When The Wall Breaks Down

Chapters

Breaching Barriers (revised)
Addictions and Laughing Matters
The Victim
Finding Chaos
I'm Coming Home

Breaching Barriers (revised)

After the epic battle with the sirens, Twilight Sparkle found herself visiting her friends on Earth quite often. It was not uncommon for her to be absent at least twice a month from her castle, though, only if she had finished her royal duties. That was always her primary focus; looking after Equestria, and ensuring that harmony prospered, was more important that having fun in another dimension. It never occurred to Twilight that her modification’s to Starswirl’s portal would cause any problems, as it functioned for nearly two years before any complications emerged. And the complications that did emerge were far beyond the capacity of rational imagination. They were minor problems at first, but soon, the problems escalated beyond even the royal sisters’ ability to contain. The portal became unstable and the boundary between the two dimensions shattered, leaving in its wake a permanent portal to and from Earth. We join Sunset Shimmer five years after the incident in her hilltop estate.

~~~~~~~

“Representative Shimmer? Princess Twilight Sparkle is here to see you, ma’am.” Sunset glanced over her shoulder at her personal aid, Coco Pommel, who was clad in her typical beige suit. The outfit suited her well, complementing her pearl-white skin and sky blue hair.

“Thank you Coco. Send her in,” she said coolly, and returned to gazing out over the horizon. Most of it, anyway. A large part of the horizon was not that of Earth, but belonged to Equestria. Seeing through the portal was almost surreal at first, but after three years of dealing with inter-dimensional policies and immigration as the Earthling Representative of Equestrian Policies and Affairs, the view had become tiresome. She was forced to gaze upon it every day from her estate, unless she were in the bathrooms. Those were the only rooms that had no windows. This was her punishment, it would seem. It reminded her every day that it all was her fault. If she hadn’t stolen Twilight’s crown, then this would have never happened. Even further, if she hadn’t been so power-hungry as Celestia’s student, she wouldn’t have even known about this dimension. “Twilight, welcome back.”

“It’s good to be back, my love.” Sunset turned to lay eyes upon the young alicorn, still in pony form. “I’m sorry, would you have preferred to meet me in human form?” she asked, preparing to cast a transformation spell to make it so.

“Don’t be silly, Twilight. I love you no matter what species,” the representative replied, cupping her hands around Twilight’s muzzle and brought their lips together in a light kiss. “Though I must say, kissing a pony is something I may never grow fully accustomed to.”

Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Harmony, had become Representative Sunset's girlfriend shortly after the collapse, when it was discovered that ponies no longer changed form when the crossed through the portal. To many, it was strange for Sunset to fall for a member of a different species. Of course, most people didn't realize that she was originally from Equestria, and was stuck in her current form. She didn't really care; she was happy with Twilight

Twilight giggled and swept her mane away from her face. But her smile did not last. “Unfortunately, Sunset, or rather, Representative Shimmer, this is no social visit. I’m here on behalf of the Equestrian Council of Leaders. I need to know what progress you're making on lessening the tensions within the U.N. Council.”

“I'm not making much, unfortunately. The Vatican refuses to budge on their position while Russia, China, and Poland want to occupy Canterlot like we're in the middle of a war," Sunset explained, crossing her arms over her chest. "How's the progress coming with integrating Humans into Equestrian society?"

“Quite well, actually. Despite the understandable awkwardness, the Human-Equestrian immigrants are adapting well to life in Equestria. There’s harmony between the humans and ponies everywhere I turn now,” she said as she trotted over to sit beside Sunset. “The Council does, however, understand the need to regulate immigration between the realms. If too many Humans flood into Equestria, then it’ll start to have a strong negative impact on our economy. We've gotten together some basic guidelines for the laws, but we're still refining them.”

Sunset, once again, sighed. “Finally, some good news. i just wish things were meshing together as well over here..."

“I heard about Thunderlane’s deportation. I believe this is only the second one, right?”

“There’s more than that. The ponies are still hated by a number of humans, and a lot of those humans don’t care about hurting ponies,” Sunset said, walking over to her desk to take a seat. After a minute of silence, she spoke again. “Twilight, a pony was found murdered a few days ago.”

Twilight’s face darkened as she looked to the floor. They had known this might happen, but they were hoping it would not. “Who was it?”

“An Equestrian weather specialist named Clear Skies. She was here as a student, studying Earth meteorology. We were only able to identify her via her green card," Sunset said quietly. "The rest was just… too mangled to recognize. Was she a friend of yours?”

“I knew her, but only in passing. She was good friends with Rainbow Dash though.” Apparently, the lack of familiarity did nothing to stem the sadness in Twilight’s heart. “Did you identify the killers?”

“Yes, with the help of the new Unicorn Police Unit. They used an afterimage spell and the man was quickly found and arrested. I will be present at his hearing next week.” Sunset opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a plain manila folder, then held it out for Twilight. A familiar purple aura enveloped the file and it floated over in front of the Alicorn’s face.

“It was a priest?”

“Yeah. I had the same reaction. He calls ponies demons and claims that he is destined to destroy them all.” Sunset stood and walked over to a bookshelf containing a large number of history books, both Equestrian and Human. It was a one of the latter that she plucked from its resting place, and opened to a section she had previously bookmarked. “It bares some semblance to a period in American history called The Civil Right’s Movement. A prominent group at the time was called the Ku Klux Klan. Lot’s of people died at their hands, just because of the color of their skin, or because they were from another country. It… kind of sickens me. Humanity had made so much progress before The Collapse. What the hell happened?”

“People, Humans and Ponies alike, fear what they don’t understand. Almost always, that fear turns to irrational hate,” Twilight said as she trotted over and nuzzled Sunset’s shoulder. Ponies were a lot smaller than humans, but Twilight had the advantage of being a bit taller than the average pony. Before her Alicorn ascension, she likely would’ve only reached Sunset’s waist, though Sunset repeatedly assured Twilight that the former preferred the shortness.

“I know, but it shouldn’t be that way…” she said and paused for a moment. “Twilight, do you regret altering the mirror? At all?”

“I regret not seeing the potential danger and I regret the loss of lives in the event, but I do not regret my actions. Firstly, because my actions allowed me to stop the sirens and after that I was able to spend time with you. I’m going to be honest, I fell for you long before The Collapse.”

“I know you did,” the Representative said with a wink. “I just wanted you to make the first move.”

“Because that totally happened, right?” Twilight said sarcastically with a foreleg raised.

“Totally. Say, I’m due to meet the Professor down at Portal Labs in a bit. Wanna come?”

“Sure! I haven’t seen her in a while, so I suppose it’s overdue.”

It was a short ride in the Representative’s limousine from the estate to the portal, and during that time, Sunset and Twilight cuddled in the spacious back seat, much to Coco’s discomfort. And it wasn’t even the interspecies relationship or the lesbianism that bothered her, but the affection itself. Coco was, by nature, a shy woman and did not farewell in moments of sensual intensity. Sunset understood this and it was for that reason that she and Twilight did not smash their faces together. Of course, they definitely, desperately wanted to.

When the car arrived at Portal Labs, located directly in front of the actual portal, Twilight was the first out, practically prancing out of the door. She was pretty excited whenever she got to meet the Professor, who now walked out of the front entrance to meet them, passing by the two armed guards at the door. Her white lab coat fluttered in the wake of her earnest stride, giving her the look of some intense fantasy scientist… which wasn’t that far off, really. “Representative Shimmer, Princess Twilight! It’s a pleasure to see you both again.”

“You as well, Professor Sparkle,” Sunset replied with a professional smile. Professor Twilight Sparkle of Earth, was currently the planet's leading (and only) expert on inter-dimensional science. To avoid confusion, most folks called her 'Professor' and left it at that. “Hey, are those new glasses?”

“Ah, yes. My old ones broke during a lab accident.”

“What happened?” Twilight chimed in, as a look of slight concern spread over her face.

“Oh, it was nothing too severe. We were comparing the strength of Equestria's Applejack to this world’s AJ and a piece of rock hit me in the head. Your E. ponies are quite the powerhouses,” the Professor said and pushed her aforementioned spectacles up her nose a bit. “I have something very interesting to show you, if you would please follow me.”

Once in the building, the couple was led through an extremely long hallway lined with dozens of steel doors, each of which led to different departments. A constant emission of white noise was always present in said hallway, so that the sensitive research beyond the doors would not be eavesdropped upon. Because of said white noise, Sunset barely registered that Professor was even speaking.

“...and, as you may recall, while we assumed that ponies and humans could not produce offspring, we were still curious. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find anyone to participate in the study. Until a few days ago, that is. We’ve found an interspecies couple willing to participate! And, you may be surprised to find who it is,” the Professor gushed, and led the three over to a door labeled with a piece of notebook paper that read ‘maternity ward’ in large red letters. “Oh, that’s very funny. REAL mature. Honestly, this is a professional facility people!” she shouted to no one in particular, before tearing the page off and balling it up.

“Who are the candidates?” Twilight asked.

“Equestria’s Big Macintosh, and our very own Fluttershy!” The scientist squealed, and pushed open the door to reveal the aforementioned red stallion and an embarrassed-looking Fluttershy. “I know, I was surprised too!”

Surprised was an understatement. Sunset took it in stride, having been numbed to such levels of shock, but Twilight and Coco gawked at the girl sitting on the table, resting her hand on her slightly swollen belly.

“When did this happen?” the Representative asked calmly, striding forward to greet her friend with a hug. She had, of course, known about the relationship, but the pregnancy was news to her. It would explain why no one had seen her in a while.

“Oh, um, about two months ago. It just sort of happened. We decided to come to the Professor for advice. We were so scared, but she says everything will be okay.” she said quietly, with a minuscule smile adorning her lips.

“Eeyup.”

“I see. What about the fetus? Any abnormalities in it’s development?” Sunset asked, turning to the Professor with an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed.

The Professor held out a file containing the ultrasound images for Sunset. “None. She’ll give birth to a perfectly healthy foal, it seems.”

“It’s not a human fetus?” Twilight asked, trotting forward to examine the pages in her lover’s hands.

“Nope, looks like there’s a pony flavored biscuit cooking in that there oven,” a voice said from behind them as an orange pony trotted into the room. “Darn it Mac, I knew you’d get some sweet lil’ lady knocked up eventually, but Fluttershy? Can’t say I saw that coming.”

“Sorry, Lil’ Sis. I shoulda told ya,” Big Mac replied, hanging his head.

“Now, I ain’t mad, just surprised. I just hope Fluttershy can handle it. Giving birth ain’t a walk in the park.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I know I’m going to need a C-section... By the way, Applejack, how is your family doing?”

“Pretty good, i reckon. It’s hard keeping up with the kids, especially Heavenly Skies. He’s always flyin up in the trees. Then there’s Apple Crush; she’s so strong she breaks whatever she touches. Gets that from me, I suppose.” The farmer paused and rubbed a hoof against her forehead. “Soarin’s done retired, and moved in at the farm, so it’s not quite as stressful as it was before. Speakin o’ which, I should probably get back before they drive the poor stallion crazy. I’ll see ya’ll later!” she said, before trotting out of the room.

The Professor glanced out in the hall after her and when she didn’t find whatever she was looking for, closed the door. She walked briskly over to Sunset, took the ultrasounds, and stuffed them back into a file, and then it’s respective cabinet drawer. When she turned back to the others, her face had darkened, and she had an almost deathly serious look in her eyes. “Representative, your position and mine often go hand in hand, but this time, it’s up to you to decide how we proceed after this.”

“You mean regarding knowledge of Fluttershy’s child?” The Professor nodded. “I’m not sure. I know it’s going to cause a lot of problems, but the world will find out soon enough. Give me a week. I’ll let you know of my decision then. I’m sorry Fluttershy. If this were to have happened a few years later, I would leave the decision to you, but it’s risky right now.”

“I understand. I guess for now, I’ll go with Mac back to Sweet Apple Acres,” she said, still smiling, for some reason.

“Thank you so—” Sunset was cut off by Big Mac suddenly standing up.

“Someone’s standin at the door. They’re human,” he muttered with a grimace.

From the other side of the door came a quiet gasp, and the sound of retreating footsteps. Sunset and Coco burst out to see a woman in a grey suit and a ski mask sprinting away. Coco had already drawn her Vector sub-machinegun (God knows where she was keeping the damn thing) and was taking aim at the spy, who looked back and pointed a large revolver at them. She fired off two rounds, missing both Sunset and Coco, before turning and running again.

“Legs! Shoot the LEGS!” Sunset shouted, and thankfully noted a shift in Coco’s aim. With the sound of rapid fire, the spy screamed as she fell to the floor. “Why can’t you just carry a freaking pistol like a normal bodyguard?!”

“Because I like my Vector,” Coco replied earnestly, still staring at the intruder.

Twilight promptly scowled at Coco, and teleported over to the unwanted guest. Sunset quickly followed, after ordering Coco to clean the twenty-something empty shells she had strewn across the floor. She understood Twilight’s frustration with Coco, as she shared it. It was, however, for a different reason that she became frustrated with the former tailor. For Twilight, it was the fact that Coco so quickly resorted to her guns, and stuck with them long after the need to abandon them. For Sunset, it was because she was so excessive with said guns, and caused so much unnecessary damage… damages that were paid for by Sunset’s funding.

It should be noted that Coco did not grow up in the most savory of neighborhoods, and was subject to utter, violent chaos on a near daily basis. It messed with her head, made her insensitive to the pain of others. It was quite disturbing, when you thought about it too much.

Twilight had the intruder levitated a few feet in the air and was shouting loudly at them. The usual cheesy interrogation talk. Who do you work for and such. “Twi, love, let me,” Sunset said and pulled the spy out of the mare’s magical grip. Sunset was not so cheesy, or as gentle. She turned the spy around and ripped off the mask, revealing a cute teal face, framed by matching hair with white streaks. Golden eyes. “Hello, Lyra. It’s been a while.”

She was answered by a gob of spit in her left eye.

“Fuck it. I’m not as nice as my girlfriend, and you know it.” She punctuated by tossing the extremely lightweight woman up a couple of feet and kicking her in the stomach with her four inch heels. “Start talking, bitch.”

“Like I’d—” She stopped to cough up a bit of blood. “Tell you anything, horse-fucker!”

“Uh-huh, sure.” She flipped Lyra from her prone position onto her back, and ripped the first three buttons of the spy’s shirt open. “Yeah, I thought so.” Sunset grabbed at the shiny cross necklace around Lyra’s neck and snatched it off.

“You, call the police. Human Political Espionage,” The Professor ordered one of the many individuals that had flooded the hallway at the sound of gunfire. “Representative, wait! Where are you going with that? It’s evidence!”

“I’m going home and I’m going to call a council meeting for tomorrow. Then, I’m going to down an entire bottle of JD because I fucking need it.” Sunset vaguely noticed that Twilight was scowling at her, but it was of little importance. She cared for the mare, but her job still came first.

Sunset could already tell that she was going to have a very busy week ahead of her.

Author's Note

I'm going to try to be sparse with the ANs this time around, since this literally is a way better story that my last one. Enjoy!

Edit notes: a lot.
altered several descriptive paragraphs
changed the vast majority of sentence structures
changed what kind of gun Coco has
made capitalization uniform
fixed the vast majority of punctuation errors (fuck your shit, comma splices!)
removed any 'you' in the narrative that addressed the reader (Only two of those, I think)

Addictions and Laughing Matters

Twilight had decided to leisurely fly back to Sunset’s estate rather than take the car, as it would give her a little over an hour to think about what had happened at the Labs. Sunset had called that woman Lyra. She certainly had the look about her, so then she was this world’s version. It was fortunate that Equestria’s Lyra was still in, well, Equestria. Equestria's Lyra was a virtuous and noble mare and would have never stood for her counterpart acting in such a despicable manner. Sunset had also taken her necklace, which the Professor had called evidence. Why was the necklace so important?

It was then that Twilight spotted a head full of blond hair and teal skin. “Lightning Dust!” she hollered, prompting the woman to look up and wave. Twilight lighted down beside her, fluttering her wings briefly for a moment before folding them. “Hello, Councilwoman Dust.”

“Oh please, Princess! Outside the chambers, I’m just Lightning. What brings you to Earth?”

Twilight frowned. “Political tensions. I came this morning to speak with Sunset about the tensions among the world governments. Particularly the Vatican.”

“And?” Lightning asked, and leaned against a nearby wall, before lighting up a cigarette. “What did she say?”

“Trying to alleviate the tensions, losing ground. So on, so forth. Faust, it’s just such a pain… I never liked politics, Lightning. I loved being a librarian in Ponyville, it was such a simple life. Maybe I would have to fight a villain here and there, but it was a good life. Then, I get these damned wings, and everything goes…”

“Bat shit crazy?”

“YES! Ugh, I… Lightning, I’m just so tired of it all. The Court of Harmony is spread so thin in Equestria, save for the Applejacks and the Fluttershies, that I can’t even reach them.” Twilight stomped her hoof in frustration. “How do you cope with stress?”

“Weed.”

“Of course. Unfortunately, I can’t get involved with the stuff. I should get going. It was nice seeing you again!” Twilight said before taking off at a brisk trot.

“You too, Princess.”

It really wasn’t too far to the estate now. A few minutes more, and she’d be there. But naturally, Twilight found herself lost in thought again. When had Sunset started drinking? What exactly was JD? Was it strong? How much was Sunset drinking? It was frustrating; it seemed like her position was wearing her thin, like an old dish rag, and there was little to nothing Twilight could do to help her. It hurt to see her love suffering so much. She was approaching the gates of the estate now. They were tall, and extremely imposing, so much so that it wouldn’t be odd to see them in front of a castle. As Twilight approached, they swung open for her and Coco’s voice sounded over the intercom.

“Just a warning, Princess, she’s in a state.”

“How bad?” Twilight cringed as she waited for an answer.

“She just threw a whiskey bottle at my head, and that was before she even started drinking,” Coco’s disembodied voice said with a chuckle.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?!”

“Yeah don’t worry, her aim is terrible. Come on up.” The speaker went silent.

When Twilight reached the front door, she found that it had been left open and there was shouting coming from inside. Panic started to take hold as she galloped up the stairs towards Sunset’s study, only to find her wearing only her shirt and underwear, slouched down in the leather desk chair with a brown bottle in one hand and a remote in the other.

“Oh, hey babe. What took ya so long? Hey, come here and check this out. It’s called anime. Look at this fucker! Why the fuck does he need three swords? And the other guy’s made of fuckin rubber! Like, what the fuck?” she slurred, and attempted to sit up, only to fall forward and hit head against the desk. “Damn God desk! Wait…”

“Sunset, how much have you had?”

“I dunno… I kinda lost count… Shit, like… three bottles? I dunnooooh god!” she managed, before raising a hand over her mouth. “Mm!”

Twilight sighed and levitated the garbage can over to the drunkard and was thoroughly disgusted at the retching sound that ensued. She’d dealt with drunk ponies before, mostly Pinkie Pie and Applejack after their drinking contests, but the retching never failed to make her stomach churn. Like butter on a hot day.

“Aw man, my hair…” Twilight looked up to see the politician holding a handful of hair away from her head, as said hair now dripped with a pinkish brown vomit.

“Ugh, come on, let’s get you in the tub.” Twilight’s aura surrounded her girlfriend’s entire body, and the trash can, and she carried them both to the upstairs bathroom, as it had the largest bath tub in the house.

“Alright, babe! Let’s get it ON!”

“NO!” Twilight said sternly. “I refuse to have relations with you when you’re like this. You know how I feel about alcohol. For Faust’s sake, Sunset, there’s twelve bottles in the damn trash can!”

“In my offense, I don’t empty that can very little, so those aren’t from all today.” the floating drunk said, with a very serious expression, and a finger pointed at Twilight for good measure. “Like, only a few are.”

“I got that, thanks.” Twilight’s expression softened a bit. “Sunset, how long has this been going on?”

“Like, a couple of months. It just… it helps, ya know?”

“I do know. Remember, I had my own problems not too long ago" Sylph… it nearly brought a tear to Twilight's eyes to remember what she was willing to do for the stuff. She had never gone through with any of it, though. Her friends had been their to kick some sense into her. Literally; she still had the scar under her right ear from where Fluttershy had dropkicked her from sixty feet.

“You ain’t touchin that stuff, right?”

“Never again, love. You know, it’s a little ironic. Two years ago, we had this same discussion about the needles in my garbage can.” Twilight almost laughed, but as she had said, it was ironic, not funny. “You were so mad…”

They now entered the bathroom, which was likely to be the most used room in the house, save for the study. It may as well have had a Jacuzzi instead of a tub, for the thing’s size. It was easily big enough to fit both Twilight, Sunset and even a third person; a fact which they had happily exploited not so long ago, after a night of drinking. No matter, they had had all three moved on from—

“Hey remember when we had the Professor in here?” Well, they had moved past their escapade, but the memory now resurfaced with frightening clarity. She remembered feeling two sets of arms all over her, coming from every direction and going in just as many.

Twilight shook her head violently. “Yes, I remember. She was… proficient… Let‘s not talk about that. Ever.” Despite her reluctance to discuss the matter, she still felt her face burning red. “Alright, get undressed.”

Sunset fumbled for a few minutes with her shirt’s bottom button, and Twilight had to smile at the sheer adorableness of the face she was making. Her tongue was stuck out, and her brow was furrowed in concentration. Finally, with a soft pop, the first one came undone. “AHA! I did it!”

“Good job, only six more to go.” Twilight said as she turned on the cold water, and added only a little heat to it. The drunk woman’s face dropped like a lead weight, and tears started to pool in her eyes. “Here, I’ll get them.” Twilight would never admit it, but she did find some enjoyment in caring for Sunset like she was her child. Now Twilight’s face fell.

A child. Probably the one thing they could never have, even though they knew for certain that they both wanted one. It was a dark sentiment they shared: regret that they could not bear the other’s child, and despair that adopting a child into a political life was just foolish.

Sunset’s shirt was finally unbuttoned, and it slid off with ease, as did her bra and panties. She was still gorgeous, despite her drunken state and vomit soaked hair. Her body was well toned, but not overly muscular and there were only a few scars. One was from a fight back in high school, when the boy had stabbed her with a switchblade. There was another that she had gotten from their brawl over Twilight’s crown. She’d fallen on its jagged gem socket, and it had cut her chest open. Most of the rest were just little cuts and such that she’d accumulated over time.

“Babe, the tub's gonna overflow.”

“Huh? Oh shit!” Twilight frantically gripped at the knobs with her magic, and turned the water off just as it reached the edge of the tub.

“You said a baaaad wooooord! I’m telling!” Sunset said with a giggle.

“Oh? And who prey tell, would you tell?” Twilight could tell as she pulled the stopper out of the tub’s drain to empty it a bit that Sunset had gone from stupid drunk to flirty drunk. It was always best to just play along in these situations, but not give in to their flirting. Even if they were as adorable as Sunset was right then.

“Um…” To Twilight’s surprised amusement, Sunset actually seemed to be seriously contemplating the question. “Principal Celestia?”

“She has no authority on me. Keep trying.” Twilight said as she plugged the drain back up.

“PrinCESS Celestia!” she said, standing victoriously in a Captain Morgan pose, with her right leg propped up on rim of the tub. Twilight giggled at her enthusiasm.

“That could work, if Celestia herself didn’t curse once in a while. I’ll give you three more guesses.” Sunset flopped back down on the tub, and put a hand to her chin.

“Prince Solaris? Queen Chrysalis?” she asked, a tone of desperation leaking into her voice. “King Sombra?!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Who is Prince Solaris?”

“I dun even know! Damn it who do I tell to get you in trouble!” she shouted, gabbing Twilight by the shoulders and holding her firmly… which was admirable, since they were kinda, ya know, flat.

“No one, Dear, You can’t get me in trouble, cuz I’m a princess!” she said playfully, before levitating sunset over the tub.

“Aw that’s no fair.”

“Life’s no fair. Err, not fair. Get ready, it’s cold,” She cautioned, before dunking Sunset into the chilly water, where she thrashed for a moment before gaining some bearing.

“Damn it Twilight, Why is it so fucking cold?!” Sunset yelled, as she sprang up from under the water, her hair plastered all over her face and shoulders.

“A cold dip helps shock you out of your stupor. Works all the time on Pinkie Pie and Applejack. I just pick them up, and throw them in the lake.”

“Wow, that’s… cold! I’m sorry, babe, I couldn’t resist. But I do feel a bit better, thanks.”

“You’re welcome, love. I would have just splashed your face, but you chunked in your hair. I’ll be right back. Get cleaned up, and maybe we’ll do something fun.” she said with a wink, before trotting out of the room to got get Sunset some drinking water.

Behind her, she heard Sunset yell, “I get to be Player One!”

“As if!” she called back, and promptly trotted downstairs with a smile on her face. Player one… Sunset hadn’t made that joke in a very long time, but it was a sign that she was truly feeling better. Why? Because Sunset knew damn well Twilight wasn’t talking about video games.

Author's Note

I meant to say this last chapter, but -obvious references are obvious.- confused about Sylph? we'll get to that. and yeah... human pony human threesome. I frickin went there, cha gone do bout it?!

The Victim

When The Wall Breaks Down, chapter 3: The Victim

Fluttershy, of Equestria, had been different after The Collapse. When the barrier shattered, a vast amount of Equestria’s magic flooded to earth, and with it, any creatures that happened to be made of magic. That included her best friend, the ever troublesome and lovable Discord. Discord’s body was not truly solid, as many had thought, but Fluttershy had known better. She also knew he was still alive. And for three years, she had been out to prove it. For three years, she had been traveling Earth, searching for him. How could such a delicate mare handle such intense work, you ask? It’s simple. She was no longer the fragile mare that had moved to Ponyville so long ago. She had changed throughout her travels, getting stronger, faster, and of course, braver.

Currently, she was following a promising lead, deep in the Amazon Rainforest. The news website she frequented had featured an article about a bizarre creature in the Amazon, with all kinds of different body parts. The picture had been extremely blurry, but she would recognize it anywhere. Mismatched horns, a golden forelimb, green and grey hind legs, red tail; what else could it have been?

“Hey, Fluttershy?” The pegasus looked up at her human traveling companion, Arianna, in her khaki shorts and white tank top, wearing her heavy machete on her hip. She normally wore her purple and teal hair in twin tails, but had recently cut it and taken to putting it in a single, much shorter tail. “What makes you so sure he’s even going to be here?”

“Call it mare’s intuition.” She replied callously, and lifted a cigarette to her mouth. Arianna’s hand shot down with a mini butane torch, and lit the thing. Fluttershy’s looks had changed drastically, alongside her habits, since her search began. Instead of her old, flowing hairstyle, she now kept it tied back in a tail, and a good bit shorter. She wore a pair of grey jeans(something many Equestrian immigrants had taken to, as clothes were the norm on Earth), a black t-shirt, and a karambit knife on her right shoulder. She’d gotten good with that knife. Not many knew, but under her shirt was a huge black tattoo, in the shape of a tribal Draconequus silhouette. “Ari, he has to be here. He’s not anywhere else, and we actually have a clue now. A PICTURE, of all things.”

“I see.” Arianna didn’t sound convinced. She pulled out her machete and started hacking away the vines in front of her, as her pegasus companion flew over them. “I just, ugh, don’t want you getting, argh, hurt again.”

“What, that broken leg? That was ages ago.”

“You know what I mean, Fluttershy. I know he was your boyfriend, but-” Arianna stopped as Fluttershy flew back and stopped a few inches from the pale violet girl’s face, wearing a look of utter irritation.

“Discord was not my boyfriend. Got it?” She turned back away without waiting for an answer, drifting off in the direction some locals had pointed them in, and soon out of sight. The locals had said something about ruins, but neither of them had found anything, yet. That changed in a moment. “Ari! Get your butt up here!”

The girl started hacking away even faster at the vines, fearing that something had happened to the little pony. Her only friend, after the… incident at Canterlot High School. She finally had them cleared out, and started sprinting in the direction of the voice. “Fluttershy!” she hollered, and stopped running, as a hoof flew in her face. “What’s-” Then she saw it.

A massive temple, stood in the middle of a huge valley. It was like something out of Hollywood. There were massive, broken, stone statues, and fallen pillars that had long since forsaken their purposes, all of them weathered by time.

A shrill cry drew their attention upwards, and they finally saw the massive griffin that had been circling above them. It was a griffin that Fluttershy recognized instantly. “Gilda!” she hollered, as the griffin continued to circle lower, until it finally landed. “What are you doing here, Gilda? You’re supposed to be in Japan, with Arpeggio.”

“She ditched me. Crazy red haired bitch.” Arianna’s eye twitched. “Look, I’m… I’m working for some people that are out for Discord. They want him as their trophy.” she said in a hushed tone.

“And you’re working for them?!” the pegasus bellowed, and tackled the griffin. She drew her knife, and put it to Gilda’s throat. “Giffe me one good reason I shoon’t…”

“I knew you’d get here soon. Look, Dash asked me to help you, and I am! Honest!” The blade was removed, and Gilda sat up cautiously. “I’ve got no reason to betray you. Here’s the thing, I’m not worried. Discord is more than capable of handling himself in a fight. To be honest, I’m more worried about the hunters.”

“Then let’s go get them.” Arianna said, and reached into her bag, producing a Beretta M9. “We can handle anything these chumps throw at us.”

“Easy, Ari. Let’s not be too hasty. Things may not come to that. It’s not like it was in Egypt, they aren’t mercenaries, they’re hunters. Not to mention, Arpeggio, Elegy, and Bulk were still with us at that time. But we do need to hurry.” she concluded, and started flying down the hill towards the Temple’s entrance.

~~~~~~~

“What do you think, Arianna?” Gilda asked lazily as she hovered about twenty feet in the air, with the aforementioned girl riding on her back. She wasn’t very heavy, so the griffin was pretty okay with it.

“Hmm… It’s Aztec, I can tell by the architecture, but like, these are hieroglyphics.” Arianna replied, and scribbled down some notes. Despite the violet girl’s attitude and manner of speaking, she was a well versed archaeologist, and could easily identify things of the nature. “Well, most of them are… take me over there.”

“Hey, even I recognize these. It’s Arabic! I know that’s not supposed to be there.”

“No kidding. I think I can translate most of it.” she said, still scribbling. “Okay, over there, I think that’s Chinese.”

~~~~~~~

“I’m not letting you kill him.” Fluttershy said firmly, and sipped from her canteen.

“And we said we don’t care. He’s an animal, and we want him stuffed and mounted. Therefore, we kill him. If you try to stop us, we’ll have a pegasus as a trophy as well.” one of the hunters, Charleston, said, as he stroked his mustache.

“You do understand that I am a member of Princess Twilight’s Court, don’t you?”

“Crikey, you’re important! Like she’ll ever know.!” One of the others said. He was Arnold. Australian.

“She will. I get in touch with her Representative every two weeks. I’m due tomorrow.”

“Well, ain’t that convenient. Tell ya what, when we see it, we’ll believe it.” Raphael, the last one, said, and pointed his gun at Fluttershy. “Or I could deal with you outright.”

A bang sounded throughout the valley, and Raphael stumbled back, shouting several obscenities. There was a bullet hole in the ground in front of him. Arianna called from above them. “Hey! I wouldn’t do that again! I’m a hell of a shot!” She was still hovering with Gilda, holding her M9 with one hand. “Next one hits your head!” she said, and promptly returned to the carvings.

“See, gentlemen, you have no choice. I may be the Regent of Kindness, but I can be tough too. And see my friend up their, Gilda? She’s friends with Equestria’s Rainbow Dash, the Regent of Loyalty, and Rainbow has never beaten her in a fight. And Arianna’s sister, Arpeggio, is the greatest swordswoman I’ve ever seen. We aren’t the type you want to mess with.” Fluttershy said, and took another cigarette in her mouth. She never dropped her cool, even though her heart had skipped a beat when Arnold had aimed at her. Oddly, he now held out a lit match for her.

“Alright, fine. But we at least get a picture with it.” Charleston grumbled, and crossed his arms like a child.

“Him. And I’m sure that can be arranged.” she said with a smile.

“Fluttershy!” Arianna shouted from above, and pointed to the tree line. A group of men in black stood there, watching them. One had a large sniping rifle pointed at Fluttershy.

“Take cover!” she hollered too late, as the sniper changed his barrel’s angle and shot Arnold in the head. “Shit! Everyone, in the temple!”

They all complied, with Gilda landing and galloping into the entrance, while Arianna hung on desperately. Charleston and Raphael sprinted for the door, both firing shots over their shoulders with pistols. Fluttershy zoomed in behind them all, and entered just in time for an RPG to slam into the top of the entrance, and completely destroy it. They had effectively been trapped inside.

“Well, Fluttershy, What now?” Gilda asked as Arianna climbed off her back.

“We call Arpeggio and Elegy, then we head deeper.” the Pegasus replied sternly. “I have feeling that those were Vatican assassins. If that’s the case, we aren’t safe until they’re dead.”

“Just like Egypt, huh?” Arianna said smugly, pulling a leg holster out of her bag, and fastening it to her thigh.

“Yeah, Ari, Just like Egypt…”

~~~~~~

Egypt:
One year after The Collapse.

“I’m sorry for dragging you guys all the way out here.” Fluttershy said, as she solemnly trotted out of the final chamber in the ancient pyramid. “It was just another false lead.”

“Fluttershy, You know we’ll go wherever we need to, until we find him.” said Bulk Biceps, the only other pony on Sunset’s specially assembled search team, which consisted of Arpeggio, her two sisters, Arianna and Elegy, Bulk Biceps, Gild the griffin, and Fluttershy, of course.

“Yes, it’s not like we expected it to be easy.” Arpeggio said, tracing her finger in a circle at the base of her throat, as she so often did.

“Well, I suppose that’s good!” said a voice not belonging to any of the team. They all turned to see men in cloaks, pointing guns at them. “The equine demon taints yet another of the world’s sacred treasures. Kill them.”

Before they could fire, Arianna, Elegy, and Arpeggio had pulled out their handguns, and shot them all in the head. All twelve of them. They’d been doing this for a long time, it was obvious, but they were no older than Sunset. That terrified the two Pegasi on the team.

“Boss, these guys, I think they’re from the Vatican.” Arpeggio stated, and walked up to one of them. “Yes, I would know this cross anywhere. Arianna has one from when she was an agent.”

“It was a longtime ago, boss, don’t worry.” the violet girl replied, holding up her hands.

“Why would the Vatican be after us?” the leader asked, rubbing a hoof against her chin.

“Well, since the portal opened, they’ve been trying to shut it down, cuz they think it’s sinful. It makes sense to me, that they would be after ponies as well.” Gilda added, taking one of the men’s rifles. “This could come in handy.”

“I’ll send a report to the Rep.”

“Thanks, Bulk. But first, we need to get out of here. Elegy, dispose of the bodies, but take their crosses. We’ll need evidence. Arianna, with me.” Fluttershy ordered, walking away to scout the entrance with her partner.

~~~~~~

“Representative Shimmer? Sunset! Can you hear me?!” Fluttershy shouted at the small device in front of her.

“Obviously not, she hasn’t answered since you started.” Arianna said to her partner, as she assembled a second firearm, an M16, which she had purchased in Baghdad.

“You know, you could contact Arpeggio, instead of playing with your guns.” Gilda said, even as she accepted a pistol from Charleston. It had been Arnold’s.

“Yeah, I guess so. But what’s the point? She’s in Japan.” They had to admit, she had a point. And with Elegy and Bulk in Italy, they had no chance of aid coming.

At least, they thought so, until the pile of rubble behind them shifted, and a familiar white muzzle poked through the new gap at the top. “Everyone okay?”

“BULK?! What are you doing here?!” Fluttershy all but demanded, and started clearing away rubble. “I told you to search Italy!”

“We saw the article online, and we knew you’d be here.” he said, punching through a thick pile of rubble. “Figured you might want some help.” He lifted his head up to look her in the eye with his own deep blue orbs.

Fluttershy cut her eyes slightly. “Yes, thank goodness for Ponybit.com.” she said nonchalantly.

“Totally! Best website ever!” Bulk said enthusiastically.

Fluttershy Smiled sweetly at him. “The President will be happy when I contact her and tell her this.”

“Uh… yeah…” he replied, looking a bit scared.

“Your eyes are red. Not blue.” the little Pegasus deadpanned, shattering the groups smiles.

“What?”

“The article was only on one site, SuperBeastHunterNews.com.” she continued, her face darkening.

“I uh…”

“I’ve never met the President… who also happens to be a man.”

“Oh SHI-” he started, but was cut off by a blade slashing across his throat, which caused green fluids to spill onto the floor. Green flames enveloped the body, and it shifted back to it’s original, black, insect like form.

“What the fuck is a changeling doing on earth?!” Arianna screamed, pointing her screwdriver wildly at the corpse.

“Look at ish chest. Ish got a cross carved into it.” Fluttershy said, and sheathed her knife. “I think it’s safe to say we ARE dealing with the Vatican here. Poor thing must have been dragged here from her hive.”

“Poor? It’s a changeling, Fluttershy.” Gilda scolded. “It doesn’t deserve sympathy.”

“GILDA! SHE was a living creature! Don’t ever say something like that again! The only ones we do not sympathize with are the Vatican. Is that UNDERSTOOD?”

“Yes, boss.” The griffin seemed to shrink away from the Pegasus in fear. It seemed like it hadn’t been too long ago that their positions had been reversed, when Gilda came to Ponyville once, and had scared the life out of Fluttershy.

“Hunters, I need you two to help Gilda close that hole back up. Their humans won’t be far behind. Ari, get a picture of that changeling. Especially it’s brand, that’s important. After that, I want you to contact your sisters.” the yellow mare commanded, pointing her hoof in the appropriate directions. “I’m going to go a bit deeper, and find a good place to make camp.”

As they all set about their assigned tasks, Fluttershy soon found herself trotting steadily down a long corridor, with only a magnesium flare to light her way. One she was sure that she was far enough away from her team that they would not make out her actions, she sat the flare down and laid down beside it. There, she wept quietly, stifling herself so the others couldn’t hear. Se hated killing. She hated all this constant fighting. She hated this world. Equestria had it’s problems, but this place was so much worse. War, there was always war. In the past five countries they’d visited, there had always been violence, hate, starvation, and war. The starvation and war were what bothered her the most, in conjuncture. All of their effort went into the fighting, effort they could put towards feeding the hungry. It sickened her.

“Fluttershy?” The mare flinched and dried her tears quickly before Arianna came close enough to see them. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thi-” She was cut off by an ear-piercing scream, coming from further down in the temple. And it sounded very familiar. Hauntingly similar to a former statue she knew and loved.

“That…”

“Go get the others, we’re going as deep as we can. We’re getting my best friend back.” she said with a massive grin. As the purple girl left to obey, she whispered to herself, “Hang on Dissy, we’ll be there soon.”

Author's Note

I may have turned Fluttershy into some sort of pony version of Lara Croft... which is so many kinds of badass it's ridiculous.

Finding Chaos

When The Wall Breaks Down, Chapter 4: Finding Chaos

The group of five sprinted(or in Fluttershy’s and Gilda’s case, flew) as fast as they could through the ancient temple, in their attempt to put as much distance between themselves and the Vatican agents. They hadn’t heard anything from them, but they didn’t want to take any chances. And then they stopped.

Apparently, the builders didn’t want anyone finding whatever was at the bottom of the temple, which Charleston had dubbed ‘Dungeon Objective’ before they began their dash. How did they know they weren’t supposed to go there? Ask the giant hole in front of them. The five had reached a massive pit, big enough to swallow an Ursa Minor whole. It was at least sixty feet long, and thirty feet wide.

“Gilda, you take Charlie and Raph, I’ll take Ari.” Fluttershy commanded, and held out her hooves for her partner. No sooner did Arianna’s hands close around the mare’s forelegs, than she was off the ground, soaring over the pit. Gilda was close behind, carrying the men so they faced backwards, guns extended.

No sound of running came from behind them, but something did come from ahead. Suddenly, an apparition of the one they were after appeared in front of them. It was definitely ethereal, which was indicated by the lack of a shadow that the flare in Arianna’s hand should cast.

“Discord?” Fluttershy whimpered, nearly loosing her altitude.

“Fluttershy? I didn’t think it would be you I sensed…” he replied in shock, with eyes as wide as dishes. “Fluttershy, you need to leave. This is no place for a mare as gentle as you. Don’t worry, I… Wait, how did you find me?”

“We saw a picture of you outside the temple; it was in a news article. Discord, why are you here?”

“I’m trapped. When I was dragged into this world, my being gathered here, and now I’m stuck. Every time I try to teleport out, the temple stops me closer and closer. The last time, I made it to the door.” He paused for a moment. “Please, leave, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Discord, I’m carrying a gun toting human, there’s a knife on my shoulder, and there’s a griffin behind me carrying two hunters, ready to avenge their fallen friend. I think I’ll be fine. How would I get hurt?” she asked, flying the remaining ten feet across the pit, so she could sit Arianna down.

“There are traps further in, I can guide you through them, but it’s still dangerous. Go and get Twilight, or something. Heck I’ll take Rarity, as long as you get out of harms way.”

“Discord, there are a number of men probably coming down here to kill us. They have way more guns than we do.” Fluttershy stated bluntly, causing Discord’s face to drop. “I’d rather not get riddled with holes.”

“Riiiight. This way then.” he said and led them trough a doorway lined with several glowing stones. “Those would be what are keeping me here. I don’t know what they are, but there are three in my…. Let’s call it a cell. There are three of them, and one more that is broken. I’m certain that that broken stone is the only reason I can project this illusion to you.”

“Oh God, you’re a magic user?” Charleston groaned, letting his rifle fall to his side.

“I’m a spirit, Hunter Boy. The living embodiment of chaos itself.” the illusory Discord stopped for a moment to face the man. “So… yeah, I can use magic. Though, I’m not as proficient as Miss Princess-Pants, with her fancy shmancy crystal castle. And seven chairs.” He finished his rant with a harrumph.

“There are eight, now.”

“What?” Discord stared at Fluttershy in surprise.

“Yes, Twilight felt like you had proved that you deserved a place on the council, so she had Maud carve one out for you. But, you disappeared before it was finished.” Fluttershy replied with a smile sweet enough to have melted the polar ice caps. “She’s been really protective of it, too. She refuses to let anyone else sit in it.”

“R-really?” Ethereal tears started streaming down the spirit’s face. “Honestly, look at me. You ponies have turned me into such a sap.”

“I like this version of you better.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, because this version is my bestest friend in the two worlds.” Fluttershy said with a giggle, prompting Discord to start laughing as well. When the two had calmed down from their giggle fits, Gilda stepped forward and put a talon on Fluttershy’s shoulder.

“Boss, we need to get moving. Should we have the hunters break the crystals?” the griffin asked, pointing at the entryway.

“Yes, I think that’s a splendid idea, wouldn’t you agree, Discord?”

“Assuredly, those infernal devices have caused me no small trouble. But, try to prize on away from the wall, and save it. Twilight may want to examine them.” he replied sourly, his apparition hovering next to one. “I can’t fathom how they could have such advance knowledge of my abilities…”

Charleston spoke next, casting a wary eye at the spirit. “What makes you so sure that it’s you they were trying to contain?”

“Because, if they didn’t have certain enchantments in place, I would not be here. You may not be aware, but it is- and I say this with no small amount of pride- very difficult to contain chaos in its rawest forms. Would you please get to breaking? It would be much appreciated.”

“Right, sorry.” the Englishman replied, and took aim at the gem on the top left. Arianna aimed at the bottom right, and Raphael took the top right. They let lose a burst of gunfire, and the three crystals were shattered. Their bright blue color faded, and they became black. Only one was left, and Fluttershy casually trotted up to it and drew her knife, then buried it in between the rock and it’s attachment. The stone came loose easily, clattering to the floor, where it was promptly picked up by Charleston.

“Say, I think I’ve seen these before… Raphael, do you remember that temple in Africa?” Raphael nodded to his partner, who turned to Fluttershy in realization. “We were hunting a panther, and it fled inside. There were black stones like this all over the place. They had been broken, I see that now, but that place must’ve been like this one; it was a prison!”

Arianna stepped forward to examine the stone. “It does give off a bit of faint magic, but I can also feel it going, like, into it. It’s like it’s absorbing the magic around us. It would make sense if discord is getting weaker.”

“How does that make sense? And if that’s what’s keeping you here, if you wait for the magic to disappear from your body, can’t you escape?” Raphael asked, shouldering his rifle. His skepticism was annoying to Fluttershy, whose patience was much thinner than it was three years ago.

“No, I can’t. haven’t you been paying attention? I’m made of magic. Not this, that you see before you, but my true self, down below.” he explained, hovering forward a bit. “We’re coming up on the first trap now. It’s so cliché, too.”
Several minutes passed before anyone said anything.

“Well, What is it?”

“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED GRIFFY-POO!” Discord shouted, floating over beside Gilda. “It’s a hall with dart-shooting walls.”

“Y-You’re ki… those exist?!” Arianna shouted as she jogged forward to where the floor changed texture. She knelt down and gingerly laid her hand against the smooth tiles. “No one gets in there… the floor here is smooth; it’s not weathered down by footsteps like over there.” she explained, pointing towards where the others were standing. “Mister Discord-”

“Please, Mr. Discord was my father. Call me Discord.”

“Are you… serious? You’re a junior?” asked Gilda, staring slack jawed(beaked?) at the spirit.

“Wow.” he deadpanned. He turned towards his bestie. “Fluttershy, where did you even get her?”

“She’s Dashie’s friend. Twilight thought she would be helpful.” the pegasus answered calmly. “Of course, she absolutely has been. She’s a good fighter, a great flyer, and not too mean once you get to know her.”

“Right. Well, Dashie’s Friend, I never had a father.” The spirit’s eyes fell to the floor. “No mother, either.”

“Discord, you have a family now. Me, and the others, we’re you’re family. Celestia and Luna too!” Fluttershy said, hovering in front of the illusion’s face. “You won’t be alone, ever again.”

“Fluttershy.” He looked the mare dead in the eyes. “You’re mortal.”

It was not as though Fluttershy had never thought about this. Sure, the court of harmony would have new members some day, but the original members were his first true friends. No one could ever replace that. But Fluttershy was going to make sure he wasn’t lonely for the rest of her life.

“Yeah, but you’ll make more friends! I know you will! After all,” she said, pausing to wipe a tear from her eye. “Everyone in Ponyville loves you now. Soon, all of Equestria will, too.”

“I doubt it. I genuinely appreciate your sincere faith in me, but I still believe it’s misplaced.” The illusory Draconequus drifted around her, and snapped his fingers. A number of smooth tiles in the hallway started glowing as little orange arrows appeared above them. “These are the safe tiles.” He snapped again, and numerous orange lines appeared close to the ceiling. “Those are trip wires. Don’t fly through, or you’ll set them off.” The illusion of Discord vanished, and all they were left with was a the glowing orange indicators in the hall.

“I’m sorry I’m not a god.”

Author's Note

So, chapter four is up! You know, it makes me smile to know this story is being so well received. Thanks to every one who's been reading this, and I hope you all continue to enjoy it. Also, is there anywhere you think I can improve? let me know and I'll try my best to work on it!

I'm Coming Home

When The Wall Breaks Down, chapter 5: I’m Coming Home

Arpeggio. Arpeggio Glimmer. That was her name. It was the name her friend had given her. She hated it. Even so, she would have no other name.

She didn’t know why she hated it, Arpeggio was a nice name. Maybe it was because her friend had given it to her? That seemed likely. The girl irritated Arpeggio to no end.

Still, she was nice to Arpeggio, which was more than could be said for the rest of Canterlot. Even now, as she walked through the street, she received a number of hateful stares. She could change her name, she could change her hair, but she couldn’t change what she’d done. Her finger tentatively rose to her throat and traced a circle at it’s base. She missed the gem that used to hang there. But, things happened, and she had replaced her gem with a sword. That sword, a claymore, now hung loosely from her back by two straps, bouncing against her butt with every step.

Five years. Five years had passed and the city still hadn’t forgiven her. She supposed that was alright, since she hadn’t done so herself. She didn’t know what had brought on the heart crushing guilt, but she suspected harmony magic was to blame. Again, that was okay, because it had made a better woman of her.

A police officer stepped in front of her. He was bigger than she was. That was unusual, as she was a rather tall woman. “Were ya headin, ma’am?”

“To see Representative Shimmer.” Arpeggio replied calmly. She was used to the police giving her a hard time.

“Not with that sword, you’re not. Hand it over.” he ordered, holding out his left hand.

“Well, alright, but I assure you, it’s just a decorative piece. I picked it up in Scotland.” she said, and swung the sword around for him. “Go ahead, give it a tug. It doesn’t even have a blade.”

The officer did, and raised an eyebrow at her. “Why would you have this?”

“For the same reason a girl buys Versace. It’s pretty, and they want it. I’ve been lugging that around for three years, so you’re hardly the first one to ask about it.”

“Whatever.” The sword was thrust back into her hands, and the officer went on his way. With a sigh, Arpeggio slung her weapon onto her shoulder. Yes, weapon. In truth, it was not a decorative piece, but a fully functional, 1060 carbon steel blade. The reason the cop had not been able to draw the blade, was because the Princess herself had enchanted it. Only Arpeggio could draw the sword.

Most would not realize that Arpeggio was the powerhouse of the three sisters. They would assume that Arianna was the strongest, and that she was the wisest and most resourceful. But in truth, Arianna was the most resourceful, Elegy the wisest, and Arpeggio the strongest. Now, Arpeggio was pretty clever, but she lacked the knowledge and tenacity of Arianna. That was why she was partnered with… Gilda.

She had lost Gilda in Japan. The tunnel had caved in, and they were separated. Her friend was dead, and she was to blame. She should have seen the tripwire, and avoided it. But she hadn’t seen it. She couldn’t avoid it. No matter, she was a strong woman. She’d lost loved ones before, and she’d always kept her chin up, for the sake of the others.

A rock suddenly impacted the side of her head, causing a bit of blood to trickle down her cheek. She paid it no mind. Two more rocks soared by her face, and she heard a couple hit the wall behind her. So it was going to be a stoning? She hadn’t been stoned since Salem. “Hey Witch! Get the fuck out of Canterlot!” Arpeggio had to smile at the statement. She un-shouldered the sword, and held it in a way that allowed her to hold the sheath’s straps, as well as the sword hilt, and deflected another rock. More came sailing at her, and as she blocked them all, it crossed her mind that a shield would have been far superior. But, alas, she had been intent on using all of her savage strength in every swing, so the shield had been vetoed. After a moment, they ran out of rocks, and started throwing insults at her. Her hair, her scar, her height; they commented on it all.

She decided to say something. “Petty insults? This is not High School, you are all adults. And I will have you know, this hairstyle is quite popular in Prague right now.” This seemed to silence them for a bit, and many of them went back to their daily routines, save for one woman.

“Hello, Ada- I mean, Arpeggio. Sorry, I never really got used to the new name.” God, her accent still intoxicated Arpeggio with every word.

“It is quite all right Miss Melody. It’s good to see you again.” She replied to the grey-skinned cellist. Former cellist, she corrected herself. Octavia Melody was a former cellist. She jogged over and hugged her friend. “I have missed you.”

“Vinyl said she saw you in Russia a few months ago.” she said, and adjusted her sling. Arpeggio was reminded painfully of how she could not protect Octavia from the gunner. “Why didn’t you speak to her?”

“I don’t deserve to.”

“That’s bullshit, and you bloody know it. That really hurt her feelings, Arpeggio. She was your friend, too.”

Arpeggio grit her teeth behind her closed lips. “I promised her I would protect you.”

“I’m alive.”

“You’re crippled.”

“I manage to survive.”

“The cello…”

“I learned the harp.” Arpeggio opened her mouth to counter, but was cut off. “One more word, and you’ll be reminded of how much strength it took to lug that cello around.”

“Right. I’m on my way to Sunset’s place, want to come?”

“Only if you’ll have dinner with me.” The Musician countered, eliciting a smile from the ex-singer.

Only one problem: “I don’t have a dress.”

“You can borrow one of mine.”

~(A)~

Arpeggio and Octavia strolled in through the main door of the estate, as casually as one would enter a shopping mall. They were always welcome, as Octavia was a member of the Earthling-Equestrian Immigration Bureau. As for Arpeggio, the reason should be obvious.

The sound of girlish laughter came from upstairs, so the two women cautiously went up to investigate. What they found was… surprising.

Twilight, transformed into a human, next to Sunset Shimmer, with a controller each, were giggling and playing video games together. In the study. In their underwear.

“Hello, ladies.” a familiar voice said, followed by two clicks, and barrels pressed into the back of their heads.

Arpeggio replied first. “Hello, Heath, how’ve you… BEEN!” Arpeggio grunted the last word as she swung her claymore at the red haired man, using the same grip as before, to keep the sheath on. The man dropped down, like he was dodging bullets, and with a back flip, his foot came up and nearly impacted Arpeggio’s chin. She was too fast for him, though, and backstepped to dodge. So, it was a fight he wanted? He would get one.

Arpeggio swung again, succeeding in hitting him, and sent him flying down the stairs. More accurately, he went over the stairs. He didn’t hit any of them on the way down. Landing on his feet, he raised both of his SR22 handguns to her. Interestingly enough, he had bayonets on them. No matter. He was too late, as she leapt down after him, sword raised, and let loose a brutal war cry. Her broken voice made it sound all the more furious. Heath dodged the still sheathed sword as it crashed into the floor where he was standing a moment before. The ex-singer recovered quickly, using the rebounding force to swing the sword into an upward cut, missing by only a centimeter as Heath danced to the side.

“I’ve been pretty good, Peggy. Man, you’ve gotten better.” Heath replied, and dashed forward, slashing with his pistols’ bayonets. He didn’t reach her, as Arpeggio swung her weapon in a masterful upward slash, catapulting the man several feet in the air. Before he hit the ground, she stepped forward and, using a two handed grip, slammed her claymore into his stomach with an artistic spinning slash. He was sent tumbling across the floor, into Sunset’s coffee table. It collapsed under the impact, and Heath groaned from the pain.

“Hey, That was a nice table!” the aforementioned Representative said from above(Thankfully now clad in a bathrobe), watching with an amused smirk. “Take it outside.”

“With pleasure!” With Arpeggio distracted, Heath seized his window and tackled her through the open front door. They both rolled out of the grapple, coming into their respective fighting stances. Since Heath was primarily a gunfighter, he stood with both pistols pointed at the siren, and his legs were tensed incase he needed to dash to either side. Arpeggio, on the other hand, stood with her blade pointed away from Heath, and her legs tensed, ready to sprint forward and deliver a savage upward slash.

Instead of using these weapons, they dropped them, and took their own hand-to-hand stances. Heath stood with both his hands open, and angled sideways, ready to deflect any incoming punches. His strikes would be pressure point oriented, aiming to disable the opponent quickly.

Arpeggio stood with he fist raised, ready to block oncoming attacks outright, and brutally pummel the opponent with her strikes. Once the opponent was disoriented, she would bring them into a grapple, and finish him quickly, likely resulting in a fatality. It would be a flawless victory. Of course, being the powerhouse, she made the first move, leaping forward with a fist raised. She brought it forward in a mild punch, knowing that Heath would deflect it, which he did.

Heath retaliated by bringing his two middle knuckles into a small area between the right side of her neck and her clavicle, sending a rush of pain through her right arm. She took it though, and slammed her right fist into Heath’s left temple in a wicked backhand.

The man reeled away from the strike, managing to recover in time to block one of Arpeggios roundhouses. He wrapped his arms around her leg, and barely managed to throw her off her feet, sending her tumbling onto the grass. While he retreated a few feet, she recovered by swinging her legs around behind her like a break dancer, and coming into a stance reminiscent of a sprinter at the starting line. With a grunt, she tensed her legs, and rushed forward, closing the twelve foot gap in mere seconds. Heath didn’t have time to respond, and was caught in Arpeggio’s tackle. There wasn’t much he could do being in the woman’s grip, so he took the powerful tackle, and let her slam him into the Estate’s wall, with the intent to counter with a strike to her waist, but he didn’t get the chance.

Heath impacted the wall, and Arpeggio immediately jumped back, and tackled again, using her forearms as battering rams, and smashed into his stomach. Then, she grabbed his collar, and threw him into a prone position, then sat side-saddle on his back. “Who’s your Momma?” she asked haughtily, putting all her weight on him.

“Not you! AGH!!!” He grunted as Arpeggio leaned sideways and put her elbow against the back of his neck. “Okay! Okay, You’re my Momma!”

“That’s a good boy. Well, looks like you’ve gotten better yourself.” she said, and stood up, releasing her newly appointed ‘son.’

“Geez Arpeggio, you could try not to break so many ribs next time.” he said, as he clutched his chest in pain. “Your majesty, if you would please?”

Arpeggio turned to see a humanized Twilight jogging forward, wearing an orange bathrobe with an ‘S’ embroidered onto it’s left chest.

As she held out her right hand, the princess’s familiar violet aura surrounded Heath’s chest, and he grimaced as all his ribs worked themselves back into please, and the fractures healed. See, the secret to Twilight still being able to perform magic was that she moved her horn into her arm when she transformed, so she still had an outlet for her magic. Theoretically, she could use her fingernails, as they were made of the same thing, a rigid keratin construct meant for offense and defense. But, the princess wasn’t willing to risk permanent humanity on the Professor’s crazy hunch.

She was shocked to see Twilight walk right past Heath, and head straight for the mortal siren. “Arpeggio.”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty?”

“You have a message from Arianna. It’s urgent.” the Alicorn said, and held out a small violet tinged orb. It was normally clear, unless one of her sisters were contacting her.

“Sis! You there Arpeggio?” Arianna’s voice flooded from the little device, giving Arpeggio some relief that at least one of the other two were safe.

“Yes, my sister, what is it?”

“A couple of things. First, why did you abandon Gilda?” Something was wrong. The violet siren sounded out of breath, like she had been sprinting for a while.

“Gilda is dead. I watched the cave in crush her.” Her face twisted in a grimace, as there was no way Arianna could see her, since these devices only transmitted audio. “How do you know she’s not with me?”

“Because she’s here!” Arpeggio’s eyes narrowed.

“Hey Arpeggio!” the familiar voice sent a chill down her spine.

“Gilda.” she said calmly. “I’m tired of telling you not to watch that tape.”

“Really?! We’re doing this now?!”

“Say it. I have to know it’s you.”

“Fine. I don’t give a damn what you say, I’ll masturbate to Sunset and Twilight eating out if I want!” she said, earning a smile from the siren. First, because that phrase was hilarious. And second, because it reassured her that her friend was alive. The phrase, it should be known, is a way to ensure that neither were falsifications of one another. It was a crude method, but one that worked. Arpeggio risked a glance at Twilight, who had now been joined with Sunset and Coco.

Twilight’s skin had turned bright red, and her eyes were wide with shock. Coco had the same expression, however, she had her mouth covered. Sunset, being Sunset, just smirked at them.

“A-Arpeggio, do you really have us on tape?” Wait, seriously? Arpeggio had just taken a shot in the dark but… she grinned even wider.

“No princess, it’s just a way of identifying each other.”

Octavia slowly made her way around the building, carrying with her Arpeggio’s sword. Having only one good arm, she couldn’t very well gather the pistols as well.

Suddenly, another voice came over the transmitter, one that was a point of authority for Arpeggio. “Twilight, are you there?”

“Yes, Fluttershy, what is it?” Arpeggio had a very bad feeling about this… they were going to get bad news…

“We found him.”

Her intuition sucked.

Like, it really, really, really sucked.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long to get up, but it's here now, unfortunately, updates on this will be pretty slow, as I'm working on other stuff. Hope you like this chapter.