Funeral for a friend.

Chapter twelve:

                       Tearagon.

A man dressed in all black stepped out of the portal. The man stood six feet six inches tall he had blood red hair, deep midnight black eyes, skin as white as newly fallen snow and black fingernails. He looked around seeing that no one had seen him leave the portal and that no one was in sight he walked up to the building in front of him. A sign on the door read “School closed for teacher meetings. School will reopen on 11-09-16 at 8 A.M.

“Hmmm so this is where you are hiding eh?” He smirked to himself.

Looking behind him he saw that the portal was now completely closed. He grinned a wicked smile and laughed as he raised his hands into the air palms facing the portal and shot out a blue bolt of lighting at the portal. The statue glowed with an ominous light and went from its normal cream color to a dark eerie blue.

“Come my children, find the child and KILL HER!” Tearagon smiled as he said those words.

Upon those words spoken by the demon lord of Tartarus several small imps appeared from out of thin air all of which were snickering and laughing wickedly to each other. Tearagon laughed coldly then snapped his fingers and disappeared followed by the imps that he had just summoned.  Sunset laid on the street that she and Fluttershy had been walking on for almost an hour. When she finally woke up she looked over to Fluttershy who had not left her side. Fluttershy looked absolutely terrified Sunset lowered her head and said.

“You saw didn’t you, you saw the light coming from the school and you saw the final sign etched upon my skin?” Sunset said to her.

Fluttershy said nothing in response to this question. A look of fear etched into her otherwise peaceful and loving face. Sunset climbed to her feet looked down to her and offered her a hand to help her up.

“We need to get to the school Fluttershy! I can’t find or stop Tearagon on my own I will…….need help.” As she helped the still frightened Fluttershy to her feet. Taking out her cell phone Sunset began to call her friends for what was about to be a very bad battle. Rainbow was the first to get this call.

"Yo this is Rainbow Dash the most awesome..." Rainbow wasn't able to finish her sentence before Sunset cut her off.

“Rainbow I need you to find the others and head over to the school immediately. We need to find Tearagon and find a way to stop him” Sunset said as she started to run towards the school.

"Alright Sunset I understand we should be there in about ten minutes." Rainbow hung up with that being said and called the rest of the group. Applejack was called first.

"Applejack." Rainbow said once Applejack answered her phone "It's time were are you right now?"

"I and my little sister are at a book store near Sugar Cube Corner with the rest of our friends. What do you mean 'it is time' Rainbow? What in tar'nation is going on girl?" Replied Applejack.

"OK send you're sister home then stay there at the store. Which one is it so I know where I am going to pick you and the others up?"

"Tar'nation and hay bales Rainbow what is going on!?!" Snapped Applejack angrily into the phone at Rainbow.

"I don't have to time for this A.J. send your damn little sister home! Which store are you at?" Rainbow snapped back.

Applejack knew Rainbow Dash well enough to know that she would never have said something like that unless something was so wrong that it greatly affected Rainbow's better sense of judgement.

"I am at the book store across the street from Sugar Cube Corner I will meet you with every one else out side in about ten minutes." Applejack said then hung up.

She left the aisle that she was in to go find her friends and to send her little sister home. She found Twilight with her face in a science book and took the book away from her in order to get her attention. Twilight was not amused by this.

"H...HEY! I was...." A stern look from Applejack clearly cut her off she knew something was very wrong.

Applejack may be many things but she never would have out right taken something that she her self was not using or didn't belong to her unless she had absolutely no choice. Twilight didn't say anything further or offer any type of objection as she got out of the chair she was sitting. Then followed Applejack throughout the store while looking for the rest of their friends. Twilight and Applejack found Pinkie and her little sister in a cooking aisle. Pinkie was reading a cooking book while Apple bloom was reading a children's joke book. Like with Twilight Applejack took their books and got them to keep quite with the same stone cold stare that she had given to Twilight. Turning to her sister after she had glared Pinkie Pie down she said to her.

"Little sis I know I ya'went and said we could hang out today but Y'all got to go home right now. I am not going to put up with any nonsense from y'all about this understand?"

Apple Bloom just shook her head as Applejack pulled out of her pocket some money and gave it to her sister. Apple Bloom hugged Applejack then started to walk out of the store sniffing a bit as she went. The look that her sister had given her clearly said that something was very wrong and it was something that she couldn't be apart of. Once Apple Bloom was safely on the bus Applejack continued her search for the last remain member of their group of her friends inside the book store. She found Rarity in a clothing book section looking over some books about fashion and the like there of. Looking up from her book Rarity didn't have to ask if there was something wrong she set the book back onto the shelf and with out a word headed for the front door. As all four twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity were coming out of the store Rainbow pulled up in her truck. Unlocked the doors and every one piled in. Once every one was in Applejack finally had enough and actually yelled at Rainbow in frustration of her not fully coming clean as to what was actually going on.

"RAINBOW DASH!! TAR'NATION AND HAIL BE RAIN WHAT ON EARTH HAY IS GOING ON?"

The only reply that Applejack got out of Rainbow was one word.

"Tearagon"

Hearing that word every one in the truck recoiled and winced in fright. Fluttershy was still visibly shaken by what had just transpired between her and Sunset. But, she felt her legs moving and within a matter of seconds she was running alongside Sunset towards the school.  Arriving at the school neither Fluttershy nor Sunset could see any sign of Tearagon. In fact it looked as if no one had been there for the past three days. The school yard and the statue of the Canter Lot horse were clean and empty of anyone standing around. Sunset walked up to the statue and looked at it up and down. It didn’t appear to have changed the red light that Fluttershy had seen coming from the school was now long since gone. Tearagon was nowhere in sight and this really worried Sunset. Meanwhile back at the school Sunset was walking up and down the school campus trying to find any sign of the monster.

"He has to be here I mean the portal was opened so he has to be here some where." Sunset said to herself she walked up and down the school campus looking for any sign of the demon.

She knew far too well what that monster wanted and what he would do to get it. In order to fully secure his reign of terror over all the known realms including this one, it meant that Tearagon was going to have to kill her. Or she would have to kill him trying to stop him and mad quest for power. Rainbow was driving up to the school parking lot when she saw sunset looking at the statue. Rainbow beeped the horn of her truck and called out to Sunset.

“Sunset” she called to her.

Sunset looked over in the direction that the voice and beeping noise came from seeing that it was Rainbow pulling into the parking lot she smiled to herself.

“Sunset what is going on? asked Rarity as she jumped  out of the truck and walked up to sunset.

"Rarity Tearagon is here, NOW! The portal has been opened and I know he is here, yet neither Fluttershy nor I can find him any were."

“Okay slow your horses there girl we will help you look for him alright” Applejack said as she walked up behind Rarity.

Hearing the words 'slow your horses Sunset became very hostile towards Applejack thinking that Applejack just gravely insulted her and wasn't taking this seriously. Grinding her teath and clenching her fist tightly she walked up to Applejack snarling at her while saying.

"You did NOT just call me a fucking horse!?" Sunset said so angrily that she was all but spitting these words at Applejack.

Relazing her mistake Applejack threw her hands up palms facing towards Sunset and immediately apologized to her for the insult.

"Now calm down there mussy, I'ya meant nothing by it. I never said you where are a horse y'all know I would not insult your self like that if I couldn't help it none."

Still deeply glaring at Applejack Sunset only calmed down when she heard Rainbow say out loud.

“Yeah you know that Applejack wouldn't try to insult you Sunset so why not calm down and we can go find this demon then kick his butt?" Rainbow said as she punched a fist into the palm of her other hand.

Rainbow was clearly just itching for a fight.

“NO!” yelled sunset as each of her other friends looked at her with surprise each of them were all hoping Sunset wouldn't start a fight with Applejack over the innocent insult that was given her way. Looking at each of them Sunset realized how close she came to decking Applejack over some so trivial as a simply misspoken word. She cleared her throat and held her hand out to Applejack saying to her while looking at the ground ashamed of what could have easily gotten them both into a very bad fight.

"I am so sorry Applejack please can you forgive me for my behavior towards you?" Holding out her hand hoping that Applejack would take it and let bygones be bygones so that they could be friends again.

Applejack looked at her hand then at her and grabbed Sunset pulling her into a tight embrace gently patting her on the back saying.

"Of course I fully forgive y'all I mean even I know we all make mistakes and we all learn from them. We are all so very worried and worked up about that prophecy of yours that I slipped on my speech is all. So you are able to look past it I can forgive your behavior towards me."

Sunset fully accepted the hug and then turned to her friends once she and Applejack let go of each others embrace. Saying to each of them.

“If you find him or even see him you come get me. you DO NOT TAKE HIM ON YOUR OWN.” She empathized on the last words to make sure that they all fully heard her right.

“but darling.” Began Rarity who was immediately cut off with a sharp glare from sunset. Before any of them could protest further sunset turned and walked away she had to find Tearagon. She had to stop him even it meant her own life would come to an end.

“well come on ya’ll we have work to do and it isn’t gonna get done with us standing around like a bunch of cows chewing on their cud.” Applejack said as she started to follow sunset.

Throughout the rest of the day the girls searched and searched for Tearagon but could not find any sign of him.

“He has to be here! Fluttershy saw the red light coming from the school. The statue is the only portal in or out of this realm. So he would have to have come through he knows he has to kill the phoenix child in order to secure his reign of terror.” Thought Sunset as she looked around for any sign that the monster. The monster who had haunted her dreams since she was a little filly in grade school.

Upon not finding anything the girls all met back at the statue how ever sunset was not among them.

“Maybe this Tearagon gave up and went home?” Said Fluttershy as she played with her hair in half circle motion. looking a bit confused as to what do next Rainbow dash spoke up

“I have not found anything around the school. I checked all throughout the quad and the tennis court. If that monster that is driving Sunny to such a state as she would actually pick a fight with Applejack over a misspoken word is here. Then he is not leaving any sign of it.”

looking around that's when they all realized Sunset had not returned with them to the statue.

“Uh guys where IS Sunset shouldn’t she have been with Fluttershy?” asked Twilight who up till now had been very quiet on the whole subject.

She too had looked around the school and like the others found nothing that would state where Tearagon was or had gone. She had arrived with the others but since no one had actually talked to her she chose to remain silent on this matter. While silently choosing to yield the matter of how to deal with this to Sunset. Who for the most part seemed to understand what was happening more than she or her friends did.

“come on we need to find sunset and tell her that we have not found this monster” Rarity said as she started to leave only to be stopped by a gentle hand from Applejack.

“I don’t think we need to do that sugar cube look who’s coming this way now?”

She pointed to Sunset who was walking towards them her head hung low. She looked really upset and her friends all ran up to her to see if there was anything they could do to cheer her up.

“I couldn’t find him……..he is either not here or has gone onto some other part of the city. Either way I was unable to find him” she said her head still hung low.

“Aw buck up sunny we will find him and when we do he is so going to wish he didn’t come here.” Said Applejack. As she laid a kindly gentle hand on Sunset''s shoulder.

She raised her head and halfheartedly smiled at Applejack.

“Yeah don’t you worry your pretty little head over this demon stuff we faced evil before and I am sure we can face it again” said Rarity as she hugged sunset.

Sunset didn’t return the gesture she was too worried and for good reason the longer that monster remained in the human world the more power he would obtain. Although how he would do this was beyond her understanding. Sunset looked up seeing that the eclipse was all but finished she knew now that there was little point in continuing their futile search for the demon lord. All she could do now is wait for him to show himself and prepare for battle. A battle she did not want her friends to get involved with. One she knew they might not...... survive. She turned to her friends and said sadly.

“Let's go home we can look for him after school tomorrow.” Sunset said as she started to head for home.

Once she and her friends were out of sight a lone figure shape shifted out of the statue and starred in the direction that sunset had taken. laughing coldly to himself

“After school it shall be on the morrow, either the phoenix child shall die or these seven and their school shall be MINE!”