until I come back, understand?"

"Understood!" Dusty responded loudly as Moon Dusk nodded.

With a nod of her own, Twilight lit up her horn. In a flash of light, Moon Dusk and Dusty Runes were gone. Flipping the hood back over her head, she galloped into the cave as quickly as she could.

I'm coming for you, Sunset Shimmer... just hang in there...

"GAAAHHH!!!" Mare-Do-Well let out another cry of pain as her body was magically slammed against the wall. Collapsing to the ground, she struggled to get to her hooves. Her costume was starting to show signs of the beating she was taking: tears were forming on her cape, and small rips were starting to appear on her costume and hat. Thankfully, the rips weren't large enough to expose her amber-colored fur underneath. Her belt pouches, however, were torn right off, and her crossbow also suffered from damage, the string snapped and the straps affixing the weapon to her leg starting to come loose.

She wasn't this powerful when I first fought her. And there's no way she has the Relic of Magic since its whereabouts are unknown unless you have the other two Relics. Is... is this some kind of magical surge? Did bringing up Sparkly Skies cause this?

She slowly lifted her head, and her eyes fell on Star Gazer. She was absolutely livid, her body giving off a dark aura as she approached Mare-Do-Well.

"Please..." Mare-Do-Well pleaded as she slowly struggled to her hooves. "You don't have to do this!"

"Oh, is that right?!" With another yell, Star Gazer's horn lit up and she fired off another powerful magic blast. It sent her flying backside first into the wall again, causing her to yell out as she fell to her hooves.

"You expect me to just sit by all happy-pappy while my friend suffers from Celestia's stupidity?!" Star Gazer screamed, tears flowing from her eyes.

Mare-Do-Well coughed and sputtered as she tried to push herself up. "Please... I really want to help your friend, but this isn't the way!" She looked up as Star Gazer stomped over, her body shaking erratically. "Star Gazer... is this really what you believe that Sparkly Skies wants? To find out that her best friend has become a monster?!"

"SHUT UP!!!" Roaring loudly, she lifted Mare-Do-Well into the air, grabbing her by the neck. "I'll make you suffer for talking about Sparkly like that!!!"

"Stop! Please!" Mare-Do-Well cried out, struggling to break free. She tried to light up her horn for a teleport, but thanks to the beating she received, she couldn't concentrate on the spell. Star Gazer tightened her grip, and Mare-Do-Well was beginning to black out as her breathing grew shallow. "Please..." she whispered hoarsely, holding out her forehoof. "Star Gazer..."

But Star Gazer tightened her grip even more. Mare-Do-Well's forehoof fell limply to her side as unconsciousness began to overtake her. Please... don't do this, Star Gazer...

Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared, sending out a small but powerful shockwave. The force blew Star Gazer back, causing her to lose her grip on Mare-Do-Well. The villain watched as a pony in a black cloak appeared in front of her.

Star Gazer stood up and fired off a magic blast at the new intruder, only to gasp in shock as it bounced harmlessly off her. Instead of retaliating, the cloaked intruder simply turned to Mare-Do-Well, who was lying motionless on the floor nearby.

Without a word, the cloaked mare lit up her horn, a bright flash engulfing the entire courtyard. Star Gazer lifted her forearms and shielded her eyes. By the time the flash died down and her eyes opened, both the cloaked pony and Mare-Do-Well were gone.

"Oh my goodness...!"

"Sunset Shimmer?! Oh no..."

"Holy-! Is she okay?!"

"I don't believe this..."

"No... no no no NO!!! Sunset Shimmer! Please wake up! Please!"

Before she faded into unconsciousness, she only remembered three things: her hat and mask being removed, her tears, and many concerned voices trying to reach out to her.

"Celestia dammit! Please wake up!"

The one that stood out the most was the one belonging to her closest friend, who was sobbing uncontrollably as she knelt beside her, holding her lifeless body close.

"Please... I'm begging you... please wake up, Sunset Shimmer..."

Author's Note

The truth about Night Shade comes out, and Sunset Shimmer pays a heavy price for it. As Chapter 16 draws to a close, she drifts into unconsciousness while her friends desperately try to reach out to her... :fluttercry:

Chapter 17: Shimmering Memories

It was the middle of the night. Twilight sat quietly in Sunset's bedroom, keeping watch on the injured unicorn lying asleep in her bed.

It would be an understatement to say that Twilight was worried. She couldn't bear to see Sunset like this. Even though Sunset was still alive, the fact that she still hadn't woken up had Twilight deeply concerned.

Memories of that night two days ago started to flash across her mind again...

"No... no no no NO!!! Sunset Shimmer! Please wake up! Please!"

Twilight knelt down beside her apprentice, holding her in her arms and brushing her mane out of her closed eyes. The hat and mask lay discarded on the floor beside her. Sunset's costume was filled with rips and tears, and her face was heavily bruised, her mane disheveled and one of her eyes blackened and swollen. Except for her shallow breathing, she was completely motionless.

"Celestia dammit! Please wake up!" Twilight cried out, tears starting to flow from her eyes. Around her, four other ponies looked on in concern. Fluttershy was sobbing quietly, while Daring Do and Dusty Runes watched the scene unfold, their eyes widened in shock. Moon Dusk remained silent, but he could not stop the tears flowing from his eyes as he watched Twilight hold Sunset Shimmer close.

"Please... I'm begging you... please wake up, Sunset Shimmer..." Twilight whispered, cradling Sunset in her forearms as she continued crying.

I couldn't believe my eyes... Sunset normally doesn't get injured this badly while fighting. At worst, it's just a few minor bruises, maybe a black eye... but this is the first time she's been beaten to the point of blacking out. What happened back there with Night Sh... Star Gazer?

Twilight sighed. Moon Dusk had told her about Star Gazer: she used to study under Princess Celestia until an incident involving her friend, Sparkly Skies, caused her to go mad. Unfortunately, he didn't know exactly what happened, only that it was an experiment gone wrong, and Sparkly happened to get caught in the middle of it. Twilight sent out a letter to Princess Celestia at the first opportunity she got, asking her to explain what happened. She was currently at the Griffon Kingdom on a diplomatic meeting, but she replied to Twilight's letter, promising to stop by the castle the first chance she got.

The sound of flapping wings brought Twilight out of her thoughts. She looked out the balcony window, jumping out of her seat in surprise. "Rainbow Dash?"

Twilight galloped over and opened the doors, allowing the cyan pegasus to swoop in and land. Rainbow Dash was still sporting her cadet uniform and her flight goggles, which she promptly lifted above her eyes.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Academy?"

"Captain Spitfire was really impressed with how the last week of training went," Rainbow Dash answered, looking smug as usual. "So she decided to give us the weekend off. I got your letter about Sunset, and I decided to come here and check up on her." She trotted over to Sunset's bed, glancing at the sleeping unicorn. A bandage was wrapped around her forehead, and though some of the bruises on her face had faded, she was still sporting a few, along with a swollen eye.

"Jeez," Rainbow muttered, unable to believe that her awesome superhero friend was in such a condition. "Looks like she had it rough."

"Star Gazer really did a number on her," Twilight told her as she stepped up to Rainbow's side. "She's never been this badly injured before."

"Star Gazer?" Rainbow raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Who's that? One of Night Shade's lackeys?"

"Actually, Rainbow... Star Gazer IS Night Shade," Twilight told the pegasus, who stared at her in shock. "Turns out, she used to study under Princess Celestia, until-"

"Hold up," Rainbow interrupted as she held up her forehoof. "You mean to tell me that Sunset Shimmer, a student of Princess Celestia gone bad, is fighting ANOTHER student gone bad?!"

Twilight shook her head. "Not necessarily. Sunset only turned against the Princess because she wasn't getting what she wanted. With Star Gazer, however, it wasn't for completely selfish reasons. There was some sort of accident that her friend was caught in."

Rainbow tilted her head, her face showing signs of curiosity. "What kind of accident?"

"I don't know the specifics," Twilight admitted as she began to pace around the room. "I've already sent out a letter to Princess Celestia, there's a chance she might know what happened. She's currently at the Griffon Kingdom on a diplomatic meeting, but she promised to come to the castle the first opportunity she gets to tell us what happened. Whatever it was, it must've been too much for Star Gazer to handle, and it caused her to snap. I'm guessing it was brought up while she and Sunset were fighting, and it put her in a rampage that Sunset couldn't defend herself from."

"And this was without that Celestial Amulet thing." Rainbow turned to Twilight with a concerned look. "If Star Gazer managed to do this on her own..."

"There's no telling how much damage she'll be able to do once she gets all three Relics," Twilight finished. "Remember Stray Wind and the damage they said she was able to cause once she had the Earth Relic? We need to find the last one, and fast."

"Any plans for that?"

"Daring Do and Dusty already found out where it is. It's somewhere in the Everfree Forest," Twilight said.

Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise. "The Everfree Forest? You're kidding, right?"

"That's where the other two Relics pointed, so it must be there," said Twilight. "Daring and Dusty already set off yesterday to look for it, and Applejack's accompanying them."

"She already left?! And Applejack's with her?! Awww...!" Rainbow threw her hooves up and flopped onto the floor, groaning loudly in disappointment while an unamused Twilight rolled her eyes. "Come on!"

"Get a grip, Rainbow Dash," Twilight muttered, walking up to the cyan pegasus. "I'm sure you'll get another chance to go on an adventure with her."

Pausing for a moment, Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. "I know..." she replied as she slowly got to her hooves. She took a quick glance at Sunset and slowly walked up beside her, watching her injured friend with concern.

"Think she'll be okay, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight murmured as she joined Rainbow beside the bed.

"She'll pull through this, Twilight. I'm sure of it," Rainbow Dash replied sternly, brushing Sunset's mane with her forehoof. "There's no keeping a tough mare like her down. She'll be back on her hooves in no time."

"I'm kinda worried about her, though," Twilight admitted. "What if something else happens to her? Something worse?"

Rainbow turned towards Twilight, placing a forehoof on her shoulder. "Twilight."

Twilight turned her head and was surprised to find her friend looking unusually serious. There was no sign of her usual cocky and brash attitude on her face.

"Sunset knew the risks when she decided to become Mare-Do-Well," Rainbow Dash told her. "She knew it would get dangerous, that she would be throwing herself in harm's way."

"I know, Rainbow Dash," Twilight answered. "But-"

"And despite the risks, she stood by her decision," Rainbow continued. "Remember what she said to you that night after she saved those fillies?"

Twilight furrowed her brow, the memories of that fateful Nightmare Night playing in her mind. Twilight was hesitant at first to allow Sunset to become a masked hero, concerned about how much danger it would put her in. She voiced her thoughts about this to Sunset.

Her response was one that Twilight wouldn't forget. Sunset's voice never wavered as she spoke, and on her face was nothing but absolute determination, and a fire burning in her eyes.

"If that means somepony gets to stay safe another day, I don't care. It'll be worth it."

"She told me that she didn't care if she got hurt. Her only concern was keeping other ponies safe," Twilight murmured to herself. "And the look on her face when she told me that... I could tell that she meant it. At that point, I couldn't say no to her."

"I was just as surprised as you were when she said that," Rainbow Dash admitted. "She's come a long way from the selfish, elitist brat she was when she first arrived in Ponyville. If you had told me back then that Sunset Shimmer would become a masked vigilante dedicated to protecting ponies, I would've laughed and called you crazy. But look at her now." A small smile forming on her face, Rainbow glanced towards Sunset. "She's a hero risking her life to help others. And I'll admit... I'm really proud of the pony she's become."

Twilight closed her eyes, taking in Rainbow Dash's words. Memories of Sunset Shimmer flashed across her mind.

"When she first arrived in Ponyville, she was a completely different unicorn. She absolutely hated me, simply because Princess Celestia made me a princess, but not her. And she didn't hesitate to show it." Twilight remembered how Sunset acted once the two ponies laid eyes on each other. Twilight greeted her with a smile, and Sunset just shoved her aside, glaring intensely.

"She felt robbed of something that she felt she deserved, and she was becoming a monster. A monster that would haunt her for years and drive her insane. And it almost killed her..." The talk underneath the stars after Sunset was rescued from the timberwolf. Twilight listened as Sunset broke down in tears, confessing about the nightmares that plagued her the last two years.

"But after giving her an encouraging talk, she decided to give friendship a chance." Twilight held out her forehoof, assuring Sunset that she and her friends would never give up on her. Sunset took it, and a friendship was born. Despite rocky starts (especially when Discord, as a joke, turned Sunset into the monster that was haunting her), she managed to embrace the magic of friendship, and it changed her life. The angry, spoiled unicorn that first arrived in Ponyville vanished, and in her stead was a kind-hearted, happy mare.

"And as she learned more about friendship..." Twilight trotted over beside Sunset, gently holding her forehoof as she tried to keep the tears out of her eyes. "I could see her changing inside. She was becoming happier with each passing day. After what she had gone through before, it was something she absolutely needed."

Of all the happy memories of Sunset she had, the one that stood out the most to Twilight was last year's Grand Galloping Gala. Even though the evening turned out to be an utter disaster, with the castle's party room being reduced to rubble as the result of a cattle stampede instigated by the Cutie Mark Crusaders (who were attempting to get cutie marks in cattle wrangling), Sunset was still smiling as she danced the night away with her friends, laughing and enjoying herself. As Twilight watched, Princess Celestia stood beside her, watching her former student with tear-soaked eyes and a proud look on her face.

"You've done well, Princess Twilight," she said quietly. "I've never seen Sunset Shimmer so happy before. Thank you so much."

"It wasn't just me, Princess Celestia," Twilight replied, also smiling warmly as she watched Sunset dancing with Pinkie Pie. "My friends have also helped show her just how magical friendship is."

Twilight opened her eyes, and she found herself back in the castle, holding Sunset's forehoof as Rainbow Dash stood behind her. She watched the unconscious unicorn lying on the bed in front of her, and smiled.

"I'm... I'm really proud of you... Sunset Shimmer..." she murmured quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Rainbow stepped forward and placed a forehoof on Twilight's shoulder. "She's one special unicorn, alright," she said. "I'm really happy to have somepony like her as a friend."

"Me too, Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied. "Me too."

The two ponies remained by Sunset for a few moments, neither one of them saying a word as they looked at their friend.

It was Rainbow Dash that broke the silence. "Hey Twilight? Why don't you get some rest?"

Twilight glanced back towards the pegasus. "Huh?"

"You look like you haven't slept in days," Rainbow Dash replied, gesturing to the nearby mirror. Twilight took a glance at her reflection, suddenly noticing how groggy she looked.

"But... what about Sun..." Before Twilight could finish her sentence, she let out a huge yawn, blinking her eyes a couple times.

"Don't worry. I'll watch over her, Twilight," Rainbow told her. "She's my friend too. Want me to help get you to your bedroom first?"

Twilight didn't speak, choosing instead to nod her head slowly as she rubbed her eyes.

"Alright then. Off to bed, egghead," Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"Oh shut up," Twilight muttered as she slowly trotted out of the bedroom, Rainbow Dash right behind her.

Neither of them noticed the small smile forming on Sunset Shimmer's face, or the single tear rolling from her eye.

Thank you... my friends...

*Tap tap tap!*

"Huh...?" Rainbow Dash's eyelids slowly opened, her eyes catching the early rays of the sunrise through the balcony window. As she blinked, she noticed something else on the balcony. Or rather, somePONY else. A tall, white somepony with a flowing mane.

"Princess Celestia...?" Rainbow's eyes shot open in an instant as she jumped to her hooves, prying open the balcony door and allowing the alicorn to step into the bedroom.

"My apologies for coming at this hour, Rainbow Dash," the Princess of the Sun answered, bowing down slightly. "But there is something I need to discuss with Sunset Shimmer and Princess Twilight."

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, racking her brains. She then clapped her hooves together. "Oh right! Twilight mentioned that she wanted to talk to you about Star Gazer!"

Princess Celestia nodded. "Correct. Unfortunately, I cannot stay long. There are important matters I need to attend to back in Canterlot." She took a glance at the bed on the opposite side of the room, spotting the unconscious Sunset Shimmer. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern for her former student. "And it looks like I arrived at a bad time," Princess Celestia sighed. "I'm saddened to see my former student in such a condition."

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash muttered, glancing in Sunset's direction. "She's normally the one handing out all the beatings, but this time she was on the receiving end of a brutal one."

"Oh my..." a third voice rang out, causing Rainbow Dash to jump up in surprise. "That looks really bad. I hope she's okay."

"Who is that?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising her eyebrow suspiciously.

"Princess Twilight wanted to hear about Star Gazer's past, correct?" Princess Celestia answered. "I brought with me somepony who could explain the situation better than I could."

Rainbow Dash watched as a pegasus mare stepped out from behind Princess Celestia. Her mane was short and messy, made up of several shades of light blue and white. Her fur was also a deep sky blue color, and on her flank was a cutie mark of a sparkling cloud surrounded by stars.

But something else about her appearance caught Rainbow Dash completely off-guard: the pegasus's wings. Unlike the rest of her body, the wings were completely blackened and stiff, almost like they were paralyzed. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She tried her best to keep her mouth shut, but curiosity got the better of her.

"Holy crap! What happened to your wings?!" she blurted out without thinking. "I mean... they're pitch black!" She suddenly covered her mouth, groaning in frustration. "Gah! Sorry, I didn't mean-!"

But to her surprise, the pegasus merely smiled. "Don't worry, nothing wrong with being curious," she replied, gesturing to her wings. "Happened during an accident a long time ago."

Princess Celestia held out her forehoof. "Rainbow Dash... meet Star Gazer's childhood friend, Sparkly Skies."

Author's Note

After a night of Sunset reminiscing, Princess Celestia arrives at the castle with Sparkly Skies, the childhood friend of Star Gazer. Rainbow Dash is shocked to find that the pegasus's wings are pitch black! :pinkiegasp:

Could this be linked to the accident that caused Star Gazer to go berserk? Stay tuned!

Chapter 18: Sunset's Sunrise

"Rainbow Dash... meet Star Gazer's childhood friend, Sparkly Skies."

The black-winged pegasus gave a small smile while Rainbow Dash simply looked at her with a curious expression.

"So you're that friend of Star Gazer's who got mixed up in an accident?" she asked, her eyes traveling to the wings on Sparkly's sides.

"Yeah, I am," Sparkly answered. Her gaze shifted to the Wonderbolt Cadet uniform that Rainbow Dash was still wearing. "You training to become a Wonderbolt?"

Rainbow gave a cocky grin as she raised her forehoof in a salute. "That's right. You're looking at the future captain of the Wonderbolts, right here!"

Sparkly gave an encouraging smile and held out her forehoof. "I've seen you in action at the Young Fliers' competition and the Equestria Games," she said. "You showed off some really impressive stuff out there. You'll definitely make the team."

Rainbow smiled back and held out her own forehoof. "Of course I will," she chuckled as she bumped hooves with Sparkly.

*POOF!*

"What the...?" Rainbow Dash looked up in surprise, with Sparkly following her gaze. Behind them, a rolled-up scroll appeared beside Princess Celestia. Lighting up her horn, she unfurled the letter, her eyes darting across as she read.

"What is it, Princess?" Sparkly asked.

"Sorry, my little ponies," Princess Celestia said, rolling the letter back up before it vanished. "But I am needed back in Canterlot immediately for an urgent matter. I will leave Sparkly Skies in your care in the meantime."

"Alright, Princess," Rainbow replied. "I'll be sure to tell Twilight and Sunset that you stopped by."

"Thank you, Rainbow Dash," the Princess said. Without another word, she turned around and stepped onto the balcony. Spreading her wings, she took off towards Canterlot, flying until she became a mere speck against the early morning sky.

"Alright, down to business," Rainbow Dash said, closing the balcony doors and turning to Sparkly Skies. "I'm gonna go get Princess Twilight, just wait here with Sunset until I get back."

Sparkly nodded. Rainbow Dash galloped out of the bedroom, leaving the black-winged pegasus alone with Sunset.

Sparkly looked at the bedroom around her. A large bookcase sat on the far wall, and a couple textbooks were piled up on the nearby desk. Sparkly's eyes caught glimpse of the pictures hanging above them, and she stepped up to take a closer look.

There was one photo taken at the Grand Galloping Gala, showing several ponies laughing and dancing together. Another picture showed two unicorns at a convention, one dressed up as Batmare and looking flustered, the other pulling off a fierce Daring Do. Several more photos lined up next to it, all showing the unicorn that was now sleeping on the nearby bed.

Sparkly's attention turned to Sunset as she began to approach the bedside. Sparkly watched in silence as the unicorn slept, her eyes closed and her body completely motionless except for her breathing.

"Did you do this to her, Star Gazer...?" Sparkly murmured quietly. She didn't hear much from Princess Celestia about what Star Gazer was doing, only that she was causing chaos around Equestria under the name "Night Shade." Star Gazer hadn't been the same since Sparkly's accident, but the pegasus didn't expect this from her friend.

Sparkly also heard that the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well came into conflict with Star Gazer and her followers on many occasions. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered something that Rainbow Dash said earlier. "Wait a minute..."

"She's normally the one handing out all the beatings, but this time she was on the receiving end of a brutal one."

"She's normally the one handing out all the beatings..." "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well... that wouldn't be you, would it...?" Sparkly wondered out loud.

At that moment, Sunset shifted slightly. Startled, Sparkly took a quick step back, watching as the unicorn's eyes slowly opened.

"Wh... what happened...?" Sunset murmured quietly, turning her head and blinking. "How... did I get here...?"

Sparkly didn't say a word as Sunset, groaning slightly, slowly began to sit up, stretching as much as she could without hurting herself. She blinked a couple more times as she looked around her.

"This... this is my bedroom..." she muttered slowly.

"Um... excuse me...?" a voice spoke out.

Sunset's eyes widened. Following her ears, she turned and found a blue pegasus standing beside her bed. She wasn't sporting a rainbow-colored mane, only one made up of several shades of light blue and white. Her wings also appeared to be paralyzed, judging by the pitch-black color.

Sunset frowned. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked.

"My name is Sparkly Skies," the pegasus answered. "And Princess Celestia brought me here."

"Sparkly..." Sunset furrowed her brow. Why does that name seem familiar...? She closed her eyes, trying to remember where she heard it before.

Suddenly, memories of her last encounter with her nemesis flashed across her mind. She remembered a tear-soaked Night Shade screaming about her friend.

Sunset shook her head. No... not Night Shade. Her name is Star Gazer. And she's distraught because of an accident that involved her friend, Sparkly Skies... the pony standing right in front of me. Suddenly, her head started aching, and Sunset placed a hoof on her forehead, grimacing in pain as she remembered the thrashing she took from Star Gazer, the last brutal moments before she blacked out.

Sparkly gasped, quickly stepping up with a look of concern on her face. "Are... are you okay...?" she asked quickly, stepping up to the door. "Do you want me to get somepony...?"

Sunset quickly shook her head. "No. No need, I'm fine," she answered.

An unconvinced Sparkly raised her eyebrow as Sunset continued rubbing her forehead. "Are you sure?" the pegasus asked. "Rainbow Dash said you were beaten pretty bad."

Sunset's eyes snapped open in surprise. "Rainbow Dash...? She's here? She's supposed to be at the Wonderbolt Academy for training!"

Sparkly tilted her head. "Really? Because she just left to get Princess Twilight."

Sunset paused for a moment, only to start rubbing her forehead again as pain shot through it. Two familiar voices rang through her head.

"She's one special unicorn, alright. I'm really happy to have somepony like her as a friend."

"Me too, Rainbow Dash. Me too."

"R... Rainbow Dash...?" Sunset murmured to herself.

"Is something wrong...?" Sparkly asked.

Sunset shook her head again. "No, it's nothing."

Sparkly didn't respond, choosing instead to stare at Sunset. Something about all this was bothering her. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Excuse me... Sunset, right?"

Sunset glanced towards Sparkly. "Sunset Shimmer," she said. "What is it?"

"Um..." Sparkly's gaze turned to the floor, and she began rubbing the back of her head nervously. Crap, how am I gonna ask her? I don't know how she's gonna take it... "Well... this might sound like a weird question to you..." She lifted her head, and she noticed Sunset raising her eyebrow.

"How weird are we talking?" she asked.

"Well..." Sparkly shifted her forehooves and her ears drooped as she tried to come up with something to say. "There's been... something bothering me about you... since I first saw you. And..." Without another word, she closed her eyes.

"What is it?" Sunset asked calmly. "What's been bothering you?"

Sparkly almost wanted to kick herself. She sighed and waved her forehoof dismissively. "Never mind, it's... stupid."

"If something about me is bothering you, don't be afraid to tell me," Sunset replied. "Just say whatever it is you need to say. I won't be offended."

Oh boy... Sparkly thought as she tried to hide the anxiousness on her face. "You sure...?" Sunset nodded confidently.

Sparkly took a deep breath. Here goes nothing, I suppose... "Um... are you... the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?" she said slowly, bracing herself for Sunset's response.

Sunset's response wasn't what she expected. The unicorn's mouth curled into a sly grin, and she just chuckled to herself. "And what makes you think that I'm the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?" she asked, amusement in her voice. "I'd like to hear your explanation."

Caught off-guard, Sparkly needed a moment to recover before speaking. "Well..." she began, tapping her head with her forehoof. "You know-?"

But before she could continue, the bedroom doors opened. Sunset and Sparkly turned towards it as Twilight, still wearing her pajamas and nightcap, entered with Rainbow Dash following behind her.

The two of them stopped in their tracks upon seeing the awakened unicorn. "Sunset Shimmer?!" they cried out in unison and surprise. Before their friend could respond, Twilight jumped forward and tackled Sunset in a hug. The unicorn gasped loudly in pain as she tried to push her off. Rainbow Dash just hovered in the air, trying to hide her laughter.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Sunset!" Twilight cried out as she tried to keep her eyes from tearing up. "I was so worried about you!"

"Twilight!" Sunset squeaked, flailing her forelegs wildly. "Too much... hugging... pain... ow..."

"Hey Twilight!" Rainbow Dash giggled. "You trying to put her in the hospital or something?"

"Huh? Oh my-!" Flustered, Twilight quickly let go of Sunset and started blushing while the unicorn, grimacing in pain, rubbed her aching shoulders. "Sorry, Sunset!"

"Ugh... it's fine, Twilight," Sunset muttered, continuing to massage her shoulders.

"Heh heh..." Twilight nervously chuckled. Turning her head, she suddenly caught glimpse of her guest. "Oh! You must be Sparkly Skies," she said, extending her forehoof. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. I see you've already met my student and friend, Sunset Shimmer."

"Nice to meet you, Princess," Sparkly replied, shaking Twilight's forehoof.

"Just call me Twilight," the princess said, trying her best to avoid looking at the pegasus's wings. They're pitch black... her wings are paralyzed. But the question is... how? Total paralysis in pegasus wings is extremely rare... Is it possible...? "So I'm assuming Princess Celestia explained the situation to you?"

Sparkly's smile faded. "Not everything..." she murmured forlornly. "But I've got the general idea of what's going on. However..." Her worried gaze turned towards Sunset. "You are the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, right?"

Sunset remained silent as she turned towards Twilight. The alicorn simply gave her a small nod, and Sunset looked back at Sparkly. "Yes... I am the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well," she answered firmly.

"So that means... you're the one..." Before she could continue, Sparkly's voice trailed off, and her expression saddened as she turned away.

"Unfortunately... yes," Sunset sighed.

"... Her cutie mark."

Sunset raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Huh?"

"The pony you're fighting... what was her cutie mark?" Sparkly asked nervously.

"Her cutie mark... let's see..." Sunset's mind replayed the events of her last encounter. What was it again...? After a few moments, it came back to her, like an upwards flick of a black cloak. "The Big Dipper... that was her cutie mark. It was a constellation of the Big Dipper," she answered slowly.

"No..." Sparkly's voice began to crack, and tears started to fall from her eyes. "That's her... that's Star Gazer... that's my friend..." She turned around and began sobbing quietly. "I don't... I don't believe this..."

Twilight approached the sobbing pegasus and wrapped her forehoof around her shoulders, doing her best to comfort her. Sunset also caught herself tearing up, feeling sorry for the two friends. Rainbow Dash lowered her flight goggles and turned away from the group, but everypony already knew she was trying her hardest not to be seen crying.

"Star Gazer... how could you do this...?" Sparkly murmured quietly. "What happened to you...?"

"Sparkly... she lost her way," Sunset replied. "And... she's also suffering."

"Wh... what are you talking about?" Sparkly asked, a slight hint of anger in her voice.

"She... she was distraught the last time I saw her," Sunset told her. "I was at her hideout rescuing Daring Do's assistant and an old mentor of mine, and we ran into her on the way out. They mentioned you, and Star Gazer... she, she just broke down."

"Is that why you were...?" Twilight began to ask, but she stopped and shuddered. The memory of her cradling an unconscious and heavily-injured Sunset in her arms still haunted her.

Sunset nodded, and her eyes fell to Sparkly's wings. "Yes. Whatever happened between you two, she was taking it really hard. Her magic got out of control... I was helpless against it." Wincing slightly, she lit up her horn. A teal aura enveloped a small hoof mirror on her dresser as it levitated towards the unicorn. She took the mirror in her hooves and glanced at her reflection.

Sunset always did her best to keep her crimefighting injuries to a minimum. Thugs got in a few lucky shots on many occasions, but her suit's protective padding did an excellent job at softening the blows. As a result, her bruises were usually minor and healed up fairly quickly. Even Star Gazer wasn't able to cause much damage when Sunset fought her in Manehattan. Sure, she took two magic blasts and fell off the rafters, but she wasn't too banged up by it. By the time she and Stray Wind boarded the train back to Ponyville, she had mostly recovered from the fight.

"The first time I fought her, back in Manehattan, I didn't have much trouble with her," she said. "She got a few hits in, but nothing I couldn't recover from quickly. But she was a lot calmer then. Even Stray Wind snatching the Earth Relic from right under her muzzle didn't set her off nearly as much as mentioning Sparkly did." As Sunset gently brushed her bandaged forehoof against her reflection, she realized just how dangerous Star Gazer was without the Relics. If she gets her hooves on them... there's no telling how much damage she'll be able to cause.

"This time... her emotions fueled her magic, and she was merciless as she blasted me and slammed me around like a rag doll. I never got a chance to fight back or even defend myself. She was in pain, and I pleaded with her, begging her to let me help her and Sparkly. But my words fell upon deaf ears." Sunset lowered the mirror and closed her eyes.

"Even as she lifted me into the air, ready to deliver the final blow... I still tried to reach out to her."

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Sparkly all remained silent, watching as a single tear fell from Sunset's eye.

"Star Gazer needs a friend to reach out to," Sunset said. "She needs somepony to be there for her."

"Much like you did when you first arrived in Ponyville," Twilight murmured, gazing at her student. "You also lost your way, and you spent years suffering for it."

Sunset nodded slowly. "And just like me, she pushed away Princess Celestia, who was simply trying to guide us. So somepony else has to-"

"Wait a minute," Sparkly interrupted, catching everypony off-guard. "What do you mean she pushed away Princess Celestia?"

Sunset raised her eyebrow in confusion. "She's been trying to get revenge on Princess Celestia, just for your sake. Didn't you know that?"

"WHAT?!" Shoving Twilight to the floor as she hastily broke free from her embrace, Sparkly galloped towards Sunset.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Rainbow Dash blurted out, lifting her flight goggles and rushing over to Twilight. The alicorn sat up, rubbing her head while Rainbow glared at Sparkly.

Ignoring Rainbow's outburst, Sparkly grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and leaned in close to her face. Sunset winced in pain as she looked into Sparkly's panicking eyes. "What does Princess Celestia have to do with me?!" the pegasus shouted.

"Your wings are paralyzed, aren't they?" Sunset answered hurriedly. "Star Gazer said Princess Celestia was responsible for the accident that caused it!"

Sparkly didn't respond. She let go of Sunset's shoulders and dropped to her hooves, breathing heavily as she tried to make sense of what she just heard. She slowly approached the wall, facing away from the group.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked, her anger fading as she started to approach Sparkly. But a lavender forehoof blocked her path. She turned to find Twilight beside her, who merely shook her head.

Nopony else heard Sparkly Skies as she whispered under her breath.

"It wasn't her fault, Star Gazer... it was nopony's fault. You were just trying to help me fly..."

Author's Note

Shortly after Sparkly Skies' arrival, Sunset Shimmer finally wakes up from unconsciousness. Sparkly is heartbroken to learn about the fate of her friend... :fluttercry:

But she becomes shocked when she finds out that Star Gazer blames Princess Celestia for the accident that paralyzed her wings! :pinkiegasp:

Chapter 19: Grounded Skies

"Star Gazer... why are you blaming Princess Celestia for this? It wasn't her fault."

Sparkly Skies whispered to herself while everypony else in the room remained silent. While Twilight held Rainbow Dash back, Sunset was lost in thought. I get the feeling that Star Gazer didn't tell the whole story... Taking a deep breath, she got the pegasi's attention. "Sparkly..."

Sparkly didn't answer. She remained still, facing the wall with her back turned towards everypony.

"Star Gazer... she's the one who did this to you... isn't she?" Sunset asked.

Sparkly slowly turned her head, and with a long sigh, she nodded. "In a sense, you're right. Star Gazer's the one who paralyzed my wings."

"And she's shifting the blame to Princess Celestia?" Rainbow Dash asked, her face growing tense.

"I honestly don't know why, though," Sparkly admitted. "If it wasn't for her, things might've turned out even worse."

"Wait a minute..." Sunset interrupted, holding up her forehoof. "Princess Celestia was also there during that accident?"

"You could say that," Sparkly answered. "She arrived just before Star Gazer's experiment backfired."

"And what kind of experiment was it?" Twilight asked, wondering why Princess Celestia wasn't supervising it.

Sparkly approached the group and took a long glance at her wings. "She was trying to help me fly."

Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow. "Hold on... what do mean 'help you fly'?"

"My wings... they're extremely underdeveloped," Sparkly answered.

"Underdeveloped?" Rainbow Dash repeated.

"It's the same thing that's happened to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash," Twilight explained. "Sometimes the magic that allows a pegasus to fly takes longer to fully awaken, and as a result, their flight ability is limited. Scootaloo had a hard time flying at first, but her pegasus magic is starting to awaken, and now she can hover in the air at short bursts. Soon enough, she'll be able to fly just like a normal pegasus."

"Thanks for the biology lesson, Twilight," Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "I totally didn't learn how pegasi magic works in elementary school."

"Well, my pegasus magic stayed dormant throughout my whole fillyhood," Sparkly said. "I lost count of how many times I tried to get airborne, but couldn't. It even extended into my teen years. My magic wasn't waking up at all. Not even a small hover inches above the ground."

"Ouch..." Sunset murmured uncomfortably.

"That's just unbelievable!" Rainbow Dash spat out, looking utterly shocked. "I thought Scootaloo had it rough, but you...!"

"I don't know why my magic never woke up. Not even a tiny bit," Sparkly sighed, casting a forlorn glance at her wings. "Even the doctors my parents took me to were confused by it."

"You have any idea what might be causing it, Twilight?" Sunset asked.

Twilight racked her brains, trying to come up with a possible explanation. After a few moments, she shook her head. "Sorry, I don't," she answered sadly. "This is the first time I've heard of a pegasus's magic refusing to wake up at all. It's extremely curious. It might've also piqued Star Gazer's interest."

"Throughout my whole life, I've always been fascinated by stunt fliers," Sparkly said, her gaze fixated on the Wonderbolt cadet. "It was absolutely stunning, watching those daredevil pegasi flip, spiral, and soar through the air fearlessly. And my lifelong dream was to join them. In fact, it was during a Wonderbolts performance ten years ago that I first met Star."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes," Sparkly answered. "Princess Celestia was also with her. They took a day off just to relax, and Star wanted to check out the Wonderbolts show. The two of us bumped into each other in the crowd, she accidentally dropped her notebook and a couple quills, and they just fell right through the clouds. After a ton of apologizing, she decided to forgive me, and we just started chatting with each other. Turns out, Star was also fascinated with stunt fliers, but she preferred to show it scientifically. We spent the whole day just going on and on about the topic. I kept yammering on about the history of the Wonderbolts and other famous stunt fliers, she wouldn't stop talking about angles and physics and all that stuff. Until the end of the day, when we said our goodbyes and left for home."

"But it didn't stop there, did it?" Twilight responded, a small smile forming on her face.

Sparkly chuckled. "We bumped into each other again in Canterlot. My house was only a short distance from hers. We started hanging out with each other, and we became really close friends. Almost inseparable."

"So... what happened?" Sunset asked.

"She and Princess Celestia were also surprised by the fact that my wings were completely unable to fly," answered Sparkly. "And Star knew how much I wanted to be a stunt flier, so she swore that she would help me accomplish that. Since then, she's been obsessed with finding out a way to help me fly."

"And... how far was she willing to go to do it?" Sunset asked hesitantly, memories of her obsession with the Mirror Portal coming back to her mind.

"What do you mean?"

"Was..." Sunset twiddled her forehooves as she tried to get the words out of her mouth. "Was she willing to resort to... dark magic to get you flying?"

"No..." Sparkly answered with a sigh. "Princess Celestia and I both told her we didn't want to get me airborne using dark magic. The Princess even told Star Gazer that she'd dismiss her as her student if she did."

"And yet... she did anyways, huh?" Twilight murmured, glancing towards Sunset.

"Her experiment didn't involve dark magic, but it was still a dangerous one," Sparkly said, glancing towards Twilight. "She's not too much of an alchemy class fan, mostly because of how ridiculously easy it is to completely ruin something you're mixing up. Even the smallest mistake can end badly. You have to be really careful and patient, and patience isn't one of Star Gazer's strong points. But one day, she just ran right up to me after alchemy class, out of breath with excitement. She told me she found the answer to helping me fly again. And it was one of the potion ingredients she learned about that day."

"A potion ingredient?" Twilight repeated. "What kind of... oh no..." Her eyes widened as she came to a realization. "Don't tell me..."

"Something wrong, Twi?" Rainbow Dash asked quizzically.

"She... she didn't try using Essence Stones to wake up your pegasus magic, did she?!" Twilight blurted out, panic evident in her voice.

"Essence Stones?" Sunset repeated, raising her eyebrow in confusion.

Twilight gave an equally confused gaze in Sunset's direction. "Wait... you don't know what Essence Stones are?"

The unicorn shook her head. "My studies with Princess Celestia probably ended before we got around to that," she reasoned. "I might've seen them while I was living with Moon Dusk, but I didn't really give them a thought."

Twilight began to pace around the room. "Basically, an Essence Stone is a small crystal that contains traces of the magic left behind when a pony passes away. They're commonly used as alchemy ingredients, but they're very unstable on their own." She stopped and turned towards Sparkly. "I think I know what Star Gazer tried to do: she tried using an Essence Stone containing pegasus magic to help you fly. Am I correct?"

Sparkly nodded. "She brought me to her alchemy teacher after class one day, and she tried asking if she could borrow a couple Essence Stones. He flat-out refused, saying it was a potentially dangerous and risky idea. She tried to argue with him, telling him how it could possibly help me. He wasn't having any of it, and he scooted us out of the classroom without another word.

"But Star Gazer was persistent. She tried to talk to Princess Celestia about it, and she said the same thing. She didn't want her to try something that could possibly backfire. Star was extremely crabby about it, despite my attempts to reassure her. 'We'll just find something else that might work,' I kept telling her. 'It's no big deal.' Her words told me that she understood, but... something still bothered me about how she was acting. One day, she asked me to meet her in one of the labs on the school campus. I tried to ask her why, but she wouldn't answer. So I arrived at the lab, and she was there waiting for me. And she had something in her saddlebags."

"That mare made off with a couple Stones, didn't she?" Rainbow Dash said, crossing her forearms.

Sparkly nodded again. "During lunch break, when the staff and the rest of the students were outside, she broke into one of the alchemy storage rooms and grabbed a couple Stones. And when I met up with her in the classroom, she had this weird-looking contraption inside. Some kind of helmet-shaped thing that fit around my wings, attached to a machine with a bunch of wires, knobs, and flashing lights. She said it was designed to help awaken my pegasus magic using the Essence Stones. But I'll be honest... the way she looked when she said that... she almost looked like a mad scientist. And it was starting to scare me."

"If she was starting to scare you," Sunset asked, "why didn't you just tell her no? Plus, the alchemist and Princess Celestia told you two it was risky."

"I tried to, but..." Sparkly shuddered. "She kept insisting I give it a try. At some point, I just decided, hey, it's worth a shot. So I agreed to it. She couldn't contain her excitement as she hooked me up to the machine and started it up."

Sunset cringed as she pictured Sparkly being hooked up to the machine like a lab rat. "So what happened after she turned it on?"

Seven years ago...

"You sure this is going to work, Star?" Sparkly asked, nervously eyeing the wing covers she was wearing.

"Positive," Star Gazer replied, crouching down next to the machine as she made a few last-minute adjustments. "Pretty soon, you'll be flying alongside Captain Firefly as a member of the Wonderbolts! It's what you've always dreamed of, isn't it?"

Sparkly chuckled slightly. "I guess," she answered.

Star Gazer mumbled to herself as she took a few more wires in a magical grip and attached them to her machine. "It's almost ready!" she exclaimed, standing up straight and wiping her forehead with her hoof. Her horn lit up, and she levitated a small bundle of crystals out of her saddlebags. Opening a compartment on her invention, she carefully levitated the crystals inside. "Careful now... careful... and..." *CLICK!* "Got it! It's ready to go!" With a small squee, she slammed the compartment shut and turned to face Sparkly. "You ready to take to the skies?"

Taking a deep breath, Sparkly nodded. Here goes nothing... "Ready."

With a nod of her own, Star Gazer lowered a pair of goggles over her eyes and dimmed the lights. Grasping the machine's lever with her forehoof, she began counting. "3... 2... 1..." She pushed the lever down.

Nothing happened at first as the lights began blinking and the machine began to hum. But after a few moments, the humming intensified and Sparkly's wing covers began to give off a flashing light.

"You feel anything yet?" Star Gazer shouted as she kept her hoof on the lever.

"Um... there's this weird feeling in my wings..." Sparkly answered, looking down as her wings began to glow brighter.

"It's probably your pegasus magic finally waking up, try giving them a few flaps!"

Sparkly closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Straining with effort, she began flapping her wings, using her forehooves to gently push herself off the ground. "Come on..." Sparkly continued flapping as her last fetlock left the ground.

"Holy crap! It's working!" Star Gazer screamed excitedly. "Look, you're hovering!"

"I am?!" Sparkly slowly opened one eye, immediately followed by the other when she found herself... a few inches off the ground. She gasped and quickly looked her wings, slowly but surely flapping and keeping her airborne. "It worked, Star Gazer!" she yelled, her face ecstatic. "It really worked!"

"What'd I tell you?" Star Gazer remarked, galloping up to her friend and offering her a hoofbump. "Told you it was worth a shot!"

Unbeknownst to the two giddy friends, another pony was watching them through a crack in the door. One of the teachers was passing by the lab when she heard a commotion. Raising her eyebrow, she glanced towards the door, and through the closed blinds she could make out a series of flashing lights. "What's going on?" the teacher murmured to herself, approaching the door and gently propping it open. She took a peep through the crack, and the sight inside made her eyes widen in shock.

"Oh my...!" She covered her mouth as she saw one of the students inside. Is... is that Celestia's pupil?! She was running some weird machine that was connected to the wings of a young pegasus mare she didn't recognize. The sparks flying from the wing covers made the teacher extremely uncomfortable. What is she doing to that pony?!

At that moment, she heard a series of chattering voices behind her. Pulling away from the door, she turned around and found Princess Celestia escorting a family through the hallways, presumably giving a tour of the school. "Princess Celestia!" the teacher called out.

The Princess turned her head, looking surprised at the sudden outburst. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Star Gazer..." the teacher gasped, wildly gesturing to the classroom door. "She's doing something to a pegasus in there!"

After mentally connecting the dots, Princess Celestia's eyes widened. "She didn't?!" Her expression of shock turning into one of anger, she galloped to the door and shoved it open. "STAR GAZER!!!"

With a yelp, Star Gazer turned around and began sweating nervously. "Princess! What're you doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing," Princess Celestia replied. "I thought I told you it was too dangerous to try using Essence Stones to wake up Sparkly Skies' pegasus magic!"

"But look!" Star Gazer gestured to the hovering pegasus beside her. "It's working! She's flying!"

"Yes... for now," the Princess replied, stepping up to her student and looking down at her. "But remember: Essence Stones are extremely unstable when improperly used on their own. Your friend might be able to fly now, but who knows what else could h-"

At that moment, Star Gazer's machine started shaking violently, making a loud rumbling sound.

"Wh-what's happening?!" the teacher cried out from the doorway.

"Uh... Star? Something's wrong with my wings!" Sparkly cried out, her wings fluttering rapidly. "I can't- WHOA!!!" Before she could finish, she instantly sped off, unable to control her flight. Princess Celestia and Star Gazer dove to the floor as the pegasus zoomed around the lab, crashing through tables and leaving broken lab equipment in her wake.

"Sparkly, slow down!" Princess Celestia yelled, lifting her head only to duck back down as Sparkly narrowly avoided colliding with her.

"I... I can't!" Sparkly shouted, her eyes widened in fear as she continued her destruction.

"Try to get those wing covers off!" Star Gazer barked. "Hopefully it'll stop- OOF!" Her friend tackled her, and Star Gazer found herself unwillingly dragged through the air, screaming and clinging to her friend for dear life.

"Star Gazer!" Princess Celestia cried out. "Hang on!"

"Get it off!" the pegasus cried out to Star Gazer, trying to maintain control of her wings as she swerved past a cabinet and sent several glasses and beakers crashing to the floor.

Star Gazer strained with effort as she tried to yank the wires off her friend's wings. Despite her best efforts, her telekinesis refused to make them budge. "Come on, you stupid thing!" the unicorn growled, straining as the glow of her horn intensified.

"Oh no..." Princess Celestia murmured. Looking around hurriedly, her gaze fell on the machine that was hooked up to Sparkly, rumbling and sparking dangerously. Using her magic, the princess grasped the lever, pushing it upwards. The machine's shaking and flashing slowly died down as it powered down.

Regaining control, Sparkly flared her wings, bringing herself to a screeching halt. Star Gazer let out a sigh of relief as her friend touched down and she rolled off onto the floor. "Whew..." she breathed. "Glad that's over. You okay, Sparkly?"

Sparkly gave a salute with her forearm. "A little shaken up, but I'm all right," she said, hovering a few inches off the ground with a few flaps of her wings.

Star Gazer couldn't help but chuckle. However, the relief on her face disappeared when she looked up and saw the towering figure of her mentor. "Um..."

"Star Gazer," Princess Celestia said. "That was an incredibly dangerous and foolish thing to do. Especially to a close friend."

"I know," Star Gazer sighed. "I just wanted to help Sparkly fly."

"It's understandable that you want to help out your friend," the princess continued. "But attempting something that could possibly hurt her even more... it's fortunate that Star Gazer wasn't severely injured... or possibly worse."

Star Gazer rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Sorry about going behind your back like that. But it turned out okay, right?" She gestured to Sparkly, hovering beside her.

Princess Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a loud rumbling sound accompanied by a series of flashing lights and a loud buzzing sound. Worry taking over her face, she turned around, the two young ponies following her gaze.

Star Gazer's machine was shaking and flashing violently, glowing a deep red as smoke billowed out.

"Hit the deck!" Star Gazer yelled. As the ponies outside the classroom ran off, the ones inside the lab dove behind a desk, Princess Celestia using her horn to cast a protective shield over them. Star Gazer dropped onto her haunches and braced herself for the incoming explosion.

"Uh... guys?!" Sparkly cried out.

Both Princess Celestia and Star Gazer turned their heads. Time slowed down for Star Gazer as her eyes widened in shock at the sight before her.

The wing covers that Sparkly was still wearing.

And just like the machine they were hooked up to, they were glowing a deep red.

"NO! Get rid of-!"

At that very instant, Star Gazer's machine exploded. The blast sent debris and glass flying everywhere, bouncing harmlessly off the Princess's shield. Unfortunately, only Star Gazer and the Princess were safe from harm. Right when the machine exploded, Sparkly's wings started sparking violently and she began to scream out in pain.

"SPARKLY!!!" Star Gazer tried to reach out to her friend, only to pull her forehoof back as she got zapped. "Dammit, no!" She felt nothing but utter helplessness as she was forced to watch her friend in agony, unable to do anything but let tears fall from her eyes.

It only lasted a couple moments, but it felt like an eternity until the zapping finally stopped. As Princess Celestia dropped her shield, Star Gazer crawled up to her friend, who was trembling violently, smoking, and on the verge of blacking out.

"Sparkly?" she murmured. "Are you okay?"

"Ugghh... my wings... they feel funny..." Shifting slightly, Sparkly let out a faint groan and her eyes closed. As she did so, the wing covers fell apart in front of Star Gazer and Princess Celestia's widening eyes.

"Oh no..."

Burnt clean off were the feathers on Sparkly's wings, which were no longer their sky blue color. They were pitch black.

"Her wings..." Princess Celestia murmured. Closing her eyes, she ignited her horn. Her magic aura enveloped Sparkly's wings for a few moments as her apprentice watched. After she was finished, Princess Celestia opened her eyes and turned to Star Gazer. "Star Gazer... I'm afraid that... Sparkly's wings... her wings are paralyzed."

Star Gazer turned to her mentor in shock, unable to accept what she just heard. "P-paralyzed...? You mean-?!"

Princess Celestia gave out a slow, solemn nod. "I'm afraid so. She cannot fly. The pegasus magic within her has completely vanished."

"No..." Star Gazer shook her head and covered her ears, trying to fight back her tears. "No... no, no, there's... no, I don't believe it. Her wings can't be paralyzed! Her pegasus magic can't be gone!" She dropped to her knees, casting a horrified sideways glance at her friend's black wings.

The realization of what Star Gazer did to her friend was too much for her to handle, and she broke down. NO!!! This can't be happening! Star Gazer buried her face into her hooves and began sobbing loudly, tears streaking down her face onto Sparkly's fur. Princess Celestia didn't say a word, instead placing a comforting hoof on her apprentice's shoulder.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Sparkly! Why... I didn't mean for this to happen... I'm so sorry!!!" Star Gazer couldn't get any more words out between her sniffles, and she just lowered her head, crying softly.

Sparkly Skies... what have I done?

The last thing I remember before drifting off into unconsciousness was Star sobbing uncontrollably, apologizing nonstop for the unfortunate event that occurred. It wasn't until several hours later that I woke up in the hospital, where Princess Celestia and the nurse explained to me what had happened with my wings. When Star Gazer's machine exploded, it caused the Essence Stones to overload and zap the pegasus magic out of my wings. As a result, my wings are now pitch black and paralyzed, and I can't fly. I can't even step foot on a cloud without falling through it.

Princess Celestia, my parents, and my friends showed up while I was recovering, trying to cheer me up. Some pink earth pony with a poofy mane and tail also showed up for some reason, completely out of nowhere. I think I might've seen her in Ponyville earlier when Princess Celestia brought me here... Anyways, I had a lot of friends and relatives wishing me a good recovery, but only one pony didn't show up.

That pony, as you can probably guess, was Star Gazer. I heard her just before I blacked out, and she sounded like she was stricken with grief over what she had done. She was probably afraid to speak to me, afraid that I would yell at her or call off our friendship. But I know that she was just trying to help. She knew I've always dreamed to become a stunt flier, and she was desperate to make that a reality. But instead, fate had different plans, and now I'm just a pegasus who can't fly or walk on clouds.

Even when I was checked out of the hospital after recovering, Star Gazer was being distant. Instead, she spent most of her time in the library, reading piles of books. There were a few occasions where we would run into each other on the streets, but my attempts to greet her always ended the same: with her walking past me without so much as a sideways glance. She was almost acting like a completely different pony from the one she was before the accident. A foal could see that the guilt she was feeling bothered her.

I've tried talking to Star, but she insisted on avoiding any discussions about it. "I don't want to talk about it," she would keep saying. On a few occasions, I would try starting a conversation about her, and she would gather up her stuff and leave, giving me the excuse that she needed to study for her classes.

Princess Celestia must've noticed how differently Star Gazer was behaving, because she sent me a letter about it, offering me advice. She knew that Star needed a friend, and she asked me to talk to her, try to get her to listen. But I wasn't able to. And I didn't want to force it on her, pressure her about a topic that's clearly getting to her.

Looking back, I think I should've done that. I should've just straight-up told her what I was feeling. That I didn't blame her, or even hate her in the slightest for what had happened to me. She was trying to be a good friend. And no matter what, she would always be a good friend to me. That's all I wanted to tell her...

But I never got a chance to.

One day, Princess Celestia stopped by my house, bowing her head solemnly. She... she told me that Star Gazer had vanished without a trace. The Princess confronted her the previous night about how she was distancing herself from me, saying that she shouldn't ignore me, especially when I'm trying to tell her my feelings. The next morning, Star Gazer didn't show up for her lessons. The Princess asked the teachers and students if they had seen her, but they all said they hadn't. The Royal Guard conducted a search of her castle, but didn't find hide nor hair of Star Gazer.

"I should've told her!" I shouted angrily, stomping my forehoof. "I should've just told her!" It hurt me deep inside, that Star Gazer would just up and disappear without even so much as a goodbye. She... she couldn't face the music. I tried to comfort Star Gazer, and all she did was push me away and disappear. Star Gazer had vanished.

I made a promise to her and myself that day that if I ever ran into Star Gazer again, I would tell her the truth about how I felt. It wasn't her fault for what had happened to me, and I don't blame her in the slightest. She was just trying to be a good friend. I may never take to the skies, but I don't care anymore. I'd give up my dream of becoming stunt flier just to have Star Gazer back.

She was, and still is, my best friend.

And even today, seven years later, I plan on keeping my promise.

Author's Note

A tragic accident seven years ago leaves Sparkly Skies without her pegasus magic, unable to fulfill her dream of becoming a stunt flier. Stricken with guilt over what had happened, Star Gazer disappears without a trace.

But now, with Sunset and Twilight's help, Sparkly might get a chance to reunite with her old friend, and fulfill a promise she made seven years ago.

Yes, I'm aware that I've come up with some pretty convoluted stuff for this chapter. Honestly, it was the best I could come up with, especially with all the binge-playing I've been doing lately (right now, I'm binge-playing Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, since I can't get The Phantom Pain yet). :twilightblush:

Chapter 20: Sunset's Recovery

Sparkly raised her eyebrow. "Celestial Amulet?"

Twilight lit up her horn, and one of the books she borrowed from the Canterlot library popped into existence. Grabbing it with her magic, she flipped to one of the pages marked by a sticky note. "Simply put, an ancient artifact that bestows great power to the bearer," she began to explain.

As Twilight told Sparkly about the three Relics that made up the Celestial Amulet, Sunset sat up on her bed, lost in thought. She hadn't said a word since Sparkly Skies finished her story. While Twilight expressed concern and Rainbow Dash almost blew a gasket, she remained silent, her brow furrowed as thoughts raced across her mind.

The events of her last encounter with Star Gazer replayed in her head, the distressed unicorn screaming about how Princess Celestia was responsible for Sparkly's accident. But according to Sparkly herself, all the Princess did was try to protect them from harm after Star Gazer's experiment backfired. Despite her best attempts, she couldn't stop Sparkly's pegasus magic from being zapped right out of her.

If Princess Celestia hadn't stepped in, things might have turned out even worse, she thought to herself. So why, Star Gazer? Why are you blaming Princess Celestia for the accident? Is it because you can't accept that you were the one who paralyzed your friend? Was it the guilt too much for you to handle?

Apparently so.

But something else was bothering her even more.

Star Gazer never visited Sparkly in the hospital, and she did her best to keep her distance from her paralyzed friend. If the two did manage to get within talking distance of each other, Star Gazer would make up an excuse to walk away just to avoid an inevitable conversation about the incident. The final nail on the coffin was Star Gazer vanishing from Canterlot without a trace. No note or any other clue to her whereabouts was left behind, and she didn't tell anypony. Not even her best friend.

What kind of friend just walks away without even saying goodbye? Sunset wondered, looking towards the paralyzed pegasus. Did you even think about how Sparkly might've felt? She misses you... she doesn't even care any more about being unable to fly. She's been trying to tell you there's no reason to feel guilty about what happened, and you never gave her a chance.

"Hey Sunset?"

The sound of Rainbow Dash's voice snapped Sunset out of her thoughts. Blinking a few times and shaking her head, she turned to the pegasus standing beside her. "Huh? What is it?"

"Something's definitely on your mind," Rainbow answered. "You haven't said a word since Sparkly finished her story. You mind telling me what you're thinking about?"

Sunset remained silent for a moment, then she motioned for Rainbow Dash to come closer. "Don't tell Sparkly I said this, okay?" she asked.

"Sure thing," the pegasus replied, making a quick Pinkie Promise gesture with her hooves.

Sunset paused to take a deep breath, then she began whispering. "Sparkly told us that she still believes Star Gazer is her friend."

"And what's bothering you about that?"

Sunset glanced off to the side with a frown. "But from what she's told us, Star Gazer, after the accident... she was trying to avoid Sparkly. She never visited her, she walked away whenever Sparkly tried to talk with her... heck, she even left Canterlot without even so much as a farewell." Sunset lowered her head and sighed. "After all that, Sparkly still considers Star Gazer to be a friend. But I'm not sure why."

"Hey, we gave you a chance, remember?" Rainbow Dash whispered, giving Sunset a wink. "You were being an unbearably arrogant snob when you first arrived here-"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Sunset's frown deepened as she remembered how poorly she had treated Twilight and her friends.

"But that didn't stop us from rescuing you from the Everfree Forest," Rainbow continued. "We never gave up on you, despite what you had done to us. We knew that somewhere deep inside you was a friend. And maybe Sparkly believes that about Star Gazer, too. Her childhood friend is still there, just locked somewhere inside, ready to be freed."

Sunset pondered over Rainbow's words, then she turned towards Princess Twilight and Sparkly, who were discussing the Relic of Flight. "I hope you're right, Rainbow Dash," she murmured.

"So basically, that Flight Relic thing... it could help me fly, right?" Sparkly asked.

"As long as you're wearing it, yes," Twilight confirmed with a nod. "But it could also have the potential to be dangerous. One of our friends, a unicorn, experienced the power of the Earth Relic for a short while, and she managed to kick three ponies right through a solid brick wall. If you were to possess the power of the Relic of Flight... it could be possible that even Rainbow Dash would have trouble keeping up with you."

Rainbow froze for a moment, before narrowing her eyes and zooming up to Twilight. "Is that a challenge, Twi?" she said with a smirk.

Twilight did a double take. "What? No!" she blurted out, waving her forearms. "It's just a guess on what would happen if Sparkly used the Relic of Flight!"

"Please," Rainbow replied smugly. "You think that hunk of junk can keep up with moi?"

"It's just a hypothesis, Rainbow Dash!"

"And they're meant to be tested, aren't they? Bring it!"

"We're trying to keep the Relics hidden from Star Gazer, remember?!"

While Twilight and Rainbow continued bickering, Sunset and Sparkly just took quick glances at each other, before bursting out into laughter.

Two days passed by slowly as Sunset recovered from her injuries. At Twilight's urging, she spent the entire first day in bed, with Fluttershy occasionally stopping by to check on her condition. She was woken up early by Fluttershy the next day, just as Celestia's sun was peeking over the faraway horizon. After a small breakfast, Fluttershy asked Sunset if she was able to get onto her hooves.

"If you're feeling okay, that is," she added.

"Doesn't hurt as bad as it did yesterday," Sunset muttered as she sat up on the edge of the bed. After a small stretch, she took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," she said as she started to climb off.

When her fetlocks touched the floor, Sunset winced in pain and stumbled, but Fluttershy was there to catch her. "Easy there, Sunset," she told her, hovering in the air as she tried her best to support the unicorn. "Don't push yourself too hard. The more you do, the longer it'll take for you to recover."

"Urgh... thanks for the help, Fluttershy," Sunset grunted as she struggled to stand up straight.

"Can you move?" Fluttershy asked, looking on in concern.

Sunset lifted her forehoof and placed it down in front of her other one, wincing for a moment. She did the same with her other hooves, slowly making her way to the mirror across the room as Fluttershy hovered beside her. "Yeah... I think I've got it." She approached the mirror and took a look at herself, her eyes widening. "Oh my..."

Sunset had caught a glimpse of her face yesterday using a hoof mirror, but there were a few things she had missed. Underneath her disheveled mane, a bandage was wrapped around her head like a bandanna, and upon closer inspection, she spotted another one wrapped around her barrel. However, the bruises on her face had mostly faded, and her eye was looking a bit less swollen.

"You... you were in pretty bad shape when you arrived here with Twilight," Fluttershy murmured, lowering her gaze. "Your costume also took quite a lot of damage."

"Rarity's fixing it up?" Sunset replied, suddenly realizing she hadn't caught a glimpse of her enchanted pendant since waking up.

Fluttershy nodded. "There were so many rips and tears all over it, Rarity almost fainted when I brought it to her. She told me that she and Twilight would try to add more protection to the costume while you recover. Hopefully it'll help keep you from getting hurt when you get back out there."

"Anything happen while I was out?" Sunset asked, inspecting her swollen eye.

"Other than a couple minor crimes, nothing, really," Fluttershy answered. "Night... I mean Star Gazer and her followers haven't shown up the past few days."

"That's good to hear," Sunset said.

"Sunset..." The unicorn turned to her friend, who was looking at her with a mildly stern expression. "No heroics for the time being. In your condition right now, it'll only put more stress on your body and make it more difficult to get better. So please... don't push yourself too much."

Sunset smiled. "Don't worry, Fluttershy," she told her, placing a forehoof on the pegasus's shoulder. "I'm not looking to cause any permanent damage to myself."

"Thank you, Sunset," Fluttershy answered with a small smile. "Now then... Zecora's got something for you downstairs that'll help speed up your recovery."

"Oh jeez..."

Noticing the worried look on Sunset's face, Fluttershy giggled as she led the unicorn out of the bedroom. "Don't worry, Sunset. Zecora's herbal baths are actually quite relaxing."

Several hours later...

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"Coming!" Twilight called out, placing the book she was reading onto a nearby table. She approached the door, her horn lighting up as she opened it.

"Hello, how may I help-?" Twilight stopped herself as the door swung open, revealing... nopony. Raising her eyebrow in puzzlement, she leaned out the doorway. "Hello? Is anypony here?" she called out.

*BOOM* "GAH!!!"

Twilight stumbled backwards in shock as an explosion went off in front of her. A giant, azure cloud of smoke rose up, accompanied by a series of fireworks and bright flashes.

"BEHOLD!!!" a loud voice boomed. As Twilight got back onto her hooves, she looked towards the smoke cloud. The flashing lights revealed the silhouette of a mare rearing up on her hind legs, a pointed cap on her head and a cape flowing behind her. Twilight just rolled her eyes in amusement as the figure brought its forelegs down, hitting the ground with a boom. The smoke cloud dispersed to reveal...

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!!" As the showmare announced her name, she stood up proudly on her hind legs, her arms outstretched as more fireworks exploded behind her.

"Yep," Twilight chuckled. "Same as always."

As the smoke cleared away, Trixie lit up her horn, levitating off her star-studded hat and cape until they vanished in a flash of light. "Hello... Twilight Sparkle," she said with a sly grin.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Trixie," Twilight said, stepping aside as Trixie walked through the doorway. "What brings you to Ponyville?"

"Why, this little town is the next stop on Trixie's Showstopping Spectacular Magic Tour!" the unicorn announced, her horn lighting up as a rolled-up flyer popped into existence. Trixie unfurled the flyer and levitated it towards Twilight, who took it and gave it a quick glance. "A massive show that has made The Great And Powerful Trixie a star all across Equestria!" she announced grandly. "Watch in awe, fillies and gentlecolts, as Trixie amazes you with incredible displays of magic from beyond your wildest imaginations!"

"Wow... this looks incredible!" Twilight remarked, her eyes widening as she read about the highlights of Trixie's show. "Your magic performances have come quite a long way in the last few years. I definitely need to see this!"

"Well then, Trixie's got you covered!" With another flash of her horn, Trixie's pointed hat appeared. "Hold out your forehoof, Sparkle," Trixie said with a wink.

"Oh! Uh... okay." Twilight held out one of her forehooves, and Trixie placed her hat on top of it.

"And... voila!" Quick as a flash, Trixie's hat disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Coughing for a bit, Twilight looked down at her forehoof, which now held-

"Complimentary tickets to Trixie's Showstopping Spectacular Magic Tour, on the house!"

"Whoa... eight tickets?!" Twilight exclaimed in surprise as she counted the tickets. "This is a bit much, isn't it?!"

"Nonsense!" Trixie declared boldly, waving her forehoof dismissively. "One ticket for you, five for each of your friends, one for Spike, and one for your disciple! Think of it as a thank-you gift for setting Trixie on the right path after... well, you know." She grinned sheepishly, remembering the incidents with the Ursa Minor and the Alicorn Amulet.

"Gee, thanks Trixie," Twilight said. "But Rainbow Dash is in training at the Wonderbolts Academy, and Applejack... she's in Appaloosa helping Braeburn take care of the apple orchard."

"Hmm... I see. Their loss." With a frown, Trixie took two tickets within her magical grasp.

"Wait!" Twilight blurted out. Trixie paused, the tickets dangling over her hat. "I do have a guest in my castle who might be interested in going," Twilight explained. "Do you think you could spare a ticket for her?"

Thinking it over for a moment, Trixie sighed and nodded. "Just this once, Sparkle," she answered, levitating one of the tickets back onto Twilight's hoof. She then dropped the other one back into her hat, before it vanished with a flash.

"Thanks, Trixie," Twilight said.

"Eh... no big deal," Trixie muttered nonchalantly. "By the way, Sparkle..." she added, a look of curiosity suddenly forming on her face. "You never told Trixie the name of your disciple."

Twilight did a double take. "Huh? Didn't I tell you before you left for the tour?"

"You only told Trixie that the pony you were taking under your wing was a former student of Princess Celestia," Trixie stated. "But you never told Trixie who she was."

"Really? I could've sworn I did," Twilight muttered. Suddenly, something in the corner of her vision caught her attention, and she smiled. "Ooh! Perfect timing!" she exclaimed as she clapped her hooves together and trotted past Trixie.

The showmare turned around and spotted two ponies walking out of a side doorway, wearing bathrobes and chatting with each other. And as she took a good look at one of them, her eyes began to narrow dangerously, unpleasant memories from her fillyhood replaying themselves in her head.

You've got to be joking... SHE'S your apprentice, Sparkle?!

"See, Sunset?" Fluttershy asked with a smile. "What did I tell you?"

"You weren't kidding about that herbal bath," Sunset remarked, stopping to give one of her legs a quick shake. The bruises covering her body had completely faded, and while her eye was still slightly swollen, it wasn't as prominent as before.

"Don't get too carried away, Sunset," Fluttershy told her sternly. "It just speeds up the recovery, it doesn't instantly heal your injuries. Your body still needs some rest, and it'll take some time before you're ready to get back out there."

"Oh... right," Sunset replied sheepishly. "But I'm definitely feeling a lot better now. Body's not aching nearly as badly as it did before."

"And it also helps calm your nerves," Fluttershy added with a satisfied smile. "Nothing like sitting in a warm bath and just letting your troubles soak away."

"Tell me about it," said Sunset. "Never felt that relaxed before. Hey, you know those spa dates you and Rarity have every week? Would you mind if I-?"

"Hey guys!"

Fluttershy and Sunset looked up in surprise as an excited Twilight galloped up to them. "What is it, Twilight?" Sunset asked.

"Sunset, there's an old friend of mine who would really like to meet you," Twilight answered, grinning widely and stepping aside for the reveal. Sunset found herself staring at a familiar light blue unicorn... and she was death glaring right at her.

Uh oh... Sunset gulped, breaking into a cold sweat. Please don't remember me... please don't remember me...

"Trixie, I'd like you to meet my apprentice, Su-"

"YOU!!!" Trixie jabbed a forehoof in Sunset's direction, steam billowing out of her ears as Twilight and Fluttershy jumped back in surprise.

Aw crap, she remembers me... Sunset grinned nervously and gave a small wave. "Heh... long time no see, Trixie... heh heh..."

Author's Note

Sunset takes a soothing bath meant to both speed up her recovery and calm her nerves... only to come face-to-face with Trixie Lulamoon, a pony from her fillyhood who's clearly not happy to see her again. :twilightoops:

I'll admit, I'm not exactly good at writing Trixie, but hopefully I did okay. :twilightblush:

Chapter 21: Old Wounds

"YOU!!!"

"Heh... long time no see, Trixie... heh heh..."

Trixie stomped up to Twilight, her azure face getting redder with every deep breath she took. "What the heck is she doing here?!" she shouted, jabbing a forehoof in Sunset's direction.

"W-wait a minute!" Twilight blurted out, frantically waving her hooves. "You two know each other?!"

Sunset rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Eh... kind of...?" she answered sheepishly.

"Pfft! You think THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE would ever forget the despicable unicorn who made my time at the School of Gifted Unicorns a living hell?!" she shouted, leaning into Sunset's face. Fluttershy whimpered and took a few quick steps back, feeling uneasy.

"Sunset?" Twilight asked in a worried voice. "What's she talking about?"

"Yeah... about that..." Sunset slowly began.

Before she could continue, Trixie lunged towards Sunset, tackling her to the ground. The two unicorns tumbled across the floor, Trixie swinging her forehooves at Sunset, who was trying her best to shake her off.

"Stop it, you two!" Twilight shouted, diving into the fray and trying to break it up.

"Oh dear..." Fluttershy muttered, covering her mouth as she watched the three ponies scuffle about. She winced when one of the unicorns accidentally swung at Twilight, knocking her aside and across the floor. "Are you okay, Twilight?!" she exclaimed, approaching the alicorn as she rubbed her forehead.

"Yeah..." Twilight groaned. "Sunset can still hit pretty hard, though..." After a quick shake of her head, she got to her hooves and turned towards Sunset and Trixie. Her horn lit up, a light magenta aura enveloping the two unicorns as she lifted them into the air and pulled them away from each other. "That's enough!" she shouted.

"Let go of me, Sparkle!" Trixie hissed, her arms and legs flailing about as she tried to lunge towards Sunset, who was merely clutching her side and trying to catch her breath.

"Not until you promise to stop fighting!" Twilight responded firmly.

"Ugh! Fine!" Trixie scowled and folded her forelegs, glaring at Sunset. Sunset glanced back at the azure unicorn, slowly sighing as Twilight slowly levitated the two of them onto the floor. They softly landed on their hooves, Trixie scowling at Sunset without saying a word. Sunset shifted slightly, casting a worried glance at the showmare.

"Sunset..." The unicorn turned towards Twilight, who was watching her with a concerned gaze. "Princess Celestia mentioned that you were a bully at school," she said. "I want you to be honest with me... was Trixie one of the ponies you were picking on?"

With a sigh, Sunset nodded. "Yes," she admitted, regret clearly noticeable in her voice. "When I was going through an elitist snob phase back in school. Trixie, she was one of the ponies I was always picking on-"

"And from the very beginning of Trixie's first day when we first bumped into each other, I should point out!" the showmare interrupted, casting an accusatory glare at Sunset. "You pretended to get friendly with Trixie, then you pointed her in the wrong direction and made her late for her history class! Not even a minute into the school day, and you landed Trixie in detention!"

"Yes, I made you tardy for your first class," Sunset pointed out. "But setting off smoke bombs and threatening custodians with rulers? That was all you."

"Wait, what?!" Twilight's eye twitched as she turned towards Trixie with a bewildered expression. "You set off smoke bombs in school and threatened the staff with rulers?!"

"If that unicorn hadn't made Trixie late, she wouldn't have needed to!" Trixie retorted, angrily pointing at Sunset.

"What even made you think that was a remotely good idea?!" Twilight blurted out in disbelief, waving her hooves wildly. "Being tardy is one thing, but-!"

"Trixie wanted to make a good first impression, and being tardy would've interfered with that!" Trixie answered loudly. "Besides..." She cast a sideways glance, blushing slightly. "This is kind of embarrassing," she began. "But..." She hesitated.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

The showmare sighed deeply. "Trixie was... pretending to be a ninja," she grumbled.

Twilight paused for a few moments, trying to take in what Trixie just said. "You were... pretending to be... a ninja?" she asked slowly, raising her eyebrow.

"So what?!" Trixie blurted out, her cheeks burning red. "Go ahead and laugh! Laugh at Trixie for getting herself lost in stupid daydream fantasies!"

"That's part of why I was picking on her so much," Sunset admitted as she glanced at the showmare, who seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. "There were many occasions where she seemed to... well, zone out, get lost in her own little world. Her only real friend there was Vinyl Scratch; other than that, she was always alone, daydreaming. And I just used that as an excuse to pick on her."

Twilight listened to Sunset as she watched Trixie drop to the floor, her head hanging low as she tried to hold back her tears. "Is this true, Trixie?" she asked, concern in her voice.

Trixie remained silent for a few moments, before lifting her head up and nodding slowly. "Yes. I was all alone at school," she answered, dropping her third-pony act. "Nopony wanted to be my friend. Except Vinyl Scratch, but it was probably just because I happened to be in the same boat as her. And Shimmer, she loved to rub in that fact." Tears rolled down Trixie's face as she looked up at the unicorn who teased her when she was younger. "Remember what you told me on the playground, Shimmer?" she asked bitterly. "When I asked you why you had no friends and why none of the other students were admiring you? Do you?!"

As Trixie shouted, a startled Fluttershy jumped up, and she quickly dove into the nearby hallway. Twilight looked on in concern, noticing the pegasus peeking out into the entrance hall nervously.

Sunset winced at Trixie's sudden outburst, taking a step back. "I... I..." she stammered, but Trixie cut her off.

"'I don't need those losers. I'm going to guess you're the next step below that: the kind that can't make friends and has to live in her own little world to feel like she's worth anything.'"

As Trixie spoke, Sunset's mind flashed back to that day, when she said those exact same words to her during their first recess together. She saw a young blue filly glaring at her defiantly, as if she didn't care about what she thought of her. But it was only a ruse: deep inside, Trixie was feeling the harsh sting of Sunset's words.

And only now, as she looked at that same pony in front of her, did Sunset realize how much she had hurt her. "Trixie..."

"Yes, I've had to live in my own little make-believe world to convince myself I was worth something!" Trixie continued, tears continuing to streak down her face and onto the floor. "I've always been alone at school, without any friends except for Vinyl, and you just had to keep rubbing it in! Do you have any idea how much it hurt, Shimmer?! Oh, what am I saying, of course you don't!"

"Trixie, I-"

"You know what the only thing that kept pushing me forward was?!" Trixie interrupted angrily, stomping her forehoof. "My determination to become somepony famous! A pony who would be adored by many! I would show you, I always thought. I'll prove that I'm better than you! Someday I'll be the world's greatest magician, and the only thing you'll ever be is pathetic, bitter, alone in life, and just plain mean!"

"Trixie-" Tears started to roll down Sunset's face as Trixie continued to lash out at her.

"You're nothing but an arrogant snob who has to stomp on other ponies just to make herself feel better," the showmare spat with malice. "No wonder you didn't make any friends; anypony who tried to approach you, you just pushed them away with that inflated ego of yours. I was hoping I'd never have to see you again in my life. But no, for whatever messed-up reason, you're here as Sparkle's student! Was being the personal student of Princess Celestia not enough of an ego boost for you?!"

"Trixie, just listen to me!" Sunset yelled back as she began crying harder. "Princess Celestia sent me here because she wanted me to learn about friendship! I'm not the same pony I was back then, and I'm really sorry for all those awful things I said to you! You didn't deserve any of it, it was wrong of me, and I'm sorry!"

"And why should I believe you, Shimmer?" Trixie shot back, looking insulted. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

"Please..." Sunset begged, fighting back her tears. "All those things you said earlier about me... if Twilight hadn't been there for me, that's how I would've ended up: pathetic, bitter, alone in life, and just plain mean." She dropped to her knees and lowered her head, her eyes continuing to water as she sniffled.

"After I stopped being Princess Celestia's student, that's how I was for two years," Sunset said quietly, but loud enough for Twilight and Trixie to hear her. "Two long years of being haunted by a monster inside me that I was slowly turning into, tormented night after night... feeling nothing but unwarranted rage towards Celestia and Twilight over something so insignificant. I've spent my life pushing everyone away, instead of making friends. When I told you that you couldn't make any friends no matter how hard you tried... I was actually describing myself. I considered friendship to be something that was utterly worthless compared to the power I was craving, so I did everything I could to avoid it."

Sunset turned towards Twilight, a small smile forming on her face as she continued speaking. "But Twilight and her friends helped me realize the error of my ways, and taught me to embrace the magic of friendship... something I desperately needed. They've turned my life around for the better, and I can't thank them enough for it."

Trixie remained silent, still crying softly and glancing at Sunset with an unsure look. After a few moments, she turned away again. "Hmph."

Sunset lowered her head and sighed. "I'm not asking you to forgive me, Trixie," she said. "What I did to you was inexcusable. You were already hurting from not having any friends and being all alone, and all I did was twist the knife even further. And I'm deeply sorry for that. I just want a chance to start over, a chance to become friends and hopefully make up for my wrongdoings. That's all I'm asking from you." Sunset sighed and wiped her face with her forehoof. "But if you don't want to... I understand."

Trixie didn't say anything as her eyes fell on Sunset. Watching the unicorn that relentlessly made her feel miserable breaking down in front of her, she had conflicted feelings. On one hoof, she resented her for all those nasty things she said to her. On the other, it almost hurt Trixie to see her breaking down like this. She never expected to run into Sunset Shimmer again, and certainly not under these circumstances. She didn't know how to respond.

Noticing her hesitation, Twilight stepped up and placed her arm around Trixie's shoulder, catching her attention. "Just give her a chance, Trixie," the alicorn said. "She's come a long way, just like you have."

Trixie remembered the Alicorn Amulet incident from long ago, before Twilight became a princess. After how horribly I treated everypony, especially Sparkle and her friends... I never expected them to forgive me. Yet, that was precisely what happened. Twilight offered her a second chance, and despite a somewhat rocky start, they slowly became friends.

Soon afterwards, Trixie returned to her traveling magic show. At first, she had trouble drawing in an audience, the Ursa Minor incident still fresh in ponies' minds. But with the encouragement and support of Twilight and her friends, that changed and soon, her magic show became a huge success, with thousands of ponies crowding in front of her stage. As her audience grew, so did her show, featuring more elaborate and awe-inspiring tricks and illusions that left fillies and gentlecolts wide-eyed, until she was a hit all across Equestria.

She had shown Sunset Shimmer.

Trixie always thought it would be a satisfying victory for her if she had encountered Sunset again after becoming a star. She was ready to brag and gloat, rub her triumph in the snobbish unicorn's face.

But the last thing she expected was for Sunset to actually apologize to her first and beg for forgiveness.

There was a part of Trixie that believed Sunset's breakdown was all a ruse, that she was still an arrogant elitist hoping to catch her off-guard with a fake act for sympathy. She would never have even considered giving Sunset a second chance after all that had happened between them.

That is, if it wasn't for Twilight and her friends. They helped Trixie turn her life around for the better; heck, they even managed to befriend Discord, who had previously tried to drive a wedge between them during a takeover attempt. That was no small feat, either. If Sparkle and her friends could pull that off...

Trixie groaned. Dammit, Sparkle. "Fine," she grumbled.

Sunset looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"Trixie will give you a second chance, Shimmer," Trixie told her rather grudgingly.

"Oh my..." Sunset covered her mouth in surprise, not believing what she was hearing. "Are you serious, Trixie?"

"If Sparkle says you deserve a second chance, then Trixie will give you one," the showmare bluntly stated.

Sunset lowered her forehooves to reveal a heartfelt smile. "That's... thank you so much, Trixie!" she cried out happily. "You don't know how much this means to-"

Trixie held up her forehoof, abruptly cutting off Sunset. "Don't think this means Trixie forgives you, because she doesn't," she said, her face taking on a serious expression as she slowly approached the amber unicorn. "She wouldn't even be giving you a second chance at all if Sparkle hadn't taken you under her wing. Trixie still doesn't trust you, and she'll be keeping a close eye on you. So don't try anything funny, or we're done." She leaned in towards Sunset's face with a cold stare. "Got it?"

"Got it," Sunset replied with a nervous grin.

Eyes narrowing, Trixie stared at Sunset for a few moments, before slowly pulling herself away. The two continued watching each other, not saying a word.

Twilight was the first to break the silence. "Okay then!" she said cheerfully, clapping her hooves together. "Uh... Trixie, you seem a little tense. If you'd like to relax a little, Zecora's got a relaxing herbal bath set up upstairs."

"No thanks," Trixie stated, still glancing at Sunset. "Trixie needs to set up her stage for the show tomorrow night."

"Oh, is that why you're here in Ponyville?" Sunset asked. "Your magic tour?"

"Pfft, why else?" Trixie scoffed. "Ponyville is the next stop on The Great And Powerful Trixie's Showstopping Spectacular Magic Tour!"

"And Trixie offered us complementary tickets for the show!" Twilight added, her horn lighting up as she showed Sunset the bundle of tickets. "We finally get to see her perform on stage!"

"I've actually caught a few glimpses of her show myself," Sunset said. "It's some really mind-blowing stuff."

"Really?" Trixie raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "You've seen some of Trixie's performances before? Because Trixie doesn't recall seeing you in the audience before."

"Oh! Uh..." Sunset gulped, suddenly realizing what she had said. She did catch some of Trixie's performances, but it was during her night patrols as Mare-Do-Well. On a few occasions, uneventful patrols would coincide with Trixie's show, and Sunset would sit on a nearby rooftop, watching the showmare's awe-inspiring performances to pass the time. She doesn't know I'm Mare-Do-Well, though... and if I tell her now, she might take it the wrong way. "What I meant to say was..." Sunset stammered.

"Forget it," Trixie muttered, waving her forehoof dismissively. "Trixie doesn't need your lies. Now then..." She turned towards Twilight and gave her a small smile. "Trixie must be off to prepare for her performance."

"Okay, Trixie," said Twilight, watching the unicorn approach the castle doors. "We'll be there at your show tomorrow night. See you then!"

"Back at you, Sparkle," Trixie said with a smirk. Rearing up on her hind legs, she slammed her forehooves to the ground. A large smoke cloud exploded at the point of impact, covering the entire foyer and causing Sunset and Twilight to cough for a few moments. By the time the smoke had cleared and the two ponies had lifted their heads, Trixie had already vanished.

Sunset let out a forlorn sigh, catching Twilight's attention. "Is something wrong, Sunset?" she asked.

Sunset remained silent for a few moments, looking out at the doorway where Trixie disappeared. Twilight followed her gaze, then glanced back at her apprentice. "It's Trixie, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sunset answered, closing her eyes. "I... I never knew how much I hurt her back in school. All those awful things I said to her..."

"That's in the past, though," Twilight reminded her. "You might not be able to undo your mistakes, but what's important is that you learn from them and continue moving forward. Things will get better between you and Trixie, I'm sure of it."

Sunset opened her eyes. Outside the castle, in the distance, she could barely make out Trixie, galloping towards Ponyville to prepare for her performance.

"I hope you're right, Twilight," she whispered to herself as she watched the figure disappear over the horizon.

"Come on, just a little bit more!" Daring Do shouted. She, Dusty Runes, and Applejack pushed against the giant stone door with as much force as they could muster. All three of them were exhausted and messy, having been forced to outrun collapsing ruins and dodge traps in their pursuit for the Relic of Magic. Daring's adrenaline rush hadn't quite worn off yet as she kept her eyes and ears open.

"Please let this be it," Dusty groaned, straining from effort.

Slowly but surely, the stone door opened, revealing a vast chamber. Daring, Dusty, and Applejack slowly stepped inside, their steps echoing throughout the room. Other than a few torches lining the walls, skeletons littering the floor, and a small pedestal in the center, it was completely empty.

"Don't let your guard down just yet," Daring reminded them. "This room might have a couple tricks up its-"

"Is that it, Daring?!" Dusty shouted, jumping up and down excitedly as she pointed at the pedestal. Daring and Applejack followed Dusty's hoof, and grinned. On top of the pedestal sat a small, crystalline bust of a unicorn head, its empty eyes glowing menacingly.

"YEEHAW!!!" Applejack whooped, rearing up and kicking her forelegs excitedly.

"The Relic of Magic!" Daring Do shouted excitedly. "We've finally found- DUSTY?!" Her smile faded into a look of horror when she spotted her partner galloping straight for the Relic. Her heart began pumping faster, and her leg and wing muscles tensed up. "You idiot!" she yelled, taking to the air as she shot towards Dusty, tackling her to the ground.

"Ack-! What the hell, Daring?!" Dusty shouted, spitting out some dust and glaring at her friend.

"What if this room was rigged with a trap?!" Daring shot back as Applejack approached the two archaeologists. "What if something happened?!"

Suddenly, Applejack's ears perked up as she heard a noise coming from the doorway. She turned around, and her eyes widened. "Uh... girls?" she said, prodding Daring with her forehoof. "Something did happen."

"Great," Daring grumbled, throwing her hooves up in exasperation. "Nice going, Dust-"

"It ain't Dusty's fault, sugarcube."

"Huh?" Daring pushed herself onto her hooves and turned towards Applejack. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talkin' about them," Applejack replied, pointing towards the doorway. Daring and Dusty took a look, and their eyes suddenly narrowed as they realized what, or rather who, she was talking about.

"Well, well, well..." Star Gazer chuckled with a smirk, her horn lighting up as a group of cloaked ponies stepped up beside her. "This will be fun..."

Author's Note

Finally, after a month and a half, Chapter 21 is out! :yay:

Sunset Shimmer is one of the last ponies that Trixie Lulamoon wants to run into, given the bitter history they shared in school. At Twilight's urging, Trixie gives Sunset a second chance, though there is still a hint of resentment and distrust. :trixieshiftleft: Meanwhile, Daring Do and Applejack manage to find the final Relic, but they might have trouble getting it back to Twilight's castle... :twilightoops:

Trixie and Sunset's backstory is taken from another MLP fanfic, "The Great And Daydreaming Trixie" by ShadeJak, where Trixie gets caught up in childhood fantasies during school and has to deal with an antagonistic Sunset. At the time of this writing, it's incomplete, but it's a pretty fun story worth checking out. You should also check out ShadeJak's other stories while you're at it, especially his MDW fics starring Rainbow Dash. :rainbowdetermined2:

Besides, it might give you something to read while I waste another month and a half getting the next chapter out because I'm getting sidetracked a ton. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 24: Get Ready 2 Rokk

"Miss Mare-Do-Well..." the stallion chuckled as he took a long glance at the costumed mare in front of her. His eyes skimmed over the armored bodysuit, the boots covering her hooves, the belt pouches resting on her sides, the grapnel launcher secured on her foreleg.

"Picked up a few new tricks, I see. I'll admit: I almost didn't expect you to show up. Thought you'd have hung up the cape and cowl after the thrashing you took from Night Shade."

"And let scum like you roam free to terrorize innocent ponies across Equestria?" Mare-Do-Well growled, her glare piercing through the empty eye lenses on her mask. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged." He clapped his hooves together, attracting the attention of the three cloaked pegasi flying over the arena. All of them closed in on the stage, stopping behind their leader and hovering in place.

"Hmm..." the stallion mused as he turned around and faced the group, noticing something off. "Where's the fourth one?"

"Knocked unconscious, Diamond Cross," one of the pegasi answered promptly. "He had his head shoved through a magician's hat from what it looks like."

"Wow," Vinyl muttered, casting an amused glance towards Octavia. "Sounds painful."

"Diamond Cross..." Mare-Do-Well said, glancing at the leader of the cloaked ponies. "So that's your name, eh?"

Diamond Cross let out a small chuckle. "I guess you could say that," he answered, casting a look at Mare-Do-Well. "What about you, Miss Mysterious? Who's the mare hiding underneath that mask?"

"You'll have to rip it off to find out," Mare-Do-Well replied coldly, crouching down. "So... who's gonna be the first to try?"

One of the cloaked pegasi let out a yell and threw himself forward in a dive bomb, his hooves and wings outstretched. Rolling her eyes, Mare-Do-Well simply raised her forehoof and fired her grapnel launcher, the claw grabbing onto the pegasus's cloak. Before he could register what was going on, he found himself faceplanting onto the stage floor with a scream, followed by a loud *SMACK!* as a hoof slammed into his backside.

Trixie frowned as she looked down at the now-unconscious pegasus in front of her. "That was pathetic," she deadpanned.

Mare-Do-Well slammed down her forehoof as the grapnel line retracted back into the launcher. "Who's next?!" she shouted out fiercely. "Hopefully you'll put up more of a fight than he did!"

The two remaining cloaked pegasi spread their wings, ready to engage, only to stop at the sound of a low, gruff voice.

"No," the large earth pony spoke out, holding out a long wooden staff in his forehoof. "I will be the one to battle her."

Mare-Do-Well watched as the two pegasi shrugged and flew back to Diamond Cross. Her eyes were locked on the earth pony as he slowly stepped forward with a stoic expression. Silence filled the air as he stopped a few short feet away from the costumed mare. He removed his cloak in a flourish and threw it aside, revealing a dark grey robe covering his body. What little of his jet-black mane hung behind his head in a ponytail, along with his equally short tail. The seat of his robe, where a cutie mark would be on his body, was adorned with a ying-yang symbol accompanied by a pair of crossed swords.

This guy looks like he means business... Mare-Do-Well and the stallion locked eyes with each other for a few intense moments, until the stallion closed his eyes and bowed.

"Greetings," he declared. "I am known as Silver Blade."

Mare-Do-Well returned Silver Blade's bow with one of her own, her empty eyes glaring out from underneath the brow of her fedora. "Silver Blade..." she repeated in a low voice. "I believe Trixie already told you who I am, not that you needed it."

The stallion straightened his posture, bringing himself up to full height. "Your reputation precedes you, shadow warrior," he replied, his expression unwavering.

As she also stood up straight, Mare-Do-Well couldn't help but chuckle at Silver Blade's remark. "Shadow warrior, eh?" she said with a smirk. "Never been called that before."

"A fitting title for one such as yourself," Silver Blade continued, pointing his staff at the costumed mare. "The garments you wear blend in with the shadows and strike fear into the hearts of those who dare to oppose you. And those who oppose you are met with a force to be reckoned with, your skills in combat unmatched. Especially impressive for a unicorn such as yourself, who are not usually gifted with the strength and agility of the other pony races."

"How flattering," Mare-Do-Well replied smoothly, lifting the brim of her hat. "And what about you?"

"I have journeyed across Equestria my entire life, training my body and mind, always seeking out worthy opponents to do battle with," he declared. Crouching down, the stallion began twirling the staff over his head. Everypony watched as the staff spun in his hooves, becoming a blur that moved across his entire body as he flipped and jumped in place like a gymnast.

"There is nothing I thirst for more than the thrill of battle," Silver Blade said. "And you, shadow warrior..." At that instant, he took a massive leap into the air and swung his staff down. Octavia and Trixie gasped loudly, Vinyl letting out a sudden "ACK!" as the warrior landed right in front of Mare-Do-Well, who didn't even flinch as the end of the staff stopped just inches from her masked face.

"...are my next challenger," he finished.

"Jeez, melodramatic much?" Vinyl muttered, rolling her eyes and giving Octavia a "get a load of this guy" gesture with her hoof. Silver Blade glared at the DJ with his eyebrow raised, prompting her to stammer and take a nervous step back.

Mare-Do-Well looked up at Silver Blade and nodded. "Fine. I accept your challenge," she answered. "I was planning to fight you anyways, considering that you just crashed Trixie's show and attacked innocent bystanders."

"Excellent!" Silver Blade declared loudly. "This battle will last until one of us falls or submits. Any combat techniques and tools may be used. The only rule: no outside interference. If such a thing happens, the one receiving assistance will forfeit." He glanced at all the ponies around him: the cloaked ones behind him, the two musicians, and the showmare. "Is that clear?"

"Fine by me," Mare-Do-Well chuckled, crouching down and pawing the ground with her forehoof. "Whenever you're ready."

Silver Blade chuckled and lifted his staff over his head. "Do not disappoint me now."

Mare-Do-Well returned a chuckle of her own. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Everypony held their breath as the two fighters silently stood opposite each other for a few moments. Mare-Do-Well glared at her opponent, sizing him up. I've never encountered a martial artist before, unless you count Rainbow Dash... if he's as experienced as he looks, I can't afford to get careless. Let's see how good he is first.

Before anypony could blink, Mare-Do-Well vanished in a flash of light. She reformed right above Silver Blade's head, her hind leg outstretched. Silver Blade quickly brought his staff up and intercepted the attack, catching Mare-Do-Well's hoof. Swinging it over his head, he threw the costumed mare across the stage. With a flip, Mare-Do-Well landed on all four hooves, looking up as her opponent closed in on her with his staff.

Mare-Do-Well ducked the first swing and sidestepped the second. On the third, she grabbed the edge of her cape and pulled as hard as she could, bringing the other end into the stallion's face and leaving him dazed for a few moments, giving her enough time to throw two quick punches into Silver Blade's muzzle. Before she could follow up with a third strike, the stallion grabbed her forehoof and delivered a solid kick into her gut, sending her crashing into one of the stage's backdrops.

Mare-Do-Well shook the stars out of her head as she pushed herself onto her hooves. A shadow appeared above her, and her eyes widened as she spotted Silver Blade attempting to strike from above. Raising her forehoof, she fired her grapnel launcher at a scaffolding above her. Silver Blade's staff struck the very ground she was standing on as she shot upwards.

As she clambered onto the scaffolding, slightly winded from being pulled up so quickly, a voice reached Mare-Do-Well's ears. Looking down, her eyes narrowed as she spotted Diamond Cross laughing madly.

"While those two are busy, let's say we have a little fun with you nice young ladies," he cackled as the two cloaked pegasi swooped towards Vinyl and Octavia.

"This is SO not cool!" Vinyl groaned loudly as she and her partner fled into the backstage area, the two pegasi right on their tails.

"Oh no you don't!" Trixie roared, her eyes glowing dangerously. Before she could take off after the four ponies, a blast of magic struck her, and she collapsed onto the floor. Ignoring the pain and growling furiously, she looked up as Diamond Cross stood above her, an evil grin spread across his face.

"Ah ah ah," he said in a disapproving tone. "Let's not make this quick and boring, shall we?"

"Go to hell," Trixie spat out. This response was met with a sharp kick to her side.

"Looks like somepony needs to teach you some manners," Diamond Cross replied coolly as Trixie glared at him, clutching her side in pain.

Above them, Mare-Do-Well's rage was building up within her as she watched the scene unfold. You've gone too far, punk. When I get my hooves on you-

Her thoughts were interrupted as she was dealt a sharp blow to the back of her head and was knocked to the floor. Her ears were ringing as she turned her head, her eyes widening at the sight behind her. "Uh..."

"You weren't thinking of running away, were you?" Silver Blade taunted with a sly grin as he twirled his staff.

Mare-Do-Well's mouth curled into a smirk that was visible through her mask. "Who said I was running away?" Without waiting for a response, Mare-Do-Well brought up her hind leg, knocking the staff out of Silver Blade's grasp. As it flew upwards, she rolled underneath the stallion and lifted herself up on her front hooves, thrusting her hind legs towards her opponent. Her bandaged hooves connected with his chest, knocking Silver Blade back a few feet, but he remained firmly on his hooves. Mare-Do-Well galloped forward, aiming a punch at Silver Blade's muzzle. He deftly blocked the blow with his hoof and attempted to counter with a punch, whiffing the brim of Mare-Do-Well's fedora as she dove to the side.

Rolling onto her hooves, the masked heroine looked up, spotting Silver Blade's staff falling towards the battling pair. Lighting up her horn, she attempted to grab it using her telekinesis.

Unfortunately, despite concentrating as hard as she could, the staff refused to obey her, continuing its plummet until Silver Blade jumped up and snatched it out of the air with a front flip.

"What the-?!" Mare-Do-Well barely had time to blurt out before she jumped backwards, narrowly missing Silver Blade's attack. "My magic... how-?!"

Silver Blade merely let out a laugh as he pointed his weapon at Mare-Do-Well. "You think I'm not aware of the gift of magic that unicorns possess?" he answered with a smirk. "An enchantment has been placed on my staff, nullifying any magic that could be used against it, including telekinesis."

"A staff that is immune to magic, eh?" Mare-Do-Well repeated, curiously eyeing the staff. I definitely need to tell Twilight about this! "Good to know. Too bad magic's not the only thing I have at my disposal." Reaching into her belt pouch, she tossed a pair of flash bombs at Silver Blade, blinding him for a moment as they detonated. While he was disoriented, Mare-Do-Well followed up by firing her grapnel launcher at the staff. Pulling with all her strength, she yanked the weapon out of the stallion's grasp, catching it in her hooves as it flew towards her.

Silver Blade couldn't help but grin. "Well played, shadow warrior," he told her with a hint of amusement in his voice. "But do you know how to wield it in combat?"

Actually, no. But there's no reason to tell him that. Mare-Do-Well gave a smirk as she stood on her hind legs, holding the staff straight up with one forearm. "Why don't you find out?"

"Very well, then!" Silver Blade rushed forward, his forehoof raised and ready to strike. Gripping the staff in both of her forearms, Mare-Do-Well charged towards her opponent, her cape flapping madly behind her as she and Silver Blade closed in on each other.

"This SUCKS! Worst. Gig. EVER!"

"Gee, thanks for the update, Vinyl!"

While Octavia glared at Vinyl in annoyance, the two musicians galloped as fast as they could, making their way through the backstage area. Flying right above them were the two cloaked pegasi.

As Vinyl and Octavia sped past an aisle of stage backdrops, the DJ turned around, her eyes widening as a pegasus swooped down at them. Grabbing Octavia's hoof, she quickly ducked around a corner, pulling her friend out of the pegasus's flight path at the last second.

"Thanks Vinyl," Octavia muttered as she tried to catch her breath. "Why are these ruffians even-" Her sentence was cut off as she looked straight ahead, spotting something approaching from behind Vinyl. "GET DOWN!"

"What the-?!" Vinyl was instantly tackled to the ground by Octavia before she could react. The two hit the floor, their manes blowing in a sharp breeze as the other pegasus sped right over them, laughing.

Vinyl growled under her breath as she pushed herself onto her hooves. "Yeah, keep on laughing, punk!" she shouted angrily, shaking her forehoof. "Just wait til Mare-Do-Well kicks your-!"

"Vinyl!"

The DJ stopped and turned around, scratching the back of her head nervously as an irritated Octavia got to her hooves. "Oh... uh, thanks Tavi."

"Hmph," Octavia muttered as she followed Vinyl down the aisle. "Normally, I'd ask you to show more class, but considering who we're dealing with..." She let out a long sigh and lowered her head. "Why would anypony want to attack a magic show of all things?"

"You seen all the crap those cloaked freaks did in cities throughout Equestria?" Vinyl responded, keeping her eyes and especially her ears open. "As far as I'm concerned, they're just terrorists, they do this because reasons. Or maybe they just love getting their butts kicked by Mare-Do-Well, who knows?"

Octavia frowned. "But why do you suppose they wanted to know where Applejack was?" she asked Vinyl. "They said they had some kind of beef with her."

"Does it really matter, Tavi? Besides, they're just asking for a whoopin' if they're going after one of Mare-Do-Well's friends."

Octavia raised her eyebrow at Vinyl's remark. "Applejack is one of Mare-Do-Well's friends...?" she repeated, casting a suspicious glance at the DJ.

"Well duh," Vinyl answered, an eye roll hidden by the lenses on her sunglasses. "Hell, she's friends with all the Element bearers, even Princess Twilight."

Octavia stopped in her tracks, never taking her gaze off the unicorn in front of her. "Vinyl..." she said slowly. "Why does it sound like you know who the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well really is?"

Vinyl turned around, lifting her shades above her eyes and giving a wink. "Not exactly, but I do have my suspicions," she answered with a sly grin.

Octavia wasn't buying it. "You're joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Actually, yes. You do."

Vinyl groaned loudly. "I'm serious, Tavi! Just hear me out!"

Octavia narrowed her eyes. "Okay, Vinyl. I'm listening," she said slowly, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"Okay," Vinyl began, lifting her sunglasses so that they rested on top of her head. "Remember that Nightmare Night gig I had in Ponyville last year?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Octavia asked, crossing her forearms.

"That's when Mare-Do-Well returned," Vinyl answered as she slowly approached Octavia, her expression nothing short of serious. "A bunch of little kids were about to get snatched away, but she swooped in and turned him into a pinata. Well, earlier that evening, a certain unicorn was on the dance floor, also wearing a Mare-Do-Well costume."

Octavia wasn’t impressed at this response, as indicated by her loud groan followed by a facehoof. “So what? That doesn’t prove anything!”

“Okay, maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Vinyl admitted. “But I have this strong feeling that it’s not.”

“Okay, let’s say you’re right,” Octavia replied. “So who’s the unicorn who dressed up as Mare-Do-Well?”

Vinyl leaned in close to Octavia before answering. "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well is Sun..." Vinyl's eyes suddenly narrowed as she stopped mid-sentence.

Octavia raised her eyebrow, waiting for Vinyl to finish. "Well? Who is she?"

Vinyl held up her forehoof, cutting off Octavia. "Hold on a minute." Her ears perked up, and she turned towards the stack of boxes behind her. Octavia held her breath as she watched Vinyl examine it closely, placing her ear against the stack. Then suddenly, she spun around and kicked it over with both of her hind legs.

"Vinyl!" Octavia blurted out in shock. "What are you-?!"

But before she could continue, two other voices reached her ears, coming from the direction of the mess Vinyl just created. "Holy-!" "How did she even-OWWW!!!"

"Come on, Tavi!" Vinyl shouted as she grabbed Octavia's forehoof. She led her down the aisle and around the corner. As they ran past the adjacent aisle, Octavia spotted the pile of boxes that Vinyl had kicked over. And struggling to free themselves from underneath the pile were the two cloaked pegasi.

"How'd you know they were there?!" Octavia blurted out in disbelief.

Vinyl gave her friend a smirk. "Keen sense of hearing, remember? I could hear them whispering from the next aisle!"

"Oh right," Octavia muttered as she followed Vinyl close behind. "Given how loudly you blast your music, I always forget about that. Got any ideas?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Vinyl answered hurriedly as she rounded another corner, Octavia on her heels.

"Hey! There they are!" In a panic, the two musicians turned around, their pupils shrinking as they spotted one of the cloaked pegasi flapping behind them. There was a crash as his partner flew into him, blinded by a cardboard box covering his head. As the two tumbled around in a heap, Vinyl pulled Octavia into a narrow hallway.

"Why don't ya watch where you're going, ya klutz?!" "Move it, you're stepping on my cloak!"

"Vinyl?!" Octavia asked worriedly as she followed the DJ.

"Just give me a..." Vinyl's eyes lit up as she passed a doorway leading into a room filled with instruments and large speakers. Her mouth curled up into a smirk as an idea formed inside her head. "Oh ho, this'll do nicely."

"Wait, what are you-?" Before she could finish, Octavia found herself being pulled into the room. She watched for a few moments as Vinyl slammed the door shut and began rummaging around the room, before an annoyed expression took over. "If you've got a plan, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't leave me in the dark like this," she grumbled.

"How are you on the drums, Tavi?" Vinyl asked, her horn lit as she began messing with the sound system, turning the knobs all the way up and plugging in various equipment.

Octavia raised her eyebrow in confusion. "It's been a long time, but I bet I could probably still play them fairly well," she replied slowly. "Why?"

"Heh heh..." Vinyl chuckled as she threw a pair of drum sticks towards Octavia, who clumsily managed to catch them in her hooves. She was too busy juggling them to notice the pair of earplugs flying towards her until they bounced off her muzzle. Looking up, she spotted Vinyl holding a guitar in her hooves, her ears plugged up. Her horn was lit, and enveloped in her red magic aura were two sets of wireless headphones.

"I'll kill the lights, you lure those punks in here," Vinyl told her with a sly grin. "I'll slip these babies over their ears once I shut the door. Then... we blow the roof off their heads."

"End of the line, missy!"

*SLAM!* After chasing Octavia through the backstage area, the two stallions suddenly found themselves in complete darkness.

"Hey, who turned off the li-" They let out a yell as something was shoved tightly over their heads, covering their ears.

"What is this?!" one of the stallions shouted as he tried to wrestle it off.

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED, YO!" a voiced boomed out.

"Who- where are ya, punk?!" the other stallion growled loudly, slamming his hooves together and clearly not amused.

"LET THERE BE LIGHT!"

A pair of bright spotlights suddenly ignited, temporarily blinding the two stallions. They tried to shake the spots out of their eyes, only to get interrupted when the voice rang out again.

"LET THERE BE SOUND!"

Suddenly, an absurdly loud techno beat slammed against their eardrums, coming from the headphones they suddenly realized they were wearing.

"That little-! Get it off!" they shouted as they tried in vain to throw the headphones off. Unfortunately, they refused to budge, and the pegasi ended up tripping over each others' cloaks.

"LET THERE BE DRUMS!"

The stallions looked up, spotting Octavia at the seat of a massive drum set. Smirking, she gave three quick taps with her drumsticks...

"Oh crap."

...before bringing them down in a furious flurry of beats. Beats that pounded the stallions' ears without mercy. They dropped to their knees, clutching their throbbing heads as Octavia continued to lay on the drums, her hooves moving faster than they could keep track of.

"How the hell does she even know how to drum like that?!" one stallion yelled out in disbelief as he clutched his head in pain, watching the normally-classy musician beat on the drums like a madmare. "I thought she was just some lame violinist!"

"That's cellist to you," Octavia replied with a smirk. "And I used to play drums in my school's marching band."

"What'd you say?!"

"LET THERE BE GUITAR!"

"Oh come on!" one of the stallions screamed as Vinyl jumped in front of Octavia, holding a guitar in her hooves. Giving a quick nod to Octavia, she turned to the stallions with a smirk on her face, their fearful expressions giving her a feeling of satisfaction.

"Please don't-!"

The stallion never got to finish his sentence as Vinyl let loose a loud power chord from her guitar, emitting a deafening noise that caused the stallions to reel back. Her hooves moved across the strings of the guitar as she began playing a loud riff that added even more decibels to the sound coming out of the headphones.

"Make it stop! PLEASE!!!" a stallion cried out, his eyes tearing up from the deafening music he and his partner were unlucky enough to be listening to.

"LET THERE BE ROKK!!!" Vinyl screamed into the microphone levitating in front of her. Her voice crashed against the stallions' ringing ears, and they began screaming loudly as the music got even louder. Octavia wailed on the drums, Vinyl broke into a guitar solo, and the stallions just lay on the floor in fetal position, clutching their heads in pain as they begged for the noise to stop.

The last thing they remembered before blacking out was the booming voice of Vinyl Scratch and the sound of snapping strings as she brought her guitar down on their heads. It would also be the last thing they would ever hear.

"GOOD NIGHT, PONYVILLE!!!"

Author's Note

The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well returns as she takes on her toughest opponent yet! One of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria, and a wanderer who lives for the thrill of battle. Two warriors, one victor… who will triumph? :pinkiegasp:

Meanwhile, it turns out that Vinyl Scratch seems to know who the mare behind the mask is… :twilightoops:

Sorry this took so long. I've been busy with a lot of other stuff, and future updates will definitely be slower. Though hopefully, not nearly as long as this one!

Chapter 25: Friends In Need

Argh... stupid! What were you thinking, Sunset?!

Mare-Do-Well cursed underneath her breath as Silver Blade effortlessly dodged her attacks. Successfully disarming the martial artist hadn't done anything except show how much of an amateur she was at fighting with a staff, especially one that she couldn't wield with telekinesis. While she did manage to land a few small hits, for the most part, Silver Blade was nimbly avoiding her attacks, and she was getting aggravated.

"Come on... hold still!" Mare-Do-Well growled as she took another swing at her opponent.

Silver Blade shook his head as he ducked the attack. "Disappointing... your technique is heavily flawed," he remarked. "You wield the staff not as an extension of yourself, but as merely a weapon."

Mare-Do-Well's gaze never wavered as she locked eyes with Silver Blade. "Is that so?" she muttered, gripping the staff in her hooves.

"A weapon will not serve its owner well unless they become one," Silver Blade told her. "They must move as one, fight as one. Allow me to demonstrate."

Before Mare-Do-Well could blink, Silver Blade took a massive leap over her. Grabbing the staff in one of his hooves, he thrust it forward, jabbing Mare-Do-Well in the chest and knocking the wind out of her. As she let out a sharp gasp, the staff was pried from her hooves. The heroine felt it slam into her side, sending her off the rafters and plummeting towards the stage below.

Celestia dammit! she angrily thought to herself as she tried to open up her cape to slow down her descent. Unfortunately, she was too slow and hit the ground with a painful thud.

"Ow... Fluttershy's gonna kill me," Mare-Do-Well groaned as she slowly pushed herself onto her hooves. Her upgraded suit absorbed most of the impact, but it didn't stop her body from aching. As she shook her head, she heard a thud behind her.

"Do you understand now?" Silver Blade said as Mare-Do-Well turned around.

Mare-Do-Well lifted the brim of her fedora. "I think I'll stick with what I know," she stated as she pawed at the ground.

Silver Blade chuckled and cracked his neck. "Fine by me. Shall we?"

Mare-Do-Well simply replied with two words. "Bring it."

Silver Blade moved first. His staff was a blur as he took a wide swing at Mare-Do-Well, who took a massive leap into the air. The martial artist swung his staff upwards, barely missing the masked heroine as she spun in the air to avoid the attack. As she twirled, her gaze fell on the hanging stage lights above the battling pair, an idea forming in her head.

This might not work, but it's worth a shot.

Her horn lighting up, Mare-Do-Well fired a magic blast at the lights.

The bolt struck, her spell sending out a surge that short-circuited the lights. They sparked violently, causing both combatants to look away until the stage became engulfed in darkness.

As Silver Blade looked around, he noticed that Mare-Do-Well had vanished. He began walking slowly, his voice calling out to his opponent.

"So the shadow warrior chooses to hide in the shadows... it may seem like a smart move, but it won't do you any good."

Mare-Do-Well peeked out from behind a box of stage props, keeping her eye on the warrior searching for her. Her enchanted eye lenses not only allowed her to see clearly through smoke, it also allowed gave her perfect vision in dark areas. She watched Silver Blade as he wandered slowly trying to locate her, the end of his staff hitting the floor with every step.

Suddenly, Silver Blade turned, and his eyes fell directly on her.

Her eyes widening, Mare-Do-Well quickly ducked back behind the box. She crouched down, trying to come up with a strategy. I need to be careful here. I may have blinded him, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be easier to sneak up on him. Mare-Do-Well looked down at her bandaged forehooves, wondering if Rarity and Twilight had left in the padding that silenced her steps.

That's when she noticed something off about her costume.

Instead of dark blue and purple, it was now black.

What the heck...? Stupid blow to the head, I must be seeing things, she thought, shaking her head and blinking a few times. But her hoof remained black. She turned around to look at herself, and noticed that the rest of her costume had also changed color.

Now she was even more confused. Okay, my costume was clearly blue and purple just moments ago. Now all of a sudden, it's black. Is there something Twilight forgot to tell me-?

*THUD* Mare-Do-Well's head snapped up in an instant as a noise got her attention. Her ears perking up underneath her fedora, she could barely make out some whispering. She slowly crept along the side of the box, finally noticing how her hooves made no noise as they touched the floor. Nice, still got those padded boots. You two are awesome. As she reached the corner, she could hear the whispers more clearly.

"Dammit! Stupid piece of-"

"Quiet! You want them to hear us?"

Crouching low, Mare-Do-Well crept through the dark stage, making her way to where she heard the voices. Whoever they were, she was certain that leaving them alone to roam about would result in even more complications. She rounded the corner...

...and bumped into somepony.

"Ack!"

"What the hell-?!"

Eyes widening, Mare-Do-Well frantically covered the mouths of the two ponies she just ran into, muffling their voices as she pushed them out of sight. "Get down!" She leaned out from her hiding spot, checking for a sign that Silver Blade heard the commotion. Thankfully, he was still wandering around the other side of the room as if he didn't hear anything.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Mare-Do-Well turned towards the two ponies she ran into. "Are you out of your minds?!" she whispered angrily. "What are you two doing here?!"

"Wait a sec... Mare-Do-Well?" Octavia leaned in closely, her eyes squinting as she tried to make out Mare-Do-Well's form. The fact that her costume practically blended in with the darkness made it difficult, though.

Vinyl lifted her sunglasses to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Is it just me, or is your costume MUCH darker than it usually is?"

"Yeah," Mare-Do-Well answered, looking down at herself. "But don't try to change the subject. Why are you here?"

"We're trying to help Trixie!" Vinyl answered, a determined look on her face.

"No," Mare-Do-Well said firmly. "I want you to get out of here while you still can. These guys are dangerous."

"If they're as dangerous as those two idiots we just knocked out, I think we'll be fine," Vinyl replied with a small smirk, gesturing behind her.

Even with the mask on, there was no mistaking the jaw drop that Mare-Do-Well just did. "You two managed to..." she began, not believing what she was hearing. She suddenly stopped and shook her head. "Doesn't matter. These last two guys mean business, and I don't want you two getting hurt."

"She does have a point," Octavia told Vinyl, tugging at her bow tie nervously. "I don't think we'd stand much of a chance against them."

"So what about Trixie?" Vinyl shot back. "She's our friend, and she needs help!"

"Don't worry," Mare-Do-Well replied, placing a reassuring hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to her, or anypony else. You two just get somewhere safe. Okay?"

Vinyl glanced at Mare-Do-Well for a few moments, before she gave a small smile. "Thanks," she answered. With a chuckle, she added, "Life can be a funny thing at times, you know?"

Mare-Do-Well simply cocked her head to the side. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Oh... nothing, Mare-Do-Well," Vinyl replied with a knowing smirk. "Or should I say... Sunset Shimmer?"

The costumed mare flinched upon hearing Vinyl's remark. Wha... how did she...?!

"Sunset Shimmer?" Octavia repeated, her confused gaze shifting between the DJ and the heroine. She pointed a hoof at Mare-Do-Well. "She doesn't mean...?"

Mare-Do-Well cut her off before she could finish. "No idea what you're talking about," she said quickly.

"I knew it," Vinyl scoffed, crossing her forearms with a satisfied grin. "Stop playing dumb, Sunset."

The costumed mare opened her mouth for a rebuttal, but she never got the chance to say it. At that very moment, a rope caught one of her back ankles, and she was hoisted into the air with a yell.

Vinyl and Octavia looked up, and they both began backing away as Mare-Do-Well was left dangling upside down by her ankle, staring directly into Silver Blade's eyes.

"Letting your guard down during a duel... a very grave mistake," he said with a deep frown.

"Let go of me!" Mare-Do-Well hissed, holding onto her fedora to keep it from falling off as she struggled.

"Very well... if you insist." Silver Blade began twirling the rope, swinging the helpless Mare-Do-Well above his head like a lasso before sending her body across the room.

Aw CRAP!!! the voice inside her head screamed as she flew through the air, crashing into a stack of boxes. She hit the ground with a painful thud, her body aching all over. "What is with this guy...?!" she muttered through gritted teeth as she tried to push herself up.

Unfortunately, Silver Blade caught up with her before she could fully stand. In a flash, he had Mare-Do-Well pinned to the floor. "Is that the best you can do?" he said as his opponent struggled.

Mare-Do-Well didn't answer: instead, she vanished in a flash of light, reforming above the warrior's head. She raised her hoof, ready to strike. Silver Blade intercepted her attack, grabbing her by the hoof and sending her flying.

Mare-Do-Well let out a sharp gasp as her back slammed into the wall. She slumped over against it, rubbing her side as she tried to ignore the pain. Come on, Twilight... where are you?! she thought frantically. This guy's really laying into me... I don't know how much longer I can hold out...

Suddenly, she felt a large hoof grab her, lifting her into the air with her arms pinned to her sides. She attempted to teleport, only to get interrupted by a flick of a hoof against her horn. Mare-Do-Well let out a yell as her horn sparked, leaving her with a painful headache, her ears ringing and her eyesight blurring.

"So disappointing... I was hoping you'd be a more worthy opponent," Silver Blade remarked coldly as Mare-Do-Well tried to shake off the effects of her sparking horn.

"I'm... I'm not... done yet!" she managed to gasp out as she squirmed in Silver Blade's grip, attempting to free her arms.

Silver Blade merely chuckled as he leaned in towards the mare's masked face. "You are clearly outmatched, and yet you still want to fight me?" he said smoothly.

"If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting," Mare-Do-Well growled defiantly, her fiery glare piercing through the eye lenses of her mask.

Silver Blade raised his eyebrow. "Is that so?" he mused. "Then allow me to ask you one question, shadow warrior. Why do you choose to fight? What is your reason for taking on this endeavor?"

"To protect innocent ponies from monsters like you," Mare-Do-Well spat out angrily.

"Are you sure?" Silver Blade replied back. "Surely it must be something deeper that inspired one such as yourself to take up a mask and a cape."

"Oh yeah? What's it to you?"

"I simply want to know what motivates the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well to do what she does," Silver Blade remarked. "So tell me... what is it?"

Mare-Do-Well didn't answer. And she didn't need to.

Because at that moment, something smashed against the back of Silver Blade's head. The blow resulted in his grip loosening a bit, just enough to allow Mare-Do-Well to free her forehoof and land a punch on his face. The stallion staggered from the impact, dropping Mare-Do-Well to the floor in the process. Without hesitating, she rushed up towards her opponent. As hard as she could, she threw one heavy punch that knocked Silver Blade back, followed by another equally strong blow before raising her grapnel launcher and firing it.

Once the claw grabbed onto Silver Blade, she immediately jumped up, pushing the retract button on her launcher. In a flash, she flew towards him, extending her rear legs as she went. With a loud yell and as much strength as she could, she delivered a hard kick to Silver Blade's chest, backflipping off him and sending him crashing into the wall.

As Mare-Do-Well's hooves touched the ground, she heard the sound of hoofsteps behind her. Turning around, she spotted the source of Silver Blade's distraction: a broken guitar enveloped in a red aura of magic.

"Whoa," Vinyl muttered, dropping the guitar as she trotted up to the masked hero, observing the damage. "I knew you were pretty strong for a unicorn, but..."

"I..." Mare-Do-Well hesitated for a few moments as she rubbed the back of her head. "Um... thanks for the help."

"No biggie," Vinyl simply said with a shrug.

"Vinyl!" The two unicorns turned as a voice called to them. Octavia galloped up to them, directing a glare at Vinyl. "Don't do anything stupid like that again, got it?" she said angrily, jabbing her hoof into Vinyl's chest as she spoke.

Vinyl rolled her eyes and chuckled. "No promises, Tavi."

At that moment, there was a loud rumbling sound coming from the direction of the front stage, catching the attention of the three ponies.

"Oh dear... that can't be good," Octavia muttered, tugging her bowtie nervously.

Mare-Do-Well's eyes widened underneath her mask. "Oh crap... Trixie!" she cried out, taking off towards the stage at a full gallop.

Vinyl and Octavia glanced anxiously at each other for a few moments before following the masked heroine.

Hang in there, Trixie... Sunset thought as she raced towards the stage. I'm coming...

None of them noticed Silver Blade's hoof twitching slightly.

Trixie groaned in pain as she struggled to her hooves, her silver mane disheveled and her outfit in shambles. Gritting her teeth, she slowly stood up, breathing heavily as she glared at her opponent.

"Had enough yet?" Diamond Cross taunted as he slowly approached.

Just wait until I wipe that smug look off your face, you lousy... Trixie growled underneath her breath as she lit up her horn and fired off a blast of magic. Diamond Cross merely yawned as the shot bounced off a reflective barrier he conjured up.

"Pathetic," he muttered, shaking his head in disappointment before returning fire. Trixie tried to block the shot with a barrier of her own, only for nothing to happen except for the sparking of her horn.

"Gahhhh!!!" Trixie yelled out as the blast struck her, sending her flying backwards and slamming painfully into the wall. She was on the verge of blacking out, it took everything she could just to avoid falling into unconsciousness. She struggled to push herself into a standing position, her stubborn pride refusing to let her admit defeat.

"Trixie!"

In a daze, the showmare slowly lifted her head as a voice called out to her. A voice that sounded strangely familiar to her. A voice she wasn't expecting to hear now. "S... Sun...?"

"Trixie! Are you okay?!"

Her vision clearing up, Trixie slowly turned her head, spotting a hoof covered with dark blue wrappings reaching out to her. Looking up, she spotted the blank face of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, who was kneeling beside her.

"Don't worry, Trixie," she said in a gentle voice. "I'm here now."

"M... Mare-Do...?" Trixie murmured quietly, her mind racing as she reached towards Mare-Do-Well's hoof. Why does she sound so much like...?

"Well, well, well... this is interesting."

Quick as a flash, Mare-Do-Well spun around, glaring fiercely at Diamond Cross as his mouth curled into an amused grin. "If I didn't know any better, Miss Mysterious," he chuckled, "I'd think you have a soft spot for that pathetic excuse of a magician."

"Get away from her," Mare-Do-Well snarled as she stepped up, shielding Trixie from the cloaked stallion as she watched from behind, surprised at the vigilante's behavior.

"HA HA HA!" Diamond Cross threw his head back and began laughing loudly, his voice echoing throughout the arena. "That's a good one!" he exclaimed. "Give me one good reason why I should!"

"Because..." Mare-Do-Well turned her head, looking down at Trixie for a moment. Trixie could've sworn that she could see the mare smiling down at her, though she didn't understand why. Nor was she prepared for her answer to Diamond Cross's question.

"She's my friend."

Trixie's eyes widened upon hearing those words. "Wh... what?" she muttered, looking up at Mare-Do-Well in surprise. I'm Mare-Do-Well's... friend? But I don't even know her... do I?

"She's your friend?" Diamond Cross repeated with a bewildered look on his face.

Mare-Do-Well slowly nodded. "Yes," she stated, continuing to look down at Trixie with a soft smile. "Trixie is my friend." Slowly turning towards Diamond Cross, her blank eyes narrowed dangerously as she spoke her next sentence in a dark, menacing tone.

"And no one hurts my friends."

Diamond Cross's frown disappeared, replaced by a small, evil grin. "Heh heh..." he laughed. "Well then... if she's your friend, surely you have no problem removing your mask. That way, both she and I can see the look on your face as I wipe the floor with you."

"Remember what I said earlier?" Mare-Do-Well growled as she crouched down, pawing at the floor. "This mask isn't coming off unless you somehow manage to rip it off yourself."

Diamond Cross shrugged his shoulders. "Is that so?" With a smirk, he lit up his horn, firing off a magic blast at the costumed hero.

Grabbing Trixie's hoof, Mare-Do-Well dove to the side, the blast missing the two of them as it impacted the wall. They stumbled to their hooves as another blast of magic streaked towards them. Mare-Do-Well's horn lit up as she conjured up a barrier, deflecting the shot. Pulling out a flash bomb from her pouch, she threw it towards Diamond Cross, blinding him for a moment as it detonated. Before he could recover, he was knocked backwards by a kick from Mare-Do-Well, crashing into a crate.

Shaking his head, he looked up as he saw Mare-Do-Well swooping down at him, her cape billowing behind her. With a flash of his horn, he vanished from sight just before she touched down. She spun around, trying to find her opponent, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Come on," she muttered angrily. "Where are you, you pathetic- AGGGGHHHHHH!!!"

A particularly painful blast of magic interrupted her as it struck her from behind, sending her rolling across the ground and slamming into a wall. Even with her suit's upgraded protection, her body still ached painfully from the sudden attack. Stars circled her head as she struggled to regain her bearings, her ears ringing loudly and her eyes spinning. Sweet Celestia... what kind of spell was that?! My head... it feels fuzzy...

"What's wrong, Miss Mysterious?" a voice taunted. Diamond Cross knelt down in front of Mare-Do-Well, smirking as he watched her futile attempts to keep her head up. "I didn't hit your head too hard, did I? Not that I particularly care."

"You..." Mare-Do-Well groaned weakly, her head slowly slumping over. No no no! C'mon Sunset, get up! Don't you dare pass out! the voice in her head screamed. Suddenly, she felt a hoof touching her face. Aw horseapples...

"Do me a favor and try not to black out yet," Diamond Cross replied. "I want to see the scared look on your face when I discover who you really are underneath that mask." He took the mask in his hoof, ready to pull it off. Mare-Do-Well grit her teeth as she felt her mask start to slide off, knocking her fedora off her head.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a small explosion went off right next to the two ponies, engulfing them in a large cloud of smoke.

"What in the...?!" Diamond Cross yelled out in surprise, only to start coughing loudly as he tried to expel the smoke from his lungs. The next moment, there was the sound of a magic blast, followed immediately by a loud scream and a crash.

A flash of light revealed the silhouette of a mare, her horn glowing for a moment before the smoke cloud dispersed. Trixie staggered forward as she tried to catch her breath, utterly exhausted and her magic drained.

"Whew..." she gasped out, barely managing to stay on her hooves with a relieved smile. "I hope he enjoyed that."

The sound of coughing nearby caught her attention. Trixie turned her head, only to freeze as she caught a glimpse of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, who was slowly pushing herself up into a standing position. And lying on the ground in front of her was her mask, which Diamond Cross had managed to rip off just as Trixie attacked him.

Trixie's face went pale as her eyes fell on an all-too-familiar yellow mane, accompanied by red streaks. And right beneath that mane was an amber-colored face she recognized too easily. "You?! No... it can't be...!" she shouted in horror as she took a step back, nearly stumbling over in the process. "This isn't possible! How... what...?!"

Sunset Shimmer began rubbing the back of her head, grinning sheepishly at the showmare. "Um... Trixie, there's something I might've forgotten to tell you..."

Author's Note

Finally... after six months, Chapter 25 is finally finished. :yay:

Managing to hold off Silver Blade with unexpected help, Mare-Do-Well rushes to Trixie's rescue... only to be unmasked right in front of the showmare, who is shocked to discover that her childhood bully is now trying to protect her. And it turns out that Silver Blade isn't quite done fighting yet... :pinkiegasp:

I apologize for the panic I might've caused with my last blog post, which has since been deleted. I was under extreme stress that night, and I wasn't thinking clearly. I'll explain everything in a blog post sometime within the next week.

Chapter 1: Robbery in Manehattan

Dark, starry skies are looming over the city of Manehattan. The night is alive: couples are having fancy dinner dates, music is blaring loudly from the nightclubs, and in the park, The Great and Powerful Trixie is putting on a magnificent magic show.

And in a dark, secluded street several blocks away, a jewelry store is being robbed.

Two stallions dressed in black, a pegasus and a unicorn, are behind the register, attempting to crack open a safe and pillage the riches inside. Just outside the store, two earth ponies are keeping watch.

"Al...most... there..." the unicorn muttered as he jiggled the lockpick with his magic.

"Can ya hurry it up, Quick Change?" the pegasus nervously asked.

"Shut up, you know these things take time!" Quick quietly snapped back. "Unless you'd like to try it?" He fiddled around with the lockpicks a bit more, until...

*click!*

"Bingo." With a satisfied smirk, Quick Change grabbed the handle and pulled. The door swung open, revealing a large sack filled to the brim with glimmering gemstones. Quick chuckled, his smile growing ever wider. "We hit the jackpot, baby!"

He didn't notice the dark shadow or the two suddenly-unconscious lookouts behind him.

"Yeah yeah, we're rich, I get it," the pegasus stammered. "Can we go now?"

"You tryin' to ruin the moment or something?"

"No! It's just... you know that costumed pony who runs around at night beating up guys like us?"

"What, that Mare-Do-Well or whatever she's called? Pfft, just some urban legend."

"But what if she's real? I'd prefer not going hoof to hoof with her!"

"Come on, we could take her on no problem."

"You sure about that?" a third voice asked.

"Yeah, I'm VERY sure ab-" Quick froze. Oh crap. Somepony was behind him. He and the pegasus turned around, hoping it wasn't who they thought it was. Quick's eyes widened, and the pegasus's face went pale.

Standing in front of them was a mare costumed in a purple bodysuit with dark blue wrappings around her hooves. A dark blue cape flowed behind her, held in place by a brooch with the letter "M" monogrammed on it. On top of her head was a stylish wide-brimmed purple hat, and her face was covered by a dark blue mask with two light blue patches where the eyes should be. It gave the impression that she was glaring menacingly at them. "Hello, boys," she says coolly.

Quick Change was snapped out of his trance. "Wha- how-?!" he spat out, quickly glancing at the door and spotting his two unconscious guards.

The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well followed his gaze. "Oh, that. Now unless you want to wind up like those two, I suggest surrendering right now."

The two stallions stood straight up, the pegasus bashing his hooves together while Quick Change grabbed a nearby bat with his magic. "Get real!" he shouted.

"So we're doing this the hard way, eh?" Mare-Do-Well replied, crouching into a fighting stance. "Bring it."

The pegasus yelled and charged at her with his wings and hoof outstretched. The masked mare simply sidestepped and drove her forehoof into his side, causing him to spin and crash into the wall.

Quick Change approached slowly, taking a few practice swings with his bat. He launched an attack at Mare-Do-Well, who ducked the swing. She nimbly dodged and sidestepped the ones that followed, much to the stallion's irritation. The last swing, however, whiffed her hat and sent it flying off her head, revealing a horn underneath.

"Good job, you managed to get my hat," she remarked as her horn began to glow.

"A unicorn-?!" Quick barely had time to shout before Mare-Do-Well magically yanked the bat out of his grasp and slammed it against his legs. Shouting in pain, he collapsed, grabbing his broken legs with his forearms.

Behind her, the pegasus had recovered and was flying towards Mare-Do-Well, hoping he could punch her face in. She spun around and blocked the attack. He let loose with a couple more swings that were either blocked or dodged, before receiving a forehoof to the stomach. Mare-Do-Well spun around and delivered a solid buck with both her hind legs, sending the attacker headfirst into a display case where he lost consciousness.

Mare-Do-Well levitated her hat back onto her head, securing it in place. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Quick Change desperately trying to crawl away. The stallion gasped loudly when he saw the masked mare glaring at him, and started frantically clawing his way to the door. Her horn glowed, and she vanished.

Quick Change looked ahead and saw Mare-Do-Well standing over him. His eyes widened and he started panicking. Using her magic, the heroine lifted the stallion upside-down into the air, dangling him by one of his hind legs.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked mockingly.

"Why you little-!" Quick's horn began to glow, but before he could fight back, Mare-Do-Well flicked it with her hoof. His horn sparked as he lost his concentration and a sharp pain went through his forehead, causing him to cry out.

"Nice try, buddy."

"I... I ain't scared of ya!" he snapped back.

"Sure, that must be why you're sweating buckets right now," Mare-Do-Well replied, looking at the stallion's apparently-melting face.

Quick Change gulped. "J-just let me go... lemme go please!" he begged.

Mare-Do-Well raised a forehoof to her chin in mock thought. "Hmm... how about this: I knock you out, and when you wake up in a few minutes, you'll be shackled up by the Royal Guard, on your way to jail?"

"WHA-?!" was all Quick Change could get out before Mare-Do-Well struck him in the face and dropped him onto the sidewalk, where he lay motionless.

Her ears perked up. She could hear the whistles and bells signaling the arrival of the Royal Guard. Her horn glowing, she teleported onto a nearby rooftop, where guards and citizens were starting to gather below her. They looked up, seeing the masked hero with her cape fluttering in the breeze, and applause began to break out.

"Mare-Do-Well's done it again!" "Thank you so much, Mare-Do-Well!" "Can I get your autograph?!" "You rock, MDW!"

As the townsfolk cheered on, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, smiling widely underneath her mask, simply saluted before turning around and vanishing, running and leaping across the rooftops.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was sitting in her castle library, looking over some notes for an alchemy experiment. She heard a pop behind her, but she didn't need to turn around to figure out who it was.

"So... anything interesting happen tonight?" she asked Mare-Do-Well.

Mare-Do-Well tapped her hoof on the brooch bearing the "M" twice, and it began to glow, enveloping her entire body. A moment later, the costume vanished, revealing an amber unicorn underneath. She began shaking her red and yellow-streaked mane loose.

"Eh, just a few muggings and a robbery, nothing special," Sunset Shimmer replied.

Twilight nodded. "Good to hear. You really enjoy doing this, don't you?"

"Just seeing everypony smiling and safe makes it worthwhile." Sunset leaned forward, stretching her legs and groaning slightly. "Wow, I'm beat," she muttered. "Gonna head upstairs for some sleep. Later, Twilight."

"Good night, Sunset," Twilight said, not taking her eyes off her notes as Sunset left.

Sunset opened the door to her bedroom, levitating the enchanted pendant around her neck onto the nightstand before flopping onto the bed, not bothering to wrap herself up in blankets. Her eyes slowly closed shut as she drifted off into sleep.

Author's Note

My first attempt at fan fiction! Let me know what you guys think, and how I can improve. I'm not entirely sure when the next chapter (which will cover how Sunset Shimmer became the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well) will come out, but I'll try to come up with something as soon as I can!

Chapter 10: Wayward Sun (Part 2)

"Uggh..." Sunset's eyes slowly opened as she slowly gained consciousness. "Wha... what happened...?" Shaking her head, she blinked a few times, trying to correct her vision before taking a quick glance at her surroundings.

Her eyes fell onto a messy bunk bed beside her, and across from that was a dirty sink, a cracked mirror hanging right above it. Walls made of stone blocks surrounded Sunset, and the floor she was sitting on was extremely filthy, littered with dirt and some snippets of grass and hay. "Where... where am I...?" she groaned.

"So you're finally awake."

Sunset's eyes widened as she recognized the gentle voice that had spoken to her. Rage overtaking her, she spun around and spotted Princess Celestia, gazing at her through a cell door.

"YOU!!!"

Her face livid, Sunset charged up her magic in an attempt to yank the door off its hinges. At that moment, however, her horn sparked and a sharp pain went through her forehead. She let out a yelp, falling backwards onto her flank. "What the heck...?" she muttered as she rubbed her head. Her forehoof grazed metal something at the base of her horn. Her eyes widened in shock. Oh no... don't tell me...! In a panic, she rushed over to the nearby sink and took a quick glance at the mirror above it.

At the base of her horn was a metal ring that Sunset easily recognized: a ring guards used to prevent imprisoned unicorns from using magic.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!" Further enraged, Sunset charged towards the door, grabbing the bars with her forehooves and shaking them violently while Princess Celestia simply walked up to her. "What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Sunset yelled, her voice filled with fury and a hateful glare directed at her former mentor.

Princess Celestia sighed. "It pains me to see you like this, Sunset Shimmer."

"Don't give me that crap! Answer me!!!"

"My guards reported that you used dark magic to escape," Princess Celestia answered. "And you were about to enter the portal in the Crystal Mirror, with dark magic ready at your disposal. I will not have you using it to threaten the beings that inhabit the world on the other side of that mirror, nor the citizens of Equestria."

Sunset released her grip on the bars and dropped to the ground, her glare never wavering.

"You could have achieved great things, Sunset Shimmer," Princess Celestia continued. "If you had opened yourself up to others instead of looking down on them all these years, we wouldn't be in this unfortunate position."

"Oh no," Sunset shot back, pointing her forehoof at Princess Celestia. "The only reason we're in this position right now is because you're too blind to see how great I could become. You said it yourself: I could achieve great things! If you actually believe that, then prove it and make me a princess! Otherwise, you're just holding me back!"

Princess Celestia lowered her head in disappointment. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "But may I ask you a question before I leave?"

"What?"

Princess Celestia looked at Sunset with a mildly curious expression. "Why didn't you travel through the portal when you had the chance?"

Sunset didn't expect this from her former mentor. She turned away from the Princess and replied, "What's it matter to you?"

"I'm just curious..." Princess Celestia answered. "When I arrived at the mirror chamber, you were standing right in front of the mirror, completely motionless. You were staring into it with a look of terror on your face. Tell me... did you see something in the mirror? Something that prevented you from entering the portal?"

Sunset's eyes widened and sweat began to roll down her face. "I... I don't know what you're t-talking about," she told her in what she hoped was a convincing tone.

Princess Celestia nodded before turning around. "I see. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But if you change your mind, please let the guards know."

Sunset looked towards the cell door just as Princess Celestia vanished from view. After hearing the slam of an iron door, she scoffed. "Pfft... what does she know? I didn't see anything in that stupid mirror."

"You sure about that?" a sinister voice replied.

"Ack!" Sunset jumped up as the fur on the back of her neck rose. She spun around, her eyes frantically darting everywhere as she tried to locate the source of the voice. "Wh... who are you?!" she shouted. "Show yourself!" Her eyes fell on the cracked mirror, her shaken expression staring back at her as she slowly approached it. She looked closely, but didn't see anything other than her reflection. She blinked once, and she jumped back with a scream.

Inside the mirror was a tall figure with deep red skin, sharp-tipped wings protruding from her back, her mane and dress matching the intense flames around her. Her black eyes stared into the cyan ones that belonged to Sunset, who was trembling.

"Awww..." the demon taunted. "Poor little unicorn's scared of me."

"You... y-you're not real!" Sunset gasped, trying to slap herself awake. "Th... this is just a bad dream!"

"Oh, I'm very real," her reflection whispered menacingly. "Just a... dark reflection of who you are inside: a brat who hungers for power and doesn't care who she has to stomp on to get it."

Sunset shook her head as she backed up towards the wall. "No... you're not me!"

The demon simply laughed and crossed her legs as she floated in the air. "You know..." she muttered as she folded her arms. "Pretty disappointed that you chickened out before you jumped through that portal. What's the matter?" She vanished from the mirror.

Sunset looked around frantically, her heart pounding wildly as she tried to control her breathing. Suddenly, she felt something stroking her shoulder. Gulping, she turned her head, and recoiled in fear as she saw the demon right beside her. She leaned in close to Sunset's face before whispering to her.

"Scared to face who you really are?"

"NO!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"

Sunset's screaming caught the attention of a nearby pegasus guard, who galloped down the hallway to Sunset's cell. "What's going on here?" he shouted as he stopped in front of the door and peered inside.

The only thing he saw inside the cell was a terrified unicorn curled up against the wall, shaking and whimpering as tears fell from her eyes.

I was alone in that cell for a month. Nopony came to visit me; the only visitors I had were the guards who gave me leftovers from the kitchens. Princess Celestia, on multiple occasions, tried to talk to me, but I just shut her out.

The only company I had... was that demon I saw in the mirror.

She kept popping up, taunting me as I begged for her to go away and leave me alone. Many nights passed where I couldn't sleep. The more I tried to push her away, the more she came back to haunt me.

My screaming would often catch the attention of the guards keeping watch, but all they saw when they went up to check on me was a unicorn losing her mind.

After a month, Princess Celestia decided to send me to an old acquaintance of hers, a former professor at the School of Gifted Unicorns who had retired, named Moon Dusk. He was the most liked teacher at the School of Gifted Unicorns, extremely friendly towards his students, but also firm. I spent the next two years as his assistant, while he tried to help me open up to other ponies and teach me about humility. He took me with him while he went out to buy supplies for his experiments, and he would try to get me to interact with random ponies we ran into.

He was desperate for me to make at least one friend.

Unfortunately, all my attempts at befriending somepony were for naught. Paranoia made sure of that.

It wasn't just my inner demon that was making me crazy... something else came up that only made things worse:

Twilight Sparkle.

I had heard a lot about her from Princess Celestia while I was still her student. Like me, she was extremely talented and had a ton of potential. However, I never got a chance to meet her because our schedules never lined up. Back then, I didn't think much of her. I had heard about her massive magical surge during her entrance exam, but I didn't consider it a big deal.

That all changed just two months after becoming Moon Dusk's assistant, during the Summer Sun Festival when Nightmare Moon returned. Princess Celestia kept in touch with Moon Dusk, and he would often share with me the details of the letters she sent, even those regarding Twilight's accomplishments.

As I kept hearing about all the things Twilight had accomplished, I started to grow jealous of her. She defeated Nightmare Moon, found the Elements of Harmony, became one of the six bearers, and brought back Princess Luna. She defeated Discord, the Spirit of Chaos, and eventually helped reform him. She defeated King Sombra and ended his reign over the long-lost Crystal Empire. Then came the straw that broke me...

...her transformation into an alicorn.

Once that news reached my ears, my hatred towards Celestia skyrocketed. How was it fair that she refused to turn me into a princess, but was completely willing to turn Twilight into one?! What made her so special?! My anger was now directed not just towards Celestia... but now Twilight.

And the monster inside me? She began tormenting me even more, and I would often wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Moon Dusk grew concerned, and he decided to add therapy sessions to the mix. The therapist he hired tried to help, but my paranoia and stubborn pride kept him from doing it effectively. The nightmares continued, and my hatred towards Celestia and Twilight only grew.

On a few occasions, Princess Luna appeared in my dreams to check up on me. She told me that as long I continued to hold a grudge against Celestia and Twilight, the monster would never go away. Considering that Princess Luna herself had first-hoof experience with hatred and jealousy turning her into a monster, you'd have thought I would take her advice.

But just like Celestia and Moon Dusk, I refused to listen to her. I was still convinced that Celestia was in the wrong, that I deserved to be a princess, and she was only holding me back.

After two years, Moon Dusk sent me back to Princess Celestia, saying that he was deeply sorry that he couldn't help me. He did try his best, but in my crazed state, there was little he could do.

Princess Celestia decided to have me stay in the castle while she tried to figure out what to do with me. She gave me a spare bedroom for me to sleep in, and she had guards stationed to keep an eye on me in case I tried anything. She also had the Crystal Mirror moved to the Crystal Empire up north, out of my reach.

I was living there for four months by myself, losing my sanity with each sleepless night.

At one point, I started hearing voices inside my head. I don't know who they belonged to, all I know is that they were singing something. I couldn't tell what they were singing, but it sounded... hopeful. The voices were encouraging me, telling me to... 'carry on.' Unfortunately, the sounds of the demon's evil laughter would only drown it out, so I couldn't make out what they were saying.

I was all alone... alone with the terrifying monster inside me.

As they listened to Sunset's tale, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were speechless.

Sunset Shimmer was an arrogant elitist who shunned those she deemed inferior and lashed out at Princess Celestia like a selfish, spoiled child. And as a result, not only was she imprisoned after attempting to escape, but she was imprisoned with her inner demons for a long time, while shutting out everypony who tried to help her fight them.

Now, that very same pony was now sitting right next to them: a kind, strong-hearted mare constantly putting her life on the line for the sake of others. They couldn't believe it.

What they could believe, however, was that Sunset meant every word she said. She didn't need to tell them that; the tone of her voice told them all they needed to know. Her voice cracked and tears began to fall from her eyes as she repeated the last words she had spoken to Princess Celestia.

"'This is the biggest mistake you'll make in your entire life,'" she repeated as she took the mask in her hooves again, her tear-soaked reflection in the eye lenses staring back at her. "That was what I had told Princess Celestia that night... but I was the one making a big mistake. I threw my life away that night, and for what? A petty, selfish dream that could never become reality as long as I continued to act like an elitist snob and a spoiled brat?"

The Crusaders watched in concern as Sunset broke down, all three of them desperately trying to find anything to say that could possibly comfort her.

"And that damned mirror..." Sunset continued, her voice trembling. "When I first looked into it, I saw myself as a powerful alicorn and a ruler of Equestria... but that was all an illusion. When I took a closer look at my reflection that night, I saw what I was actually turning into: a monster. A monster that would spend the next thirty moons tormenting me in my sleep. A monster that brought me to the brink of insanity and despair. What if Princess Celestia hadn't stopped me from jumping through the portal? What if I had truly become that monster I saw in the mirror? Just thinking about it..." Sunset wrapped her cape around herself as she began shaking.

"...it terrifies me..." she whispered, more to herself. She closed her eyes, trying to push the image out of her mind.

She opened her eyes in shock as she was suddenly tackled by the Crusaders, all of them wrapping their hooves around her in a comforting hug. "Wha...?"

Sweetie Belle looked up. "Sunset, we've all done things we regret," she told her. "I've lashed out at Rarity quite a few times, said and done things that I wish I hadn't."

"There's no use beating yourself up over your mistakes," Apple Bloom added. "The best you can do is learn from them, and continue to move forward."

"And you've done just that!" Scootaloo piped up, a smile forming on her face. "Look at you now: you've got a great life, fantastic friends, and you're doing your best to help out others who need it! Definitely a step up from what you were before!"

Sunset remained silent as she listened to their words of encouragement. "You really mean that?" she asked.

All three fillies nodded confidently. "That monster in the mirror... she's long gone now," Sweetie Belle reassured her.

"And in her place is Mare-Do-Well, a monster to bad guys all over Equestria," Scootaloo added with a smirk.

The three fillies started laughing. Even Sunset let out a small chuckle at Scootaloo's joke. Her mouth curled into a small smile as she wrapped her hooves around the three fillies, letting her tears fall.

"Thanks, you three," she whispered. "It means a lot."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Scootaloo replied, pulling the purple fedora off her head. With a few flaps of her tiny wings, she got herself airborne, hovering above the ground long enough to place the fedora onto Sunset's head.

Sunset lifted the brim of her hat, a heartfelt smile visible underneath. She looked towards the horizon, the sun almost completely submerged behind it as the sky grew darker. "It's funny..." she chuckled. "The only reason my life is so great right now is because of what I did that night."

Sweetie Belle raised her hoof. "So how'd you end up in Ponyville?"

"And you also said you used to really hate Twilight because she was everything you weren't," Apple Bloom added. "Something must've happened for the two of you to be as close as you are now."

Sunset took a deep breath. "Well... shortly after the defeat of Lord Tirek, Princess Celestia decided to give me a second chance..."

Sunset groaned as the bedroom door opened. She hopped off her bed, groggy from yet another restless night. At the other side of the door was Princess Celestia, accompanied by two guards.

"Come with me, Sunset Shimmer," she said.

Sunset rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple times. "Wh... what's going on?"

Princess Celestia strode down the hallway, Sunset following closely behind. "My sister has told me that your nightmares have only gotten worse in recent months, and I don't know how much longer you can take them before you lose your sanity. Moon Dusk has tried his best, but your time with him only made things worse for you."

Sunset scoffed. "Right..." she groaned in a sarcastic tone.

"However, another pony has volunteered to be your new mentor," Princess Celestia continued. "The two of us have discussed it at great length, and I have my utmost faith in her that she will be more effective at guiding you than I was. We're heading off to Ponyville right now."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "HA! Who's the poor sucker that got roped into this scheme of yours?"

Princess Celestia turned her head, a smile visible on her face.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Sunset stopped in her tracks, her brain trying to process what she just heard as her blood pressure began to rise. "Hold on..." she muttered, her voice filled with contempt and a glare directed at the Princess. "Did you just say... Twilight Sparkle?"

Just freaking fantastic... my new mentor is Twilight Sparkle... the pony that stole what was rightfully mine! Just. Freaking. FANTASTIC!

Sunset was scowling the entire chariot ride to Ponyville, her forearms crossed as she mumbled angrily under her breath. Princess Celestia looked at her ex-pupil, a small smile formed on her face.

"Sunset Shimmer..." she began. "I only want what's best for you. You need to open up to other ponies, and I'm sure Twilight can help you with that."

"Oh, shut up," snapped Sunset. "I don't see what's so special about her, or even why you made her a princess in the first place. What's she done that I haven't?"

"To start with, she opened herself up to other ponies," the princess replied. "Just like you, her studies were her top priority, and she didn't give much thought about making friends. But once she discovered the magic of friendship, she didn't want to give it up. And now she wants to spread friendship all around Equestria... including you."

Sunset scoffed and turned away. "So she's hanging out with a bunch of other ponies. Explain to me how that gets her a title as a princess, but me being at the top of the class doesn't!"

Princess Celestia shook her head. "It takes more than simply having excellent talent in magic to become a princess. Twilight has shown compassion and sincerity, and she doesn't consider herself above anypony else, not even with her title. She's willing to put the needs of everypony else above her own; she even chose to fail a test I assigned her to save the Crystal Empire from King Sombra."

Sunset rolled her eyes before slumping over, her head resting on the edge of the carriage. Suddenly, something in the distance caught her eye, and she gasped. "Whoa..."

As the carriage soared through the air, a giant, crystalline tree appeared over the horizon, holding a large castle in its branches. A banner depicting a violet six-pointed star hung from the side, and from the branches, strings of beads in five different colors. On top of the structure was a giant, crystal star that matched the one hanging from the banner. Sunset's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her.

"What is that?" she asked Princess Celestia.

"Why, that's Princess Twilight's castle."

"WHAT?!" Sunset continued to stare at the castle in disbelief, but now for a different (and more infuriating) reason. She turned to Princess Celestia and shouted, "You gave her her own stinkin' castle?!"

Princess Celestia shook her head. "That castle was actually the work of an enchanted chest that Twilight and her friends found at the Tree of Harmony. It appeared after the defeat of Lord Tirek."

"Ugh..." Sunset's scowl deepened further as the carriage began its descent into Ponyville.

As the carriage slowed to a stop outside the castle, the doors began to open slowly. Sunset and Princess Celestia stepped out of the carriage as the doors swung open to reveal a lavender alicorn, pink and violet streaks running down the length of her indigo-colored mane and tail. Upon a closer inspection, Sunset noticed a baby dragon walking beside her. The two of them approached her, a smile on the alicorn's face.

"Hi there!" she said excitedly. "You must be Sunset Shimmer. It's really great to finally meet you! My name is Twilight Sparkle." She extended her forehoof in a friendly greeting.

Sunset looked at Twilight for a few seconds with a stoic glare. Brushing off Twilight's forehoof, she scoffed and muttered coldly, "Trust me, I know who you are."

Twilight paused for a few moments, surprised at how Sunset responded. "Okay..." she muttered slowly. She cleared her throat before gesturing her forehoof to the dragon standing beside her. "And this here's Spike. A lifelong friend of mine-"

"And Twilight's number one assistant!" Spike cut off confidently. Twilight facehoofed while Spike approached Sunset and stuck his claw out. "Nice to meet you, Sunset!"

Sunset stared at Spike for a few moments. "Huh... didn't know you had baby dragons as servants," she blurted out.

Princess Celestia tried her hardest not to groan while Twilight gasped and Spike stomped his foot in frustration. "I'm not her servant!" he shouted indignantly.

Sunset just shrugged. "Whatever." Her eyes met Twilight's, and the two ponies stared at each other for a couple seconds. As Twilight looked at Sunset's face, she couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Something about the way Sunset was looking at her was making her uncomfortable...

Princess Celestia suddenly cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Twilight," she said. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Twilight nodded and turned to Sunset and Spike. "You two wait inside, I'll join you in a minute."

Sunset and Spike looked at each other for a few moments, both of them scowling at each other in silence, before turning around and heading towards the castle doors.

As Sunset walked, she gave a sharp nudge with her shoulder to Twilight, who recoiled in surprise. What's with her...? she thought to herself as she watched her new student continue towards the castle. Once Sunset and Spike were past the doors, they began to slowly close shut. Before she disappeared from Twilight's view, Sunset turned around, her eyes narrowed in a cold, intense glare. Twilight glanced back nervously, confused by Sunset's attitude towards her. Why is she acting like that...?

Once the doors closed shut, Twilight turned to Princess Celestia. "What is it, Princess?"

"You seem pretty nervous," the Princess replied. "Is something bothering you?"

Twilight remained silent for a few moments before turning her head towards the castle doors, where Sunset and Spike were waiting for her. "Princess Celestia..." she said slowly. "You told me that she has problems with humility and opening herself up to others, but..." She stopped, unsure of how to say what she was feeling right now.

Princess Celestia looked at Twilight with concern. "What is it?" she asked.

Twilight sighed. "Did you see the way she just looked at me? And how she was acting? It's almost like..." She paused for a few moments, then closed her eyes.

"...it's almost like she hates me."

To be continued...

Author's Note

After two and a half years of being tormented by her inner demon, Sunset Shimmer is sent to Ponyville to study under the Princess of Friendship herself, Twilight Sparkle. Unfortunately, it's off to a rocky start... :unsuresweetie:

Stay tuned for Part 3, and the beginning of Sunset and Twilight's friendship! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter 22: Welcome To The Show

Harmony Arena, a small stadium sitting on the outskirts of Ponyville. Due to the town's pretty small population, the arena wasn't used often, reserved for events that have the potential to draw in a massive crowd.

"We should've left sooner," Spike muttered, watching the pandemonium outside the entrance of the arena. A crowd of ponies were gathered outside, screaming and shoving each other. Many were dressed in blue capes and hats that matched Trixie's, some holding photos and shouting for autographs. The security guards were doing their best to keep things in order.

Sunset and Twilight led the way to the arena, Spike riding on Twilight's back and followed closely by Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sparkly Skies. All of them were wearing mock-ups of Trixie's cape and hat, courtesy of Rarity.

"I didn't know Trixie was THIS popular," Fluttershy murmured quietly, nervously pulling the brim of her hat over her face.

"All the shows I've seen during my patrols were packed," Sunset said, gazing towards the crowd as they passed by. "At least this crowd isn't as big as the ones in the cities."

"Still a pretty big one, though," Spike pointed out.

"And there might be even more coming," Twilight added with a chuckle. "Trixie's really come a long way since her first arrival in Ponyville. I'm so proud of her."

"There she is!" Pinkie Pie shouted, jabbing her forehoof towards the arena gates. At the entrance was Trixie, signing autographs and taking photos with excited fans. Twilight and Sunset noticed that she genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself as they made their way through the crowd, doing their best to avoid getting separated.

"Hey Trixie! Over here!" Pinkie Pie called out, jumping up and waving her hooves wildly. This caught the showmare's attention as she looked up and smiled, waving back to her friends. As her gaze fell on Sunset, however, her smile faded. Sunset noticed this and tried her best to keep smiling, but Trixie's distrusting look made it difficult for her. She lowered her head and let out a small sigh.

"You okay, Sunset?" Twilight asked, noticing her student's upset expression.

"I... I'm fine," Sunset answered, tugging her hat and watching as Trixie went back to interacting with her fans. "It's nothing."

Twilight wasn't convinced, and she followed Sunset's gaze. "It's about Trixie, isn't it?"

"She still doesn't trust me," Sunset admitted.

Twilight placed her hoof around Sunset's shoulder. "I know you two have had a rough history, but don't let it get to you," she told her student. "Try to enjoy yourself tonight. After all, you finally get to see her performance up close," she added, giving Sunset an encouraging wink.

Sunset returned the smile and nodded. "You're right," she said. "Let's worry about that later." Putting her worries in the back of her mind, she joined Twilight and her friends as they arrived at the gates to present their tickets.

Meanwhile, Trixie was entertaining her fans, but her mind was on Sunset. So you decided to show up, huh? she thought as she scribbled her name on a fan's photograph. Dressed up in my hat and cape, no less. But it'll take a lot more than mere flattery to win me over, Shimmer.

A young stallion approached her, gesturing to the camera his mother was holding. Trixie placed her arm around the stallion and smiled as the camera flashed. As the stallion walked away squealing excitedly, Trixie was lost in her thoughts again. Sparkle says you deserve a second chance. While I may trust her, that doesn't mean I have to trust you. If you want us to become friends, you have to prove to me that you deserve it.

"Okay, fillies and gentlecolts!" Trixie declared loudly, handing out one last autographed photo to a young foal. "The Great And Powerful Trixie needs to get ready for her Showstopping Spectacular Magic Show! Trixie knows you are all looking forward to what she has in store for you! Until then..." Rearing up on her hind legs, she slammed her forehooves to the ground, setting off a massive smoke cloud accompanied by a chain of fireworks that left everypony screaming excitedly.

"Wow, these are some really good seats here!" Spike exclaimed as he jumped off Twilight's back and stood up on his seat. He leaned over the railing, gaping at the vast stage in front of him.

"Her shows have gotten pretty massive, going by the size of the stage here," Rarity noted as she stepped up beside Spike and followed his gaze.

"You think she does all this by herself?" Spike wondered out loud.

"Not a chance," Sunset replied, taking her seat next to Twilight. "Trixie may be great and powerful, but she can't set up a massive show like this all by herself. Most likely she's got some stage workers helping her out."

"So what are her shows like, Sunset?" Spike asked, sitting down next to Sunset and removing his hat. "You said you saw a couple during your patrol breaks."

Sunset chuckled. "Trixie chose the right word to describe them: spectacular. Especially her storytelling segments. She really goes all-out with the effects, you almost feel like you're actually in the story."

"Wait... storytelling?" Spike raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms. "She's not spewing out some nonsense about how she took down an Ursa Major by herself, is she? That's what got her in trouble during her first trip to Ponyville."

"She's still telling those types of stories, but they're about other ponies, not her," Sunset explained. "She just serves as the narrator."

"Uh huh," Spike muttered, still skeptical.

"She's also got a whole bunch of magic tricks that are just really mind-blowing," Sunset continued. "I won't spoil them though, you'll have to see them for yourself. That's how great they are."

"She... she's not wearing any kind of amulet or anything, right?" Spike asked, nervously twiddling his claws. "Y'know, something that could boost her magic?"

Sunset shook her head. "Doesn't look like it, as far as I'm aware."

For the next fifteen minutes, the arena seats slowly began to fill up as ponies crowded in. Stage workers ran across the stage, setting up lights and fog machines. Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch were discussing the music they would play to accompany the performance, the former tuning her cello and the latter hooking up her speakers and turntable. The audience talked amongst themselves, waiting eagerly for the show to begin.

Soon enough, a voice boomed throughout the arena. "The Great And Powerful Trixie's Showstopping Spectacular Magic Show is about to begin." Cheers and whoops echoed throughout the arena as the lights slowly began to dim.

"Ooh, it's starting!" Rarity squealed, leaning forward in anticipation and clapping along with the rest of the audience. Soon enough, the entire arena was dark, except for a small light in the center of the stage, and the audience fell silent.

Octavia's bow slowly ran across the strings of her cello as a blue smoke cloud began to emerge. All the spotlights on the stage pointed towards the cloud as a figure slowly rose up from the floor. The figure reared up on her hind legs, her cape flapping behind her.

"BEHOLD!!!" Her voice boomed throughout the arena, and the audience began cheering and stomping their hooves in excitement. The figure brought her front legs down, sending out a small shockwave once they hit the floor. The smoke cloud dispersed, and fireworks erupted on the stage as the mare of the hour was revealed.

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!!" With a confident smile, Trixie looked out to the crowd of ponies and bowed as they cheered her name. This was something she had been longing for since she was a young filly. You're living the dream, Trixie. You've made it. Now go put on a show for these ponies.

"I see Trixie's made some changes to her wardrobe," Rarity noted, glancing at the new outfit that Trixie was wearing. She still had her trademark cape, but now she was wearing a top hat that retained the star design of her original magician's hat. In addition, she was now wearing a black tuxedo, featuring a blue tie decorated with stars. "She looks absolutely fantastic!" Rarity exclaimed, eyeing Trixie's outfit with glee.

"Welcome, fillies and gentlecolts!" Trixie declared, giving a smug smile as her voice echoed across the stands. "Trixie knows you are all looking forward to what she has in store for the show: tricks and illusions beyond your wildest imaginations! But first..." The showmare lit up her horn, and the lights throughout the arena dimmed. Stars popped up all over the stage as Octavia began playing a mystifying tune on her cello. Vinyl dropped a record on her turntable and turned the volume up, adding some percussion.

"Trixie has yet another tale for you folks," she said as a mountainous backdrop slid into view behind her. "Surely you've all heard of the ancient Neighponese civilization from many centuries ago. A time of samurai and ninjas, a time of war. Swords clashing, the impact of the two blades igniting sparks as brave, highly skilled warriors fought in battle for honor." Lowering her head, Trixie lit up her horn, and the stars surrounding her flew in circles, spinning around in a tornado until they formed a constellation. The audience gasped as they saw a stallion standing on his hind legs, gripping a sword that burned a demonic green.

"Though most were fearless, there was one warrior whose mere name would strike fear in their hearts." Trixie lifted her head, her eyes lighting up as she spoke his name. "Akino."

In that instant, a pair of red, demonic eyes opened, and flames erupted around the stallion, sending chills down everypony's spines. Octavia's eyes remained closed as she began playing a fast, haunting solo on her cello.

In the stands, Twilight and Rarity were watching intensely, amazed at the effects Trixie was showing off. Spike leaned forward on the railing, his interest in Trixie's story suddenly piqued. Fluttershy held onto Sunset, whimpering and shuddering at the sight of the demonic Akino. Pinkie Pie and Sparkly Skies only stared, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

"Though he has the appearance of a mere stallion, Akino is anything but," Trixie continued, pacing slowly on the stage as Akino roared behind her. "To most, he is a demon. His speed and strength are unmatched; most who went up against him were unable to land a single blow, let alone even see him move across the battlefield. Instead of a steel blade, he carries a wooden sword. Arrogant fools would tease him for it, completely unaware of the power that lies within. A fatal mistake for those who choose to challenge him." Akino unsheathed his sword, raising it above his head as the green flames intensified. Magical runes inscribed onto the blade began to glow brightly.

"Akino's blade is cursed, forged from the deepest pits of Tartarus. The wooden appearance is merely a deception: it cuts like a white-hot shard of magma, with the force of a jackhammer. Coupled with Akino's unnatural strength and speed, it makes him an incredibly terrifying opponent. Those who were lucky enough to survive clashes with him were crippled, and their tales all had one thing in common: they never saw him coming." Behind Trixie, a dozen warriors made up of stars closed in on Akino, their swords drawn. Without so much as a flinch, the demonic warrior swung his weapon in a wide arc, scattering his opponents across the arena. They tried to get up, but before anypony could even blink, Akino had already teleported across the stage, sheathing his sword as his fallen foes vanished into clouds of smoke.

"Whoa," Spike muttered.

"Please tell me when this is over!" Fluttershy squeaked, pulling her hat and cape over her face as she trembled in fright.

"This sounds like something out of a nightmare!" Twilight remarked, staring at the monster standing beside Trixie.

"What'd I tell ya?" Sunset replied, nudging her mentor with her forearm. "She's got a natural talent for storytelling."

Trixie continued her story about the demonic Akino and Swift Wind, the courageous young pegasus mare who challenged him. Everyone, especially Spike, was on the edge of their seats as Trixie narrated her tale, the two warriors clashing behind her in a duel to the death. Gasps and screams echoed throughout the arena as Swift Wind narrowly avoided the devastating slashes of Akino's sword.

"This is some really good stuff!" Spike exclaimed, never taking his eyes off the battle for one moment.

"Something doesn't quite make sense to me, though," Twilight muttered, rubbing her chin. "How is Swift Wind able to keep up with Akino when everyone else who fought him can't even see him coming?"

"Maybe the fact that she's named Swift Wind?" Sunset replied with a snarky grin.

"But why would her name have any bearing on-"

"Stop nitpicking, Twilight."

"Hey! Twilight!"

"I'm just pointing out some problems with Trixie's story. What's wrong with that?" Twilight scoffed.

"Some ponies just want to enjoy a good story," Sunset told her with a shrug. "They don't really care about the insignificant details."

"Twilight!"

"But some ponies do. They spend a lot of time analyzing stories, trying to look deep into it to find out- wait..." The alicorn turned around, her ears perking up. "Is somepony calling me?"

"Huh?" Sunset strained her ears, and after a few moments, she could barely make out a familiar voice calling the name of her friend.

"Twilight!"

The two of them turned, and they were greeted with the sight of an earth pony galloping towards them. "There you are, Twilight!" she called out, ignoring the irritated glances of the nearby ponies.

"Applejack?!" Twilight blurted out, standing up to her hooves as the farmpony skidded to a halt beside them. She was filthy, her body smeared with dirt and scratches, her mane ruffled and unkempt. "What are you doing here?!" Twilight whispered, trying to keep her voice low. "And where are Daring and Dusty?" she added, glancing behind Applejack and not seeing the archaeologists.

"We got split up in the Everfree Forest," Applejack gasped, taking some deep breaths as she removed her hat and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "I don't know what happened to them, but I've got the Relic."

"What?!" Sunset stood up, casting a wide-eyed glance at the saddlebags on Applejack. "You've got it?!"

Applejack quickly opened her saddlebag, revealing the crystalline unicorn bust inside. "It's right here," she said hurriedly. "But Star Gazer and her goons were also there when we found it."

"Star Gazer?!" Twilight began to panic, her eyes wild. "She tracked you three down?!"

"That's why we need to get this back to the castle pronto!" Applejack exclaimed, quickly closing her saddlebag and turning around. "They're probably closing in on us right now!"

"Hey! Keep it down over there!" a disgruntled audience member shouted, glaring at Applejack.

"Uh... Sunset?" Spike nervously tugged at Sunset's cape.

"What is it, Spike?"

"This... this isn't part of the show, is it?"

Sunset turned towards Spike, who was pointing a claw towards the stage. Sunset looked in the direction he was pointing, and her eyes widened. On top of the rafters far above Trixie's head, she could barely make out a couple dark figures: ponies in black cloaks. That only meant one thing.

"No," Sunset replied, her voice shaking as the cloaked ponies descended onto the stage, their silhouettes visible against the sword fight behind them. "This isn't part of the show at all."

Author's Note

As The Great And Powerful Trixie entertains her audience, Applejack arrives at the Harmony Arena with the Relic of Magic. Unfortunately for Sunset and her friends, Star Gazer's minions aren't far behind... :pinkiegasp:

Got myself a proofreader for the rest of the story. Thanks for helping out, professorsawyer! I really appreciate it! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 23: Sunset-Do-Well Takes Flight

"Trixie! Behind you!"

Trixie abruptly stopped speaking as Twilight's voice reached her ears. She spun around, her eyes narrowing into a glare as she spotted the group of intruders behind her. Eight ponies in black cloaks, three of them unicorns, and one large, burly earth pony.

"Who dares to interrupt The Great And Powerful Trixie's performance?" the showmare demanded angrily.

"Night Shade dares," the unicorn stallion in front answered with an evil grin, his horn lighting up as he turned towards Vinyl Scratch. The DJ's eyes widened underneath her glasses as a magic bolt shot towards her. She dove to the side, hitting the floor as the bolt destroyed her sound system.

"Hey! Not cool!" Vinyl shouted, pushing herself to her hooves as she rounded on the stallion, gritting her teeth.

Trixie stomped up to the leader, lifting the brim of her top hat and glaring furiously at him. "Get off my stage," she growled.

The stallion chuckled. "Speaking in first person? Must've struck a nerve," he said. "We'll be out of your hair... as soon as you tell us where Applejack is."

"What do a bunch of thugs like you want with her?" Trixie spat out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friends in the audience, barely spotting a familiar Stetson among them. What mess did you fools get yourselves into?

"We have a score to settle with her," the stallion replied with a smirk. "That's all you're getting out of me."

"Well, here's all you're getting out of Trixie," the showmare replied coldly. "I don't know where Applejack is. And even if I did, why should I tell you creeps?"

"You might want to rethink that," the stallion said with a chuckle. "You wouldn't want to drag your audience into this little show of ours, do you?"

Trixie leaned in towards the stallion's face, her eyes death glaring into his. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh... I would." Lifting his head, the stallion fired a magic bolt at the crowd in front of the stage. As the audience screamed, Trixie threw herself in front of the blast, her horn lighting up. A barrier popped into existence at the last second, the blast ricocheting off it and striking one of the spotlights above the stage.

The stallion clapped his hooves, and four cloaked pegasi took to the air, swooping over the audience. Trixie turned around, her eyes widening in shock as everypony began to scream, bailing out of their seats and fleeing for the exits. Enraged, she turned back towards the group, her horn lighting up.

"You just made a big mistake."

Vinyl's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. "Oh crap... let's get out of here, Tavi!" she cried out. Octavia scrambled to her hooves, dropping her cello as she joined her friend. The two of them bolted for the exit, only to get cut off as the other two cloaked unicorns suddenly appeared in front of them.

"And just where do you think you're going?" one of them sneered as she slowly approached the two musicians.

"Let them go!" Trixie shouted angrily, stomping her hoof. "They have nothing to do with this!"

"Is that so?" the stallion chuckled, raising his hoof in mock thought.

"You so much as lay a hoof on them, I'll give you a taste of just how great and powerful I am," Trixie said coldly as she lit up her horn.

"You sure you want to do that?" the stallion asked her with a sly grin. "Because if you or anyone else tries to fight back..." As he said this, the other unicorns lit up their horns, aiming them at Vinyl and Octavia. "Well, you can see what I'm getting at."

Trixie froze, gritting her teeth as she glanced between the worried pair of musicians and the stallion laughing in front of her. Suddenly, he fired off a magic blast, and Trixie barely had time to deflect it with a magic barrier.

"Let's see how long you can hold up, eh?" the stallion mused, lighting up his horn as Trixie's eyes widened.

"This is bad," Twilight murmured worriedly, watching as the stallion advanced on Trixie, who was trying her best to shield herself from his attacks.

"Guys..." Sunset said quietly. "I want you to get that Relic to Twilight's castle. I'll take care of these jerks."

To say her friends were shocked at this response would be an understatement. "WHAT?!" "You can't be serious!" "Sunset, be reasonable!"

"Are you nuts?!" Twilight blurted out in disbelief, pointing a hoof at her apprentice. "You still need to recover from your injuries!"

"I'm fine now," Sunset insisted, shaking her leg. "Rarity, is my costume ready?"

Rarity's horn started to light up, but Twilight held up a forehoof and shook her head. "No, Sunset," she said firmly. "Let me handle this. You're not at full strength yet, and if you head out there, you could end up in even worse shape." She crouched down and spread her wings, ready to take off.

"Twilight!" Sunset called out, catching her mentor's attention. "I know you want to help out Trixie, but the best thing is for me to hold off those punks while you get that Relic out of here!"

"Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight glared at her apprentice, not believing what she was hearing. "You want me to leave you here and let you fight in your weakened state?!"

"There's no time to argue about this, just give me my costume!" an exasperated Sunset exclaimed.

"Sunset, I understand that you can't just sit by and do nothing," Twilight replied, pointing at her apprentice. "But you'll put too much stress on your body, and it'll make it harder to recover from your injuries!"

"You think I don't realize that?" Sunset shot back, clearly getting irritated. "But Trixie and everypony else in this arena needs help, and right now, I'm all they've got."

Twilight frowned. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm perfectly capable of-"

"Twilight!" Sunset interrupted, glaring at her mentor with a defiant look. She pointed her hoof at the saddlebags hanging from Applejack's sides. "When Stray Wind used the Earth Relic, her physical strength skyrocketed. A mere costume maker laid waste to a brick wall just by lightly kicking a pony into it!"

"I already know that!" Twilight replied impatiently, rolling her eyes.

"And when you were talking to Sparkly Skies about the Relics," Sunset continued, pointing her hoof at the pegasus in question, "you said there's a possibility that if she used the Relic of Flight, she could outfly Rainbow Dash. Need I remind you that Sparkly's wings are paralyzed?"

Sparkly Skies frowned at Sunset's remark. "Gee, thanks."

"Um… is there a point to this, darling?" Rarity asked, raising her eyebrow.

"It's simple," Sunset answered, crossing her forehooves. "Those two Relics are already insanely powerful. And the Relic of Magic is supposedly even more powerful. Who knows what could happen if anypony, especially these clowns," she added, gesturing to the cloaked ponies flying all over the arena, "got their hooves on it and didn't know how to properly use it? Do you really want to risk it?"

"I realize that, Sunset," Twilight told her, before pointing to the arena exit. "That's why you're gonna go with Applejack to the castle and make sure it doesn't fall into anypony's hooves."

Sunset chuckled. "What about the safe?"

Confusion spread across Twilight's face. "Safe?"

"You know… the one where the other two Relics are stashed? The one that only you can open?" Sunset's mouth curled up into a smirk as she spoke.

Twilight raised her forehoof and opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out for a few moments. Then she threw her head back and let out a massive groan. "Argh!!! Celestia dammit, I forgot about that!"

"Can't you just tell Sunset how to open it?" Spike asked thoughtfully.

Twilight shook her head, admitting defeat. "It only responds to my magical signature. It won't so much as budge for anypony else, not even Princess Celestia. So that means I have to head back with Applejack."

"Oh dear…" Fluttershy murmured, glancing worriedly at Sunset. "Does this mean…?"

Twilight sighed. "Unfortunately, yes," she said, turning her attention to the amber unicorn with a stern expression. "Applejack and I will head to the castle. Once the Relic's secured, though, I'm coming right back here to help you and Trixie. Until then, I want you to be careful. Rarity, her costume."

Rarity's horn lit up, and she levitated a small purse from underneath her cape. After a few moments, she pulled out Sunset's enchanted pendant. "It's right here, darling," the fashionista told her. "I kept it on me in case something came up, though to be honest, I was hoping it wouldn't be this soon. With some help from Shining Armor, Twilight and I made modifications to the bodysuit's protective padding so you'll be better protected from attacks. I also designed a new belt for you, much more durable than the one you wore previously. On the belt are two pouches, each loaded with flash bombs to assist you with crowd control."

Sunset took the pendant from Rarity and nodded. "Thanks, Rarity," she replied as she placed it around her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Applejack staring at Sparkly Skies with a nervous expression. She wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling there was something off about it.

"I've also outfitted it with something extra," Twilight added, bringing Sunset out of her thoughts. "A hoof-mounted grapnel launcher."

Sunset gasped. "Are you serious?!"

Twilight smirked. "You can thank Shining Armor for helping me put it together for you," she declared proudly. "It'll help you get around quickly without drawing attention to yourself like a teleportation spell would, though it's not quite as fast. You can also use it to pull something or somepony towards you. There's two buttons on top of the launcher. The one on the front will fire the claw when pressed quickly, and retract it while held down. The other will detach the claw from whatever it's latched onto. They're designed so that you can use either your free hoof or your magic to press them."

Sunset smiled. "Thanks Twilight," she said. "You guys help everypony get out of here. I'll give Trixie a hoof with these clowns." With that, she turned around and sprinted for the exit.

"Sunset, wait!" Fluttershy called out. She galloped after Sunset, only to screech to a halt as one of the cloaked pegasi swooped down and landed in front of her. "Eep!"

"Hello, pretty girl," he said with a sly grin.

"Oh dear!" Fluttershy squeaked as she stumbled over backwards.

"Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you..." the cloaked stallion said as he spread out his wings. With a crack of his neck, he sped towards the yellow pegasus.

"No! Get away from me!" Fluttershy screamed as she covered her eyes with her hooves. What she heard next was the sound of fabric ripping followed by hooves slamming. Peeking through her wings, she spotted the cloaked pegasi's unconscious head sticking out of the pointed end of a magician's hat. Standing above him was Sunset, who was offering Fluttershy a hoof.

"Thanks, Sunset," Fluttershy murmured as she grabbed Sunset's hoof and pulled herself up. "Um..." Suddenly, she wrapped her hooves around Sunset in a hug. The unicorn was caught off guard, but after a moment to recover, she returned the embrace with a small smile.

"Sunset... please be careful," Fluttershy murmured.

"I'll try my best," Sunset assured her. Releasing her grip on the pegasus, she spun around, making her way through the crowd as Fluttershy watched her disappear.

Please stay safe...

Rarity turned her head and spotted Twilight standing beside her, watching as Sunset left the arena. "Don't worry about her, Twilight," the fashionista told her. "She'll be fine."

"I know," Twilight replied. "It's just... I have a feeling I forgot to tell her something important..."

Once Sunset made it outside, she quickly ducked away from the crowd towards a secluded area. After a quick check to make sure the coast was clear, she gave two quick taps to the pendant around her neck. After a few moments, the Mare-Do-Well costume appeared, covering Sunset's body.

The suit now had a darker, slightly armored look to it and felt a tiny bit bulkier, but still lightweight and stretchy. Protective padding? Looks more like body armor to me, Sunset thought to herself as she pulled the mask over her face. Boots now covered the tips of her hooves, accompanied by the usual dark blue bandages wrapped above them. Buckled around her midsection was a dark blue belt holding two pouches, each containing a couple flash bombs. While the belt she wore previously wasn't exactly durable (having been torn clean off during Star Gazer's assault), this one looked like it could withstand a lot more damage.

Sunset looked down, noticing the other new addition to her suit: a grapnel launcher wrapped around her forehoof. Sticking out of the barrel were four tiny prongs pointing outward, and right behind it sat two buttons.

"The one in the front fires and retracts the claw," Sunset reminded herself. "The other detaches it. Simple enough." Taking a deep breath, she approached the arena wall. "Let's see what this thing can do."

Mare-Do-Well stood up on her hind legs and aimed the launcher towards the roof, making sure to compensate for the claw's drop as it flew. Lighting up her horn, she pressed the button. The claw shot out of the launcher, speeding upwards and striking the very top of the arena wall. However, neither the launcher nor the claw made a sound.

"Whoa," Mare-Do-Well muttered to herself, surprised at how silent her new gadget was. She gave a few quick tugs on the line to make sure it would hold her. The claw stayed firmly affixed to the wall, not even budging in the slightest. The costumed mare smirked underneath her mask. "You've outdone yourself, Twilight." Without a moment's hesitation, she pressed the button to pull herself up.

What happened next, she wasn't prepared for.

"WHOAAAAAA!!!"

Sunset screamed as she suddenly shot upwards like a bullet, much faster than she had anticipated. In a panic, she released the button on her grapnel launcher. The line stopped pulling her upwards, but that didn't stop her momentum from sending her higher. Oh crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap! the voice inside her head screamed as she began falling down. Quick, detach the-!

Sunset never got to finish her thought as the line suddenly straightened, causing her to jerk violently as she began swinging towards the wall. Her eyes widened underneath her mask. "Oh sh-!" Holding onto her fedora, the unicorn closed her eyes and braced herself for impact.

"OWWW!!!" Sunset cried out in pain as she slammed into the wall with a thud. "Dammit..." she muttered, shaking the stars out of her eyes. Massaging her aching side with her free hoof, she noticed that it didn't hurt as much as she had expected, even in her injured state. "Well, at least I know I'm better protected," she grumbled. "But you couldn't have given me a warning about that, Twi?"

As she dangled above the ground, she suddenly let out a small chuckle. "Heh, just like Batmare: Year One," she muttered to herself, remembering how Batmare's alter ego, Snow Storm, had a difficult time with her grapnel launcher at first. But after quite a bit of practice (accompanied by countless bruises), she became a natural at it.

Unfortunately for Sunset, she didn't have time to get some practice with her grapnel launcher: Star Gazer's goons were inside the arena right now, and she had to stop them. But now Sunset knew how fast it would pull her. She just had to maintain control as best she could.

Suddenly, she was reminded of a trick Batmare would use with her grapnel launcher and cape, allowing her to cover great distances in little time. I probably shouldn't try this now, especially considering what's happening in the arena. Plus, it's out of a comic book, making this an incredibly stupid idea. But if I pull it off, it might give me an advantage. She pressed her hind legs against the wall to steady herself. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the retract button on the launcher and kicked off the wall.

Underneath her mask, Sunset grit her teeth as she flung upwards, the top of the arena wall rapidly approaching. Wait for it... wait for it... NOW! At the last second, she quickly pressed the detach button. The claw immediately detached from the wall, the line retracting back into the launcher as Mare-Do-Well's momentum continued to carry her upwards. Once she sped past the wall, she opened her cape, letting it carry her up as she began to glide through the air.

Once she steadied herself, Sunset looked down, her eyes widening. "Whoa!"

The ground was far below her, everypony looking like ants from her perspective. She was used to leaping across rooftops far above the streets, but practically flying even higher was something else.

Sunset was terrified.

And at the same time, she embraced it.

Despite the current circumstances in the arena, Sunset couldn't help but laugh in delight as she flew over it, her heart pounding with excitement. It was nothing short of exhilarating. "Now I know why Rainbow Dash absolutely loves flying," she said to herself, imagining the look on the pegasus's face if she could see her now. With a confident smile hidden underneath her mask, Sunset grabbed the ends of her cape and pulled them towards her, causing her to plummet downwards in a sharp dive. The wind rushed past her as she streaked towards the ground. After a few moments, she extended her cape again, catching the wind and lifting her skyward again.

"WHOO HOO!!!" Sunset yelled out in excitement as she ascended. "I could get used to this!" Looking out towards the mountains and spotting the city of Canterlot, she couldn't help but laugh as she came to a realization.

In a sense, she had just become an alicorn. She didn't have the magical prowess or physical strength, but she had flight, albeit a limited form of it. For now, that was enough for her. Sunset wanted nothing more than to unmask herself and just glide through the air for as long as she wanted, feeling the breeze rush past her mane.

But I can't right now. There's ponies in that arena who need me. Getting her mind back on track, Mare-Do-Well steered herself towards the arena, surveying the area as she flew above it. Trixie was struggling to protect herself from the leader's relentless assault, and she could make out Vinyl and Octavia on the stage, cornered by two cloaked unicorns with their horns lit up. I'll need to take care of those punks first.

Her eyes narrowing dangerously underneath her mask, Mare-Do-Well closed her cape, preparing her grapnel launcher as she dove towards her prey.

Trixie stumbled backwards, deflecting another magical blast from the stallion in front of her.

"Come on, Trixie!" the stallion mocked. "Show me just how great and powerful you are!"

Trixie slowly looked up, breathing heavily as she glared furiously at her opponent. Go ahead, keep on laughing. Let's see who's laughing when I shove my hat right up your-

"What's wrong? Too much for you?" her opponent shouted as he let loose with another barrage of magic shots.

Trixie ducked back behind her barrier, straining with effort to keep it raised. "Is that the best you can do?" she sneered. "Why don't you face Trixie like a stallion? Just you and me, a magic duel!"

"But technically, that would be fighting back," the stallion mused as he fired off three more shots, prompting Trixie to raise her barrier again. "Besides, as great as it would be to see you flounder like you did in your last duel, I find this to be far more entertaining."

"Why, because you're too much of a coward to fight Trixie head on?" Trixie retorted with a smirk.

"Ha ha ha!" the stallion bellowed. "Me, a coward? That's rich coming from somepony who claimed to have taken down an Ursa Major all by herself, only to run with her tail between her legs when a Minor stomps into town!"

"Admit it, you're scared of The Great And Powerful Trixie!" the showmare shot back.

"You had an all-powerful amulet at your disposal, and you couldn't even handle a bunch of ponies playing dress-up! Why would anypony be scared of you?"

Trixie just laughed loudly, a cocky grin forming on her face as she answered the question with one of her own. "Why else would you threaten to hurt my friends if I fought back?"

"Your friends?" The cloaked stallion turned towards Vinyl and Octavia, both of whom were glaring defiantly at their captor. "So these aren't just two nopony musicians who do your bidding?"

"You shut your trap!" Vinyl shouted, her glare piercing through her shades. "I've known Trixie since we were fillies, and she could take all you punks on! When she says she's great and powerful, she's not bluffing: she means it!"

"Oh really?" the cloaked stallion asked, raising his eyebrow in amusement.

"Trixie's been improving her magic ever since her run-in with the Alicorn Amulet," Octavia replied, crossing her forehooves. "I'd wager that she's almost on the same level as Twilight Sparkle before she became an alicorn. You ruffians don't stand a chance against her, and you know it. That's why you've been forcing her to play defense by threatening to hurt us if she retaliates. You're scared of what she could potentially do to you."

"Besides..." Trixie added, catching everypony's attention. She was glancing upwards with a smirk on her face, chuckling to herself. "If you think I'm scary... well, something even scarier just arrived."

At that instant, a dark figure swooped down from above, knocking one of the hooded unicorns down with a dive kick. Without hesitation, she turned towards the other, firing her grapnel launcher.

"What the-?!" her opponent blurted out as the claw shot out, grabbing onto his cloak. Before he knew what was happening, he was jerked forward violently, his face meeting the figure's hind hooves as she spun around and delivered a solid buck to his muzzle. The impact sent him flying a couple feet, hitting the ground with a hard thud.

"Ooh... that's new," Octavia muttered as she watched the claw retract into the launcher on the costumed mare's forehoof.

"Ugh..." The unicorn that was knocked down earlier slowly began to regain her senses, only to be immediately stomped into unconsciousness.

"Yeah!" Vinyl shouted, jabbing her hoof at the remaining cloaked ponies. "You're about to get yours, punks!"

"BEHOLD!!!" Trixie declared loudly, rearing up on her hind legs as Vinyl let out a whistle and Octavia clapped her hooves together. Their savior straightened her fedora as she turned towards Star Gazer's followers, her cape flowing behind her and a sly grin visible through her mask.

"THE MYSTERIOUS MARE-DO-WELL!!!"

The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well couldn't help but chuckle at Trixie's grand announcement as she crouched down into a battle stance, ready to fight.

"Did you miss me?"

Author's Note

In their pursuit of Applejack and the Relic of Magic, Star Gazer's followers have crashed Trixie's show. Despite her friends' protests, Sunset is determined to help fight them off. With some upgrades to her suit, including a new grapnel launcher that allows her to take to the skies in ways she couldn't before, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well makes her return! :rainbowdetermined2:

For those who aren't aware, the maneuvers Sunset performed with her grapnel launcher and cape are based on the Grapnel Boost and Dive Bomb mechanics from the Batman: Arkham series games. Both were introduced in Arkham City, and when combined, they allow Batman to cover great distances quickly.

And by the way, "Batmare: Year One" refers to the superhero fic starring Applejack (or in this universe, a different pony a few of you might recognize), not a ponified version of the Batman story. :ajsmug: