A Monster's Sunset

Chapters

A Meeting of Fate
The Hero, the Lamia, and the Pony
The Journey Begins
Dragon Knight
A New Friend?
Catching Up on News...

A Meeting of Fate

"Sunset Shimmer, I am removing you from the position of my pupil. 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."

Those were the words that started me on my journey. They were momentous and perhaps the most important words that were ever spoken to me in my life up to that point, but only now do I see that if they had never been spoken I never would have reached the point I have now.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I haven't even properly introduced myself after all.

My name is Sunset Shimmer. A strange name to you perhaps, but where I come from there are far stranger. Once, I had it all. I was the personal student to a goddess. I had status, power, money. I was important. I was destined for greatness, to be a leader of my race and people. I was the kind of mare everypony envied.

Yes, I said 'mare' and 'everypony'. You might have guessed I'm not the standard gal around, but then again, the fact you picked this book up is proof that you already had an inkling. Or maybe you're just the curious type, poking around in things that don't concern you.

But again, who in Tartarus am I to judge? Poking around in such things was exactly what got me in the position I was in back then.

But I'm getting ahead of myself all over again, so let's start at the beginning, shall we? I am, or rather was, a unicorn.

Yes, a horse, though I prefer pony, with a horn that could cast magic. Don't be surprised, unicorns do exist...at least outside of this world. C'mon, this world is filled with hybrids of humans and non-human species called monsters that feed on human semen like it's candy, and not only can they successfully interbreed with humans, they need to in order to survive. Where do you get off on saying I'm crazy?

Anyways, I am a member of but one of three major pony races, the other two being pegasi, winged ponies who can control weather, and earth ponies, who have an unnatural affinity for the earth. My master, Princess Celestia, was an alicorn, a pony who possessed the powers of the three tribes together and whose magical power was so strong it was she, not the rotation of the earth, who was and still is as far as I know responsible for the rise and fall of the sun and moon.

And this all-powerful entity and I got into an argument that resulted in my banishment from what was rightfully mine, and my escape into this all-new world of possibilities.

...You think I'm crazy, don't you? But the fact you stayed with me this long is proof that you do in fact believe...or maybe you just love listening to the rambles of a madmare. I suppose it wouldn't be surprising either way; if I read about some of the things of this world without having experienced it myself, I would call whoever wrote it worse than mad.

...I'm rambling again, aren't I? I have a bad habit of that. I don't even know why I'm writing this book now. A message to show I'm not insane after all these years? A desire to tell my story? Regret at being unwilling to return to my teacher and beg for forgiveness? A promise to reaffirm my ambition to return and prove myself? I don't know anymore. All I can do is write and hope that I can find the answer.

My name is Sunset Shimmer, and this, just like the stories of the prideful angel of heaven, is how I fell from grace.

"...Well ain't you Ms. Melodramatic?" Sunset Shimmer muttered to herself as she looked over the first page of her journal, arms stretched over top of her desk which was perhaps the most worthwhile thing in the humble abode she called home. "You'd think I was writing my own obituary from the way this is-"

"HELP!"

That massive scream caused her to start, her arm jerking to hit the bottle of ink next to her and spilling it all over said most worthwhile thing and onto the floor. With a scowl and barely contained anger she let an obscure curse hiss through her teeth, shutting the book and grabbing a nearby towel try and mop up the mess before it got worse.

"Whoever said that's gonna need help when I'm done with them..." she muttered darkly as she started to clean, not caring if the ink stained the wood if it meant she didn't get any more on herself. Just her damned luck. Even after nearly ten years of exile from everything she had once known, it still seemed like karma wasn't done biting her in the flank. "Honestly, would it kill the world just to-"

Her internal musing was interrupted yet again by the sound of frantic knocking on her door. With a quick glance towards the disturbance, she blinked in surprise before scowling again, murmuring a prayer to whatever god or goddess was listening that whoever it was would just assume she wasn't in and leave her the hell alone. There was a reason her home was at the edge of Ilias Village after all.

Ilias Village. A place dedicated to the 'Great Goddess Ilias', defender of light, justice, harmony and all that pretentious bull, but to her it was just a name filled with bad memories. Sunset personally didn't know if Ilias was even a real thing (she had never seen any visions of her), but she did know that for all their self-righteous talk, these people really weren't all that, especially not back when she first arrived.

They had nearly been her grave when she arrived here out of these woods, caught in the middle of winter with no food or water, suffering a broken arm and several scars from her own stupidity. What kind of deity did nothing for someone in trouble like that? Those xenophobes had left her to die in the cold and she would have if not for-

"Sunset Shimmer, please open up! It's urgent!" A female voice urged from behind the bolted wood. For a moment, the red-and-yellow-haired young woman hesitated, then just sighed and got up, ignoring the half-finished ink cleaning to walk towards the door. Well, it wasn't like she really had anything better to do.

'The journal was a dumb idea anyways,' she thought to herself as she grabbed the black cloak that was nearby on her book and paper-covered bed, throwing it over her shoulders as she checked the sleeves of her brown tunic and same-colored leggings for any ink splotches. Finding none, she grabbed the painted-black hardwood staff resting at the foot of her bed with her good hand, its coolness calming her slightly as she hurried towards the door, careful to avoid various books and glass objects stacked haphazardly all over. Her research into this world had left her with many sleepless nights pouring over tomes, mixing various types of chemicals, and writing her findings down, so her house looked more like a tornado had passed through it than anything else, with effective walking space a bit of a luxury.

Still, she knew it well-enough to navigate without making a mess. The knocking continued at its urgent pace as she neared it, and it only stopped as she took a moment to use the peephole, her teal eye visible to whoever was on the other end as she came eye-to-eye with a frantic brown orb.

"Who is it?" she called out, wincing as she moved her free hand towards the bolt. Still hurt even after all these years...

"It's Betty, your old neighbor!" she shouted.

Sunset remembered Betty. One of the few persons in town she could actually hold a civilized conversation without worrying about getting angry enough to start setting things on fire. She opened the door, her gaze falling upon the old woman, still standing strong despite easily being in her late sixties or so, clad in her simple homespun clothes.

"What is it?" she asked, taking a moment to glance out towards the village down the road. Sunset's home was situated right at the edge of the forest, only accessible by the dirt road that wound its way out from the little village. Yet even from here she could still see the village, looking for all the world like a typical sleepy settlement where nothing happens.

Except for two glaringly obvious things: One, the massive white marble temple smack-dab in the center that stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the slightly run-down, homelier buildings around it.

Two, the fact that there were people running about in the streets like headless chickens, rushing into houses and into the said temple like their lives depended on it. She was even certain that she could pick up faint yells of "Ilias save us!", "Have mercy!", "Get the women and children to safety!", and what sounded like "Hide the beer!".

"Is it Prohibition Day already?" she asked in confusion. "I know those crazy priests had been throwing around that idea for a long time, but I didn't think that they'd actually go through with it considering-"

"Sunset, this has nothing to do with that stupid law!" Betty replied heatedly, then took a breath to calm herself. "Lumberjack Hans spotted a monster on the outskirts of the village in the forest. People are panicking like mad."

Sunset blinked. "I thought monsters avoided Ilias Village because of the temple." And having stepped in there once to out of curiosity, she could understand why: Way too bright, orderly and just a plain eyesore. "Something about the Goddess striking them down with lightning bolts?"

Betty nodded. "Yes, but there have been exceptions. All that matters is that it's apparently coming closer to the village and-what are you doing?"

Sunset stopped moving back into her house, giving the old woman a glance that basically said 'bored now'. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm just gonna stay inside now until it's gone."

Betty looked appalled. "W-What?! You can't do that!"

Sunset was reasonably certain she could, but she turned around fully to face the lady anyways, absentmindedly scratching at a healed-over mark along her chin. "Why not? Certainly the soldiers can handle one monster, so why come to me? It's no skin off my back. You of all people should know I don't really care about this place anyways."

Betty looked appalled, but then shook her head. "You always did know how to hold a grudge..." she muttered. "But what if I was to tell your brother went charging out to fight it?"

She might as well had just blown her house up right then and there. She still would have produced a less impressive reaction from Sunset. Immediately, Sunset had shut the door to her house and was now facing Betty face-to-face, staring at her with widened eyes filled with surprise, fear and anger.

"WHAT?!" she shouted. "When did this happen?! Why didn't you say so?!"

Betty backed away slightly, but answered anyways. "About eight minutes ago. I came as quickly as I could to tell you, but I-"

"Did he at least get his baptism yet?"

"No, he's still-"

Sunset didn't bother to listen to the rest of her explanation, simply gripping the staff in her hand tighter as she drew upon her magic, watching said hand and staff glow a teal color as she envisioned the forest just to the north of the village in her mind's eye-

She shut her eyes, moments before the world seemed to shift, and then opened them upon hearing a 'pop', pleased to see her teleportation was a success at the sight of trees. It was good to see she could still use something like that despite her current body and lack of usage of it lately. The villagers always did get antsy whenever she practiced her magic. Not her fault they couldn't handle fireballs blowing up their trees.

"Alright then," she muttered to herself as she looked around the trees surrounding her, searching for her quarry, "where on Earth are you-"

"Argh!"

A definitely masculine shout interrupted her musings, somewhere deeper in the trees. Sunset quickly raced towards it, hoping against hope she wasn't too late to stop-

She made it to a clearing where she came upon the most bizarre of sights. A young man, about 18 she knew from personal experience but appearing more in his early teens than anything else, with messy and close-cropped purple hair and almost child-like blue eyes, was before her. He was wearing a light-purple tunic with an even lighter, almost white long-sleeved undershirt, a deep red cape that also seemed to double as a scarf around his neck, brown gloves, black pants and blue-grey boots with bronze-colored metal fronts. In his right hand he was holding a plain iron sword that seemed well-cared for, perfect for challenging any sort of dangers that might stand in his way.

He was also currently halfway stuck inside what could only be described as a mass of blue slime vaguely in the shape of a girl with a large pair of breasts. Said slime seemed to be trying to drag him deeper inside of herself while staring at him in equal parts what could only be described as confusion and amusement as he fruitlessly struck at her body with his swordhand, which was submerged in her body and thus only occasionally poked out of her form, only to watch as the pieces that flew off just recombined with her after a few moments.

Honestly, the sight was so ridiculous that Sunset nearly forgot why she had come out here in the first.

"Ehehe~" the slime girl singsonged as the boy continued to strike fruitlessly. "Oh, just give up already and let me digest your clothes! I'm hungry, and I'll make you feel good if you do~!"

"N-Not yet..." the boy huffed and puffed slowly as he dragged himself towards the other side of the clearing, where Sunset realized there appeared to be some sort of slow-moving stream. "I...still have...one last option!"

'What are you-'

Sunset's thoughts were cut off as both boy and slime tumbled into the water. Eyes widening, she rushed out of the woods and across the clearing.

"Luka!" she shouted as she reached the site. "Are you alright?!"

Silence...and then, "...BWA-HAAAA!"

Luka's head exploded to the surface. With several coughs, he quickly pulled himself out of the water and stopped on the bank, unslimed and taking in several breaths.

"I-I did it..." he panted slowly as he dragged his sword out of the water behind him. He paused, then looked over at Sunset as if only now realizing she was here, then flashing her a smile. "H-Hey Sunset," he called to her before coughing up some water. "N-Nice to see you today."

Sunset didn't know if she wanted to hug him for being safe or throw a fireball at him for making her worry like that. Luckily for both of them, she was spared from forming an answer by a welcome distraction.

"Uuuuuu~!"

The two of them turned their heads to see the slime girl's face floating in the water, seemingly pouting.

"I can't take form anymore~! What's going to happen to me~?"

"You should have let me set her on fire."

"I don't think that works on a slime."

"Anything burns if you turn up the heat enough. That or explodes. Come to think of it, I should test that sometime."

Luka sighed as the two of them made their way back to the village. After Sunset had nearly evaporated the entire stream in order to get at the slime girl, Luka had managed to convince her to just capture the monster in a magic bubble so they could take her far away from the village. She grumbled about it, but complied after about a minute or two (and Luka using his sword to keep the slime from floating away on the current). After that, they had spent about ten minutes or so just going deeper into the forest before dropping the slime off with the stern warning not to come back (though Luka was certain the sight of Sunset forming a fireball large enough to incinerate a tree probably had more of an effect than his words).

Now, they were just walking back towards the village, talking. When Luka asked Sunset why she just didn't teleport them, since he knew that she could do so, she just shrugged and said it was too long a distance for her right now. He had a feeling she was bluffing, but he didn't feel like pushing the issue.

Honestly, any stranger looking at them right now would likely just be confused by the sight. The short-purple-haired, smiling and innocent-looking boy in heroic clothing of purple and red with a sword provided such a stark contrast to the long red-and-golden-haired, scowling and scarred woman in witch-like clothing of black and brown with a staff that one would have originally wondered why they weren't trying to kill each other. Yet the way they interacted both verbally and non-verbally made it clear that despite the latter's snarking they were quite close to one another, almost like a pair of siblings. It was something that often boggled the minds of the residents of Ilias Village, both newcomers and even veterans, whenever the two of interacted in public.

For Luka though, it was just a part of life. Ever since he and his late mother had first met Sunset nearly ten years ago, almost dead in the snow of winter covered in horrible scars, he had taken the time to bond with the older woman, to the point that he had come to see her like an older sister. An older sibling that was aloof, rude and very sarcastic, but a sibling nonetheless. It didn't matter about her outward personality; he knew what the 'her' underneath all that was really like.

Still, that didn't mean he just let her get away with her quips.

"You can't just go around blowing up everything you don't like," he told her with just the slightest hint of disapproval. She in turn scoffed and turned her head.

"Sure I can."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, you can," he acquiesced, "but that's not an option for me on my quest."

Sunset snorted. "Your 'quest'," she repeated. "You honestly still believe in that?"

"Yes," he replied. "You saw that slime girl. All she wanted was something to eat, and it wasn't even me."

"Nah, just your clothes with a side of your semen," Sunset answered, rolling her eyes as if that was the stupidest joke she had ever heard. "Did I ever tell you how messed up that really is?"

Several times in the past as a matter of fact, but he didn't bother to answer that.

Luka sighed. He expected this sort of reaction from her. "Look Sunset, I know that you don't like the idea of me going out into the world-"

"No, I don't have a problem with that," she corrected him. "What I have a problem with is the fact that you're doing it in the name of some hair-brained scheme to bring coexistence to a bunch of monster races that don't want it."

"That's not true," he remarked. "Humans and monsters used to be able to live in harmony. I mean, we weren't exactly friends, but we weren't at war either."

"And then Remina happened."

Luka flinched. Remina, a town near the Monster Lord's (the leader and most powerful of the monster races) castle, had once been a shining example of both humans and monsters coexisting peacefully. Until the day nearly 30 years ago a massive raid of monsters descended upon it and turned it into a scene from hell, leaving only charred ruins and no survivors behind. Humans forced monsters out of towns in both fear and outrage, and wild monsters in turn attacked human settlements, finally culminating in the Monster Lord declaring war on humanity.

...Well, 'war' was a stretch, as the degree of 'conflict' varies depending on the continent in question. Some still accept man and monster alike, others nowhere near as kind. Still, the world was a far worse place now.

"Yeah...but that doesn't mean things can't go back to the way they once were if we try."

"Doesn't mean they can either. We could just be setting ourselves up for a big disappointment."

"That's why I've got to defeat the Monster Lord. If I can beat her, everything goes back to normal."

Sunset flat-out laughed at that, actually stopping to double over as she raised her slightly-twisted left hand to her mouth, its scarred appearance almost fitting her self-moniker of "The Witch of Ilias Village".

"I'm serious!" he told her, though even he knew how ridiculous it sounded. "Why do you think I've wanted to train since I was eight? It's all so I can face off with her."

Sunset stopped chuckling. "It's a noble goal yes, but do you really think you can defeat the Monster Lord, the most powerful monster in existence? She would crush you like an insect."

He deflated slightly. "You don't have to be so direct about it..."

Sunset sighed. "Luka, do you honestly think you would stand a chance outside of this village? There are monsters out there who are ready to kill you, eat you, rape you, or all three at once if you fight them."

"I've trained!"

"Against dummies for striking and me for dodging, and as good as I am, it's different when the enemy's actually trying to win and hurt you. I was there when the slime girl was attacking, remember? How on earth did she catch you? I thought I taught how to dodge if nothing else."

He flinched. Despite all his confidence and training, he had nearly been done in by an average slime, and one that had only been hungry to boot. It was quite clear he needed something more.

"I-I only lost because I didn't realize her body couldn't be cut and my sword and hand got stuck inside. I couldn't get out," he replied reluctantly, then added resolutely. "B-But I'll manage! When I get Ilias' blessing, I'll be able to-"

"You'll get official recognition as a 'Hero'," she interrupted him with quotations marks around that last word. "Sure, you get benefits, but is that 'divine protection' really gonna mean much in the long run if you can't even really hurt your enemy?"

"Ilias came to me in a dream last night, Sunset. I saw her. She told me I was her only hope in stopping the monsters. That's got to mean something, right?"

Sunset looked like she was about to have another burst of laughter, probably thinking he had lost it, but she stopped herself. "Really? You sure it wasn't from dinner? Those mushrooms were a little old after all."

Luka growled. He did love her as a sister, but he was tired of her poking holes into his hopes. "Sunset, this is my dream! I've been training for this day for years. I can't just throw it away now!"

"And I promised your mother that I would take care of you and make sure you were safe on her deathbed!" she shouted back, all amusement gone from her face. "Don't think for a moment I'm gonna break that promise just because you were being stubborn!"

Luka flinched, all his fury gone in an instant at those words. He remembered that very well. His mother, Liese, had been the only other person in the entire village who both he and Sunset had ever truly been close to. In his case, it was because she was the only real family he had left; not since what had happened to his father at least, and the villagers back then had always given him the cold shoulder. For Sunset, it was because his mother was the one who found her out in the cold and took her in when no one else had, personally seeing to her injuries and taking care of her even after she had healed. She was quite literally the only person who Sunset ever treated with respect and deference; even with himself her softer side only showed itself at key moments. It was because of her the two of them had even started to bond together, starting with his curiosity into the thing Sunset called 'magic' and her eventual acceptance in showing it off to him: moving boulders with her mind, disappearing and reappearing somewhere else instantly, and even blowing up trees with great balls of fire.

Then the illness came. Mother got sick while they didn't. The villagers didn't help them, refused to help the family of outsiders even when both he and Sunset had gone into town to try and find medicine. He had little doubt Sunset would have burned them all to the ground and he would have helped if Mom hadn't forbidden it. Sunset sent a large amount of time with her especially near the end, talking behind closed doors. He remembered that last night like it was yesterday: He and Sunset kneeling next to mother's bed, listening to her beg them not to hate or take revenge on the villagers, her plead for Sunset to watch over him and for himself to grow up into a good man.

That was the first time he had ever seen Sunset cry.

They had buried her together. He still didn't know all of what they had talked about; the only thing he got out of Sunset was that she was gonna be the one who took care of him from now on. But she refused to stay in the same village as the people who didn't help them. She found a house just outside the village and made it her residence, always returning in the morning and leaving at night from their now so-empty home to check up on him. They had bonded further in their sadness, becoming more like brother and sister, and it was the one thing he truly cherished out of all that pain.

She scared away any who would approach her new home with her magic, to the point that she began to be called a witch and not one to be bothered. When the second plague came five years later and killed off many of the old villagers, she watched it all with stony, almost content silence. He couldn't blame her, he felt much the same deep down despite his promise. It was around this point that she began to take interest in his training, which mostly consisted of dodging anything she could throw at him to hone his reflexes, as a few years on a practice dummy only gives so much.

But even as new people came to settle in and the old wounds began to disappear, Sunset refused to return. She had made it clear of her opinion of the village and she wouldn't be swayed. It was as if her grudge had turned from the inhabitants to the village to the village itself, and nothing short of its destruction would make it go away.

She had downright admitted that if it wasn't for that promise she made, she would have left this place long ago. And here he was, basically telling her (from her point of view) that he didn't want her protection anymore.

Luka looked down, realization of what he had been implying stopping him from continuing on his tirade. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered.

Sunset flinched, seemingly more ashamed of her own outburst and his reaction than his words. "No, I...I didn't mean it like that..." she started, then sighed as she rubbed her face. "...Damn, I'm a real bitch, aren't I?"

Luka just sighed, then grinned. He wasn't the type of person who like to watch others go on in sadness if he could help it. "Yeah, you kind of are," he couldn't help but answer, "but at least you're honest about it."

Sunset smiled slightly, a grunt of amusement escaping as she recognized his attempt to divert the conversation, yet taking it all the same. "You've got me there," she replied, then held her hands out wide. "But when you're as awesome as me, you can afford to be truthful. I'm the strongest mage on this entire continent for a reason, you know. I'll make people accept the truth!"

The two shared another chuckle, then Sunset glanced up at the sky, frowning slightly. "...Well, might as well get you back to the village before noon," she sighed. "No use in me trying to make you late to the baptism."

Luka blinked. "Wait, I thought you said-"

"Forget what I said," she replied, looking back at him. "Maybe if you get this blessing you'll actually stand a chance on this crazy-ass plan of yours, or at least you'll stop preaching about it to me so much. Maybe you'll even change your mind." She lifted her staff. "I think I've got enough in the tank to get us both there without a prob-"

The rest of her statement was cut off by a massive explosion of sound and force that shook the ground they stood on, as if the heavens itself had suddenly split the earth. With a garbled curse Sunset fell flat on her ass, dropping her staff on her own face in the process, while Luka suffered a similar fate as he lost his footing. They didn't even have time to process what just happened.

"W-What was that?!" Luka shouted as he scrambled back to his feet, looking around for the source of the disturbance. It had seemed so close...

He only half-heard Sunset's response of "Did the moon just fall or something?" when he sighted on what seemed like the right direction and quickly set off. He was certain he heard Sunset shout his name from behind him but he was too distracted by a rising cloud of dust and smoke to stop, his curiosity at whatever the cause was and his concern for anything that might have been at the site of the explosion overpowering any sense of caution he might have had.

Well, not all of it, as his grip on his sword tightened instinctively. He wasn't that stupid.

He quickly tore his way through the trees, finally stopping at the edge of a crater in the ground, dust still rising from it. Placing a hand over his face, he slowly made his way down, stopping at the very bottom as he came across something. He squinted, trying to get a better look at the mysterious fallen object as he knelt down to-

He stopped when he realized several things.

One, it was alive but unconscious, if the way its chest seemed to rise and fall slowly.

Two, 'it' was a 'she', as evidenced by the fact he could see a definite pair of breasts on said chest, and to his growing discomfort and blushing face he realized they were both rather generous and covered (along with her entire upper body) only by a strategically-arranged, scale-like piece of black clothing with golden bands that revealed far more than it covered as well as a strange purple tattoo that ran all the way up along her left side from lower abdomen to upper face.

Finally, her lower half was not a pair of legs but rather a red and purple snake tail, her skin a pale blue and her long silver hair adorned with strange pink flowers that seemed to actually grow out of her head.

'A lamia...?' he thought to himself in confusion. 'What's a monster like that doing all the way out here?'

"Luka!" came a voice faintly but angrily behind him. "Wait up!"

He flinched as he looked back, remembering guiltily that he had left Sunset behind. With the memory came the sudden realization that he couldn't waste anymore time here. If he wasn't at the church by noon, he'd miss his baptism and the Day of Departure. If he wasn't there, he'd miss his once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a true Hero.

...But he couldn't just leave this monster here. He'd be betraying the very principles and goals of the world he was setting out to make.

'Surely there's enough time to spare to help just one more monster, right?'

"Um...Miss Monster? Are you alright?"

There was no answer, just the slow rise and fall of her chest. Luka wisely chose to keep his eyes off said area and focus on her face, noticing to his surprise that despite the fact she was obviously the one who had crashed here, there wasn't much in terms of injuries on her body aside from dust and a few scratches.

He also noticed that despite her otherworldly appearance, she could hardly be called 'ugly'; quite the contrary, if she were human, she could have easily been mistaken for a princess with those looks.

Then her golden eyes snapped open, fixing him with a stare that was equal parts surprise, confusion and some other emotion.

"Um...hello?" he squeaked. He dearly hoped it wasn't hunger.

The girl ignored him for a moment as she slowly used her tail to balance up-right, hand to the side of her head as she groaned and muttered something under her breath. Not knowing what to do, Luka stood like a statue, doing his best to minimize even his breathing out of fear of how she might react to sudden movements. A part of him was also marveling at the fact she was shaking off what had clearly been a pretty hard fall like it was headache, but he supposed that was part of monster resiliency.

Finally, she turned her gaze upon him again, her eyes masking any emotions she might have been feeling. Luka wisely chose to remain silent. For a moment they were as statues.

Finally, the monster spoke. "Where am I?"

"Eh?" Luka intelligently answered, mind still trying to catch up.

The snake-lady narrowed her eyes. "I said 'Where am I?'" Her tone brokered no argument.

Luka didn't know how to respond to that. If she was a danger, he couldn't just tell her about the village. But he had a nagging suspicion that a lie would result in something painful happening. So he kept silent in indecision.

Apparently, his acquaintance didn't like that idea, or maybe she just got tired of waiting for him to answer. Regardless, her eyes suddenly flashed with a strange light...

Author's Note

Snarker Sunset is best Sunset.

A word to the wise about "Monster Girl Quest" (or "Monsumu Quest" as its known in Japan) though. Don't worry about it if you've never heard of it; you shouldn't play the VN if you don't want to. And you most definitely shouldn't play it if you're underage. Seriously.

As to this story, several things will be altered from the original source material, and not just the fact everyone's favorite pony-human is involved. Don't be expecting much of any sexual scenes (at least on-screen) as most of them only occur in-game when you lose and are non-canon. What got me started on this story was the fact that this hentai VN actually has a story that works without the hentai, and boy is it epic.

I hope to see you all enjoy the coming chapters!

The Hero, the Lamia, and the Pony

I guess I should start with the basics about my childhood. I was born in Canterlot, the greatest of all of Equestria's cities (humor me if you're still skeptical as to my origins. The fact you've stayed with me this far is proof that on some level you believe me or you're willing to indulge a madmare). I can still remember it even now, it was so beautiful. Built into the side of the mountain with tall gleaming spires painted in purple and gold. Perfect buildings made of marble and brass. Green parks and streams all throughout the city. A stunning view of the Unicorn Range, with all of its rolling hills and pastures. And a wonderful sunset every evening. Then there was the castle! The peak of Equestrian architecture. The house where Princess Celestia ruled the entire country and raised and lowered the sun and moon every day. It had a beauty all its own. The greatest of Ilias's temples couldn't compare to it in the slightest.

My family wasn't from this privileged part though. We lived in the slums, mom, dad and me. Small house, small yard and something was always broken. But at least we had a roof over our head and food to eat, no matter how small a meal.

My parents worked hard everyday to keep us above water. Long hours and mediocre jobs. On the weekdays I only saw them early in the morning and, if I was lucky, late at night before I went to bed. They spent time with me whenever they could, but...well, we never exactly had time for family bonding. I don't hate them for it though; they were willing to do anything for me and I just grew to accept it. It wasn't the perfect life, but we got by.

They died when I was little. An accident in the mountains, an avalanche on the train (think a metal carriage run by a fuel source for those not knowing what that is) we were in. I was the only one who survived, and with no known surviving kin, I went to an orphanage in the city. To think, the reason we were on that train in the first place was because we were planning on moving to a new city in hopes for a better life.

It wasn't my favorite time. It's a lot like living in a forest: The sun shines, the rain falls, and the strong prey on the weak. I was one of the weak, or rather I was seen as one. Where I come from, ponies get special markings on their flanks, a 'cutie mark', to show what our special talent is. A pony without a cutie mark doesn't know their special talent, and thus is the weakest of all.

I wouldn't say I was 'weak'; 'unskilled' would probably be the better term. My greatest problem was the fact I didn't have a lot of control over my magic. I tried exercises for control, like levitating light objects, lighting candles, or helping flowers grow, but everything blew up, quite literally, in my face.

I never realized it was because I just had far more magical power at my disposal than most foals my age, and thus I was putting too much power into it. I wasn't weak; quite the opposite, I was probably the strongest filly in the entire place, maybe even moreso than the adults who ran it. I was a dam with a leak, and nopony realized just how dangerous I really was.

But even I didn't realize that then, and so I got bullied for it by others. I wasn't…confident in myself because of my constant failures. I never made friends even before I came to the orphanage, all on account of the fact that my family was poor, and now I was even less than that. I stuck to my books, happily, desperately devouring the words and stories within in hopes of forgetting my own troubles, but they never stopped hounding me. They backed me into a corner, and they taunted me, hit me, dared me to cast a spell. So I tried to make a light spell. And I put every ounce of mana I had into it.

Funny thing about light spells: They work with almost no mana at all, and they can hold tons before they become unstable. But that just makes it worse when they do. They don't just puff into a harmless burst of soft flame and soot. And I had no control. I didn't know how much was too much. All I remember was a flash of light, an intense feeling of pain from my horn, somepony screaming...then nothing.

There wasn't much left of the orphanage. Nopony died, but a few foals got pretty badly hurt.

That was the day I got my cutie mark. It's the spell, just before it went off. It was like a miniature sun. I heard they could see it from everywhere in the city. What a way to realize your special talent, huh?

But there was one ray of light in this: That was the day my destiny truly began.

That was the day Princess Celestia took me in as her own.

Sunset cursed as she tore her way through the trees to where Luka had gone. She was really regretting the fact she never really bothered with physical conditioning. Sure, she could march with the best of them, but runs like this always left her breathless. Breath left her in ragged gasps as she followed the path that Luka had taken, her eyes picking out his hurried journey with ease. It was like following a minotaur.

"Luka, are you there?!" she shouted again, hoping that he hadn't fallen into the grip of something much more dangerous than a slime. Realizing the trees thinned out not that far ahead, she put on an extra burst of speed, gripping her staff for anything. When she finally cleared the forest, she paused to take a moment to marvel at the size of the crater before her.

It had to be at least as wide as her own house, which was a modest if cramped four-room place all things considered, and it had to be at least seven feet deep. Even now she could see dust was still settling around the hole, making it a little hard to effectively breath, but not enough that her eyesight was impaired. Besides, even if it was, she would have recognized Luka anywhere from his cape and his hair, and she could clearly see both of them down in the crater, Luka himself seemingly unhurt.

It took her a moment to realize that he was currently staring at some sort of snake-monster who seemed to be sizing him up as a potential meal or just deciding if he was worth the effort of killing.

Sunset had a fireball as big as her head already forming in her hands as she registered the fact that said monster was now looking up at her with an expression resembling both surprise and amusement, her own hand crackling with fire as well.

Worse, said magic was much more potent than her own spell from what her magically-tuned senses could detect, nearly double the power. And her own spell could easily blow a tree apart.

'Well...shit,' she thought to herself, already trying to figure out how she could hit the lamia without hitting Luka (he had gotten quite good at dodging thanks to their lessons, but not enough to safely do so with a target that close), all while making sure she didn't get hit in return. She was pretty much flameproof (a blessing given her favorite type of magic), but this magic didn't feel like pure fire...it felt darker.

"Wait! Stop, both of you!"

Luka's voice was almost like a knife through her concentration, causing her to jerk her attention back towards him (fireball still at ready of course). Her surprise turned to confusion and then dumbfoundedness when she realize he now had his hands raised up and between her and the monster, his head constantly shifting between the two of them to make sure neither did anything, his own head shaking as if he was trying to clear it. Finally, he focused back on her.

"Sunset, don't shoot Miss Monster please!"

'Miss Monster?' Sunset couldn't help but think, glancing back towards the lamia to make sure she was sure about who he was referring to. "Her?" she said aloud, gesturing with her staff.

"Yes," he replied, then looked back at 'Miss Monster'. "I-I'm sorry about my sister. She's rather protective of me."

'For good reason, idiot,' Sunset snarled mentally, but attempted to keep her face neutral. The last thing she wanted was seemingly spook the lamia into starting a fireball free-for-all.

The lamia spared Sunset a glance, likely trying to see a semblance between them. "I can see that," she said aloud, her eyes on her fireball. "Forgive me...I must have seemed rather...dangerous."

'You got that right, girl,' Sunset thought, but instead said aloud, "No problem...now how about we put away the fire?" she asked as slowly lowered her hand, allowing the fireball to dissipate. The snake-lady followed suit, but their eyes never left each other, trying to find a sign of trickery. Finally, the surge of magic that had previously built up in the clearing dissipated as they relaxed somewhat.

Luka nodded slowly, a nervous but relieved grin on his face. "Alright then..." he said, "good job, everyone. I guess we'll just be on our way now."

Sunset realized that last part was addressed to the lamia, who simply grunted and turned away. Sunset watched confused as Luka then started to climb out of the pit, feeling like she had missed something. She was tempted to ask, but it was not her voice that suddenly spoke.

"Hold on."

It was so fast that Sunset didn't even see it. One moment the lamia was standing there silently, the next her tail had snapped out and wrapped around Luka, pining him in place and forcing him to turn around while her right arm was raised, dark energy swirling around it like a whirlpool pointed directly at her.

"Don't even try anything," she stated simply. "This won't kill, but you'll be out of it for a long while."

Sunset cursed but complied, mostly out of no choice but partially out of fear. The pressure of magic she was feeling now...it was suppressed but she could feel it almost like an dark ocean. It had been a long time since she had felt magical energy of this level. Not since Princess-

"Why didn't you kill me while I was unconscious?" the monster's words completely broke Sunset out of her revelry, causing her to blink in surprise before she realized that the question wasn't directed at her. She looked over at Luka, who was just as confused.

"Wha-What?"

"You're aiming to be a lapdog of that foolish Ilias, are you not? For someone trying to become a Hero, that would have been a golden opportunity...killing a vulnerable monster like me."

Apparently this monster shared Sunset's opinions on Ilias. On some level she approved, but she was more confused by the lamia's other words. Luka killing her? For some reason, the very idea of Luka taking a monster's life was completely beyond her. Fight, yes. Kill? To be honest, Luka just never seemed like the type who could do something like that. Beat into submission, maybe, but never kill.

Now herself was an entirely different matter, as her first hours in this place had proven...

"I...I didn't have a reason to...it's not my way."

The lamia was silent as she digested that line of thought. For some reason, Sunset just felt her own anxiety rise, though that might have been contributed to the swirling vortex not wavering from her position and seemingly increasing in rotation.

"That's...an interesting answer..."

The lamia almost looked thoughtful now, and her coils seemed to loosen around Luka's body slightly. However, her eyes were still narrow in suspicion.

"But you're aiming to be a Hero aren't you? In the end a Hero's goal is to kill the Monster Lord."

"Technically it's just to defeat her," Sunset couldn't help but call out. "Most people just tack 'kill' on because that seems more heroic and awe-inspiring."

Miss Monster spared her a glance. "You're rather chatty for someone in danger of being blasted and not part of a conversation."

"What can I say? Imminent pain brings out my inner smartass."

"Well..." Luka started, getting the monster's attention again, choosing his words carefully. "that may be true, but it's not like I hate all monsters. I mean, I don't even want to kill the Monster Lord if I can. Honestly...I just want to stop her from doing evil things."

The lamia seemed almost intrigued. Sunset was impressed. She had long ago broken the record for a monster who hadn't tried to attack anyone and was now going for the permanent record. She made a vague gesture for Luka to go on.

'Oh boy, here it comes.'

"That is...my goal is to make a world where monster and man can coexist...peacefully...and the Monster Lord seems to be currently be in the way...so..."

Luka trailed off. There was total silence. It was one thing to say a idealist goal like that to your family or friends who understood you on some level and could empathize with it, far-fetched as it seemed. It was another to say it to one of the potentially hostile monsters who might be directly affected by that same goal and have no problem hurting your feelings about how foolish it is.

"...That's it?"

Well, that was certainly a better response than could be expected. Then again, Sunset was under the impression this lamia was among one of the more rational monsters around.

"Yes."

"...are you an idiot?"

And like that, Sunset had a feeling that if they weren't currently staring down each other, she could have been good friends with Miss Monster.

"What kind of dream is that? You actually believe in such a immature view of world peace, with everyone in harmony without issues? What an absurd joke..."

"I knew a place like that before," Sunset interjected. "I lived there for most of my life."

The lamia ignored her. A part of Sunset felt her respect grow, while another part really was being tempted to see if she could play chicken with a magic blast.

"As if monsters and humans could ever coexist...that is the dream of a child." Suddenly, the lamia raised her free hand to her mouth, her eyes shining with mirth. "Ha..ha ha! It's almost funny!"

'Okay, forget similarities, I hate her,' Sunset immediately decided. Nobody laughed at Luka like that when she was around. She opened her mouth to tell this monster off, not caring what might result, when the lamia suddenly uncoiled herself from Luka, dropping him in the process.

"I see. I understand now. You have the mind of a child," Miss Monster said with a note of finality, dropping her hand and dispelling whatever spell she was about to fire. She looked back towards Sunset and made a shooing gesture towards her. "You should make sure to watch your little brother in the future, Ms. Sunset. Little boys shouldn't be rushing off into danger like that."

'And snakes shouldn't be pissing off the big sisters with big sticks,' Sunset thought darkly, but resisted the urge to make an even bigger crater. The last thing she wanted to do was get Luka caught in the crossfire. That and, you know, die horribly. Out loud she just said, "I'll keep that in mind 'Miss Monster'..." she took some pleasure in the momentary scowl that crossed the lamia's face. "Let's go Luka."

Luka was silent as he slowly got up and started walking towards her, though Sunset could see he was trying hard to keep his emotions in check.

Suddenly, he broke out into a run toward her. "W-What do you know?! You're the idiot!"

With tears in his eyes he made it out and over to Sunset, but he still turned around to look back at the monster, who was watching them with curious eyes.

"I-I'll show you! I'll...I'll definitely defeat the Monster Lord!"

Sunset didn't say anything as she then lifted her staff into the air, though she did smirk slightly as the lamia's eyes widened before a flash of teal completely obscured everything. In the next instant, she and Luka were just outside of Ilias Village and just out of view of any villagers.

"...You know, in retrospect that last bit was a lot like how a child would act," she finally said.

"Shut up," Luka grumbled. "You're not helping."

Sunset looked away, not entirely certain what she was supposed to do, then slowly wrapped her free arm around his shoulders. Luka didn't push away, but he did lean into it after a second or two. "Sorry."

"...It's fine."

Luka quickly raced towards the temple of Ilias, glancing upwards to see he still have a little time before noon. After their little moment, Sunset had gone on back to her house, but promised she would be by in a little while.

A part of him wished that she could have gone with him, but it was tradition during the baptism that only the would-be Hero and the priest were allowed in the temple. It was only then the Goddess Ilias would appear to bless her chosen. Also, to see Sunset's look when she realized there really was a Goddess would have been a moment he'd never forget.

'I'll show that monster! I'll show them all!' he thought resolutely to himself. 'I will become a Hero!'

Finally, he stopped in front of the grand white temple of Ilias, which glimmered in the noon sun. Even here, he could feel the almost heavenly power from within, the proof of Ilias' existence. He himself may not have been the most religious sort, but even he could admire and respect such power. Why was it that Sunset didn't feel the same?

He shook his head, dispelling his sister from his thoughts for the moment. This was it, this was his moment. Even now he could see the priest walking out to meet him. With brimming confidence, his previous fears and doubts fading, Luka walked forward to meet him in turn, opening his mouth to extend a greeting.

"Ilias isn't here. She won't celebrate your coming of age or baptize you. Go away."

Those three sentences were so plainly said, so matter-of-factually stated that for the longest moment Luka just stood there with his mouth open. Desperately, his mind tried to ask why, but his mouth still wasn't quite up to speed.

"A...uh...ah..."

The priest paused as he turned to reenter the temple and fixed him with a slightly sympathetic face. "I am dearly sorry for this waste of your time."

Then he just shut the door. Luka just stood there for several minutes longer, mouth slowly working but no sound coming out, his eyes glazed over. He looked for all the world as if someone had just shattered his mind with sledgehammer, then went back over it with a grinder just to be sure.

A traveler stopped when he saw him stand there for about five minutes without moving, just making faint grunting noises. "Are you poisoned, good sir? Here, take this antidote grass!"

Luka just stared at the man for a moment, then slowly staggered back towards his house, nibbling on the bitter plant all the way.

'Could this day get any worse?' was his first coherent thought.

"Took you long enough."

It was a testament to how utterly out of it Luka still was that he didn't even acknowledge the lamia currently standing in the center of his house. Instead, he just plopped himself down on the couch in the corner, his expression that of a man drowning underwater yet wasn't even trying to surface for air.

"...Oi."

Breaking from his trace, Luka suddenly became aware.

"W-What?! You...!"

Miss Monster, as he realized this was the very same lamia he had met earlier, just rolled her eyes. "Notice me sooner, idiot."

"Why are you here?!" he shouted in a panic. The monster just crossed her arms.

"I just want to confirm something."

Luka jumped off the couch and began shutting the curtains. "Are you stupid?! The villagers hate monsters! If anyone finds out that you're here, you'll-" He paused and then looked back. "As a matter of fact, how did you get in the village? A slime was outside the village just this morning and everyone was getting ready for Judgement Day. And how did you know where I live?"

"I'm not some low-level monster; tricking humans is easy for me. Just who the hell do you think I am?"

'I have absolutely no idea...'

"As for how I found you...well, quite simply by your scent."

"My...scent?"

"Your unsophisticated scent was quite easy to track. The fact that this place also stinks of your 'sister's' burnt smell was just icing on the cake." She then spared the place a look-around. "To give her credit, she does know her craft. It's rare to find a human who can not only teleport, but also set up magical alert wards of sufficient power to give me trouble in effectively disabling without tipping her off. A mage of that caliber is practically unheard of in this part of the world."

"She's proud of it," he found himself replying in turn, then blinked. Why was he agreeing with breaking-and-entering monster? More importantly, why was she even here?

He coughed. "In...any case, what kind of business do you have with me? I'm kinda in the middle of sulking right now..."

A strange smile appeared on the monster's face.

"I heard about that," she replied. "Ilias was a no-show at your baptism, wasn't she?"

'How did she know?' "Yeah...but what would you know about that?"

The monster's face suddenly went back to neutral. "...I might have had something to do with it."

'Huh?'

Before Luka could even start to phrase a question about that, the lamia suddenly tensed. "Well, that was faster than I thought-"

At that very instant a flash of teal light appeared, revealing Sunset Shimmer with her scarred hand out in front with a fireball while gripping her staff with the other, her cloak billowing out behind her dramatically as what appeared to be black flames surrounded her entire body.

"Prepare yourself, thief!" she roared, "Because you've got three seconds to drop whatever it is you stole and surrender no-"

She stopped when she realized that she was staring directly at the lamia from earlier, then immediately made the fire twice as big and cocked back her arm to throw it.

"Sunset, don't!" Luka shouted, more out of concern his late mother's house was about to get destroyed than with the lamia being hit.

Sunset stopped, staring at Luka as if he had just grown a second head. She then looked back at Miss Monster, who was just staring with a bemused expression. Sunset scowled and made the flames disappear.

"Luka, you've got ten seconds to explain why you have a monster in your house, how she got here, and how she broke my wards."

"I smelled him out," the lamia answered for him before he could do so. "Along with your smoky scent. Also, your wards were powerful, but compared to me you might as well have covered the house with toilet paper."

"You wanna go, snake?" Sunset growled. Sunset's pride was the one thing no one could walk over without a fight.

"Only if it's somewhere with good food, maybe candlelight."

Sunset looked like she was about to swing her staff down on the lamia's head, so Luka took back the conversation. "Um, could you two please stop it? I still don't even know why you came here in the first place."

That last bit was addressed towards the lamia, who looked towards him with a slight tilt of her head. However, the mocking in her eyes was gone, replaced by...something else.

"...I might have said too much earlier."

"Eh?" Both Luka and Sunset asked intelligently.

She continued, her voice having lost its previous biting quality and was now much more...emphatic. "You just sounded so childish; I couldn't help myself. But don't get me wrong. I've traveled around the world and seen many things, so your idealism and childishness is, while idiotic, a welcome breath of fresh air."

"...Was that long-hand for 'I'm sorry'?" Sunset plainly asked. "Because to be honest you suck at being comforting."

"Yes and shut up," she replied without missing a beat. "But I'm also here because I'm curious about something."

"And that is?" Luka asked.

"What do you plan to do now that you've failed to become a Hero?"

"Wait what?!" Sunset shouted, looking between the two of them. "Luka, what is she talking about?"

Luka gave her a brief rundown of what went on at the temple. When he was finished, Sunset was scowling.

"Please don't blow up the church," he told her.

"Fine, I'll just deface one of the statues. That's enough petty revenge, right?"

"Continuing on..." the monster stated, getting both of their attentions. "Do you still intend to go on with your journey?"

Luka stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Even if I'm not a Hero, I'm still gonna try and defeat the Monster Lord. I mean, it's not like anything's really stopping me..." He glanced over at Sunset. "'Cept for one overprotective sister."

Sunset rolled her eyes but didn't reply. Instead her attention seemed to be split between both him and their 'guest'.

"I mean, just because I'm not a Hero doesn't mean I can't fight her...even a traveler could do it..."

Luka suddenly felt like he was saying that more for his own benefit to stay out of his depression than to pitch his case.

"So...yeah," he finished lamely.

Silence reigned god-emperor over the house, both women just staring at him.

'I've got to work on my speeches...'

However, the most unexpected noise broke the silence.

Laughter.

"Hahaha! Well, aren't you an interesting one!"

The monster girl had her hand over her mouth and seemed to be biting back chortles of laughter. Luka and Sunset just stared like she had gone crazy.

"Being a person who can say something as ridiculous as 'I want man and monster to coexist', truly you're an interesting person!" she continued between laughter. "I wonder just how long it will last though? Haha! I think I'll follow you to watch how this illusion of yours finally breaks!"

"Follow?" Sunset asked with a raised eyebrow.

Luka just paled. 'She couldn't possibly mean-'

"Why not? I've been intending to travel the world myself for quite some time now. I could use a companion," she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We're heading in more or less the same direction, so again, why not?"

"Because I'd sooner let you shoot me and steal everything I have of value than let you go with my little brother alone," Sunset answered, fixing the lamia with a hard stare. "If you think I'd let him go on his suicidal mission with you, you've got another thing coming."

The lamia simply cocked an eyebrow, completely at ease. "Well, if you're so worried, why not come with us? Are you scared?"

Luka flinched. 'Wrong word.'

"Scared?" Sunset snapped back, a fire burning in her eyes. "I'm not scared of anything! I'm Sunset Shimmer, the Witch of Ilias Village, strongest mage on this continent! There's nothing in this world I fear!" She slammed her staff-butt into the ground for emphasis. "Nothing!"

"Then why the reluctance? This way, you keep an eye on him and be protective, he gets to go on his quest and fail, and I get to sample all the food I want with entertainment on the side. It's a win-win-win situation no matter how you look at it."

Sunset growled, but Luka could see she was wrestling with the decision. It would let her keep mom's promise and she'd get away from the village like she wanted to. At the same time, he also knew how much she hated having to leave the comfort of her home for long periods of time, unable to read up on various books she had collected or perform strange studies.

"You know Sunset, I don't really mind if both of you come along," he finally stated, causing them both to look at him. "I-I mean, it'd be fun to have you around and...to be perfectly honest, I don't think even both of us working together could ward her," he gestured towards the lamia, "off even if we wanted to."

"No, you wouldn't," the lamia confirmed. "It'd be like trying to break an brick wall with eggs."

"We'll see about that..." Sunset grumbled, but then sighed. "Well, I've been meaning to get away from this godforsaken place anyways. A trip with my idiot brother and an annoying lamia might do me some good."

The lamia's expression didn't change, but the way her tail suddenly flicked seemed to indicate she might have taken offense to that last bit. Luka looked between the two of them and sighed, realizing he was in for an interesting journey now.

'Well, at least it beats going alone...'

However, something suddenly occurred to him. "Say, what's your name?" he asked the lamia. "It'd be kind of weird to call you Miss Monster all the time."

Sunset snorted. "I don't mind." She was ignored.

"Alipheese Fateburn," the lamia replied. "But you may call 'Alice'."

"That name doesn't really suit you," Sunset noted. "It's way too cutesy."

"Would you prefer to refer to me as 'Master' then?"

"Over my dead body."

"Keep it up and that might become reality," Alice answered as her tail coiled around threateningly.

Sunset's hand lit up with fire again. "Bring it, Snake Eyes."

Luka sighed. "We're gonna kill each other before we get to the first town, won't we?"

Author's Note

And so, our three misfit companions set out on their quest! They aren't the Mane Six by any means, but that doesn't mean they can't get the job done.

...Right?

The Journey Begins

I don't think I can properly articulate in a few paragraphs what my life under Princess Celestia was like. For good or ill, better or worse, my time under her shaped me into the mare I am today, even if my body is different in form. For that, I can't blame her, and I even look favorably on those times, with equal parts nostalgia and pain.

Well, I suppose I should start out on the basic level. Celestia originally took me on as her student because of my magic. She recognized the level of raw power I had buried inside of me and realized accurately enough that I was a timebomb waiting to go off if pushed too far. I think she also understood just how dangerous it would be for a pony with so much power and so little control to be out in the world by herself. Her taking me in was just as much protection for the people of Canterlot as it was for me. Over time though, I think she saw me less as something to watch over and more of like a daughter, at least I like to think that was the case.

When I first met Celestia though, I honestly thought she was gonna throw me into a dungeon for what I did. I can still remember that first time we ever spoke...

"Hello, little one. Are you-"

"I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYOHPLEASEDON'TTHROWMEINTOTHEDUNGEONIDIDN'TMEANTOHURTANYPONYITWASALLANACIDENTWAHHHHHHH!"

I believe it was a profound and reasonable explanation even to this day. Celestia even went so far as to hug me for how great a job I did explaining myself before she dropped the bombshell that I was to be her student.

"Y-You...you really mean th-that?"

Celestia smiled softly. It reminded me of my own mother when she had the time to spend with me, and I had to fight to keep from crying real tears at the sight (The tears I currently had were that of joy, see. Totally different). "Yes I do, if you really want to."

"Y-Yes! Of course!"

Aside from the fact I really didn't have anywhere else to go anyways and it was a decision based solely on my refusal to be alone again, I eventually had my own desires for being Celestia's student. As I stated earlier, I wasn't exactly well-respected for either being poor, a failure at magic, or a blank-flank. I hated that feeling of being weak, of being looked down upon, of being pitied. When I became Celestia's pupil and had time to adjust to the situation, I swore to myself I would never be weak again. I'd show the world what I could do, and they'd associate my name with greatness. They were going to regret everything they did to wrong me.

Yes, even then I had quite the spiteful streak.

When I started to learn under her, I dedicated myself to the idea that the key to reaching greatness was learning all I could. I followed every lesson religiously and spent most of my days with my head buried in my books, studying like there was no tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I spent more hours reading than I did sleeping and eating combined. The teachers Celestia assigned me quickly found themselves dismissed, not out of any incompetence, but rather the fact my growth was accelerating beyond their ability to effectively teach, to the point that within two years it was Celestia herself who was training me. Our relationship would continue from that point for nearly five years.

Things started to change as time went on though. It was the little things from Celestia: A smile that wasn't just for being polite or reassuring, a hug for when I was down, a story for my nightmares, a shared cake for my birthday. All these things together made slowly made me feel less like we were teacher and student and more like mother and daughter. Maybe I was projecting because I never had time for such things with my real family, but I grew to enjoy these times with Celestia and see her no longer as just a quick way to achieve greatness, but really as my second mother.

That didn't change my opinions on others though. In my eyes, the only pony in the world who was worthy of my undivided attention anymore was Celestia and Celestia alone. I refused to rely on anyone else out of the belief it would just make me weaker or they were trying to ride on my hard work.

I never did realize how this would eventually impact my relationship with and warp my perception of the mare I called mother until it was too late, but hey, hindsight's 20/20.

Outside Ilias Village

Luka sighed as he and Sunset set out onto the main road out of Ilias Village. Alice was nowhere to be seen, having left the house through the back as to not cause an uproar. At a crossroads near the center Sunset branched off, telling him that she'd be back as soon as she grabbed a few things from her house. Luka nodded and continued on his way, stopping every so often to say goodbye to his neighbors. Some wished him well, others just shook their heads as he passed by, but none of them said anything rude to him. Ever since the second plague he had become one of the most well-known members of the village as a result of being one of the few 'original' villagers before immigrants came along despite his associations with 'the Witch'. As such, he made it out of the village without much trouble, following the dirt path northward.

After about five minutes of walking, he stopped to look back. It was hard to believe even now that he was actually going on his quest, and without a baptism either. He still wondered about that. Had Ilias abandoned him? Had he even seen Ilias in his dream? Everything seemed so confusing...

He was snapped out of revelry by the flash of teal light and a pop, revealing itself to be Sunset with a knapsack over her shoulders, staff in hand and cloak flowing out behind her with the wind. She fixed him with a slightly concerned look.

"You okay?"

He took a breath and nodded. "Yeah...just homesickness I guess."

She smiled a little and patted his back. "Nothing to worry about, Luka. You'll get used to it in a while."

"...Well, isn't this nice?"

Both of them turned startled to see Alice standing on the path with her arms crossed, as if she had been there the whole time. "Are you ready?"

Sunset snapped her hand away. "O-Of course!"

Luka shrugged. "Ready as we'll ever be. I guess we'll make for Iliasburg to stock up on supplies. From there we'll head for the only port on the Ilias continent, Iliasport, and then we'll make way to the main continent of Sentora."

"And from there, we'll eventually make passage to Hellgondo, fight the Monster Lord, and make buddy-buddy with each other." Sunset finished. "Yay for us and Lady Ilias be praised."

Luka rolled his eyes at Sunset's mocking tone near the end. "You know, you could do without the mocking of Ilias constantly, Sunset."

"I'm not a member of the church and I don't care for Ilias," she replied. "I'll do what I want."

Luka shook his head and started walking. He noticed that Alice seemed to look on with approval.

'Doing a mission in Ilias' name and my traveling companions mock her on a constant basis,' Luka thought sadly. 'Why do I feel like I'm the one who'll get smited when things go wrong?'

Alice had to admit, this was an entirely new experience for her. Here she was, traveling with two humans, an idiot hero and a hotheaded mage, on a suicidal quest to fight and defeat the Monster Lord to bring peace to the world. If someone had told her this would be in her future, she would have laughed her head off. Right before she either killed or ate the fool for tricking her out of her money for such an obviously fake fortune-telling.

Still, this was proving to be an interesting endeavor. The boy truly did interest her: She had detected no guile, no falsehood in his eyes or words as he proclaimed his dream before her. He genuinely believed in the dream he had set out for himself. A fool's dream, but one he would follow to the end.

Maybe, just maybe on some random throw of the galactic dice, even succeed in it.

It intrigued her...plus, he still smelled delicious. Getting some of that for herself would definitely be a treat worth the effort.

The girl Sunset on the other hand...she was something else entirely. Her personality (which she was certain there would have to be an adjustment for in the near future) notwithstanding, even she had to admit that she had been speaking the truth when she called herself the strongest mage on the continent. She had several opportunities to feel the power behind her prepared attacks and realize that she was holding quite a bit back, likely out of worry for the boy. In addition, anyone who could teleport even short distances obviously wasn't the typical mage.

But more than that though, she felt something distinctively...other about Sunset's magic. Yes, her fire magic was indeed 'fire' but...there was something almost...alien, unique about it compared to the various fire-users she had seen before.

Again, it intrigued her. So, she had set aside her misgivings about both of them and decided to join them on their quest. Perhaps she would find answers along the way...along with some tasty meals.

"I notice you don't seem to have a lot of respect for Ilias," she remarked to Sunset as they continued their journey on the road, Ilias Village long since disappeared behind them. "Normally I wouldn't be too surprised, but we're practically in the heart of her worshiping area. It's like a black spot on a white sheet in how attention-grabbing it is. Care to explain why?"

"Let's just say I had a bad run-in with Ilias worshipers," Sunset replied, absentmindedly knocking away a loose rock in the road while sipping from a waterskin at her side. "It's the same reason I met up with Luka's family for the first time. Don't have much respect for gods whose followers leave strangers to die in the cold."

Alice hummed in agreement. "Yet you seemed to have no problems with Luka getting a baptism and becoming a lapdog to her," she noted.

"Not my favorite idea, but being a Hero has a lot of perks, I'll give it that," Sunset admitted. "You get the respect of the people, cheap rates at Inns, and you can even walk into people's houses and take stuff like you're some sort of god and they can't do a thing about it. Still wouldn't trade my freedom for it, but it's tempting."

Alice just stared at her. "Walk into people's houses...? Are you two thieves or something?"

"Eh, Luka's practically a saint compared to me," Sunset replied. "But most importantly, you apparently get Ilias' divine protection. If you come across any evil monsters, she will defend you or some sort of mystical bull like that. I figured that would at least get him off the continent in one piece or last long enough to get good enough at actual battle."

Alice was silent for a moment, then simply shrugged. "Well, I suppose that would explain why the semen of a baptized human tastes so horrible then. Monsters aren't as likely to attack them if they know all they'll get is a mouthful of Angel liver. Not very appetizing at all."

"How do you even..." Sunset started, then shook her head with a queasy expression. "You know what, don't even want to know."

Alice grinned. "Well, there I was, preparing to-"

"DON'T want to know," Sunset repeated, pulling her hood up.

Truthfully she had never eaten Angel liver, it was just the first thing that came to mind when she first tasted a baptized human's semen. Still, no reason to let Sunset know that.

And speaking of eating...

"I'm hungry," she stated quite plainly, looking over at Sunset. The mage gave her a baffled/cautious look.

"And what does that have to do with me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, several different scenarios no doubt running through her mind as she said that. Alice just raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if you're on a journey you'd obviously have food on you, right?"

"Yeah...and what makes you think I'm just gonna give some to you when you've done nothing but insult and half-threaten me and my little brother?"

"Because that means I won't be in the mood for larger prey," Alice replied, her eyes not once leaving Sunset's form. "I personally don't like having to work for my food, but I will if I'm hungry enough."

Inwardly she smirked when she saw Sunset visibly sweat from underneath her hood. Apparently there was a limit to how much the mage was willing to push her luck with her. 'Good. That'll make things easier in the future.'

"Well...when you put it like that, how's a girl to say no?" Sunset said with just the hint of a tremor in her voice as she reached into her knapsack and pulled out a pack of dried meat.

Alice eyed it with disdain and disappointment. She was hoping for something a little more...filling.

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it," Sunset said, noticing her disapproval. "It's some of Luka's cooking. That guy can cook like no one's business, or at least way better than me." Her voice seemed to gain a little bit of its strength back. "Besides, I'm not giving up all my rations just because you're hungry. It's a day's journey to Iliasburg and I want to make this stuff last until then."

Alice gave the figure of Luka ahead of them a glance before sighing in agreement. She supposed it wouldn't do good to pig out before supper, especially if it meant nothing tomorrow morning. "Well, I'm not that hungry yet, so I suppose it'll work as an appetizer."

She snatched the meat from Sunset's hands and began to chew on it unhappily, still glum about not getting something more tasty, when her eyes widened upon actually tasting the food. It was still just a bunch of dry meat, nothing to write home about, but she could taste the various spices and seasonings added to it to compliment the meat, making it much more savory to the palate. It wasn't long before she had eaten all of it.

"Hmm, not too bad after all," she admitted, her spirits lifting, if just a little. "I'll look forward to seeing what he can make us tonight. I suppose the main dish won't be necessary after all," she added with a purposeful smirk, inwardly laughing at how Sunset suddenly seemed to pale and look away.

Alice then turned her attention back to the front, noticing that Luka was looking back in confusion before making a dismissive gesture with her hand. As she did though, she caught sight of something just a little ways ahead, partly hidden by the glare of the setting sun.

'Is that...ah, yes,' she thought with some slight satisfaction. 'This should help me get a feel of their abilities.'

Sunset shivered as the sudden image of being eaten by Alice like a mouse by a snake flowed through her mind. Definitely not how she wanted to go out. Plus, that'd just be plain embarrassing.

'Maybe I should hold back on the sass...' she decided mentally before she heard Luka shout in alarm up ahead. Stirred from her musings, she quickly focused her eyes back up where Luka was, noticing with relief that at least his sword was out and at the ready, and then upon whatever had startled him.

She blinked in confusion for a moment. Just a little bit in front of Luka was what appeared to be a beautiful young woman clad in muted grey. It took her a second to realize that 'muted grey' was also what her skin and hair were colored.

Also, kind of hard to not notice the pink flesh of a slug that made up her lower body when she suddenly raised the dress up.

"Ah crap...a Slug girl" she muttered as she gripped her staff tighter. "Well Alice, guess you and me are gonna-"

She stopped as she glanced over at her companion, only to realize that she had vanished as if she had never been there. Sunset quickly looked around, but for all intents and purposes the lamia was gone.

"Wha...oh that little-"

Sunset's words were cut off when she heard Luka's yell of help. Quickly looking back around, she watched as he sidestepped to avoid getting hit with the slug girl's mucus, jabbing at her chest with his sword. However, his attack literally just bounced back, the monster's elastic body making it useless.

"...Fine, I'll do the job myself."

Remembering Luka's words of not killing monsters, Sunset quickly made a fist-sized fireball and shot it directly at the slug. Luka, in a position to see the attack coming, jumped back just before it hit. The attack collided with the Slug girl's shoulder, exploding in a ball of flame and smoke. The monster screamed in pain and surprise as she lurched back, her eyes turning towards Sunset.

The mage didn't let up though, firing another blast purposely aimed in front of the monster as she marched forward. The Slug girl flinched as the attack landed and kicked up dirt and flame.

"Two on one? No fair!" she shouted in a surprisingly sophisticated voice. "Unbaptized Heroes shouldn't travel with allies!"

"Don't care," Sunset replied. "Now either get moving or the next one hits you in the face."

The slug flinched and started to run away, quite quickly for something with a lower body like that. "I-I'll remember this!" she shouted over her shoulder as she fled.

Sunset finally made it over to Luka, whom she noticed was holding a bag of something white in his free hand. "Is that...salt?"

He looked sheepish. "Yeah...I was kinda desperate before you pitched in. Pretty certain it would have worked though."

She couldn't deny that. If slime and slime girl weaknesses were the same, who's to say that slugs and slug girls weren't either. Maybe all monsters could be beaten by exploiting their non-human sides.

"Well, you're fighting smarter at least," she complimented him. "And you're dodging like I taught you."

Luka grinned. "Yeah...I've got a ways to go though, haven't I?"

"No better way to learn than on the job, right?" Sunset told him with a smirk. "Still, good thing you didn't lose the salt."

"Indeed, or else we wouldn't have had any effective seasoning for tonight's dinner."

Sunset whirled around to see Alice staring at the two of them with her arms crossed and with a bemused expression on her face. Instantly, she felt her felt her annoyance with the serpent rise up.

"And where exactly where you when the monster showed up?" she asked, then placed a hand over her face in mock shock. "Could it be that you were actually scared of that little slug?"

"Don't be absurd," Alice answered, her face returning to its neutral form. "I simply don't want any monsters to see me."

"Still could have tossed a fireball or something," Luka grumbled. Alice fixed him with her stare.

"Please, if you couldn't handle one low-level monster like that you shouldn't even be on this quest, imitation Hero," she replied. "Besides, you both seem to forget I am not your ally or companion. I'm simply along to observe...for now at least."

Sunset seriously considered showing her how to personally 'observe' being burned alive, but decided against it. Powerful as she might be, she still didn't want to force a confrontation with the lamia just yet. Maybe when they were alone...

"Fine, we get it," Luka remarked, dragging Sunset out of her revenge fantasies. "We don't need your help anyways! That'll just make things even better when we prove you wrong!"

'That's the spirit, Luka,' Sunset thought to herself, smirking slightly as the boy let off some steam at the monster, who just took it in stride and looked up at the sky. Sunset followed her on impulse, actually blinking at the sight of the sun beginning to set. Had they really been traveling that long?

'Damn, this cross-country's easier than it looks. I didn't even realize that slug was the most exciting part of the journey so far.'

"Regardless, I'd say it's time we stop and make camp," the lamia stated as she took a moment to stretch her arms. "So...what's for dinner?"

Both humans just stared at her. She had just stated she wasn't their companion, yet still expected to be fed...

'What a worthless 'companion',' Sunset thought in annoyance. 'I'm gonna get at her one of these days...'

Alice sighed in contentment as she patted her belly. "Not bad at all, Luka, not bad a bad supper at all."

She had to admit, Luka certainly was an impressive cook. Bread and an omelette, with wild grass salad and some salted meat on the side. It had been a long time since she had willingly forgone trying to also eat her meals with a helping of semen, but the boy's cooking was so good that she couldn't even find it in herself to care. Across from her, Luka and Sunset both similarly laid back with pleased smiles and groans around their campfire, Luka's a little brighter and louder at perhaps the first compliment she had given him yet, a pot of coffee now boiling over the fire.

'If only the boy's sword was as good as his kitchen knife...'

That thought soured her good mood somewhat. She had seen the boy's technique while fighting the Slug girl, and while she admitted he seemed to have dodging an attack down pat, his efforts to giving an attack had been...piss-poor, to be perfectly honest. It didn't matter if the Slug girl's body made it almost impossible to actually hurt her with a blade, what few blows she had seen him give had been far too uncoordinated or took too long to set up. She had seen masters of the blade, and she knew for a fact that if he went up against any of them as he was now, he'd lose horribly.

Being an interesting person the likes of which she'd probably wouldn't see again on this continent if he died or became a sex slave, it just wouldn't do for her to stand idly by and watch that happen when she had the ability to teach him.

'I suppose I have you to thank for this, Granberia...'

"Tell me something Luka," she called to the boy as she sat up straight, catching both his and Sunset's attention. "Where did you learn your technique...or rather whatever you call that wild flailing of a sword?"

"'Wild flailing'?" Luka repeated incredulously, "I've been training for nearly five years. I mixed all sorts of styles I learned from pilgrims who came to the temple into my own unique one."

Unique? Well that was certainly one way to describe it. Alice shook her head. "Crappy skills learned from crappy people will still be crappy even when combined...though I admit you're better at it than Sunset."

"Hey!" the mage snorted angrily. "I don't even use a sword!"

"Exactly, I was complimenting you," Alice replied. "You stick with a style that actually works and hurts an opponent...though I'm curious if you have any other offensive spells aside from various levels of 'fireball'."

"Maybe I'll show you sometime if you're willing," Sunset replied, her tone mostly sarcastic but with just the hint of curiosity as to the meaning behind her statement.

Alice nodded. "Perhaps tomorrow then, but right now I see that Luka is the one in greater need of training."

Luka blinked. "Wait, you mean you want to teach me? I thought you said you were just an observer."

"Of course, but I need you to stay alive after all. It'd be pretty boring if you got eaten quickly. I just so happen to know a few moves that could help you improve." Noticing the look of hesitation on Luka's face, she raised her hand to her mouth in mock surprise. "Hmm? Is that the look of refusal? You claim to be a proponent of coexistence yet refuse to train under a monster? Oh, the hypocrisy-"

"Alright!" Luka answered, a little flustered. "Your offer just surprised me is all. I mean...why would a monster teach me to fight other monsters?"

"Why do humans teach other humans to fight yet other humans?" Alice replied. "This is no different than when a race makes war on itself. Besides, most monsters think in terms of species, not as a whole collective, and even then only usually."

Sunset looked almost intrigued by the discussion. "Hmm...I should remember to ask you about monsters and their various cultural differences. That could come in handy on our journey."

'Well, at least one of them has a good head on her shoulders,' Alice thought with satisfaction. "Maybe another time...assuming you have no objections to me training him?"

Sunset shrugged. "If it helps him survive, fine...just don't beat him up too badly."

Alice nodded, then looked back towards Luka. "Well?"

Luka hesitantly bowed towards her, a sight that further lifted her spirits. "A-Alright. Well...please...teach me then."

"Very well. From this day forth, I shall be your teacher in fighting against monsters." Alice crossed her arms as she looked down at Luka. "However, don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

She could sense the eagerness and desire for challenge in his tone, underneath his reluctance and worry.

'This might be pretty fun.'

"Luka...Oh brave Luka..."

"H...Hmm...?"

Luka knew not where he was, only the sight of white clouds and rays of light filling his vision. His head felt heavy as if filled with cotton, yet he was certain he had heard a voice...a very familiar, heavenly voice.

As if in answer, a figure appeared before him, a beautiful woman clad in a robe of white, long blond hair flowing down past her shoulders and large white wings. A necklace and circlet of gold and adorn with red gems graced her neck and head, and two crystal blue eyes stared into his own with kindness.

There was only being this could be. Her image was shown throughout the world, after all.

"I-Ilias?!"

The figure smiled as he said her name, a warm, motherly smile that seemed to make the heavens shine even brighter.

"Luka...you are not baptized, and remain unblessed. However, never lose faith in yourself. You are the one who will change this world..."

Luka blinked as he registered her words. "Y-You...what do you..."

"Brave, unblessed Hero Luka..." the goddess said as she and the heavens began to fade into darkness, her voice growing faint. "I will always be watching over you..."

"W-Wait...!"

Luka shot upwards before groaning in pain as he woke up the next morning, sunlight just barely filtering in through his tent. When did he...?

His memories came back to him as it clicked together. He had spent several hours before falling asleep training with Alice, who had fulfilled her promise in not going easy on him.

"L-Like this?"

Despite the ache in his muscles from both swinging his sword and constantly moving his legs at the same time, Luka could actually tell he was moving with much more grace and dexterity than before. At least now he didn't feel so awkward, muscle pain aside of course.

Alice nodded. "Hmm...not bad. Now charge straight at me with that very same motion...and aim for my neck."

"EH?" Luka nearly shouted as he looked at her in shock. "But I-"

"Do it. Come at me like you want to kill me or you won't even get close."

Alice's voice was hard and commanding. Luka found himself flinching underneath it briefly, then nodded.

"Well..."

For some reason, he didn't feel any real hesitation at the thought of striking Alice now that he thought about it. It wasn't like he had any real pent-up aggression towards her.

For the most part...

"Go on, Luka! Kick her scaly ass!"

He sighed as he heard Sunset's cheer from the sidelines, the girl holding a cup of coffee in hand as she had watched the entirety of the lesson up to this point. Really, sometimes she could just be a burden.

"No coaching from the peanut gallery," Alice called back, turning her gaze from Luka. "You aren't even-"

Suddenly, a lesson a pilgrim once taught him came to the fore. 'Attack while the enemy is distracted; the perfect strategy for beating a superior opponent!'

"Ha!" he shouted when he saw her attention was still somewhat diverted from him, dashing forward before jumping, sword slicing towards Alice's neck in a straight arc to-

The lamia's head jerked to the side as her tail came up, slamming into his chest and sending him crashing back to the ground. The now wild swing passed harmlessly by, not even nearing a strand of her silver hair.

"Not bad," she commented as he raised a hand to his chest and groaned. "But seriously, did you honestly expect me to not dodge?"

He was too busy holding his chest to respond and moaning to reply. It was like someone smashed a hammer into his ribs, driving all the air out and quite possibly cracking the bones as well.

Alice shrugged. "Still, it looks like you actually managed to master it, so there's that."

"Wait, he mastered a technique?" he heard Sunset ask. Looking over, he saw she was coming towards them with two mugs of coffee in hand. "What kind of technique is that supposed to be?"

"'Demon Decapitation'," Alice answered as she took her cup. "This is the best technique for someone of his size. It's said that the Dark Elf Zack was able to cut off the heads of 100 humans using that move."

"Wait...what?" Luka groaned as he sat up, accepting the coffee cup and drinking the welcome beverage. "But that's...that's horrible! Couldn't you teach me a more...Hero-like technique?"

"Beggars can't be choosers," Alice responded with a stony look, which faded briefly as a smile crossed her face from tasting the hot drink in hand. "Besides, you've already learned it."

"C'mon Luka, you can't deny that 'Demon Decapitation' is a pretty awesome name," Sunset added, crossing her arms. "I mean, most people would kill for a cool-sounding move like that."

'Okay, that's kinda true, on both accounts...but my Hero image...'

"Stop wallowing in self-pity and get up. We're gonna practice this move some more..." Alice's voice trailed off as she glanced down at her drink, confusion evident. "Why does this taste like h-hot pe...pepp-!"

Sunset grinned as she took off, chased by a now red-faced Alice, who was busy spitting out the tainted drink while wiping her tongue with her free hand. The mage didn't stop grinning even as the mug collided with her forehead, leaving Luka to stare after them in resignation.

After he had managed to calm Alice down with some water and keep her from murdering Sunset, who had secured herself high in a tree with the help of several feet of rope, they had gone back to perfecting his new skill. Afterwards, they had retired for the night...with himself in a sleeping bag and Alice curled around the base of Sunset's tree. He had only agreed to it after she promised not to eat Sunset...as long as the mage didn't provoke her during the night.

Surprisingly enough, they even managed to have a bit of conversation about family, Alice admitting that she was an only child and he telling her about his mother's passing, before they themselves fell asleep. He had steered any real conversation away from his father though. Some things just weren't meant to be brought up...and speaking of that...

"Did I really see Ilias in my dreams?" he muttered to himself. "Or did I just imagine it?"

The Goddess had said she believed in him despite not receiving her baptism. Did that mean he was still her Chosen? But why hadn't she shown up?

He sighed to himself as he pulled his arms out of his sleeping bag and rubbed his eyes, glancing down at right hand on instinct and smiling slightly at the sight.

There, on his ring finger was his mother's keepsake ring, the last thing she had given him before she had passed away. It wasn't anything special; just a dull gold band with a few markings on it for decoration, but it was his most prized possession.

"I feel something faint from that ring..."

He frowned briefly as he thought about what Alice had said before they went to bed. What did she mean by that? Sunset, someone who prided herself on being able to sense magical power, had never told him if there was any magic tied to his ring, but maybe it wasn't magic at all?

He sighed again as he banished those thoughts from his mind, deeming them unimportant for now. If Ilias had given her approval, then so be it. It wouldn't change his course. 'Well, time to get up,' he thought as he started to wiggle out of his sleeping bag. 'We got a big day of traveling ahead of us and-'

He stopped when he noticed something in the corner of the tent. Blinking, he realized it was some sort of plant sticking out of the ground, two giant elephant leaves bent towards where the light was filtering inside from the entrance.

'...Was that there last night?' Luka thought in confusion as he leaned forward to look at it. Slowly, not taking his eyes off of it, he got out the rest of the way of his sleeping bag and buckled on his sword, slowly taking it out as he neared the tent entrance. Very hesitantly, he reached out with said sword and tapped one of the leaves.

The leaf swayed for a moment, but nothing happened. Luka sighed in relief.

"Okay, false alarm-"

Suddenly, the plant started to shake as if in direct response to his words. The boy just stared for a moment before reaching for the tent flap.

'Nopenopenopenopenope-'

An arm reached out of the ground and grabbed him, cutting off his escape with an iron grip. Luka just stared helplessly as the naked-plant-woman-thing started to pull itself fully out of the ground, blinking bleary eyes at him before they turned much more mischievous as realization of what she caught came to her.

'Why me?'

"What's with him?" Sunset absentmindedly asked no one in particular as she, Luka and Alice continued on the path towards Iliasburg. Luka was currently leading the way, rubbing his back slowly as he used his other hand to try and pick away at what looked like sap in his hair. All Sunset knew was that she heard Luka scream from inside his tent, waking her up from her less-than-comfortable night in a tree, and by the time she managed to disentangle herself from the rope she used to secure herself and get down to see what was going on she had been greeted to the sight of a disheveled Luka holding his sword and staring at a hole in the ground.

"No idea," Alice replied from next to her, not looking up from an old worn tome in her hands even as they walked (or slithered) on. "Though if I had to guess, he probably encountered a Mandrago that burrowed up into the tent during the night and like an idiot disturbed its slumber. Still, the fact he's in one piece is proof it wasn't too hard a challenge to face."

Sunset just grunted her answer, her attention now more on whatever Alice was reading. The lamia's eyes flickered over to her before cocking an eyebrow.

"Don't you have anything better to do than read over my shoulder?"

"Maybe," Sunset replied, then gestured towards the book. "What's it about?"

Alice grinned slightly, shutting the book. "Well, this, my fire-hurling friend, is the most valuable book in the world."

"Really."

"Yes. This forbidden book contains everything the human world has to offer. Geography, environment, food, it has it all! With this, I could lead a path of destruction directly through all of the world and make it bow before me if I so chose to."

Sunset cocked an eyebrow, slightly more interested now. "Well, 'knowledge is power' as they say."

Alice caressed the book as if it were a living thing, all traces of her previous haughtiness gone as she became more and more enraptured by her own words. "Exactly. The 'Traveling Guild's World Traveler Tour Guide' is what they call it, and it's said that all the world's bounty is at the fingertips of those who have it. To adventurers, sight-seers, and foodies such as myself, who intends to sample all of the delicacies of the world on our trip, this book is legendary!"

Sunset blinked. 'Seriously, she intends to pig out on this life-threatening journey? Well, to each her own...' She took a closer look at the book in question as Alice rambled on, narrowing her eyes as she noticed that it seemed rather...old.

'Like 500 years old or something...that's practically a history book rather than a tour guide now.'

"With this tool at my disposal nothing can get in my way! I'll be able to devour every last delicacy this world has to offer as the ultimate gourmet!"

As Alice started laughing like a madwoman, Luka looked back in confusion. Sunset waved him off, rubbing her eyes. 'A kid with dreams of being a hero and an almighty lamia fashioning herself a gourmet. Ilias must have a weird sense of humor...'

"It's part of the reason I can't wait to get to Iliasburg," Alice added as she finally calmed down, thumbing through the book. "According to this, the Sutherland Inn within is famous for its Happiness Honey-Filled Ama-ama Dango." A dark look crossed her face as she clenched her free hand shut. "Prepare yourself, Ama-ama Dango..." she chuckled sinisterly.

"Umm...Alice, you do realize that a hotel from probably 500 years ago most likely won't be there anymore," Sunset prompted. Alice gave her an incredulous look.

"What are you saying? Only 500 years? I'm certain it's still there."

"..."

"Don't give me that look," Alice added as she shut the tome and began to pull ahead. "Come on! We're burning daylight at this rate!"

'...I should keep in mind that humans and monster have different sorts of time perceptions from now on,' Sunset decided as she adjusted her bag and picked up the pace. 'Especially if she starts threatening to eat me in the near future.'

Despite Alice's urging to go faster, the three of them only caught sight of Iliasburg as the sun was beginning to set. The image of their destination so near made Luka feel so much lighter as they trudged up to the city gates. As they neared them though, Luka pulled his companions to the side just out of sight of any guards that might have been on patrol around the area.

"What's the holdup?" Alice asked the boy as she looked back towards the gates. "My Ama-ama Dango is waiting for me!"

Luka looked at her. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon. It's just..." he gestured towards her awkwardly.

"What?"

"He means to say that on this continent, hatred against monsters is rather strong and Iliasburg is likely no exception," Sunset said. "If we go in there with you looking like you do now, we're probably going to have guards baring the gates and coming after us while people panic like headless chickens."

"And in light of that, Alice...well, can you disguise yourself as a human in any way?" Luka asked. "It'd make things much smoother."

The lamia expressed distaste at the idea.

"Yes I can, but taking human form is unpleasant..." she muttered. "I honestly don't see why that would warrant my pretending..."

Sunset sighed. "Were you listening to-"

"What Sunset means," Luka quickly remarked, "is that if you go like you are, you can't enter the city. And if you can't enter the city, how are you gonna eat your precious dango?"

Alice grunted. "Crap...I guess that's true...Fine, how does this look?"

As she spoke, her tail suddenly shrank, splitting in two and changing color and texture as her body shifted in form, her blue skin turning peach-white, the horn-like growths about her head shrinking into her skull. Her two 'tails' further changed, resembling legs as they bent at the 'knees' and formed feet that touched the ground. Said legs were now covered by long, skin-tight black and purple boots that reached up to her knees, and along her left thigh the black tattoo extended down to the boot.

Save for the fact that she still had silver hair, gold eyes, the flowers in her hair and her attire now looked more fitting on an exotic dancer than anything else, she looked perfectly human. And as Luka and Sunset's rapidly reddening faces showed, she was also a perfect specimen of human women now as well.

"Ah...that's good," Luka finally managed to get out.

Sunset removed her cloak and handed it to the former lamia. "Just...cover up some more, alright?"

"Jealous much?" the disguised monster teased, some of her annoyance fading at the sight.

"N-Not on your life." Of course she wasn't jealous. She had just gotten used to the fact that people apparently having such a figure was a sign of great beauty among females, along with the nuances of nudity. Had absolutely no impact whatsoever on how she viewed her own smaller chest and slightly less impressive thin body, none at all.

Alice smirked slightly at their reactions, but complied and put the cloak on, covering the...exoticness of her usual attire. "Well, now that that's done with, shall we?"

The two humans hurriedly nodded and thus they continued on towards Iliasburg.

"This isn't right."

Those were the words that Luka stated as the three of them walked the silent streets of Iliasburg, keyword being 'silent'. When they had arrived at the gates they had discovered to their confusion that there were no guards posted on the walls or at the gate itself, no challenge to identify themselves. After they had entered and only empty streets greeted them, that confusion quickly turned to concern.

Both Luka and Sunset had been in Iliasburg once years before and it had been the complete opposite of now, bustling with life and trade as people bartered, bought, sold or even just randomly walked around. Now it was as if the city was a ghost town; no merchants, no travelers, nothing. The houses were shut tight; the doors seemingly locked, the windows closed with the blinds drawn.

But more than that, it was the feeling of dread in the air, of tense fear that seemed to strangle everything within the city. Even Alice seemed affected by it, unusually sober as she glanced at the various buildings and abandoned carts in the streets.

Sunset walked towards a random house and banged on the door. No answer came from within. She tried another one, then another, all with the same result.

"What the hell's going on?" she muttered quietly. She was certain she caught glimpses of people passing windows, even faces occasionally peaking out, but still no one came to answer. Something was going on, and nothing suggested it was good.

"Let's try the city plaza," Luka suggested. "Maybe there's something there."

Sunset slowly moved away from the door. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."

Alice continued to be silent, something that honestly unnerved them more than if she had started shouting.

Still, as they made their way down the main street towards the plaza, they began to hear the first signs of life since entering the city.

Metal clashing on metal, along with yells.

"Oh no," Luka muttered as he picked up the pace, rushing towards the disturbance and drawing his sword. Sunset opened her mouth to shout out a warning, then shook her head and started to follow him. Suddenly, she stopped and looked back at Alice, who was just standing there.

"...Well?"

"'Well' what?" the disguised lamia replied. "You two are the ones playing Hero. I'll just sit back and relax for now. I need to prepare for eating when this is over after all."

Sunset was flabbergasted. "You...you..."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're going to be such a baby about it, I'll step in if things get hectic. Maybe."

"You-"

Alice waved her hand, walking away as she did so. "You're still here? Shouldn't you be keeping that idiot from dying right now? Bye."

Sunset stared after her for a second then shook her head. "Most useless piece of snake-skin pair of boots I've ever..." she muttered as she broke out into a run in the direction Luka went, hoping she wasn't too late.

Author's Note

Cliffhanger. Fight scene next chapter, and I'm gonna make it awesome.

Dragon Knight

I'm not entirely certain when exactly it was my perception of Celestia started to change, but I think it was during my third year of personal tutelage under her. By that point, I firmly saw her as a mother-figure, someone to look up to at all times and learn from. I wanted to be just like her, to stand by her side in ruling Equestria. I saw it as the perfect way to both show the world Sunset Shimmer was no longer the poor foal to be pitied, but also to stay with the one pony who I believed was worthy of all my time and affection.

But that was point she also began to insist that I start to learn more about the concept of friendship and make friends. She might as well had told me to burn the Canterlot library down. What use did I have for friends? Sure, some ponies might seek companionship and camaraderie, but I couldn't see anything to gain from it. It didn't help that most ponies came to me less about becoming friends and more about riding on my coattails.

Don't get me wrong, I liked being looked upon and admired for my brilliance, but I had better things to do than babysit a couple of second-rates. They could all wallow in the fact that they would never be as good as me; me, who started out with almost nothing over their privileged richness, yet was their superior.

To put it plainly, I just didn't like other ponies, far more comfortable with my head in a book or being with Celestia. Friendship just seemed like a waste of time to me better spent preparing myself for becoming Celestia's heir.

Arrogant of me to assume? Yes, but I had my reasons. I was the only current student of Princess Celestia and a pony whom she trusted deeply. True, Celestia always dodged the question even if I occasionally (not always jokingly) suggested it, but a part of me, the part that always pushed to be the best, always assumed that becoming her heir was just around the corner. We were practically mother and daughter in our relationship, so why not take it to the next logical step?

However, all of this was really in the back of my mind at the time. Aside from Celestia's prodding about friendship, I was content and happy with my lot in life. I was at the top of the world and climbing higher. I was the best around and nothing was ever gonna keep me down.

And then she came along. That pretty pink princess who ever little filly wanted to be when she grew up. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or just Cadence as she preferred to be called, the Princess of Love.

And my hatred for her knew no bounds.

Luka slowed down as he neared the town's center, the tense feeling from earlier seemingly increasing tenfold as he got closer. Holding his drawn sword loosely, he jogged slowly forward, the sounds of battle and yells growing louder with each passing second. As he neared the opening that would lead towards the central plaza, he stopped for a moment behind a wall. Taking a deep breath, he inched towards the corner and peaked around it. What he saw made his blood freeze.

The town center looked like a small war zone. Bodies were strewn all over the place, all of them apparently town guards. Fortunately, they all seemed to be alive, since they were either breathing heavily or moaning in pain, but the situation was worrying nonetheless.

In the middle of that carnage four figures stood. Three of them, wielding a sword, mace and spear respectively, were fellow soldiers of the town guard, apparent by the identical uniforms to the ones on the ground. The fourth was the apparent culprit of said intimate meeting with the ground.

Standing lazily around with a clawed hand on the hilt of a giant sword was a dragon woman in full black armor with yellow highlights, wearing a matching head protector and a billowing purple cape. She had red hair and green scales that covered both her legs and forearms, but aside from that and the horns protruding from the sides of her head she looked surprisingly human. She seemed unconcerned by the fact she was surrounded by three men on all sides, and if she was the one who left most of the others on the ground, she had every right to be so relaxed; it was unlikely at best that they'd be a threat to her. Compared to the way the men surrounding her in an almost fearful way if the way there weapons were shaking was any indication she was utterly at peace, yet even like that radiated power.

Luka gulped, realizing instinctively that this one was out of his league.

"Well?" the swordswoman grunted. "Are you three going to attack or not?"

As if prompted by her words, the three charged at once, perhaps hoping an all-out attack might help. The swordsman swung at her swordarm, the spearman towards her back, and the mace-user at her head. Desperation drove them, and no human would have likely escaped the three-pronged assault.

Unfortunately, their opponent was not in any way 'human'. Moving inhumanly fast, the dragon woman plucked her sword from the earth and swung in a circle, reaching out with her free hand at the same time. Her clawed hand found its grip on the swordsman's wrist and yanked his weapon aside, and her greatsword sliced through the spear like tissue paper and bit deeply into the mace, knocking it off course to hit the ground harmlessly at her side. Not missing a beat, she smashed the swordsman into the spearman and sent them sprawling, and before the mace wielder could lift his weapon she grabbed her sword with both hands and swung the still-attached mace into the guard and sent him crashing to the ground, where he laid groaning as he gripped his chest. She then gripped the mace and yanked it off her sword, throwing it aside like garbage.

All of that took place in barely 12 seconds.

"Is that it?" she called out, looking towards the swordsman who still managed to keep his grip on his weapon. "Or are you just gonna stand by while I take this city?"

Slowly, the guard stood up and assumed a ready stance, but his shaking form betrayed his fear. "I-I won't let you!"

"Don't do it, Gregory!" the spearman shouted, "You'll die!"

The dragon nodded, appearing almost impressed. "That's the spirit...but even if you have the spirit, it's meaningless here!"

As she spoke, her sword suddenly became covered in flames, giving off scorching heat that Luka could feel even from where he was. Undaunted, or perhaps just fueled by pure desperation, the soldier called Gregory let out a yell as he charged straight at her and swung with all his might, despite the protests of his fellow.

Luka blinked. In that instant, the dragon disappeared...and the soldier fell to the ground unconscious, the woman now behind him and lifting her sword as if she had just struck him. She turned towards the spearman and gestured towards the sword.

"Well?" she barked.

The man scrambled to his feet and ran for his life. The dragon watched him go with a sneer of contempt as she lifted her foot and snapped the steel sword under her feet.

Now she alone stood in the plaza, triumphant.

A dragon swordswoman who wields a greatsword and the power of fire...

Able to stand up against an entire army by herself...

A killer of thousands...

An insanely powerful monster that only the insane would dare to challenge...

'Is that really...?'

One of the Four Heavenly Knights of the Monster Lord...the strongest monsters in existence after her...

"Dragon Knight Granberia."

Luka turned with a start at the voice, only to relax when he saw it was Sunset. The mage was watching the scene as well, observing as Granberia demanded to know if that was the best Iliasburg could throw at her, arms wide in challenge.

"I'd heard the rumors, but I didn't really put any stock into them until just now," she whispered, as if afraid her voice might carry over to the dragon. "Then again, seeing is believing."

"Well, what do we do?" Luka whispered back. What was such a powerful monster doing here of all places? He was expecting something a bit more...mid-bossy or so at this point in their journey.

"I...I don't know."

Luka was surprised at the expression on her face. It was...fear. Luka couldn't remember the last time he had ever seen Sunset afraid, ever. Not when Mother had gotten sick nor when she first woke up in their home, not even when they found her in the snow half-dead. It was something utterly alien to him, his big sister showing fear.

"She's completely out of both of our leagues..." Sunset muttered, licking her lips nervously. "It might...it might not be a bad idea to run away while we still can."

"Leave?" Luka wouldn't deny the idea was definitely appealing, but he remembered all the people in the town hiding in fear and found some measure of resolve. "But what about Iliasburg? Who knows what she'll do if she's not stopped?"

"I know that, but that doesn't do us any good if we die trying to save them. She's way too strong."

"Even so, we can't abandon them. I can't at least."

"Luka..."

"No! If I flee now, I'll never be able to call myself a Hero! I'll be a Fake in deed as well as word," he insisted. "I can't let her just have her way, Sis."

Sunset flinched. He knew she never really liked being called 'Sis', preferring her first name to be used in conversation. She looked back towards the plaza, seeing that Granberia had seemingly calmed down as she shook her head in disgust and went back for her embedded sword.

"...And I promised Liese to keep you safe, so I guess I'm involved too, huh?" she asked with a mirthless chuckle. "Fine...but stay behind me."

"But I can-"

"No," she said firmly, cutting off his protest. "I'm not gonna convince you to run because I know you're too pig-headed to listen when you're 'Hero-sense' is up in arms. However, I expect you to stay back and try not to get killed. I might be able to hurt her, but she's way out of your league and I don't feel like explaining to Liese that I failed. If I need to, I will trap you behind a wall of fire if you start to get out of hand. Got me?"

Luka reluctantly nodded. Sunset sighed. She really didn't like the idea of him being anywhere near a fight with such an enormously strong opponent, but in the current situation all she could do was keep an eye on him and hope he didn't do something utterly stupid and suicidal. Gripping her staff, she stepped out of the shadows and into view of the plaza, pointing it directly at the dragon knight, who currently had her back to her.

'Can't believe I'm actually doing this,' she thought grimly as she drew from her mana reserves. 'But hey, you only live once, right?'

Granberia yanked her sword out of the ground with a barely concealed growl of disappointment. She had decided to commandeer this pathetic place to serve as a beachhead for her one-monster invasion on the temple to the south, but she had originally hoped that she would at least get some enjoyment out of any fighters on the continent. Surely on the continent that was the heart of the 'Goddess's' worship there would be worthy foes to battle, right?

'Apparently, these fools place too much emphasis on their precious Ilias defending them to do much of anything,' she decided with a growl. 'If I was native to this place, I would be ashamed of my heritage...'

Well, she supposed it didn't matter. If Ilias Village had the same quality of soldiers defending it as here she'd be done and feasting in the ruins of their Goddess's temple by evening tomorrow.

"Well then, I've taken control of the city..." she muttered to herself. "Now I-"

She felt the surge of power build from behind her right before it was released. Twirling around with sword at the ready, she was greeted to the sight of a massive fireball as big as herself coming directly at her face. Face unchanging, she brought her blade down, cleaving the ineffectual attack in half as she felt the flames lick her body almost like a warm blanket.

She blinked. Impressive. A dragonkin usually didn't feel fire even when it was roaring in their face. To even feel some level of heat was proof this wasn't the type of spell used by an average magic-wielder. Granberia suddenly felt like she might get some entertainment out of her day after all.

"Dragon scale is strong enough to make lava a comforting hot spring," she called out to whoever attacked as she sliced through the magic. "An attack like this is useless against me."

"Maybe, but I had to see if my preferred spells would work," a female voice called back. "Guess I'll have to step up my game."

As the fireball dissipated around her, having not even managed to sing her armor or cape, she got a closer look at her attacker. Standing across from her by the entrance to the plaza was a young red-and-yellow-haired woman in her twenties or so, clad in a long-sleeved brown tunic and leggings with a black staff in hand. Granberia noted with mild interest the appearance of scars visible along her left arm and her chin, but didn't put much stock into either of them. In her experience, those who collected battle scars simply didn't know when to dodge properly.

She also raised an eyebrow when she caught sight of her companion, a boy younger than her and holding a rather plain sword in hand. He tried his best to hide it, but she could almost smell the fear on him. Still, she approved of the way he seemed to know what he was doing, maintaining a firm grip on his sword and staying slightly back to the mage, looking ready to bolt any which way necessary. Already he impressed her more than the 'town guard' still groaning at her feet and it was clear he was the inferior of the two of them.

If nothing else, this pair might prove to be a welcome diversion.

Keeping her eyes on the pair coolly, she relaxed her stance slightly as they started forward slowly and stopped about twenty paces away from her. She decided to let them make the second move of the engagement and just waited patiently.

She was surprised when it was the boy who made the first move, visibly steeling himself as he cleared his throat.

"G-Good day. I assume you're the Heavenly Knight of Fire, Granberia, correct? My name is Luka and this is my sister Sunset. Might I ask what a warrior of your level is doing here? This place's a long way from the Monster Lord's castle after all."

He actually got that out without many pauses or stutters. Granberia approved. "Huh, at least one of you has manners," she remarked, casting a glance towards the mage Sunset, who just frowned slightly. "Yes, I am Granberia, and what I'm doing here is no business of either of yours."

"I-If you intend to make this town's citizens suffer...then yes it is," he replied with a shake of his head, though the motion seemed just as much to calm his own nerves as rebuke her.

"And you're gonna be the one to stop me, Mr. Big-Shot-Hero?" she taunted.

"Nope, that would be me," the girl suddenly said. "He's gonna help, but I'm the one doing the heavy lifting for this fight because he's totally out of his league as just a plain Apprentice."

Granberia found it almost funny how the boy suddenly looked towards his companion like she was stealing his thunder. "And who exactly are you supposed to be, 'Sunset'?"

"My name is Sunset Shimmer," she replied with just a hint of pride. "I'm the strongest mage on this entire continent, the dreaded Witch of Ilias Village, and currently responsible for the boy's well-being on his quest to become a Hero, which includes beating up monsters that are too strong for him to handle at his current level. So get ready to be sent back to the Monster Lord crying like a baby when I'm done with you." As if in response to her statement, teal energy started to form on both her staff and her free hand. "Ready?"

Granberia grinned slightly as she assumed a battle stance. Now this was what she wanted out of her trip to Ilias. This might actually be worth her time.

"Enough talk. Have at you!"

Sunset pointed her staff and fired a teal blast of energy from it. The dragon knight seemed to expect it and blocked without trouble, rushing forward as she did so.

"Luka, get back!" she yelled as she brought up her staff with both hands to defend herself, the wood glowing with power as she formed a small shield about it. The boy instantly complied and jumped away just like she taught him as Granberia's sword came down on the staff-shield. Metal met magic aura and wood as the dragon pushed down on her, Sunset's knees buckling at the pressure as her arms felt like they were about to snap in two. She could even see where the sword was digging into the black wood despite the shield, marks flaring along the staff's surface as her wards kicked in.

Still, she and her staff held firm, and Granberia looked impressed.

"Not bad," she admitted. "Your magic and staff wardings are pretty impressive to be able to withstand my blade...but it's not enough."

So saying, she lashed out with her foot, smashing into Sunset's midsection and sending her sprawling away. Sunset gasped, it was like someone rammed a hammer right into her stomach. Granberia moved to follow up on it, but stopped when she caught a sudden movement to her side. Turning, she batted aside Luka's attack attempt. Snorting, she glared at him.

"Oh, you're still here, boy, or I should say 'warrior' since you're carrying a sword?" she growled. "Let's see what you've got."

"Luka! Back off!" Sunset yelled as he pointed her staff and fired another teal blast. Granberia responded by cleaving it apart and then following up with a return strike so quick that it would have cleaved Luka in half had he not aborted his attack and leaped back.

"If that's all you're good for, just stay out of this," she stated flatly, "You'll only annoy me."

She turned back towards Sunset, only to blink when she realized she wasn't there anymore. "Where-"

Sunset blinked into existence right behind her and swung her staff, unleashing an explosion of teal energy that actually sent Granberia sprawling. Not letting up, she fired three more blasts at Granberia's still rolling form before forming lightning around her free hand.

"Take this!" she shouted as she launched the attack. Granberia managed to get to her feet and swung her sword on instinct, only to shout in pain as the electricity coursed down the metal and into her body. Still, she seemed more angry than hurt now.

"Bitch!" she shouted, charging forward with a roar. Sunset teleported again before the dragon could reach her, but this time Granberia twirled around and threw up her free arm as the electricity from Sunset's surprise attack struck her. With a growl she charged forward heedless of the attack, swinging her sword with her free hand and colliding with Sunset's staff again, forcing her to cut the attack off to better defend herself. As they struggled with the stalemate, the mage attempted to remove her left hand from the staff and unleash a quick attack, but Granberia's own moved even faster and gripped it in a vise, squeezing it until she felt something crack.

Sunset screamed and her grip on her staff weakened. With a jerk Granberia slammed her knee into Sunset's ribs hard and sent flying away to smash against the plaza stones. The staff came free from her sword and clattered to the ground, and Granberia gave it one look before bringing up her sword and cleaving it in half. Immediately afterward, she felt a sharp sting in the back of her knee, and she turned to see Luka beating a hasty retreat, arms shaking.

"Tch! Attacking me from behind? Your puny sword won't pierce my scales, boy! And I'm growing tired of you making an annoyance of yourself!"

With those words, she turned her full attention towards Luka and tensed her muscles. Her sword came up, and she noted that he gripped his sword firmly as he assumed a dodging...no, parrying stance.

"Think you can block my attack, boy?" she asked almost incredulously. "See for yourself how foolish that is!"

She swung, her blow aiming directly for his midsection. A lightning bolt would have been jealous of how fast her blade went. She was already getting ready to turn her attention back to Sunset as she-

*Clang!*

Granberia's eyes widened as she stumbled, her balance lost as she tried to keep her grip on her sword. In front of her, the boy still stood at the ready, only now his eyes were like dinner plates as he stared in just as much dumbfoundedness as her. Right between the two of them and surrounding Luka entirely was an egg-shaped teal shield, flickering with energy. Her attack had quite literally slid right along it and slammed into the ground, not even leaving a mark.

"Wha...how..." she murmured in surprise, then looked back towards Sunset with a growl. The mage was currently propped up against the plaza fountain, broken hand limply at her side as her free one pointed directly at them and glowing. Blood was flowing from a cut along the side of her head where she had dashed against the stones, but she was smiling slightly.

"I'm...your opponent," she remarked slowly.

Suddenly, the temperature around Granberia seemed to plummet as if all the heat was being sucked out at once. She actually saw her surprised exhale of breath begin to freeze as ice formed about her limbs. With rising panic, she reached within herself and summoned her own power. Fire exploded into existence as the Heavenly Knight brought her magic to bear against the cold, instantly melting the restrictive ice about her form and evaporating the resulting water before it could even sink into her clothes.

When she looked back though, the mage was gone.

Granberia narrowed her eyes as she forced herself to calm down, reaching out with her senses to try and detect her opponent's movements. For a moment, she saw world not as others saw it with their eyes, but rather as a giant flow of energy, with disturbances in the form of waves flowing everywhere and telling her where everything was. She could sense the boy watching her in confusion but not attacking, likely fearful of what would happen. She could sense the townsfolk in their homes, watching the battle with bated breath. She could even sense a strangely familiar presence-

There

Opening her eyes, she turned on her heel and lunged towards an area directly to her left, flames gathering around her sword. At that instant, Sunset Shimmer reappeared, her hand crackling with magic unlike anything she had used so far, black and green and with purple bubbles forming inside the energy. The mage's eyes (which Granberia realized in surprise were now red and green with purple smoke drifting out of them) widened in shock when she realized that the knight was already nearly upon her, but she fired the spell nonetheless.

Fire clashed with darkness as the two opposing forces collided. Granberia's eyes widened as the dark magic, for there was nothing else the attack could be, actually started to push her back slightly, flickering against her body and sending chills that had nothing to do with being cold through her. Sunset's own expression was set in a tense line of concentration as sweat beaded and rolled down her face. Granberia could tell she was putting all of her remaining power into this attack in a last-ditch effort to overwhelm her.

Well, it was only right to answer in kind.

"Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!"

At her words, her sword's flames seemed to triple in size and strength, completely consuming the dark magic. With that, she lashed wildly at Sunset, a barrage of flame-enhanced blows raining down on her. In desperation, Sunset brought up that same shield she used earlier and actually managed to deflect the first two blows, but her defense cracked upon contact with the third strike, shattered on the fourth and she took the full brunt of the final slash, cutting into her chest. Sunset didn't even have time to scream as the violence behind the blows sent her crashing into a nearby wall hard enough to hear something crack, the impact upon which thankfully knocked her unconscious to the pain.

As Granberia watched her opponent fly through the air and hit the wall, she nodded out of respect. That had definitely been a great fight and the mage a worthy opponent to both hurt and make her use her ultimate attack, but now it was over.

She almost didn't notice the incoming attack until it was too late.

Throughout the entire last exchange of blows, Luka had been watching, frustrated and fearful. His best attempt had been batted aside and he'd been driven to his knees so easily. The difference in power between him and Granberia was staggering. But even so, he still believed there had to be something he could do. And when he saw the opportunity, in the form of Granberia unleashing her ultimate attack and blasting Sunset away, he gathered every ounce of his remaining strength, gripped his sword with both hands, and leaped forward, fueled by his desire to save Sunset and avenge her defeat.

As he closed the distance between them in a flash, far faster than an ordinary human soldier could, the Heavenly Knight finally became aware of his movement. Realizing his opportunity was about to be lost, Luka murmured a plea to his mother, sister and goddess to give him strength, desperately pushed his body to its absolute limit, and swung as hard as he could at the dragon knight's neck with the skill Alice had taught him - Demon Decapitation.

Recognizing the attack being used on her, Granberia's eyes widened and, reacting as fast as she could, she immediately twisted out of the way, attempting to protect her vital spots from a deadly blow.

However, it was far too late for anything more than partial success. She managed to avoid a mortal blow to the soft, unprotected flesh of her neck, but the tip of Luka's sword nonetheless managed to lightly brush against her cheek, leaving a small nick, and the sword's blade violently impacted her left shoulder guard. With a terrible noise of shattered metal, the pauldron gave under the stress of Luka's assault, and a large chunk broke off of it, flying in the air and landing a few steps away from the two combatants, not that far from Sunset's destroyed staff.

With the momentum carrying Luka past the Heavenly Knight, she stumbled backwards, a shocked expression on her face as she stared at the broken shoulder pad. As the boy rolled on the ground and came to rest on his knee again, breathing hard and with his muscles aching from the strain, Granberia's eyes slowly moved from her pauldron to him, then to the broken piece lying on the ground a ways off, and then to the boy again. Her mouth moved, apparently trying to form words, but no sound came out.

Luka didn't care though. He raced instantly for where Sunset was unconscious, stopping right next to her and leaning down to look at her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that she was definitely breathing, then quickly ripped off part of his shirt to wrap around her head and stop the bleeding. He then reached into his pack and pulled out a paste meant to help treat burns. Even though he knew she was more or less fireproof, a fact that was proven as he realized most of the damage from that last attack had been from the cut itself rather than the flames, he still applied it to the bright red areas on her skin around the cut, pressing another rag to the cut to stop the bleeding.

"C'mon Sunset," he whispered. "You can walk this off. You've got to..."

"Y-You..." the dragonkin finally uttered, still staring at Luka. "How...that was a Cursed Sword skill. How did you-"

"Granberia."

A new voice rang out across the town square. On instinct, both Luka and Granberia turned their heads towards it, the former's eyes widening as he realized it was Alice, still in human form, approaching them with an unreadable expression with the cloak cowl on over her head. Granberia blinked, then went wide-eyed again as she appeared to recognize her even with the hood.

"Ah! Y-You-" she gasped, but fell silent as Alice's gaze turned to her specifically with a frown.

"What are you doing here?" she asked after a brief silence. "I don't recall you ever receiving orders to begin attacking human towns this far south of all places."

"W-Well, the temple south of here-" the dragonkin began to explain, but was cut off.

"Go away, you annoyance," Alice declared flatly. "I came here to sightsee and taste this town's fabled 'Happiness Honey-Filled Ama-ama Dango', even resorting to human form to do so, but I can't even consider it an acceptable sacrifice with you wrecking chaos everywhere and keeping the doors shut to visitors."

"B-But if I don't destroy the Temple, Heroes will-"

"Are you deaf? I said go away," Alice repeated, not in the least bit moved. "The Temple has infinite amounts of time to be destroyed. My desire to eat, however, does not."

It was hard for Luka to connect this image of Granberia almost...sulking like a child told she couldn't go to the town fair to the fearsome Heavenly Knight who single-handedly stomped both Sunset and him in the ground. She even pointed at them like they were part of the blame game.

"What about this boy Hero and his companion? Surely-"

"This is the third time I've had to repeat myself. I said go away," Alice interrupted her once more, a tinge of anger now apparent in her voice. "Is this how you acknowledge your loyalty as a Heavenly Knight? By ignoring what I say?"

A heavy silence fell as Granberia seemed to wrestle with conflicting thoughts and emotions, during which Luka thought about what he was seeing. Obviously, Alice was a monster of very high status if Granberia deferred to her like this. Perhaps a senior Knight? She certainly had the power to spare if Sunset's words still rang true.

'Or maybe...nah, it couldn't be.'

Suddenly, Sunset moaned, breaking the silence as the three others looked towards her. Eyes widening, Luka cursed as he looked over her, trying to see if he could move her safely without causing more damage. Unknown to him, Granberia's eyes softened slightly as she observed his desperate expression, then she reached into a bag on her belt and pulled out a vial of blue liquid.

"Here," she called, throwing it towards him and watching as he managed to catch it. "Have her drink that. It should help her with the bleeding and the bones."

As Luka moved to pry Sunset's mouth open, the dragon knight returned her gaze towards Alice and bowed. "I will return to the castle."

As Granberia moved to leave though, she stopped as something caught her eye and took a few steps to the side. Bending down, she grasped both the shattered piece of her armor and Sunset's staff pieces off the floor and held them in her hand, examining them. Her gaze turned from them over to the three companions and stopped on Luka, who shivered. There was a strange intensity to her gaze as it shifted from him down to the injured Sunset, a bit of the vial's contents running down her chin. However, it was apparent it was already taking effect, the cuts on her head and body slowly sealing shut while the burns faded. Her broken left arm was still in a twisted appearance though.

"...Apprentice Hero Luka and Witch Sunset Shimmer, wasn't it?" she murmured. Her eyes lingered on both of them for a few more seconds, then nodded. "I will remember those names. Until then, farewell."

With that, Granberia's form shimmered and then she vanished into thin air. Luka tensely watched the spot where she had stood for a few more seconds, then deflated, sighing in relief. She really was gone.

"That was a mistake on both of your parts," Alice stated as she walked over to where he and Sunset were.

"What? I know we were badly outmatched, but I think we did pretty well, all things said..." he protested. Alice shook her head.

"That's the problem. You two did too well," she pointed out. "Now she has her eye on both of you. You will have to be careful."

"Eh...?" Luka blinked. Alice sighed as she knelt down next to him, gazing over Sunset's body before removing her hood. Luka was certain he caught a glimpse of Alice's eyes flashing a bright yellow. As if in response, Sunset groaned before visibly relaxing, almost glowing seemingly as whatever Alice did worked in conjecture with Granberia's tonic to heal her body. The lamia even reached out and straightened Sunset's arm, noting with approval as she almost felt the damaged bone shift under her grip.

"You'll understand. Eventually," she stated, waving her hand towards the houses surrounding them as their doors opened and the citizens of Iliasburg timidly stuck their heads out. "For now, though, you might as well enjoy the Hero's welcome. You two just saved the town from a Heavenly Knight. Not bad for a Fairytale Hero's first feat."

"Ah... but without you it wouldn't have gone nearly as well," Luka answered honestly. Alice shrugged.

"I merely defended my interests. I still want to taste that dango," she said. She then smiled wickedly. "Of course, it'll be your treat. It's the least you could do."

"I should've expected that," Luka shook his head as he watched the townsfolk gather around them, smiling and cheering. Inwardly, however, he grinned. Thanks to her, the town's civilians could rest easy. Compared to that, paying for food was a small thing indeed. He paused as he took in the smiles around them. Seeing the happy faces of those he helped... that was what he was fighting for, and all the reward he needed. He glanced back at Sunset, her face set in a peaceful expression as her chest rose and fell slowly. He sighed, still smiling. It hadn't been easy, but this single moment more than made up for the pain and sweat of today's events.

"Hey, you three were amazing back there!" someone in the crowd surrounding them shouted. Several bystanders nodded enthusiastically. "I can't believe you managed to drive off such a strong monster!"

"We got lucky, really," Luka answered honestly. "I'm surprised we're still in one piece, myself."

"Young, strong, and modest," a middle aged woman said approvingly. "More Heroes should be like you, my boy!"

"We should move Sunset soon," Alice whispered to him, drawing his attention from the cheering crowd. "I've worked some magic along with that tonic, but they can only go so far alone. She'll need someplace to rest."

Luka nodded and then turned towards the nearest person in the crowd, an old man with white hair and a handlebar mustache.

"Sir, is there an inn or hotel nearby?" he inquired. "I think my sister needs to lie down for a good long while."

"Yeah, she does look mighty beat," the old man nodded. Pointing towards a luxurious-looking building that could be seen in the distance, he nodded at the boy. "That o'er there is the ol' Sutherland Inn. Oldest 'n most respected inn in this town, it is. Go there and take a good rest, you done earned it."

"Many thanks," Luka nodded, then paused. "Wait, the 'Sutherland Inn'?"

Behind him, Alice clapped her hands in delight. "I knew my guidebook was accurate!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining as she drooled slightly. "I can't wait to try their Ama-ama Dango!"

"...Do you ever think of anything but food?" Luka muttered as he reached down to carefully grip Sunset's injured arm. Several helpful villagers quickly stepped in to help, grasping her other three limbs and carefully lifting her up so as to not aggravate her injuries. Several others brought a makeshift stretcher of sticks and blankets out, quickly placing her into it and began to carry her in the direction of the inn, Luka and Alice right alongside them.

"Aside from lording my superiority over Sunset once she wakes up? Not really."

Luka sighed. He really didn't know what to think of the lamia. One minute she's insulting him, the next she's training him or saving his or his sister's life. 'It's like she's bipolar or something.'

"Still...thank you, Alice. I seriously mean that."

For a moment, Alice's face faltered, and she looked genuinely surprised by the sincerity of his words. She glanced over both him and then Sunset, then shook her head.

"...Don't mention it...and don't mention it to Sunset when she wakes up, me healing her. I won't hear the end of it."

Luka smiled. "Of course not."

A New Friend?

Cadence was definitely the point I started to see things differently, something I've had time to reflect on in my years of exile. She was everything for which I had an unaffected scorn: Perky, optimistic, stupid, popular. If it were those alone, I wouldn't have had a problem. But she stole Celestia's attention from me, stole the admiration of everyone else and pushed me to being the background pony. She got everything I had to work for on a silver platter.

But most unforgivable of all, she was already an alicorn when I first met her, just like Celestia.

Just like I was meant to be.

Celestia tried to push us into being friends, and Cadence was willingly to extend the olive branch, but I refused to accept it. I couldn't accept that this stranger whom I had never even heard of before was not only a princess, but now one of Celestia's students as well? She stole Celestia's time from me in the name of learning how to be a princess, something that she didn't deserve. Then she stole the attention of my peers, drawn by the mysticism attached to her appearance.

Oh sure, get a horn and wings and suddenly you're Ms. Big-Shot. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since I rejected their advances while Cadence seemed to live off of them, but the fact of the matter was that it still stun. It really says something when ponies pay more attention to the princess sitting there all prim and proper while I was making three-feet tall dancing rock puppets from random stones gathered out of the courtyard.

You think I was jealous? Buck yes I was jealous, and rightfully angry as well. It wasn't fair. She did nothing. I started with scraps and fought for my position; my parents died before Celestia noticed me! I fought for what I got and she got it all and the lottery ticket overnight?! That title belonged to me, not her!

One thing I do give credit to Cadence for when all is said and done though; she proved to me that you didn't have to be born an alicorn to become one.

"W-Wait, you're telling me you were a pegasus before?!"

"Yes, I was. I was raised by earth ponies before I managed to reverse a-wait, Sunset, where are you going?"

"Sorry, but I've got some research to do. Thanks Cadence...because soon I'll take back what's mine."

Those lines practically encapsulate our relationship and it went on for nearly a year. It was a testament to my own acting skills as well as Cadence's surprising level of commitment to try and break through my shell that Celestia never seemed to realize that we were never going to get along. We could fake it quite well when necessary, but I'm still surprised it went on as long as it did. Maybe she did realize it but chose to do nothing out of hope that I would change my mind.

A foolish hope if there was ever one. I was even starting to get sick of her and her cryptic lessons and lectures about how I should make friends and stop treating everypony around me like they were dirt. The constant crypticness and frequency that she would make these, as well as how they seemed to be increasing in overall quantity, in conjecture with my growing anger and frustration slowly started to change my perceptions of Celestia herself. More and more I saw not a caring mother, but a manipulator that used little white lies and half-truths to get others to do what she wanted.

Crazy? Yes, but it fit. She kept everypony at a distance, she manipulated them, she didn’t have any real friends as far as I could see - and in turn she was powerful, loved, the ruler of Equestria! That queenly mask came to represent so much more, and I began to question whether or not I truly knew the mare underneath it. Did she truly care about anypony, about me? Were we all just pieces on the chessboard for her to manipulate like some sick game?

But the best was yet to come. All of these conflicts, both inner and outer, had a place in my path to banishment, but like dominoes they just set the stage. I still needed that final push to hit the first one and start the chain reaction.

In perhaps the greatest irony of all, that final push would become the very instrument I would use to arrive here in the first place.

The Crystal Mirror.

Sunset Shimmer had no idea where she was. She was standing on some sort of white cloud high in the sky, to the point that the ground below was invisible through even more clouds. Every which way she looked she was greeted by the sight of clouds as far as the naked eye could see. In addition, everything was bathed in a strange golden light almost like a sunrise, making it hard to make out any real details aside from the white expanse.

Still, the sight was sufficient to take Sunset's breath away, and she wasn't entirely certain how long she spent trying to see how far the expanse went.

'Is this supposed to be Heaven?' she wondered to herself as she looked around. 'Certainly looks like it...though why'd someone like me would be here is beyond me-'

"Sunset..."

The mage's eyes widened as she heard her name being called. Glancing around, she saw no one, but the voice seemed to get louder.

"Sunset..."

It was definitely female's voice: Soft but powerful, sweet but commanding, tinged with a strange sort of sadness. Sunset flinched as if struck, the voice bringing up memories she would rather have left buried.

"Stop it," she muttered. "You're not real. This is just a dream."

"Correct, but I am very real."

A flash of light punctuated that statement, so blinding as to cause Sunset to cover her eyes. When it faded, a figure floated before her. An angel clad in majestic white, with golden hair and blue eyes. She glowed with power, a radiant halo of energy surrounding her form, yet the smile upon her face was not unkind.

Sunset had to resist the urge to fall flat on her face and prostrate, memories of another such figure filling her mind. She forced herself to stand, though she did give some respect in the form of a deep bow of the head.

"Do you know who I am, little one?" The figure asked, her tone like a mother asking if her daughter was all-right. Sunset's breath hitched in her throat, but she forced herself to reply, not daring to look up.

"I-Ilias...the Goddess Ilias...so you are real." Sunset looked around. "Am I dead?"

She nodded, her smile growing slightly. "Yes, I am Ilias, but you are far from dead, my little pony. Your body rests, but I have brought your mind here to speak with you personally."

Sunset flinched in spite of herself when she said 'pony'. How did she-

"I have known the truth about you for many years, Sunset Shimmer," the Goddess continued. "I observed when you first arrived into my world from the portal to the forbidden world. I watched on as you were taken in by my Chosen hero and his family and raised with them, and I saw you remain within the village to watch over the boy until recently."

'She knew from the start?' Sunset thought in shock, her mind racing as anger started to bubble up. She looked up at the Goddess now, careful to keep her face from showing any true negative emotions. It wouldn't do to anger a Goddess. "You know about the mirror."

"Yes," Ilias answered. "It is an ancient thing; filled with a magic the likes of which surpasses even my own knowledge. Where it came from I have no idea, but I do know that it only opens at certain periods of time and only briefly at that. A special seal is in effect about the portal, likely the creation of those on the other side, that prevents anything native to this world from passing through anyways, even one such as myself, so for the longest time I was left dumbfounded as to where exactly it led and what it did. The surge of magic I felt upon the portal actually being used was sufficient to have me turn my attention towards it in time to see you appear."

"Then how do you know what I am?"

"Your body was still in the shifting state when you exited the portal. I caught a glimpse of your original form before you completed your change. I had heard rumors, old myths of equestrian creatures where the portal leads, but your arrival was what confirmed them for me."

"But if you knew the truth from the start, why did you only decide to reveal yourself to me now and not then?"

"Because I couldn't be certain to your intent," Ilias answered with a sigh. "For over a thousand years nothing has ever passed through that gateway, and then you suddenly come tumbling out. Were you some sort of spy, an agent in preparation for some form of invasion? Or perhaps you were a criminal attempting to escape judgement. I could not risk appearing before you without such knowledge, so I had to stay back and observe. After several years of observation, I have concluded you are in fact no threat to my humans."

Sunset grunted. It was a fair assessment (and she technically was a criminal)...but ten years? That still seemed a little extreme. In fact, she was willing-perhaps out of paranoia, perhaps not-to bet that explanation wasn't entirely truthful.

She didn't say anything that might anger the Goddess though. She didn't need to be smited.

"In fact, you might very well be necessary in protecting them."

Here, Ilias' tone shifted slightly. It was no longer as comforting, but rather more business-like. It was so subtle that most might not have picked up on it, but Sunset had spent years around a politician with millennium of experience in poker faces.

"Really?"

The Goddess nodded. "I have observed your and my Chosen's battle with that sword-waving barbarian in Iliasburg, and you have proven to me without a shadow of a doubt that you are worthy of the task I have in mind."

"Wait, back up a minute," Sunset said, stopping the angel. "When you say 'Chosen', you're talking about Luka, aren't you?"

"Quite."

"But he's not baptized."

Ilias gave Sunset an amused look. "Do you assume that simply because I didn't claim him doesn't mean have my approval? I have spoken to Luka in his dreams. He is a test, the most worthy candidate I could find in all the world. His 'un-baptism' is all part of my plan to end the threat of monsters forever."

"Why is that?" Sunset couldn't help but ask. "I mean, I know that you're against monsters, but is it really worth killing them all?"

Not that she disapproved of the idea if it came down to it, but the idea of erasing an entire species just didn't sit right with her. Luka's dream of coexistence was crazy, but it was a better alternative than just whole-sale genocide. She wouldn't mind a few select races of monsters being wiped off (specifically the ones that ate humans on a regular basis), but her own studies into understanding monsters over the years indicated to her that many just wanted to...well, rape guys and eat semen to survive. Crazy, but bearable.

Ilias sighed. "Tell me Sunset, are you familiar with the legend of how I created the world?"

"Up to a point," Sunset answered slowly. "First you made the earth, seas and sky, then all the living creatures, and finally Humanity. And the monsters were failed creations, rejects."

She didn't add on how she felt that last part wasn't entirely accurate though. If monsters really were rejects of Ilias, why hadn't she destroyed them before they became so numerous? If she was truly a Goddess, then certainly it was within her power. That seemingly simple solution always made the mage doubt if the current story was the real story.

'Then again, considering how long she took to make up her mind about me, maybe she's just lazy.' She buried that thought in fear of getting a lightning bolt to the face.

Still, Ilias seemed pleased with her words, and Sunset was thankful she seemingly couldn't read her thoughts. "Correct. Monsters are a detestable evil. They seduce humans to commit terrible acts, even cause great acts of violence. Still, I have always looked favorably upon humanity, and have given my blessing and protection to many heroes to help them combat their dark threat." She shut her eyes and looked away sadly. "However, the monster threat still continues. Only Heinrich, my champion 500 years prior, managed to slay a Monster Lord. But now, I believe I have found the hero who has the potential to slay a Monster Lord once more."

Sunset wasn't entirely certain she liked the way Ilias was so adamant on the 'monsters are evil' stance, but didn't voice it aloud. "You mean Luka," she instead remarked.

"Exactly. But if he is to stand a chance against this Monster Lord, one far stronger than Heinrich's own, he needs great experience, something that he was sorely lacking when I first chose him. So I took a gamble."

Something Alice told her earlier clicked, about baptized heroes and taste. "You deliberately chose not to appear at his baptism so monsters would be attracted to his scent," Sunset realized. "You turned him into a literal monster-attraction! He would have no choice but to fight and grow stronger!"

If Illias seemed at all affected by the venom in Sunset's words, she didn't show it. Even her tone was more like that of teacher who knew better than a mere student.

"There is no greater teacher than experience, and the best way to teach is on the job. The battles will provide him with the skills and experience necessary to stand before the Monster Lord." Now Ilias looked pained at the look of anger that Sunset shot her. "I regret having done it, but I could see no better way to prepare him for his final battle."

"That's a risky plan. What if he just gave up on his dream from the heartbreak of you not appearing, or if he goes up against a superior opponent?"

"Part of why I chose him specifically is because I knew he would venture forth regardless of my blessing. He will need that sort of determination if he is to even get close to the Monster Lord. But courage alone is not enough." Ilias then pointed at Sunset. "That is where you come in."

"M-Me?"

"I have watched you and your interactions with Luka. You have deemed yourself his protector, the one who will save him when he cannot save himself, fighting those far stronger than he in order to safeguard him. I wish for you to continue to do so as he matures into his abilities. Upon his shoulders rests the fate of the world, and you will be his shield, if you so choose to accept it."

The Goddess's smile was bright and without guile, but Sunset hesitated. She couldn't understand it, - perhaps it was simply paranoia about angelic figures - but something felt off about all of this. "Why are you telling me this now?" she finally asked.

The Goddess paused, and for a moment Sunset was certain she looked almost... sheepish. "Well...I'm sad to say that I only just now got around to it, having been dealing with a...problem up here for a while. When I finally had time to check on where you were, you were and still are unconscious in a hotel room, so I just decided to speak to you here."

Sunset once again wondered if that was code for 'lazy', but said nothing. Instead she bowed. "Of course. I intended to watch over him from the very beginning anyways."

Ilias smiled, and their surrounding around them seemed to blur and turn grey from Sunset's point-of-view. "Thank you, noble Sunset Shimmer. Your reward will be great when you and Luka finally succeed in your quest...but remember one last thing..."

"Huh?" Sunset asked, but whatever Ilias might have said was lost as everything went black, right before a blinding flash of light...

Sunset's eyes snapped open, instantly zeroing in on an unfamiliar ceiling above her. On instinct she tried to sit up, only to fall back with a grunt as pain lanced through her chest. Looking down, she realized that there were white bandages all across her upper body, as well as more around her left arm. With those sights came the memories of how she got them...

"Ah crud," she muttered softly, her voice hoarse as if she hadn't drank in a while. "Where am I?"

After a moment to reorient herself, she took stock of her surroundings. She was in a small bed in a respectably clean room, visible thanks to light flowing through partially open curtains to her left. The room was mostly devoid of furniture, save a few chairs and a cabinet on the far wall. Despite that, the furniture and room in question were extremely fancy-looking, with gold, white and red paint on the walls and stain-glass windows with iconry inside them. Even the bed felt heavenly compared to the mattress in her abode in Ilias Village, almost like she was back in Canterlot.

At arms-length there was a small table to her right, a mirror and glass of water resting patiently along with what looked like cookies, a pitcher, and a small note. Ignoring the memories being drudged up, Sunset grabbed the mirror first, wincing slightly as the movement brought another tinge of pain. Lifting it, she beheld her countenance, flinching slightly at the sight of bandages around her forehead.

"Well, I'm still alive at least," she muttered, remembering her dream of Ilias. "So I guess she wasn't lying about that."

She let the mirror fall into her lap, staring unseeingly as she thought over that conversation with the Goddess. Apparently, the stories she had heard about Ilias' zealous nature towards monsters were true. Yet for some reason she hadn't commented about the fact a monster was traveling with her chosen Hero. Did she not know or simply didn't care?

'More to the point, she knows what I am and the portal,' she thought with growing worry. 'Does that mean she might banish me back if I displease her?' She shuddered in spite of herself. She couldn't, wouldn't go back to Equestria, not after what she had done. Not until she had gained what she needed.

"Focus Sunset," she told herself, snapping herself out of it. "She has a job for you: Keep Luka safe. You can do that easily..."

She turned back towards the table, reaching for the note before pausing. She licked her dry lips as she spied the water, then grabbed and took a long draft of it. She was certain for a moment she tasted something...off about it, like a metallic tinge with something...plant-like, but it was gone as she continued to drink. With an appreciative sigh she placed the empty glass back and grabbed a cookie or two along with the note. Opening the former, she began to munch as she recognized Luka's handwriting.

Dear Sunset,

If you're reading this now, that means you're awake. Thank goodness for that. If you're wondering where you are, you're still in Iliasburg, in the Sutherland Inn. Apparently, Alice's book was accurate about it and the dango.

Sunset flinched, remembering Alice's words. A 500 year-old book was still accurate by today's standards. She didn't know whether or not to cry at the seeming lack of progress this world had made in that time.

I was just as shocked. Anyways, the fact that you're reading this now is because we've left the town. Don't panic, we're coming back. It's just that...well, I had some things to take care of. Alice and I went to the Irina Mountains to deal with some bandits a day ago, only to find out it was a couple of young monsters, a goblin, lamia, vampire and dragon, that had been stealing from the town to survive.

Don't worry, nothing bad happened. The dragon girl was a bit of a hassle, but I got her to come along after hitting her on the head when she tried to bite my hand off. Dragon scale really is something else. They're a part of the community now. One of them even got a job at the inn, so don't be surprised if you see a kid lamia named Puchi wandering around when you leave your room, or even coming into your room to do some cleaning.

As of the moment I'm writing this though, Alice is dragging me along to the 'Happiness Village', where the honey for her Ama-ama Dango apparently comes from. The inn keeper said that weird things have been happening there recently, including late deliveries of honey, so we're heading out to see what's wrong. We should be back in a day or two.

Hope to see you awake when we do! Alice said the tonic should have worked by then.

Sincerely,

Luka

Sunset sighed as she put the letter back, wincing as she did so. 'How long have I been unconscious?' she wondered to herself as she looked around, then took a deep breath as she tried to get out of bed. A few minutes and some chest pains later she managed to get the covers off, smiling as she saw that aside for a few bandages here and there her legs were fine. She then moved to try and get out of bed, only to stop and hold the bed as she felt herself sway dangerously, vertigo briefly making the room spin and her legs weak from disuse. A few deep breaths and some pausing later she found herself slowly making her way to a chair at the foot of the bed.

With a triumphant sigh she fell into it, enjoying the plush feel and rubbing her bandaged arm with her free hand. 'Sheesh, that dragon got me good...but I feel way better than I should right now...'

She was legitimately certain she received enough injuries from that fight to land her in a hospital for a week or so, yet from the tone of Luka's letter she couldn't have been unconscious for more than two or three days at the time of writing. And what did he mean by a 'tonic'?

'Either way, I can't let that dragon get the drop on me next time,' she thought uneasily as she remembered how the fight went. She was certain that the Heavenly Knight had been holding back a large amount of her power, even near the very end. She shuddered as she remembered the sight of that flaming sword cleaving through her final attack and shield before hitting her, slicing into her chest...

'If even one other slash had made it through I would have been dead...'

She shook her head and turned her attention to the room with renewed interest, trying to spot where her staff was before she remembered its fate during the fight. She sighed in annoyance. The staff had been a useful tool during her early days in this world, when she hadn't quite adapted to the fact she no longer needed a horn to focus magic but rather simple force of will. It had been her crutch, a focus through which manipulating her power was made simpler. Even after she mastered her new control she had further enhanced the staff with wards and spells to make it a useful bludgeoning weapon in a pinch.

Plus, it had just been pretty cool to have.

Noticing her clothes, cleaned and folded next to her bed, she moved to put them on while evaluating the battle itself (along with enjoying the rest of the cookies) and what she'd have to do differently next time, and she knew there would be a next time, as a Heavenly Knight was certain to appear to defend her lord when the final battle came. Fire was out of the question, and kinetic blasts had worked to an extent but against that hide they would likely be ineffective in a latter encounter. Ice and lightning were options...and she wanted to test another spell she had been working on recently.

"As for dark magic..." she mused aloud as she finally finished putting her shirt on and looking at her hands, remembering the feeling of power and freedom that came with unleashing it on the knight, the strange pleasure she had felt upon casting it. That had been the first time she ever seriously used that type of magic since she read up on it in those books, and she quite liked the results.

"...Definitely an option to take under advisement."

After a few minutes of struggling to get her pants on, she poured and took another sip of her water, once again noting the strange but not unpleasant metallic/plant-like(?) tinge. Something in the water here? She didn't have time to wonder about it though, as suddenly the door to her room opened up. Sunset's head jerked towards the noise, and she quickly found herself sizing up the visitor.

It was a young woman, probably in her twenties or so, wearing a maid's outfit and holding a broom and dustpan. She had long striking scarlet hair tied in a ponytail and matching eyes, framed by a pair of rectangular glasses. Said maid was just as surprised at Sunset's awakened form as she herself was, as she stood there unblinking for a few seconds before shaking her head and immediately stammering excuses.

"F-Forgive me, Ms. Shimmer! I-I-I didn't realize that you were, well, awake and I-"

Sunset raised a hand for silence and the maid complied. The mage then fixed the young woman with what she hoped was a reassuring smile (lack of human interaction save when necessary hadn't done much for her interpersonal skills) and spoke in a calming voice.

"It's fine, Miss...?"

"D-Dora, Ms. Shimmer. Dora Shelly."

"Well Dora, you've done nothing wrong," Sunset assured the maid as quickly (or as fast as she could with her everything still aching) put on some socks and her shoes before she slowly stood up from her chair. "I probably should have informed someone I was awake a while ago." With halting steps she moved to put her glass back, only to stop as the maid, seemingly remembering why she was here, quickly moved to take the cup from her, as well as the pitcher and plate. "Thank you."

"I-It's no problem, Ms. Shimmer," the maid answered, much of her nervousness seemingly abated. "It's the least I can do after what you and your companions did for Iliasburg." She smiled as she continued to speak. "I-I must admit, that was very brave of you, fighting for our little town."

"If there's anyone you want to thank, thank my little brother Luka," Sunset replied, looking around for her cloak before remembering she gave it to Alice. "He's the one who convinced me to fight in the first place."

"But you were the one who truly fought the Heavenly Knight!" Dora insisted, her eyes reflecting her inner feelings of amazement and gratitude. "You actually injured her, pushed her when no one else managed to! Even if that silver-haired woman called Alice drove her off, you clearly were the hero there!"

'Alice actually came through, huh? Well, good to know,' Sunset thought privately, though she felt her mood rise at the praise given to her. "Well, thank you. I take it my companions are still gone?"

Dora nodded. "Yes. The journey to Happiness Village takes about a day or so, so they should be back either tonight or sometime tomorrow depending on how swiftly they completed their task."

'So it's been a day since they left, and it was about a day's worth of time to deal with those bandits...' "How long have I been out, really?"

"Umm...four days. Your friends stayed in Iliasburg for a day before journeying to deal with some bandits, then left the next day to the Happiness Village. They've been gone for a day since."

Sunset glanced down at her bandaged arm and chest, then rubbed her head as she took her cup again from the maid to drink some more water. 'Only four days, huh?' she wondered to herself, then shrugged. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Shelly," she told the maid as she put the cup down again and started for the door.

"W-Where are you going?"

"Out. I've slept in here long enough," Sunset told her as she made for the door, taking careful steps each time. "I'll be back."

"Umm...well, it's been nice meeting you! Maybe we could talk again later?"

Sunset stopped at the door, holding the frame as she thought for a moment, then turned around and gave the maid a thumbs-up and a smile. Leaving the now-happy Dora to her work, Sunset shut the door to the room behind her as she looked down the hall of the inn, wondering which way to the entrance.

Before she could build up the will to not look sheepish when she opened the door again to ask Dora for directions, a small gasp caused her to look behind her. Blinking, Sunset stared straight into the reptilian eyes of a small purple-haired lamia, who was currently holding a broom nearly twice her size in her hands, having seemingly come around the corner to her right.

They stood stock-still for a moment or two before the mage finally found her tongue again. "Umm...hello?"

The lamia's broom fell to the ground with a clatter as the monster lunged forward. Instinctively, Sunset assumed a ready stance, prepared for anything-

"Oh my gods, you're awake!"

-except for the girl to wrap around her legs and give her the biggest, most amazed look Sunset could ever recall seeing. If stars could be found on earth, then this monster's eyes had a monopoly on them.

"Wha-?"

"I heard the rumors about a mage fighting the Heavenly Knight Granberia to a draw in the town square a few days ago, but I didn't think you were her!" she shouted, her mouth going a mile a minute. "I mean, the innkeeper said don't disturb whoever was in this room, but I didn't think that-"

"H-Hey, back up a second," Sunset tried to get control of the conversation. "You're Puchi, right?"

"Yup, that's me!" she said with pride. "That means you have to be Mr. Hero's big sis! There's no way you could have known otherwise! It's an honor to meet you, ma'am!"

Sunset managed to register that 'Mr. Hero' no doubt meant Luka. Despite being completely blindsided, she still managed to get a smile out. "Th-Thank you, Puchi. Could you please guide me to the entrance? I'd like to get outside for a little bit..."

The lamia nodded, uncoiling from around Sunset's legs. "Oh, okay!" Then her face turned slightly devious. "But could you do me a favor if I do?"

The sudden change sent alarm bells ringing in Sunset's mind. She recalled that this monster had been a thief not too long ago, and this memory was enough to get her mostly back in control. "And what kind of favor is that?"

Puchi's face beamed again. "Because I want you to tell me and my friends all about the battle! We've heard tales all over town, but never from an eyewitness! Papi really wants to hear the details, because Granberia's her idol!" Her voice lowered to a conspirator's whisper. "Personally though, I think she thinks you're a rival to her eventually beating Granberia and becoming a new Heavenly Knight. Crazy, huh?"

Despite herself, Sunset couldn't help but let a chuckle escape her. For everything that had just happened to her, from being bed-ridden by a dragon to receiving a message from a Goddess, this monster had managed to raise her spirits like almost nothing else had. Shaking her head, she grinned at the lamia.

"Yeah, it sure does. Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."

Puchi looked like she was about to burst with glee as she quickly picked up her dropped broom and gestured for Sunset to follow her. Sunset followed slowly, still with a smile on her face.

'Wonder how Luka's doing right now?' she wondered off-handily. 'What kind of shenanigans has he gotten up to in the past few days?'

Luka and Alice stood before the combined population of men, women and harpies of Happiness Village, which in actuality was two settlements (one for the humans, the other for the harpies), ready for their official send-off. Hard to believe that before they came here the two villages had been essentially dying, the harpies stealing away the men for mating purposes to prevent their own extinction, the women left behind trying in vain to fight back, unable to tend the fields and cultivate the precious honey that was their lifeblood.

It was amazing, Luka reflected, what a few battles to prove one's worth, some choice words, and a few hours of negotiation could do.

"Young Hero," the human elder began, a smile on her face. "Once again, on behalf of all the humans of this place, I thank you for helping us find peace with our neighbors and get our men back. If not for your efforts, it's likely we would have continued with our pointless squabbling until our village dried up."

Everyone ignored the immature snickering from several men and harpies about 'drying up in more ways than one', save those who disciplined their fellows with light slaps of hand or wing.

"I too must thank you," Queen Harpy Sofie, leader of the Happiness Village harpies, added. "Thanks to you, we need not fear extinction anymore and now I believe that this is truly the beginning of a new age of peaceful coexistence in this little haven."

Luka bowed to both of them. "Thank you, my ladies. Your words are too kind."

"Nonsense," the elder replied. "I believe you told me that your dream was to bring coexistence to both monsters and humans. Once, I might have laughed at the foolishness of such a claim. Now though, perhaps your dream isn't so unachievable after all. Either way, I wish you luck."

"As do I," Queen Harpy added, then turned to the assembled villagers. "And so do all of us."

A loud cheer erupted from the throats of dozens, human and monster alike, all in support of the boy before them.

With that, the elder moved forward and embraced the youth in a firm but warm hug. "Take good care of yourself, you hear me, young man?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The elder released him and the Harpy Queen too embraced him, her wings rising up to hide their faces from prying eyes.

"Please be safe," she whispered.

"I will," he replied with conviction.

Queen Harpy Sofie smiled...and then leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips. For a few seconds they held this position before she leaned back, smiling at the blush on his dazed face.

"How I wish you could have stayed for the full three days to see the laying" she mused. "Oh well, at least say hello to your sister for me, will you? She seems like an interesting character."

"S-Sure..." he breathed, shaking his head and getting his emotions back under control as her unwrapped her arms from around him. Everyone seemed oblivious to what had occurred save Alice, who watched him with barely restrained amusement as she snacked on a jar of Happiness Honey she had obtained during their stay here.

With that, the two set off back for Iliasburg, the cheers of the village behind them following...along with the gaze of a certain harpy.

"Well, boy?" Alice asked him once they were out of sight of the village. "Since I never got to ask earlier, how was the pussy of a Queen?"

Luka blushed deeply as he recalled what happened last night, the feeling of the Harpy Queen's lips on his own as they had grinded their bodies together, their tongues dancing as they had removed their clothes and-

"It was...an experience," he finally admitted, lightly touching the newly-acquired small bone bracelet around his wrist as they walked, noting the softness of the feathers of Queen Harpy Sofie. When he had woken that morning, she had been there waiting with it as her parting gift.

"Take the time to remember me every now and then, alright?" she had asked him with a smile as she rubbed her belly. "I'll always be waiting for when you return...and so will our children."

It hadn't exactly been in the plan to do so, but the Queen would accept nothing less in her conditions for allowing the men of the village to go back. Her exact stipulation had been she could have "any man she choose to be her consort". Nothing had been said about it being "any man from the village". As she had stated to him that night when she invited him to her room to 'congratulate' him for his efforts, dressed in a beautiful blue nightgown, it was the duty of the Queen to breed with only the strongest of men so that the line could continue long and proudly into the future.

And of all the men she had encountered and faced in combat, even if only half-seriously, she had deemed Luka the only one worthy of her affections.

Luka had struggled with that realization after the Queen told him that. It was true that he wasn't exactly devout to Ilias ever since what happened to his mother and Sunset making her feelings on the subject clear, but to not only...well, have sex with a monster, but also be the father of her children?

It went against everything that Ilias preached...yet, at the same time, wasn't he trying to get monsters and humans to coexist? And logically if they were to do so, they would have to...well, be allowed to copulate. Would he named himself a hypocrite if he refused?

'And it's not like she's forcing me now,' he had thought to himself. 'I-I mean, she totally could mount me and I wouldn't be able to fight her...and it's not like I'm gonna just start dropping my pants for every monster that wants it!'

"It is, of course, your right to refuse," she had told him. "I am aware of your status as a hero of Ilias, and the fact you have listened this long without raising your blade speaks of your conviction. Though I would prefer otherwise, given what you have done, if word of this came out, you would be shunned by the humans and-"

"N-No," he had said to her, surprising himself as much as her. "It's just...well, if I'm really going to see my dream of coexistence come true, I guess I should start practicing what I preach, huh? And if that means going all the way..."

'Damn it, Luka!' he had then imagined Sunset shouting at him in his mind. 'Stop being so wishy-washy and do it already!'

With that, he gathered up his courage, closed the distance to the still surprised Harpy Queen, stood on his tiptoes, and kissed her on the lips. Everything after that was a blur of thoughts and sensations that brought a massive blush to his face even now.

Alice looked amused. "So...how are you gonna break the news you're the soon-to-be father to a new, royal clutch of harpy babies to your sister?"

Luka gulped. He didn't regret what he had done, but that was cold comfort in the face of the storm he knew was brewing. "...Still working on that," he admitted, scratching his head. "I've got a whole day to plan though."

"I'll be waiting then," Alice said with a smile. "I'm gonna look forward to the fireworks."

'Eh, probably nothing big,' Sunset decided as she continued onward after the lamia Puchi. 'Well, might as well take in the sights of the city.'

So engrossed in her thoughts she was that she didn't notice the door to her room slightly ajar, the eyes of Dora Shelly watching her as she rounded the corner. Once she was out of sight, the maid turned to look back at the empty pitcher and glass sitting on the table so innocently.

"Well, it looks like she drank the entire thing," she noted with a thin smile, her eyes cold with scientific curiosity as she adjusted her glasses. "Let's see whether this experiment pans out the way I hope it will..."

Author's Note

A cookie for whoever can guess who "Dora Shelly" really is. Why is she so active so early in the game, you might ask? Well, Sunset is an anomaly of this world that's making itself known in a big way. It's the duty of a true scientist to observe anomalies, find out what makes them tick, and (if possible) use them for their own purposes.

Also, Luka's having more than one monster crush on him aside from Alice, if this wasn't plain enough. Who else? Well, that's a secret.

...Sunset may or may not find herself in a similar position as well. Make of that what you will.

Catching Up on News...

I remember that day clearly. I had just finished my newest personal experiment out by the pond when she found me, panting heavily but triumphant. By this point in my studies, I had begun performing tests meant less for academic pursuits and more about improving my total magical output. The test in question was to see whether or not I could create a fire underwater and if so how long I could maintain it.

Ridiculous? Perhaps to your narrow minds, but for one such as myself it was possible. I simply had to use my magic to separate the hydrogen and oxygen water molecules in the water for fuel, create a little spark to start off the reaction, manipulate the temperature and size of the flame that it would be hot enough to survive against the water and wouldn't outstrip the fuel supply faster than I could make it, control the size of the fuel supply so the flame wouldn't spread too quickly. Oh, and make sure I didn't kill every living being in the pond and disrupt the ecosystem, because Celestia would never let me hear the end of it.

Don't feel bad if I lost you. All you need to know is that I tried to make fire underwater and it worked. Granted, by my eleventh try I had only built up enough control to keep it going for three minutes, but I figured it was a good enough place to stop. Pretty sure I had generated enough excess carbon dioxide in the water that anymore would have poisoned the aquatic population.

Musings about the well-being of fishes was the last thing on my mind at the time though, as I was interrupted by a familiar multicolored mane flowing around my body and tickling me, a familiar and welcome voice joining it.

"I see that you've been taking to your studies again, Sunset." she said simply, yet those words only boosted my spirits even higher.

I turned my head to see her still-smiling face, and I felt like the sun itself as my own smile stretched across my face.

"W-Well, of course, Princess! Though I've actually finished them for the day; this one was more of a personal test of my skills if anything."

"Interesting. Do you mind sharing with a mare who could use a good story?"

"Absolutely!"

It was moments like that I treasured above all else; when we were less like princess and student and more like mother and daughter. I remember happily recounting to her my experiment, beaming with pride at the compliments she gave and laughing sheepishly when she took notice of the pond at the blackening of the water and used her magic to remove the waste causing it.

But all good things must come to an end.

"I'm sure Cadence would have enjoyed being here to help you, or at least as an audience." Celestia finally said with a smile as we sat next to the pond, just observing the cloudless skies the pegasi had created for the day and enjoying the sight of unbreaking blue as far as the eye could see.

For me though, the mention of that pink alicorn casted a shadow over my thoughts. I shrugged.

"Eh, I don't think so. She'd probably be afraid of getting soot or water in her coat or mane."

"I wouldn't underestimate her, my dear. She can be...quite willing to get down and dirty with a physical sport. Particularly if it involves wheels."

To this day I still don't know what she meant, but back then I just disregarded it. "Maybe another time," I replied, not really meaning it.

It would seem that Celestia saw through that, or perhaps I didn't put enough effort into the lie, because a slight frown crossed her face before it vanished. I might have felt a twinge of guilt, but it wasn't my fault that me and Cadence had agreed to disagree. We tolerated each other and could get through a conversation without shouting at each other. What more did she want?

"Speaking of studies, Sunset, how go your friendship lessons?"

I went for my automatic excuse whenever the subject came up. "Manageable. Annoying, but I can get them done. Why?"

"It's just that I've been hearing some complaints from several students about your recent behavior. Backhanded comments, little patience, something about an exploding cake?"

"It's not my fault if they can't get sarcasm," I replied simply. And maybe I get a little annoyed when they don't follow my instructions quickly enough. And that cake? My fault, but a complete accident.

I neglected to mention how I was trying to hit that particular complainer in the face with a magic beam, but she ducked at the wrong moment. She was an annoying one, but luckily no one saw the murder in my eyes and I passed it off as a misfire.

Celestia simply sighed. A silence passed between us, one that admittedly left me feeling a little worried. Before I could say anything; however, Celestia then stood up.

"Walk with me, Sunset."

"Huh? Where to?"

"Just a little something I want to show you. It's magical, powerful, and something only known to few in Canterlot. Well?"

She always knew what to say to get my attention. "O-Okay!"

If I could go back in time, I would slap my younger self and Celestia after hugging them both in that moment. It would be worth it just to keep them away from that damned mirror.

"And then, with my staff shattered and my back to the wall, I casted my spell of freezing, bringing the Dragon Knight to her knees as frost coated her form. But I had underestimated the strength of my foe, for with a mighty roar she ignited her sword and body with the flames of her heritage and tore through it like tissue paper!"

Sunset Shimmer threw her arms apart suddenly for emphasis, grinning as her audience of children moved back in surprise and wonderment. Their reactions reminded her of the children of Ilias Village on the rare occasions she bothered to travel in town and the fancy of entertaining the rowdy tikes struck her. While she didn't care much for adults in the village, the children she decided weren't worth the effort of hating, and the fact that they always crowded around in excitement and curiosity, not mockery, of the "Witch of Ilias Village" had warmed her heart to their antics.

The old Sunset probably would have brushed them off, but becoming a self-proclaimed hermit devoid of nearly all contact save Luka had a funny effect on changing one's view about having willing company. Besides, seeing their looks of wonder and hearing their complaints when their parents inevitably arrived to get them away from the "witch" always managed to preen at her pride and happiness.

Of course, the children here weren't exactly normal by any stretch of the imagination. Before her sat four little girls, probably no older than ten at most, all of them staring at her with awe, but that was where the similarities with the children of Ilias Village ended. After all, the children of the village didn't have horns, tails, fangs, and claws.

The lamia Puchi had practically dragged her out of the inn and to an alleyway where her three friends-slash-partners-in-crime were waiting, apparently all of them on their lunch breaks from their jobs considering the presence of the food boxes they had been eating out of. From there, she had pretty much been begged by them all to tell the story of the "battle" of Iliasburg.

As per Puchi's request (and taking a minute or two to get her breath back after her first bit of exercise since her injuries and dealing with the pain, which was much less than she expected), she agreed...though she wasn't above adding a flair of dramatics to the tale. Now they all listened with their food forgotten...though not without throwing their own bits of commentary at times.

"O-Of course she would!" one of them, a dragon girl with purple scales and hair, shouted. "She's a dragon, after all! A bit of cold would never defeat her!"

"But Papi, don't you remember what happened when you accidentally fell into that underwater lake near our base back in the mountains for a few minutes?" a grey-skinned goblin girl asked, scratching the horn on her head in confusion. "You came out all shivery and clammy, and you didn't stop even when you sat in front of a fire for an hour!"

Papi blinked, her yellow eyes flashing around as she tried to come up with an excuse. "W-Well, I'm just a kid, Gob! Granberia is a Heavenly Knight and a fully grown dragon! She can take it!"

"Sheesh, now you're just covering your own butt..." muttered the little blond vampire wearing a black cape that ironically barely covered her own chest. Thankfully, said cape was more or less completely covering her right now thanks to how she was sitting with her knees up in front of her body. Looking at Sunset, she gestured for her to continue with an almost impetuous gesture Sunset was sure she had been practicing in a mirror. "Keep going, please, Ms. Sunset!"

"Yes, listen to Vanilla, Ms. Sunset!" Puchi called out, hands clasped in front of her as she sat on her tail. "What happened next?"

'Sheesh, and these girls were apparently bandits harassing the city? No wonder Ilias needs heroes running around if people can't deal with these problems...'

Leaving her doubts as to the strength of Ilias' most devoted followers aside, Sunset smirked, lowering her voice to a conspirator's whisper that forced the four former bandits to lean in to hear her clearly. "Well, with my newest plan to trap my foe foiled, I decided it was high time to use my secret, ultimate technique. Using her distraction to my advantage, I teleported right next to her while calling forth my strongest spell, a spell so powerful that if properly used would have annihilated this entire town off the map!"

She smiled at the gasps that came from their mouths, nearly laughing at how their eyes became dinner plates and the mouths were in serious danger of hitting the floor.

"N-No way!" Vanilla cried out. "You'd need to have Monster Lord-level strength to do that!"

"Yeah!" Papi quickly added. "There's no way you could have-"

Sunset opened the palm of her hand and a fireball even bigger than one of them standing up straight, shutting all of them up as they stared at it. "See this?" Pointing upwards, she shot the fireball into the sky before it exploded in a brilliant display of color, smirking as she listened to the surprised shouts of passerby who saw its journey, but not the source. "That was a warmup. Burn this into your minds, girls, because I'm the strongest witch on this island bar NONE. When I get serious, MOUNTAINS aren't safe from my attacks. There's nothing on this continent I can't defeat!"

'Well, technically, I suppose there might be someone stronger than me here, but I haven't seen it and they don't know it,' she admitted to herself, but her speech and smirk had silenced any protest from the girls, who were looking at her in even more awe. None moreso, she noticed with some amusement, than Papi the Dragon.

"However, I admit that I underestimated Granberia. Even as I prepared to unleash the spell, she was already upon me with her mighty sword, wreathed in flames hotter than Hell itself! Our blows clashed, fire and darkness locked in a grand struggle for dominance that could probably be seen from outside the town itself! We locked stances, bared our teeth like animals, glared at each other as if doing so would cause the other to drop dead where we stood! Never a more worthy foe have I faced in battle!"

She truly did wish cameras existed in this world. These children's faces were priceless.

She clenched her fist dramatically as she shook her head. "But alas, all things must end. With a mighty roar, the Heavenly Knight unleashed a combo attack unlike anything I had ever witnessed, and I could only watch as she tore through my attack and sent me flying away into a wall. Had I been alone, I would have perished..." She snapped out a finger, silencing any questions that no doubt were about to be unleashed. "BUT! My brother and loyal companion Luka came to my aid, and with a mighty swing of his sword he tore through Granberia's armor, forcing the Knight against the two strongest warriors on the continent! By this point, she had decided she had enough and chose to leave, though not before promising a rematch in the future when we are all rested and ready for a fair fight."

Technically, she didn't know if that was what exactly happened, but she pierced it together from what mutterings she had heard from passerby as Puchi dragged her along and what she could guess from what she figured proud warriors like Granberia would do. They were big on "honor" and "fair fights", so the fact she had even woken up at all had to mean that Granberia had decided to spare them for some reason.

"And with that, I finally collapsed, having exhausted my power. Thus, I saved Iliasburg from destruction! All in a day's work, I have to say."

'Maybe I should look into becoming a traveling performer someday,' she thought to herself as she grinned at her audience, who were clapping loudly and cheering. 'I could make a killing...call myself the Great and Powerful or some other big title...'

"You're awesome, Ms. Shimmer!" Gob shouted, stars in her eyes. "That was even better than the rumors we heard around town!"

"So that Luka boy actually injured a Heavenly Knight?" Vanilla questioned aloud. "No wonder he beat us all so easily! He must have been holding back on us!"

'If anything, I'm willing to bet he just let you four beat yourselves...' Sunset thought to herself, but didn't say aloud. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "Probably, but need I remind you, I trained him, so it would only be natural."

"Can you teach me magic like that too, Ms. Shimmer?" Puchi asked. "I want to shoot fireballs!"

"Hey!" Papi yelled. "That's my thing!"

Sunset chuckled. "Sorry, kiddo, but I'm not ready to take an apprentice yet. Maybe in a few years and you do some growing." She gave Papi a look, noticing her sulking expression. "I'll teach you too if you want. After all, you want a leg up against Granberia, right? You've got that look of determination about you."

Papi stuttered in surprise for a few seconds before finally nodding her head, failing to keep the excited look out of her eyes. "T-That's...thank you!"

Suddenly, there was a sound of bell, signalling the turn of the hour. The four monsters suddenly shot up, eyes wide.

"Crap! Our shifts are starting again!" Gob cried. "We need to go!"

They immediately grabbed the last of their lunches and stuffed them in their mouths as they ran off.

"Bye, Ms. Shimmer!" Vanilla shouted as they took off, removing the sausage she had in her mouth as she spoke. "Thanks for sharing the story!"

"See ya, kids," Sunset called out to them as they went, leaving her behind. "Stay out of trouble!"

Alone again, Sunset looked around the alleyway, then up at the sky. By her reckoning, she had several hours to go before nighttime.

'Might as well amuse myself around town...' she mused, walking off. 'Who knows, maybe something will catch my eye...'

A growl erupted from her stomach, reminding her she hadn't eaten anything for days aside from some cookies.

"Hopefully a good food stand, for starters..."

Sunset could feel the stares of various passerby and fellow patrons on her as she finished devouring the cooked steak in front of her, tearing into the meat with relish before only pausing long enough to wipe the juices from her mouth with a nearby napkin and drinking from the glass of milk right next to her. This was only the most recent dish she had ordered, as shown by the plates stacked neatly nearby, and she still felt like she could eat another plate or two.

'Course, need to remember my wallet...' she chided herself before she could give in to the temptation. 'Hunger is the enemy, but so is running out of money...'

If her former contemporaries in Equestria could see her now, they would probably be aghast that she would consider her money more important than the fact she was currently eating what had once been a living, breathing animal. Admittedly, there was a time after coming to this world that Sunset had considered the act of eating anything alive that wasn't a plant to be a horrifying idea, but her living conditions when she was with Luka and his mother and latter on her own on the outskirts of Ilias Village had drilled it into her head that she couldn't be too picky about her next meal.

She didn't have much talent for gardening (the equipment was expensive and her own skills barely produced enough to feed herself and Luka, much less surplus to sell off) or foraging (a bad encounter with some mushrooms left her leaving that job to Luka), and what money she did make from doing various tasks around the village usually went to getting essentials like bread and milk. But hunting? It was often as simple as casting a spell to stun her prey before letting Luka finish it off with his sword, and then letting him skin it while she made a fire to roast it over. The simplicity made it a logical crime to not partake in the easily gained spoils, and hunger was one hell of a motivator to do so. After all, this body could eat meat and plants in equal measures, so why deny what few blessings she still had?

Plus, Luka's cooking skills had essentially silenced any remaining qualms she had. There was something about a good roast that a salad couldn't replicate, at least for this body. As long as the meal wasn't equine in nature, she could eat it without her conscience bothering her too much.

'It's not Luka's cooking, admittedly, but definitely filling,' she thought to herself as she picked at the bone for any remaining meat, letting it drop on the plate with a content sigh as she wiped her mouth again with another napkin. 'Might come here again sometime.'

"Check, please!" she called out to a nearby waiter, who had been trying not to stare. Admittedly, while her meal size had been impressive, it was the way she had gone at it, quietly tearing into meat and vegetables without making loud and obnoxious sounds, that surprised people. From how much she had eaten, they would have thought a starving woman had ordered it all, yet not once did she lose control.

"Well...you had three bowls of cheese and potato stew, three plates of salad, one plate of fish, two plates of chicken, and finally two plates of large steak," the man rattled off, still trying to comprehend how this girl ate so much and yet her stomach still didn't look distended. "Along with seven glasses of milk."

"Hmm...a new record," Sunset mused aloud, smirking at his expression. "How much?"

"Well, with the one-time-only Hero's discount going on..."

Sunset blinked. "I'm not a Hero..."

"Considering what you did for the town, Sunset Shimmer, you more than qualify for it," the waiter replied simply. "Plus I'm certain our restaurant would be swarmed by angry protestors if we shortchanged you out of at least one meal. As I was saying, your total comes out to 170 gold pieces."

"Hmm...not bad," Sunset decided, reaching into her pouch and pulling out the necessary amount. Before leaving her home she had taken all of her savings over the last decade, plus what was left of the gold and jewels she had taken with her from Equestria through the mirror, with her. She could comfortably say she had 3000 gold pieces worth on hand, so losing little more than 1/20th of it wasn't too bad. "Here."

"Thank you, ma'am. We hope you return sometime..." he said, glancing at the plates as he said that.

Sunset nodded as she stood up and went for the exit, ignoring the whispers from the other patrons as she went. If anything, she was more interested in how her body aches and shaky legs had all but vanished since waking up, as if having a meal was all she really needed to get back into shape. Even her still bandaged arm itched more than anything else, and that hadn't stopped her from using it to eat.

'Whatever was used to heal me up must have been impressive,' she mused to herself as she stepped outside, putting a hand over her eyes as afternoon sunlight hit them. 'I'll have to ask Luka once he finally gets back.'

Come to think of it, she was quite curious as to what her adoptive brother had been up to since she was unconscious. She had gotten snippets from the four monster girls before she launched into her tale, along with rumors of a strange snake monster that no one wanted to talk about, but apparently his and her own renown was growing amongst the people here. She could see it in the way people's eyes lit up as she passed, from their calls of hello when they could see her to their whispers of awe when they thought she couldn't hear.

It was...nice, she had to admit.

'Guess I'll head back to the inn...' she decided, then looked up at the rooftops curiously. '...Or maybe...'

A quick teleportation spell found her up on the rooftop of the Sutherland Inn, where she settled down and just stared at the sun while listening to the bustle of life beneath her. For a moment, she couldn't help but remember a similar scene back in Canterlot, when she stood on the balcony of the castle with the faint sounds of the residents going about their business, a book next to her as she waited for Princess Celestia set the sun.

A frown came to her as she remembered back then Celestia would actually come and sit next to her as she allowed the sun to set and raise the moon. She sighed to herself, annoyed that she managed to destroy her own good mood.

"Need to learn to quit while I'm ahead..." she muttered as she settled against the roof, content to just lay there. Maybe if she was lucky she'd fall asleep and wake up when Luka and Alice got back.

"Here's to hoping..." she muttered again before closing her eyes, the blue sky above her the last sight she saw.

"Nice spot for a nap."

Those five simple words alone, delivered with such a matter-of-fact tone, wouldn't have been enough to rouse Sunset from slumber. The sharp pain that suddenly lanced through the right side of her face, on the other hand, did. Eyes snapping open and catching sight of something silver, Sunset's head shot up as she tried to take stock of the situation and-

*THUD!*

"OWW!"

"AHH!"

-smashed her forehead against something hard and uncompromising. Fall back, the former progeny rubbed her head with her free hand as a string of curses fired off under her breath.

"Alright, who the hell..." she trailed off as she finally caught sight of the perpetrator, her eyes trailing along a familiar cloak and exotic wear before they settled on a head of silver hair and a purple tattoo. "Alice?"

"The one and only," the disguised lamia muttered as she rubbed her forehead before opening her golden eyes and staring at Sunset with some annoyance. "You have quite the hard head, I must say."

'I could say the same to you,' she thought with annoyance, but brushed it aside. "Well, nice to see you too. Is Luka here?"

"Downstairs. He originally freaked out when he learned you left your room and never came back, but I told him you were somewhere on the premises. Your smell is quite overpowering, you know."

"Smell like a bonfire, I remember," Sunset sighed as she looked around, surprised that she could still see the sun peeking out over the horizon and painting the sky various reds, oranges, and yellows. "Huh, the maid said you would be back by tonight at the earliest."

"Luka wanted to double time it back so he could check on you and see if you were ready to go on our next merry adventure," Alice answered her. "I agreed, since I wished to taste the true form of the Ama-Ama Dango with the honey I obtained from Happiness Village." She lifted a jar of the honey in question, an expression of bliss upon her face. "There wasn't much left, admittedly, but just enough to behold the perfection of the treat at long last."

"Figures..." Sunset muttered.

"Anyways," Alice continued, drawing herself out of her fantasy to look at the mage, "Luka is waiting for us. No doubt he wishes to regale you with the tales of his exploits."

"Yeah..." Sunset tried to ignore the smirk on her face as she said that, simply turning her head to look at the sunset again. Once more, old memories surfaced of Celestia, good and bad. She remembered snuggling against the alicorn's white coat on cold nights while a large wing rested over her, and immediately afterward recalled standing in front of her with her head down while Celestia flicked the mud from an ill-timed catapult test from her mane, her expression anything but pleased as guards worked to clean up the mess that covered the throne room. Yet each memory felt like a spike through the chest as they flashed through her mind.

"Something troubles you?"

Alice's words, strangely lacking their biting quality, drew Sunset from her thoughts. Turning to the lamia, she shook her head.

"Nothing...just memories of another life. Sunsets have a bad habit of drawing them out."

Alice's expression was blank, though she didn't pry. Without another word, she turned to leave, showing a door that led downstairs.

"Hey, Alice?" Sunset didn't know what compelled her to open her mouth, but there was no going back as Alice looked back, an eyebrow raised. "This might sound weird, but...what was your mother like?"

A strange expression passed over the lamia's face, so quickly that Sunset barely registered it. It almost looked like...regret?

"Kind, if a bit stubborn in her beliefs," she answered softly, perhaps the most emotional Sunset had seen. "She always tried to protect me, yet wasn't afraid to scold me too if I got out of hand. We had our arguments, but she loved me and I her. I only wish our last meeting could have ended better."

Sunset offered her a small, empathetic smile. "Well, I guess that's one thing we have in common, huh?"

The two stared at each other for a moment longer before Alice looked away.

"I'll tell Luka you're coming. Make sure you don't stay up here until nighttime though, or I will drag you back down."

"No worries," Sunset chuckled, taking just one more look at her namesake before following. "I was done anyways."

Alice offered no more comment, simply walking through the door. Sunset followed on through, a part of her curious as to what Alice had meant by her and her mother's last meeting, but deciding that it wouldn't be wise to pry and ruin this moment.

'We all have our secrets, after all,' she mused, 'and not all were meant to be shared.'

Of course, some secrets, while meant to be shared, weren't necessarily any more pleasant to reveal.

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Luka flinched but could only sigh as he sat in the chair in Sunset's room. Alice was sitting on the bed, now back in her true form and smirking at the spectacle before her, which consisted of Sunset walking around the room to the point Luka thought they'd have to pay for the wear and tear in the floor.

Taking a deep breath, Luka began again. "Well, Alice and I went to Happiness Village and-"

"I know what you said!" Sunset interrupted him. "I followed your story perfectly. Even the part where you apparently slept with the Harpy Queen!"

Yeah, he figured this would happened. Upon returning to Iliasburg in record time, he and Alice had made a beeline to the Sutherland Inn to check on Sunset and finally have the Ama-ama Dango respectively. When the innkeeper, while Alice was busy snacking down with her honey and dango, told him that Sunset hadn't been seen since she was dragged outside by the little lamia Puchi, he nearly had a panic attack before Alice told him she could smell her somewhere in the residence and to settle down before he had a heart attack. She then took off and told him to wait in Sunset's room until she was back.

With no other recourse, he did as told and just waited, mentally going over what he'd have to tell her. No doubt she'd ask about his travels, particularly his new shirt and sword, and the presence of the bone bracelet on his arm. He figured he'd go with the tried and true method of saying his piece with a basic summary, and not mention anything that she herself didn't question him on. He was almost glad when the door opened and Alice arrived with Sunset, who was looking much healthier than he would have expected. Granberia's tonic and Alice's healing magic worked wonders, it seemed.

After she gave him a hug, she settled back and asked him to tell her everything that happened. He agreed and started with talking about the tonic Granberia gave him to heal her (not mentioning Alice's involvement as per her instructions), and then how he went about town gathering info and helping where he could. Sunset was interested in the new muted purple shirt he was wearing and he told her he got it at the armory shop, with it apparently having been made in a small village named Enrika, just south of Ilias Village.

"I have a good idea for armor," Alice piped in then. "While it might look like a plain shirt, it is much stronger than it looks. Luka learned that quite well during his battles. Not a single tear, even facing off against a foe as dangerous as a dragon...even if it was only a child."

Luka added his own two cents in, regaling Sunset with his misadventures against the Four Bandits after receiving a quest from a strange and disturbing lamia named Amira, including his acquirement of his new primary weapon from Alice. He had to admit it was quite amusing to see Sunset jerk back upon seeing him bring out the Angel Halo, a twisted amalgamation of 666 angels melted together into a sword that just screamed "villainous".

"Luka, that's not a sword," Sunset told him frankly. "It's a damned monstrosity...and I'm pretty those eyes just winked at me!"

"Oh...those do that sometimes..." he had admittedly sheepishly. "But at least it works at sealing monsters without killing them. Makes my mission easier, right?"

"You're a hero chosen by Ilias, using a weapon made from the bodies and souls of hundreds of her servants that look like they're being eternally tortured. How have you not been smited yet?" She looked over at Alice. "And where the hell were you hiding that thing?!"

Alice smirked. "Oh-ho, you haven't heard the best part yet! Tell her ALL about what happened at Happiness Village, Luka...or should we say 'Harpy Village'? Entertain her with how you managed to broker peace between man and monster."

Which had lead to the current predicament of Sunset looking like she was on the way towards a panic attack. Alice piped in unhelpfully. "To be fair, the Queen did offer a choice-"

"And that almost makes it worse!" Sunset shouted. "Now we can't use the excuse that he was an unwilling participant! Do you have any idea what the Ilias-devoted population will do to Luka if it gets out he chose to bed a monster of his own free will? We'll be lucky if they don't lynch him!"

"Oh, don't be so bothered," Alice shrugged. "The fact he hasn't been reduced to ashes on the floor from a lightning bolt is proof that the Goddess Ilias either doesn't know about this, or more likely doesn't care. It would seem her little 'Hero' can get away with quite a bit of heresy around here."

Sunset seemed to calm down as she contemplated that statement, a fact that Luka himself admitted he was curious about. He had dreams of Ilias coming to him and telling him about how he needed to defeat the monsters threatening the world and kill the Monster Lord, and yet he had slept with the Harpy Queen and not suffered a single punishment for it...unless one counted how sore and naked he felt in the morning. As a matter of fact, Ilias hadn't appeared in his dreams since that night all three of them camped out on the way to Iliasburg, and even now he wasn't sure if he didn't imagine that.

"I suppose you have a point..." Sunset admitted, then looked over at Luka. "So, what's your excuse for sleeping with the Harpy Queen?"

"Her name is Sofie, actually..." Luka found himself saying aloud as he looked at his bracelet, ignoring Alice's snicker.

Sunset raised an eyebrow, but wasn't moved. "Still doesn't answer my question. She gave you the option to back out despite having you dead to rights by the word of the agreement she made, yet you still went through with it. Was she really that attractive?"

Luka blushed. "W-Well, she was beautiful, but that wasn't the big reason."

The mage sighed. "Was it your whole coexistence thing going on?"

Luka took a deep breath. "I guess you could say that. I mean, if coexistence is going to be a thing, monsters and humans are gonna need to...well, be allowed to be together again..."

"Monsters can't reproduce without human semen after all," Alice spoke up from the bed. "Your Goddess's little commandment to not have sex with monsters has made more than a few of us a little forceful in our tactics."

"I know what the damn commandments are...even if I agree they're kind of crap," Sunset muttered. "So, you basically figured that if you didn't accept the offer, you'd be calling yourself a hypocrite to your dream of peace?"

"Basically," Luka got out. "I-I mean, it's not like I'm just gonna start dropping my pants for every monster that crosses my path and tries to attack me."

"Just the ones that ask nicely or are really desperate is what you're saying," Sunset finished for him before sighing and shaking her head. "Well, good thing I'm still with you to make sure you don't get taken advantage of. Still, for you to actually sleep with another person, particularly one who could have killed you with both wings tied behind her back...I'm honestly impressed you built up the courage to say yes."

Luka looked away. "Would it make you proud to say that I imagined a version of you yelling at me to get off my ass and just do it?"

Sunset just stared at him with a blank expression, causing Alice to snicker a bit. It was a face that Luka knew well, the kind of face Sunset made when she was about to either sigh and give up on her train of thought...or chuck a fireball at the annoyance in question.

Thankfully, it was the former this time.

"...Well, at least your first time was consensual. It could have been much worse."

Luka nervously chuckled, trying to avoid staring at Alice, who was smiling teasingly at him, and hoping that Sunset would take his nervousness for dodging her anger. It probably wouldn't be smart to tell Sunset what Alice did to him with her fingers once they got their own rooms separate from her while she was unconscious. He didn't want to add "destruction of famous locations" to his current list of "achievements".

"Y-Yeah...lucky me."

Fortunately, Alice changed the subject and didn't bring up how the Harpy Queen was technically his second sexual encounter.

"Indeed you are, Luka. You should be proud of him, Sunset. For a Fake Hero he's not bad at playing the role."

Unfortunately, she brought up the other elephant in the room.

"And best of all, you'll both be royalty once the eggs hatch!"

"...Eggs? Luka, what does she mean by eggs?"

Luka sighed as he sensed the building storm that was Hurricane Shimmer. 'These two will kill me long before any monsters catch me...'

Author's Note

Happy 2017, everybody. Been a long time since this updated, huh? Don't know how long I'll be able to write before the writer's block and inevitable creative drought occur, but I'll be damned if I don't try to get some content out before that!