Chapters It was a typical Saturday night in Canterlot city, the streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of its' citizens and their various activities. Whether that meant catching a movie, sharing a romantic dinner, or just taking a stroll through the park to enjoy the clear night sky, it painted a perfect picture of contentment that belied a more sinister event taking place.
“Either you do what I say or things are going to get even worse for you!”
There was a loud bang and a weak cry echoed through the warehouse, a frail girl with pink hair was pinned to the metallic wall and held up by the front of her white tank top. The pink haired girl weakly gripped onto the wrists of the one assaulting her, eyes watering from fear and pain as she desperately pleaded for mercy.
“P-Please… Sunset Shimmer, don’t-!”
The whimpering girl was pulled forward before she was slammed back against the wall once again, this time her head bouncing from the force put into it.
“Start by dropping the disguise. I’ve watched you all day and you are not Fluttershy you miserable little pest!”
Sunset Shimmer continued to glare at the girl before her, not flinching as “Fluttershy’s” whole demeanor suddenly changed on a dime. Instead of breaking down into tears, she matched the red head’s glare for glare before a flash of green light surrounded her. Instead of the sweet, pink haired girl that Sunset Shimmer knew, in her place was a being completely alien in looks. It retained the humanoid form, but now the skin was completely black and with a sheen that gleamed from the moonlight that filtered in through the windows of the warehouse. It had no hair, its’ ears came to a point and it was dressed in dark street clothes, but the most eerie part was the eyes. Pupil-less, no iris, completely blue sclera that seemed to glow as its’ face was partially covered in shadow.
“Very clever.”
It hissed, a low, barely audible sound of clicks heard as the Changeling spoke.
“But it is all for not. We have captured your friends, out numbers are growing and our queen is regaining her power. You are alone in this battle, Sunset Shimmer, and without your friends to give you magic, Celestia’s great failure of a student can do nothing to stop us!”
That last comment made Sunset avert her gaze to the ground, her eyes hidden by the shadow of her bangs. The action made the Changeling smirk, thinking that it had struck a serious blow to the former unicorn’s confidence. Which was why it was surprised to see Sunset raise her head… and smirk.
“You really don’t know anything about me… do you?”
Instead of words, all that came from the Changeling was a strangled grasp as suddenly, Sunset Shimmer let go of its’ shirt and pressed her forearm against its’ throat with so much force it thought that its' windpipe might be crushed. Sunset watched as the Changeling struggled, the red head still smirking but seemingly detaching herself from the situation. It was only when the other being’s movements began to become sluggish did the pressure let up and she let the Changeling take in a precious breath of air.
“Before my friends helped me? I was angry, resentful, I turned an entire school inside out, pitting friend against friend, blackmail, and, if I had to, I could put my enemies down.”
To emphasize, she pulled her free hand back before slamming her fist into the Changeling’s mid-section, using enough force it would have been doubled over on the ground if she hadn’t been holding it up. Once it had recovered and could raise its' head again, the look on the Changeling's face showed that it was starting to get a grasp that the situation was rapidly going from bad to worse.
“You took my friends, you’re threatening their lives. I am very angry. And I will do anything to save them.”
Leaning in, she came uncomfortably close to the Changeling’s face. It tried to pull away as much as it could but with the warehouse wall to its’ back there was no where to go and all it could now see were a pair of teal blue eyes. It could do nothing to quell the strangled scream that managed to claw its’ way out as the whites of Sunset Shimmer's eyes became black and her pupils turned into slits.
Ten minutes later the door to the warehouse opened, Sunset Shimmer, her eyes back to normal, stepped out and swiftly closed it behind her as she ignored the pitiful whimpers that echoed from within. She was only able to take a few steps away before she stopped and gripped her right wrist to stop her fist from shaking. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them again, her whole demeanor one of determination as she continued towards the main street where her motorcycle was parked.
Sunset knew she wouldn't have much time before that Changeling dragged itself back to its' allies and reported what had happened, but with the information she had... coerced, from it... she had a location and nothing would stop her from getting there.
After she picked her helmet up from off of the seat and put it on, she began fishing out her keys from her jeans pocket but paused when her fingers brushed over a familiar set of shapes. The keys were slowly raised up to her eye level but what had her attention was on the small key chain attached to it, given to her by Fluttershy that had an apple, a diamond, a balloon, a lightning bolt, a star, and a butterfly on it. Simple, handmade... completely heartfelt. The red head leaned back on her bike and just gazed at it for a moment that seemed to drag on for hours before she finally put the proper key in the ignition.
"... please forgive me..."
The engine blared to life, it's rumbling echoing throughout the empty street as the engine warmed up. Then with a loud screech she was off, a skid mark on the asphalt the only sign that Sunset Shimmer had even been there as she flew down the street, her speed great enough that the wind whipped up behind her and sent a few bits of litter scattering about. As the sound of her vehicle faded away into the night, there was an eerie, almost unnatural silence that fell upon the area.
Author's Note
Yeah I added the "other" tag instead of what I guess is technically the proper one to throw people off.
I'm M. Knightin' in and trying for a little twist.
Anyways, a simple concept in mind for a short fanfiction and I hope it was as enjoyable an idea for you the readers as it was for me.
Addendum...
*head desks* Apparently an afterword doesn't count to the total count. Man, the reviewer guys are really strict!
The Feeling of Powerlessness
As Sunset Shimmer rode through the night, everything seemed to slip away, into silence, into a blur of lights, with the only clear thing before her was the road. The Changeling had given her an address that was very familiar, and with good reason since it was a high class hotel owned by the local millionaire Filthy Rich. If that place was the base for the Changeling queen and her brood then it raised a lot of questions about how many people had been replaced. At the very least everyone working in the hotel would be Changelings, picking their targets to replace as they came in to either stay or just eat at the fancy restaurant that was located inside. Or at the worst Filthy Rich had been impersonated, owning many businesses and having his hands in all sorts of business near and afar, ensuring Queen's children could spread as far as they needed.
The only problem that Sunset had not figured out was how the Changeling magic managed to work in this world. Equestrian magic could not adapt without a major catalyst such as the crown and the magic wielded by her human friends was still a mystery to her. If the queen had managed to find some sort of spell or item that she could bring with her from Equestria...
Suddenly her train of thought was cut short at the sound of a siren and a look in the mirror showed that there was indeed a police car that was expecting her to pull over. The red head swore softly before pulling over, not bothering to turn off the engine but lifting the visor of her helmet so that she could properly look at the police officer approaching. The man looked to be about middle age, with light brown hair and a typical police officer mustache, one hand on his belt as he slowly approached her.
"Ma'am, do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
"Sorry officer, I was just in a hurry..."
"That's hardly an excuse. Now, hand over your license and registration Sunset Shimmer."
With a frustrated grunt, Sunset Shimmer reached for the wallet in her back pocket when she paused. How did this guy, who she'd never met before, know her name?
Eyes widening, she looked up to see the man's eyes had widened slightly, as if realizing his mistake as well. What happened next existed in a split second as the "policeman" began to reach for his gun but Sunset went for the easy target. The punch had the man bending over, the Changeling in disguise experiencing a new kind of anatomical pain before Sunset Shimmer lashed out with a side kick to push him away. She ignored the other officer shouting to her as she revved the engine and screeched off into the night. They would call it in, she didn't know how long she had but she had to make it to the Rich Hotel and hopefully lose any police along the way.
As she passed by an alleyway, the roar of her motorcycle engine multiplied as five tough, burly bikers flew out of the alleyway and were hot on her tail. Sunset easily spotted the new posse on her tail and began weaving around traffic, trying to get ahead and starting to run red lights to try and shake them but to no avail. Out of the corner of her eye she could see one man, wearing a bandanna and with a beard, caught up to her and swung his arm. Sunset ducked out of the way at just the right time, a surprised shriek leaving her as a chain hit the windshield and broke off the top, the pieces and shards pelting against her helmet and leather jacket.
When she looked over to the Changeling, there was a light blue glow that could be seen through the tinted visor before she pulled over so that she could swing at the Changeling with a back fist. There was a spark of blue and black magic as she connected with his midsection, sending the Changeling flying back into the windshield of a car. The high school student swore loudly as she heard a screech and the sound of cars colliding. She pushed it from her mind as she gunned it, hearing sirens in the distance and knowing she was further up that creek without a paddle.
For a moment she thought she was ahead of the police until she saw up ahead a car with a police officer throwing out a spike strip. Making a quick decision, Sunset suddenly hit the brakes as she turned left, moving into a power slide as she continued to make a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn, stopping before she hit the spike strip and going back in the opposite direction where she would turn down a side alley.
As she slide around the corner out of the alleyway, she could hear a siren right behind her as she gunned it down the street. She had the edge since she could weave around traffic for all of about ten seconds until the four remaining Changeling bikers caught up to her and gave chase a new. During the next few minutes it took to get to the Rich Hotel, she'd had to dodge being hit with another chain, a crow bar, lead pipe, and the last biker even tried swiping at her with a switch blade. It threw off her concentration and she had plenty of close calls, nearly becoming intimately acquainted to the side of cars. All the while she could feel it stirring inside of her that evolved into a maelstrom with every close call she had, a whispering at the back of her mind to just let go and to Tartarus with the consequences.
The last impulse was almost too strong, Sunset Shimmer had to close her eyes for a moment to hold back the dark power trying to break free. When she opened her eyes again she saw one last obstacle between her and the hotel down the street, a police blockade. With the bikers to her back and about half a dozen cops with pistols drawn, there didn't seem to be a way out. Sunset Shimmer grit her teeth before closing her eyes, recalling her training in magic.
Maintain control... too loose a grip and the magic went wild... to tight and it wouldn't flow properly. Just for a second, she had to control it for a quick second...
When her eyes opened, the sclera was black and her teal blue eyes shining brightly through the visor as a blue aura surrounded her, along with a black mist. The mist swirled violently around her before suddenly taking the shape of shadowy, dark bat wings. They launched her off the ground with such forced that the wind made the officers flinch and shield their eyes as Sunset Shimmer soared over their heads, landing on the asphalt behind them with a bounce before the high schooler righted her vehicle. She let out an almost pained grunt, her hands having a white knuckle grip on her bike as she reigned in the dark magic before it got out of control.
The hotel was just ahead, the final building at the end of a t-junction street. Sunset was slowing down, preparing to slide to a stop by the sidewalk so that she could hop off and immediately enter... and was left helpless as the hood of a black car was suddenly in her way. Sunset's bike his the car hard, catapulting her over the hood and through one of the glass doors of the hotel, shards of glass shredding her leather jacket and slicing into skin before she hit the ground, rolling right into the middle of the lobby where she laid prone, face down on the ground.
Eventually she slowly pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, groaning softly as a hand went to her midsection where blood flowed out around a large piece of glass stuck in her abdomen.
"Oh... god..."
She gasped out, eyes shut tight for a moment before she took off her helmet, unable to see more through a cracked visor and seeing that she was surrounded by hotel staff and guests who had not fled the lobby. The man who had been running the desk, dressed in a sharp uniform and with a well maintained hairstyle stepped forward and smirked down to her as she collapsed down back down onto her side.
"You're late. We really expected you sooner when we got word you had been following "Fluttershy". Now... will you come quietly or will you die? It hardly matters if you arrive a corpse to our queen, your friends provide plenty of magical energy and love, they will provide us with plenty of power before we drain them dry."
There was no way Sunset Shimmer would let it end like this, she had to save her friends! But what could she do when she was bleeding out and surrounded?
Gritting her teeth, Sunset Shimmer let out an anguished cry as she pulled her fist back and rammed it to the ground, a flicker of dark magic appearing for just a moment, appearing again on the other fist as she rammed it into the ground, forcing herself back onto her hands and knees with her head hanging low. She hated this... she. HATED. this. She hated them, she hated all of the Changelings, for causing her pain, for kidnapping her friends. Hate. Hate. HATE. And most of all... she hated herself for what she had done, and what she was about to do.
The Changeling that had been running the desk stepped back, eyes wide when Sunset Shimmer's head snapped up, fiercely glaring at him as dark miasma flowed from demonic eyes.
"This... th-this is officer Baton calling in for assistance! We tried to approach the hotel the perpetrator entered but... but there was like, an explosion! All the windows on the ground floor and up to the fifth floor shattered! And some pitch black residue! Call in the bomb task force, call in anyone! We dunno what we're dealing with here!"
Reaching down to her side, Sunset Shimmer felt that the glass shard was gone and the wound healed. She took in a deep, calming breath, adjusting her jacket as she stepped back the prone forms of Changelings, now in their natural form, eyes wide and seeming comatose as they lay scattered among the wreckage of furniture and shattered glass. With the lights shattered it was a little hard to see where to step but her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark as she headed for the elevators and pressed the call button. It only took a few seconds before one of the doors open, light pouring out into the evening gloom as she approached and stepped inside, the door closing behind her and casting that part of the hotel lobby in dim light once more.
Author's Note
*is listening to Purple Lamborghini the entire time during the chase*
Well? For those of you that wanted more? Are you not entertained?
If you are displeased, forgive me for my wrongs... for I have just begun. *puts on shades*
It was getting harder and harder to keep her grip. After Sunset Shimmer had taken the elevator to the Diamond Suite at the top of the building, the doors slid open to reveal about twenty undisguised Changelings waiting for her. Now they were all crumpled up or near the walls, in the same comatose-like state that she had left the others in the hotel lobby. The red head would have continued on her way through the double doors, but right now she had a death grip on the handles as she struggled to make sure she didn't lose it.
Breathing through her nose, her eyes were tightly shut as she let her forehead rest against the right door, the cool metal somewhat helping her to keep focus. Through all her studies as Celestia's student, the bottom line with dark magic was that it was no joke. While magic was neither good or bad despite words like 'dark' or 'white', both were tools that could be used for harm or for good. After all, she recalled a story when Princess Twilight had enchanted her Smarty Pants doll and threw all of Ponyville into chaos. It was like comparing fire to water. Both could be equally destructive but like fire could easily grow out of control and consuming everything around it. And, unlike water, it could leave scars.
When she had finally managed to quell the growing inferno inside of her, Sunset pulled her head back from the doors and took a deep breath. She could do this... she had to do this... no matter how scared she felt right now.
After she opened the doors, Sunset Shimmer was greeted by the sight of a dark foyer, the entire far wall was entirely made of glass, allowing the moonlight to filter through and allow for some light. Beyond the glass walls outside, all Sunset could make out was what looked to be a large pool and a few other shapes. What drew her attention back to the interior was the sound of a 'click', her eyes immediately spotting the small, red flame as a figure appeared to be lighting a cigar. From the split second the face had been illuminated, she vaguely recognized it as being Filthy Rich's but there wasn't a doubt in her mind it was another Changeling. Quite possibly the queen.
Sunset Shimmer cautiously approached the black leather couch where the man was sitting, the fake Filthy Rich taking a deep drag before finally speaking.
"This world you ran off to is certainly something, Sunset Shimmer. And so easy to take what we want since no one would believe our kind exists."
As the Changeling let out long stream of smoke, Sunset Shimmer fought to wrinkle her noise against the smell, keeping a steely gaze on the other with her fists clenched at her side. Since she hadn't said anything, the fake motioned with the hand holding his cigar to the couch opposite him on the other side of the glass coffee table.
"Please, have a seat. I'm afraid your princesses, and my queen, are in another castle. Instead I am here on behalf of my queen to make a proposition."
Ugh, did he really just use that old line? Despite that old joke being more than enough grounds to slap this guy upside the head, Sunset Shimmer instead moved over to the couch and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other as she also crossed her arms.
"Unless you are going to release my friends and any other victims you have captured and all of your kind goes back from where you came, I'm going to start wailing on you in about thirty seconds."
"Feisty. But not a brat like the other dimension's Twilight Sparkle. I like that."
Another drag, the end of the cigar flaring up and bringing light to the Changeling's borrowed facade for a moment before the light faded away.
"I'm sure you've already guessed it, but my Queen would like you to join her. Not as an underling, oh no, she knows that you would settle for nothing less than being a full partner. After all, you are a very capable woman, you know very well how this world works, and we know within you is great power. You deserve to have power, you're better than all these weak, unimpressive humans. Why not join the winning side?"
"And my friends?"
There was a pause, it told Sunset everything she needed to know even before the Changeling opened his mouth.
"A necessary sacrifice for our plans. We need them in order for us to keep using our magic. And for our queen to get the power necessary to take over."
"Then what else can I say? Except you and your queen can go to Tartarus."
A disappointed sigh came from the Changeling, who took one last drag before setting the cigar down on the glass ashtray on the coffee table.
"It's such a shame to see you go against your true nature, Sunset Shimmer... even as the darkness inside of you is bursting to get out, you keep trying to play the good girl."
"I am good, I'm not the same pony I used to be when I came to this world."
She began to stand, as did the fake Filthy Rich, she could practically hear the smirk that was on his face as he spoke.
"But only when your friends are around, I'd say without them you're looking fairly bad... she-demon ."
Anger spiked and her blood began to boil, Sunset Shimmer reached out and grabbed the Changeling by the lapels of his suit. Then with a thought, there was a flash of black and blue magic, the two disappearing from inside the suite and reappearing on the roof, the Changeling reaching to hang on to her wrists as he found himself dangling off the edge with only Sunset Shimmer holding him up.
"Either you tell me where my friends are or I drop you. Unless you'd like to see if you could change back in time to use your wings while dodging my magic on the way down!"
For a moment the Changeling looked terrified, up until he smirked and gave a shout.
"Taurin!"
Not having time to wonder who he called out for or threaten him again, there was a sudden crash from behind her and something encircling her leg. A surprised yelp left her as suddenly she found herself being dragged back, losing her grip on the Changeling's suit. His upper half fell onto the roof where he scrambled to pull himself up the rest of the way. He quickly pushed himself up onto his feet and over to the hole in the roof that Sunset Shimmer disappeared down, smirking as he saw her pinned one of the master bedroom's wall, a big, meaty hand around her throat and cutting off enough air that it was ruining her concentration to cast magic.
The hand belonged to a great, hulk of a man, dressed in a tank top that was barely holding together and a pair of tight fitting jeans and sneakers. His hair was shaggy and a blue so dark it was almost black, with a wild beard and dark, fierce eyes. Sunset Shimmer had seen muscled men before but this was unnatural! The muscles were huge and seemed strong as steel, the sheer amount of them didn't seem humanly possible!
"Sunset Shimmer, meet Taurin. A minotaur we brought with us. Poor guy went mad when we used him as a guinea pig to start figuring out the magic in this realm but he has his uses. Have fun!"
Watching the Changeling step away from the hole and disappear, Sunset Shimmer felt the grip on her throat tighten and had to draw all of her will to summon some magic. She shut her eyes tight as she raised her hand at Taurin's face, a sudden burst of black sparks shooting out and hitting the hulking man in the eyes. There was enough pain to register and it caused Taurin to let her go, bellowing out as he raised his hands to his face.
Sunset Shimmer wasted no time in scrambling away, gasping for air as she quickly opened the door and slipped out. She had to keep distance, otherwise she wouldn't be able to focus and he'd kill her! Quickly going down the stairs, the high schooler's mind was starting to clear when there was yet another crash. She looked up just in time to see that Taurin had burst through the wall of the master bedroom and had vaulted over the railing, aiming to land right on top of her! It was only at the last split second that she had managed to jump out of the way to his left, the floor nearby actually shaking some as cracks snaked out from the epicenter of where he landed.
Unfortunately the brute had better reflexes than she thought, since she was caught with a back fist so powerful it sent her flying through the window wall, the entire large panel shattering and falling to the ground as she hit the ground on the other side and rolled into the pool. As she came up gasping for air, a weight came down hard on top of her, dragging her back down as a beefy arm wrapped around her neck. Panic began to set in as she struggled to break free, trying to elbow his side, kick, and even pull away his arms. There was no chance for her to focus as Taurin's grip tightened and her lungs started screaming for air, her efforts becoming weaker as she was kept under water, she could feel herself growing closer to becoming unconscious.
As her head began to sag and her eyes slowly closed, images of her friends came to mind, nothing but emaciated corpses left in glowing green cocoons. The rest of Canterlot burned as blood flowed through the streets...
Having thought that he had killed the red headed girl, Taurin was completely off guard when there was a flash... then heat... the water in the pool turned to steam, his eyes stinging and his grip on Sunset Shimmer completely lost. He stepped back and lost sight of her in the wall of steam until he spotted a dark outline. It looked like Sunset Shimmer... but with bat wings, and glowing blue and black eyes.
The next thing he knew was pain as a fist suddenly collided with his stomach, making him double over before a second fist hit his jaw in an upper cut, sending him flying into the air with Sunset Shimmer following. The barrage would not stop and no matter how he tried to defend himself the punches always found a way through, but what was worse than the sting after they connected was the following burn. Like his skin had been lit on fire!
When the beat down was finally over, Taurin hit the ground near the suite, completely unconscious while Sunset Shimmer landed on the ground near the edge of the pool. Her chest was heaving as she began to stalk closer, her body starting to look more like the demon she had become at the fall formal...
'Kill him... he tried to kill you... just a mindless animal now! You'd be doing him a favor! Kill... kill! Kill-NO!'
Hissing, Sunset Shimmer held her head as she stepped back, fighting for control as her skin began to return to it's normal hue and her fangs began to disappear. No, she wasn't a killer! She wasn't going to kill this poor guy, he wasn't in his right mind! She wouldn't do it!
Hearing a helicopter in the distance, the high schooler panicked before running towards the edge of the roof. Her wings were slowly starting to disappear, she'd be crazy to do this under such dangerous conditions but she was hardly in her right mind right now! As she jumped off the edge of the roof, her wings spreading and carrying her just far enough before they disappeared that she could safely fall the rest of the way to the roof of the building across the street, landing into a roll across the gravel covered rooftop.
Coming to a stop on her hands and knees, her body began to shiver as she fought back the burning hate that threatened to consume her mind. With it gone she began to shiver in the chilly night air, going over the end results in her head. The Changeling that looked like Filthy Rich had no doubt escaped, she lost her bike and now the police would be on the look out for her. All of this would be pinned on her and make her a fugitive.
After taking a deep breath, Sunset Shimmer got to her feet and headed to the roof access door so that she could get going. Right now she still had no idea where her friends were, but it was something she'd have to figure out fast to save them in time while laying low.
Fantastic...
Author's Note
Yeahhhh, I thought Sunset Shimmer would be fighting the Changeling Queen in this chapter too.
But it'd seem a shame to get to that fight already.
Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter kids!
For years now Drivers Seat had been the personal driver of Mr. Filthy Rich and his family. The man himself was fine to work for, perfectly polite and such, really it was just the wife and his brat of a daughter that could be a nightmare. The only thing that made it worth it was the pay check he pulled in to support his family, Filthy did pay a competent employee well. But lately though his boss had been acting strange, asking to be driven to new, odd places and asking that some strange people be picked up. As far as he knew nothing illegal was going on, that was where Seat drew the line.
At the moment he had returned from an unusual place his boss had asked to have him dropped off too more often. He had no idea why the man wanted to go there, maybe he liked the scenery and was thinking of buying the place up? Either way Seat followed a policy of not asking questions unless he wanted to get paid. He parked the limo in front of the mega mansion Filthy Rich owned and had made it to the street, dressed in casual street wear as he began the usual journey to the parking lot where his own beat up old car was. Just as he was passing by a narrow alley in between two fancy, high priced apartments, someone grabbed him from behind, placing a hand over his mouth and an arm around his neck before dragging him into the alley.
He hit the brick wall hard, momentarily disoriented until he found himself staring at a high school girl with red and yellow hair wearing a leather jacket... and very much fitting the description of the girl who had run from the police and blew up the lobby of Mr. Rich's hotel last night!
As he tried to jerk his head to the side and away from her hand, wanting to get his mouth clear so he could scream for help, the effort proved fruitless and her fingers curled over his cheeks, digging in like daggers as they kept a vice-like grip.
"Either you stay still and listen or I start breaking your bones."
A chill ran down his spine hearing her voice, it was calm, with an underlying dangerous edge... but something sounded off about it. The middle-aged man immediately stopped his struggling and just stared into her teal blue eyes, his own feeling as wide as dinner plates about now.
"I know you drive Filthy Rich around... if you know where he is right now, then you tell me. Or else."
God this chick was nuts! Filthy Rich had heard about her and told him, she was straight up dangerous! But if he told her where his boss was, who knew what she'd do to him?! Apparently his silence only seemed to be angering her because her gaze became as cold as ice. The hand that had been holding him by the shirt drew back into a fist, a black fire seeming to surround it before it slammed into the wall, causing the brick to explode and a sharp chunk to cut across his cheek. He had looked away when her fist connected with the wall, but when he looked back into her eyes the man knew true terror. The whites had turned black, the pupils were slit and the teal seemed to glow like demonic hellfire.
"WHERE IS HE?!!"
Seat started to shake, tears starting to stream down his cheeks and it took a moment for him to find his voice once she removed her hand.
"I-I took him... I took him to this camp by the Everfree forest! I swear! P-Please don't kill me! I-I got a wife and a l-little girl! Please!"
As he blubbered like a baby, Sunset Shimmer watched him quietly, her features turning back to normal as she felt a big weight start to settle in the pit of her stomach. Not a Changeling... just some poor guy caught up in something way beyond him.
"... if you call the police, you can consider the life of your wife and daughter forfeit."
Turning, she disappeared down the alleyway and left Drivers Seat curled up in a ball on the ground.
About an hour later after highjacking a car that wouldn't be immediately reported, Sunset Shimmer managed to make her way out of Canterlot City without being caught and arrived at Camp Everfree. Her school had been planning to go there a month from now as a trip, but at the moment it looked absolutely deserted. Immediately Sunset Shimmer could feel the red flags going up as she exited the car and headed for the buildings. The full moon shed enough light that she could basically see everything that wasn't in the shadows.
As she made her way to the center of the camp, Filthy Rich suddenly stepped out from behind a building in front of her.
"Not bad, you managed to finally make it here. But sadly, this is as far as you will get."
Suddenly they all appeared, from the shadows, from inside the buildings and from around them, they were even on the roof tops, all forming a circle around Sunset Shimmer. At a glance there had to at least be two-hundred non-disguised Changelings around her, all ready to attack at a moment's notice. With her barely keeping a grip on her dark magic and afraid that it would consume her as it had at the Fall Formal, the odds were stacked against her. The fake Filthy Rich knew this too and with but a signal of his hand, they all swarmed towards her. Sunset grit her teeth and focused, taking all of the dark energy that was pent up inside of her and releasing it with a burst that drove the first wave of Changelings back.
'You can't win like this. Let the dark power go! Release it! Let it do as it will!'
No!
Black, fire-like aura with a blue glow at the center covered her hands as the next wave of Changelings came, a storm of fists and weapons raining down on her that she either managed to dodge or block with the dark magic concentrated in her hands. Yet when she managed to strike one Changeling back, two more seemed to take it's place until finally they had her cornered. One bull rushed her, distracting her from the Changeling that came in from her right and struck her head with a wooden bat. The blows kept coming from there now that they found a chink in her defense until black energy came from her back, a pair of black, bat-like wings forming a shield around her as the Changelings pushed her back to the wall of a nearby cabin.
'You are so weak! Nothing more than a cowering little speck! I will take control when you finally lose the will to hold me back! Then I will make these insects and this whole pathetic world cower before me!'
Never! She couldn't let the dark power inside of her run wild! She had to stop being so afraid of it. This was her body, this was her magic! She could control it!
'You won't gain control. If you accept this power and control it, your friends will never understand!'
Yes... if her friends saw her wielding dark magic, they might very well reject her. She had been afraid from the start even as she foolishly thought she might only use until they were rescued and then bury it deep within her again, to try and leave it buried once more. But that just wasn't possible. It was a part of her now. She wouldn't let fear hold her back from what needed to be done!
An explosion of light rocked the Changelings once more, but this time what they saw after the light faded gave them pause. Sunset Shimmer's form had changed but it was unlike anything that had been seen before. Instead of her hair rising from her head like a flame it instead seemed to swirl and shift around like ash dancing about the embers. Her jacket had become a long, black, leather trench coat with gold buckles that came down to about mid-thigh and was left open, showing off the long sleeved, blood red shirt underneath that had the symbol of her sun cutie mark in the center. She also wore black jeans and red leather boots that came up to the knees that had gold accents as well.
When she opened her eyes, the Changelings at the front took a step back, seeing that her eyes had taken on the demonic look she had gotten whenever she used her power. As she looked upon them and saw the fear in their eyes, a smirk came to her lips as she raised her hand, a ball of magic forming in her hands, the same blue aura surrounded by black that moved like flames.
"... run."
Author's Note
Since you've all been SO patient with my recent monkey shines. HAVE A SERIOUS CHAPTER!
A Changeling's entire life was based on survival solely because of the one flaw in their biology, their need to consume an abstract concept known as love. They went from civilization to civilization, infiltrating, feeding, and at times even destroying so that the ashes faded away in the winds of time, forgotten. A single Changeling could face many threats, magical ponies, ferocious minotaurs, deadly dragons as they lived and searched for the source that would give them life and energy. Together, a hive of Changelings would fight and die for their queen.
Alone, however, and they could be made to cower in fear.
The fake Filthy Rich was doing just that, torn between loyalty to his queen and terror as he watched the horde of Changeling fall. In this new form that used dark magic, Sunset Shimmer blew through them like a raging storm, magic like a dark fire washing over the Changelings. Wherever Sunset Shimmer fired her magic, Changelings fell, alive but out of commission and helpless. She held back... he knew she was holding back. With that much power coming off of her, it seemed to fill the air with a sort of static that all in the area could feel.
When the last Changeling had fallen, Sunset Shimmer turned her attention to him, black and blue eyes fixing a hard glare onto him as she slowly approached, stepping over the prone bodies of his fallen comrades. For a moment it felt like he couldn't move, couldn't breath as she stalked closer, prey to a more powerful predator. When he could finally move his legs, the Changeling turned to run but froze before even taking a single step as someone appeared from the shadows.
"M-My queen... Queen Chrysalis."
The woman stood tall but with a thin body, covered by a long dress that started off a teal green at the top and ended in a sickly, harlequin green at the bottom with holes and tears. Her skin had a dark, black tone to it and her long hair a slightly lighter teal blue compared to her dress. Bright green eyes stared at the scene in disgust, displeased to see her children having fallen so easily... and that one had been about to run away.
"You sniveling coward... go to those guarding Sunset Shimmer's friends, tell them to be ready. I will deal with our guest."
With a nod, the fake Filthy Rich turned and ran off, Sunset Shimmer keeping an eye on him and noting where exactly he was heading into the woods before looking back to Queen Chrysalis.
"Hmm, I had not expected you to embrace dark magic, Sunset Shimmer. Oh what your friends would think. How disappointed Princess Celestia would be."
To Chrysalis's satisfaction she had managed to elicit a small response from the other, a small clench in the fists as Sunset Shimmer's glare intensified.
"But where she would be so naively judgmental, I, however, am more open to opportunities. Which is why I will give you one last chance to-"
In the blink of an eye Sunset Shimmer was in front of her in a flash of light, her magically enhanced fist colliding with Chrysalis's mouth with enough force to send the Changeling queen flying back. Luckily the woman managed to roll back onto her feet after hitting the ground, hissing at Sunset Shimmer and wiping the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.
"I really have no patience for this Chrysalis. This will end in one of two ways... either you will step aside, take your Changelings and go back through the portal. Or, as I become more in tune with my power, I will beat you into the ground and break your legs so that you will have to crawl back."
Continuing to glare at the other, Sunset watched as the queen of Changeling slowly pushed herself back up onto her feet, dusting off her dress before looking up with a smirk to Sunset Shimmer.
"An interesting thing we have learned about the magic in this world. There is magic, but it's so foreign compared to our own that it is hard to tap into. And it takes time for Equestrian magic to convert into human magic. Yet even while not working at it's full potential, I would say even having the fraction of the power of a god will be more than enough for you!"
It happened too fast for Sunset Shimmer to react as Chrysalis held up a necklace... with a grey and red amulet with the shape of an alicorn at the top. It was around Chrysalis's neck just as the high schooler began to move to stop her, soon blinded by a flash of sinister red light to the point that she had to raise an arm to shield her eyes. Then she felt long, slender fingers wrapped around her throat as she was lifted off of her feet and into the air.
Sunset grabbed onto the wrist, eyes opening and shocked to see the new form of Chrysalis. While the same as before, her pupils were slit, the canines of her teeth were sharp fangs, insect-like wings were on her back and a crooked, wicked looking black horn had sprouted from her head as red aura seemed to seep from her eyes.
"Now... what was that before? About beating me into the ground?"
"Hurry up you idiots! We have to be ready for anything!"
The fake Filthy Rich was extremely nervous as he watched the dozen Changelings guarding the six pods move about, getting their weapons at the ready and forming a tight perimeter around their prizes. Six glowing green pods stood in the center of a clearing in the fortress, containing six girls that all appeared to be fast asleep inside. The five human elements of harmony and this world's Twilight Sparkle. They all had been touched by magic, they had it within them as part of their very beings. It had made studying this world's magic so much easier and had helped to speed up the process of returning some of the alicorn amulet's power.
However there came loud sounds in the distance, almost like explosions and they appeared to be drawing nearer. The faker had only a split second to jump out of the way as two bodies flew by, one covered in an ominous red aura and the other in a blue and black one. They had miraculously managed to miss the pods but the resulting debris from the trees they plowed through embedded themselves deep, with one pod having a very large tear in it.
"G-Get the pods out of here! We can't lose-"
The Changeling was put down by a blast of magic from Sunset Shimmer, losing his form and collapsing to the ground. Those that had not been wounded or knocked out by Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis plowing through immediately fled to safer areas, leaving the two beings to battle without distraction.
While they seemed evenly matched, Chrysalis was slowly gaining the upper hand, pushing Sunset Shimmer back until finally an explosion of magic knocked the girl off her feet, leaving an opening for the Changeling queen to grab the other with her magic and begin throwing her about like a rag doll.
"You should have joined me Sunset Shimmer! We could have ruled this pathetic world together! But instead you chose your friends ."
The final toss sent Sunset Shimmer through another tree before Chrysalis levitated a dozen more into the air and brought them down on top of the red head. When the smoke finally cleared, a large pile of broken trees covered the area where Sunset Shimmer had been. Chrysalis approached cautiously but with confidence that she had finally won, a sneer on her face as she looked to the pile where underneath she assumed Sunset's broken body lie.
"Such weakness..."
Suddenly Sunset shot out of the pile, looking battered but fine as she grabbed the front of Chrysalis's dress. Wings of black light appeared on her back and with a mighty flap she shot them into the air, climbing higher despite the battering that the queen started to give her, one hand reaching to grab the alicorn amulet.
"You fool! Only I can remove it!"
"Maybe... but I'm willing to bet such a powerful magic item is unstable from such a different magic! If I work my own magic just right, I bet I could get this thing to malfunction so badly that it blows up!"
"You wouldn't! It'll kill us both!"
"Do I look afraid to die?!"
Fearful green eyes stared back into determined teal blue, quickly losing in the game of chicken as she felt a magical pulse emit from the amulet as Sunset Shimmer's began pumping her magic into it. With a frustrated cry, Chrysalis took the amulet off and tossed it, teleporting away with Sunset Shimmer just in time as the explosion rocked the sky.
They reappeared back on the ground, this time with Sunset Shimmer's hand wrapped around the queen's throat, her fist raised as if ready to strike the woman before her. This pest had caused so much suffering... she could hear a small voice in the back of her head tell her it was best to just end this being's miserable life now. But...
"S-Sunset?"
Slowly looking over her shoulder, she saw that one of the pods had been opened enough that Fluttershy had woken up and crawled out. The pink haired girl's whole body looked like it had seized up in fear, eyes wide as she stared back at Sunset.
"S-Sunset... don't..."
Looking away and back down at Chrysalis, the woman trying to look stoic but her eyes betraying the fear she truly felt. Sunset tried to ignore Fluttershy up until she felt a part of arms around her mid-section as the kind girl wrapped her up in a hug, sounding as if she were crying. It made Sunset all the more conflicted about what to do as she heard Fluttershy plead to her.
"P-Please... don't. Don't kill!"
Author's Note
This will probably piss off some people...
But hey, my story and I say it end here. Cliff hanger with Sunset Shimmer's future ambiguous now that the law is after her for that chase through the streets and such.
ENJOY!
