Found Wanting

"Now step aside!" Sunset flexed her talons, grinning as black sparks ignited between them into a burning ball of destruction. It hurt her, too, But such was the price. "Twilight has tried to interfere with my plans one to many times already! She needs to be *dealt with*!"

She lifted the spell over her head, pumping more of the acidic hate and fear into it as Twilight's little friends piled in around her, shielding her with their bodies. A pathetic attempt without magic! Die, you fools. Sunset tossed back her had and laughed as she threw the forbidden spell.

And that was where everything went truly wrong.

There was no crash of flame and fiery death. Just a quiet, nondescript "fwump" and a faint ringing. No explosion. No smoke. No scream. Sunset broke off her laugh and gaped in shock at the shimmering magenta field over the girls, Twilight Sparkle's hand reaching out through them as she winced. I-impossible. How did she cast a counterspell? Where did she get the magic to do it? Did she...? No... No!

Twilight smirked, that awful, self-satisfied smile of someone who had just pulled a hat trick and was about to take all the credit. "The magic contained in my Element was able to unite with those that helped create it!" She pointed at the crown, drawing a streamer of magic away from it down to the six of them. How?! HOW?! I'm draining this Element dry! There's nothing for her to take! I- I'll have to improvise. No direct magical attack. Telekinesis, throw things! Heavy things! T-thats it! Wait...

The sliver of stolen magic burst into brilliant light, and Sunset flared her wings to keep from being blown away from the immense wave of aetheric pressure. What?!

"Honesty! Kindness! Laughter! Generosity! Loyalty! And Magic!"

WHAT?! This should be impossible!

"Together with the crown they create a magic beyond anything you could imagine!" Twilight shouted, every word shaking the crown on Sunset's head. "But it is a power you don't have the ability to control!"

Noooo! How is this happening? I never planned for this! Sunset flailed as the magic tugged and shook her. Must... get back... control! Must... take... the power!

"You do not possess the most powerful magic of all!"

Sunset stopped her struggle as a wave of power unlike anything she had ever felt burst off of Twilight as she joined hands with her friends, knocking her out of the air and onto the ground.

"The Magic of Friendship!"

Sunset saw the beam coming. She could feel the pressure. The waves of force emanating from Princess Twilight and her friends were but side-effects of what was heading for her. She dumped everything she had into a sheild as she screamed, to deflect a fraction of the beam around her, but it was like using a napkin to stay dry under a raging waterfall. It didn't drain the magic she had taken from the crown; it obliterated it.

She didn't know how long she was pinned under the storm of energy as if forced her to her knees. In never got weaker. It never faltered. It didn't even hurt her.

It just showed her.

It showed her she was weak.

Friendship was strong, and she was weak. "More than she could dream of" was magnitudes beneath six girls, without training or horns or artifacts to focus through, all because she picked the wrong approach.

Nothing could compare. By the end she simply lay there taking it, facedown as the earth melted and crumbled around her. The power to destroy worlds or build them, and it didn't even touch her. She wasn't worth it's time. It took her magic, removed the threat it posed, and in the end left her lying there alone.

That hurt worse than anything.

It hurt worse than anything because she wanted it, and she was beneath it.

"You will never rule in Equestria."

Sunset realized that the spell had ended. In fact, it had probably ended quite some time ago. She looked up to see Princess Twilight Sparkle standing over her atop the rim of the crater she was lying in.

"Any power you may have had in this world is gone. And tonight, you showed everyone who you really are.... You showed them what is in your heart!"

A few of the braver students walked cautiously into view. Varying expressions of fear, doubt and anger crossed their faces as they saw her. Except one... Flash only had concern as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking her over. That was the last straw.

Sunset broke.

She didn't know what she was doing anymore. She didn't know what she was saying. She was crying. She had nothing. Nothing to gain, nothing to lose, nothing to care about. She cried and she babbled and she clawed her way to the top of the crater until a hand met hers. She looked up to see the Princess... her vision flashed white for a moment at the soft, motherly expression she had seen before.

"B-b-but I don't know the first thing about friendship?"

Twilight gently pulled her to her feet.

"I bet they can teach you..."