Shimmer: La Jument Revolutionnaire

Chapters

Duel Two: Honesty.
Duel Three: Kindness.
Duel Four: Laughter.
Duel Five: Generosity.
Duel Six: Loyalty.
Duel Seven: Magic.
Duel Eight: Envy.
Duel One: Friendship.

Duel Two: Honesty.

Once upon a time, years and years ago, there was a young girl, destined to one day become a Princess. However, unable to reach her destiny, the girl fled, taking with her an object of great power. The girl became twisted and cruel, wielding the object's power without heed nor care, until one day, a powerful alicorn stepped forth to confront her. The mare's kind smile lit a spark in the girl's fragmented and lonely heart. She reached down, and pulled the girl from the crater of her sorrow.

"The Magic of Friendship exists everywhere... all you need to do is seek it out."

So taken with the mare's kindness, was the girl, that she stood tall, rebuilding the puzzle of her heart with a new conviction. She followed in the footsteps of that mare, with her guidance, seeking to spread that Spark of Friendship wherever she went. One day, however, the mare disappeared from the girl's life, leaving behind only a necklace, and a promise to meet again. And so, the girl set off on a journey to reunite with the mare that brought Friendship into her heart.

But, was that really such a good idea?

Sunset Shimmer groans as she returns to the waking world, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. The bed beneath her is soft, and she finds it difficult to lift her head from the pillow. Wait... That difficulty evaporates as realization hits her like a freight train. Last I remember, I was busy in that crazy duel thing with Rarity, and then... Sunset shoots up, intent to take stock on her surrounding. The first thing her eyes find, however, is a familiar, crystal-glazed mare sitting at a nearby wooden table, facing Sunset as she eats. "You..."

Starlight Glimmer looks up, meeting eyes with Sunset. "Good morning, Mistress Shimmer." Her tone is the one Sunset is familiar with from the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony. Sweet, yet measured and neutral, maintaining an emotional distance.

Sunset takes a moment to look around. Her height relative to Starlight leads her to surmise herself to be on the top level of a bunk bed. A large bureau rests against the wall across from Sunset, and between the bureau and the bed is the table Starlight is sitting at, surrounded by four chairs. The wood of both the bureau and the table set is ornately fashioned, but the styling is from a bygone era. In contrast to the age of the design, however, the items themselves, and indeed, the room itself, are meticulously kept. The rest of the room is simple, with a closet on the same wall as the door and a long window on the far side, made of the contemporary materials Sunset expects from one of the Academy's dormitories instead of the crystals of the facility itself. A nice enough room, but for Sunset, it has one problem - it's not hers, and its clearly not any sort of nurse's office. Indeed, she has no idea where it is at all.

"Where are we, Starlight?" Sunset runs a hoof up to her mane to scratch behind her ear, only to find something on her head. She pulls it down, to find it to be a light-blue pajama cap - her pajama cap. Pulling the blanket off her, she finds her uniform has also been exchanged for the cap's matching pajama shirt. But, how...?

"Your room, Mistress Shimmer." Starlight replies, in her usual tone, once Sunset's attention is back on her.

"But, my room is-"

"This is your room now, Mistress Shimmer." Starlight cuts off Sunset's declaration, motioning with the slight nod of her head to a paper Sunset hadn't noticed before, sitting on the side of the table closest to the beds.

Sunset hops down from the top bunk, landing on her hoofs with a thud against the wooden floor. Soon, she's sitting across from Starlight, reading the paper in question. Sunset skims past all the official notation - the ones that prove it to be a statement from Friendship Academy itself, and not some kind of forgery - to the meat of the letter, a simple two sentences:

NOTICE OF RELOCATION: Effective immediately, the recipient of this letter, Sunset Shimmer, is to relocate to Room 6 of the "Magic" Dormitory. A new roommate will be assigned upon successful relocation.

Friendship Academy is a boarding school, housing all its students in dormitories surrounding the six prongs of the campus itself. Each dormitory wing starts at the tips of these prongs and fans out, until meeting the edge of the next wing, creating a circle around the Academy itself. These wings each have a unique name - Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic - equating to the six tenants that Friendship Academy professes to be the six aspects of Harmony. The sixth dormitory, Magic, is the subject of rumors, many of which Sunset has heard before during her attempts to research her necklace and the Academy itself. One thing she knows for a fact, though, is that nopony has lived in it for years, despite the Academy's constant upkeep of it.

"So, this is the mysterious 'Magic' dorm, is it?" Sunset quips to herself, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before turning back down to Starlight. "And you're the roommate the letter talks about?"

"Yes." Starlight replies simply.

"So, what happened? I don't remember moving in here..."

"You passed out in the Dueling Arena. You've been sleeping ever since."

The Dueling Arena! Memories flood back to Sunset Shimmer. The Dueling Arena... the contradictory place whose path involves a winding staircase, up a tower inside a tower, where a castle floats overhead, shining light downward. Sunset Shimmer's duel with Rarity involved a real sword, and an implication that...

"Did I defeat Rarity?"

"Yes." Starlight confirms. "You've become the current Champion of the Duels." Starlight's head nods slightly. "As such, you may do with me as you like, Mistress Shimmer."

Sunset blinks, staring at Starlight with a mix of disbelief and stunned silence. Is she serious? Her mind clicks back to the events under the Tree of Harmony. There, she called Rarity 'Mistress Rarity', and now she's calling me 'Mistress Shimmer'...? A hoof rises, gripping the necklace hiding beneath her pajama top. What sort of strange game has evolved around these necklaces?

Starlight, however, looks as serious as ever, continuing on once Sunset doesn't reply. "That is my duty as the Crystal Mare."

"Wait... that's a title?" Sunset remembers Rarity calling Starlight 'Crystal Mare', but before, she had dismissed it out of hoof as something derogatory. "I thought Rarity was just being a bully..."

"Rarity is simply a Duelist."

"I'm guessing there's more where she comes from, then?"

Starlight nods. "All of the Elements of Harmony are Duelists."

"But... why?" Sunset scratches under her chin with a hoof. "What's the point to these 'Magic Duels', or whatever Rarity called them?"

"To obtain the Crystal Mare."

Sunset finds herself once again in a silent stupor. Pieces of the conversation with Starlight, and with Rarity previously, begin fitting together for Sunset.

"Wait. The Elements of Harmony engage in sword duels, and the prize is... you?" It's the only conclusion Sunset can reach, but its one she finds unfathomably ridiculous.

"Yes." And, now, she also finds it confirmed by Starlight Glimmer.

"But...!" Sunset catches herself, resisting the urge to outburst on Starlight's uncomfortable complacency. I don't have enough information yet to say anything about what she's doing. Plus, the last thing a mare like her needs is me going off on her. Sunset's chin scratching resumes, this time brushing against the necklace under her pajama top. She decides it a fine way to redirect the conversation, and pulls it out, holding the six-point stone up to Starlight. "Can you tell me anything about these necklaces, Starlight?"

"Okay." Starlight nods slightly, then begins. "The gemstone on the necklace is called a Magic Crest. By wearing it, you signify yourself as a Duelist." Sunset remembers Rarity explaining something similar to that under the Tree of Harmony. "Duelists compete in games called Magic Duels, and the current Champion of the Duels gains ownership of the Crystal Mare. As long as you are Champion of the Duels, and wear the Magic Crest, other Duelists will seek you out."

Seek me out, huh? Sunset groans to herself. While it's mostly information she already knows, she still appreciates having it explained so succinctly. She grips the six-point star gem, conflicted. One the one hoof, she doesn't want part in any more of these sword fights. On the other hoof, she also doesn't want to let Starlight Glimmer get tossed back into whatever system exists between these Elements of Harmony. "Gah. Being a good pony is obnoxious, sometimes."

"Is that so?" Starlight asks, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh... I said that out loud... oops." Sunset shakes her head clear. "Anything else you can tell me, Starlight? Like who gives out these necklaces, maybe?"

"Letters containing the Magic Crests are sent to the chosen Duelists by The End of the World. It's the only way to receive one." Starlight's face finally displays an emotion besides neutral - curious. "Didn't you get one, Mistress Shimmer?"

End of the World? Some kind of pretentious alias? An organization, maybe? The phrase 'end of the world' tugs at Sunset. She feels like she's heard it somewhere, before. That's right, when Starlight pinned that crystal to my chest, she called it 'a fleeting crystal from the end of the world'... is that related, somehow? Sunset grips the gemstone on her necklace once more. "No, I've had this necklace for a long time now. A friend gave it to me."

"I see..." Starlight nods. "We should get going, Mistress Shimmer, unless you prefer to take another sick day from school."

Sunset's head turns to a clock mounted on the wall, and her eyes go wide. "Darn, we really are running late!" She hops from her chair and heads for the bureau, pulling each drawn open one by one until she finds her signature uniform, pulling it out with her magic. She stops with the uniform hovering above her head. "Wait... another sick day?"

"Yes." Starlight replies, back to her usual tone. "You slept all through yesterday, as well."

Sunset smacks her forehead against the bureau, her magic releasing and causing her uniform to fall directly over her face. "Just great. That's just how I wanted to start the year."

"Need help, Mistress Shimmer?."

"No." Sunset replies grumpily. "And stop calling me 'Mistress Shimmer', will you? Just 'Sunset' is fine, got it?"

"...Yes, Sunset."

The morning sun hangs over Friendship Academy, giving the crystals that make up the many buildings and pathways a gentle glow. On the outer campus, the wedge-shaped areas encased between the six 'prongs' and the dormitories, grass is tended with noteworthy care, and trees are sprinkled along gently rolling hills. In these areas, nearer to the Academy, the different sports fields are maintained, while the areas nearer the dormitories are left predominantly natural. This makes those areas, the seemingly few specks of untouched nature contained inside the Academy's sprawl, popular with the students for activities such as lounging or eating outdoors.

It's past these areas that Sunset Shimmer now trots briskly, with Starlight Glimmer on her heels. "First I sleep for a day, and now I'm going to be late! This is just perfect..."

As the two head toward the campus from the 'Magic' Dormitory, the pathways are clearer than what Sunset is used to from her first morning at the campus. Some students are still about, meeting and hanging out, likely from the dorms that flank hers on either end, but the crowd density is thin, allowing Sunset to power down pathways and cut through the fields without much issue. The problem of her new dormitory location, though, is that her first class is on the opposite side of the campus.

"Cheer up, Sunset." Starlight says with a bit of extra cheer, surprising Sunset with how effortlessly she's able to keep up with Sunset's pace. Sunset's expectation of the shy mare being the unfit type is soundly broken, as she seems to be fairing even better than Sunset herself. "It's only the third day. You can just say you got lost after being sick for a day, no?"

"With my luck, that's going to happen, regardless." Sunset grumbles. She spots one of the sports fields, empty, and makes a turn. Cutting across will be faster than following the path around. "Don't you have your own classes to get to, Starlight?" She asks, trying to soften her annoyed tone.

"I don't have an early morning class, Sunset." Starlight explains. "So, I normally just stay in the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony until later in the day."

"Huh." Sunset knows it's not uncommon for students to have free periods, but she'd figured Starlight to be the type to throw herself at her schoolwork, if only to avoid other ponies.

As they pass the bleachers on the sports field, a mare's voice calls out to them, the pony owning it having escaped Sunset's notice due to the angle she and Starlight Glimmer approached the bleachers from. "Howdy there!" It calls out, friendly and with a bit of a drawl.

Sunset turns her head back over her shoulder, ready to fling back a 'sorry, I'm in a hurry', when she sets eyes on the pony in question, causing her to stop in place. The uniform is the first thing Sunset notices - orange body with black sleeves, in the style of the Elements of Harmony, followed by the hat - a stetson - atop her head. After a second, Sunset recalls her as one of the two ponies she saw playing sports during her tour of the Academy with Spike. Sunset turns, facing this new mare as she walks up to meet Sunset and Starlight. "Um. Hi?" She replies, skeptically. The explanation of the Magic Duels is still fresh in Sunset's mind, leaving her wary of any potential Element of Harmony members by default.

Once she closes the distance, the mare reaches a hoof up, popping off her hat and tipping it in greeting before placing it back on her head. "Sunset Shimmer, right? Name's Applejack." Her greeting is punctuated with a warm grin, her green eyes mirthful. The name is one that Sunset remembers Spike listing off, further confirming to her who she suspects this pony of being.

Sunset takes an instinctive step backwards despite Applejack's outward friendliness. "How do you know my name?"

Applejack chortles. "Missy, you're all our group's been talking about lately. I'd have to be deaf not to know your name."

"Your group?" Sunset decides to press and get her explicit confirmation. "The Elements of Harmony, right?"

"Got it in one." Applejack nods, walking beside Sunset and motioning to her with a hoof. "Come on, you're gonna be late if we don't get trottin', aren't you?"

"What's it to you?" Sunset asks, defensively, though she ultimately acquiesces and begins walking, as Applejack is correct about the being late part.

"Come now, Shimmer, it's not like I'm about to bite your head off, here." Applejack jokes, trying to break the tension between the two. "Just trying to see what kind of mare has Rarity in such a tizzy."

"So, sizing up the competition?" Sunset quips back. Looking over Applejack, Sunset finds her friendliness to belie an intimidating physical strength, even for an earth pony. Naturally, unicorns tend to be the least adept at raw, physical strength, while earth ponies the most, but the way Applejack carries herself implies a strength well beyond that. If Sunset's suspicion is correct, an attempted Magic Duel with this mare isn't something she's looking forward to.

"Maybe." Applejack shoots her a grin, but it lacks any of the smugness or cocksureness that Sunset expects a mare that associates with one like Rarity to have. Instead, its playful, and a bit aloof. "Can't make any promises I won't be challenging you, at least."

Sunset decides to take a gamble, given Applejack's forwardness so far. "Well, maybe what you can do is give me a better idea what the point of it all is. You don't seem like the kind of pony that would be involved in this sort of game just to pass a mare around. There has to be more to it."

"You really don't know anything, huh?" At the probing, Applejack's grin shrinks and her brow lowers, as she looks away from Sunset and to the path forward. "We all thought Rarity was making it up to be dramatic, but it looks like she was tellin' the truth. I'll be." Applejack contemplates for a moment as the two continue walking. Just as Sunset is about to probe at Applejack with another question, she speaks again. "You've seen it, right? The castle that floats over the Dueling Arena, that is. You'd have to be blinder than those bats Fluttershy keeps in some of the unused classrooms to not."

"Yeah." Sunset nods. "Rarity said the castle and all the other stuff is just a giant trick of the lights, but..."

Applejack laughs to herself, stopping Sunset from finishing her sentence. "Trick of the lights, huh? Gee, that mare is such a terrible liar, especially for a city girl. You don't believe that, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Good." Applejack reaches out a hoof, giving Sunset a playful pat on the shoulder. "You seem alright, Shimmer. I can't really say I know everything about what's going on, either, but with something crazy like that castle up there, there's gotta be something that's worth it, doesn't there?"

"I suppose so, but..."

"Well, sorry to cut and run, but I got Element of Harmony business to take care of." Applejack waves a hoof, then begins heading off in a separate direction. "See you 'round, Shimmer!"

"Uh... bye, I guess..." Sunset replies, far less emphatically, though she slowly returns the hoof-waving gesture as Starlight walks up beside her. "She doesn't seem as bad as Rarity."

"Is that so?" Starlight says, accompanying it with the head-tilt.

"At least, not yet, I suppose..." Sunset resumes her walk to her class, Starlight beside her as the two trot quickly down the halls. "Though, she could've at least said hello to you, Starlight."

"It's fine, Sunset." Starlight replies, curtly.

Sunset wants to argue, but the two reach the door to Sunset's classroom before she can find the words. "Looks like I made it. See you after class, okay, Starlight?"

Starlight nods. "Okay, Sunset."

Later, and elsewhere...

A small cassette player sits on the edge of a round table, surrounded by five chairs. In each sits a pony, their five colored jackets contrasting the white crystal of the balcony. An orange hoof reaches out, pressing the play button. The action itself constitutes a ritual between the gathered five. A six-point star emblazoned on the player's front glows a soft magenta as the tape begins to turn.

"If it cannot smash its egg's shell, a chick will die without ever truly being born."

The cassette cuts out, and the light dies, signifying the start of their meeting. The significance of the quote, and the identity of the girl speaking it, are both beyond the reach of the gathered ponies, but its a ritual they adhere to nonetheless.

These five, the Elements of Harmony, sit together in meeting, an activity that occurs whenever a member of the group makes a special motion, or when one of them receives a certain kind of letter. The balcony they sit upon is the top-floor balcony of the Harmony Building, a special dormitory that exists within the 'Magic' Dormitory wing - the only building besides Sunset Shimmer's own currently in use. An elevator - a rarity in pony architecture, even in urban sprawls - serves as the only entrance and exit to the balcony area, its door emblazoned with a magenta, six-point star. The white crystal of the balcony, and in turn, the building itself, furthers its distinction, making it the only dormitory-type building on the Friendship Academy grounds made from the same type of material as the Academy itself. The building sits on a high hill, meaning that, combined with the building's own natural height, the balcony makes it easy to look over much of the Academy grounds at once, even at such a distance.

The ponies gathered, however, are not here to enjoy the view. The view to them has become old, losing its splendor. Instead, sitting around their table, they play a game...

Wooden tiles clatter against a game board, a blue hoof retreating after placing her letters down. "So some new girl shows up, sporting a Magic Crest without any explanation, and just beats you in a Magic Duel, Rarity?" A mare with prismatic hair leans back in her seat. "That's pretty rough."

"What was I supposed to do, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asks as her hoof moves gently across the board, leaving soundless tile placements in their wake. "She drew a sword from the Crystal Mare... the thing that sounded so outlandish, even we stopped believing it'd happen. Then just, before I can even think, she just..."

"Turns into an alicorn, rushes you down with inequine speed, and strikes off your crystal like it's nothing?" A pink pony grumbles to Rarity's left. Her raspberry mane cascades over one eye as she glares, the eye moving between her pieces and the game board.

"Well... yes." Rarity blinks in disbelief. "I'm just going to assume that was another one of your Pinkie things."

A pink hoof slams down on the table as she turns to Rarity, growling. "I told you to stop calling me that."

To the pink mare's left, Applejack rolls her eyes. "Come on, Pinkamena. You know she didn't mean nothin'. Besides, it's your turn."

"Hmph!" Her hoof slams against the board, nearly jostling the other pieces free as she makes her play.

Now, it's Applejack's turn to eye her pieces, deliberating her move. In front of her, a letter sits, its six-point star seal broken. "I suppose the question, then, is where Miss Sunset Shimmer got herself her Magic Crest. I spoke to her this morning, and she seemed way too green to have gotten it from End of the World."

"Speaking of End of the World..." Rarity leans forward, leaning her face on her hooves, eyeing Applejack playfully. "It looks like you get the pleasure of first dibs on the girl, Applejack."

Applejack laughs to herself as her eyes cross her letters once more. "Hope you're not too sore about that, Rares, gettin' the short end of the stick twice in a row like this."

Rarity smiles and waves a hoof dismissively. "It's fine, Applejack, really. You do you, and good luck."

"It's too bad." Applejack finally makes her play, letters clattering against the game board. "She's a nice girl. I was kind of hoping to get a bit friendly with her, but I s'pose this is how the apple falls."

Once Applejack finishes her play, silence falls over the group. The final mare leans forward, the sweep of her pink mane obscuring not only her face, but her letters as well, as she debates her move. A yellow hoof reaches for a letter, raising it, before placing it back on the row next to its brethren.

"...Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash leans across the table, toward the mare. "You have anything to add? Or at least take your turn, maybe?"

"Uhm..." Her hoof reaches timidly across the board once, then twice, then thrice... a total of seven times, as she places letter after letter, connecting to one of the existing words. Once she finishes, she smiles sheepishly. "I win?"

"What?!" Rainbow Dash looks at the board, incredulously. "Quixotry?! There's no way that's a word!"

The afternoon sun hangs in the sky, classes at Friendship Academy releasing for the day. Ponies mill about the hallways, masses of manes, coats, and white uniforms as they form into groups and walk to and fro. Sunset Shimmer, however, isn't among them. She, instead, currently rests in the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony, sitting below the tree as Starlight Glimmer goes about her tending duties, humming softly to herself. While they walk the halls around it, other students don't tend to come into the courtyard itself, leaving it a surprisingly private place despite being surrounded on four sides by bustling classrooms. It's this privacy that Sunset hopes to capitalize on, and possibly connect some with her new roommate. Initially, she had wanted to do this over lunch, but she opted to wait, not wanting to come on too strongly and possibly overwhelm the seemingly-anti-social mare.

"So, how was your day?" Sunset asks, looking over her shoulder at Starlight.

"Oh, it was fine, Sunset." Starlight replies, using her typical neutral-cheeriness.

Sunset doesn't allow the short, deflective answer to deter her. "So... what kind of classes do you take, Starlight?"

"Just this and that, Sunset."

"This and that, huh?" Sunset can't help but let her sarcasm drip. "Come on, Starlight, there's gotta be something interesting that you enjoy studying or doing. A club, maybe? Sports? You seem pretty fit, if this morning is any indication."

"I'm not part of any clubs or sports, Sunset."

Spike's right, she really is boring. It's a bit depressing, really... Not feeling like she's getting anywhere with the casual chit-chat, Sunset looks around. The halls on the ground floor with the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony are thinning out, leaving few students left. Seeing an opportunity to not get walked in on, Sunset decides to direct the conversation toward something more concrete. "What's your opinion on this Magic Duel stuff, Starlight?"

"My... opinion?" She asks in reply, head tilting slightly, her tone questioning.

"Yeah." Sunset presses. "For example, why do you let yourself be tossed around as this 'Crystal Mare' or whatever for these duels between the Elements of Harmony?" She waves a hoof in the air to emphasize her point, despite Starlight's focus on her task meaning it won't be seen.

"Well, why do you wear a pegasus uniform?" Starlight asks back, catching Sunset off-guard.

"Uh..." Sunset tugs on the uniform with a hoof, looking down at it. "It's airy and comfortable compared to the other one. I just kind of like it, I guess."

Starlight turns to look at Sunset, giving her a content smile. "Then that's my answer, too."

"Yo!" A voice familiar to Sunset calls out, catching her attention before she can reply to Starlight. She turns, catching Spike waving a claw at her as he walks into the courtyard. "I was wondering where I'd find you, Sunset!" He then looks between her and her companion. He pauses, then gives Sunset a quizzical look as he motions the thumb of one of his claws. "Why you hanging out with Starlight Glimmer, anyway?"

"She's my roommate, actually, Spike." Sunset gives Spike a friendly smile, an idea forming in her head. I bet if I can get Spike and Starlight to be friends, she'll open herself up in no time!

"Your roommate...?" He shrugs. "Tough luck, it sounds like! Is she as boring in private as she is in school?" With that reaction, however, Sunset can feel her plan crumbling before her eyes. The dismissive way he treats her reminds her too much of her treatment by the two Elements of Harmony she's familiar with so far, causing him to accidentally press one of her buttons.

"Spike! She's right there, you know!" Sunset bursts out, before she can stop herself. "She's not a bad pony or anything, so at least show her a little respect!"

"It's okay, Sunset." Starlight Glimmer says, even-toned.

"It's not okay when ponies treat you like you're not even there, Starlight. Or dragons, in this case." Sunset casts her a sympathetic glance. Just how worn down is she from whatever she's been through due to these Magic Duels, anyway? She takes a deep breath, letting the tension go free as she softens her tone. "You can't enjoy that, can you?"

Starlight's eyes turn down to her hooves. "Well... I..."

"Sorry, Glimmer." Spike cuts in. "Sunset's right. And she seems cool so far, so if she says you're cool... I guess you're cool."

"Huh... 'cool'..." Starlight mouths the word like its from some foreign language. "No one's ever described me like that before."

"Just hang around us, then, Glimmer!" Spike gives her a thumbs-up. "If you stick close by Sunset and I, we'll get you whipped into shape in no time flat!"

Starlight's hoof covers her mouth as she giggles. "Is that so?"

Sunset grins, happy at her progress so far between the two as she leans her back against the tree, turning to the Academy building. As she looks up at the second-story window, however, she stops, eyes widening. In it, she sees the back and sleeve of a uniform, styled like that of the Elements of Harmony, with a magenta torso. Its owner stands upright, like Spike, but has a slender frame, and about twice the height of a pony. The figure turns its head and leaves, disappearing behind the crystal of the building, but as it does so, Sunset spots something that quickly has her on her hooves - a mane, or some kind of hair, tied in a ponytail, a deep blue with dual stripes of violet and rose.

Those colors stir the long-lost memories inside Sunset Shimmer, causing her to gallop, ignoring calls from Spike behind her as she finds the nearest staircase, taking the stairs in bounds. That was... that was...! She reaches the second floor, taking only the slightest of moments to get her bearings before she's off once more, following the last known path of her target. She whips around the corner, fast and blind - only to collide with a wall, knocking her flat onto her flank. No, no way that was a wall, it was way too soft. But, then, what... Sunset shakes her head clear and looks at what she's slammed herself into, only to find Applejack giving her an amused grin.

"In a bit of a hurry there, partner?" She asks, jokingly, offering a hoof to help Sunset back up.

"Sorry about that..." Sunset apologizes, but trails off. "I was just..."

"You might think that mane of yours is actually on fire with how fast you were going, Shimmer."

Sunset can't help but laugh slightly, tugging at a strand of her mane with a hoof, eyeing it. "Maybe it was." She then turns back to Applejack. "I feel like I don't need to ask, but you okay? I'm really sorry about that..."

"I'm fine, sugarcube." Applejack assures her. "I'm built like a barn. Gonna take more than that to make me stumble. Though..."

"Though...?" Sunset asks, picking the line up once Applejack lets it rest.

"I was actually looking for you, Sunset Shimmer." The joviality from Applejack evaporates in the span of that one sentence. "Business. Dueling Tower at midnight kind of business." A hoof reaches into her uniform and pulls out her own necklace, bearing its six-point star gem, as if offering it as proof to Sunset that she's worthy to issue the challenge.

"Really...? What if I'm not interested in any more of these Magic Duels?" Sunset asks, wondering - hoping - that there's some loophole she can exploit to avoid this situation.

"It's mandatory for the Champion of the Duels to accept all challengers." Applejack explains. "Those that refuse the Magic Duel once the challenge has been issued disappear from the Academy, so I recommend you don't consider trying to skip town on it." While her tone is firm and businesslike, her eyes betray a hint of regret.

"Is that a threat?" Sunset asks, reflexively, digging her hooves into the crystal floor of the hallway. While she knows she's no match for Applejack physically, she feels the need to bring out her bluster regardless, not wanting to stand down, in case this is some sort of bluff to force her into the dueling game. She knows as well, however, that Applejack may also be talking about something with far more weight, such as the Elements of Harmony having the clout to pull strings and get certain students expelled.

"No." Applejack shakes her head. "It's just a fact. The Magic Duel doesn't accept deceit. Those who try tend to disappear, and not be seen again."

"Deceit?" Sunset's eyebrow raises. Her expectation is derailed as soon as it's left the station. "You make the Magic Duel sound like a living pony."

Applejack continues her explanation without acknowledging Sunset's quip. "Attempt to deceive the Magic Duel, by either not showing, or by giving a half-hearted fight, and End of the World won't consider it valid. It's why we have to give it our hardest, instead of trying to rig the system."

"End of the World?" Sunset remembers the name from her conversation with Starlight this morning. "What is End of the World, Applejack?"

Applejack turns on her hooves, heading back down the hall in the other direction. "I'll see you tonight, Sunset Shimmer." She says as she walks away, again ignoring Sunset's question. Part of Sunset wants to chase after her, and try to drag the answers out, but Sunset knows how to read ponies, and she can tell that pony won't be telling her anything if she doesn't want to. So, Sunset turns as well, making her way back to Spike and Starlight Glimmer, intent on trying to get more answers out of Applejack during the duel itself, if the opportunity should appear.

Sunset Shimmer again finds herself staring up at the monolithic tower, an imposing visage when wrapped in the cloak of night. Its double doors stand before her, the six-point star emblazoned on the handles. She pulls out her necklace, and again, it shines, resonating with the doors and causing them to open of their own accord. As the glow settles, she finds herself staring in wonder at the necklace once more.

"This six-point star... what is this thing?" She asks the empty air around her. The thought gnaws at Sunset, for more than the simple mystery of how ubiquitous it seems to be at Friendship Academy. I know I've seen this symbol before coming here, on something besides this necklace... but, what?

Frustrated at her inability to remember, she drops the necklace, allowing it to dangle, and steps through the doors. Inside, as before, lies a second tower, its unfathomably long, spiral staircase seeming to stretch to the heavens itself despite it being inside another building. A trick of the light, Sunset muses over the line Rarity fed her previously. "This would be some crazy light trick if that were true, wouldn't it?" The staircase winds as it goes higher, and yet, Sunset never finds herself winded from the climb.

She reaches the top, again finding herself gazing at the castle, hanging down from the unnaturally midday sky like a chandelier. That castle really is there, somehow. Before her, the Dueling Arena stretches out, just as spacious as she remembers it being. She steps forward, through the gate of the Dueling Arena, eyes still turned upward at the castle.

"Don't gawk too much, Sunset Shimmer, or the Magic Duel will start without you." Applejack's voice pulls Sunset back down to the opponent in front of her. This time, Sunset pointedly notices the sword and scabbard draped across Applejack's left side. Her voice contains some of the friendless that Sunset Shimmer was initially familiar with, but despite that, it's clear the mare across from her means business. Her figure in the Dueling Arena, under the light of the castle, is somehow even more intimidating than it was previously.

"Why's it called a 'Magic Duel', anyway?" Sunset asks, both thinking to stick to her plan and trying to defuse some tension. "We're fighting with swords, after all, not magic."

Her opponent shrugs. "Beats me, sugarcube. I only participate. I wasn't around when they got named."

"You... don't know?" Sunset's eyebrow raises. "You Elements of Harmony fight these duels and you don't even know why they're named what they are?"

"Eeeyup."

Her eyebrow raises ever higher, trying to free itself from her face. "And you don't see any problem with that, whatsoever?"

"It wouldn't matter none if I did, would it?" Applejack's tone kills the bits of levity Sunset had cultivated.

Soft hoofsteps ring out to Sunset's left, Starlight Glimmer catching her attention as she approaches. "Good luck, Sunset." She says softly, again wearing the magenta dress from Sunset's duel with Rarity. She reaches a hoof into her chest pocket, and pulls out a small, six-point star crystal, twinkling under the light of the castle, pinning it to Sunset. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." She steps back, giving a small nod as she steps over to Applejack, repeating the ritual. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

Applejack gives her a nod, and Starlight steps back, taking her place on the sideline, between the two Duelists. With a steady, measured motion, Applejack's right hoof moves to her left side, and draws her sword from its scabbard. Unlike Rarity's weapon, Applejack's is simple - no ornate designs, frills, or tassels. The blade is simple and curved, with a pointed tip and an oval hoof-guard. The sharp side of the blade glints in the castle's light as Applejack holds it above her head. Holding this stance, Applejack locks eyes with Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset's limited knowledge of sword designs can't identify the exact type of weapon Applejack brandishes, to her chagrin. Great, another thing to study when I get home.... However, she does notice something odd about Applejack's stance, in spite of that. "You're going to fight me on three hooves?" Sunset asks, confused. While not knowledgeable on sword types, she knows the basics of sword stances between the three races, from entertainment pieces, if nothing else. To her limited knowledge, most earth pony fighting styles revolve around them carrying the sword in their mouth, allowing them to maximize maneuverability with their powerful legs, emphasizing their primary advantage over the pegasus and unicorn races.

"Don't be getting cocky now, Miss Shimmer." Applejack retorts. Her voice is tempered, hiding any emotion she may be feeling, though her face fails to do the same as the lines of conflict etch across it. "Now draw your sword, if you don't mind."

"My... sword...?" Sunset stares stupidly for a moment, realizing she's forgotten something important. However, before she can panic too much, a hoof rests against her shoulder.

"Here, Sunset." Starlight Glimmer closes her eyes. "Spark of Friendship, which lies deep within..." From Starlight's chest, a white light emanates. It grows, brighter and larger, eventually taking the shape of a rod. Its shape solidifies, a curved, ornate guard appearing around the rod - now the hilt of a sword - the six-point star pommel glowing a soft magenta. "Heed me, and come forth..." The hilt takes full shape and extends from Starlight's chest. The blade, still buried within her, glows a fierce white, brimming with energy that sends Sunset's mane billowing.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hoof. She draws it out slowly, feeling the strange power again flow through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at Applejack. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

"So, Rarity wasn't lying." Applejack muses. Those lines of regret become curiosity. "You really can draw a sword from the Crystal Mare. How?"

"How should I know how any of this works?" Sunset shifts the blade from her hoof to her magic, readying herself by digging her hooves in. "I still don't have a clue what's going on around here!"

"Alright, then. Best be ready, Sunset Shimmer!" Applejack punctuates her statement with a lunge, the speed impressive even on three hooves. Her sword raises, and in a panic, it's all Sunset can think to do to use the blade of the sword from Starlight's chest to block the strike. The clash of metal resounds through the Dueling Arena as the light of Sunset's horn glows brighter, a headache already beginning to spread.

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches, impassively.

Fast. Strong. Pain! The simple thoughts are all Sunset can initially muster in the face of her opponent. Applejack continues to press her blade down on Sunset's, though the exertion of it barely seems noticeable on the orange mare's face. Is she... trying to test my limit... or something...? Sunset Shimmer gathers herself enough to leap back, sliding her sword out from under Applejack's own as the swing finally follows through, only cutting air. "Geez! Give me a break, will you?"

Applejack rushes again, doing anything but. "I told you, Sunset Shimmer, the duel won't accept deceit!" Sunset pulls herself back just in time to dodge a horizontal slash, the tip of the blade coming far too close to comfort to more than just the crystal on Sunset's chest. Bits of red mane flutter in the wind as the sword strikes again, and with the strength Sunset knows is behind it, its all she can do to dodge.

"Then, tell me, Applejack!" Sunset yells out, in between the chain of back-steps and side-steps she needs to do to keep herself in one piece. Frustrated, she finally brings her sword forward for another swing, meeting Applejack's, though it takes everything she can put into the strike simply to hold a clash. "These duels... what's the point, Applejack? Why be involved in all this? What is everypony fighting so hard for?" She grits her teeth, frustrated at her inability to even budge the earth pony's stance, no matter how much power she seems to press into her magic or how much her head pounds as a result.

Applejack's first reply is a stroke of her sword, powerful enough to rend the sword from Sunset's magical grasp, her horn sparking amber energy as Sunset yelps and topples over with it. "These 'Magic Duels'... supposedly, they create a path to alicornhood. I'm sure you've heard of them - mythical beings, rumored to be able to move the sun and moon, build any friendship, mend any love... to be able to exist, eternally. They may as well have the power to grant miracles, revolutionize the world in whatever way their whims desire."

Sunset scrambles to reclaim her sword in hoof, her horn so frazzled that magic from it is essentially impossible. Gripping the hilt, she turns her eyes up, locking them with Applejack's from her position on the Dueling Arena's floor. "Revolutionize the world...? Why would you want a power like that to begin with?"

A small flicker enters the eyes of Starlight Glimmer, as she continues watching the duel.

Applejack's sword swings down, and while Sunset raises her own in a hoof to defend, it gets knocked aside easily. Sunset's only grace, this time, is her ability to retain grip on the handle, but she doesn't see it doing much for her right now. "That's none of your business!" Applejack's body spins with practiced precision, and before Sunset can process what's to come, a pair of hind hoofs buck her cleanly in the chest, sending her toppling along the Dueling Arena floor.

Sunset winces as she looks up at the looming form of Applejack, necklace dangling out of her uniform as her chest shudders in pain. She attempts to rise to her hooves, but stumbles and falls back down. Her hoof clutches desperately around the hilt of the sword from Starlight Glimmer, her mind racing as it tries to find a way to keep going in the face of a frazzled horn and a beaten body.

An anger previously unfamiliar to Sunset in her interactions with the mare boils behind Applejack's eyes. Her glare down at Sunset Shimmer is withering, and the sword she holds high above her head only emphasizes her darker demeanor. In the light of the castle, the blade glints, immediately making Sunset think of a guillotine. "I'm sorry, Sunset Shimmer, but I'll be taking the Crystal Mare, now." Her tone is flat, nearly hollow, somehow lacking even Applejack's distinct twang. "Prepare yourself!"

Sunset Shimmer keeps her eyes locked with Applejack's, refusing to back down. Alicornhood? Revolutionizing the world? Why would any pony ever believe sword fights could lead to contrived, idealistic junk like that?! Sunset's grip on the handle of her sword tightens ever still, refusing to compromise in her defiance to the mare looming over her. "If you think I'm letting you pass around Starlight Glimmer over junk like that, you've got another thing coming!"

Starlight Glimmer's eyes widen, as a bright, magenta light reflects off her crystal sheen.

With one thrust, crystal shatters.

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and Applejack.

Sunset pants, her heart racing, her body shaking with exhaustion, but this time, she keeps to her hooves.

Applejack laughs from behind her. "That's some power you have, Sunset Shimmer." Her tone is the playful, friendly one that Sunset remembers from when the two first met. She can hear the scraping of metal as Applejack's sword returns to its sheathe. "See you 'round, partner." Sunset doesn't reply as the retreating sounds of hooves signify Applejack's exit. Instead, she's grappling with her own, barely coherent thoughts.

That was... how did I... Her fragmented thoughts are punctuated with her heavy breathing. She looks to her hoof, still extended from her victory with Applejack, only to find it empty. The sword, it's... gone? Remembering something else, fleeting but vivid, her head snaps around, looking to her back, eyes wide, before her face falls in disappointment. I could've sworn I had... wings...

Duel Three: Kindness.

A weekend later, Sunset Shimmer makes the trek to Friendship Academy, Starlight Glimmer by her side. Her memories of her encounter with Applejack sit fresh in her mind, including that feeling of wings, only drawn out more by returning to the campus once more. Sunset initially hoped to use her weekend to try and question Starlight Glimmer over the events of the previous Magic Duel, but the latter mare had spent the weekend elsewhere. It's not a strange thing to Sunset, though - there are plenty of students that leave the dormitories during the weekend, heading off-campus to spend time with some family or another. Or, at least, she imagines it must be so, as there's no rule in any of the handbooks against it. The thought of Starlight Glimmer having some family to spend her weekend with warms Sunset a bit, at the thought of her friend being that much less alone. Is the rest of Starlight's family crystal like she is? Sunset giggles at the thought.

"Is everything alright, Sunset?" Starlight asks from her side.

"Uh... yeah." Sunset turns her head slowly to face Starlight, only realizing now that she'd giggled out loud. "I was just thinking something silly, that's all."

"Is that so?" Starlight's head tilts, the closest thing her default emotional range gets to curious, paired with its usual phrasing.

"Yeah, nothing important." Sunset nods.

"Why not talk about it then, Sunset?" A simple question from any other pony, but from Starlight Glimmer, it gives Sunset pause. It's the first time she can think of that Starlight's attempted to initialize a conversation. Part of Sunset wants to skip for joy at what she feels to be the first step in getting the reclusive mare to warm up to her in a capacity outside that of the Crystal Mare... while the other part remembers exactly what she'd been giggling about.

"Well..." Sunset laughs nervously to herself. "It's just..." Sunset squirms, trying to think of the best way to phrase what she's saying. The last the she wants to do at what she views as an important juncture is accidentally offend Starlight Glimmer. "I was wondering... what's with the whole... crystal, thing?"

"You mean... the Crystal Mare?"

"No!" Sunset immediately protests. "I mean, well, you. You look crystal. It even turns your uniform crystal. Thinking about it... it's actually kind of cool how that works..." Sunset trails off, mumbling to herself.

"Cool..." Starlight mutters the word to herself, a small smile tracing her lips.

Catching herself, Sunset finally pulls out of her own stupor and phrases a question. "I guess what I mean is, how do you do that? Is it some kind of glamour or something? I know there's magic like that, even if I haven't really studied it, but..."

Starlight giggles, hoof over her muzzle. "It's no illusion, Sunset Shimmer." Her face turns skyward, thinking as the two walk. "I don't think anypony's actually asked me about that before."

"Really?" Sunset asks, entirely disbelieving and unintentionally sarcastic. "Well, I'm asking you now." Her tone softens, changing to curiosity, as she leans in to Starlight. "Come on, there's gotta be some cool story behind it or something, isn't there? Ponies don't just go all crystal-y, after all."

Starlight's head turns away from the sky, and to Sunset Shimmer. "It's just how I am. Is it really so strange?"

Sunset turns away, rubbing behind her ear with a hoof. "Of course not, Starlight. I was just curious, honest."

The two fall into an awkward silence as they walk, Starlight a few steps behind Sunset. While Sunset still wants to ask about the events at the Dueling Arena, she feels the air between them no longer appropriate, and allows the matter to drop. Soon, they pass a familiar sports field, and sitting side-saddle on one of the bench rows, kicking his feet, is a familiar purple dragon. Once he spots them, he hops to his feet, jumps down the rows of stacked benches, and runs over to them.

"Hey!" He greets, waving a claw, then traces his eyes down the path they traveled. "Sheesh, you weren't lying about you two staying in the 'Magic' wing, weren't you, Sunset?"

"Why would I lie about that, Spike?"

"A lot of ponies do it to sound tough." Spike explains. " Then again, I suppose that's not your style. Sorry about that." He gives her a sheepish grin, then continues. "Its rumored that place stopped being used because it's haunted. Living there alone has to give you the creeps, though, even if its all normal..."

Sunset shrugs her shoulders. "I'm kind of used to it, honestly, Spike. It's not so bad. Besides, I've always got Starlight for company."

"Right, right." Spike gives her a smirk, a quip clearly on his lips, but he suppresses it.

"So what's up. Spike?" Sunset asks. "We normally don't see you until lunch comes around."

"Well, actually..." He laughs nervously, running a claw along his green spines to flatten them. "I'm here because somepony I'm friends with wanted to meet you."

Sunset raises an eyebrow, grinning and curious. "A friend of yours wants to meet me, huh?"

"Yeah!" Spike motions with a claw too follow and he leads them around the bleachers. The mare she sees, however, gives Sunset immediate pause. Her flowing, pink mane that matches her uniform, codified in the design used by the Elements of Harmony, immediately invokes a memory of Sunset's first day at the Academy - the memory of the mare that had been watching the game between Applejack and the rainbow-maned pony. "Sunset Shimmer, meet Fluttershy." He motions a claw between Sunset and the new mare. "Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer." He motions the claw back, in turn.

"Ah. It's nice to meet you, Sunset Shimmer." The mare's, Fluttershy's, voice is soft and reserved, quite a contrast to the outgoing and friendly Applejack. Even sitting, Sunset can tell she's taller than the average pony, though her thin frame and slouched posture keeps her looking small. She looks like a strong breeze can simply blow her over.

"It's good to meet you, too..." Sunset replies, skeptically. There's no way a mare like her could possibly be one of these Duelists... but, she has the coat, and Starlight said they're all Duelists, so...

"Though, actually..." She smiles timidly, looking to Spike, then to Sunset, and finally... "I was actually hoping to talk to Starlight Glimmer, that is, if it's not a problem, or anything."

"Uh... of course it's not...?"

"Excellent!" Fluttershy's wings put her into a flutter as she zips from the bleacher to Starlight Glimmer, replacing her timid smile with a friendly grin. "I was just wondering if would you be willing to help me tend to some of the animals after school again this week? You're the only pony who ever seems interested in helping me..."

"Of course." Starlight nods. She replies in her measured tone, but Sunset is still hopeful at it as a sign of Starlight's increased outgoingness. If her first impression is to be believed, it's easy for Sunset to picture the two of them being friends, in some way or another. "If it's okay with Sunset, that is." A hope that dashes itself against the rocks at the implicit reminder of things related to the 'Crystal Mare'.

"Huh?" Spike cuts in, looking between Starlight and Sunset. "...Is there something going on that I should know about?"

Sunset feels herself heat up slightly at Spike's implication, even if she's not sure he understands it for himself. Sunset keeps her composure, however, choosing to roll her eyes at the quip. "Of course there's not, Spike."

"If you say so." Spike shrugs. "I need to jet, anyway. I wanna see if I can catch Rarity for a bit before class starts." He turns, giving them a wave as he runs off for the Academy buildings. "Later Shimmy! Later Glimmy!"

"Shimmy? Glimmy?" Sunset grumbles to herself, shaking her head in mock-disapproval. "I'll have to have a sit-down with that dragon later on what are and aren't acceptable nicknames."

A set of giggles beside her pulls Sunset from her grumbling. "Oh, come on, Sunset Shimmer. It's kind of cute, isn't it?"

"That's exactly the problem with it!" She turns on the offending mare - Fluttershy. "Besides, what do you really want, anyway?" Now with Spike gone, Sunset's defenses raise, and she sees another prospective Duelist in front of her instead of Spike's timid friend. "I'm expecting this to devolve into another Magic Duel challenge, like with Applejack, no matter how sweet you seem."

"Oh, no..." Fluttershy pulls back slightly, hiding her face behind her mane. If possible, Fluttershy succeeds in making herself look even smaller to Sunset, her voice trembling slightly as she talks. It's a display that tugs at Sunset's sympathy despite everything. "I meant it when I said I just wanted to know if Starlight wanted to help me with my animals. I'm... not really interested in dueling. I don't like all that fighting and stuff."

"Really...?" Sunset asks, half-sarcastically as she eyes the mare in front of her. She definitely lacks both the look and the demeanor of a fighter...

"Yes!" Fluttershy affirms, eyes glancing between Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer. "Really!" Both her voice and her eyes have the same confidence that Sunset caught a glance at earlier, during her declaration of 'Excellent!'. The genuineness of her declaration may as well be tangible.

"Sunset...?" Starlight Glimmer's soft voice breaks through silence that forms between Sunset and Fluttershy after the latter's declaration.

"Oh!" Sunset catches Starlight's unasked question. "Of course you can help her, if you want to, Starlight." She says, turning to her. "You don't need to ask for my permission."

"But-"

"Starlight." Sunset cuts her off. "If that next sentence includes anything about the words 'Crystal Mare' or 'rules', just can it. I don't care, got it?" Sunset has heard plenty of speeches from Starlight Glimmer about the 'rules' of the Crystal Mare, due to them having several similar conversations. Each time Starlight asks for permission, Sunset tells her not to, and Starlight explains how the Crystal Mare only does what the Champion of the Duel desires her to do. Sunset's simply hit her limit on that particular back and forth.

Starlight gives Sunset her typical, friendly smile. "Yes, Sunset."

Later, and elsewhere...

A small cassette player sits on the edge of a round table, surrounded by five chairs. In each sits a pony, their five colored jackets contrasting the white crystal of the balcony. A yellow hoof reaches out, pressing the play button. The action itself constitutes a ritual between the gathered five. A six-point star emblazoned on the player's front glows a soft magenta as the tape begins to turn.

"If it cannot smash its egg's shell, a chick will die without ever truly being born."

Applejack's hoof reaches forward. In the table's center is a game board depicting a pony, compartments containing various pieces cut into it. "I still can't believe that girl can actually pull a sword from the Crystal Mare." Placing her hoof into one of the compartments, Applejack plucks a piece out. "Though, I suppose I have to now, as she gave me what-for, too." She grins at the memory of her fight with Sunset Shimmer, despite its conclusion.

"And don't forget the wings, dear. Honestly, even though I lost, remembering the sight is enough to make me giddy. The way the castle lit up, too..." Rarity reaches her hoof forward, beginning to debate her turn. Next to Applejack, Pinkamena's ears perk up, as Rarity continues speaking. "So, come now, Applejack. You've usually got some good insight. Any thoughts on Sunset Shimmer after seeing her first-hoof?" She eyes the board carefully, choosing which piece to attempt to remove, face scrunching in thought ever-so-slightly.

"She's somethin' else, that's for sure. And after that Magic Duel of ours, I'm more than convinced she's not getting any letters." Applejack shakes her head. "It makes me wonder just where she got that Magic Crest of hers."

Rarity plucks a piece from the board and moves her hoof back. "If End of the World didn't send it to her, then who did? We've always assumed the necklaces all come from End of the World, but maybe someone else is trying to get in on the Magic Duels?"

"Yeah, yeah, so mysterious." Rainbow Dash says dismissively, reaching forward for her own turn. "I say it makes things way more interesting. Just someone else to beat, as far as I'm concerned." She plucks a piece, nearly hitting the edge of the board with it, but succeeds in pulling it out. "Still, even if she gets the wings, whose to say its not just superficial? You two are talking like this confirms everything, but I don't buy it."

Applejack smirks at her. "Maybe you'll believe it when it's Fluttershy gushing about it." Her green eyes shift from Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy, whose face is obscured by her mane as she slouches over the table. In front of her, however, is an open letter.

Silence falls over the group, as each set of eyes, one by one, end up all focusing on Fluttershy. For a time, she doesn't speak, doesn't move to take her turn, doesn't even meet their gazes. Eventually, however, the weight of their stares becomes too much for her. "I... don't think I want to duel her." The words come out, barely at a whisper, but the other Elements of Harmony are experienced enough with the timid mare to catch them anyway.

"What do you mean, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asks her, leaning over. "Why not?"

"Because, even if all this stuff is true... I don't think I want it, anyway." Fluttershy admits, not coming out from the shield that is her mane. "I'm happy just having Starlight Glimmer as a friend to help me care for my animals. Plus, even if I somehow beat Sunset, one of you would just beat me, anyway..." Her voice trails off, disappearing in a small breeze that passes over the gathered ponies.

"Fluttershy..." Rainbow Dash wraps a hoof around her shoulders. "Come on, don't think like that, now. We all know you can do it, if you put your mind to it." She turns out to the others, giving them a pleading grin. "Isn't that right?"

Applejack and Rarity turn away, while Pinkamena's visible eye meets Rainbow Dash's, her mane serving as a curtain over half her own face in a manner not entirely different from Fluttershy's. "I think it's good that Fluttershy has a healthy dose of reality, Rainbow Dash." Pinkamena leans forward in her seat. "It's cruel of you to build her up, if she's only going to fail, especially in regards to the Crystal Mare." At the utterance of Starlight Glimmer's title, a cheshire grin spreads across Pinkamena's face, her visible eye glinting excitedly.

A growl escapes Rainbow Dash's lips, but Fluttershy speaks before anything can come of it. "It's okay, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy assures her, yellow hoof finally reaching out to pluck a piece from the board with a careful, gentle precision. Unlike in her attitude with the duels, there's no hesitation as Fluttershy effortlessly pulls a piece from the board.

"Finally!" Pinkamena declares, reaching her hoof forward. "I thought you'd never take your turn!" It doesn't take her long to choose which piece she wishes to try removing. "At least you have the good sense to agree with me, Fluttershy." Pinkamena plucks at her target piece, and the board lets out a loud buzzing sound, vibrating against the table as it smacks against the edge of its compartment. "Darn it. That always happens when I try to pull out the heart."

"You could just try to pull out a different piece for a change, Pinkamena." Applejack deadpans.

While it is common for many ponies to journey to the outer campus of Friendship Academy to eat their lunch among nature, it's not the only place to do so. Along the edges of the campus, near the sporting areas, as well as a few spots closer to the center, lounges exist, carved areas of clear crystals with no walls of ceilings. They contain tables and chairs made from darker, solid crystals, providing a more structured area for students to lounge and enjoy meals if they should prefer. It's at one of these tables, at the center of the Academy, where Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike the Dragon choose to eat their lunch. Above them, the noon sun casts a glitter across the clear crystal that serves as the floor, enough to leave an appealing lighting effect without causing disturbance to anypony.

The three sit at a round table, burgers set in front of each, courtesy of Spike. It's become a ritual between the group of new friends for one to bring lunch for the entire table, even if, so far, only Sunset and Spike have done so. Starlight's yet to show the inclination to take part in the growing tradition, and Sunset isn't willing to ask her to, in case she treats it as some demand asked of her as the Crystal Mare instead of a request between friends.

"These hayburgers are really good, Spike!" Sunset compliments, between bites. "Where did you learn to cook pony food like this, anyway? I keep meaning to ask, but it always slips my mind."

Spike shrugs, and takes a bite of his own meal, a burger container a large, yellow gemstone. He takes a bite, crunching down on the precious gem effortlessly as he chews. "Mm... topaz..." He swallows, then addresses Sunset Shimmer. "You know... I don't really remember. It's fun, though. Even though the stuff I normally eat doesn't require all that much cooking, it's still fun to do, and its not like I can't eat pony food if I don't want to."

"Yeah." Sunset gives him a grin, then takes another bite of her own food, swallowing before she continues. "I bet it's easy for you to keep friends around once they realize you can cook like this at your age."

"I've really been wanting to share it with Rarity." Spike admits, setting his gemburger down. "But, she always eats lunch up at the Harmony Building, and normal students aren't allowed up there."

Starlight takes dainty bites of her own hayburger, staying silent.

"Harmony Building?" Sunset asks. "What's that? I've never heard of it before."

"It's the dormitory that's set aside explicitly for the Elements of Harmony." Spike explains. "No other students can enter without some kind of invitation. The rules are strict about it so I'm not about to try sneaking in or anything."

"Wait." Sunset Shimmer sets down her own burger. "Those Elements of Harmony get their own dormitory, too? Just how many of them are there?" While spawned from her disbelief, it's a question of importance to Sunset, leaving her more than willing to ask it.

"Just five. I told you their names before, remember?"

"Oh... right." Sunset puts a hoof under her chin. She does indeed remember Spike listing off the names, though she can only remember them for the ones she's had a chance to interact with directly - Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. She's tempted to ask the names of the remaining two, but doesn't want to leave Spike with the impression she wasn't listening to him the first time, since he'd felt it a fact important enough to give while she'd dismissed it as unimportant trivia until getting entangled with Rarity. "Sorry, yeah, I remember. And you're friends with Fluttershy, so I assume you're friends with Rarity, too?"

"I like to think that, at least." He picks up his burger, taking another bite, and talking as he chews. While his words are muffled, Sunset can still make them out distinctly enough to understand what he's saying. "She's like, super generous, you know? She does a lot of the custom seam work for the Academy for free, as well as uniform repairs and all kinds of other stuff. She's responsible for the Element of Harmony uniforms, the sports team uniforms..." he swallows, "and possibly even your own uniform, Sunset."

Sunset swallows down another bite of her sandwich, then turns to her uniform giving it a tug with her hoof. "Huh. Is that so?" She asks, humorously aware of her stealing one of Starlight's phrases. "Well, I have three of these, and they all fit just as comfortably as the last, so if she did make them, she's definitely good."

"That sounds like her!" Spike beams. "And I'm her number one assistant! I help her do a lot of the small stuff that goes into working on things after school. She says I'm the best assistant she's ever had!"

Sunset can't keep herself from giggling at Spike's enthusiasm. "That's great, Spike." While Sunset's own opinion of the mare is reasonably low due to her own experiences, seeing the way Spike lights up when he talks about her makes her curious how the same pony can both act the way Sunset remembers her and inspire such admiration in a dragon like Spike. It could just be because she's pretty... Sunset giggles again at the thought.

Starlight Glimmer daintily wipes at her lips with a napkin, her hayburger finished. She steps up from her seat, turning to Sunset. "I'm going to go help Fluttershy now, if that's okay, Sunset."

"Oh, um, of course, Starlight." Sunset nods, while Spike gives her a confused look. "I told you that you don't need to ask about these sorts of things, remember?"

"Yes, Sunset."

In the layout of Friendship Academy, the facilities mimic the dormitories, in some ways. In particular, the facilities of the wing of the Academy closest to the 'Magic' Dormitories also tend to be the least used of the bunch. This is a fact that's fine by Fluttershy, however. It's here where she keeps many of the animals she likes to care for on the campus, many of the classrooms converted into makeshift care centers for them. Each of the classrooms that Fluttershy converts is remade with its own, new purpose in mind - some are specially for birds, other for bats, and still others for small, furry herbivores, and so on. It's in one of these rooms that she now spends time with Starlight Glimmer, tending to some of the animals. Fluttershy always keeps the end of her school day schedule open for this, giving her time to check up on them every day without anypony becoming too suspicious about her staying late at such an unused portion of the school.

A brown-furred bear growls contently, lounging on its stomach in the center of the room. Atop his back, Fluttershy runs a brush through his fur, grooming the large creature's coat while she hums softly to herself. She looks content as she works, purely in her own element. "There, there, Harry, nice and relaxed now, right?"

"I don't understand how you get such big animals to listen to you, Fluttershy." Starlight Glimmer says in her standard, cheery-yet-neutral tone. She has a grooming glove wrapped around her hoof, running it through the fur of a raccoon that looks as equally relaxed as the bear. Despite her tone not sounding particularly invested, a small smile sits at her lips as the raccoon stretches under her glove, clearly enjoying itself.

"I don't quite understand it, either." She admits, using her wings to navigate her way around Harry and brush him down thoroughly. "They just... trust me, I suppose. Not that I'm complaining, I just love looking after all my little babies!" Her face lights up as she grins, speaking with an infectious enthusiasm as the bear mimics the raccoon under Fluttershy's ministrations.

"I can see why." The raccoon rolls itself over in between Starlight's glove-strokes, a silent plea for belly-rubs. "It's quite relaxing." Starlight tilts her head at the raccoon as it looks up at her with pleading eyes.

"Say," Fluttershy sets the brush down, switching to giving Harry a deep-massage with her hooves and eliciting a pleased grunt from the bear, "would you be willing to help me out with my animals again sometime?" She looks at Starlight, hopeful as she works Harry's back.

"If Sunset says I can." Starlight replies, giving in to the raccoon's belly-rub demands. It's now the raccoon's turn to mimic the bear, both animals now blissfully content in their situations.

"How about tomorrow?" Fluttershy's hooves dig deeply into Harry's shoulders, squeezing out the tension. "You have free time most days in the afternoon, right?"

"If Sunset says I can." Comes the automatic reply from Starlight Glimmer.

Fluttershy stops. "Do you really need her permission for every tiny thing?" Harry groans, a wordless complaint at the sudden pause in Fluttershy's ministrations.

"Well, I am the Crystal Mare-" Starlight starts, but is interrupted by three knocks on the classroom door.

"Oh! Maybe that's Sunset right now!" Fluttershy says, a small smile appearing on her face as she hops off Harry's back and heads for the door. "She did say she'd come by and visit the animals with us when her classes were done." A second groan causes Fluttershy to turn around for a second. "I'll be right back, Harry, don't worry!"

Fluttershy reaches the door, pulling it open. On the far side stands a creature of bizarre composition, one that causes Fluttershy's face to light up almost instantly. It has the head of a pony, the paw of a manticore, the claw of a griffon, the legs of each a dragon and a minotaur, and a furry, serpentine body that ends in a long, scaled tail. An antler and a twisted unicorn's horn sit on its head, while a pegasus wing and a bat wing each rest on its back. Yellow eyes frame red irises, the rest of its face accentuated by bushy, white eyebrows and goatee.

"Mr. Discord!"

"Ah, Fluttershy!" The creature, Discord, pulls the mare into a hug and walks into the room, using his tail to slap the door shut. "My dear, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay, Mr. Discord." She replies, slipping free of his grasp and resuming her task of massaging Harry, eliciting another pleased growl from the bear in the process. "Just, you know, doing the usual."

"I can see that." He replies, already sounding bored as he snaps the digits on his griffon's claw, a floating armchair popping into existence with a flash. He floats himself up onto it with a twist of his body, and with another claw snap, sips from a small, yellow, cardboard carton of chocolate milk, straw poking out the top. "It's good to see you're still... happy and in your element, as it were. Enjoying everything here, I take it?"

"Oh, yes!" Fluttershy replies enthusiastically. Her hooves dig firmly into Harry's back as she continues her massage, brow scrunching in effort. "I take fun classes, and I get to take care of my animals. I've even got a nice group of friends, now, Mr. Discord. We're in this group called the Elements of Harmony. I bet you'd like them!"

Discord's eyes narrow slightly at Fluttershy, though he allows a dismissive grunt to be his only true show of emotion. "I'm sure I would." He sucks down the rest of his chocolate milk, crushing the carton in his talon and tossing it over his shoulder. It then explodes into a small cloud of cotton candy, which he digs his talon into and begins eating. "You know, Fluttershy, for such good friends, I'd expect to see one of them down here spending time with you. Makes me wonder what kind of friendship this 'Friendship Academy' place is actually teaching ponies, these days."

"Don't be silly, Mr. Discord. They're all in class, right now. Besides, there's only four of them, they can't be with me all the time." She smiles sheepishly, and turns her head to the third presence in the room, switching from her massage to jumping on Harry's back to force the stress out. "Besides, I've got Starlight Glimmer here to help me! Isn't that right, Starlight?"

Discord stops chewing his cotton candy. "Four?"

"Yeah." Fluttershy nods in-between jumps. "Applejack, Rarity, Pinkamena, and Rainbow Dash. I mean, maybe we're not all best friends, but..."

"I see..." A darkness underpins Discord's comment as he pushes himself from his seat, swirling his body through the air as a flash causes both the chair and the cotton candy to disappear. He stops beside Starlight, placing his talon on the top of her head and turning it to face him. One of his eyebrows raises, and his eyeball juts forward, inspecting her. "And you said this is supposed to be... Starlight Glimmer?"

"Yes!" Fluttershy confirms, plopping herself down on top of Harry, exhausted and in need of a small break. "She's friends with Sunset Shimmer. She says she's willing to come help me with my animals sometimes, so I won't be so alone, anymore." Fluttershy thinks for a moment. "Hmm... maybe I can be friends with Sunset Shimmer, too... she seems like a really nice pony..."

Discord looks to Fluttershy, eyeball still extended, then back to Starlight Glimmer. "Fluttershy, dear, I have some bad news for you. Miss 'Crystal Mare' here would drop you the second whatever pony owns her headspace gives the command. I've seen more free will in changeling drones than in this thing."

"Don't be silly, Mr. Discord!" Fluttershy giggles to herself. "That's not true, is it, Starlight?"

"I'm the Crystal Mare, Fluttershy." Starlight Glimmer gives her a cheery smile despite the content of what she's saying. "I do whatever the Champion of the Duels wishes of me."

Fluttershy's cheer evaporates as she meets eyes with Starlight Glimmer. Her pink mane hides the dark look on her face as she slowly turns her gaze to the floor. "So... if you were told to never come here again, you wouldn't come?"

"Of course."

Discord turns to Fluttershy, his face contorting into what measure of sympathy he's able.

Sunset Shimmer makes her way down the halls of Friendship Academy, through one of the back-most buildings, using the instructions given to her by Fluttershy previously. Behind her, the afternoon sun lowers on its slow path to setting, ambers and reds starting to replace blues. These buildings don't see much use from what Fluttershy told her, so the mare had long ago taken to hiding many of her animals in the unused classrooms. Applejack did mention Fluttershy hiding bats in one of the classrooms, so she's probably telling the truth... The irony of the buildings in the largest state of disuse being the ones closest to Sunset's own dorm isn't lost on her as she tries to hunt down the correct room.

Sunset's release from her classes had been late, and afterward, she couldn't find Starlight Glimmer under the Tree of Harmony or at any of their other usual meeting spots. As such, she now walks the halls of the unused buildings, as continuing animal care with Fluttershy is the last place she can think of Starlight disappearing to. While, deep down, Sunset wishes to trust Fluttershy, the fact the mare is an Element of Harmony still stands stark in her mind, and Applejack proved that otherwise good mares are more than capable of being part of whatever mess they entail. A peek through a window finds Sunset Shimmer looking into a classroom that's been remade into a massive bird cage, one window open to allow its occupants to come and go freely. However, those occupants don't include either of the mares she's looking for.

"My, my, looking for somepony?" A voice asks, causing Sunset Shimmer's head to turn back to the hallway. It's just short of being gravelly, dripping with a twisted sort of pleasantness, a facade likely meant to fool no-one. "There's not too many ponies around these parts, you know." The... creature Sunset finds herself facing is of far greater concern to her than his strange tone, however. Its body is mismatched and serpentine, with the head of a pony, both anatomical coordination and basic color coordination tossed out the window in regards to its physiology. It's a creature so bizarre, it takes Sunset nearly a minute of staring to realize it also lacks the uniform that both teachers and students of Friendship Academy are required to wear.

"Okay," Sunset says, eyebrow raised curiously, but still taking a step away from the creature, "who, and what, are you?"

"Ah! No need to be afraid, my girl!" The creature loops through the air and around her, propelled by nothing, and rests a griffon's talon on her shoulder. "Name's Discord, my dear, Spirit of Chaos, Disharmony, and basically everything this school is purported to stand against." He reaches out, offering his manticore paw to shake and giving her a toothy grin. His red irises are alight with a joyous, if otherwise indecipherable emotion. "At your service, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset absentmindedly places a hoof into his paw, but realization quickly hits her. "Wait... how do you know my name?" She blinks, her mind stuck, completely blindsided by the situation she now finds herself in.

Discord snaps his griffon talon, a flash of white light causing him to disappear, and another to make him reappear in front of her, laying across a hammock while floating upside-down, the hammock's ends tied to the tip of his tail and one of his horns. "Really, Sunset? Is me knowing your name really the weirdest thing that goes on around here?"

The question flips a switch in her brain instantly, causing her to pull out her necklace with the six-point star. "You know about the whole mess involving these things, don't you?" The allure of more information is enough to make her more than willing to outright ignore his strange show of his powers. Is it possible that this weird creature is the 'End of the World' I keep hearing about?

He sips at a carton of chocolate milk and shrugs, the action causing his shoulders to ascend up his neck until they pop off his body. With a snap of his dragon's claw, he's back in full form, but simply leaning on the sill of a window, looking out at the setting sun. "I suppose I do. Not that it would help you any." His tone is whimsical, and the strange aura of excitement he's exhibited before now replaces itself with melancholy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sunset asks, approaching slowly. It figures, the first pony... thing I find with some information that's not from those Elements of Harmony, and it clams itself shut!

Without replying, Discord uses his mismatched arms to propel himself out the window, looping in the air.

Sunset's hooves clop audibly against the crystal of the windowsill as she chases after him, leaning out as far as she's able. "Hey! Where are you going?!"

"Why, outside, of course! I don't exactly have any interest in sticking around this dreary place!" He calls back to Sunset, though his voice sounds right next to her, somehow. "I was just here to visit an old friend of mine. Ta-ta, now!"

The growl of frustration that escapes through Sunset's gritted teeth makes her sound predatory as the creature's silhouette flies off into the distance. Just when I thought this place might start finally making sense, that happens! For the love of- She drops herself back on four hooves, gritting her teeth angrily. She turns to resume her path forward, only to meet yet another sight that stops her cold - a tall figure, in a magenta uniform, rounding the corner, wisps of its ponytail visible, colored a deep blue with dual stripes of violet and rose.

"Hey! Get back here!" Sunset yells, hooves sending her off like a rocket as she chases down her target. "You're not getting away this time!" Sunset rounds the corner, this time stopping herself before slamming into the pony on the other side. Thankfully, too, as this time, instead of a muscular earth pony like Applejack in her path - it's Starlight Glimmer.

"Sunset?" Starlight's quiet voice cuts through the flood of emotions running through Sunset Shimmer, bringing her back to reality.

"Ah, Starlight!" Sunset laughs nervously, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "There you are. I was a bit worried about you, given all the weird stuff that goes on with that Element of Harmony lot, so I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm quite alright, Sunset." Starlight Glimmer replies, in her usual tone. "Fluttershy left not long ago."

"Ah, that's too bad. I would've liked to talk to her a bit more. Maybe have her introduce me to some of her animals." Sunset Shimmer explains, genuinely. "She seemed like she could use another friend or two, before."

Starlight Glimmer looks to the ground at Sunset's lamenting, then slowly reaches a hoof up into one of the pockets of her Academy jacket. "Well," She slides out a note, holding it out to Sunset Shimmer, "she did ask me to give this to you, Sunset."

Sunset takes the note in her own hoof, unfolding it. Her eyes first go wide in shock, before her expression switches to confusion, not entirely sure she believes the message resting in her hooves.

Please meet me at the Dueling Arena at midnight.

I'm sorry.

~Fluttershy

For the third time, the tower looms over Sunset Shimmer. Its cutting visage is slowly becoming less monolithic, and more mundane. With an annoyed sigh, Sunset pulls the necklace from her jacket, and squints her eyes as the doors glow once more and open of their own accord. While the task is beginning to feel more like ritual, it doesn't stop the shine from bothering her eyes.

Before her now stands the second tower, and its spiral staircase. While she still knows nothing of the six-point star, or the floating castle, neither find room in her thoughts as she climbs the stairs. For her, there's only one question. Why? Fluttershy seemed sincere in not wanting to duel before... She mulls the thought over as she ascends through the darkness and into the clouds, the light of the castle peeking down off the sides of the Dueling Arena. Are those other Elements of Harmony putting her up to it? I don't see how Fluttershy would have such a drastic change so quickly, otherwise...

She soon reaches the top, crossing the threshold into the Dueling Arena. From above, the chandelier-like castle frames both combatants in a gentle, artificial light. Across stands Fluttershy, her determined expression a stark contrast to the meek mare that Sunset Shimmer met this morning. Between them is Starlight Glimmer, clad in the magenta dress, as Sunset's come to expect her to be. Sunset ignores the surrealness of the Dueling Arena this time, however, concern over Fluttershy first in her mind as she steps forward.

"What's this about, Fluttershy?" Sunset asks, once she's crossed the length of the Dueling Arena.

Fluttershy's weapon is already drawn, held up in her right hoof. Sunset's extracurricular research pays off, allowing her to easily identify the weapon as a cup-hilt rapier. Its namesake is painted over with watercolors, a mix of fanciful greens serving as a backdrop to pink butterflies, while the 'blade' of the sword is merely a rounded tube with a bulbous tip. A practice rapier? Sunset can't help but smile to herself upon seeing it. Fitting, I suppose.

"I need the Crystal Mare, Sunset Shimmer." Fluttershy's eyes lock with hers, rapier pointed directly at Sunset Shimmer.

"If this is really what you want to do, Fluttershy..." Sunset relents, understanding the kind of expression that Fluttershy is bearing well enough to know that even a timid mare like her won't be deterred from her objective, at this point.

Between then, Starlight Glimmer begins moving, performing the ritual that signifies the start of the Magic Duel as she steps in front of Sunset Shimmer. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." She says, pinning the familiar gem to Sunset's chest. She turns her eyes up to meet Sunset's giving her a faint smile. "Stay strong, Sunset." She then turns, crossing the small distance between the Duelists, reaching Fluttershy. She gives her a nod, pinning the second crystal in place. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

The way Fluttershy stands before Sunset know makes full emphasis of her height, unlike her other experience with the mare. While not physically imposing the way Applejack was, being drawn to her full height gives Fluttershy striking elegance and beauty, complimented by her newfound confidence in herself. Her mane rests slightly across the side of her face, leaving both eyes visible. It'd be heartwarming to see a mare like her acting like this in another context...

Starlight's hoof rests against Sunset's shoulder, no words left to be exchanged.

Starlight Glimmer closes her eyes. "Spark of Friendship, which lies deep within..." From Starlight's chest, a white light emanates. It grows, brighter and larger, eventually taking the shape of a rod. Its shape solidifies, a curved, ornate guard appearing around the rod - now the hilt of a sword - the six-point star pommel glowing a soft magenta. "Heed me, and come forth..." The hilt takes full shape and extends from Starlight's chest. The blade, still buried within her, glows a fierce white, brimming with energy that sends Sunset's mane billowing.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hoof. She draws it out slowly, feeling the strange power again flow through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at Fluttershy. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

"So, it's true, after all..." Fluttershy says to herself, before taking to the air. "En garde, Sunset Shimmer!" Fluttershy lunges forward with an unexpected quickness, Sunset immediately sidestepping to avoid a jab aimed directly at her crystal.

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches, impassively.

However, while a fast and aggressive opener, Sunset can feel a hollowness in Fluttershy's attack, and as the thrusts begin to punctuate each other, one after the other, she begins to understand why. Unlike in her Magic Duels against Rarity and Applejack, the strikes from Fluttershy feel fleeting, easy to step away from with the most minimal effort. It's like she's too afraid of hurting her opponent to actually follow through on any of her attacks... "Why are we up here, Fluttershy? I thought you didn't want to duel!" Sunset Shimmer decides to keep up with her basic dodging, a minimal-effort exertion, as she attempts to get an understanding of the events that have led to this Magic Duel taking place. "I thought all you wanted was for Starlight to help you take care of your animals?"

Fluttershy maneuvers herself around Sunset, like a pink-and-yellow bumblebee, searching for new angles in which to poke at her. "That's exactly why I'm up here!" She moves in quickly and thrusts her rapier forward, at an angle and distance that prevents Sunset from easily stepping away from it.

Seeing no other options at her disposal, Sunset maneuvers to meet her, and the two swords clash. "What are you talking about, Fluttershy?" The clash lasts but a brief instant and Fluttershy pulls away, zipping around Sunset once more. Sunset takes a bit of initiative, swinging tentatively at her opponent, but Fluttershy dodges it in a burst of reverse momentum. She could have easily parried that, but chose to move back instead...

Just as Sunset begins to assume overdefensiveness on Fluttershy's part, her opponent bursts forward again, her thrust more forceful this time, speed and power giving her no choice but to block the attack again. "All of you just use Starlight Glimmer to do whatever you want! But, I'm going to free her!" Fluttershy answers as she draws her rapier back, catching Sunset off-guard by putting her on the opposite end of her own sentiments.

"But, that's exactly what I want, too, Fluttershy!" Sunset tries to argue reason, as they both seem to want the same thing. "I only participate in these stupid Magic Duels because I don't want to see her passed around like some trophy! I don't care about whatever other junk this dueling game is supposedly about!"

A small flicker enters the eyes of Starlight Glimmer, as she continues watching the duel.

Her attempt to argue only makes Fluttershy more aggressive, thrust after thrust coming down from her rapier, that Sunset is forced to swat away with her own sword. "Don't lie, Sunset Shimmer! I've seen how she talks! She has to check in with you to do every little thing! You're no better than anypony else!"

"Gah!" Sunset lets out a roar of frustration as she turns one of her parries into a swing forward. Sick of playing both the verbal and physical defensiveness, Sunset Shimmer goes on the offense, swinging her sword in short arcs with the main purpose of keeping Fluttershy at bay. "Listen to reason, will you? You saw me tell her not to do that! You know we want the same thing, so just calm down already!"

"I won't calm down!" Sunset's sword and Fluttershy's practice rapier clash once more, and this time, neither pull away. "I said I'm going to free her! I'll free her so no one can ever tell her she's not allowed to play with my animals whenever she wants!" The clash suddenly breaks, Fluttershy diving straight past Sunset's sword, rapier poised. Seeing no other alternative, Sunset turns her head to block the hit from the rapier's bulbous tip. Fluttershy's hoof flies forward, extending the rapier, seemingly carrying the follow-through of every attack she's thrown in this match at once, but instead of her crystal target, ends up striking the side of Sunset's horn with the full force of her blow.

Sunset shrieks, the pain instant and mind-wracking. Amber sparks shoot off from her horn as her sword clatters to the ground. She staggers backwards, eyes clenched shut and watering as pain spreads through her head like a tidal wave. The flapping of approaching wings reaches her ears, however, and Sunset Shimmer dives on instinct, aiming for the place she remembers hearing her sword clatter as Fluttershy's practice rapier strikes again, nailing her back. Toppling along the ground, Sunset soon finds it, gripping the handle in her hoof as she turns to face Fluttershy.

The mix of the pain and Fluttershy's hypocritical declaration send Sunset's anger on a fast-track to boiling as she locks eyes with the incoming mare. "You say you want to free her, but you just want to force her to do what you want because you think she enjoys it! How is that any different from what you claim anypony else is doing?!"

Starlight Glimmer's eyes widen, as a bright, magenta light reflects off her crystal sheen.

The gemstone of Sunset Shimmer's necklace glows, alongside the pommel of her sword. Above them, the light of the castle brightens, flooding the Dueling Arena with intense, artificial light. Power floods Sunset's body as wings snap open. Of its own accord, her body lunges forward, the inequine speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. Her right hoof extends, amber magic enveloping her body, target true. Fluttershy attempts to dodge to the side, bringing up her rapier in a final, desperate attempt to block the attack. However, the metal of the practice blade bends and shatters against the impact of Sunset's strike, the hilt of the weapon knocked from her hooves.

With one thrust, crystal shatters.

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy.

"But..." Fluttershy slumps against the ground, weaponless, disbelief etched across her face. "But, but I..."

"Fluttershy..." Sunset looks down at the defeated mare sympathetically. Her heart was in the right place, I think... This time, Sunset doesn't even notice the disappearance of both the sword and the wings.

"Cheer up, Fluttershy." Starlight stands over Fluttershy, reaching down to help her back to her hooves. "We have animals to take care of tomorrow, don't we?"

Fluttershy looks up at her, expression unchanging. "But I... That means..."

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy." Sunset rolls her eyes as she steps beside Starlight. "Where did you even get it into your head that I'd ever even consider telling Starlight not to hang out with you in the first place?"

Fluttershy shakes her head, and when she looks up at the two again, Sunset finally sees the mare she remembers from that morning once again. "Yeah, tomorrow sounds good then, Starlight."

Duel Four: Laughter.

The morning sun rises as Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer walk their usual path to the Academy. Several days have passed since the Magic Duel between Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer, the week now approaching its end. The lack of Elements of Harmony challenging Sunset to sword fights allows her to enjoy a semblance of normalcy. One that she knows won't last, but a semblance nonetheless. It leaves Sunset unwilling to even question Starlight about a number of details regarding the Magic Duel that have begun to itch at her mind, simply wanting to enjoy those normal aspects of their friendship instead. In this case, walking to the Academy together.

"So, how's hanging out with Fluttershy during afternoon classes been, Starlight?" Sunset asks, attempting to make some conversation. If she doesn't initialize, she's learned, Starlight can go nearly an entire day without saying much of anything. "You two seem to get along pretty well, now."

"Ah, yes." Starlight nods. "It's been... nice."

A smile breaks out across Sunset's face. She's refrained from asking about Fluttershy before now, wanting to let Starlight and her meet without being prodded about it until her curiosity finally hit its limit. "Great! What's it like, hanging out with her and doing whatever it is she does with all those animals she keeps?" Sunset herself hasn't seen the yellow pegasus since the day of their Magic Duel. She doesn't know if its coincidence or a result of the fact they dueled, but she never saw the mare before the day they dueled, either, so it's not entirely abnormal. Regardless of the reason, it's left Sunset out of the loop, and from her point of view, serves as a nice conversation starter that Starlight can direct however she likes.

"She has a lot of... interesting animals." Starlight explains. "It took a few days for him to warm up to me, but I've finally gotten to groom Harry for the first time."

"Harry?" Sunset asks. Of course Fluttershy would have names for all of them, too.

"Yes. Harry, the bear." Starlight replies, in her usual tone.

"...Bear?" Sunset stops and blinks, needing to verify she's heard correctly, which Starlight helps by nodding. "She has a bear on the campus?! How does she even control that?"

"I used to think like that, too. Fluttershy just has a gift with animals, though." Starlight's lips tug up to a small smile. "Harry's really docile once you get to know him, Sunset."

"I... see..." Sunset nods, laughing nervously. Note to self, never piss off Fluttershy, or I might meet Harry in some dark alley.

"Is everything okay, Sunset?"

"Ah, of course!" Sunset quickly pulls herself back together, letting thoughts of Bear Encounters of the Worst Kind slip from her mind. "I'm glad you and Fluttershy are getting along so well, Starlight."

"Are you really so sure you should be?" A voice cuts into their conversation, from behind. The two wheel around to find a pink mare with a raspberry mane obscuring half of her face, adorned in a blue Element of Harmony uniform. "Friendship with the Crystal Mare is a novel idea, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset's hackles rise at the sight of the mare. She remembers her from her first day, talking to Rarity in the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony. However, up close, the air the mare exudes, and the strange glint in her eye give Sunset shivers. The impression stands starkly in her mind against those of Applejack and Fluttershy, and even Rarity. "Who are you supposed to be?" Sunset draws herself up as her eyes narrow slightly, summoning up her own bluster as a defense against the strange mare.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie." She replies, curtly. Her tone is detached, but fundamentally different from the type of detachment Starlight Glimmer employs. While Starlight's is undercut with a basic cheeriness, Pinkamena's is tinged with aggression, leaving the impression of a wild animal, ready to strike at the right provocation. "Friendship is fickle, Sunset Shimmer."

"A bit cynical to say when you attend a place called 'Friendship Academy', isn't it?" Sunset finds herself instinctively stepping to put herself between Starlight and Pinkamena. "What do you want, anyway?"

Pinkamena laughs under her breath and steps forward, walking to Sunset's side. "Just to give you your fair warning. I'll be taking that Spark away from you." Her hair obscures her face from Sunset's vision, and her tone serves similarly to Starlight's in its ability to not betray emotion on its own.

"Spark?" Sunset asks, confused. "...Wait, are you challenging me to a Magic Duel at seven in the morning?"

Pinkamena's head and shoulders quake slightly from a single laugh. "Of course not." Her head turns to Sunset, her single, visible eye alight. "I just want to be sure you're ready for the party. I'd hate for it to be a surprise, after all." The grin her mouth draws into unsettles Sunset, and leaves her grateful when the mare turns back to face the path ahead, and begins heading into the Academy. "See you around, Sunny Girl."

Sunset remains still on the path, next to Starlight, watching the pink mare's retreating form. Once she becomes a speck on the horizon, Sunset lets out a relieved sigh. "Sheesh. That mare gives me the creeps."

"Pinkie sure is something else, isn't she, Sunset?" Starlight asks, seemingly unfazed by the encounter.

"Pinkie...?" The nickname washes over Sunset as she tries to associate it with the mare she's just met. After a moment, she grins and shakes her head. "There's no way. I can never see her ever going by a name like that."

"Is that so?" Starlight's head tilts.

"Come on, Starlight." Sunset motions her head toward the Academy, and the two resume their trek to the school. The two walk in silence for a short time, but Sunset can't resist her need to question any longer. "Although... since that mare spoiled the mood, anyway, I do have a question."

"Yes, Sunset?"

"When she said 'Spark'... was she talking about that trick sword from the Magic Duels?" Sunset remembers the incantation that Starlight always pairs with her summoning of the sword. Spark of Friendship, which lies deep within... Before, Sunset had figured it had been some kind of ritualistic saying, given the name of the Academy itself, but now, she's wondering just how much significance it may have if that Pinkamena mare is referencing it directly. "You know, you say the thing, do the lights, and you use whatever trick you use to summon that sword?"

"Oh, the Spark of Friendship." Starlight confirms. "It isn't a 'trick sword', Sunset."

"Then what is it?" Sunset realizes that 'trick sword' may have been the wrong phrasing, as she's used the sword enough to know that it is, at least, a real sword, with a proper blade, but it's the only phrasing she can think of that conveys something similar to her current thoughts on it. "You're not going to tell me it's some kind of crazy, magical sword, are you, Starlight?"

"And what if I am?"

"Then..." Sunset sighs. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given everything else that goes on in these Magic Duels of theirs. It'd make the name make a bit more sense, at least." Sunset turns her gaze skyward, putting one hoof to her chin while walking on the remaining three, albeit slower, causing Starlight Glimmer to soon end up directly at her side instead of slightly behind her. "Though, even if it is, why would she want it? It's still just a sword, isn't it?"

"Well, why would they want the Crystal Mare, Sunset?"

Because they're crazy. Sunset wants to reply, but stops herself, quickly realizing the significance of Starlight's question. "Why do they want the Crystal Mare, Starlight?"

Starlight Glimmer simply begins humming to herself. Sunset wants to press, but the two are now within the bustle of students and the Academy buildings themselves, essentially killing any chance at a conversation over this subject matter for the time being.

Later, and elsewhere...

A small cassette player sits on the edge of a round table, surrounded by five chairs. In each sits a pony, their five colored jackets contrasting the white crystal of the balcony. A pink hoof reaches out, pressing the play button. The action itself constitutes a ritual between the gathered five. A six-point star emblazoned on the player's front glows a soft magenta as the tape begins to turn.

"If it cannot smash its egg's shell, a chick will die without ever truly being born."

A black, circular device sits in the table's center. On its face, four partitions are sectioned off, one each a different color - green, red, blue, and yellow. "Game begin. Red." The device says, the red partition glowing to match its instruction.

"She got you too, huh, Fluttershy?" Applejack says, pressing the aforementioned colored panel. "I thought you weren't interested in dueling her for the Crystal Mare, though." Her friendly smile and slightly raised eyebrow denote a genuine curiosity at the mare's change of heart.

"Red, blue."

"Things... happened." Fluttershy replies, vaguely and defensively, hoof moving to press the panels in sequence. Her face again rests behind her mane, although her posture is noticeably less slumped. "But... I'm convinced something is going on, now. I shorted out Sunset's magic, and she still..."

"Red, blue, blue."

"Shorted out her magic?" Rarity asks, curious, hoof following the sequence. "I didn't take you for much of a fighter, darling. How did you manage to do something like that?"

"Um... you know how I have that practice rapier?" Fluttershy laughs nervously. She's had friendly sparring matches with the other Elements of Harmony to help them prepare for duels among themselves, giving them all plenty of chances to see her weapon of choice. "I might have gotten really mad and hit her right in the horn with it!" At her admission, she retreats behind her mane, like a foal hiding behind a curtain.

Rarity cringes, a hoof reaching for her own horn absentmindedly. "Oww..."

"Yeah..." Fluttershy nods. "But, she still did that... thing she does, in the end. It even snapped my rapier like a twig."

"Red, blue, blue, green."

"So the game has reached the next level, then." Pinkamena laughs darkly, tracing the sequence. In front of her sits an open letter. "I get to be the one to duel her next, too. It's a little... exciting." She grins, clearly reveling in the anticipation at what's to come.

"You sure seem rarin' to go, Pinkamena." Applejack quips. "But, it sounds like that girl has a win button that ignores how good we might be at the dueling game itself. Got any thoughts on that?"

"It's the sword, of course." Pinkamena's eye meets Applejack's. "As far as I can tell, we're not dueling Sunset Shimmer. We're dueling that sword. Until she pulls out that finisher, it seems like even Fluttershy can beat her in a straight play of the dueling game."

"Red, blue, blue, green, red."

Rainbow Dash's face scrunches, concentrating as her hoof moves along the device. "You all said that the Crystal Mare called it the 'Spark of Friendship', right? Pretty weird name for a sword, if you ask me." She slouches back into her seat, satisfied at her ability to remember the pattern. "Besides, losing to a sword... that just sounds silly."

"Got any better ideas as to what's been happening?" Rarity asks. "Some newcomer who doesn't even take any classes applicable to the Magic Duels is sweeping through all of us. Clearly something is going on, Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah, clearly." She folds her hooves over her chest, looking slyly back at Rarity. "Clearly, you all just suck."

Rarity huffs at the insult. "Does that apply to Fluttershy, too, dear?"

"Red, blue, blue, green, red, green."

"Best watch what insults you throw 'round, RD." Applejack's face becomes a mimicry of Rainbow Dash's during her own turn, as the pattern begins getting longer. "But, I imagine if it really is some kind of magic sword or something, the Crystal Mare didn't get a choice in namin' it." Her hoof moves, a bit slower this time, but still able to press the buttons in their correct sequence.

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash shrugs, using the lead to diffuse the tension she's just created. "Swords aren't exactly friendly, after all. Cool, but definitely not friendly."

"Red, blue, blue, green, red, green, yellow."

This time, however, no hoof moves, and a buzz indicates the chain breaking from the device timing out. The eyes of the other four ponies turn to Fluttershy, whose face carries uncharacteristic resoluteness, for the second time that week. "Everypony, I have something to say." She stands from her seat, drawing herself to her full height. A gentle breeze brushes her mane away from her face, exposing it fully.

Rainbow Dash leans forward, curiously. "What is it, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy glances briefly at Applejack, their eyes meeting, before continuing. "I might sound like a hypocrite since I dueled, too... but, after doing that... I think Sunset Shimmer is right." She swallows, eyes passing over the gazes of the other three ponies of the group, whose faces hold different levels of confusion at her declaration. "I don't think we should follow the instructions from End of the World anymore."

"And why shouldn't we?" Pinkamena's hooves slam against the table, rising onto her back hooves. While leaning on the table, Pinkamena is eye-level with Fluttershy. "You've just confirmed yourself that these Magic Duels have a point, and now you want to stop? Or do you just want to keep this status quo because Sunset Shimmer lets you have what you want?" Pinkamena leans forward, closer to Fluttershy, and as she does, her raspberry mane falls forward, further obscuring her face.

Fluttershy falls silent, her confidence cracking as her eyes turn away from Pinkamena and onto the circular device in the center of the table. The tilt of her head causes her mane to obscure part of her face again.

Rarity sighs, shaking her head, leaning herself forward as well, if only to insert herself between the two. "Fluttershy, darling. Even if we all took off our necklaces and discontinued the duels, End of the World would just find somepony else to fight for them. The Crystal Mare will be in the same circumstances, just with other ponies. We're fortunate to be the ones with this opportunity, especially with the letters slowly being proven more and more true."

"...Rarity's right, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash says, eyes pointedly on the table and not the yellow mare being addressed.

An orange hoof reaches forward, pressing a button on the circular device.

"Game begin. Yellow."

"So how's your week gone, Spike?" Sunset Shimmer asks, sitting in the shade of a tree on Friendship Academy's outer campus. Starlight Glimmer and Spike are under the shade with her, the trio sitting on a pinkish-purple blanket, decorated with four-point magenta and white stars, layered atop each other, swooshing trails of striped turquoise and aquamarine flowing from them. Groups similar to theirs dot the undersides of the other trees around the outer campus, some on their own blankets and others merely sitting in the grass. In the distance, the rows of bleachers that symbolize where the natural fields end and sports fields begin are visible, twinkling in the noon sun.

"Terrible!" Spike grumbles, crossing his arms. "They decided to hammer us out the gate, and I've already had to take three exams today because of it. Three!" He leans his back against the tree, grunting in frustration at his workload.

"Yeah." Sunset leans against the tree as well, relaxing in contrast to Spike's frustration. "They've been hitting our class really hard, too. For a school about Friendship and Harmony, they sure do expect us to know a lot of math."

"But you're like, egghead-tier smart, Sunset. You can handle that sort of thing. I... well, can't. Just passing these things is a struggle for me, sometimes." He kicks his feet against the blanket to vent his frustration. "Geez, this really stinks."

Sunset chuckles. "It can't be that bad for you, Spike. You're like, what, five grades below me or something? They can't have you doing anything that complicated."

Spike huffs. "It doesn't change the fact that I barely have any time left to hang out with Rarity because of it. I haven't been able to help her with her clothing stuff all week, and that's the main chance I get to spend time with her."

"Sounds like tough luck, Spike." Sunset places a hoof on his shoulder. "I'm sure next week will be better."

"Yeah, I hope so..." He mutters, eyes cast at his feet.

"So! Starlight!" Sunset turns to the third, silent member of their group, keen to pull the conversation back in a positive direction. "It was really nice of you to offer to set up a picnic for us." She gives Starlight an appreciative grin. "I was starting to think you weren't interested in getting involved in our little lunch-time tradition."

"It's no problem, Sunset." Starlight replies. She picks up the handle of a large picnic basket at her side in her mouth, moving it to the center of the blanket. "It's not my specialty, but I tried my best." Her hoof flips one side of the basket open, allowing Sunset and Spike to view the contents therein - two sealed containers, a reveal that feels like quite the anti-climax to both of them. Soon, she's also set plates in front of each of them - glass, white, with an old-fashioned, green trim. She follows those up with the appropriate silverware, of a design matching the trim of the plates.

Using her magic, Sunset Shimmer pulls out the first container, pulling the top open. "Oh, hey! A pie!" Sunset turns from the food to her friend in surprise. "I wouldn't have guessed you knew how to make pie, Starlight." Sunset sets the container down on the blanket, pulling the knife that Starlight set out up in her magic, making the first incision.

"Thank you, Sunset." Starlight's neutral expression becomes the slightest bit happier at the compliment. "I hope you like it."

"But who brings glass dishware to a picnic?" Spike asks, holding his plate up to examine it. While skeptical of the setup than Sunset, he's still clearly eyeing the 'pony food' as he's called it for himself. It's hard for either Spike or Sunset to not be curious to the kinds of things Starlight Glimmer may cook.

Sunset completes her cuts, levitating the first slice onto her plate, holding it up in front of her. "...Wait." She examines the slice closely, seeing something completely unexpected. "...Is that macaroni and cheese inside the pie?" Sunset's expectations of this picnic feel flip-turned upside down, as she stares at a combination she's never seen before.

"Have you never had macaroni pie before, Sunset?" Starlight asks, smiling sweetly at her.

"Well, no, but... it's definitely something new to try." Sunset cuts two more pieces from the pie, placing one on each of the remaining plates. "I'm sure it'll be good, Starlight."

"I hope so, Sunset."

Spike dives into the basket, pulling out the remaining container. "Well, let's see what else there is!" He pops open the top to find an assortment of firm, yellow-white squares. After eyeing them for a moment, he turns up to Starlight Glimmer. "Are these some sort of candy. Starlight?"

"Yes." She nods. "Butter tablets, Spike."

"Sweet!" He grabs a square in a claw, tossing it into his maw. He chews the treat eagerly, but soon slows, his pupils dilating.

"Um... I might have used a bit too much sugar." Starlight laughs into one of her hooves upon seeing Spike's reaction.

"Holy crap!" Sunset exclaims, a half-eaten pie slice resting on her plate. "Water! Please tell me somepony packed water!"

Starlight Glimmer tilts her head, sweet smile ever-present on her face. "Was the ghost pepper jack too strong, Sunset?"

"Yes!"

"Resorting to watching ponies eat, Pinkie?" A mono-tone voice asks.

"No one asked you, Maud." Comes Pinkamena's snarl of a reply. "And stop calling me that, already."

The two stand under a tree in the outer courtyard, Pinkamena leaning against the trunk while the other pony, Maud Pie, stands behind her, eyeing the back of her head. To the untrained eye, Pinkamena's gaze looks unfocused, staring into nothing, an activity that most that know Pinkamena superficially won't find strange at all. However, the reality, that Maud can see, is that her stare has a honed target, one group out of many performing similar activities - two ponies and a small dragon.

"No." The grass behind Pinkamena rustles as the other pony sits. "I'm worried about you."

Pinkamena rounds on her, cerulean eye meeting turquoise. "Why?" Pinkamena's voice is mixed between biting and pleading.

The mare in front of Pinkamena holds her eyes without flinching or hesitating, a feat most ponies aren't capable of. Her gray fur clashes against her white Academy uniform, while her short, cropped violet mane frames her face. "I'm your older sister, Pinkie. I have to worry about you."

"Well, there's nothing to worry about." Pinkamena insists, her tone regaining its distance as she turns back to her original direction, sitting alone under the tree. "Just go away, already."

The grass rustles once more, as Maud decides to move closer to her sister. "There's a large fault in that statement, Pinkie."

"Maud, no." Pinkamena replies immediately.

"I'm not about to take you for granite, Pinkie."

"Stop calling me that already!" Pinkamena wheels on her sister once more, distance gone, only wrath remaining. "You want a pun? Fine! You should just make like a tree and leave already!"

"No." Maud replies flatly, unflinching at her outburst, as she sits once more. "I'll make like a rock. That means not moving at all."

Pinkamena hits her head against the trunk of the tree. "You would! Fine then." She pulls herself to her hooves, shaking her head. "You sit like a rock, and I'll leave like a tree, then." She turns, back toward the Academy, and makes said leave along the nearby crystal path. However, directly behind her, a second set of hoofsteps make it clear she's not alone, causing her to stop. "I thought you were making like a rock?" She grumbles, not turning around.

"I am. Except this time, I'm making like a rock, and rolling." Maud replies. "This path goes down a hill."

Pinkamena turns around, facing Maud again, and opens her mouth to speak, but the reply dies on her lips. She sighs instead, and then speaks. "No more puns, Maud. You're no good at them. You should let me handle them from now on."

"That's what I'm digging for."

"Hmph." Pinkamena turns, resuming her walk back to the Academy. "Do what you want."

The afternoon sun sets on the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony, reds and ambers reflecting off the branches of the great tree. Starlight Glimmer, as is her role, tends to the tree and its surroundings. At its base, Sunset Shimmer leans back, looking up through the branches, relaxing after afternoon classes.

"Not helping Fluttershy today?" Sunset asks. While curious, Sunset's not complaining about the situation. Fluttershy often keeps Starlight late despite her insistence to start her work before the day even ends, leaving Sunset to her own devices until late into the day. While she has an appreciation for solitude, she enjoys having an afternoon where she's not on her own, even if her company isn't the most sociable.

"Not today, Sunset." Starlight replies simply. "We had plans, but when I went to meet her, Fluttershy said she'd prefer to do it on her own."

"Huh." Sunset shrugs. With how enthusiastic Fluttershy had been before, she finds it strange the mare would cancel an appointment. Not wanting to press further, Sunset thinks up another conversation starter. "So, why do you spend so much time taking care of this tree, Starlight? I know, Crystal Mare stuff, but this tree isn't alive or anything."

"Not true, Sunset." Starlight replies, her attention never leaving her work. "The Tree of Harmony is very much alive, in its own way."

"Is it, now?" Sunset's skepticism is plain in her tone. How can crystal be alive, even if its in the shape of a tree?

"Yes." Starlight confirms. "Maybe not in the way you think of it being, Sunset, but it is." She hums to herself for a moment, then continues. "The magic from the Tree of Harmony could be felt everywhere, once."

Sunset turns her head back, looking at Starlight. "And how do you know something like that?"

Starlight Glimmer merely continues humming.

Another stonewall, huh? Sunset's become used to this, to some extent. Starlight seems willing to answer her questions, but after a point, she merely hums. After noticing the pattern, Sunset's come to assume it to be some rule of being the Crystal Mare, having more knowledge than the Duelists but for some reason not being allowed to impart it by whichever pony runs the game. Applejack made it clear that an entity above the Elements of Harmony have the true reigns, and Sunset doesn't feel any reason to distrust her yet.

She turns her thoughts back to the tree, and decides to turn and give it an up-close examination. Maybe it's simply a matter of asking the right question... She runs a hoof along the base of the tree, thinking, until she notices a detail she hadn't before. Below the carved-out six-point star, and faint, there are emblems visible on the crystal - one, in the shape of a glowing sun, and the other, a crescent moon, surrounded by clouds. "Hey, Starlight."

"Yes, Sunset?" Starlight's voice asks from the far side of the tree.

"What are these things on the base of the tree?" Sunset runs her hoof along the markings, feeling only smooth crystal beneath them. Flat... it's like they're part of the crystal itself.

"Markings?"

"Yeah, there's a sun and a moon at the base of the tree." Sunset explains, still perplexed by their existence. "Any idea what they're supposed to mean, Starlight?" Sunset's hoof lingers against the image of the sun, feeling a nostalgic tug, despite having never seen the symbol before.

"They're from the old fairy tale about the first two alicorns." Starlight explains. "Everypony's heard it as a foal, so surely you have, too?"

"Maybe..." Sunset's voice trails, as she realizes just how little of foalhood she can recall these days. "But, why are they on the base of the Tree of Harmony? Nopony inscribed them... they're dyed directly into the crystal itself."

Humming is the only response Sunset receives. Darn it all... Sunset turns and flops back against the Tree of Harmony, frustrated. She releases a drawn-out breath, trying to expel her foul mood as her eyes draw along the building. It's there, she sees the figure once more, tall and in its magenta coat, in the second story window, with its hair, deep blue with dual stripes of violet and rose. However, this time, for the faintest of seconds, she's able to catch it from the front, before it flees from the window. It's a glimpse to short and too far away to make out any distinct features, but she sees one thing clearly - thick, black-framed glasses.

And, once more, Sunset Shimmer's hooves are moving, before she realizes what she's doing or where she's going. That... whatever it is, has to be following me! And with that uniform, it has to be related to the Magic Duels and the Elements of Harmony, somehow... Her hooves thunder up stairs, doing her best to pursue despite having started from so far away. I have to catch it! She rounds a corner, catching a glimpse of magenta pants and dress shoes, and keeps running, heart pounding in her ears as she finds a reserve of speed she's never known she had. She rounds the corner, following the steps...

...Only to find herself in a straight hallway, with only Pinkamena on the other end.

Pinkamena grins at her from behind her mane. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Sunset Shimmer."

"Gah!" Sunset's hoof stomps, her breath ragged. "I think I'm starting to notice a pattern, here..."

"Pattern?" Pinkamena steps forward, closing the distance between them. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Sunset finally collects herself, locking eyes with Pinkamena. "Let me guess, Magic Duel at midnight, right? That tends to be what happens next, in this situation."

"I see you're starting to understand how things go around here."

"If that's all, then I'm leaving." Sunset turns to head back down the way she came. "I've had a long day and I'd like to relax before we try to stab each other in a fever-dream inspired arena."

"I'm hurt!" The mare feigns, hoof to her chest. "You got so close to Applejack and Fluttershy, and you barely even want to talk to me. What do those two have that I don't?"

Sanity. Sunset mentally quips.

Pinkamena walks up to her, grinning. "Come now, Sunset Shimmer. I'm only a little crazy."

Sunset's eyes go wide as she takes a step back from Pinkamena. "Okay, that's really creepy. How did you do that?" Sunset looks over the mare quickly, looking to see if she missed any key details about them. "You're an earth pony, there's no way you have some kind of crazy mind-reader magic or something."

Pinkamena's grin widens. "I'll tell you if you answer one of my questions, Sunset. How's that sound?"

"And what kind of question is that?" Sunset does her best to hold her ground and keep her eyes locked on the mare, but she's sure the facade isn't working anymore. Something... something is terribly wrong with this mare. I can just feel it, deep inside me.

"The million-bit question, of course!" Pinkamena leans in, her visible eye dancing with excitement. "How does that fancy sword you used to beat the other Elements of Harmony work? It's clearly doing something outside the normal rules of the Magic Duel, and I want to know what it is."

Sunset allows herself to laugh, out of stunned disbelief. She can't tell if its because question feels so absurd to her, or if the fear that she's been feeling from Pinkamena has driven her insane. "So you Elements of Harmony don't anything about it, either, huh? That's great!" Noticing Pinkamena's crazed grin quickly turn into a scowl, Sunset continues. "Yeah, I have no clue. It's like I told Applejack, I don't know the first thing about any of this stuff, except for the bits and pieces I can find along the way."

"Mm. I see." Pinkamena turns from her. "That problem's more prevalent than you may realize. See you tonight, Sunset Shimmer." She takes several steps, then stops, turning her head back to Sunset Shimmer. "And yes, Sunset, something is quite wrong with me. I'm glad you've noticed." Without another word, Pinkamena heads down the hall, disappearing from sight.

"I swear, if I keep having to do these stupid duels, I'm going to die of sleep deprivation." Sunset Shimmer mutters to herself as she walks up to the tower that's soon becoming far too familiar for her liking. The double doors stand tall in front of her, awaiting her part of the ritual to gain admittance. Sunset's hoof pulls her necklace free of her uniform, holding it up to the door, and she clenches her eyes shut against the light. With a clatter, the doors' movement stops, and the light ceases. "Why can't they schedule these Magic Duel things at a reasonable hour, for once?"

With the doors wide open, Sunset enters, soon reaching the tower inside the tower, and begins her climb. Trepidation fills her thoughts this time as she ascends the spiral staircase. I've just realized... I'm going to be having a sword fight with that psychotic mare. She gulps. With my luck, she's going to try to gut me. Please, please, let these duels have a rule against that! The light of the castle again peeks over the sides of the Dueling Arena as Sunset nears the top of the stairs. She takes a breath, steadying herself. You can do this, Sunset Shimmer. You beat Applejack, somehow, and fighting that mare was like trying to move an immovable object. The chandelier-light of the castle washes over Sunset as she ascends the final bend of the spiral, and she steels her resolve, surrounded by the twisting clouds and midday sky.

Sunset passes through the archway signifying the entrance of the Dueling Arena, finding both her opponent and Starlight Glimmer just where she expects them to be. Pinkamena, like Fluttershy, has her weapons already drawn, and her choice of weapons and stance has Sunset even more confused than her fight with Applejack. In Pinkamena's right hoof is a scimitar, curved and long, with an ornate, gold hoof-guard and handle. In her left hoof is a matching parrying dagger, both the blade and hoof-guard obviously designed to catch other swords and toss them aside. While the weapons hold a glint and intent that matches what Sunset perceives of Pinkamena's personality, her stance is something else. She holds herself on two hind legs, standing upright, like Spike, like it's the most natural thing in the world to her. I'm not sure if I'm impressed, or terrified. ...No, I'm definitely terrified.

"Welcome, Sunset Shimmer." Pinkamena's grin returns. "In this dark arena, let us fight. Truly, we shall dance, tonight, the two of us, framed beneath the floating castle's light." She sways slightly on her two legs, weapons resting limply at her sides. Her shadow casts long against the Dueling Arena's floor, only adding to the shiver running down Sunset's spine upon looking at her.

"Is that meant to be poetic or something?" Sunset asks, doing her best to not let the strange mare faze her. "Because, that just sounded kind of..."

"Whose to say?" Pinkamena asks. Her shoulders rock as she begins to laugh at some internal joke, eyes cast squarely at the ground, before her head rises, one visible eye glistening as it locks with Sunset Shimmer. "Supposedly, the wings of an alicorn are capable of flying up to the castle. That's why I'm going to take your Spark, Sunset Shimmer. I'll have those wings for myself... and with those, I'll be able to reach it. I'll reach the castle!" She raises the scimitar, pointing it at Sunset Shimmer. "I'll reach the castle and take my light back!"

"What are you...?" Pinkamena's ranting leaves Sunset stunned, mouth gaping as she tries to untangle the words. "If you want to see the castle, why not just have Fluttershy or the other pegasus mare you're friends with fly you up there? It's not that high up for a pegasus."

Pinkamena doesn't immediately reply, as Starlight Glimmer steps between them. She turns, walking slowly to Sunset, and pulls out the six-point star crystal from her dress. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." She says, pinning the familiar gem to Sunset's chest. She meets Sunset's eyes, and a hoof rests against her shoulder. "Don't be afraid, Sunset." Sunset mouths a 'huh', as Starlight Glimmer turns and approaches Pinkamena. She bows her head, pulling out a second crystal, and places it on Pinkamena's chest. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

The ritual complete, Starlight Glimmer retreats from her, moving back to Sunset's side.

"To answer your question, Sunset Shimmer, the Dueling Arena has rules." Pinkamena explains, body still eerily still. "Try using your magic to attack me." Her grin widens, and her visible eye narrows, her only hints of movement. "I'll wait." Her stance remains unmoving, including the scimitar pointed directly at Sunset.

"Uh... sure?" Sunset blinks, confused, but not about to pass up an opportunity for an easy win if Pinkamena wants to let her have a free shot. She concentrates, building up the magic on her horn, ready to blast the six-point star clear off Pinkamena's chest, and fi- "Gah! What in tartarus?!" Her horn sparks, magical feedback singing her fur and leaving her head splitting before the Magic Duel even begins.

"I told you." Pinkamena's grin reaches dangerous, face-splitting proportions. "Rules." She laughs to herself, lowly at first, the act morphing into a cackle that floods the Dueling Arena.

Sunset grits her teeth as Starlight's hoof presses against her shoulder. Clever, tricking me into that for a leg up. Then again, I suppose I'm the idiot for falling for it. She tests her horn with a simple light spell, finding her magic still usable, though with a dull throbbing that flows through her horn and to the front of her head and eyes. Sunset feels Starlight's hoof rests against her shoulder, and prepares herself for the Magic Duel to begin.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hoof. She draws it out slowly, feeling the strange power again flow through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at Pinkamena. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

As the toll of the bells dies out, Pinkamena's body quivers. "There's the Spark! Now, give it to me!"

Pinkamena rushes forward, running entirely with her hind legs, dual blades glistening in the light of the castle as Sunset Shimmer moves her sword into a magical grasp instead of a hoofed one, instinctively maneuvering herself for defense after her battles with all the previous Elements of Harmony. These Elements of Harmony, they're all so- Sunset, however, finds her thought interrupted and expectation betrayed, Pinkamena leaping backwards the second Sunset raises her sword defensively. Pinkamena takes control in that moment, moving forward again in a blur of speed, looping her parrying dagger under the sword. In a single, fluid motion, she uses the parrying dagger to toss the Spark of Friendship aside and her scimitar to thrust forward, in a savage show of aggression.

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches, impassively.

Sunset, meanwhile, barely sidesteps in time, the blade cutting into her mane as it passes dangerously close to her face. "Whoa!" She uses her magic to pull her sword free of Pinkamena's dagger, and leaps backwards. "I knew it! You're nuts!" Sunset takes another step back, valuing every piece of distance she can put between herself and her opponent after that opening strike.

A low chuckle escapes Pinkamena's lips as she turns herself to face Sunset again. "No, you don't know, Sunset Shimmer." She kicks off the ground, her aggression sending Sunset's heart racing as the scimitar raises high. "I'll do anything to get my light back!" Pinkamena brings the scimitar down, a guillotine aiming directly for Sunset's head.

"Your light?!" Sunset barely dodges the descending scimitar in time, stepping backward on instinct, and then again as Pinkamena thrusts the parrying dagger forward. The tip of the weapon stops a hair's breadth from her muzzle, stopped only by Pinkamena's limbs being that hair's breadth too short.

"Yes!" Pinkamena sweeps the scimitar horizontally, nearly catching Sunset's muzzle once again. "My light! I need it back, and the only way I can have it again is to take the light of the castle! For that, the Crystal Mare, the Spark, the wings... I'll take all of them, too, if that's what it takes!"

Sunset raises her Spark of Friendship, blocking another downward swing of the scimitar. Behind her is the edge of the Dueling Arena. She's got me herded me into a corner... Gah! Resisting the pain in her horn, Sunset redoubles her efforts, trying desperately to push Pinkamena back and give herself an exit. "Take the light of the castle? How in the world can you possibly even do something like that?! Why would you want to?!"

"When I was a little filly, I grew up on a farm. A rock farm! We farmed rocks! Can you imagine how dreary and maddening that is on a young mare?" Pinkamena's weight leans into her downward strike, and Sunset strains to keep the sword steady in her magic, teeth gritting and face scrunching under the strain. "One day, a light swept across my farm, and my life changed forever! I was happy! I made everyone else happy! I felt like I could do anything!"

A small flicker enters the eyes of Starlight Glimmer, as she continues watching the duel.

"If that's true, then what's the problem?" Sunset presses her blade back against Pinkamena's, doing her best to hold her ground in the struggle. "If something so great happened, then what could possibly lead to you being like this?!"

Pinkamena laughs darkly. "Because, it's gone now, Sunset Shimmer." She says simply, eye for the smallest moment cast away, to the floor of the Dueling Arena. However, it soon returns to Sunset Shimmer, glinting dangerously as her raving returns, and with it, the force being pressed against Sunset's weapon increases. "It's lost! Taken away! Gone! Kaput! The only way I'll ever get it back is with the Crystal Mare! Don't you get it?! I have to have it again!"

"No! I don't get it at all!" Sunset winces, legs shaking as the glow of her horn intensifies. While Pinkamena's strength isn't on par with Applejack's, it's enough to force Sunset to her limits, especially after Pinkamena's earlier ploy. It feels like a fire is burning in her skull, culminating with her horn, as parts of her vision become obscured in the light of her own amber magic.

"Well, that's too bad..." Pinkamena mutters, grin fading, until her eyes fall on Sunset's sword. "Spark of Friendship, huh? What type of dumb name is that for a sword?" The predatory grin soon returns as she hooks the parrying dagger on the underside of the blade, pressing down with the scimitar against the sword's middle and up with the dagger at its base. "This idiotic thing is how you beat the others... well, just watch, Sunset Shimmer! I'm going to do far more than just take your Spark away! I'm going to shatter it into a million pieces! Once I do that, maybe you'll understand!"

Sunset's eyes go wide at Pinkamena's intent, but soon narrow as she digs in her hooves. Her horn throbs and burns beyond compare, her breathing ragged from exertion. "This idiotic thing, as far as I know, is the proof that Starlight Glimmer is my friend, the courtesy you so-called Elements of Harmony never bothered extending to her!" She locks gazes with Pinkamena, hoping beyond hope to replace things like strength and endurance with sheer determination. "And that, isn't going anywhere!" She reaches out to the Spark of Friendship, grasping it tightly in her front-right hoof, ready to continue her fight even once the glow of her horn burns out completely.

"You... you-!" Pinkamena puts her full strength into attempting to shatter the blade of Sunset's Spark of Friendship, only to stagger back as both her scimitar and dagger are destroyed instead, only their hilts and jagged blade remnants remaining in her hooves. The Spark of Friendship, however, remains completely unscathed.

Starlight Glimmer's eyes widen, as a bright, magenta light reflects off her crystal sheen.

The gemstone of Sunset Shimmer's necklace glows, alongside the pommel of her sword. Above them, the light of the castle brightens, flooding the Dueling Arena with intense, artificial light. Power floods Sunset's body as wings snap open. Of its own accord, her body lunges forward, the inequine speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. Her right hoof extends, amber magic enveloping her body, target true. Desperate, Pinkamena thrusts forward the shattered remnants of her scimitar, hoping to somehow pluck the crystal from Sunset's chest with the momentum of her own charge. However, the force of Sunset's magic rips both of her broken weapons from her hooves, sending them clattering to the Dueling Arena floor.

With one thrust, crystal shatters.

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and Pinkamena.

"No! No! I won't accept this!" Pinkamena's voice rings out from behind Sunset, and she can hear a hoof pounding repeatedly against the floor.

Sunset takes one deep breath after the next, trying to steady her heart and her mind after the threat of Pinkamena surpassed her wildest expectations, and as she does, the sword and wings vanish once more. Finally, she turns, expecting to find a pink mare ready to pounce, resulting in an after-duel duel. What she sees instead, however, shakes every impression of the mare she's held so far.

Pinkamena sits, her back to Sunset Shimmer, limbs curled against her body. Her long, raspberry mane hangs entirely over her front, and her back quivers at odd intervals. "My... my light... I can't... I need..." Faintly, in the intervals between Pinkamena's incoherent mutterings, Sunset can here distinct sniffles, causing Sunset to turn away as Starlight walks up beside her.

"Come on, Starlight... we should go." She says, turning, leaving Pinkamena alone in the Dueling Arena.

Duel Five: Generosity.

Another weekend passes, directly coinciding with another Magic Duel that Sunset Shimmer has far too many questions over. Just like last week, soon after the end of the duel, Starlight Glimmer took her leave, disappearing and not returning until Monday morning. This time, however, Sunset intends to put Starlight Glimmer through the question wringer over it. The duel with Pinkamena and its outcome has stuck with her this entire time. Reflecting on the mare's state after the duel's conclusion, Sunset can easily feel the desperation from both her words and strikes when retrospecting on the events of the duel itself. Even after an entire weekend of mulling over it, and the scraps she knows of the Magic Duel situation, Pinkamena's raving about the light of the castle sticks with her, uncomfortably. She can't find it in her to understand what a pony can believe the duels can offer them to make them fight with that kind of need and conviction.

Now, however, is her chance. Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer make their usual walk to Friendship Academy, the early morning sun overhead. Carefully gathering her words, Sunset prepares herself, wanting to make use of this opportunity while she can.

"So, how was your weekend, Sunset?" And, is immediately cut off, by Starlight Glimmer initializing a conversation from a cold open. Sunset and Starlight trade looks, the latter smiling at the former warmly. After her mind-reading experience with Pinkamena, part of Sunset thinks cynically, that this is some calculated move to prevent her from asking her question. However, the sane part of her wins out, and just assumes that Starlight is warming up to her a bit better.

"Um. Okay, I guess." Sunset Shimmer answers, humoring her. I'll have plenty of time to grill her. We're roommates, after all. No reason for me to rain on her rare moments of openness. She shrugs. "I didn't do much. Just stayed inside all weekend and caught up on the bits of studying I've been missing out on from all the duels keeping me up so late."

"I'm sorry, Sunset Shimmer..." Starlight Glimmer turns her gaze to the ground, her smile disappearing. "Your life's been a lot more difficult lately because of me, hasn't it?"

"Hey, stop that!" Sunset slows her pace to come up beside Starlight, who always walks three steps behind her, and places a hoof on her shoulder as the two walk together. Suddenly, she feels quite relieved that she hadn't brought up the pile of questions finding space in her mind this morning. "It's not your fault, okay? You're not responsible for this dumb dueling game, or for the fact all those Elements of Harmony compete in it. You're not forcing me to participate in any of the duels, either, so you have nothing to feel guilty about."

"But..." Both Starlight and Sunset stop walking.

"Starlight..." Sunset rubs her shoulder sympathetically. "Look, we'll get through this, okay. I'll beat back as many challengers that come along as I have to. With a stick, if I have to." She gives Starlight the warmest smile she can muster. "Don't doubt me, I've already done it once."

Sunset's declaration causes the smile to return to Starlight's lips, and she gives one of her slight nods. "Okay, Sunset."

"Now!" Sunset runs ahead, then turns back to face her, walking backwards along the path as Starlight follows. "What'd you do over the weekend, Starlight? That's twice in a row now you've disappeared late Friday night and not come back until Monday." Sunset grins playfully, hoping that her playful ribbing will keep Starlight out of her stupor. "Got a secret, do you?"

"Oh, no." Starlight shakes her head. "Nothing like that, Sunset."

"Then what did you get up to, hm?" Sunset leans her head in. "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to. I'm just curious, Starlight." Again, Sunset wonders what kind of family a mare like Starlight actually has. I can only hope it's a good one. She goes through enough crap at this school to not need it at home, too.

"I stay in the faculty dormitory over the weekend, Sunset. It's what the lower floors of the Headmaster's tower consist of." Starlight explains. "I help the Headmaster with a lot of paperwork and other things that go into keeping the Academy running. She used to be an important teacher of mine, so I don't mind doing it. There's technically staff that's meant to help with it, but I think she trusts me a lot more than she trust them."

Sunset grins, pointing a hoof. "You do have a friend, after all! Knew it!" Seeing Starlight's gaze falter, Sunset gives her a reassuring smile. "Come on, Starlight, I'm teasing. It's good you have somepony else you're close to. Plus... the Headmaster, huh?" Sunset spins back right-round and walks beside Starlight again. "Now that I think about it, I'd heard you were close to the Headmaster once." I guess Spike's good on his info, after all. "But, it sounds like you two have a way closer relationship than anypony realized."

"Yeah." Starlight nods. "The Headmaster and I... I suppose close is the right word for it. The Headmaster and I met a long time ago, during a really important point in my life. She took me in and made me her personal student. Now, I'm just kind of... repaying the favor, I suppose."

"That's honestly really cool." Sunset praises, then giggles as Starlight mouths the word 'cool' again. "The Headmaster... that's Twilight Sparkle, right?"

Starlight Glimmer nods. "That's her, yes."

"I've heard that she's super-reclusive. None of the students claim to ever see her unless they're called directly into her office, no matter what time of day it is. Now that I think about it, I definitely haven't ever seen her myself, either." Thinking that Starlight may be able to illuminate on the rumors a bit, Sunset decides to ask. "Any idea why she's like that? It seems a bit weird for the Headmaster of Friendship Academy of all things to be such a shut-in." Starlight Glimmer turns her head away from Sunset, sending her into a guilty panic. "Sorry! I didn't mean to put you on the spot, Starlight. It just seems like you're really close to her and you see her every weekend, so I was just wondering..."

"Yo! Shimmy! Glimmy!" A familiar dragon's voice calls out from nearby. A quick stock of surroundings shows them as being near the bleachers they pass every morning on their trek to the Academy, and this time, some early morning sports appear to be going on. On the bleachers is Spike, waving them down with both claws, grinning. "Come over here for a bit!"

"Huh. We don't normally see Spike this early." Sunset muses, then nudges Starlight in the shoulder playfully. "Let's go see what's up with him. We can continue that other conversation later, okay?" Starlight nods, and Sunset runs off ahead, Starlight instead choosing to approach the sports field at a leisurely trot.

As she rounds the bleachers, Spike waves Sunset to climb up and sit with him, but the two mares at his side give her pause - Rarity, directly at his side, and beside her, Fluttershy. Fluttershy is the first to break the ice between the two groups, giving Sunset Shimmer a timid wave and smile. Rarity eyes her with a sidelong glance, not replying initially, but after a tense moment, gives a simple nod. Feeling the situation at least reasonably peaceful, Sunset climbs onto the bleachers, moving around the other ponies to take the seat that Spike's saved for her, Starlight Glimmer soon following suit at her own pace.

"Hey!" Spike greets again, once both are seated. "Sunset Shimmer, meet Rarity!" The dragon introduces, moving his claw from Sunset to Rarity. "Rarity, Sunset Shimmer!" The claw motion repeats itself, in the opposite direction.

"We've met." Sunset and Rarity find themselves saying simultaneously, tones equally disinterested.

"Oh... I see..." Spike trails off, the awkward tenseness of the situation throwing a wrench into his plans.

"So, what's up, Spike?" Sunset asks, partly to diffuse the tense air bothering her friend so, and partly to see how fast she can get herself as far from Rarity as possible. While she hasn't seen the mare since their Magic Duel, her treatment of Starlight Glimmer previously is enough to make her want to keep both her and Starlight as far away as she's able.

"Oh, well, you see..." He rubs the back of his head, in contrast to his earlier excitement in calling them over. "Well, I'm not sure if this is the best idea anymore, but..." A set of short laughs further emphasize his discomfort.

"But...?" Sunset eggs him on, now starting to feel a bit guilty about her callous dismissal of his introduction of her to Rarity, even if Rarity had done the same with her. The exchange has clearly taken some strong wind from his sails. He's so infatuated with Rarity for whatever reason, I bet he was hoping he could get us to be friends to hang out with both of us at once, or something. Sorry, Spike...

"You see, well..." He trails off, pausing, but picks up again before anypony can cut in. "Well, Rarity told me that she's hosting this big party at the Harmony Building this weekend, Sunday night, and she said I could come and invite anypony I wanted, so, I was just..." His voice falls off again as he taps the index digits of his claws together. Behind him, Sunset can see Rarity's eyes turn away from the game going on in front of her to the back of Spike's head, though the rest of her remains still. "I was wondering if you and Starlight Glimmer wanted to come?"

"Ah..." Sunset sucks air through her teeth. "Well, what kind of party is it, Spike?" Sunset asks tentatively. She doesn't want to say no, but she wants to be sure she can adequately remove herself and Starlight from Rarity as necessary before agreeing to basically being on her home turf.

He looks from Rarity, whose eyes are still on him, then back to Sunset. "Just, you know, an, uh, social gathering. Got lots of ponies invited and stuff! You could even call it a 'who's-who' of Friendship Academy." Spike sighs. "Honestly, I'd just like there to be more ponies my speed when I go this time. I really like going to spend time with Rarity but if I try to talk to anypony else, they just don't seem like they really want me there and it stinks, you know?" Behind Spike, Rarity's lips curl into a smile and she turns back to the game.

Suddenly, Rarity jumps out of her seat, one hoof pressed to the size of her muzzle and the other waving in the air angrily. "Get it in there, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity's voice cuts through the sounds of the game and the rest of the crowd, easily taking precedence over them all. "If that dumb goal keeper thinks he can stop you then send that ball right through his teeth! His ugly mug could use some rearranging, anyway!" She seems to settle down, for just a moment, but soon pops back out of her seat. "Don't past to Lightning Dust! That tramp couldn't net a ball if her life depended on it and we both know it!"

Sunset blinks as Rarity sits back down, daintily propping her mane back into place with a hoof after her outburst. "Well... that was... something." Sunset mutters to herself, dumbstruck at what she's just witnessed. Well, I'm not sure what my impression of Rarity is, anymore.

"What is it, dear?" Rarity asks, without taking her eyes off the game in front of her. "It's only natural to offer your enthused support to a friend during a sporting event, is it not?"

"I guess so..." Sunset replies, turning her attention to the game for the first time. The ponies are divided into two teams - one wearing blue-and-yellow uniforms, and the other wearing purple-and-black, lightning bolt motifs present on each. Sunset spots a flick of a prismatic tail from one of the players in the blue-and-yellow uniforms, and is again reminded of the practice match she witnessed on her first day - the mare across from Applejack had a rainbow mane and tail as well. She imagines this must be 'Rainbow Dash', as otherwise somepony is unfortunately misnamed. Near her is a second pony, in the same uniform, running the checkered white-and-black ball forward, her gold-and-amber striped mane flowing behind her as she runs. A pony from the opposing team moves in to meet her, but, without their eyes meeting, the mare that Sunset presumes to be Lightning Dust passes, and Rainbow Dash shoots, a play so fluid it may as well be done by a single pony and not two. The ball soars through the air, and a burly goal-pony moves to intercept, failing utterly as the ball cleanly strikes the back of the goal's netting.

"See?" Rarity says with a satisfied smirk, as cheers erupt from both the stands and Rainbow Dash's team. "A little bit of encouragement and Rainbow Dash grabs a point, just like that."

The only reply Sunset Shimmer can find it in herself to muster is, "Huh."

"So, what do you say, Sunset?" Spike asks, pulling Sunset from her stupor. "Will you come...?"

"Oh!" Sunset looks from him, to the impassive Rarity, who seems to be again focused on the game below. "Um, the party, right. Sorry about that, Spike." Sunset laughs nervously, stroking behind her ear with a hoof. "I suppose I can pop by if you really want, Spike. I'm not sure if it'll really be my kind of thing but it can't hurt to at least show up and take a peek."

Spike's face immediately brightens, grin spreading. "Alright!" He then tilts himself to look past Sunset, to the mare on her opposite side. "How about you, Glimmer? Think you'll be able to make it? It'd be really great to have both of you there."

Starlight shakes her head, and Spike's brightened face falls ever so slightly. "Sorry, Spike. I was explaining this to Sunset earlier before you called us over. I'm... occupied, on weekends."

"Surely you can get away for a little bit?" Sunset moves in to plead Spike's case, partly for the dragon's sake and partly for her own - she doesn't want to be heading for this thing alone, even if Spike will be there. "It's not until Sunday night, anyway, he said. That can't interfere with what you normally do that much."

"Maybe..." Starlight trails off, but then smiles. "I'll see what I can do, okay, Spike?"

"Yes!" Spike fist-pumps the air. "This weekend's gonna be great!" His grin and cheer return twofold at the prospect of both ponies attending Rarity's get-together.

Sunset gives him a smile of her own, looking up from him in time to see another faint smile across Rarity's own lips. Please let that be an 'I'm happy Spike is happy' smile and not a devious one... That's when, looking past Rarity, she notices the field's second set of bleachers. Particularly, she notices one of the occupants sitting on it, in the telltale Academy uniform. Though, it's no pony, but still a creature Sunset is familiar with - a griffon, with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, legs, and tail of a lion. It's truly an exotic sight as far as Friendship Academy is concerned. Its fur and wing feathers are brown, while its head feathers are white, tipped in a very light pinkish-purple.

"Hey..." Sunset feels herself compelled, curious at the sight in a manner similar to her curiosity with Starlight Glimmer on her first day. "Who's that griffon over there? I've never seen one at Friendship Academy before."

"Her name's Gilda." To Sunset's surprise, it's Rarity who replies, and not her usual Academy-encyclopedia, Spike. "From my understanding, her and Rainbow Dash were friends a long time ago." Behind her, Fluttershy's gaze moves away from the ground and to the bottom of the bleachers. "Though, I've never seen the two so much as pass by in a hallway, never mind exchange words, so I can't say if that changed or why. She always shows up when Rainbow Dash plays, never talking to anypony, then leaves once the game is over."

"That's... only a lot weird." Sunset comments, then raises her eyebrow, speaking skeptically. "Almost as weird as you being so friendly with me."

Rarity turns to her, giving her a small but friendly smile. "And why wouldn't I be friendly with you, dear?" She extends a hoof, placing it on Spike's shoulders. "After all, any friend of my dear Spikey-Wikey here is a friend of mine."

Sunset groans, her hoof meeting her forehead, just below the horn. "I think I see where Spike gets his bad taste in cutesy nicknames..."

Later, and elsewhere...

A small cassette player sits on the edge of a round table, surrounded by five chairs. In each sits a pony, their five colored jackets contrasting the white crystal of the balcony. An alabaster hoof reaches out, pressing the play button. The action itself constitutes a ritual between the gathered five. A six-point star emblazoned on the player's front glows a soft magenta as the tape begins to turn.

"If it cannot smash its egg's shell, a chick will die without ever truly being born."

Dice clatter against the game board set between the Elements of Harmony, followed by a pink hoof moving the howitzer across the rectangular spaces that run along its edges. "I'll buy it..." Pinkamena grumbles, counting out a number of multi-colored paper bills. Her voice bears its usual detachment, but none of its anger. Instead, it simply sounds hollow. "I still don't understand what happened. My weapons just... snapped." Rarity passes her the property deed, and Pinkamena places them with the rest of her collection. "Why does she get to have a power like that?"

Applejack spares Pinkamena a sympathetic glance and rolls her own dice. "That 'Spark of Friendship' of hers might just be magic, after all, Pinkamena." She reaches out her hoof, moving the wheelbarrow along. "If it is, then, maybe, that sword really is the key that End of the World's letters always talk about." Applejack pulls her hoof away, letting out a disappointed groan. "Consarnit, I already own this one..." Her eyes drift to Rarity. "But, I suppose my luck could be worse."

"Quite, dear." Rarity scoops up the dice. In front of her sits a letter with a broken, six-point star seal. "My turn!" The dice roll, and soon she's moving her thimble. "You've all had your chance, but now I'll be reclaiming the Crystal Mare for myself."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asks, giving her a questioning grin. "You were getting real friendly with Shimmer at my sports game earlier, Rarity."

"Maybe." Rarity huffs. "But that was for the sake of dear old Spike, not for that girl. She just happens to be one of his new friends for whatever reason the poor dragon sees in her." She pulls her hoof away, squealing in delight. "Oh ho ho! Time to build some hotels!"

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, hooves slamming against the table, looking at the board in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me, Rares! Now, like, half the spaces in front of me are nothing but freakin' hotels! This is ridiculous!" She slumps back into her seat, resigned to what seems like an inevitable fate. "Can we just have one time where Rarity doesn't completely wreck us at this game?"

"Darling, I'm pretty sure that's the same thing most of the sports teams think when they end up against you."

Rainbow Dash shoots back up, hooves on the table once more. "Okay, that is totally different!"

Rarity leans her head on one hoof, using the other to fan herself with one of her piles of excess game money. "Is it, now?"

"RD, can you just throw the darn dice already?" Applejack's annoyed tone cuts through the two ponies' bickering.

"Fine!" The dice bounce and clatter against the game board, nearly spilling off the side. She takes a moment to sum the roll in her head, then starts moving. "Yes! I made it!" Rainbow Dash leads the car eagerly along the board now that she's free of Rarity's property network. "I did it, I... jail?! That puts me right back at the start of Rarity's freaking strip mall of properties!" Rainbow Dash groans as she moves her piece to the jail tile, slumping dejectedly back into her chair. "I should know better than to be optimistic about this game."

"Don't feel so bad, Rainbow Dash." Rarity feigns reassurance. "In a few minutes, I'll bankrupt you. Tonight, I'll take the key to eternity away from that girl, Sunset Shimmer. It's just kind of how these things go, dear."

Rainbow Dash lets out another groan, tossing her head back to stare at the sky as dice hit the board. A yellow hoof moves the terrier along the board, dodging Rarity's giant nest of bankrupting properties. "Um, I have a question..."

Rainbow Dash looks at her, dejected at her prospects of most likely being the first pony eliminated from the game. "What is it, Fluttershy?"

"What does Free Parking do again?"

"Nopony knows, Fluttershy." Applejack shakes her head. "Nopony knows."

Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer sit for lunch at one of the Academy's many outdoor tables, simple daffodil sandwiches between them. Sunset's creation, after a pact between herself and Spike to try to prevent Starlight from being the one to set up lunch again any time soon. A third sandwich sits out for Spike, but the dragon is nowhere to be seen.

"It's not like him to be late without telling us." Sunset looks down at her own sandwich, then to the empty seat, unsure if she should begin eating or continue waiting for Spike to arrive.

"Maybe something came up, Sunset?" Starlight offers, seemingly unbothered by the no-show, in her usual way.

"I hope so." Sunset finally decides to take up her sandwich in her hooves and take the first bite, with Starlight following suit not long after. Sunset swallows, and then continues. "So, Starlight, how've your classes been going? You never talk about them."

Starlight smiles and puts on one of her sweet, generic smiles. "They're going fine, Sunset."

"Gonna tell me what they are, yet?" Sunset leans in, giving a playful grin. "Or are they still just this and that, hm?"

"This and that." Starlight replies, taking another bite of her sandwich.

Sunset falls back into her chair, a bit deflated. I'm beginning to wonder if she even takes classes. I never even see her doing homework when we're in our room for the night. She follows Starlight's lead, biting into her sandwich again. A war rages in Sunset's mind as she chews, deliberating how she wants the conversation to proceed from here. She looks around, seeing no sign of Spike, and that the tables in their immediate area are conveniently empty, and swallows. "Can I ask you a serious question, Starlight?"

"You can ask me anything, Sunset." Starlight replies, taking her third bite immediately afterward.

"It's about the duels." Sunset explains. Starlight nods, still chewing. For a moment, Sunset hesitates, remembering their exchange from that morning, but continues, knowing that she'll have to press the mare for information eventually. "Pinkamena was so obsessed with that castle... I'd started writing it off as some strange set piece somehow put there by whoever runs the dueling game, but... do you know anything about it, Starlight?"

Starlight swallows. "I've heard something eternal dwells inside it... inside that castle floating in the sky."

"Something... eternal?" Sunset questions, setting down her sandwich. "You mean like, something that never dies?"

"Something eternal." Starlight says again. "Wouldn't you like to go up there, sometime, to see if its really true?"

"Um... I suppose. It sounds interesting, but I don't think I believe any of it." Sunset picks her sandwich back up, taking a bite at the same time as Starlight Glimmer. She swallows first, and asks another question. "But, suppose I did... is that eternal thing what Pinkamena was after? She kept talking about taking the light of the castle, like it were a physical object... is that the eternal thing inside the castle?"

Starlight swallows, and immediately takes another bite of her sandwich.

Spike winces reflexively as a pin presses into his back, even though he can't actually feel it through his scales. The room around him is large and open - or would be, were it not for the 'organized chaos' dotting most of it. Ceiling-high windows with curtains drawn let the sun filter its way inside, highlighting just some of the many spools of fabric dotting the room. Ponnequins line the walls, wearing a mix of party dresses and variations on the Academy's main uniform. In the center of the room stand two more ponnequins, with an alabaster unicorn darting to and fro, a measuring tape held in a magical grip. The center ponnequins each bear the initial stages of dresses-to-be, one black and the other turquoise. Glasses with a curved, orange frame rest against Rarity's muzzle as she works, passing between the two projects in front of her and a notebook sitting on a nearby table.

"Hey, Rarity?" Spike tosses out the timid hook of a conversation starter, voice quaking slightly. Normally, the two engage in constant chatter while Rarity works on either custom uniform orders, sports clothes repairs, or prototyping party dresses. Today, however, an uncharacteristic silence hangs between the two, with Spike's opener being the first thing to break it.

"Yes, Spike?" Rarity asks, setting the measuring tape down on the table and picking up a nearby pencil, adjusting her design sketches with a practiced fervor. "What's bothering you, dear?" Her voice is friendly, concerned at the unusual tone in the dragon's own, doing her best to listen while feverishly running through her design process.

"I was just wondering..." Spike finds himself pressing the index digits of his claws together, staring at them as he pulls his words together in his mind. "You're not mad at me for inviting Sunset Shimmer, are you?" He asks, wincing as Rarity glances at him out of the corner of her eye. "I... I didn't know you two had some kind of history, or I wouldn't have..." Ideas begin to spiral through the young dragon's mind, each worse than the last.

"Hush, Spike." Rarity turns and rests a hoof on his shoulder, casting those ideas out as quickly as they'd entered in. "It's like I said this morning. Your friends are my friends, so don't worry about it." She gives him a reassuring smile, trying to emphasize the genuinity of her statement.

"But..." Spike looks away from her.

"Look, Spike." Rarity explains, and, taking the command literally, Spike looks back to her. "Sunset and I have a... difference or two, that needs sorting, as it were. But that has nothing to do with you or who you make friends with, got it?" She draws him into a hug, the pins sticking into his back falling to the floor in the process. "I may not have the best opinion of her right now but I know my Spikey-Wikey well enough to know he's always had good taste in friends. If you see something in her worth being friends with, I'm more than happy to give her another chance."

Spike reaches his claws up, returning the hug in what small way his short limbs are able. "Thanks for understanding Rarity." A toothy grin runs across his face, as the final remnants of his own paranoia flow free.

"Of course, Spike." She releases the hug, hooves on his shoulders. "Though, I still don't know quite what you were so worried about. If I'd had a problem with it, I would've said it when you invited them."

Spike, once again, finds his claws the most interesting thing in the room as his fingers tap together. "It's just that, I know how you can be, sometimes, Rarity..." His common earns him a very sour look from the mare in question, but his focus on his claws prevents him from noticing it. "I was just worried that I'd upset you and you just weren't saying anything before to be polite. And then, we got here, and we weren't really talking at all, and it felt really weird, so I was worried you didn't want to be my friend anymore..."

Rarity rolls her eyes at him. "Come now, Spike. Do I really seem like the kind of pony who would do something like that?"

Her question earns her a deadpan stare in reply.

"Okay, maybe you're right." She releases his shoulders and walks back to her table. "But you don't have to worry about anything like that Spike. Trust me. I wouldn't do something like that to you." She picks up her pencil again, and gets back to work. "Now! I have dresses to complete!"

"Thanks, Rarity." Spike follows her, and once in range, wraps one of her forelimbs into a hug of his own, a far easier task than his attempt at reciprocating her previous one. "You're the best. I hope we can stay friends forever."

Her pencil sets back down against her desk. "Friends forever, huh?"

The moon rises into its place in the night's sky, as its light seeps through the window of Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer's room. Sunset lays on her bed, wearing her light-blue pajama cap and shirt, while Starlight Glimmer sits at the nearby table, facing Sunset, although her attention focuses instead on a rather thick book that's open in front of her. For Sunset, it's a precious sort of time, away from all things school and dueling.

Sunset stretches and yawns, then flops back against her pillow. "My pattern recognition were tingling when Spike called us over, but I'm glad I was wrong. Looks like we get another night to kick back and catch up on lost sleep, Starlight."

"You know sleep doesn't actually work that way, right, Sunset?" Starlight asks from her spot at the table, not looking up from her book.

"Shut up." Sunset grumbles, wiping at her eyes with a hoof. "You'll ruin my good vibes with negative talk like that, you know?" Sunset yawns, then nestles into her spot in bed, able to have a proper view of Starlight despite her prone position due to sleeping on the upper bunk. "So, what kind of book you got there, anyway? It looks... thick."

"Oh, it's just a textbook on complex magical theory." Starlight replies nonchalantly, holding the book up so Sunset can see the cover.

Sunset, in turn, whistles, reading the name emblazoned across the front. "Geez, Starlight. That book's even above what I'm studying, and I have advanced placement." While Sunset's long surmised that Starlight is most likely her senior in some way despite the closed-lip-ness of her in regards to her school life, seeing her dig into such a book still impresses. "So, you study magical theory, then?"

"Is it really that advanced of a title?" Starlight tilts her head, visible over the top of the book. "No, I just research this kind of stuff for fun."

Starlight's reply leaves Sunset utterly perplexed. She reads a textbook like that for 'fun'? Most people I've talked to with a passion for magical theory can't stomach that thing! Though, Sunset realizes, there's a particularly huge contradiction in the activities she's seen Starlight perform and the book she's currently digging into. Watching Starlight turn the page with her hoof is the clincher, and the question comes out almost on reflex. "You know, thinking about it, I don't think I've ever actually seen you use your magic, Starlight. How come?"

"I can't use magic." Starlight replies in her normal tone as she sets the book down. She then resumes reading.

"Wait." Sunset sits up, leaning on her front hooves, looking down at Starlight from her spot on the top bunk. She doesn't continue right away, not sure if she should ask, but the mix of concern and curiosity soon overcomes her politeness. "You... can't use magic?" Sunset asks, her tone emphasizing how alien the concept feels to her. "But you're a unicorn... did something happen?"

"No." Starlight responds plainly, without looking back up from her 'for-fun' textbook. "I just can't use it."

"But... that's..." Sunset's voice trails as she stops talking, trying to formulate her next question carefully. A unicorn that can't use magic... does that happen, even as a birth defect? I'm sure it's possible, even if I've never heard of it being the case outside of misshapen horns. Still... maybe it's... Her thoughts are interrupted by three firm knocks against their room's door. "Who could that be, at this time of night?" Sunset asks as she stretches her limbs once more. "Actually, who could that be, period? We're the only ones who live here, and we don't get visitors..."

"Don't worry, Sunset, I'll get it." Starlight assures her, even as Sunset is crossing the length of her bed. She sets the textbook open on the table and heads for the door, leaving Sunset to watch from the upper bunk. She cracks the door open, poking her head outside. "...Huh?"

"What is it, Starlight?" Sunset asks from the edge of her bed, leaning over it and craning her neck in her best attempt to see around the door. "Who's there?"

"Nopony..." Starlight throws the door open with a hoof, revealing nothing but two rectangular boxes, stacked, topped with a sealed letter. "But, there's these."

"So somepony doorknock ditched us some boxes?" Sunset shakes her head clear and jumps from the top bunk, meeting Starlight Glimmer in the doorway. "I guess we should tear that letter open and see who our secret admirer is."

"Alright, Sunset." Starlight picks the letter up with her hooves, tearing open the sealed lip without issue, and slides the contents out. Dropping the envelope, Starlight unfolds the single piece of paper contained within, and reads:

Please accept these gifts!

Proper dress attire for Spikey-Wikey's guests.

Hoof-made and free of charge!

See you Sunday! xx

Rarity

"Proper dress attire, huh?" Sunset repeats flatly, once Starlight finishes reading. "Well, I don't know if we should be flattered she went through the effort, or insulted at the way she just low-key called us uncultured." Sunset shakes her head and examines the two boxes. The first one is tagged with 'Starlight Glimmer', in an emphatic cursive writing. Sunset levitates the box with her magic, setting it beside the second, which has 'Sunset Shimmer' written across it in a similar styling.

Starlight, meanwhile, reads over the letter a second time. "Does the 'x' mean 'hug' or 'kiss'? I don't remember."

"Let's pray it means 'hug'." Sunset laughs to herself, pulling the cover off the box with her name on it. Inside, meticulously laid out, is a turquoise party dress, an extravagant type clearly of great cost - or, more aptly in this case, great care. However, Sunset's eyes are drawn almost immediately to a second letter, set atop her dress. Grabbing it with her magic, she tears the top open and pulls the paper out. She reads it once, before her excitement from the night shrivels away into an angry, crestfallen gloom, then reads it once more to be sure she's not misread:

Come to the Dueling Arena at midnight.

I'll be waiting.

See you soon! xx

Rarity

Sunset drops the letter to the floor, suppressing the urge to scream in frustration. As she turns to head back into her room, at the corner of the hallway, she sees the tall, magenta-clad figure running around the corner. A pale-violet hand waves at her playfully as it runs off, and Sunset's insides churn. Using a deep breath to maintain control, she turns, and walks back into the room. There, she throws open the closet, walking in and using her magic to shut herself inside. Now, sufficiently isolated from the world, Sunset screams.

Sunset Shimmer, her rage down to a minor boil, stands before the looming tower that contains the Dueling Arena. "She'd best be happy I didn't just come out here in my pajamas..." She grumbles, pulling out her necklace. The gem on it glows, along with the doors, and her eyes clench shut as the tell-tale creaking and scraping confirms her admittance. She steps forward, and soon finds herself in front of the tower-within-the-tower.

The stair climb to the top is now a ritual to Sunset Shimmer, somehow calming her despite all her logic saying the experience should to otherwise. Maybe this time, I can get some answers out of her on what the castle is. Between Pinkamena's reactions during our duel and what Starlight Glimmer said, it has to be important somehow. Step by step, she scales the tower, the midday sky and surrounding clouds coming into view. Following those, the light of the castle peeks over the edges of the giant platform that serves as the Dueling Arena. As she reaches the final bend of the spiral, and the castle's chandelier-light rains down on her directly, her pace slows and her head turns skyward. What are you?

Sunset Shimmer reaches the top, the Dueling Arena now stretching out before her, and passes through the archway that serves as its proper entrance. Across from her, for the second time, stands Rarity. Though, this time, Sunset feels a petty sort of pleasure in how far away Starlight Glimmer is standing, in comparison to the first time she stepped into the Dueling Arena. "So, was your plan to have all your buddies wear me down before challenging me to a rematch, Rarity?" Sunset quips, wanting to be the one to start the verbal sparring match for once. "You do seem the planning type, after all."

"Oh, of course not, Sunset Shimmer." Rarity scoffs. "If I had a choice in the matter, I would've rematched you immediately and cut this whole charade short ages ago!" Rarity puffs her mane with a hoof, holding her head high. "Don't believe I was afraid of you or something, dear."

"If you had a choice in the matter...?" Sunset's gears grind to a halt. I knew somepony else was pulling the strings, but I still thought the challenges were open, given how I challenged Rarity. Does this mean the Magic Duels are arranged, instead? Sunset decides to press for answers. "What's that supposed to mean? Does someone else set up these duels, or something?"

Rarity shrugs as her horn lights up, drawing her sword, gemstones again glistening in the light of the castle. "Me to know, you to find out, dear." Rarity answers, dismissively.

"Right." Sunset groans. "Well, can you at least tell me about that castle up there, at this point?" Sunset motions her head up, to the floating, spinning, upside-down light source of a castle above. "When I dueled Pinkamena, she sort of... made a really big deal about it, so I'm guessing it's a bit more than a trick of the lights, as you put it."

"Hmm..." Rarity ponders, turning her head up to the castle as well. "I suppose I can tell you, at this point. The castle is supposed to be home to something eternal, and I need to have it." Rarity sounds plain, unguarded, and as she stares up at the castle, a smile graces her lips.

Something eternal? Starlight Glimmer mentioned the same thing at lunch, didn't she? Sunset lets her gaze fall back down to Rarity, catching her smile, and her strange captivation with the castle itself. Seeing an opportunity to get some more information, however, Sunset presses on. "What do you mean by 'something eternal'? Do you actually have any idea what's up there?"

"No." Rarity says, turning back down to face Sunset. "I don't know what's up there. That's part of the mystery, the beauty of it, don't you think?"

Sunset smirks. "I didn't take you for the inquisitive type, Rarity."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, dear." Rarity quips, though still in her plain tone. "I'm sure you've heard the phrase, 'a diamond lasts forever', right? Well, it's a bit of a misnomer, you see. They last much longer than a pony, but diamonds, like all gemstones, eventually fade away, falling prey to the world's harsh, natural elements. Everything does, eventually. Nature's cruelest fashion trends, one might call them. Even abstract things like romance and friendship eventually fade away..." Rarity becomes wistful for a brief moment, before hardening her resolve. "So, I need to see it for myself! I need to see that eternal thing held deep in the castle, confirm its real, grasp it with my own hooves."

"That's... surprisingly philosophical." Sunset finds herself again revising her impression of Rarity. While not a pony she favors by any stretch, still, she's clearly more than looks and a sharp tongue.

While Sunset has more to say, Starlight's approach stops her. The two share a nod, and Starlight pulls the six-point star crystal from inside her dress. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." She pins it to Sunset, and the two's eyes meet. "Get her, Sunset." Starlight says in a whisper, and Sunset smirks, her gaze returning to Rarity. Starlight walks over to Rarity, repeating the ritual. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

Once the ritual is complete, Starlight retreats from Rarity, returning to Sunset's side with the tiniest bit of added haste, and resting a hoof against her shoulder.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hoof. She draws it out slowly, feeling the strange power again flow through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at Rarity. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

The moment the bells cease, Rarity rushes forward, brandishing her longsword for a thrusting strike. Sunset, however, is well-practiced at this point, sweeping the strike aside the second the Spark of Friendship transitions into her magical grip. Soon, the two weapons embroil in a fierce struggle, slashing and thrusting, ducking and weaving between the ponies, each trying to outmaneuver the other to make a strike past the other's defenses. It's a prodding dance, seeking out weaknesses in the way two unicorns normally would during a magic-based duel, simply with swords instead of spells as their medium of combat. It's something Sunset finds herself at home with, having been more than a little rough-and-tumble with her magic against other unicorns in her past.

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches, impassively.

"Something eternal, huh?!" Sunset yells over the resounding, repeated clashes of metal. "I can understand why you want something like that! But, why does it give you the right to treat Starlight Glimmer the way you did? Like she's not even a pony!"

"Why does it give me the right?" Rarity tsks as their weapons clash, Rarity's blade being knocked aside from a downward slash. "Sunset... you're still new, but maybe, someday, you'll come to understand! The Crystal Mare is no pony, but simply a tool meant to grant us alicornhood and open our way to the castle!" Again, metal strikes metal, as Rarity deflects a thrust from Sunset. "Open our path to the place that'll grant us our deepest desires! She's as much of a pony as a sewing needle is!"

"That's all she is to you? A tool?!" Their weapons clash once more, this time locking into a struggle as Sunset's and Rarity's magics press against one another, swords as their medium. "Starlight has her own interests, her own thoughts, and her own feelings! I know I don't understand everything about these Magic Duels, but as far as I'm concerned, that makes her as much of a pony as either of us!"

Sunset presses her magic, forcing Rarity back, both pony and sword. However, soon the shoe is on the other hoof, and Rarity presses in turn, soon leading the two ponies into a deadlock. "Do you really believe that, Sunset Shimmer? You know you're the Champion of the Duels, right? Surely, the Crystal Mare told you that she'd do whatever you wanted!" Rarity's magic glows a brilliant cornflower, forcing Sunset to step back once, then twice, as the pressure against the Spark of Friendship becomes too much. "Understand, Sunset Shimmer! The Crystal Mare is just a mirror! Just like her skin reflects your face, her heart simply reflects your own desires for her! How can you truly say all those interests and feelings of hers aren't there just because you want them to be?!"

Sunset's magic falters at the accusation, allowing Rarity to gain even more ground. Starlight Glimmer... a mirror? Sunset finds herself now being the one forced back, the raw force behind Rarity's strikes leaving her barely able to deflect them. Her horn throbs from exertion, but in the new quagmire of thoughts she's entertaining, she barely notices. Only doing things... because I want her to? It's a thought that, normally, Sunset would dismiss as crazy out-of-hoof, but here, as swords clash and two mares fight over an unknown prize supposedly kept inside an upside down castle, Rarity's words find an unusual purchase inside Sunset.

Starlight Glimmer's eyes become hollow, turning down to the Dueling Arena floor.

Sensing her advantage, Rarity goes further. "I see you're starting to understand now, Sunset Shimmer! Even your own friendship to her is just a sham, enabled by your current status as Champion!" A sweeping strike knocks the Spark of Friendship straight from Sunset's grasp, sending it clattering along the Dueling Arena floor behind her. "Once I defeat you, it'll evaporate in a single command! Gone, just like everything else in this pitiful world!"

Sunset scrambles back, diving and rolling as Rarity's sword thrusts down, breaking into the Dueling Arena floor, dangerously close to Sunset's side. Her eyes dart around, soon finding the Spark of Friendship, and she dives for it, scooping it up in her hooves and rolling as hairs from her tail flutter off into the air. The time she cooked lunch for Spike and I... her trips with Fluttershy... even agreeing to go to that party for Spike... had she done all of them because I asked? Sunset's heart races, and her body feels Rarity's impeding attack, but her mind won't let her move.

'Get her, Sunset.' Three simple words, uttered by Starlight Glimmer as she pinned the crystal to Sunset Shimmer's chest, stick themselves into her mind.

A small flicker enters the eyes of Starlight Glimmer, as she resumes watching the duel, head slowly rising once more.

During other Magic Duels, Starlight had said something supportive, like 'good luck', but this time... It causes Sunset to dig deeper, remembering the time Starlight had tackled her during her first duel with Rarity, offering her the Spark of Friendship she now holds. Her hooves clench, as she digs further still, until she finds what she needs. When I asked Starlight about what she does on weekends, she told me about her visits to the Headmaster. But, she wouldn't tell anypony else, even Spike... despite them all being Elements of Harmony, and Duelists, who should all know she leaves on weekends, which means...

"Now, Sunset Shimmer, the Crystal Mare is mine!"

Her secret. She shared it only with me! It's the smallest scrap of proof, but for Sunset, it's all she needs to raise the Spark of Friendship in her hooves, blocking Rarity's strike with everything her body can give, even as she topples back against the floor of the Dueling Arena. Her horn glows, adding to her magical strength to her physical as she pushes Rarity back, rolling onto her stomach and pulling herself up on three, shaky legs. "You're wrong, Rarity!" Sunset swings, striking Rarity's longsword with enough force to cause her horn to spark, sending it clattering to the ground in front of her. "When you were the Champion, Starlight still entrusted this Spark to me, not you! Even if you're right... even if she's mostly just mirroring whatever I want, due to whatever messed up rules preside over these Magic Duels... I've seen all the evidence I need to know there's still a pony, deep down in there! All the evidence I need to see to know you're wrong!"

Starlight Glimmer's eyes widen, as a bright, magenta light reflects off her crystal sheen.

The gemstone of Sunset Shimmer's necklace glows, alongside the pommel of her sword. Above them, the light of the castle brightens, flooding the Dueling Arena with intense, artificial light. Power floods Sunset's body as wings snap open. Of its own accord, her body lunges forward, the inequine speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. Her right hoof extends, amber magic enveloping her body, target true. Rarity scrambles, grabbing her longsword in hoof, raising it in a final attempt to deflect the strike she already knows is coming. The Spark of Friendship impacts the tip of Rarity's longsword, bending and snapping it easily, the force flinging the hilt from Rarity's grasp.

With one thrust, crystal shatters.

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and Rarity.

Sunset's pulse races through her ears, breathing ragged as she wobbles in place, nearly as drained as she was from her first match against Rarity, fighting to stay on hoof. "Do you understand now, Rarity?" The wings and magic disappear in a twinkle of magenta, as fleeting as anything Rarity rallied herself against.

"I... I think I understand clearly." Rarity replies, pulling herself up on her own, shaky hooves. Silence falls between the mares as Rarity turns, leaving the Dueling Arena.

Duel Six: Loyalty.

The morning sun hangs over Friendship Academy as Sunset Shimmer rests against a second-floor window, looking out to the ground below. After finding her morning class cancelled, Sunset Shimmer now lounges in one of the hallways surrounding the Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony. Below her, Starlight Glimmer tends to the Tree of Harmony, while Sunset admires the glittering bits of rainbow color in the crystals of the Tree of Harmony, an effect caused by the normal light-reflecting effects of the Tree of Harmony's branches combined with the morning dew. While, normally, she would be on the lower level with Starlight during an off-time like this, Sunset decides to leave her to her own devices for a change, and herself relax on her own terms. With most other students of the Academy not as fortunate as her, it's an easy task, as the halls are mostly empty, especially near the Tree of Harmony.

Those terms of Sunset's, however, find themselves violated when a pair of blue hooves appear next to Sunset's own amber ones, a second pony resting on the windowsill now. Sunset gazes sidelong at her new window-partner, immediately filling with dread. A blue coat, rainbow mane, and red Element of Harmony uniform greet Sunset Shimmer - Rainbow Dash, the one mare whose presence Sunset Shimmer has been dreading since she defeated Rarity. The final pony of the Elements of Harmony, or so she assumes, in line to challenge her over Starlight Glimmer, the Crystal Mare. There's an uncomfortable moment of silence between the two, causing Sunset to turn her eyes back on the Tree of Harmony, and Starlight below it, in the hopes that this is possibly some morning ritual of the other mare's and the entire situation is just circumstance.

"Yo." The simple greeting from Rainbow Dash does plenty to diffuse that thought. However, it's low, and unenthused, not the kind of greeting Sunset Shimmer expects from the pony she's learned is Friendship Academy's star athlete, who finished her most recent game by being carried off the field by her teammates, exclaiming her own awesomeness.

Sunset, however, pushes those thoughts aside and sighs. While Rainbow Dash violates her expectations, she doesn't truly know the mare, so she can't say for sure how aberrant her behavior actually may be. "Rainbow Dash, right?" She asks, instead, having a good idea where this conversation may lead. "I've been wondering when you'd show up."

"I guess there's no need for introductions then, huh, Sunset Shimmer?" Rainbow Dash asks in reply. Neither mare faces the other, both choosing to look out the window, and down at Starlight Glimmer and the Tree of Harmony, instead.

"I guess not." Sunset agrees, and decides she wants to get right to the meat of the matter between herself and Rainbow Dash. "Let me guess, this is about another one of those Magic Duels, isn't it?"

"You could say that." Rainbow nods, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a letter. It's still unopened, sealed with the ubiquitous, six-point, magenta star. "It's my turn, from the looks of it." Unlike all the other ponies so far, it's a fact Rainbow Dash doesn't seem particularly happy with. Despite holding out the letter and talking to Sunset, however, Rainbow's eyes still remain on the Tree of Harmony below.

"That letter..." Sunset turns reflexively at Rainbow Dash's rustling, and spots the letter, and the mark that seals it. "Is that letter from the pony that orchestrates this whole mess with Starlight Glimmer and the Magic Duels?"

"They call themselves End of the World, whatever that's supposed to mean." Rainbow Dash grins to herself, the second half of her sentence dripping with sarcasm. "But, I guess that confirms you're not getting any letters of your own. We've been wondering about that."

Sunset rolls her eyes and returns to looking out the window, staring down at Starlight Glimmer again. "It sounds like you don't know much about them, either. Why follow their instructions about these dumb duels, in that case?" It's possibly the question that's taunted Sunset Shimmer the most - why? She knows each of the Elements of Harmony has their own reasons for wanting whatever this ringleader, this 'End of the World', is offering, but she's yet to understand how they can trust somepony that offers such lofty rewards to them.

Rainbow decides to answer the question with another question. "Do you know why everypony in our group is obsessed with the Crystal Mare?"

At first, Sunset feels like she's had the same question turned back on her, but catches herself from shoving her hoof into her mouth. Wait. Starlight Glimmer asked me the same question last week, didn't she? It's then she thinks she understands Rainbow Dash's meaning behind the question, or at least that her meaning must be the same as Starlight Glimmer's. "Hm." Sunset thinks, lining up the bits and pieces of what she knows in her head. "With the bits and pieces I've been able to understand... it sounds like somehow, you all believe Starlight Glimmer will be able to make the winner of the dueling game an alicorn, that will have some kind of crazy power and be able to reach whatever exists inside that castle. Something about light and eternal things, and I remember something about miracles and revolution..."

Below her, Starlight Glimmer turns up to look at the duo in the window, and waves at Sunset Shimmer, a small smile on her lips. Sunset returns the gesture, and Starlight Glimmer begins making her way back inside the Academy.

"Sounds like you're a good listener, then." Rainbow Dash laughs to herself. "Though, it's all a bit unbelievable, isn't it?" With her question, Rainbow Dash turns to Sunset, waiting for Sunset to face her again before continuing. "Whoever controls the Crystal Mare is able to ascend to alicornhood and gain this crazy, miraculous power. It's supposed to let you revolutionize the entire world however you see fit. At least, that's what End of the World says. We didn't believe it at first, but you've seen the castle for yourself, and even drawn the sword from the Crystal Mare. We'd thought even End of the World was pulling our collective leg when they mentioned that one to us, originally."

"So, what?" Sunset asks, amused. "Are you trying to say I have that crazy, miraculous power now?" This time, it's her turn to laugh to herself. "A miracle would be a nice way to fix my grades. All this late-night dueling game stuff has been cutting into my sleep and messing up my tests."

"Heh." Rainbow Dash rubs the back of her head with a hoof, giving Sunset a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that."

Sunset locks eyes with her, deadpan. "If you're so sorry, then just stop challenging me to them in the first place."

"You know, you're right." Rainbow Dash drops from the windowsill, returning to all fours, facing Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, meanwhile, is wide-eyed. Something she'd intended as a smart quip seems to somehow be making Rainbow Dash actually not duel her. "This whole dueling game is pretty stupid. Eternal things, miracles, a power that can revolutionize the world... none of that stuff can really exist, can it?" Rainbow Dash gives something Sunset can only guess is meant to be a friendly smile, but it's one size too small.

"Uh..." Sunset stays completely still for a moment, mouth agape, front half still leaning out the window. She keeps her eye contact with Rainbow Dash, stunned. "I guess it couldn't. Glad we're on the same page, I guess?"

"Sure is!" Rainbow Dash sets off, off to presumably her next class, and gives Sunset a hard slap on the back on her way past, sending the latter mare's top half toppling out the window, forelimbs flailing. "Later, Shimmer!"

"Ack!" Sunset's chest impacting the windowsill winds her, as her forelegs desperately hunt for any purchase they can find to pull her back up. Soon, however, something grabs the scruff of Sunset's uniform, pulling her back into the safety of the hallway.

Sunset turns her head to her savior, to meet the crystal-glazed eyes of Starlight Glimmer. She giggles at Sunset's misfortune as she steps back, and Sunset leans against the window, taking deep breaths of air. "Come now, Sunset. If you keep acting like that, you're going to be late for your next class."

"Phew..." Sunset takes a breath. "Thanks for the save, Starlight." She steadies herself, hooves now all on solid crystal. "Wait, it's already time for our next classes?" Sunset's eyes hit a mild panic as she realizes just how far away from that location she is.

"Yes, Sunset." Starlight's head tilts. "Did you lose track of time looking at the pretty lighting effects the Tree of Harmony can make? I do that, sometimes..."

Sunset reaches a hoof up, scratching behind her ear. "I guess I must have. Where's your second class at anyway, Starlight? Maybe we can walk together."

"Oh." Starlight looks away, out the window, toward the Tree of Harmony. "It's... around here. You, Sunset?"

"Darn." Sunset curses to herself. "Mine is clear across the campus." She turns, angling herself down the correct hallway, giving a wave of her hoof. "See you later, Starlight!"

"See you later, Sunset."

Later, and elsewhere...

A small cassette player sits on the edge of a round table, surrounded by five chairs. In each sits a pony, their five colored jackets contrasting the white crystal of the balcony. A blue hoof reaches out, pressing the play button. The action itself constitutes a ritual between the gathered five. A six-point star emblazoned on the player's front glows a soft magenta as the tape begins to turn.

"If it cannot smash its egg's shell, a chick will die without ever truly being born."

In between the five stands a tower of rectangular, wooden blocks, stacked in groups of three. Each row of blocks is a different color - red, orange, pink, blue, and purple, from the bottom up, repeating all the way to the top.

"Looks like I'm out, too." Rarity mutters to herself as she takes the first turn, pulling one of the red blocks from the middle of the pile, careful not to disturb the others. "That Sunset Shimmer... I think Pinkamena was wrong. It's definitely more than just the sword." Gently, Rarity places the block on top of the stack.

"Got a theory you want to share with us, Rares?" Applejack asks, tugging out one of the red blocks as well, but from the topmost possible row, placing it next to Rarity's.

Rarity shrugs, and lets out a sigh. "Not particularly."

Fluttershy moves next, also pulling out one of the red blocks, but from the bottom row. "So, looks like you're the only one left, Rainbow Dash..." Soon, that block is next to the others at the top. Her gaze drifts slowly to Rainbow Dash, who sits slumped in her chair.

"Yeah, and you were hitting it off real good with Sunset Shimmer." Pinkamena comments, her tone still empty and distant as she plucks yet another red piece, adding it to the ever-growing top pile.

"So, you gonna fight her, RD?" Applejack asks, leaning forward, resting her hooves on the table, green eyes resting on the usually-boisterous mare.

In front of Rainbow Dash is the envelope that she showed Sunset Shimmer that morning. Now, however, the seal of it is broken, its contents read. "Don't know." Rainbow Dash replies flatly, taking her own turn. Yet again, another red block finds its way to the top, and the tower begins looking particularly precarious.

Pinkamena looks at her sidelong, looking nearly betrayed. The tiniest bit of her usual anger returns to her voice, but even then, it sounds distant and forced. "Don't you get what's at stake, Rainbow Dash? You can't just not participate. If you're not going to do it, I'll-"

"Miraculous power, right?" Rainbow interrupts, laughing to herself. "Maybe I can use it to fix my grades." She slumps herself over the front of the table, bored and disinterested as her face rests in her hooves. Somehow, the act doesn't knock over the tower of blocks.

"You could just study for that, dear." Rarity quips, doing her part to make the red blocks that exist everywhere besides the top of the tower a further-endangered species, the structure beginning to wobble. "It's not like you're a dim pony, Rainbow Dash. You just need to put some effort in."

"You know, RD." Applejack pulls out another piece, again red, moving it to the top. "If you're so disinterested in all this, why'd you bother agreeing with Rarity when Fluttershy wanted us to stop all this in the first place?"

"Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy's eyes meet with hers as a yellow hoof slides out another block, the lone orange block to sit atop the building pile of red. Rainbow Dash turns her gaze down to the open letter in front of her as Fluttershy places the block on top of the stack. In the center of the table, the tower begins to look like a microcosm for a miracle in its own right, its structural integrity almost completely gone.

"No answer for that?" Pinkamena pulls her block, returning to the tradition of removing the red blocks from the tower. As she sets it on top, the tower teeters one way, then the other, structurally unsound in at nearly every point consisting of red blocks, with the very base only having one block left.

Without looking up from her letter, Rainbow Dash roughly tugs out the last red piece from the bottom of the block tower, sending the entire structure tumbling down. "Oops."

The noon sun hangs high in the sky above Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer, the duo again sitting beneath one of the trees on the outer campus for lunch. While they don't make the trek daily, it's often enough that both their own group and others in the same lunch window have begun thinking of that tree as 'their' tree. This, like many of the other days they make the walk this far out, is a day where the crystal structures of Friendship Academy feel too restrictive for them. However, unlike many of those other days, an uncommon event occurs twice in this same week, with one member of their group missing from their traditional lunchtime gathering...

"Spike's late again. Twice in the same week?" Sunset groans to herself as she turns her head up. The sun, possibly due to Sunset's namesake, is always something that comforts her, and she often finds herself gazing up towards it or enjoying its warmth when alone and away from the campus' crystals.

"Maybe he's with Rarity?" Starlight offers as she lays out her blanket beneath the tree. The group, after her previous attempt to contribute to the food ritual, decided to have her instead always bring the blanket for picnicking days, as hers is far more comfortable than either Sunset's or Spike's.

"Either that, or he forgot we agreed to Picnic Fridays and went to the tables." Sunset flops herself onto the comfort of the blanket, claiming the portion in the most direct sunlight. "I'm really hoping it's the forgetting one and not the going with Rarity one. It's his turn to bring the food, today!" Sunset's stomach grumbles as she finishes her sentence, a physiological protest against the idea of not getting lunch.

"We can always go back to the dorm if you're worried about something like that, Sunset." Starlight leans against the tree's trunk, looking down as she smooths down the pieces of blanket at her hooves. "I'd be happy to make us some lunch, if you like."

"Yeah..." Sunset fails to hide her skepticism at that suggestion. Her body shudders, remembering the terrifying burning of the macaroni pie, from a pepper far and beyond anything she'd ever experienced on the spiciness scale. A second journey down the path of Starlight Glimmer's cooking preferences is still far removed from anything Sunset is willing to try and experience, even for the sake of bonding between friends. "Let's wait for Spike a bit more, Starlight."

"Okay, Sunset."

Sunset stretches her legs and rests her eyes, blocking out everything but the chirping of the birds in the tree above. It's a simple, quiet thing, and Sunset soon finds herself entirely relaxed. Ditching lunch to nap, this is something I should've considered before... Sunset sighs contently, Spike's location now the furthest thing from her mind, her body even stopping its own protests about the lack of food...

That is, until something begins shaking her shoulder, pulling her out of her personal paradise.

"What?" She barks out, irritably and more aggressively than she realizes.

"Oh, um, sorry... I didn't realize you were..." The voice is quiet, soft, and far more feminine than the voice of the dragon Sunset expects to hear and immediately grill for both being horribly late and daring to ruin her relaxation.

Sunset rolls over, rubbing her eyes clear with a hoof. Blinking, she sees a pink mane frame a yellow-furred face, a combination that's easily recognizable. "Fluttershy...? What are you doing here?"

The yellow mare is about half a blanket away from Sunset now, having backed away during her outburst. "Oh! Um! Well, you see, I was just wondering if you and Starlight wouldn't mind sharing some lunch today." Her head dips down, hiding her face behind her mane. "I was hoping we could talk a bit, if that's not too much to ask..."

Sunset shakes her head clear and sits up. Feeling a bit guilty over her outburst now, Sunset feels like she can't do anything but accept the request. "Sure, I guess... but Spike was supposed to be bringing lunch, today, and he's still not here." Sunset groans internally. Great, no sleep, and no food.

"You don't need to worry about that." Fluttershy says, looking quite a bit more friendly now. It's at this point that Sunset notices the basket sitting on the blanket beside her. "I... might have told Spike that you and Starlight had plans with me and sent him to spend lunch with Rarity..." She presses her hooves together in front of her nervously. "Heh, heh... please don't be mad!"

"...Wait, you did what?" Sunset gets to her hooves now, leaning in to scrutinize Fluttershy. She's suspicious, but holds back her temper the best she can, not feeling comfortable unleashing it on the timid mare even if the two have dueled in the past. "Okay, you better have a good reason for that, and that good reason better not involve me climbing a tower at midnight, or so help me-"

"I mean it!" Fluttershy's earnest smile disarms Sunset almost immediately. "I just want to talk... besides, you already know Rainbow Dash got the next letter, don't you?" Pointing out that fact does plenty to derail Sunset's suspicions in this meeting being related to the Magic Duels, at least directly.

How does she know I've seen Rainbow Dash's letter, though? Sunset takes a deep breath. "Yeah, guess you're right, there." Sunset allows herself to relax again, sitting next to Fluttershy on the blanket. "So, what else could be so important you'd send Spike off somewhere else to talk about it?" Of all the Elements of Harmony, Fluttershy is the only one Sunset can come close to calling a 'friend', so the closeness doesn't bother her much.

"Well, actually, it's..." Fluttershy trails off, turning away from Sunset and gazing over the fields. After a moment, she spots something, and motions her head for Sunset to look as well.

"...Rainbow Dash?" Sunset asks in reply. From their seat beneath the tree, they can see Rainbow Dash in the distance, traveling between the Academy and one of the sports fields. Around her are a number of what Sunset surmises must be either friends or teammates. Despite being much too far away to hear anything, their conversation is clearly animated, as Rainbow Dash flies overhead and boxes the air.

"Yeah." Fluttershy nods. "She looks pretty lonely, doesn't she?"

"Lonely?" Sunset tilts her head, a habit she's picked up from Starlight Glimmer. "Looks the opposite of that, to me."

"She hides it pretty well." Fluttershy replies, wistfully. "But, really, she's just going through the motions. Her and I have been friends since we were fillies. It's been a long time since I've seen her really be friends with anypony else." It's the kind of confession that catches Sunset Shimmer entirely off-guard. While 'tentative friends' is, again, a label she's okay with, there's no way Sunset feels they share the kind of closeness required for her to be comfortable confiding something like that to her.

"Hold on." Sunset turns to Fluttershy. While a bit uncomfortable at the confession itself, one piece of it sticks out to Sunset Shimmer above the rest, feeling just a tiny bit off. "Aren't all you Elements of Harmony friends? How can you say you haven't seen her be friends with anypony else if you both have three other ponies you're friends with?"

"It's... a bit more complicated than that." Fluttershy admits. Her eyes turn to the ground, staring intently at her hooves as she smooths out the blanket below her, similarly to Starlight earlier. "But, that's not important right now."

"Then, what is?" Sunset asks, bluntly. She feels like Fluttershy is twisting and turning her around whatever point there is to suddenly telling her all these things, and it's not something she can deal with much longer. The twisting and turning with Starlight Glimmer and the Magic Duels is enough for her.

Fluttershy closes her eyes, breathing deeply to steady herself before turning and locking eyes with Sunset Shimmer. Her mane rests away from her face, and her eyes are strong and determined, the same look Sunset remembers Fluttershy giving her just before two dueled. "I want you to provoke Rainbow Dash into dueling you."

"You want me to what?!" Sunset asks in disbelief. "Why would I possibly want to do that? I hate these things, and now you want me to willingly participate in one after pissing my opponent off? My opponent that, may I remind you, has given me the grace of not wanting to duel me! Besides..." Sunset leans in to Fluttershy, contradictory ideas turning over in her head. "I thought you hated these duels almost as much as I did?"

"I did - I do! But..." Fluttershy's determination collapses as she turns back to watch Rainbow Dash again. "When Rainbow Dash and I were fillies, we'd get bullied a lot. And by that, I mean, I'd get bullied a lot, and Rainbow Dash would stick up for me. She could've easily been one of them and popular herself, but she chose to be my friend, instead..."

Fluttershy's voice trails off as her eyes unfocus, clearly lost in some memory, and Sunset's own trail between Fluttershy and Starlight Glimmer. The latter now lays on her side in the shade, napping peacefully. Looks like she followed my example before Fluttershy showed up. Sunset smiles, amused. Then, that smile falters.

"The Crystal Mare is just a mirror!"

The sentence sticks with Sunset, even after defeating Rarity. It's been making her question every activity Starlight undergoes with her since the Magic Duel. Is she napping because she wants to, or because I was napping before Fluttershy showed up?

"Yeah." Fluttershy's voice snaps Sunset's attention back to her. "The end result of her sticking up for me was the two of us being outcasts together for the longest time. Rainbow Dash has basically treated me like her little sister, despite the fact I'm technically the older one." Fluttershy draws a long breath, an act Sunset's all too familiar with on her own terms, though the shudder in Fluttershy's frame shows its to temper a different emotion.

"I see..." Sunset nods. She looks to Fluttershy sympathetically, having an urge to comfort her, but not sure what kind of action is appropriate between the two of them. "Rainbow Dash sounds like a good friend."

"She is." Fluttershy replies. "But, Rainbow Dash has built up walls around herself, and never lets anypony else in because of it. By the time other ponies started trying to approach us again, she would simply brush them aside. She's turned herself into an island, even if for stuff like the sports team she pretends to be outgoing and charismatic." Fluttershy sighs. "And it's all my fault."

Sunset finally decides to at least do something, and rests her hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. She doesn't think it's the gesture Fluttershy really needs right now, but she's afraid to accidentally offend the mare with anything greater. "Come on, that's not true."

"It is." Fluttershy protest softly. "When I first joined the duels, I wanted the miracle the letters talked about to somehow help Rainbow Dash be able to get close with ponies again. But, I soon learned I didn't have the ability to win a Magic Duel. The time we fought was only the second time I ever dueled, you know? The idea of Starlight Glimmer I had in my head reminded me of myself, and... well, I guess part of me was hoping I could swoop in and be her own Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy smirks to herself. "Silly, I know."

"I understand, I think..." Sunset gives a comforting smile to the mare she's sharing the picnic blanket with. "And now you're thinking if I can get her to fight for whatever crazy miracle power you all think Starlight Glimmer has for herself, it might help her somehow?" It's a confusing train of logic that Sunset can't find herself understanding, but she guesses part of it may have to do with those letters or some other element she may not be aware of.

"Maybe? I don't really know, Sunset." Fluttershy admits, shaking her head. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything... It's just that, I just don't know what else to do, at this point. I can't win on my own, and if Rainbow Dash decides it's not worth even trying at all, then..."

Sunset sighs, resigning herself to her fate. Some day, I'll get myself over this being a good pony thing, so I can stop getting in these idiotic situations. She gives Fluttershy's shoulder an affirming squeeze. "I think I get it, Fluttershy. I don't see how it'll help at all, but... I'll see what I can do." Fluttershy's face instantly brightens at her words. "But for now, let's eat before the next set of classes start, I'm famished."

Rainbow Dash makes her trek back to the Academy from the sports field, glazed over in a new coat of sweat after a hard-fought practice game. The burn in her muscles that accompanies such a struggle is something she always relishes in, and serves as the main reason she walks back to class after such sessions instead of flying. While the warm sun and open air are enough to always tempt her skyward, there's just something enjoyable to her about walking off a good leg workout. The crystal path is firm beneath her hooves, and the buildings rise up in front of her, only the sparsest bits of nature at her back. She closes her eyes, drawing in a long breath, taking a final taste of the natural air before being confined to the muffling Academy buildings, and in the process, finds herself walking headlong into another student.

"Oh, sorry about that!" She apologizes, snapping her eyes back open to find herself across from a griffon, with a brown body and white feathers, tipped pinkish-purple. "Oh... it's you." Her apologetic tone quickly turns cold.

"Yeah... me." The griffon replies gruffly, just as cold as Rainbow Dash. "I have a name, you know. Or, is remembering that not worth it to you anymore, either?"

"Let's not start, Gilda." Rainbow Dash says, walking around her, Gilda making no motion to impede her.

"I've heard you run with that Lighting Dust mare these days." Gilda says, not turning to face Rainbow Dash, the two essentially standing back to back. "There's buzz about her almost being as good as you are at basically everything."

"Well, there's a lot of things you can hear around this campus, Gilda." Rainbow Dash replies, just as happy to keep their current arrangement as Gilda. "It doesn't mean any of those things are true, though."

"About Lightning Dust's ability, or about you being buddy-buddy with her?"

"Figure it out." Rainbow Dash's wings flare, burning limbs now replaced by a foul temper, removing any point to the walk as she takes to the sky. It's only a short distance to her next class, now, but her speed in the air is a legend around the Academy for good reason, so she takes her time to twist and turn around the Academy's architecture to burn off her excess energy.

On the path, a lone griffon stands still.

Sunset Shimmer waits on one of the paths leading out of the Academy, one that's a straight line from a specific sports field, directly to the Magic Dormitory and in turn, apparently, the Harmony Building, at Fluttershy's recommendation. The sun hangs low in the sky now. Starlight Glimmer had offered to wait with her, but Sunset decided it would be better to handle this task on her own. Without a concrete plan in mind for what she's about to do, she feels it best to attempt it alone, should the situation go off the rails.

Provoke Rainbow Dash into a Magic Duel... why did I agree to do this?

Sunset groans in annoyance. Classes ended long ago, and in another situation, Sunset would be lying comfortably in her bed, in her room, in her dormitory, long before now, while Starlight Glimmer digs further into one of her 'for-fun' textbooks. Instead, however, Sunset stands here, awaiting this mare that she now realizes can easily choose to fly home instead, leaving the entire exercise for naught.

She jumps, as something taps at her shoulder once from behind, soft and warm. "Don't turn around." A girl's voice says into her ear. She can feel her, breathing onto the tips of her ears from above. She has to be tall - much taller than Sunset Shimmer, at least. Is it the girl in the magenta uniform? Suppressing her instinct to whirl around and lash out with magic at a potential aggressor, Sunset remains still. Her better judgment finds her to be thoroughly idiotic, but it's currently being overruled by her burning need for answers.

"You're pretty adorable as a pony, Sunset." The voice says, playfully.

"What do you want?" Sunset asks, not liking the idea of being toyed with. "You always seem to appear right before I get challenged to one of these Magic Duels. Who are you, anyway? End of the World?"

"Who would name themselves something silly like that?" She quips. "We'll get to have a proper meeting again sometime, Sunset Shimmer."

"Again? I've never met you before, whatever you are."

"Oh, Sunset..." The voice pauses. "Your company's here. I know we'll meet again eventually, Sunset Shimmer. I know you'll be able to get far."

Behind Sunset, leaves rustle as steps retreat. The urge to turn and peek at the accosting figure is overridden by the approach of Rainbow Dash, traveling the path back to the Harmony Building at a leisurely pace. And, just as Fluttershy assured Sunset she would be, Rainbow Dash is alone. It makes me wonder if Fluttershy set this up on Rainbow's end as well... it's almost too perfect. Sunset steels her nerves, deciding there's no time like the present to call out and wave, walking up herself to close the distance. "Hey! Rainbow Dash!"

"Yo!" Rainbow calls out as Sunset approaches. "This is new." She shoots Sunset a confident smirk. "Don't tell me you have a thing for me, now. I get enough ponies stalking my path home to give me sentimental junk like that without you adding yourself to the pile, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset rolls her eyes. "You wish."

Rainbow shrugs. "So, what'cha need? I haven't challenged you to a duel or anything, so it can't be related to that."

"That's the thing." Sunset diverts her eyes to the ground and puts on her game face, still not entirely believing the path she's set herself on. Though, now that she's told Fluttershy she'd try, she intends to, and she knows the appearance of the magenta-clad figure seems to always precede her being dragged into a Magic Duel one way or another, anyway. "I don't see why you haven't. I mean, you're the last one, right? Why not duel?"

"And here I figured you'd be pleased, Shimmer." Now it's Rainbow's turn to give her the eye-roll. "Why should I duel in the first place? We both agreed there's no point in it."

"Yeah, but..." Sunset trails off, trying to think on her hooves. "It's just weird, you know? I can't imagine you being part of that group if you don't have a reason to follow those letters. Everypony else that dueled me had a reason they thought was important enough to jump into a giant, psychedelic Dueling Arena, that's up some stairs, at the top of a tower, that's inside another tower, that's under an upside-down, floating castle that spins. That's not the kind of thing you do because you need some fresh milk or are mad over somepony not returning your notebook. If you've agreed to it before, I have to imagine you also have some reason to be doing it that you think is important." She further emphasizes her inquiry by pulling out her six-point star pendant, making a bit of a dirty play by hoping the sight of one of the gems with jog some kind of memory inside Rainbow Dash.

"Well, what about you?" Rainbow Dash asks back. "I get you fight the duels because you feel the need to protect the Crystal Mare, but why do you even have that necklace? You don't correspond with End of the World, or know anything about the Magic Duels you didn't learn from us." Rainbow takes the time to give Sunset herself a once-over. "Heck, why do you even wear that uniform, even? That's a pretty curious fashion statement, you know. It's pretty much like deciding your coat is too good at keeping you warm so you're gonna rip some strips in it."

"The necklace..." Sunset looks down at it, the question leaving her nostalgic. "You may not believe me, and to be honest, I barely remember it, myself. But, a long time ago, I met a real alicorn." It's not something Sunset remembers clearly - her colors, her voice, her looks, most of it is gone, faded into time long past. However, the silhouette, the fact that the mare indeed was an alicorn - a pony with both horn and wing - is something that sticks with Sunset, as strong as ever.

Rainbow Dash whistles, long and drawn-out. "You're right, I don't believe you. Meeting an alicorn? You might as well tell me you met the toothsprite. And here I was thinking we were on the same page, Sunset Shimmer."

"Well, I did, at a time when I was in a very dark, very lonely place. Isolated, misguided, and quite the miserable pony to behold, I'm sure." Sunset keeps her gaze on her necklace, imagining her feeling now isn't unlike what Fluttershy had felt earlier that day. "I barely remember it now, but she had saved me, and told me, as she put it, that the Magic of Friendship exists everywhere, and all I needed to do was seek it out. I remember her and I stayed in contact for a long time, but one day, she gave me this necklace and disappeared. I've been trying to find her, following the traces of where these necklaces originate from... and that lead me here, to Friendship Academy."

"That's quite a story." Rainbow Dash comments once Sunset finishes. "But, why the uniform? Is it meant to be alicorn roleplay?" She smirks, leaning in teasingly to Sunset. "Or, do you just like the added ventilation?"

"Why not both?" Sunset quips back, not willing to let Rainbow Dash one-up her in a game of verbal jabs.

Rainbow Dash snickers, then stops walking, prompting Sunset Shimmer to turn and face her. "Listen to me, Sunset Shimmer. You seem like an okay pony. You should take off that necklace, forget about the Crystal Mare, and leave this Academy. I know you think you're chasing some alicorn you've convinced yourself you've met as a foal or something, but... whatever pony gave you the necklace has played a cruel joke on you. If you don't have something to fight for like the rest of us do, you're bound to eventually get yourself hurt and have nothing to show for it."

"It's a bit late for that." Sunset retorts, now on the back-hoof. "Starlight Glimmer is my friend, now. I don't care what kind of crazy stuff goes on at this Academy, but I'm not abandoning her to this mess by herself, no matter how over my head you might think I am."

"Heh." Rainbow scrapes one of her hooves across the ground. "That resolve something your imaginary alicorn friend left you with, too? I'd appreciate that spunk on the field, but it's foolish to have it here."

"Maybe." Sunset locks eyes with her, matching her hoof-motion with one of her own. "You're not that different, though, are you?" Sunset asks, thinking she might have found the right nerve to press. "After all, just look at you and Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash's expression turns grim as her eyes narrow. "And what do you know about that?" It's a simple question, threatening in tone, that would wilt a lesser girl from her path.

"Enough." Sunset, however, isn't another girl. She allows her own expression to mimic Rainbow Dash's, as she begins spinning a yarn to reel her in now that she thinks she's successfully landed the hook. "I doubt you think I came to you first to ask about this? Starlight and Fluttershy hang out plenty, after all." Inside, Sunset feels dirty, digging up old tactics that've gone unused for so long they may as well have physical cobwebs on them despite being abstract ideas. "It was easy enough for me to get her alone and probe her about you until she divulged every teeny, tiny thing to me. You may as well call our talk here fact checking, instead of something actually inquisitive."

Rainbow Dash stomps, raising her head high as she glares at Sunset Shimmer. "You want to duel so badly? Fine! Midnight it is! Alicorns, miracles, I'll show you just how junk all those things really are so you'll take off that stupid necklace and leave!" A rage-filled snort escapes Rainbow Dash's muzzle. "I've misjudged you once, but it won't be happening again!"

Rainbow Dash's wings flare as she takes off into the sky, a multi-color contrail illuminating her flight path behind her. Part of Sunset Shimmer shivers at the twisting lies she delivered to provoke her, especially without having a proper clue of what she's actually just implied to get Rainbow Dash so angry. However, another part of her, buried deep under the Sunset Shimmer that she's grown herself into being, feels gleeful at the fight to come.

The conflicting emotions stay with Sunset Shimmer as midnight comes, and she looks up to the tower, guilt and excitement churning to make a particular pit in Sunset's stomach. Neither, however, prevent her from pulling her necklace free of her uniform, eyes squinting against the light of the doors as they part way for her. The excitement, Sunset justifies, is her need to give Rainbow Dash comeuppance for her willingness to so readily dismiss and prod at the memory that brought Sunset to this Academy in the first place. With a long breath, she steps forward, entering the tower.

The tower-in-the-tower and its winding staircase truly are ritual for Sunset Shimmer at this point, her body taking them mechanically. The outer tower makes way for clear, blue midday skies, and the swirling cloud cover that Sunset finds a customary backdrop of the Dueling Arena. The light of the castle peeks out around the edges of the staircase, bathing Sunset true at the final spiral where the chandelier-like castle comes into full view. The archway serving as the proper entrace for the Dueling Arena stands before Sunset, at the end of her journey, and she makes no hesitation to pass through it.

Before her, in the Dueling Arena, waits Rainbow Dash. She stands on her two hind legs, body arched forward, wings flared to maintain balance. It's an imposing, yet natural visage, weapon hanging down in Rainbow Dash's left hoof, a stark contrast to the unnatural manner Pinkamena similarly fought in.

"I assume there's nothing to be said before we begin?" Rainbow Dash asks as she raises her weapon, pointing it at Sunset. The sharp tip of her estoc reflects in the light of the castle, the sides of the blade dull, the weapon designed exclusively for thrusting attacks. Is that a pegasus thing? The lengthy blade is accentuated with a forward-swept cross-guard, leaving the weapon looking simple but threatening. Rainbow Dash's signature mane falls over her cerise eyes, though even obscured, Sunset can easily see the emotion crystallized within them.

Silence falls over the two ponies as Starlight approaches Sunset. From Starlight's dress, her hoof withdraws the six-point star crystal and affixes it to Sunset. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." Without another word, Starlight walks over to Rainbow Dash, repeating the ritual. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

"Let's do this." Sunset says as Starlight returns to her side, hoof resting against Sunset's shoulder.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hoof. She draws it out slowly, feeling the strange power again flow through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at Rainbow Dash. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

"Come on then, you wannabe alicorn." Rainbow Dash taunts. Her entire body remains unyielding in the face of Sunset Shimmer and her Spark of Friendship, eyes locking to Sunset's own. "Show me what you can do."

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches, impassively.

"Fine then!" Sunset accepts the change of pace, rushing forward. She holds her sword aloft, aiming to make quick work of Rainbow Dash's crystal with a confident smirk.

Her confidence quickly turns into surprise, however, as Rainbow effortlessly parries the charge. Sunset stumbles past, caught up in her own momentum, as Rainbow lazily takes to the air, hovering just above the Dueling Arena. "Come on, you can do better than that, can't you?"

Sunset wheels around, flourishing her sword. Her hooves clatter against the Dueling Arena floor as she charges once more. "You cocky little..." Sunset's anger builds as Rainbow Dash flaps her wings idly, maintaining her hover. The estoc remains aimed at Sunset, awaiting the next strike.

The swords clash, and in a blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash is gone, again maneuvered behind Sunset Shimmer. "You beat everypony else? Really?" She asks, sounding decidedly bored. "No wonder you figured you could get away with bullying Fluttershy for the Crystal Mare's sake. That 'instant-win' power everypony else talks about, it's not actually magic - it's just whatever dirt you've dug up on them, isn't it?"

Starlight Glimmer's eyes become hollow, turning down to the Dueling Arena floor.

"What?!" Sunset Shimmer skids to a stop as she turns to face Rainbow Dash. It's then that Sunset remembers the pretense for this Magic Duel, and her resolve shakes. Hardening herself, Sunset readies her weapon once more. "You'd best not be underestimating me, Rainbow Dash!"

"Trust me, I'm not underestimating you!" Rainbow Dash's movement is far beyond the speed Sunset Shimmer anticipates, both in her flying and in the jabs of her estoc. "I'm just letting you know your dirty tricks won't work on me!"

Wielding her own sword with her magic, Sunset does everything she can to parry thrust after thrust as Rainbow Dash pushes her back, the edge of the Dueling Arena looming ever closer. Each strike of Rainbow Dash's estoc lacks the power that Rarity, Applejack, or Pinkamena put behind their weapons, but attempting to process and parry each individual thrust is quickly wearing down Sunset mentally. It's a dance that on the surface is reminiscent of her fight with Rarity, but the truth is entirely more one-sided, as Sunset can barely keep herself afloat in the exchange of blows.

Without warning, Rainbow Dash's flurry ceases, as she pulls back from Sunset Shimmer. "I'm ending this, miss wannable alicorn. If there really is any miraculous power in you, this is your last chance." Just as suddenly as Rainbow Dash stopped, she now rushes forward, entire body a blur as she moves in to clinch the Magic Duel for herself, estoc pulled back in preparation for a final thrust. "This is your last chance to prove you had any right to beat everypony else, Sunset Shimmer!"

"Quit being so high-and-mighty!" Sunset snatches the handle of the Spark of Friendship in her hoof, on instinct. "Don't act like you've never done something you regret for the sake of somepony you care about, Rainbow Dash!"

A magenta light washes over Starlight Glimmer's crystal form, but her eyes remain on the Dueling Arena's floor, unable to bear witness to the Magic Duel.

The gemstone of Sunset Shimmer's necklace glows, alongside the pommel of her sword. Above them, the light of the castle brightens, flooding the Dueling Arena with intense, artificial light. Power floods Sunset's body as wings snap open. Of its own accord, her body lunges forward, the inequine speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. Her right hoof extends, amber magic enveloping her body, target true. Rainbow Dash's eyes widen upon witnessing the display, but her charge remains steady and true. The blade of Rainbow Dash's estoc raises, almost imperceptibly, tip angling to protect the crystal on her chest from the incoming strike.

With one thrust, metal clashes.

"It's going to take more than a pair of wings to beat me, Sunset Shimmer!" The blades of the Spark of Friendship and Rainbow Dash's estoc scrape together in the clash of momentum. Rainbow Dash catches the Spark of Friendship in her estoc's cross guard, and twists it from Sunset Shimmer's hoof in a swift, deciding motion. The two then collide, Rainbow Dash transitioning her charge into a shoulder-ram while Sunset remains slack-jawed and stunned, sending Sunset toppling along the floor of the Dueling Arena until her back slams against one of the guard-walls.

Sunset pulls herself to shaky hooves, horn alight as it desperately pulls the Spark back. Her breath runs ragged, her head throbs, and her muscles ache, as she finds herself barely left able to stand against Rainbow Dash's oncoming assault.

"Give up already, Sunset Shimmer!" A rainbow contrail flies steadily toward Sunset Shimmer, the glinting tip of the estoc visible from the front of it, as Rainbow Dash advances ever-closer.

For Sunset Shimmer, it feels like time itself is slowing down around her. She scoops up the Spark of Friendship in her scrambling hooves. "No!" Her wings flare as she pulls herself up onto her two hind legs, her hoof winding back as she stands defiantly against the rainbow looming over her, ready to sweep her away. "I didn't something I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash..." It's an apology that means something entirely different to both the giver and the recipient, but it's the best Sunset can give. "But! I'm not giving up because of one mistake, Rainbow Dash! Not on the pony I've become, and definitely not on Starlight Glimmer!" She steels herself and plunges the Spark of Friendship forward, no concern for defense left on her mind.

Starlight Glimmer's eyes widen, finally able to reflect a brilliant magenta.

Their bodies collide in a heap, Sunset Shimmer's crashing into the wall at her back. Behind her, metal snaps. Somewhere, a crystal shatters. Her vision floods with unwavering, cerise eyes as she remains muzzle-to-muzzle with Rainbow Dash. Sunset's pulse throbs in her ears as her breathing races uncontrollably. Her entire body feels raw, pushed to its very limits. After a moment, wings vanish, and both collapse, Rainbow Dash atop Sunset Shimmer.

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash is the first to regain her breath and her composure, and climbs to her hooves. Her chest is barren of the six-point crystal as she sets the shattered remains of her estoc into its sheath. She looks down at a still-panting Sunset Shimmer for just a moment, before turning and wordlessly leaving the arena.

Duel Seven: Magic.

The Sunday afternoon sun hangs low outside, as its last rays of light trickle into Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer's room through drawn curtains. While normally apart on weekends, the two currently crowd around a full-body mirror attached to the back of their door. Party dresses replace their standard Academy uniforms, and are the subjects of their current inspections. Sent by Rarity earlier in the week, they now serve as their attire for the party they've agreed to appear at for Spike's sake.

"I didn't realize when Spike said Rarity was throwing a party, he meant she was throwing a gala..." Sunset mutters as she looks down at her dress, and back to the mirror. Turquoise fabric wraps along the entirety of her trunk, light at her chest and transitioning into a darker gradient as it nears her flanks. The skirt billows out in layers as it travels down her hind legs, sparkling ever-so-slightly and trailing against the floor. A single loop of transparent fabric loops around her neck, attaching to the portion covering her chest. "This is ridiculous. I agreed to a social gathering, not whatever this is shaping up to be."

"It's not so bad, is it, Sunset?" Starlight's black dress stands in contrast to Sunset's. The material around her barrel is plain but not entirely unappealing, her front hooves set through small sleeves as the colors help better emphasize Starlight's own. The skirt is a single layer, that, while not transparent, becomes more opaque as it descends from the body of the dress and reaches the floor. Larger gems adorn the skirt, adding a bold flair of blue to the otherwise mono-tone design. "I'm sure you can bear with it, for Spike's sake." She smiles, eyes moving to Sunset, and then back to herself, in the mirror. "Besides, the dresses are pretty."

"I will say, Rarity's got the taste to go with her pompous attitude, at least." Sunset grins to herself. It may be a bit of an unfair quip to make with the slightly better insight she has on the mare, but Sunset can't resist. "So, got any idea what kind of party we're about to get ourselves thrown into, Starlight? You have..." Sunset pauses, phrasing her next few words carefully, "experience with Rarity, after all."

Starlight simply smiles at her. If she's bothered by Sunset's inquisition, nothing shows. "Rarity likes to throw functions for all the high-status ponies on the campus every month or so. It's probably just one of those, Sunset."

Sunset groans. "High-status, huh? I have enough experience with those to know they're always an unpleasant experience." Sunset rubs at the back of her ear with a hoof. "Geez, this is so not the place for me to be going. It makes me wonder why Spike's even going. I'd expect him to hate stuff like this even more than I do."

"Because of Rarity, of course." Starlight replies, tone neutral, but Sunset can still feel the unmade eye-roll and unsaid 'duh' behind the words that other ponies would have employed. "He'll always show up if Rarity invites him. It doesn't matter what it is that's going on."

"Makes sense, I suppose." Sunset shrugs. "Though, that just makes me ask why Rarity keeps inviting him. They seemed friendly enough when I saw them on the bleachers, but Rarity doesn't seem the type to like younger foals around her. Or dragons, in this case."

"It may surprise you, Sunset." Starlight explains. "But, Rarity has a crippling desire to dote on basically everypony, even if, to you, she may seem otherwise. So, with Spike, she..."

Sunset laughs nervously. "Come on, Starlight. You make it sound like Rarity just spends time with him out of pity because he has a crush oh her." Sunset's face falls as Starlight slowly turns away from both her and the mirror, choosing to stare at the opposite wall, instead. "Oh... the poor little fella. Doesn't she realize that's gonna hurt him, eventually?"

"I can't say." Starlight Glimmer replies, simply. "I only know what I've seen. Rarity never spoke of him to me directly."

Sunset finds herself looking away now as well, reaching a hoof for the door handle. "...Let's get going, Starlight. We're gonna be late if we keep standing here talking like this."

Starlight turns back to Sunset as the door creaks open, looking her over one final time. "What about your mane, Sunset?"

"What about it?" Sunset asks, turning back to Starlight and fluffing her mane from below with a hoof. "There's nothing wrong with my usual mane style, is there?"

"Of course not, Sunset."

Sunset gives Starlight a deadpan stare. "...You're judging me silently, aren't you?"

Starlight simply smiles and tilts her head slightly.

"Yeah, it's not happening. Let's get going." Sunset leads the way out before Starlight can rebut, using her magic to shut the door behind them. The two walk the halls of their dormitory in silence, not speaking again until they step out the building's front door and into the evening air. That's when Sunset turns to Starlight, trying to get a more positive conversation going. "Spike'll be happy to see you were able to slip out of your arrangement with the Headmaster for a night, Starlight. I hope she wasn't too upset about it."

"Oh no, everything's fine, Sunset." Starlight assures her. "Actually, the Headmaster was really happy to hear I had some new friends. She invited me to bring you after school some time to meet with her, if you like."

Sunset smirks at her. "Meet with the super secretive Headmaster that nopony ever sees? That's intimidating, but for you, Starlight, I think I'll give it a go, if you want me to."

"Sure, Sunset."

Indeed, the thought of meeting the Headmaster is intimidating to Sunset, but moreso, she thinks, is the thought of meeting one of the few ponies Starlight seems to trust that has no relation to the dueling game or Sunset herself. However, ever curious, and ever seeking answers, Sunset's more than happy to take Starlight up on that request. Answers to what, Sunset can't say, but even gaining some better insight into the personal life of the mare she's become so tangled up with will satisfy her. That, however, is a thought for another day, as for now, the two make their way to the Harmony Building, the only other in-use building in the 'Magic' Dormitory wing, and the only dormitory made from crystal.

After a mercifully short walk, the pair reach the front gates of the Harmony Building, set open to allow the party-goers easy entrance and exit. A high, white-crystal wall surrounds the property, with a single pathway leading to the building's front entrance. On either side of that entrance, inside the walls, are carefully maintained lawns, each dotted with apple trees as the property stretches in either direction. The Harmony Building itself is a mansion of three stories, ceiling-high windows dotting every floor, and a large balcony dotting the topmost, pillars stretching down to the ground-level to support it while further framing the entrance. The building, its crystals as white as its walls, glistens in the soft light of a rising moon. The windows, however, glow with the warmth of artificial lighting, symbolizing the night-time festivities within.

"Geez, Starlight..." Sunset mutters to herself, looking up at the Harmony Building from halfway along the pathway to the entrance. "This place is huge. Is a mansion like this really set aside for just five ponies? It's really... excessive."

Starlight nods. "Yes, only the Elements of Harmony and those given their explicit permission are allowed to stay in this building."

Sunset shakes her head, stepping up to the entrance and testing the handle on the door. Finding it unlocked, she swings it open. "Sometimes, I wonder how Friendship Academy even stays under budget. Between this place and the rest of the 'Magic' wing being completely unused besides us, they have to bleed bits."

Starlight giggles. "That's what I always tell Twilight when she has problems with the budget, but she insists on it being this way."

"Twilight, huh?" Sunset leans in to Starlight once the two are inside, shutting the door with her hind leg. "Someone sounds even closer to the Headmaster than I guessed she might be!"

"Oh! Well..." Starlight trails off, turning her head up to the ceiling. Sunset takes the hint and decides to take her own look around. The foyer of the Harmony Building is intricate, a spacious room with curved staircase on either side, leading to an upper level. The tables, railings, floors, and basically everything else are all crystal, colored to give the illusion of a contemporary mansion. "Let's get going, Sunset. We shouldn't keep Spike waiting." With that, Starlight takes the lead for a change, guiding the pair through a set of double doors on the first floor of the foyer.

"I'm guessing you already know where we're going?" Sunset asks. The question may as well be rhetorical, however. Despite not being explicitly told, she's sure that, assuming the Elements of Harmony followed the same rules when they were Champion of the Duels as she is now, that Starlight has stayed here in the past, and in turn likely knows the entire place like the back of her hoof.

"Yes, Sunset." Starlight answers anyway.

They travel forward, at Starlight's lead, taking one hall, then another, before finally finding themselves in front of a white door, the crystal shaped with great care to mimic the ornate wooden doors of an olden architecture. Starlight sets her hoof on the handle. "This is the Ball Room, as Rarity calls it. I don't think it actually has an official name, though." From inside, the two can hear the faint sounds of a violin, and the din of indistinguishable chatter between ponies, signifying that Starlight has the correct room.

Sunset bows her head and motions a hoof forward, giving her a playful grin. "Lead the way, Starlight."

"O-Okay, Sunset." Starlight replies, only slightly hesitant as her hoof turns the handle and pushes the door open.

Past the door is a room so expansive, the Dueling Arena is the only thing she finds herself capable of comparing it with. The floor is a translucent crystal, while the walls and ceilings remain white, and windows line the far wall. Rows of sheet-covered tables take up the left side of the room, covered with the kinds of high-class party favors Sunset's come to expect from these sorts of gatherings. A small stage rises on the right side, against the wall, and on it is a mare whose dark mane contrasts against her light-grey coat. Her Academy uniform is the standard white, but adorned with a pink bow tie, and the cuffs and tails have a particularly fanciful golden frill to them. She stands on her hind legs, her body propped against a large violin, drawing the bow in one hoof to play a smooth tune that floats effortlessly through the room despite the endless conversations going on between the party-goers.

The party-goers themselves mill about, carrying drinks both in-hoof and in-magic, most of them exemplifying the kind of dress code Rarity forced upon Sunset and Starlight. The party dresses many of the mares wear are colorful, fancifully designed, leaving the ones Sunset and Starlight are wearing as simply two among many. Stallions find themselves mostly in tuxedos - many black, but representing the range of white, ivory, tan, brown, and a few stand-out exceptions - with each having at least minor adjustments to things such as coat-tails or cuffs to try and make them unique. Sunset steps forward, toward the tables, in hopes of trying to find Spike, but a sharp intake of air behind her causes her to stop.

"Are you alright, Starlight?" Sunset asks, concerned as she looks back over her shoulder.

"Yeah..." Starlight assures her. "I'm just not used to being around this many ponies."

I suppose that's not entirely surprising... Sunset turns to her and rests a hoof on her shoulder. "We can go home, if you want, Starlight."

"I'll be okay, Sunset."

"If you're-"

"Hey! Shimsham! Glimglam!" Spike's voice calls out to them from within the crowd. Sunset spins back to the group, and soon sees a bobbing, black top hat, its purple-scaled owner waving a claw as her weaves through the party members and races over to them. "Glad you made it!" He says, grinning, tugging on the lapels of his tuxedo, white bow-tie barely visible against an equally-white dress shirt beneath. "This darn thing is so stuffy, I'm tellin' you."

Sunset sets her hooves on either of his shoulders, leaning in close to his face. She feigns her best annoyed glare, causing his happy grin to turn nervous. "Okay, Mr. Spikey-Wikey, we're establishing a new rule. No more cutesy nicknames. They're getting dumber the longer they go on. Got it?" She the lets her expression soften, giving him a playful grin and patting his shoulder. "Nice penguin suit you've got here, Spike. How's the party been going?"

"It sucks as much as I thought it would." Spike groans. "Actually, scratch that, it's worse! I can't even spend my time at the party hanging around Rarity because she's spending all her time with this obnoxious stallion she met from her own grade. Bluebutt, or something, I think his name was." Spike crosses his arms, glaring at the floor. "Heck if I care, anyway."

Sunset smiles sympathetically. "Or something, huh?" She giggles, doing her best to lighten his mood, and looking around the room. "So, come on, what have you been up to, anyway? Even if this party is a complete snooze-fest, you have to have something to be doing to pass your time."

"Oh! Sort of..." Spike rubs the back of his head with his claw as he and Sunset separate. "Rarity's sister and her friends apparently prepared for how awful this party would be by inviting this stage performer. We can't get anypony to let us put her on stage instead of Octavia's violin-playing but she's been really nice about just entertaining the four of us."

"Well, lead the way, Spike." Sunset says, motioning with her head for him to get moving. "We came here to hang out with you, after all, not these busybodies that Rarity invited."

He shoots her an excited, appreciative grin. "Thanks, Sunset." He spins on his feet and beckons them with a claw. "Follow the master, then!"

Sunset turns to look back over her shoulder. "You coming, Starlight? Or do you prefer staying here?"

"Coming!" Starlight quickly falls in place behind Sunset, as the two in turn follow Spike through the crowd of ponies and past the various snack tables.

"Rarity has a sister, huh?" Sunset asks, trying to make conversation as they walk to a far corner of the room. "I suppose that makes some things make a bit more sense."

"Yeah." Spike nods without turning around. "Sweetie Belle. Her friends are Apple Bloom, Applejack's sister, and Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash's would-be sister. They're fun enough to be around, I suppose. I mainly hang out with them when either you two or Rarity aren't around."

"Third choice. Harsh." Sunset laughs to herself. "But, 'would-be' sister?"

"Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash aren't actually related." Spike explains. "Scootaloo's an only-foal, I think, but her and Rainbow Dash act pretty much like a little sister and big sister, anyway."

"I bet it helps her fit in with her friends pretty well." Sunset comments. It's surprising how normal things seem to be around here, when these Magic Duels aren't involved...

"Yeah, maybe..." Spike trails off. "Hey, right over here!"

Spike runs ahead, leading them to a space between one of the far tables and a window. In it, three fillies sit in a semi-circle, squirming in party dresses they each clearly despise, their backs to Sunset. The center of their attention is an older azure mare, around Sunset's age, with a striped cornflower mane and striking, violet eyes. She wears a tuxedo similar to Spike's own, down to the bow-tie, and an overturned top hat rests at her hooves. She speaks animatedly, moving her hooves along with every word, voice carrying as effortlessly to Sunset as the playing of the violin now that she's closer.

"And that, dear fillies, is how The Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie resolutely defended the planet from a monstrous creature from outer space!" The mare bows, sweeping one hoof in front of her chest.

"Okay, hold on." The raspy voice of one of the fillies, an orange one with a messy, purple mane, tiny wings visible over her dress. "The ursa major and the giant dragon were a bit crazy, but you expect us to believe you fought a space monster?"

"Yeah, that tale's a bit too tall, even for me." A second filly replies, this one with a yellow coat and red mane given more basic care. The pink bow that sits in her hair is a distinctive feature that Sunset surmises she must like to wear pretty much everywhere, as it clashes distinctly against the dark green of her party dress. The voice of the filly reminds Sunset of a much younger Applejack, though the twang in her words is much softer.

"Come on, everypony. It was still a cool story, wasn't it?" The third filly seems the most comfortable in her surroundings as she pleads with her two friends, her curling mane a twist of mulberry and pink, set against her alabaster fur. The tip of a horn pokes out of her mane, barely visible from behind.

Sunset feels confident in mentally determining which of the fillies is which without the need for an introduction.

"And what's so-" The performing mare's violet eyes snap up at Spike's return. "Ah, Trixie's assistant for the night has returned. And he brought friends!" Her eyes then turn to Sunset and Starlight. She pauses as she takes a sharp breath, her eyes becoming the tiniest bit wider.

"Uh. Hi." Sunset waves a hoof tentatively. She then notices the strange look on the mare she presumes to be 'Trixie', and looks back to Starlight Glimmer, who appears to be giving the other mare the same look. "...Starlight?" She traces the line and sight back and forth once, then again, being sure she's gauging the situation correctly. She then speaks, trying to break the deadlock of dumbstruck expressions between them. "Is there something going on here I should know about?"

"Ah!" It's the azure mare that breaks from her stupor first, shock transitioning to joy as she rushes forward, knocking over her top hat in the process, and pulls in Starlight into an enthusiastic hug. "Starlight Glimmer! It's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Ooooh!" Sunset leans in. "Starlight has an old friend, does she?"

"Of course she does!" Trixie grins confidently, looping one leg around Starlight's shoulders. "Starlight and I were, for the longest time, like this!" Trixie emphasizes her statement by squeezing Starlight close to her, their cheeks touching. "I was - am - her best friend, you know. Trixie Lulamoon's the name! But, you may address Trixie as The Great and Powerful Trixie! I haven't seen Starlight in a long time, but she must still talk about me sometimes, no?"

"Sorry." Sunset replies, shaking her head. For somepony so happy to see Starlight Glimmer, Sunset can imagine what the effect of knowing that her old friend never seems to talk about her is. "Starlight never really talks about her past all that much. Not for lack of me trying, that is."

"I see..." Trixie's face goes sour. "Then again, Starlight was never the most sociable pony, so maybe this is to be expected..."

Starlight pulls the hoof from around her off, turning to her old friend. "Sorry, Trixie. It's nice to see you again."

"Quite!" Trixie extends a hoof, waving it across the three fillies she'd been entertaining just before. "As you can see, The Great and Powerful Trixie was in the process of entertaining some wonderful fillies that have been forcibly detained in this stuffy party that is far too unsuitable for the younger audience! She would be honored to have her most valued assistant by her side once more!"

"Most valued assistant?" Sunset asks.

"Aww, what about me?" Spike protests.

Both questions are ignored, however, as Trixie's attention is squarely on Starlight Glimmer.

Starlight bows her head slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm here with Sunset tonight, Trixie."

"Oh, Starlight, that's nonsense, you ca-"

"Sunset, hm?" Trixie's eyes move from Starlight to Sunset, narrowing as she approaches. "That would be you, I take it?"

Sunset laughs nervously at the approaching Trixie, whose eyes look ablaze. "Uh, yeah, Hi, again. Sunset Shimmer! Starlight's roommate! Nice to meet you, Trixie Lulamoon, er, Great and Powerful Trixie! Ah... heh."

"I... see..." Trixie's eyes narrow further as she leans in to Sunset. "And just how do you know my Starlight Glimmer, hm?"

"Like I said, we're roommates!" Sunset spits out quickly. "Starlight was, uh," her eyes dart quickly to Starlight, and back to Trixie, "getting bullied, so I stuck up for her, and we ended up roommates. That's it!"

Trixie's eyes turn back to Starlight. "You? Bullied? Pardon if I don't believe such an intelligent, driven, and
confident unicorn mare like yourself could end up bullied without showing your aggressors what-for."

Sunset's eyebrows raise at that last adjective in particular as she glances between Trixie and Starlight again, the latter speaking. "Things have changed, Trixie." Starlight says plainly, though her eyes hint at other emotions. "Why are you here?"

"Because-"

Starlight cuts her off, an act that Sunset doesn't think she's seen the mare do to any other pony before. "I mean at the Academy, Trixie."

Trixie presses a hoof to her chest, raising her head and giving a confident grin. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has recently transferred to this fine establishment! And with her foalhood friend here, it is quite fortuitous luck indeed!"

"Yeah! Great luck! It'll be good for Starlight to have more-" Sunset's attempts to assuage the situation are interrupted by a pony tapping on her shoulder. She spins around quickly, a whirl of emotion between her current situation and the last time something tapped her shoulder. However, this time, all she finds is a gray-amber stallion, with a brown mane, wearing his own bow-tied brown tuxedo.

"Sunset Shimmer?" He asks, tersely.

"Yes?" She responds, resisting the urge to step back as her eyebrow raises. Behind her, Trixie and Starlight enter another exchange, but for some reason, the content of their words can't reach her ears.

"Here." He pulls an envelope from his suit, passing it to her. "This is for you." Without giving Sunset the chance to respond, he turns and heads back into the crowd of ponies, leaving Sunset stunned as she holds the envelope in her hoof.

Sunset's eyes go down to the letter, the front completely blank. She turns it over, and her heart skips a beat. The flap is sealed with a magenta, six-point star, just like the one that Rainbow Dash had shown her a few days previous. She scans the immediate area to be sure no other ponies are around, then tears the flap open with her magic, sliding the contents out. Inside is simply a single piece of folded paper, with a clear message once she unfolds it:

To the Champion of the Duels:

Come to the Dueling Arena at midnight.

Questions pile into Sunset's brain, faster than she can truly pay them mind. Who sent this? How had they sent it? Was it that stallion? Was it one of the Elements of Harmony? Why on a Sunday? Why more dueling? They all culminate into a single thought, one she hoped to be true but was never truly naive enough to believe. I'd hoped this stupid mess would've been over after beating all those Elements of Harmony!

"This better be some idiot's idea of a joke!" She turns her head back to Starlight Glimmer. "Starlight, we need to go!" Without waiting for an answer, Sunset gallops into the crowd of ponies, mind racing. Whoever's sending these letters knew I'd be here... did Rarity set this up? While she doesn't feel unsafe at the party, per-se, her need for answers is in full gear once more.

"Yes, Sunset!" Starlight calls after her, the sounds of hooves following behind Sunset.

"But, Starlight!"

"Sunset!"

The voices of both Trixie and Spike are drowned out as Sunset hunts through the crowd. There has to be at least one of those Elements of Harmony around here. They live here, after all...! While she hadn't spotted one on her way in, she also hadn't looked for them in particular. Now, however... There! Her eyes spot her target, an unmistakable stetson visible through the crowd, only further emphasized by her choosing to wear her orange Element of Harmony uniform. Sunset weaves her way past, Starlight hot on her hooves. "Hey, Applejack!" Sunset calls out once she's in earshot, grabbing the other mare's attention.

"Sunset Shimmer...?" Applejack turns to her, confused. "Well, I'll be! Heard you might come but didn't expect you to come say hello. How've you been?"

"Great, just peachy." Sunset replies, dismissively, heart pounding in her chest from adrenaline. Collecting herself, she pulls out the letter and envelope with her magic. "Is this one of your group's idea of a joke?"

Applejack takes both the letter and envelope into her hooves, examining them. "This... this is from End of the World, Sunset Shimmer." Applejack explains, darkly. "You beat Rainbow Dash, didn't you?"

Sunset's curiosity at that statement is enough to eat through her panic, bringing her back to reality. "You didn't know?"

"Nope, haven't seen her since Friday." Applejack confirms. "Won't talk with anypony but Fluttershy, didn't even show up here tonight. Fluttershy's with her as well, I think." She sees the question forming on Sunset's lips and continues without being prompted. "Pinkamena's not around, either. Whenever Rarity throws one of her parties, Pinkamena packs up and and crashes at her sister's dorm room for the night."

"What about Rarity?" Sunset asks. The thought of Rarity using the party to both ask for a rematch and mess with Sunset doesn't seem entirely outside of the realm of possibility, to her.

Applejack shrugs, handing the items back to Sunset, who quickly stows them in her dress. "She's out front with Hams-a-lot, if you want to confirm what I said with her." Applejack quickly scans the crowd, her eyes stopping on one pony in particular. "Best get going and take care of that, Sunset Shimmer. You're in a might bit of hurry, I bet, and tonight's chaperone is making his rounds this way."

Sunset follows her eyes, quickly finding the stallion she's talking about among the group of party goers. His dark grey coat is contrast by a royal purple Academy uniform, cuffs and collar furred. His mane is swept back and well-styled, black, with a large, cobalt streak. His green eyes look soft as he banters with one of the mares in the crowd, eliciting a giggle from her at some kind of joke.

"Who is that?" Sunset asks, eyeing the older stallion skeptically. "Teacher? I haven't seen him before." She knows it's protocol to have a faculty member present at larger student gatherings, and while Sunset certainly doesn't know every teacher on the campus, this stallion's appearance is striking enough that Sunset feels she should at least remember seeing him in a hallway once or twice, if nothing else.

"His name's Sombra. Student counselor. He's a nice enough stallion, honestly, but he likes to get you to talk. Especially if he thinks you're up to no good." Applejack turns to her. "Not exactly what you need right now, Sunset Shimmer, so get goin'. I'll distract him for you."

"Why are you helping me?" Sunset asks. While she definitely agrees with Applejack's assessment, the pressing need for answers doesn't cease. "I'd figured all you Elements of Harmony would be tripping over your hooves to see me mess up."

Applejack shakes her head. "The dueling game has rules, Sunset Shimmer. You've figured that much out by now, right?" Applejack grins. "Last time somepony broke them, Rarity got herself shown up by some hotshot fresher with a tree branch."

Sunset grins herself, surprised at being able to share some amusement over that event with one of the Elements of Harmony. "Thanks, Applejack." She looks over her shoulder. "Let's go, Starlight!"

Applejack tips her hat as the two run off to the exit doors, making her way toward the student counselor to fulfill her word. Sunset's magic pulls the doors open, and the two race out, a number of heads turning at their hurry as they barrel into the hallway.

"Why, on a weekend?" Sunset complains to herself as her and Starlight race down the hall. "Can I seriously not even have peace even on a weekend, anymore?" She curses under her breath as she reaches a junction in the halls, eyes darting between them as she tries to remember which way leads to the exit. "The two days I've come to appreciate the guarantee of not having this sprung on me, violated..."

Seeing Sunset's veiled confusion, Starlight takes the lead, silently heading down the hallway that leads back to the main foyer. Wordlessly appreciative, Sunset follows, using her magic to pull open the entrance doors to the Harmony Building upon entering its distinct opening foyer. Outside, under an apple tree nearest the path, Sunset sees Rarity talking to a stallion, just as Applejack alluded to. Not taking immediate note of him, she holds a fast, final debate with herself as to whether to trust Applejack's words on their own or verify them with Rarity, and decides to err on the side of caution.

"Oh my..." Rarity giggles daintily into her hoof. "That is so-" Mid sentence, she yelps, as Sunset Shimmer whirls her around so that the two stand face to face. Her eyes go wide for a moment, then narrow, immediately seething. "Sunset Shimmer, do you-"

"Sorry, Rarity!" Sunset cuts her off, eyes darting to the stallion she's with. At this distance, she can't not take notice of him. His coat is white, like Rarity's, with a flowing blonde mane and blue eyes. His well-cut jaw and honed facial features give him a look of an Aponis among ponies. "Sorry, Hams-a-lot, stealing your date for a minute." Sunset says, dismissing said Aponis out-of-hoof, and pulling Rarity aside.

"My name is-"

"Yeah, don't care!" Sunset yells over him, waving him off with a hoof, dragging Rarity across the path and under the nearest apple tree on the opposite side.

"Sunset Shimmer! What are you doing?!" Rarity protests in a whisper, the seething rage beneath it easily detectable. "You better have a-" Her tirade is cut off when Sunset produces the letter and envelope.

"Applejack says this is from End of the World." Sunset explains, equally hushed. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it is." Rarity confirms. "So, why are you bugging me about this on my date? Just do what it says!"

"Who even is End of the World, anyway?" Sunset asks, her own anger boiling equally hot to Rarity's "Who names themselves something so... pretentious?"

"Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll be able to ask them yourself and find out, dear." Rarity says, before turning away, flicking Sunset in the face with her tail. "Now, leave me be, please." She turns back to Sunset one final time, however. "I must say, though, you model that dress I sent you quite well. Maybe I should invite you over for a proper fitting, sometime."

"Yeah, that's nice. Maybe some other time!" Sunset shrugs her off, friendliness not something taking space in her mind right now. She darts down the path and out the gates of the Harmony Building, turning down the road back to her and Starlight's own dormitory.

"Where are you going, Sunset?" Starlight calls out, though she's now running alongside Sunset. Again, Sunset finds her impressed at her seemingly-sedimentary roommate's ability to keep pace with her so effortlessly. "The Dueling Arena's the other way!"

"To change, Starlight." Sunset replies sarcastically. "There is no way in tartarus I am dueling anypony in a ball gown, of all things."

"Oh."

The tower looms in the midnight sky before Sunset Shimmer, now clad in her Academy uniform, its intimidation factor renewed now that Sunset has no idea what to expect atop it. Her necklace presses heavy against her chest as a mix of dread and anticipation blooms. The double doors stand tall before her, gates serving as the final barrier between Sunset and whatever lies ahead. Or rather, they would be, but something sits in front of those doors this night - two pegasi, one yellow and pink, the other blue and prismatic.

"Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash?" Sunset asks as she steps towards them. "What are you both doing here?" Sunset's become accustomed to the ritual being a solo affair until she reaches the Dueling Arena. To have not one, but two visitors, rubs Sunset entirely the wrong way. It's just another change to something that's become so static to her, and in this situation, any change is very uncomfortable.

"End of the World sent you a letter, right?" Rainbow Dash asks in return. Her voice sounds empty, like a mare simply going through the motions. Fluttershy's hoof is pressed against her back, rubbing it circularly.

"How did you know?" Sunset asks, taking a step back from them, stance shifting instantly to defense. While the pair look anything but threatening, Sunset's edge is razor-sharp. "This isn't secretly either of you, is it?"

"No." Rainbow Dash shakes her head slowly. "You're the Champion of the Duels, Sunset Shimmer. You've defeated every Element of Harmony - and as far as we know, that means you've defeated every pony in possession of a Magic Crest necklace. The only person left to summon you to the Dueling Arena is End of the World, isn't it?"

"How should I know?" Sunset 's edge softens as she allows herself to relax. "This is the first time I've ever received a letter, and I got it from some shady pony at Rarity's party." Though she's relaxed, she still eyes the two, warily. "How did you know I'd receive a letter tonight, Rainbow Dash?"

"I didn't." Rainbow Dash stands, leaving the implications of her answer open as she steps toward Sunset Shimmer. At her right side, Sunset can see Rainbow Dash's estoc hanging clearly. She moves closer to Sunset, one step at a time, and while Sunset's mind says she should be retreating in equal measure against an armed mare outside the Dueling Arena, her body stays rooted in place. Sunset's heart races as Rainbow Dash's left hoof reaches, but breaking her expectation, Rainbow Dash instead pulls the strap that holds the estoc's sheath in place over her head, offering the weapon to her. "It's still broken. But... I have a feeling you're going to need it, Sunset Shimmer."

"Thanks..." Sunset Shimmer says absent-mindedly, looping it over herself. The weight of the weapon feels strange at her side, as does the strap resting against the back of her neck. It's not something she enjoys having to wear, but for some reason, she feels compelled to listen to Rainbow Dash's advice. Advice that she still doesn't know the purpose behind. "Wait. Rainbow Dash, what's going on? Why are all you Elements of Harmony helping me all of the sudden?" She asks, locking her eyes once again with the cerise eyes of Rainbow Dash, instantly reminded of their duel. This time, however, it's different. That spark held by those eyes during that duel seems missing, leaving her eyes dull and unreflective.

Rainbow Dash turns her head away and begins walking down the path away from the tower. Fluttershy quickly gets up and begins following her, turning back for just a moment. "I'm rooting for you, Sunset Shimmer! Good luck!" She waves a hoof, and soon, both are gone.

"Well... looks like there's only one thing left to do." Sunset says to herself as she pulls out her necklace, eyes on the hilt of the estoc at her side. The crystal and the doors glow, Sunset's eyes squinting, and once more, the entrance clatters open. Taking one final breath to prepare herself, Sunset steps forward.

Inside the tower lies the second tower. Trepidation fills Sunset as she takes the first step on the stairs. The anger she felt upon getting the letter is now long forgotten in the reality of her situation. Only one thing happens in the Dueling Arena, and while she knows the rules and the stakes, she also knows the dangers - dangers that feel far more real when she has no knowledge of her opponent. Rainbow Dash's actions only served to further her paranoia. She knew I'd get a letter, somehow... does that mean she knows who's up here? Does she secretly know who End of the World is? Is that really who's up here?

Those questions are replaced by one even more immediate as she nears the top of the staircase, now bathed in the light of the castle, the structure hanging above like an ominous chandelier. Starlight Glimmer, in her magenta dress, is waiting for her at the top of the staircase, a hoof extended to her, face neutral. Around the two, the midday sky once more replaces midnight, clouds swirling around the edges of the Dueling Arena. Feeling compelled, Sunset takes Starlight's hoof in her own, and ascends to the top of the staircase. The arch normally leading into the Dueling Arena simply reflects her and Starlight Glimmer back at themselves, the entire thing filled in with a giant mirror.

"Starlight, what is this?" Sunset asks, looking up at the expansive, glass surface.

"Come, Sunset." Starlight beckons, and steps forth. Sunset's eyes go wide when Starlight crosses the threshold of the mirror, its surface rippling.

What in tartarus?! She just walked right through a giant mirror! Where did it even come from? The Dueling Arena has always been pretty crazy, but it's never changed before. She laughs to herself. Then again, I suppose today is a day of a lot of firsts. Looking back up to the reflective surface of the entrance-mirror-thing, Sunset's eyes go wide, reflecting back to her as she realizes she's still standing, alone, after Starlight Glimmer has already gone ahead. She finds her hooves quickly, running at the glass-like surface without hesitation. "Wait, Starlight!" She clenches her eyes shut at the time she should impact, but simply passes through the threshold instead.

Reaching the other side, Sunset stops, slowly opening her eyes. She's... taller, than she remembers. Wait... She turns on two legs, back to the mirror. The reflection staring back at her isn't the pony that Sunset Shimmer knows as herself. She has two arms, two legs, hands, fingers... completely alien appendages that still somehow also feel natural. This form... I look kind of like...! Matching pants and shoes now compliment her uniform's coat. She runs the hands along her face, exploring it, in disbelief at its lack of fur and muzzle, her fiery hair now flowing along her back. The fact Sunset seems to know exactly how this strange body she's been put into works only amplifies her discomfort.

"It's been a long time since you've looked like that, hasn't it, Sunset Shimmer?" A feminine voice asks from behind. It's not the fact a voice is there that causes Sunset to turn on her heels in a panic, but the fact it's a voice Sunset's heard before, mere days before.

The... thing, in front of Sunset Shimmer takes time for her to fully process, but one feature stands out to her above the rest - the magenta uniform, in the style of the ones worn by the Elements of Harmony. "You!" Her pale-violet skin contrasts against the magenta uniform, while her hair hangs in a long bang just above her eyes, more trailing down her back, straight, colored deep blue with dual stripes of violet and rose. Unadorned, violet eyes look over her softly, as if the thing across from her is looking at an old friend and not an opponent in a duel. "Who? What? How?" All the questions try to spill from Sunset's mouth at the same time. "Explain!" She yells, stomping a foot, her mind feeling overwhelmed at the situation she now finds herself in.

The girl's gaze turns solemn, turning to the floor. "It would be you to make it this far, Sunset Shimmer." She lets out a long, wistful sigh. "I shouldn't be surprised, should I?"

"How do you know who I am?" Sunset's confusion, anger, and trepidation and melt into a stew of emotion as she points accusingly. "Are you the one who called me here?"

"Yes." The girl across answers simply.

"Then, you're the one organizing these duels? You're the one who calls themselves End of the World!" Sunset juts her finger forward to emphasize her point. Even if she doesn't know who or what the being in front of her is, she feels a tiny bit of satisfaction in knowing that-

"No." Comes another simple reply, deflating Sunset's conviction instantly. "The End of the World is not a person, or a pony, or any other such creature."

"How can it not be a pony?" Sunset asks, her pointing hand clenching into a fist as her voice quivers with both frustration and desperation in equal measure. "Then, what is it, some kind of organization, or-"

"No." Sunset's thought train is again killed by that simple reply, before it can finish. "The End of the World is not any kind of group, or organization, or any other varying collective of ponies, people, and other creatures thereof."

"Then, what is it?!" Sunset feels her heart pounding in her chest as she allows her arm to drop, the strength from the anger she's been gripping so tightly slipping away. "Tell me! The thing that runs these duels, that makes Starlight Glimmer suffer the way she does, tell me what it is! Tell me, what is End of the World?!"

"I'm sorry." The girl apologizes. "You need to discover for yourself the truth behind The End of the World."

"Why?!" Sunset's foot stomps, anger renewing as both her fists clench. "Why is it so important I 'discover the truth for myself', that it's worth my friend being put through this terrible dueling game, instead of you just telling me now?!"

"Do you understand the nature of the Magic Duel, Sunset Shimmer?" The girl's question is soft, betraying no response to Sunset's outburst.

Sunset's mind rebels at the apparent non-sequitur, despite the girl continuing to stand calmly at her place in the Dueling Arena. "The nature of the Magic Duel?!" Sunset bites her lip, taking a long, drawn breath to keep control of herself. The confusion of her situation is finally subsiding, leaving only her emotions directly related to the girl across from her left, and those are things Sunset Shimmer can keep in check. While she'd love to let those feelings run free, and let the girl bear their brunt in turn, she knows she can't let that happen if she wants answers. "I know what the others have said about it. That the purpose of the game is to obtain the Crystal Mare, and somehow use it to gain some kind of great power."

"Every Magic Duel is a test, Sunset Shimmer." The girl replies, ignoring Sunset's answer completely.

"A test?!" Sunset's frustration and disbelief return as soon as she's finished burying them. "Baking something that lives up to Mrs. Cake's standard in Home Ec. is a test!" Sunset fights with herself, desperate to keep her composure. "How can these duels possibly be a test of anything, besides who's better with a sword?"

"And, are you better with a sword than the Elements of Harmony, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Of course I-" Sunset stops herself, halfway through her reply. She thinks back to each of her experiences with the Elements of Harmony in turn - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkamena, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. Her fists clench their tightest yet, her fingernails digging into her palms. "No, I'm not. Before these Magic Duels, I'd never used a sword before. Even Fluttershy is better with her sword than I am."

"And yet, you are the Champion of the Duels."

"I..." Sunset turns her gaze down to her feet, fists still clenched tight. "I just, after I learned about the way Starlight was being treated, I wanted to stop it, is all. This dueling game, all of it. I'm not like the others. I don't have any important thing, some big desire or ideal to fight for."

"If that's true, then lose this duel to me." The girl recommends.

"Lose the duel? On purpose?" It's an idea Sunset Shimmer considered very briefly, long ago, before her Magic Duel against Applejack, but an idea she quickly tossed aside. Even if, initially, it was simply overzealous altruism, she wanted to help Starlight Glimmer, and now, as her friend, that idea sounds more unpalatable than it's ever been.

"Yes." The girl gives a nod, but never looks up from the floor. "If I win this duel, I'll take Starlight Glimmer. She'll disappear from this Academy, forever, and the dueling game will cease."

"...Disappear?" Sunset mouths the word, stunned, turning back up to the figure across from her.

"That's what you said you wanted, right? For the dueling game to end?"

"I..." This time, it takes several long, deep breaths before Sunset can speak again. "I don't want Starlight Glimmer to just... disappear. I want her to be free from the rules of these Magic Duels, but I also want to able to be her friend, friends with the mare I know is buried, deep in there, underneath all this junk that's been forced on top of her! Friends, without all the baggage that this dueling game brings with it! That's why want to end it, the proper way!"

The girl smiles, finally looking up to face Sunset Shimmer. "Then, it sounds like you have plenty to fight for, Sunset Shimmer."

The tension flowing through Sunset's body finally goes free, her hands going limp at her sides. As she relaxes, she finds it in her to return the girl's smile. "Yeah. I suppose I do."

The girl's eyes turn to the side, and Sunset follows them. Both spot the third occupant of the Dueling Arena as the girl speaks. "Starlight Glimmer. Please, the crystals."

Starlight's skin tone is similar but a bit lighter to the coat color of the pony Sunset is used to seeing,while her mane is styled and colored in its usual way. The magenta dress flows to the floor, highlighted by green frills along the waist, the rest of it mirroring the design choices of its equine counterpart, just fit to her current body. She steps forward, standing in front of Sunset Shimmer, cupping a six-point star crystal in her hands. Reaching, she gently pins it to her chest. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." She says, ritualistically, eyes on the crystal, but then turns her gaze up to meet Sunset's own. "I believe in you, Sunset Shimmer." She says softly, so only Sunset can hear. She then steps back, once, then twice, and turns on her heels. Wordlessly, she approaches the figure across from Sunset, and pins another of the crystals on the girl's own chest. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

Starlight then returns to Sunset's side. A hand rests on Sunset's shoulder, just as a hoof would normally. The two lock eyes, as Starlight's hand traces its way down Sunset's arm. She takes hold of it, entwining it with the small of her back. Sunset uses her arm to brace Starlight, having an idea of the purpose behind the gesture.

"Our talk is over, Sunset Shimmer. Please, draw your sword." The girl's tone is solemn, lacking any of the confidence or bravado other Duelists so far have exhibited.

Starlight Glimmer's eyes close, moving her hands up to her chest. "Spark of Friendship, which lies deep within..." Cupping her hands, the white light appears, energy emanating from her as she wills the power forward. Her body collapses backwards, into Sunset's grip, as the power pushes against her. "Heed me, and come forth..." The energy causes Sunset's hair to billow, as it grows, taking the shape of a rod. It solidifies, and an ornate, curved guard appears around the rod - now the hilt of a sword - the six-point star pommel glowing a soft magenta.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hand. She draws it out slowly, feeling its strange power flow once more through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at the strange girl. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every person on the platform.

"Very good." The girl compliments, reaching to her side to grip her own weapon. The determination Sunset feels from drawing the sword quickly evaporates at what she sees. The handle is an ornate, rounded gold, with a hand guard reaching over the fingers. The blade is a moderate length, and at its pommel is the magenta, six-point star. It's the Spark of Friendship, the exact same sword that Sunset holds in her own hands. How? The girl's eyes steel themselves, the emotions from before the duel being shut away as she focuses on her task. She raises the sword in her right hand, handle level with her shoulder and blade pointed skyward, pressing her left hand over the hand-guard. "Your test begins now, Sunset Shimmer."

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches, eyes dancing behind their crystal sheen as they focus on Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset and the girl charge at the same time, blades not taking long to clash together in the center of the ring. "You still never explained how this is supposed to be a test!" Sunset grips the handle of her own weapon with both hands. Finding the right footing is a struggle at first, but Sunset is soon able to press against the girl's strike. "If these Magic Duels have nothing to do with sword skill, then what are they testing? It doesn't mean crap to tell me that if you're still only going to leave me with the same vague bull everypony else is!"

The girl soon steps back, allowing Sunset to take the initiative, blocking and parrying as Sunset strikes. "That bullheadedness of yours... I envy that about you, Sunset." The swords clash, one ring of metal washing over the Dueling Arena after the next. While the girl's crystal remains in no immediate danger, she remains entirely on the back foot, and the winces she exhibits upon each clash of steel do a lot to highlight the gap in physical strength between the two. "Though, sometimes it makes you miss the forest through the trees, doesn't it?"

Sunset swings broadly, nearly knocking the girl's sword from her grasp. "Why do you keep talking like you know me?!" Sunset continues her assault, not showing an ounce of mercy even as she asks her questions. "Have we met before? Tell me who you are!"

Their weapons clash again, this time near their base, their hands nearly touching as both press themselves forward in an attempt to overpower the other. Sunset's face is only a breath away from the girl's now. "It really has been a long time, hasn't it, Sunset Shimmer?" Her voice is completely at rest, despite the exertion her body is making against Sunset. "I suppose it's not too surprising you'd forget..." The girl looks away, eyes becoming distant, lost in an old memory despite the duel taking place between her and Sunset Shimmer.

"Just tell me!" Sunset bites back, again finding herself overpowering her opponent as the other girl's knees bend. "If I really forgot, just tell me who you are, already!"

"The answer's right here, Sunset Shimmer..." The girl replies, calm as ever, even as her body buckles under Sunset's offense. "All you need to do is seek it out."

Starlight Glimmer's eyes waver, uncertainly, passing between Sunset Shimmer and the girl.

Those words, and the soft manner they're spoken in, are enough to give Sunset pause. In that brief moment, the girl slips her sword free of Sunset's, and slashes horizontally, a single target in mind. Sunset pulls her hands away quickly to preserve her fingers as the girl's sword clashes against the hilt and guard of her own. Without the grip of its owner, Sunset's Spark of Friendship is easily swatted away, clattering against the floor of the Dueling Arena. Sunset takes a step back as the girl rises, eyes darting between her and her weapon, reaching a hand out futilely.

"That magic isn't here, Sunset Shimmer." The girl says, reading Sunset's attempt to tap her unicorn magic and will the Spark of Friendship back to her. "Did you really believe that the Spark alone is enough to accomplish those high goals of yours, Sunset?" She raises her own weapon high, tip pointed directly at Sunset as she maneuvers herself between Sunset and the lost sword. "I'm sorry, Sunset Shimmer. But, if that's the case, then this lesson between us is coming to an end."

The pommel of the girl's sword glows, a brilliant magenta. Above the two Duelists, the light of the castle brightens, flooding the Dueling Arena with intense, artificial light. With inhuman, barely perceptible speed, the girl lunges forward. Her right arm extends, aim true as her body is enveloped with the light of her weapon.

With one thrust, metal clashes.

The girl's sword finds itself caught between the cross-guard and shattered blade of Rainbow Dash's estoc, Sunset grasping the hilt tightly in both hands as she uses it to pull the girl's blade aside. "If you're going to quote that phrase, remember to quote the whole thing!" Sunset smirks, eyes alight as they meet the girl's, whose soften. "I may not have unicorn magic right now, but the Magic of Friendship is everywhere, or so I've heard!" Sunset twists her hold on her new weapon, and with a flair that's still vivid in her memory from her duel with Rainbow Dash, throws the girl's sword from her grip, sending it clattering to the Dueling Arena floor beside Sunset's own.

Starlight Glimmer gasps, eyes wide. A swirl of amber and magenta reflect from her crystal sheen.

"Very good, Sunset Shimmer." A faint smile graces the girl's lips as Sunset brings down the remains of the estoc, swiping the crystal from her chest. "Maybe you'll be the one who smashes this world's shell, after all."

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and the strange girl.

Sunset Shimmer blinks, and she's shorter, standing on four legs. Rainbow Dash's estoc is held aloft in her magical grip, thrust downward in the end of the striking arc that closed out the Magic Duel. She looks around herself, panic rising once more, only to find herself completely alone, under the chandelier-light of the castle above.

Both the strange girl and Starlight Glimmer are gone.

Duel Eight: Envy.

Somewhere, deep below...

Crystal roots line the ceiling of a room long forgotten, hanging down in the dim light emanating from a far doorway. From them, black, six-point star crystals dangle like decorations from a hanging chandelier, though they appear to suck in the light around them instead of reflecting it. Framed in the doorway's light are two unicorn ponies, a stallion and mare, gazing up at the crystals, the stallion grinning while the mare remains neutral.

"Are you sure of this plan, Sombra?" The mare asks, stepping forward. Her magenta uniform contrasts against her dark blue coat. A flowing, sapphire mane runs along her neck and down to her hooves. Cyan eyes look up at the crystals, reflecting emotion about as well as the black stars reflect light. "The black crystals are ripe, but..."

"It's our only path forward, Luna." Sombra, Friendship Academy's student counselor, follows suit. "I'll install you as the Crystal Mare, and together we'll obtain the alicorn's power."

Luna turns her head to him. "Do you truly believe that can work? Transferring the power of the Crystal Mare to another?"

His eyes meet hers. "It must work." Said eyes quickly turn away, looking to the crystals above. "Even if I were to win the power of revolution on my own, we both know that I... cannot be trusted to wield it. Such, it must fall to you, Luna, to use that power to free Celestia from the madness that forced us seal her away in her crystal prison, so long ago."

"As you say." Luna walks to the center of the room, eyes darting between the many crystals. "For this task, we'll need powerful Duelists, since you will not enter the Dueling Arena directly."

Sombra reaches one of his hooves up, faintly flicking at the sparkling, magenta gemstone of the Magic Crest hanging from his neck. "Yes. They'll need to be capable of defeating that girl, yet still be willing to yield to our will."

"The answer is obvious, then." Luna smiles faintly. "Let us reawaken the potential in those that once failed to revolutionize this world."

"Yes, that may work." Sombra walks to the room's center, joining Luna. "One of them may have what it takes to defeat the Champion of the Duels, with the right assistance." He then turns, locking eyes with her once more. "Then, once we've seized the Crystal Mare for ourselves... we'll kill her."

Sunset Shimmer groans, flopping onto her side. The bed and pillow are soft against her body, but they provide no comfort for the swirl of confusion and emotion that have built up inside her. A week has passed since her her duel with the strange girl, on the night of Rarity's party. After overcoming her initial panic at being alone in the Dueling Arena, worry for Starlight Glimmer sent her racing back to their shared room. Upon arrival, a short, hoof-written note laid taped to the door. It was from Starlight, apologizing, and explaining that she would be moving in to one of the faculty dormitory rooms in the Headmaster's tower. It was a request from the Headmaster herself, and, as Starlight explained, superseded even her duties as the Crystal Mare.

While the two still meet during school, and spend time together after it, Sunset's attempts to get answers about her most recent Magic Duel from Starlight have only left her with more questions. Starlight claims to have never born witness to a Magic Duel on the night of Rarity's party. According to her, she and Sunset climbed the top of the Dueling Arena's tower, and Sunset simply sat, staring at the floating castle in a daze. After being unable to rouse her from her stupor, but knowing the Dueling Arena to be a place safe from any standard interloper, Starlight left, to begin moving her things to the room given to her by the Headmaster and leave the note on her door.

While the story explains how the note was waiting for Sunset when she arrived back at the room, and why all of Starlight's things were indeed missing from the room, Sunset can't reconcile it against her own experience. For it to have been some strange hallucination Sunset had while staring at the castle wouldn't explain the other times she remembers seeing that figure around the Academy, or the time it talked to her while waiting for Rainbow Dash. Unless Sunset somehow also hallucinated all those experiences, that is. No, it had to be real! The way Starlight so quietly, yet so confidently whispered "I believe in you, Sunset Shimmer" had to be real.

I won't accept anything else!

So now, Sunset makes a nightly ritual of her own, after a week of not having to observe the night-time ritual of the Magic Duel. Each night, she plots out everything she knows about the Magic Duels, about the Magic Crest, about the Duelists, about the Dueling Arena, and even about Starlight Glimmer, herself. Now, Sunset feels, deep inside her, she must find the truth, spurred on by Starlight's story, but also something more. "The answer's right here, Sunset Shimmer... all you need to do is seek it out." The words of the girl, the ones whose phrasing so closely match a saying from deep in Sunset's memories - words the alicorn from her past left her with so long ago. She believes both the evocation of them and the slight change in the phrasing are both intentional, and now she follows their advice, just as she's followed the advice of the older phrase all this time, and seeks out an answer that supposedly lies in plain sight.

Scattered across the large table she once shared with Starlight Glimmer are pages and pages of notes. A quill lays haphazardly near the edge of the table nearest the bunk bed, as does a capped ink bottle. Each page contains differing scrawls of theories and facts, pieced together every which way Sunset finds herself able to consider, in attempt after attempt to find some underlying secret to the mess she's now part of. Sunlight begins to peek through the window, casting a gentle light over the piles of Sunset's work. That same sunlight, however, feels much less gentle to Sunset's eyelids, and she clenches her eyes shut, rolling away from it. Soon, however, she lets out a final groan, rising from her bed and reaching a hoof up to scratch behind her ear. Her eyes burn and head-throbs with the telltale signs of exhaustion, as her attempts to piece together the secrets of the Magic Duel often keep her up late into the night as her mind refuses to stop racing.

She steps out of the bed's lower bunk and pulls the nearest chair out with her magic, sitting at the table and looking down at the notes through her early-morning haze. While most of the pages are long disregarded, there are two that Sunset always comes back to - possibly the two most straightforward of the bunch. The first is simply a list of the different aspects of the dueling game, as she understands them. She pulls it up, as she does every morning, hoping that reading it will jog her brain into connecting some dot that's otherwise lost on her:

Magic Crest

*Gemstone is six-point star.

*Given to Duelists via a letter from 'End of the World'.

*Glows to open path to Dueling Arena.

*Received own from another source - not unique to 'End of the World' or dueling game?

Dueling Arena

*Floor emblazoned with six-point star.

*How can this thing even exist?

*Location of the Magic Duel.

Floating Castle

*Largest spire tipped with six-point star.

*'Trick of the Light'. (Rarity said.) (Probably lie.)

*Shines light onto the Dueling Arena.

*Upside-down / Floating / Spinning / Why???

*Contains 'Something Eternal'. (?)

Magic Duel

*Prize is the Crystal Mare. Starlight Glimmer.

*Test. (Girl claims.) (?)

*Elements of Harmony claim it leads to alicornhood / miracle / power / 'something eternal'. (?)

*Arranged by 'End of the World'. (?)

*Won by striking six-point star from opponent's chest.

Spark of Friendship

*Pommel is six-point star.

*Magic. (?)

*Elements of Harmony unable to use it. (?)

*Related to Starlight Glimmer. (?)

*Strange Girl also had one. Not unique?

CrysStarlight Glimmer

*Friend.

*Crystal.

*Defensive about activities.

*Close to Headmaster Twilight Sparkle. (How close?) (?)

*Tends Tree of Harmony.

*Knows more than she can say. (How much does she know?) (?)

*Magenta dress - same color as six-point star.

*Somehow summons the Spark of Friendship for the dueling game. (?)

*Can refuse to give Spark of Friendship to Champion? (?)

*Somehow key to end goal of the 'Magic Duels'???

*Tool??? (Rarity claims.)

*Mirror??? (Rarity claims.) (Please be lie.)

Sunset again tries to piece together the different bits of information together in her mind, adding and subtracting details as she finds necessary in order to create a framework that, for now at least, seems coherent enough for her to understand the events going on around her. This morning, like each other morning, she ends up landing on the same conclusion, however - the same potential causality between the disjointed list of facts at her disposal. The Magic Crest enables a Duelist to enter the Dueling Arena. The Dueling Arena hosts the Magic Duel. The Magic Duel serves as some kind of trial to obtain Starlight Glimmer. For some reason, Starlight Glimmer will offer the Spark of Friendship to certain Duelists, but not others. The Spark of Friendship contains some kind of magic, possibly related to whatever an alicorn truly is. Using the Spark of Friendship, a Duelist can eventually obtain whatever prize actually exists inside the castle above the Dueling Arena.

However, it's an explanation that Sunset doesn't find at all satisfactory. Partly, because it doesn't seem very far removed from the understanding of the Magic Duels she possessed from the beginning. But, more so, because it also forces Sunset to disregard nearly every strange aspect about Starlight Glimmer herself, including the ones told to her by Rarity. While she wants to believe them false, she knows that disregarding both all those and all other aspects related directly to Starlight Glimmer besides her place as a 'prize' in the Magic Duels, either her framework is flawed in some way, or there are other elements to Starlight Glimmer she's yet to learn, or both. None of those options, obviously, sit well with Sunset Shimmer.

While the ubiquity of the phrase 'End of the World' is something that's tugged at Sunset since the start, and does more than ever now after the most recent series of events, an odd thought begins to worm its way into Sunset Shimmer's mind. Am I focusing on the wrong thing? Something stands out to on the page, a detail she hadn't paid as much mind to before now, and one she didn't remember writing down in the manner she has. The six-point star! It's everywhere - on the Magic Crest, on the Dueling Arena, on the Floating Castle, on the Spark of Friendship, and in the Magic Duel, serving as the victory condition. The only place it's not present is... Starlight Glimmer...

While her new idea currently has the same problem as her initial framework, it's something new, and that alone attracts Sunset Shimmer to trying to pursue it. That star has to mean something! She racks her brain, trying to think of other places she may have seen it in the past. It's on the doors that lead to the Dueling Arena... She knocks a hoof against her forehead, directly under her horn. Think! Where else... A realization hits her. The Tree of Harmony! It has a huge piece of crystal missing, carved out in the shape of the six-point star! But... why? Did something used to be there, in the heart of the Tree of Harmony?

"What do I do?" Sunset muses aloud as she slumps back into her chair, rubbing at her eyes with her hooves. The sun now bleeds brightly into her room, enough for Sunset to use her magic to tug the curtains closed to keep it from her eyes. "I suppose I should start seeing if I can find this stupid star anywhere else..." She groans, throwing her head back and staring at her ceiling. "Maybe pay extra attention when Starlight is around, see if I can spot her with it at some point to confirm my theory of it as some unifying insignia..." The thought of doing that, however - of snooping around her friend for some incriminating symbol - makes Sunset's stomach churn. In an effort to distract herself from those feelings, she allows her eyes to drift around the walls of the room. "What time is it, anyway?" Her eyes eventually fall on the clock, then go wide. "School time, is what time it is!" She uses her magic to teleport herself from her chair with a pop, leaving her pajamas behind as she pulls the drawer open and fishes out her Academy uniform. "Holy crap, I am so going to be late!"

Sunset sprints the entire length from her room in the 'Magic' Dormitory to Friendship Academy, mixing in a number of shorter-ranged teleports where she feels safe doing so, in a desperate bid to make up for lost time. Grass, trees, and other straggling-but-less-caring students whirl past, and the glistening crystal of the Academy comes ever-closer. Though, Sunset's concerns more than simply being late for school itself. Since her movement to the Headmaster's tower, Starlight now meets Sunset at the bleachers for the sports field that's along the path to the Academy from the dormitory. Being late to that meeting concerns Sunset far more than being late to her class itself, with how much less time she finds herself able to spend with Starlight Glimmer now.

However, upon reaching the bleachers, Sunset curses under her breath. Near the end of the previous week, a certain azure unicorn caught onto their meeting place, and started arriving to meet with Starlight Glimmer herself. This, in itself, isn't Sunset's problem. She's still in favor of Starlight expanding her pool of friends, and on retrospect of their first meeting, she finds Trixie a delightfully energetic presence. Trixie, however...

"Hello, Sunset!" Starlight calls from her seat on the bleachers, rising. Beside her, Trixie's mouth hangs open, clearly halfway through a sentence, watching dumbly as Starlight walks her way down to meet Sunset.

"Hey, Starlight." Sunset greets her, turning her attention to the bleachers. "Hey, Trixie." She greets the still-stunned mare, tentatively waving a hoof in greeting, trying to keep the air between them as natural and friendly as possible, given what Starlight's just done.

Trixie Lulamoon descends the bleacher slowly, approaching the pair. "Hello, Sunset Shimmer." She says, her words evenly measured for basic courtesy yet distance. The words, and their tone, are something Sunset is becoming used to from Trixie. It's her barest attempt at masking her growing disdain of Sunset, one of the reasons that Sunset dreads seeing the mare. Her words, however, are the only thing masked, as the look in Trixie's eyes makes her true feelings clear. Trixie's features, however, brighten as she turns her attention back to Starlight Glimmer. "So! Like I was saying! I've got the greatest tale I've ever spun to add to my show routine, Starlight. I was wondering if you'd want to help me work out some of the visuals for it, if you're not busy, that is." Trixie, by trade, is a showpony, an art that mixes various kinds of magical tricks and ingenuity with captivating storytelling, all in an attempt to entertain a crowd.

Starlight turns to her, giving her the neutral tone and expression that Sunset's come to expect of her when dealing with most ponies. "I'm sorry, Trixie... another time, maybe." Her head nods and she turns back to Sunset, and her lips upturn slightly. "How was your weekend, Sunset?"

"Uh... fine, I guess." Sunset replies, laughing nervously, hoof scratching behind her ear. Behind Starlight, Trixie's limbs quiver as she bites at her lip, her eyes glaring daggers even as Sunset offers her a sheepish, pleading smile.

This exchange is simply emblematic of the second reason Sunset dreads situations with Trixie involved. Initially, Sunset only felt annoyance at Trixie's attempts to dominate conversations when she and Starlight were together. Those feelings, though, soon gave way to pity, the best word to summarize Sunset's current feelings toward the mare as well. No matter what the situation, Starlight dismisses the mare, in way Sunset can best describe as 'politely callous'. She doesn't know if it has to do with the terms the pair separated on or something else, but the constant shut-downs from Starlight are enough to make Sunset uncomfortable, even as just a bystander. Trixie's tenacity against the treatment, however, is something that always surprises Sunset. She's insistent, and never discouraged for long.

And sometimes, Sunset tries to help her along. "What kind of story is it, Trixie?"

Trixie huffs as the three begin walking side-by-side-by-side, Starlight in the middle, with Trixie and Sunset on either side. After her moment of prideful indulgence, however, Trixie decides to accept the conversation hook, though the sidelong look Sunset receives for her trouble definitely doesn't show appreciation. "Trixie was thinking of a tale where she rides the ursa major from her previous adventure into battle against a giant, fire-breathing sea-dragon to fight for the survival of Manehattan." A confident grin finally spreads through her dark demeanor. "A captivating tale of action and heroism! Something easy enough for a crowd to invest into with just enough continuity for the returning fans." She turns her attention to the mare in the middle. "What do you think, Starlight? That's what I wanted your help with - I want to make the visual that goes alongside this one absolutely stunning! A bang-out show of spectacle to catch the crowd!"

"It sounds nice, Trixie." Starlight replies.

With just those four words, Trixie again deflates, well able to understand the true message being Starlight's words. Quickly, however, the confident grin returns, just a tiny bit smaller, and Trixie carries on. "Of course it sounds nice! It'll be more than just nice. It's going to be amazing!"

As the two continue to talk, Sunset finds herself gazing at Starlight, chest tight and stomach knotted, as the conversation between Starlight and Trixie continues along its current back-and-forth path. Looking at the back of her head, Sunset can just barely make out her reflection in Starlight's crystal sheen. "Understand, Sunset Shimmer! The Crystal Mare is just a mirror!" Rarity's words, from their Duel, weeks ago now, find their way back into Sunset's mind. Is this how Starlight truly treats ponies, when not compelled by the Champion of the Duel to do otherwise?

Later, and elsewhere...

A round table lays on its side. A line of five chairs looks out from a white, crystal balcony, overlooking the tall, intertwining architecture of Friendship Academy. On the chairs sit four ponies, with a cassette player resting in the middlemost seat. The six-point star emblazoned on the cassette player remains dormant, no hoof moving to the play button. The air of an unmet ritual rests between the gathered ponies, words unspoken and voice unheard.

Tracks from a model train set wrap around the five chairs in an oval. On them, a five-car train chugs slowly along the tracks, its 'toot-toot' breaking the group's silence.

"Rainbow Dash didn't come again, today." Applejack notes, looking to the empty seat at her right. "This marks a week now. She isn't showing at school, either. I hear that mare Lightning Dust has taken over most of her roles with the sports teams for the time being."

"I haven't even seen her leave her room." Rarity's eyes join Applejack's on the empty chair. They then turn up to Fluttershy. "Is she doing okay, dear?"

"Yeah..." Fluttershy's voice trails as she looks skyward. "She's fine. But, now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have gotten Sunset to force her into that duel, after all. She won't even tell me what happened during it."

Rarity rests her left hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "You can't blame yourself, dear. You can't be expected to know how she'll take things. I mean, she was always so blasé about the Magic Duels, compared to the rest of us, including you, Fluttershy. There's no way we could have guessed she would react this badly to losing."

"Yes, but-"

"Fluttershy." Applejack interjects, turning to her. "It's not any of our business, since its not like we're all the most open about it either, but did Rainbow Dash ever tell you why she involved herself in the duels to begin with? I know you and her are close, so..."

Fluttershy shakes her head. "No. She never said, and to be honest, I never really asked." Fluttershy takes a steadying breath. "I don't know why. Maybe I supposed her reason was the same as mine. It seems I have a record of being presumptuous with these sorts of things."

"What about that letter Sunset Shimmer received from End of the World?" Rarity asks. "Anypony got any idea what it may have been about? It looked like a duel challenge, but..."

"No idea, sugarcube." Applejack shakes her head. "A duel challenge was my best guess when she let me read it, too. But, we've all dueled Sunset Shimmer by now, and none of us sent it asking for a rematch, obviously. I don't know about anypony else with Magic Crests, either."

Rarity turns her attention back to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, you said you and Rainbow Dash met Sunset there. Did Rainbow Dash ever say why? It sounds like she might know something the rest of us don't, even if I can't imagine how or why."

"No..." Fluttershy looks to the floor, her mane flowing forward to cover her face. "She wouldn't say anything to me. She just asked me to go with her to the Dueling Tower. Twice, actually. We were there Saturday night, too, but nopony showed up that time..."

"And we aren't getting anymore letters of our own from End of the World, either." Applejack grumbles, crossing her hooves in front of herself. "We're being left out in the wind, by the sounds of it."

The model train hits a break in its tracks. The front car drives off, tipping onto its side and taking the other four pieces of the train with it.

"So, that's it?" Pinkamena finally speaks. For the first time since her lost to Sunset Shimmer, her voice is something besides distant and uninvested. However, it's also not her previous signature, aggression, though the undertones of such as still noticeable. She rises from her seat, walking to the edge of the balcony, rearing up on two legs to rest her front half against the railing. When she speaks again, the others finally distinguish what they hear - determination. "The Dueling Tower opens for an opponent nopony knows the identity of, Rainbow Dash won't leave her room, and the rest of us are just sitting here and doing nothing?" She pulls down from the railing, turning to face the others. "Neigh, I say! We're the Elements of Harmony. Not only does Rainbow Dash need us, but an outside force is attempting to seize the Crystal Mare. We need to act!"

It's Rarity that finds her way out of her surprise at such an outburst from Pinkamena, after the slump she herself has been in since her duel against Sunset Shimmer. "Well, what should we do then? If you have any ideas, we're all ears, darling."

"I think it's simple enough." Pinkamena replies. Her visible eye reflects the emotion in her voice. "For now, Fluttershy will need to continue her part with Rainbow Dash, at least until we can get an idea of what's causing her to act how she is. The rest of us, in the meanwhile, will do some digging on Sunset Shimmer. We need to find a good time for us to get the answers we need out of her, since for once, she's the one who knows more than we do." She smiles, a bit manically. "Let's show End of the World that we're capable of moving without the need to dance to their jig."

"I still can't believe we're going have lunch with the Headmaster, Starlight." Sunset Shimmer comments as she walks beside Starlight Glimmer. The noon sun's rays press against their backs as they walk together, making their way to the Headmaster's tower in the center of the Academy. Around them, the crystal of the buildings glitters, and every so often, the shadows cast by the crisscrossing pathways above offer the slight reprieve of shade from the sun's heat. "Meeting the mysterious Headmaster..." She turns to Starlight, grinning. "And, one of your friends, of course." Though, as soon as the words leave Sunset's mouth, her grin sours. She'll be long-time friends with the Headmaster, but not Trixie? Why...?

Starlight giggles to herself, seemingly not noticing Sunset's sudden change of mood. "Does Twilight really have such a reputation around here?" Starlight asks. "She's not an unfriendly or anti-social pony, Sunset. She's just... busy with her work, a lot."

"I'm guessing that's why she has you help her so much?" Sunset asks, doing her best to regain her cheery composure. "What do you do to help her, anyway? If she has you staying in that tower of hers full-time now, it must get pretty intensive."

"Oh, you know..." Starlight trails off, and the two share a look.

"This and that." They both say at the same time.

Sunset sighs. "I understand, you keep everything close to the chest, Starlight. But, you know you can talk to me, right?" Sunset bites her lip, rubbing behind her ear with a hoof. "If something's going on, you know I'm always here to-"

"Hello, Starlight!" A familiar, excited voice calls to them from behind, cutting off the rest of Sunset's sentence, as the pounding of hooves indicates the approach of its owner. That owner being the mare that inhabited Sunset's thoughts only a minute or two ago, Trixie Lulamoon.

"Hello, Trixie." Starlight replies with trademark neutrality. However, there's a slight hesitation to it, one that Sunset can only catch from having gained such an understanding of Starlight's verbal quirks.

"Hey there, Trixie." Sunset greets, doing her best to be friendly, though the attempt only earns her another withering glower from Trixie. She must really hate me... Sunset turns away, not able to hold her gaze long when she has that look in her eye. It's not my fault, but I guess I can't entirely blame her... I can imagine how this situation seems from her point of view, especially without her knowing about all the weirdness surrounding Starlight as a result of the Magic Duels.

"So, what are you up to today, Starlight?" Trixie asks, quickly replacing her disdain for Sunset Shimmer with a warm smile for Starlight Glimmer. "I was thinking, maybe you and I could-"

"Sunset and I are going to meet the Headmaster right now, Trixie." Starlight replies plainly. Though, Sunset swears she can see the faintest hints of regret in her eyes at again brushing off her former-best-friend. It's not something Sunset hasn't caught before, either, but Starlight usually hides it with her immediate turn to talking to her instead of Trixie, only making the problems between the two worse. In times like these, however, where Sunset stays silent enough to prevent that being an option, she can catch these small moments from Starlight.

And if there's regret, there's the proof she's more than what Rarity claimed. Sunset tells herself. Though, I'm not sure if that makes her treatment of Trixie better, or worse... She decides to remain silent, wanting to use this opportunity to better gauge the reactions between the two. It's the first time she's able to easily let herself fall into the proverbial shadows for a reason other than Trixie dominating the conversation, so she wants to make use of it.

"Ah..." Trixie looks hurt, but quickly changes her attack angle, wiping the negative emotions from her face. "Well! Trixie can just come with you, and we can all eat lunch as a group!" She spares Sunset another dark glance before returning to Starlight. "I don't know what awful thing Sunset Shimmer did to get herself called up to the Headmaster during our lunch break, but Trixie commends you for standing with your new friend like this!" While her words sound genuine, the flicker of eye movement that accompanies them at the phrase 'new friend' betrays Trixie's true feelings. "So, in turn, Trixie shall stand with you, her greatest friend, to spread around the support!"

Starlight's eyes remain on the path ahead as she walks. "We're going to have lunch with the Headmaster, Trixie."

Trixie's wind looks swept from her sails at the one-sentence dismissal of everything she's said, but she recovers once more. "Oh, a friendly lunch, is it? Trixie finds this equally acceptable! Why, we can-"

"I'm afraid not, Trixie." Starlight shakes her head, cutting Trixie off for the second time in one day. "The Headmaster is... reclusive." And, on top of it, lying, assuming what she said to Sunset is the truth. "She won't be happy with us if we bring anypony uninvited."

"Oh..." And, in the span of time it takes her utter that one sound, Trixie's repeated attempts to rebound herself culminate in a crestfallen expression, as she turns to stare at the ground. "I see..." She stops in place, as the other two continue walking.

Sunset feels compelled to intervene now, her desire for knowledge no longer worth the pain she sees on the mare's face. "Oh, come on, Starlight, surely, we can-"

"It's fine, Sunset Shimmer." Trixie says, her voice hollow, from behind the other two. "I understand. I'll just go." The mare turns, starting along the path back into the facilities of Friendship Academy, eyes not rising from the path beneath her hooves.

"Trixie..." Sunset mutters, wanting to call back to her, but not sure if the gesture may make the situation worse. She knows a mare like Trixie is prideful, and it'll be easy for her to take offense if she begins correctly believing Sunset is pitying her.

"We'll be late if we don't get moving, Sunset." Starlight says from beside Sunset, pulling Sunset from inner battle with her conscience before either side can declare itself the victor. She begins walking again, taking the lead of the remaining two ponies on the trek to the Headmaster's tower.

"Starlight, why won't you be friends with her again?" Sunset asks, putting herself into gear to follow. She's a few steps behind Starlight, but makes no attempt to close the distance. She'd considered instead trying to ask Starlight about the six-point star that's been eating at her subconscious since this morning, but her concern for situation her friend is in with Trixie supersedes that worry for her right now.

Starlight's neutral mask slips as her eyes turn to the ground. She bites at her lip, hesitating to speak at first, taking some time to find her words. "It's dangerous for uninvolved ponies to be close to me, Sunset."

"You mean, ponies not involved in the Magic Duels?" Sunset asks, filling in the blanks for herself.

"Yes." Starlight confirms with a nod.

"How is it dangerous, Starlight?" Sunset asks. Initially, it's a question of concern, but her need for knowledge soon has her pressing before she even realizes it. "Why can you be friends with the Headmaster, or even Spike, but not with Trixie?" She sighs, realizing what she's done but knowing its too late to take it back. "I'm sorry, Starlight. I just... I'm not trying to judge you. I just want you to be honest with me."

"I am being honest, Sunset." Starlight replies, automatically. Her mouth opens, to say something in follow-up, but then closes again. Sunset decides to wait, allowing Starlight to collect her words and continue the conversation herself. "It's just... it's for the best, Sunset."

'It's for the best', huh? Those are words Sunset is all-too familiar with. "So, what?" She prods, that twinge of righteousness inside her sparking up, aimed at the one pony she'd least expected to aim it at. "Don't you see you're destroying her on the inside? Are you just going to blow her off until she finally gives up on ever being friends with you again?"

"...If I need to." The words from Starlight are faint, quivering slightly.

Trixie's not the only one she's destroying with this behavior... A thought Sunset worms its way into Sunset's mind, one she'd normally never consider. "...What if I were to order you to be friends with her again? You know, with the whole..." Sunset trails, feeling the rest of her thought process is well enough implied.

"...Then I would do it." Starlight nods again, then turns her head to face Sunset's. "Are you ordering me to do it?"

"Do you want me to?" Sunset asks in return, two sides of her conscience warring at even posing the question.

"No, Sunset."

"Good." Sunset turns back to the remainder of the crystal path in front of her. "I wasn't going to do it anyway. You know I'd never be okay with ordering you to do something, Starlight."

"Thank you, Sunset." Starlight turns her head to look at the sky. In this one, fleeting moment, Sunset is able to get a view of Starlight Glimmer with all her defenses lowered, pain and longing clearly etched into her features. You're more than a mirror. Whatever's forcing you to act this way, I'm going to take care of it. Just you wait, Starlight Glimmer.

Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer soon reach the tower containing the Headmaster's office, its crystal exterior glistening gently in the sun's rays. They step up the entrance stairway, and Starlight pushes open one of its double doors with a hoof, and the two enter. The ceiling is about five pony-lengths high, or more, at Sunset's best guess, the entrance hallway lined with doors, framed in wood with crystal glass, crystal outcroppings surrounding them on either side. At the far end is one final set of double doors, the same make, but taller, and framed with two white-crystal pillars. These are the doors the two approach, Starlight turning the handle and pulling the door open, slowly. The room on the other side is tiny, barely capable of holding more than three ponies, with no windows, and walls of highly reflective crystal. Starlight steps in and beckons Sunset to join her, the doors closing behind them of their own accord.

"What is-" Sunset starts to ask, but the room lurches, rumbling beneath their hooves and lifting the pair skyward. "Is this... an elevator?" Such pieces of modern technology are rare, and rarer still in crystal-based structures. Too bad that Dueling Arena doesn't have one of these. Sunset can't help but smirk to herself at the thought. The conversation falls silent between the two as they rise higher. Starlight's face is visible in the crystals that make up the contraption, brow furrowed and lip scrunched, but only barely so. She must be really nervous, introducing somepony to the Headmaster like this...

A 'ding' denotes their arrival at the elevator's sole destination, doors opening directly into the Headmaster's office. "Wow..." Sunset mutters as she steps out, taking in the sight before her. The room itself is wide and circular, the walls high and lined with crystals. In its center sits a round table, surrounded by six chairs that can easily be described as thrones. Each is carved from their own outcroppings of crystal, and Sunset soon notices a seventh chair, smaller than the rest, equally carved and situated directly against one of the six. Set on the table is some sort of centerpiece - a carved crystal in the shape of a heart, set on a podium and wrapped twice around with a scroll, whose writing appears long faded. Above the table, hanging down like a chandelier, are what Sunset can only surmise are the roots of an old tree, whose purpose in a room like this Sunset can't begin to fathom.

Sitting in the chair paired with the smaller one is a figure Sunset can only assume to be the Headmaster - a massive unicorn pony, heads above any she's ever seen before, with the horn to match. However, as Sunset further takes in her features, her tenseness changes from being nervous over making a good impression for Starlight Glimmer's sake, to something altogether different. Her coat is a pale mulberry, and her mane is better described as an ethereal cloud than hair - a cloud of blue, striped with violet and rose, sparkling gently under its own light. She wears a magenta jacket, in the same styling as the Elements of Harmony, albeit proportioned for her incredible stature. Her body slightly glistens in the light, glazed over completely in crystal, just as Starlight Glimmer is.

"Ah, hello, Starlight." She says, her voice warm and friendly, though somehow still sounding distant. Her violet eyes twinkle excitedly for just a moment. "And you must be Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset shakes her head clear. That voice... It tugs at Sunset. It's much older, weighed down in the ways only time and experience can be, but at the same time, its resemblance to the one of the girl from the Dueling Arena is strikingly uncanny, a comparison only further driven home by her choice in clothing and the colors running through her mane. But... that, whatever it was, she had hair, and she wasn't crystal... even when Starlight and I somehow ended up in different bodies, Starlight kept her crystal sheen. But, then, why do they...

"Hello, Twilight." Starlight says casually. She nods to her mentor, and begins walking around the length of the round table to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Headmaster!" Sunset blurts out, pulled suddenly from her thoughts. She bows her head slightly in an attempt to make a good first impression. While her appearance has Sunset's mind racing with any number of thoughts, for now, her current intent is to leave a good first impression on somepony clearly important to Starlight Glimmer. Even if the Headmaster is somehow connected to the dueling game and its not just an uncanny resemblance, Sunset knows it won't do her any good to not get in the mare's good graces before trying to press for information.

"Please, Sunset." The Headmaster gives a wry smile. "Call me Twilight, and come sit with us." She motions with her hooves to the other chairs, essentially inviting Sunset to take any of them.

Starlight takes the smaller seat directly next to Twilight Sparkle, while Sunset opts for the one to Starlight's right. Looking at each of the empty chairs, Sunset sees each is emblazoned with some sort of emblem - three diamonds, three apples, three butterflies, and three balloons. Turning her head back, she looks at the one etched into her own chair - a cloud firing a rainbow-colored lightning bolt. I suppose I have a penchant for being the odd one out... Looking to Twilight's chair, Sunset finds herself unable to see whatever emblem may be etched into it, blocked by the Headmaster's large form and flowing mane, while Starlight Glimmer's chair is blank. "Um, Miss Twilight, ma'am? May I ask a question?"

"Yes, Sunset?" Twilight replies. "And please, don't be so formal. It bothers me." A small but friendly smile graces her lips. "Like I said, just Twilight, please."

"What do the symbols on these chairs mean?" Sunset asks, motioning her hoof up at the one above her own head. She imagines, being etched into such regal-looking crystal chairs - in color, no less - and being in the Headmaster's office, they must hold some kind of meaning. There's always the possibility of them just being a stylistic choice, but it's one Sunset doesn't feel is adequate.

"Ah." Twilight nibbles her bottom lip for a moment. "Those are cutie marks, Sunset Shimmer. A long time ago, every pony had one, and they were emblematic of that pony's specific traits and callings. They're a bit of ancient history, though, so it's not surprising if you've never heard about them before now."

Sunset grins and laughs once. "Sure would be nice to have those these days. Life would be a lot simpler, wouldn't it?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Twilight smiles, looking at Sunset warmly, though something about her gaze seems distant. While clearly guarded, she's far more emotive than the smaller crystalline pony beside her, a fact helps put Sunset Shimmer at ease. "Starlight has told me a lot about you, Sunset Shimmer."

"She... has?" Sunset asks, skeptical less about the fact Starlight had done so and more wondering exactly what she might've told Twilight. Does this mean that the Headmaster does know about the Magic Duels, then? Am I about to be in some serious hot water? I'd like to just ask her about them myself, but I can only imagine how the conversation would go if she turns out to be completely uninvolved...

"Yes." Twilight nods. "She says you both spend a lot of time together. It makes me happy to hear, though." Twilight laughs, polite and friendly. "Starlight Glimmer has never really been the type for friends."

Twilight's answer leaves an itch in Sunset's mind, so she casts out another question as a lure. "How long have you and Starlight Glimmer known each other?" She asks. "Starlight Glimmer spoke a little about you, too, and she made it seem like you two have known each other for quite a long time."

"We have." Twilight confirms. "Starlight Glimmer was my first student, a very long time ago."

While she does her best to hide it, Sunset becomes increasingly perturbed. Twilight's answers don't seem to add up against what Sunset herself knows about Starlight. It's possible that Starlight and Trixie's history is from even longer ago, or that she just never told the Headmaster about her. It's not like she told me about Trixie either, I suppose, but...

"May I ask you a question as well, Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight asks, cutting off Sunset's train of thought.

"Um... sure." Sunset nods, slowly, and scratches behind her ear with a hoof.

"What made you become friends with Starlight Glimmer?"

"Oh, well..." Sunset tries to think quickly, doing her best to patch together a story that's mostly the truth while leaving out tales of swords and duels. "I saw her near the Tree of Harmony on my first day in the school, and decided to talk to her since she was by herself and I had a hunch she might be an interesting mare to get to know. Turned out, she ended up becoming my roommate, so it was a good call, since we've been spending way more time together than we might've otherwise."

"I see." Twilight nods, the smile on her lips hopefully meaning the answer is satisfactory. "I apologize, then. Things have gotten more hectic around here, and I've selfishly snatched your friend and roommate away for my own needs. I hope you'll forgive me, Sunset Shimmer." Her head bows slightly, apologetically.

"It's okay, honest!" Sunset assures her, waving her hooves in front of her to reject the apology as she lets out a nervous laugh. "I won't say I don't miss having her around, but I do understand, Hea... Twilight. Keeping everything running around here is a bit more important than me having a roommate, after all."

"Thank you for understanding." Twlight looks to Starlight, sitting by her side, then to the wall above the entryway, then back to Sunset. "It looks like the class period is about to change again. You two should probably get going. You're free to drop by any time you like, including lunch, Sunset Shimmer."

"Ack! Right, class!" Sunset slips from her chair, Starlight following suit, looking to the clock on the wall for herself. Sunset notes that she'll have to be more careful with balancing courtesy with questioning in the future when meeting the Headmaster, since the meetings are on a clock. "Thank you for having us, Twilight."

"It was my pleasure. It's good to see Starlight has such a good friend, these days."

The Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony lays empty as the afternoon sun lowers, and a mare walks the hallway of an adjoining building. Her azure hoof presses open a door along that hall, indistinguishable from the other doors lining either end. Inside, an unoccupied desk is immediately visible, with a service bell placed atop. Walking up to it, the mare raps on the bell three times with her hoof. "Hello?" She calls out into the empty room. "Anypony there?"

Scanning the room, she soon spots a door. Hanging from a coat hook on the door is a red, rectangular sign, with 'OPEN' emblazoned across it in white lettering. It's the kind of sign the mare expects from a corner store, but she brushes the strangeness aside, turning the handle and stepping into the room. It's small, only a few pony lengths in any direction, with a single stool set in front of what the mare surmises to be a one-way window with a small ledge in front of it, like some kind of modern confessional. The crystal comprising this room is especially dark, barely reflecting light even when the mare attempts lighting her horn. After a moment's hesitation, she shuts the door behind her and sits on the stool, facing the window.

"Name?" A soft, yet masculine voice says from beyond the window.

"Trixie Lulamoon." She replies. "This is the counseling office, right? I could use a little help right now, and I don't know where else to turn."

"Yes, it is, Miss Lulamoon. Let us begin." As the voice says those words, the room lurches. Trixie's body feels like it's descending downward, being pulled deep into an abyss. "Don't worry. This feeling of descent is just something that we use to help ponies open up about how they feel. Now, what brings you here, today?"

"I'm having some problems with an old friend of mine." Trixie admits, staring at herself in the mirror. The voice says nothing, and she eventually continues of her own accord. "While I'm a very bold and outgoing pony, I'm also the type that's prone to not having many true friends. A long time ago, I had one, though. She was a lot like me in some ways, scorned by a world she felt didn't understand her, and we were able to bond over that. But, at the same time... at the same time, she was everything I wanted to be! Intelligent! Powerful! The only real trait I had over her was my natural charisma. I may have been jealous of her at times, but she was my dearest friend, and she helped me with everything, so it was fine. But now... now..."

The room lurches once Trixie stops talking, sending her forward to grip the ledge of the one-way window, then continues downward. "Your true feelings are still buried, Miss Lulamoon. Dig, deeper..." The voice beckons Trixie to continue, though it needn't have.

"But now, she won't even look at me!" She slams her hoof against the ledge, voice quivering. "I transferred to this school because I heard she was here, but now it's like she never wants to see me again!" She draws a ragged breath, squinting her eyes closed to clear away tears. "It's been a long time... I can understand her having new friends, but she treats me like some clingy stranger she's just too nice to tell to buzz off! She acts like everything between us never happened!" Trixie's body shakes as her voice quivers, the mare no longer trying to keep control of it as she slumps against the windowsill. "It's not fair! What gives her the right to treat me like that?! Toss me aside like dregs?! I just wanted my old friend back! But, no matter what I try... no matter what I do..." Her ranting dies off for only a moment, as she looks at herself in the mirror, eyes red and bleary. "All she does is ignore me!" She squints them back shut as she curls against herself on the stool, her final cry reverberating off the walls, mixing together with the clatter of the elevator arriving at its destination.

Beside her, the door to the room opens, and a dark stallion stands framed in the entryway. Trixie quickly recognizes Sombra, the student counselor, from a pamphlet about the campus she'd read earlier, which eventually led her to where she is now. "I understand, little one. The only choice left for you is to revolutionize the world."

"What...?" Trixie gapes, the negative emotions flooding her mind leaving her unable to process what he's said.

"Come." The stallion says, turning into a far different, darker room than Trixie remembers entering from. "The path you must take has been prepared for you."

Bewildered, and not knowing what else to do, Trixie follows the stallion into the next room. The room she finds herself in now is dimly lit, expansive, but seemingly empty. Sombra steps to the center of the room, and Trixie traces the tilt of his head, eventually spotting the black, six-point star crystals hanging from the ceiling. She takes another few steps forward, until she finally finds her voice. "What is this place?"

"A hallowed ground, of sorts." Sombra explains. "The spirits of those who failed to revolutionize the world now rest here, given form as these black crystals. For those Duelists, and you as well, you could say this is The End of the World." His horn glows, the amber light plucking one of the crystals free and turning back to Trixie. "Normally, these crystals are clear, symbolizing the hopes of those yet to travel the path of the Duelist. Once a Duelist can progress no further on their path, the crystal turns back, the hope consumed by the blackness of their failure." He turns his head to face her. "However, just because one has lost hope doesn't mean they've become impotent at their task. Possibly, it's quite the opposite..." Sombra grins sidelong at her as his eyes narrow, white teeth contrasting against the darkness around him.

Trixie's eyes go wide in disbelief as she steps back. "This is..." She attempts some sort of rebuttal at the things she's seeing and words she's hearing, but she can't find the words needed, and it just gets caught in her throat.

A foreleg then wraps around her, holding her in place. A mare that Trixie doesn't remember seeing before now stands beside her. "You have been chosen, Trixie Lulamoon." She says, as Sombra levitates over the black crystal, the magical grip holding it changing from amber to turquoise as the mare takes grip of it instead. Trixie's breath comes in ragged pants as her heart races, eyes wide as they dart between the mare and the student counselor. Questions whirl through her already emotionally-distraught mind as she tries and fails to comprehend the events unfolding in front of her, culminating in a scream that dies on her lips. "You, Duelist who once sought to revolutionize the world... we shall return to you that heart you once held so dear." The crystal levitates within a hoof's reach of Trixie now, as she panics, attempting in vain to struggle against the unicorn mare's surprisingly powerful grip. "Now... I bestow this black crystal, which forms at The End of the World... to you!"

Trixie's shadow casts long against the wall, this time her voice more than capable of releasing the scream in her chest as the hilt of a sword takes form. The ponies, however, are too far below for anypony else to hear Trixie's cry.

Sunset Shimmer sits in her dorm, after the Academy has let out classes for the day. Outside, reds and ambers are slowly giving away to the darker colors of the night sky, the moon slowly becoming visible over the far horizon. She again sits over her pages upon pages of notes, quill aloft in her magical grip as she begins a new page - a page on the Headmaster, Twilight Sparkle. She has biographical pages on each of the Elements of Harmony, and one containing a scrawl of the few things she knows of the strange girl. While she doesn't yet have any evidence the Headmaster is involved in anything, she decides to begin a page on her, anyway, mainly over the coincidental looks she has with the girl from Sunset's most recent Magic Duel. As far as Sunset is concerned, being too cautious is better than being too careless.

A single knock resounds against Sunset's door, snapping her from her notes. As she turns to look over at it, a postcard slips through the space between the door and the floor, piquing Sunset's curiosity. The shadow of a pony is visible walking away, from the light peaking through, and Sunset wills the postcard to her with her magic. One side is decorated with a black, six-point star, and the two sentences on the other are enough to snap Sunset out of her seat. She teleports to the other side of her door without opening it, and sprints down the hallway, trying to catch the sender.

Not taking long to realize her attempt is futile, Sunset returns to her room, slumping back into her chair. On the table, the postcard sits, mixed among all her other papers:

To the Champion of the Duels:

Come to the Dueling Arena at midnight.

She lets out a long sigh of frustration, scratching behind her ear. If I'm lucky, maybe I can at least get some more clues for me to use to try and piece this mess together, from whoever this is this time...

The tower looms darkly against the night sky as Sunset Shimmer approaches. Again, Rainbow Dash's broken estoc rests at her side, a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances now that the Magic Duels have taken on an entirely different context in her mind. She pulls out the necklace, shielding her eyes against the light of the doors as they open, then makes her way inside. Once inside the tower, however, Sunset stops, at the base of the tower-in-the-tower.

"How in the world..." Sunset wonders out loud. "The stairs... they're spiraling in the opposite direction now..." Indeed, what had once been a clockwise spiral of stairs, now winds around the inner tower counter-clockwise, instead. "This isn't possible." Sunset shakes her head, but finds the truth to still be in front of her muzzle once she reopens her eyes.

Not seeing any other choice, she climbs the counter-clockwise stairs, scaling the tower, its height enough that it may as well reach for the heavens themselves, the ritual feeling slightly wrong due to the stairs winding the wrong way. Am I going to need to cross another mirror? Sunset wonders to herself, remembering her previous duel with the mysterious girl. As Sunset climbs higher, the light of the castle breaks through, washing down over her, but the perplexingly-midday sky is gone. Instead, the sky is black, twinkling with stars, dark clouds winding around the castle and the Dueling Arena. Sunset reaches the top of the stairs and looks to the sky, the chandelier-like castle still visible. Its light is brighter, cutting through the darkness around it and highlighting the Dueling Arena. Sunset steps forward, away from the darkness behind her and into the light ahead, into the Dueling Arena.

...And, she immediately goes wide-eyed at the bizarre sight before her. Clusters of stools now litter the Dueling Arena, arranged in five-by-five squares, allowing for paths between them. On each stool sits a cone-shaped helmet, royal purple, decorated with a flared swoosh in two lighter tones on either side, each framing a pair of gold stars. Across the 'aisle' created by the stools sits a figure whose silhouette appears to be a mare, with a cornflower mane and azure coat, wearing a green uniform, in the same style as worn by the Elements of Harmony.

Sunset glances to Starlight, confused, but after receiving no verbal or visual clue-in about the situation, turns back to the mystery opponent. "Who are you?" She calls out from across the Dueling Arena.

The mare laughs lowly. "On this black crystal, I do swear..." the mare spins with a flourish, brandishing her weapon in her right hoof and pointing it at Sunset Shimmer, "to win this duel, and kill the Crystal Mare!" The weapon pointed at Sunset is a straight sword, with a curved cross-guard in the shape of a crescent moon, and a hilt with a star pommel, reminiscent of a magic wand. From the star pommel hangs a tassel, a purple cloth adorned with multi-colored stars. However, the entire weapon appears washed out, as if a thin layer of shadow is placed on top of it.

"Wait... Trixie? Why, how are you even here?" Sunset takes a step back in disbelief. "And what are you talking about, kill the Crystal Mare? Don't you realize that's Starlight Glimmer? Aren't you two supposed to be best friends?!"

Trixie simply grins wickedly in reply, eyes narrowing, and its now that Sunset sees her brilliant, violet irises appear unusually dim.

"Sunset..." Starlight says from beside her, her voice forcefully level. "Something... something is very wrong with Trixie."

"Yeah..." Sunset looks to her, sidelong. "I can see that." Her eyes trace Trixie's form, soon spotting the black crystal affixed to her chest. "Black crystal, huh? Could it be that thing's doing?"

Starlight's eyes turn away from the mare across the Dueling Arena. "Trixie..."

Sunset pulls Starlight's face back up to hers with a hoof. "I'll help her somehow, Starlight. I promise."

Starlight nods, pulling a single six-point star crystal from her dress, affixing it to Sunset Shimmer's chest. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." Starlight recites the ritualistic line, eyes to the floor the entire time.

"Your sword, Sunset Shimmer!" Trixie yells from across the Dueling Arena, the black crystal serving as her 'fleeting crystal from The End of the World'.

"Right..." Sunset says as Starlight's hoof rests on her shoulder.

Sunset reaches for it, gripping the handle in one hoof. She draws it out slowly, feeling the strange power again flow through her body. Once the blade is half-way free, she pulls it out in a swift motion and points it at Trixie. "Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" The words spill from Sunset's mouth, without her recognition, as if they belong to someone else.

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

Both Trixie and Sunset waste no time transitioning their swords to their magic and charging forward, the former in a whirlwind of aggression and the latter pressed forward by an urge to keep Trixie as far away from Starlight Glimmer as possible. Their swords clash, magic pressing against magic as the two stand in the center of the Dueling Arena, eyes locked.

From behind Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer watches the duel, her eyes distant and empty.

"Why, Trixie?" Sunset pleads, trying to snap Trixie to her senses. "Why could you possibly want to do any of this? Kill your best friend?!"

"Because, Sunset Shimmer," Trixie replies, adding a contempt-filled emphasis to her name, "she's no friend! In the end, she's no different than anypony else, willing to toss anypony aside the second they're no longer of use to her! She'll do the same to you!" Trixie presses forward, her magic's sheer force catching Sunset off guard as she steps back and adjusts the angle of her sword to prevent it being caught in the hooks of the crescent-moon cross-guard. "But, I'm going to show everypony! I'll become so powerful that nopony will ever be able to cast me aside again!"

"Trixie!" Sunset furrows her brow as sweat begins dripping down her face, the two unicorns finding themselves evenly matched. "Don't you understand how crazy that sounds?"

"I'm done caring about what anypony else thinks!" Trixie rushes forward, and Sunset matches, the two butting heads as the swords continue to wrestle above them, an inelegant war of brute strength that neither backs down from. "I won't rely on anypony else ever again! My dreams, my desires, my needs - I'll seize them, take them, with my own hooves! I'll take what I want, and I'll show I don't need anypony else to do it!"

The whirl of emotion in Trixie's eyes, the anger - and anguish - clear in her voice, are enough to give Sunset pause. Taking advantage, Trixie headbutts her, sending Sunset stumbling back as she barely maintains her grasp on the Spark of Friendship. She's hurting so much... all because of Starlight Glimmer? Regaining her hoofing, Sunset uses her sword to deflect a thrust from Trixie's own. She stands strong against Trixie's newest assault, the horns of both mares glowing brightly, pink light wrestling against amber, sword against sword. However, she can't find the words to rebuke Trixie. Those feelings are ones that Sunset Shimmer knows too well, and Starlight's actions have left her without anything to work with to try and refute them. As such, she tries a different avenue, hoping to talk some sense into the mare. "I understand how you're feeling, Trixie, but how does killing Starlight Glimmer accomplish any of that?"

Starlight Glimmer sits in front of one of the stools. She reaches her front hooves forward, taking hold of one of helmets, gazing at her face in the freshly-polished surface.

"Because it'll make me feel better! I can keep the memories of my friend without having them stepped on by this terrible mare that she's become!" Trixie reaches into her coat, throwing something to the ground. It explodes, flooding Sunset's vision and lungs with smoke as Trixie pulls away from their most recent clash. "Besides, it's not like Starlight Glimmer hasn't done anything far worse than me over a lost friend!" Trixie's voice moves as she speaks, the mare weaving through the formations of stools as she decides on her best attack vector.

Sunset quickly forces the smoke from her lungs. "That dirty little-" She turns on her hooves, eyes still burning, but able to hear the clop of hooves to her left as she raises her sword in defense. The impact against the sword, however, is enough to not only send a piercing pain through Sunset's horn, but cause her knees to buckle, forcing her to look up at the mare before her as the smoke clears.

"That's right! Bow before the superior unicorn, Sunset Shimmer!" Trixie jeers, but the jeering is nothing to Sunset in contrast to the sight before her. The whites of Trixie's eyes are now green, as shadow flows from the bottoms of her eyes in a cascade. "Knees bent, head to the floor, that's where you and everypony else belongs!"

No! Sunset's eyes go wide in instant recognition. "Trixie, that's dark magic!" She winces, pushing both her magic and her body to their limits as she rises once more to face the crazed mare in front of her. "Don't you know how dangerous dark magic is? Where did you ever learn to us something like that?!"

"As if I'm telling you!" Trixie spins in place, bucking Sunset clean in the side of the face, sending her hurling through one of the clusters of stools. Wood shatters as helmets clatter to the ground around Sunset, one landing haphazardly on her head as she struggles to get back up once more. Her legs slip out from under her, nearly sending her onto her stomach, but she maintains enough balance to stay on her hooves.

"Sunset!" Starlight yells, her voice coming from directly behind Sunset. "Please, Sunset, stop her!" It's a plea that carries more emotion than Sunset's ever heard enter Starlight's voice, and only remembers seeing on her face when she gazed at the sky, during the silent end of their walk to the Headmaster's office.

Sunset finds her hooves as Trixie charges through the carnage of broken stools, meeting the downward arc of Trixie's sword literally head-on, blocking it with the helmet now stuck to her head. Her legs buckle, pain flying through them, all logic telling her she should topple and fall, but somehow, Sunset remains standing. The helmet's lopsided angle and the mess of her mane sticking out of it block nearly half of Sunset's vision, but she still finds herself locking eyes with Trixie. "Can't you hear her, Trixie? I don't know the first thing about what's between you two, but she still cares about you, Trixie! She hasn't just forgotten you!" Sunset focuses her magic, pulling her sword back to her and catching it in one hoof. "So snap out of it, already!"

"Silence!" Trixie swings her weapon horizontally as Sunset ducks, knocking the helmet from her head as Sunset leaps back, landing next to Starlight. "All you ponies, I'm done listening to your lies!"

Sunset's grip on the handle of the Spark of Friendship tightens, instinctively, but the swell of power and the brightening light of the castle that normally accompanies such an action doesn't come. What? The sword... it's not doing anything! Why does it have to stop doing whatever it does now?! If I don't do something soon, we'll both be... Starlight will be...! Panic floods her as Trixie charges once more, both her body and her mind too beaten to keep resisting on her own.

"Here, Sunset!" Starlight beckons, standing next to her, only slightly behind, her head bowed. On the tip of Starlight's horn rests a faint sparkling of magenta.

Instinctively, Sunset understands, spinning the sword in her hoof, resting the blade against Starlight's horn.

The sparkling of magenta extends, flowing along the length of the Spark of Friendship. Upon reaching the hilt, the pommel of the sword glows brightly, followed by the gemstone of the necklace around Sunset's neck. Above them, the light of the castle brightens, blinding light flooding the Dueling Arena. Sunset's body brims with power as her wings snap open, and her body envelops itself in an amber glow. She lunges forward, extending her right hoof as the world around her flies by at an inequine speed, barely perceptible, yet somehow, she knows her target is true. Trixie's charge doesn't cease, her own sword aloft in front of her, aiming directly for Sunset Shimmer. The blades of the swords meet, and Trixie's sword is easily tossed aside, shattering as the blade and hilt spiral through the air in opposite directions.

With one thrust, crystal shatters.

A scream echoes through the Dueling Arena as Sunset wobbles on four, shaky legs. She looks around to find everything - not only her sword and her wings, but also the many stools and helmets - gone, vanished into the aether. Behind her, Trixie lay collapsed and unconscious against the floor, and beside Trixie, Starlight Glimmer sits, gazing down at her old friend, sporting the same look she did at the end of their walk to the Headmaster's tower.

"I'm sorry, Trixie..." Starlight mutters to herself, Sunset only barely hearing.

Sunset's own gaze falls to the Dueling Arena's floor. She steps back, and turns, leaving the Dueling Arena, alone.

Author's Note

This is the final of the rewrite chapters and the last one in my backlog! I hope the reason I went through with rewriting is obvious to anyone who's read both versions! :twilightsmile:

I wanted to have had one or two new ones by now to cap these off with but the next chapter is taking longer to write than I'd hoped for a number of reasons. It should be out soon-ish, though! :twilightsheepish:

Duel One: Friendship.

Author's Note

As mentioned in the Long Description, this story has been rewritten from the ground up as of 1/9/17. The blog post detailing why this has been done can be found here. Thank you to all old readers for understanding, and I hope everyone will be able to enjoy the fruits of the labor that went into such a task!

This first chapter is probably the one that's the most similar to its original form, though it still has some important differences. As I mention in the blog post I'll be releasing the revised chapters at a rate of one per day until I've got them all posted, so that I can proofread them properly.

Enjoy, everyone!

Duel One: Friendship.

"Beautiful..." Sunset Shimmer travels the halls of Friendship Academy on her first day, its crystalline structure mesmerizing to behold. Sunlight seeps in through tall rows of windows, reflecting on the floors and walls, emphasizing the myriad of colors in the crystals used to build the Academy. A look out those windows shows the architecture of the facility to be decidedly vertical, each building towering for floor after floor, with pathways winding to and from each, leaving cross-crossing shadows on the ground below. Sunset Shimmer had absentmindedly climbed stairwell after stairwell until she reached the top floor after her first day's classes, seeking a bird's eye view of the grounds, but the sight in front of her now trumps even her highest expectations.

Each building fans outward around a single point - a tower in the Academy's center, far taller than what surrounds it as it reaches into the sky. It stands tall and isolated from everything else as ponies mill about at its foot, moving from one part of the Academy to the next. The ponies below nearly look like a giant mass of white due to the color of the overcoat that is the default Academy uniform, only broken up by the speckled rainbow of coat and mane colors, barely visible from Sunset's height. The facilities from that center point fan out, like six prongs extending from the tower that lies as their heart. A brochure for the Academy that still sits in Sunset's pocket mentions the layout of the academy symbolizing the six branches of Harmony. An interesting design quirk, if highly inconvenient at times for the student body. Encircling the Academy's 'prongs' are lush fields, dotted with trees and lined with crystal pathways, eventually leading to the outer buildings that encircle it - Academy dormitories, split into six wings, much like the Academy itself. These serve as the only buildings on the campus not made from crystal materials, made from brick and other, far less exotic materials.

Looking up at the ceiling, Sunset Shimmer finds her reflection staring back down at her - cyan eyes and a styled, twisting red main and tail, each striped with a bold yellow, set against an amber horn and coat, giving her the colors of her namesake. A custom styling of the Academy's uniform fits loosely on her - a black overcoat with long tails that cover her flanks, with two incisions along the back for wings, despite Sunset having none. The front two buttons of the uniform are undone, allowing the neck to hang open casually, the silver of a necklace hiding beneath the fabric, glinting in the sun. The sleeves of the uniform reach nearly to her fetlocks, an irritating fact that Sunset Shimmer is still adjusting to.

"Hey, are you new here?" A voice asks, catching Sunset Shimmer by surprise. She looks over her shoulder to find something that stands out at this Academy like a sore thumb - a purple dragon, with green spines along his head and clad in the Academy's uniform, albeit white and proportioned for his smaller, bipedal body. He stands about a head and a half shorter than Sunset, requiring her to look down slightly to make eye contact with him. "Sweet custom job!" He compliments, motioning to Sunset's uniform. "How much of a pain in the tail was it getting that approved?"

"Oh, uh... it wasn't so bad." Sunset pulls away from the railing, turning to her new companion. "And yeah, I'm still finding my way around. Name's Sunset Shimmer."

The necklace around Sunset's neck feels heavier at her admission. Indeed, Sunset Shimmer is new to Friendship Academy. While most students come to learn about Harmony - a key aspect of the pony world, an understanding of which can lead to greatness far above a pony's usual ability - Sunset Shimmer has a more selfish goal. The silver necklace around her neck, hidden away, bears a crystal in the shape of a six-point, magenta star. A long time ago, a dear friend gifted Sunset Shimmer with this necklace, after a dark time in her life, and then vanished from her world. Now, many years later, Sunset Shimmer has set out to find that pony again, even if both the memory of the friend and the events around her receiving the necklace have become faded with age.

"Spike the Dragon! At your service!" He gives her an infectiously friendly smile as his eyes glint, extending a claw. Sunset looks at it for a moment, before meeting it with a hoof. "How's the day treated you so far?" The dragon, Spike, is clearly many years younger than Sunset, but still carries himself with a playful, contagious sort of confidence.

"Oh, you know..." Sunset Shimmer answers dismissively, though Spike's excitement soon rubs off on her. "It's a bit better now, though. Think we can get along?" While out of Sunset Shimmer's age bracket, Spike seems fun to be around, and in a new place full of new ponies, Sunset's not about to turn down a chance to get herself a new friend early on.

"I hope so!" Spike turns on the spot, tugging on Sunset's hoof for her to follow. "Come on! I'll show you around!" His smaller legs get moving with unexpected strength, pulling Sunset forward and compelling her to follow him with ease.

"Hey! Hold on!" Sunset attempts to protest, but Spike's insistent tug soon overpowers her desire to resist, and she falls into place behind her new acquaintance. I bet he does this all time time. Spike's eagerness at making new friends surprises her initially, but Sunset appreciates it, as it prevents her needing to 'break the ice', as the saying goes. "Where are we going, anyway?"

Spike soon releases her hoof, not immediately answering, and Sunset trails a bit behind the dragon as he leads her across paths and down stairs. The smaller dragon hums as he leads the pair, objectives on where his tour should lead clear in his mind, as far as Sunset can tell. "Hey." He says over his shoulder, not allowing the silence between them to exist for long. "I heard an interesting rumor about this place a while back. Interested?"

"Huh? Rumor?" Sunset's ears perk at his question. Rumors had been what lead Sunset Shimmer to Friendship Academy in the first place. While she doesn't expect Spike to have anything particularly riveting to tell, she's always on the look for more, making her more than willing to at least hear him out. Plus, she imagines he finds walking around silently when somepony else is with him even more awkward than she does.

"Yeah." He takes a turn, and she follows, the two heading down across another one of the paths that extend between buildings. He stops partway across, putting a claw to his chin contemplatively as he recalls the story. "They say that, a long time ago, this place used to be a castle. Friendship Castle, I think they called it. It used to overlook this small town, and over time, it just got bigger and bigger." Spike turns, looking off the path to the ground below. "Nopony really knows how or why, but rumor says it eventually turned into this place." He turns, looking off the path at the ground below.

"Think it's true?" Sunset asks, playfully, turning to look off the side for herself. "Sounds pretty crazy, if you ask me."

"Nah!" Spike waves his claw dismissively. "If that were true, then where's Friendship Castle? if this place sprouted up around it, it'd have to be here, somewhere, wouldn't it?" He leans himself over the railing that stands between them and plummeting to the ground below. "We can get a cool view of the soccer field from here, don'tcha think?"

The ground is much closer now - close enough for Sunset Shimmer to make out the ponies below in meaningful detail, if still a bit dizzying to look down from. The soccer field lies below the pair, a rectangle of grass surrounded by crystal, with white dividing lines, a netted goal at either end, and a line of bleachers on the far side from Sunset's position. A white-and-black checkered ball passes feverishly between two competing teams of ponies, one adorned in the standard Academy uniform while the other wears a blue sports suit, lined with yellow detailing. The two sides appear captained by ponies that catch Sunset's interest almost immediately - mainly because they, like her, have their own sorts of custom uniforms.

The more visually striking of the two mares is a blue pegasus with short, prismatic mane. Her bold-red Academy uniform is contrasted by black sleeves and wide, white cuffs, the shoulders adorned with pads and tassels. The details make the garment look especially regal when set in contrast to the standard uniform. Across the field from her is an orange earth pony with a braided, blonde mane, wearing some kind of wide-brimmed hat. Her uniform shares many of the same details as the other mare's, its only difference being the orange of the torso, a few shades shy of blending into her coat. On the bleachers, Sunset notices a third pony in another such uniform. The pink of her uniform's body blends well with the pink of her flowing mane and tail, the former of which hangs across most of her face, leaving the mare particularly obscured from Sunset's position.

Sunset turns, a question on her lips, "Hey, Spike, who-," only to find the dragon now at the far side of the path, beckoning her with a claw.

"Come on, Sunset!" He calls out. "There's plenty more to see! You can't be that enamored by a soccer field, can you?"

Sunset Shimmer shakes her head and gallops along the rest of the pathway, soon reaching Spike as he leads the duo down another flight of stairs. "Sorry about that. Got kind of spaced out, I guess." The identities of the three ponies itch some at her. The matching uniform implies they must be of some importance, instead of simply ponies with too much money and equally too much vanity, but eventually Sunset files it away. She doubts a younger dragon like Spike would have the gossip of the business of older ponies like her and those mares. Besides, I'm sure I'll be around here plenty long enough to find out who they are for myself if I want to, anyway.

"Don't worry about it." Spike assures her. "I did the same thing a lot when I was new, too. It's easy to get lost in the view pretty much anywhere in this place."

"Speaking of view..." Sunset finds herself looking out more of the tall windows as they walk past, though now only a floor above ground level. "What's that weird, tree-looking thing out there?"

"Our next stop!" Spike proclaims, heading over to and soon half-leaning out one of the open windows. "The Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony!"

"Pretty dangerous to hang out the window like that, don't you think, Spike?" Sunset asks, teasing, despite soon doing the exact same thing herself. "Tree of Harmony, huh?"

The Courtyard of the Tree of Harmony, as Spike called it, is walled off on all sides by Academy buildings. The courtyard itself and the towering tree contained within are both themselves made of crystal, although the tree's trunk and the courtyard are far more opaque and solid-looking than the ornate materials the Academy is made from. White branches jut from the tree in all directions, creating a crystal canopy from which twinkling gemstones hang down. Sunlight filters through the branches and gems, creating a breathtaking show of lights that reflects not only off the branches and gems, but the lower floors of the buildings themselves. Five branches, however, stand out from the rest, made out of the same, opaque, dark-blue crystal as the trunk. Each extends out proudly, defying the rest of the tree's upper aesthetic, their tips encasing gems that seem to glow with their own light - a pink butterfly, a blue balloon, a red lightning bolt, a purple diamond, and an orange apple. Trails flow from those gems, along the branches, and back to the trunk, meeting at a single point - a six point star, the shape the same as that on the necklace around Sunset's neck. However, its merely an indentation of the shape, carved out crudely from the tree's trunk. The rest of the trunk is worn with both age and abuse, leaving it standing as a monument either far older than the Academy around it, or far less cared for. While the strange indentation leaves questions nagging in Sunset's mind, she's not given much time to formulate them before she gets interrupted.

"Oh, hey, it's..." Spike mutters, catching Sunset's attention. Seeing the smitten look on his face, she follows his eyes back down, to a spot a bit to the side of the tree's trunk. There, two ponies she originally didn't notice below the tree engage in a hushed conversation. However, now the two have her full attention, as they also wear the same style of uniform that the three from the sports field did. The first has a flat, raspberry mane, covering half of her face, and her pink coat contrasts sharply against the blue body of her uniform. Despite the mix of colors, the mare somehow looks very... plain, to Sunset, especially when compared to the mare she's speaking with. That latter mare has a sweeping, intricately styled violet mane and an alabaster coat. Her uniform, much like the mare before on the bleachers, matches her mane and tail with a carefully chosen shade of violet, and a horn distinctly juts from her head - a unicorn, like Sunset Shimmer.

"Rarity..." Spike half-mutters, clearly forgetting Sunset Shimmer is even there. It doesn't take Sunset much time to figure out which the youngling's attention is being enamored by. While she finds Spike's swooning a bit pathetic, even Sunset Shimmer can admit the mare's beauty. It wouldn't be a surprise for her to learn that this 'Rarity' is the heart-throb of far more than just a small dragon. Sunset giggles to herself, but stops partway through, leaning forward curiously. It takes her a moment to fully trust her eyes, but she's not wrong - there's a third pony in the courtyard, obscured by the trunk of the tree. Her coat is a pale, pinkish purple, and her mane is a striped purple and aquamarine, primped up fancily, in a way that makes her look older than the rest of the mares in the courtyard. Unlike her two companions, she wears the default uniform, but she has a far more attention-grabbing detail to her than mere fancy clothes - her entire body, and somehow, her uniform too, glisten, glossed over somehow with a thin layer of crystal, causing her to blend in somewhat against the architecture of the Academy behind her.

"Hey, Spike, who's that there?" Sunset asks, pulling him out of his reverie, pointing with a hoof. "See her? She's on the side, there, a bit behind the Tree of Harmony or whatever it is."

"Oh." Spike grumbles. "That's Starlight Glimmer. She's a real A-class stick-in-the-mud. Never really talks to anypony. I'm pretty sure the Elements of Harmony only tolerate her because the Headmaster dotes on her."

"Elements of Harmony?" She turns to him, as he in turn faces her, eyebrow raised.

"You know, only the most important students here? They pretty much run the place?" At her increasingly confused expression, Spike can't help but laugh in disbelief. "Sheesh, you really are new, here!" He holds a claw up, fist clenched, unfolding each digit as he lists off names. "Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and..." He runs out of digits, but it doesn't matter as he turns back to the window, gripping its edge and entering his trance once again. "Rarity..."

Sunset smiles as she walks past him. "Don't go off the edge, there, Casanova."

Her hooves carry her before her consciousness realizes where to. Sunset finds herself captivated by the mare, 'Starlight Glimmer'. How can she be crystal? Why does everyone seem to just accept that as normal? What keeps her so reclusive, assuming Spike's correct? It's a new mystery in her new home, guiding Sunset's hooves down the final flight of stairs to the ground floor. Looking at it from below, the tree looks decidedly more massive, its branches encompassing most of the allocated area between the buildings. The awe-inspiring show of lights Sunset saw from the floor above only looks more impressive at this angle, a truly captivating sight that seems wasted in its current location, walled off between buildings, far in the back of the Academy.

Sunset makes her way across the courtyard, Rarity still engaged with her conversation with the other mare. Soon, Sunset's on the far side of the tree, within range of her target. "Hey there." She says, quietly enough to not be overheard by prying ears. If she's truly as introverted as Spike says, Sunset imagines it'll be easier to get her to speak if things stay a one-on-one conversation. Looking over her shoulder, she sees that Starlight appears to be tending the tree like an actual plant, and not a crystal monument.

"Hello." The crystal mare replies sweetly yet simply, not turning from her work. So far, Spike's description of her seems pretty much spot-on. While not altogether unfriendly, it's clear that she's about as far from Spike as she can be in terms of outgoingness while still being polite. Its a bit of irony not lost on Sunset, that the first two ponies - or rather, dragon and pony - that she tries to befriend are so diametrically opposed.

"Um..." Sunset rubs the back of her neck with a hoof. "My name's Sunset Shimmer. I was just curious to what you're doing down here." The barest of lies, but a good conversation starter. Or, she hopes it is, at least. Sunset is neither shy nor introverted, normally one to dominate the opening of a conversation with force of personality when not paired with one like Spike, but she works to subdue her natural impulse. She's familiar enough with a mare of Starlight Glimmer's presumed type to know better than to come on strong. While spurred mainly by her physical oddity, initially, Sunset has a bit of an inexplicable compulsion for wanting to befriend loner-types.

"I'm tending the Tree of Harmony." Starlight Glimmer explains, just as sweetly and just as simply as before. "It's my job." She continues at her task, still not acknowledging Sunset's existence beyond the answering of her questions.

Progress, Sunset surmises, though the answer leaves her more confused and not less. "Job?" She raises an eyebrow at Starlight. "It's... a monument. Made of crystals. How much tending can it possibly need?" The tree's trunk is definitely in need of a good cleaning and buffing, maybe, but that's not what Starlight is doing. She's watering it, like a real plant, watering can held in her hooves. It's a bit of an odd image, Sunset realizes, as she finally notices the horn jutting from Starlight's head. Why not just use your magic to water it and be done that much quicker?

"The Tree of Harmony requires far more tending-to than a simpleton like you could understand." A new voice causes Sunset's head to snap to the side, as a certain alabaster mare saunters up to her, nose raised a tiny bit higher than it needs to be. "Are you another fresher? You should know that the Courtyard of Tree of Harmony is off-limits to normal students." Her tone mirrors her posture - creating an air of elitism that immediately puts Sunset on edge.

"What's your problem?" Sunset's eyes narrow at the mare she presumes to be Rarity as she turns to face the fellow unicorn. "I'm just trying to be friendly with somepony." Sunset holds her stance firm, guessing Rarity is one of those 'Mean Mare' types. She has enough experience with the gamut of less-savory ponies to know mares like her wilt as long as she holds ground against them.

Starlight's eyes drift away from her work, silently watching the confrontation between the two.

"Well they don't want to be friendly with you!" Her gaze moves from Sunset to Starlight. "Do you, Crystal Mare?" The line of Rarity's lips turns up, and the look her face takes on may as well have 'smug' written across it.

Where does she get off, referring to her that way?

Starlight's gaze falls, hooves going idle. "...Of course not, Mistress Rarity." Starlight Glimmer's tone is flat, almost robotic. Her stance remains rigid as she stares squarely at the roots of the Tree of Harmony. Sunset feels the blanks filling in almost immediately as she takes stock of the situation.

"What?!" Sunset's head snaps to Starlight. "Don't let her trot all over you like that!" Sunset knows the words are hollow in regards to a mare with the demeanor like Starlight Glimmer as soon as they leave her mouth, but she feels compelled to try to rouse her to resist, anyway. Her temper boils beneath her best attempt to keep herself in control. Bullies like this tug a particular chord inside Sunset Shimmer, one that usually spurs her into action.

Starlight's eyes come back up from the ground, watching Sunset Shimmer impassively.

"Trot all over her?" Rarity tsks. "Darling, I'm afraid you don't understand." Rarity's mocking tone only serves to inflame Sunset further. That boiling beneath her control soon overflows, and...

"I understand just fine!" Sunset stomps a hoof, pressing herself squarely into Rarity's face. "I understand that you're a-"

Rarity's hoof impacts Sunset's chest hard, sending her off-balance and stumbling back, winding her and taking the rest of her protest with it. Rarity's eyes lock down on Sunset, her own anger flickering behind them after being disrespected by such an impudent newbie. "You'd best watch your tone, or else..." Rarity's voice, low and threatening, soon trails off, eyes narrowing as they catch glimpse of Sunset's necklace, now free from under her uniform. "Oh ho ho! How interesting!" The flip in emotion is enough to give Sunset whiplash, as Rarity now sounds like someone privy to some secret joke.

Starlight's eyes go wide as they lock on the necklace around Sunset's neck. Her hooves twitch, but she ultimately makes no move.

"What's so interesting?" Sunset follows Rarity's eyes down, holding the necklace in her hoof. "My necklace? Jealous or something?"

"Oh, quite the opposite!" Rarity fishes her hoof under her uniform, and reveals a matching necklace of her own. "Now I see why you're getting so cozy with the Crystal Mare! A Duelist, are you?" Her lips curl into a predatory smile, and her eyes lock with Sunset's. "You have my attention. What's your name, new girl?"

"Sunset Shimmer." She replies, getting back to her hooves. "And I have no idea what you're on about." Her eyes trail back to the necklace. "What do you know about these necklaces?" While Sunset desperately wants to grip her anger at the mare, the dangle of Rarity's necklace may as well be a dangling promise of information toward her goal. For the moment, Sunset Shimmer tempers herself.

"You don't know?" Rarity asks, incredulous. "How quaint! The Magic Crest symbolizes your status as a chosen Duelist. The letters always explain that when they come bearing the necklace."

Letters...? While Sunset finds herself not having any idea what Rarity's talking about, she does pick up one small but important confirmation - the necklaces indeed come from this Academy. Sunset, temper now returning to a manageable boil, chooses her next question carefully. "Duelist?" It's the piece of ignorance Rarity already knows about, so its the one Sunset feels safest pressing her with to get some answers.

Rarity chuckles to herself. "My, you really don't know, do you? In that case, it's really for the best if you just take it off and forget you've ever worn it."

"Yeah, not happening." Sunset Shimmer spits back, glaring. At that moment, Sunset gets an idea. A terrible idea, she well knows, but to her, it feels like her best chance to kill two birds with one stone. "If these mean we're Duelists, then I can challenge you to whatever kind of duel it is, right?"

Rarity's eyes narrow on Sunset, glinting. "I don't recommend it, but it's your funeral, dear."

Sunset smirks, turning her anger into confidence. "Fine then, I'll challenge you! And when I win, you have to stop bullying Starlight Glimmer, got it?" Sunset Shimmer hopes that by participating in the duel, she can get a few breadcrumbs to follow as to who and where these necklaces originate from, and maybe even spare Starlight Glimmer her torment in the process.

"Fine then. Meet me at the top of the tower in the center of the school. Midnight." Rarity's confidence matches Sunset's own, but it's not enough to make Sunset wilt away from her task.

"The tower?" Sunset smirks. "Isn't that place off-limits?"

"We Elements of Harmony get a special exception, so don't worry about any silly rules."

Sunset Shimmer looks up at the monolith in front of her. The crystals of the Academy take on an entirely different hue at night, and the crystal tower is no different. What in the day was a beautiful spire reaching to the clouds now looms over her, cutting an imposing figure across the night sky. She steps forward, reaching a pair of double doors. At more than twice her height, Sunset can't begin to fathom what kind of creature on this Academy these doors are designed to service. She places a hoof on each handle, tugging once, then again, but they don't budge.

"Come to the tower at night, she says." Sunset grumbles. "Elements of Harmony get a special exception, she says."

Sunset Shimmer looks at the handles of the door again. Inscribed on the top of each handle is a magenta, six-pointed star. Curious, Sunset fishes out the necklace from her uniform, gazing at it in her hoof. Her eyes dart between the two once, then again. Identical. As she turns her eyes to the door again, the necklace begins to glow. She pulls her hoof away and takes a step back, the necklace now dangling freely at her neck as the doors begin glowing to match. She squints her eyes against the light, a burning white in the darkness, the doors slowly opening for her of their own accord.

"What is this?" She asks herself, sweeping her eyes around as she steps into the tower. Perplexingly, inside the tower, of all things, is a second tower, wrapped in a spiral staircase, reaching up as far as her eyes can see. Top of the tower. With that thought in mind, Sunset Shimmer places one hoof in front of the other, her goal in mind. The spiral is a trial unto itself, but determination presses her forward, even as the staircase beneath her hooves begins feeling endless.

The necklace... thoughts of it swim inside Sunset Shimmer's head. She remembers receiving it from her dearest friend, a long time ago - a friend whose name is lost to Sunset's memories. Sunset laughs solemnly to herself. What sort of friend am I? Guilt wracks Sunset's conscience - for as important as she tells herself that friend was to her, all she can remember now is the mare's mane colors - a deep blue with dual stripes of violet and rose. But still, Sunset climbs, ready to do what needs to be done. There's another detail Sunset remembers of that old friend, though - a detail that the few ponies she's told dismissed out of hoof, causing her to lock it up and keep it entirely to herself. That friend, so long ago... she remembers the mare being an alicorn, a timeless pony of both horn and wing, the kind of pony whose strength and wisdom has become naught but whispers and legends. Few ponies in the current age believe them to have ever existed at all... but the memory, the silhouette of the mare, burn brightly in her mind.

But, possibly more important than the mare's mane colors or even her status as a legendary pony species, are the words she left Sunset Shimmer with. Words that once saved Sunset Shimmer from her darkest moment, and served as the basis of the mare she's become. A simple phrase, that sounds perfectly at home with being from a place named Friendship Academy:

"The Magic of Friendship exists everywhere... all you need to do is seek it out."

While Sunset can no longer remember her voice, those words stay close to her heart.

Sunset reaches the top of the stairs, which lead into a wide platform, a structure spacious enough to fit a school dormitory in its own right, never mind have any hope of fitting inside the tower Sunset entered initially. The floor is crystal, as with everything else in Friendship Academy. On the floor's center, a giant version of the six-point star is etched, glowing a faint magenta, as the rest of the floor glistens immaculately in the direct light falling atop it. Confused, she looks around - seeing not the walls of the tower, but the sky, clouds layered against a midday blue, swirling themselves around the platform. But... it's night time, isn't it? She turns her head upward, eyes scanning in search of the sun, only for them to go wide as she takes a step back, barely catching herself from tripping back down the stairs. Above her, floating upside-down, is an expansive, crystal castle, walls of purple resting in blue framing, contrast with golden roofs and balconies. Its tallest crest is adorned with a giant, six-point star, in pure-blue crystal. Light pours from the castle like a chandelier, bathing the platform.

"Spike..." Sunset mutters. "I think I found your Friendship Castle."

"Bewitching, isn't it?" A familiar voice pulls Sunset from her gaping and back down to reality. Across from her stands Rarity, flanked by Starlight Glimmer, the latter now wearing a flowing, magenta dress. The shoulders have pads and tassels much like Rarity's uniform, and it has the odd choice of having magenta cuffs adorn Starlight's fetlocks, despite the gown having no sleeves. The dress has a crystal-like glazing over it, much like Starlight Glimmer herself.

"What is this place?" Sunset asks dumbly. "There's a castle! Upside-down! How can a castle float upside-down? Why can't you see any of this from outside?" The questions slip from Sunset's lips, one by one, her plan of tempered self-control lost to the sheer bizarreness of her current situation. Just what have I gotten myself into...?

"That's right, you've never seen this place before, have you?" Rarity steps forward as she speaks, Starlight Glimmer trailing behind her. "Don't worry, it's all just a mirage. A trick of the light caused by the Dueling Arena."

"A trick of the light?" Sunset asks, the question coming out just as dumbly as all the previous ones. It takes her a minute, but Sunset soon measures the ridiculousness of the answer in her mind. She's a unicorn of high pedigree, familiar in all kinds of magic. Something like this being an illusion requires some sort of magical element, and Sunset can't find herself believing that Rarity or any other unicorn can pull off such an intricate feat, between the castle, the strange sky, and everything else.

"It makes an excellent backdrop, though, does it not?" Rarity asks, but Sunset refuses to answer, merely turning her head back down to lock eyes with Rarity instead. "Fine, let us forego the small talk. Prepare the Magic Duel!"

Sunset smirks to herself at the name. A magic duel? This is as good as in the bag, you overconfident priss!

Starlight steps in front of Rarity, affixing something to her uniform. "A small crystal from deep within me, for you..." As she steps back, Sunset recognizes it yet again - the six-point star, seemingly ubiquitous, as far as this dueling game is concerned. A moment later, and Starlight stands in front of Sunset, affixing another of the crystals to her as well. "And for you... a fleeting crystal from The End of the World."

"A crystal from the end of the world...?" Sunset asks, confused by the strange ritual as Starlight takes one step back.

"The person who has their crystal shattered loses the duel." Starlight Glimmer explains, in her standard, sweet monotone, ignoring Sunset's question. "However, to duel, one must have a sword..."

"A sword?" Sunset's confusion continues compounding on top of itself.

"It's not too late, Sunset Shimmer." Starlight Glimmer says, hushed, so only Sunset can hear. "You don't know anything about the necklace, so just take it off." Her tone is no longer her practiced monotone, but pleading and emotional. Sunset instantly gets chills at the dropped facade, wondering just how in over her head she's gotten herself.

"How vexing!" Rarity answers Sunset's question, silencing Starlight. "Yes, dear, a sword!" Metal scrapes against metal as Rarity draws a weapon from her right side - a longsword, the hilt encrusted with all manner of gemstones. Sunset quickly realizes that, all this time, she's somehow overlooked the mare carrying a weapon on her over the course of this conversation. Though, she surmises, they're still in Friendship Academy. It looks intimidating, and it might even be made of real materials, but in the end, it has to still be a prop. An ornate, metal club at best. Rarity holds it in her magical grip, aiming it at Sunset. "You're not permitted to duel unless you have a sword."

Sunset locks eyes with the mare she's grown to dislike so much, so quickly, as she steps forward, past Starlight Glimmer. "Don't worry, I have a sword." Her own horn glows, summoning a large tree branch, pointing it back at Rarity. "Is this acceptable?" Sword fighting, even with the use of her magic, isn't something Sunset can say she's particularly good at. Regardless, she's ready as ever to put this mare in her place, and hopefully get some answers out of her in the process.

Sunset hears a gate slam shut behind her as Rarity's grin widens to a point of maliciousness. "Fine by me."

Somewhere, outside the Dueling Arena, a chorus of bells rings, flooding the ears of every pony on the platform.

Starlight Glimmer steps out from between the pair, passing one final glance at Sunset Shimmer. Silently, Starlight's lips move, and Sunset catches the simple phrase on them. 'Good luck.' For Sunset, it's the final bit of spurring she needs to put Rarity in her place.

However, letting her gaze linger on Starlight leaves her reeling as she hears the pounding of hooves in her direction, her attention snapping back just in time to raise her branch and catch the longsword's blade partway through a flourished, downward strike. Wood chips fly as the blade digs into the bark, and Sunset feels the impact through her magic. The Magic Duel, however strangely named it may be, is on, and Sunset's already on the back hoof.

From the sidelines, Starlight Glimmer watches the clash of unicorns, crystal-glazed eyes impassive.

"So, what's with you, anyway?!" Sunset's brow scrunches, the clash of sword against branch essentially becoming a clash of the two unicorns' magical muscles, with Rarity's catching Sunset off guard. It only takes her a moment to stabilize herself and match the mare on equal terms, but it's still a more difficult match than Sunset originally anticipated. "Why do you get off so much on treating Starlight Glimmer like that?" Sunset's original intent of asking Rarity questions related to the necklace is tossed aside, the small ways that Starlight had reached out to her before the beginning of the duel spurring Sunset to care more about her situation than the mystery of her own necklace.

"Really? That's what you want to ask about?" Rarity drags her sword free of Sunset's branch, bringing it down for a second swing, landing the hit in the exact same spot. "I'm the Champion of the Magic Duels!" Rarity's sword digs in deeper, the branch starting to buckle under the strain. "The Crystal Mare is nothing more than a tool!"

"A tool?!" The anger from deep inside Sunset boils over once more. As Rarity drags her sword free once more, Sunset capitalizes, swinging the branch wide and forcing Rarity to leap back. Taking swing after swing, Sunset presses forward, pressing her advantage while keeping a watchful eye for Rarity's weapon, should she try to use her magic to sneak in a strike at an odd angle. "You don't even use her name, and now you call her a tool? A tool for what? She's a mare with feelings too, you know! You can't just treat her like that!"

A small flicker enters Starlight's eyes as she focuses on the branch-wielding Sunset Shimmer.

"That's where you're wrong!" Rarity punctuates her declaration with another swing of her own sword, this time splitting Sunset's branch in two. "The Crystal Mare is a tool to be used by the Champion of the Duels, Sunset Shimmer. But, I suppose, that's not for you to understand!"

"Wait, a real sword?" Sunset finds herself asking as she leaps back, a second swing from Rarity knocking the remains of the branch out of her grip. "You could kill somepony with that thing!" She locks eyes with Rarity, steeling herself as she runs through plan after plan to try and salvage the situation, in spite of the newfound fear pounding through her heart at the glint of Rarity's blade in the light of the castle.

Rarity's eyes narrow, honing in on their target as the sword re-positions itself in her magical grasp. "It's over!"

Rarity's blade comes down, point primed to cut the six-point star crystal from Sunset's chest, but an impact against Sunset's side finds her removed from the sword's trajectory. Sunset reels as her vision floods with the blue, crystal-glazed eyes of Starlight Glimmer, a flurry of emotions reflecting within them. The two topple to the ground, nearly muzzle-to-muzzle, Sunset's breath ragged as endless questions run through her mind, none of them able to find the words to be spoken.

"How dare you interfere in the Magic Duel, Crystal Mare!" Rarity's rage at her victory being snatched away is palpable as hooves ring out behind Starlight Glimmer. "To betray the Champion of the Duels is-"

The Crystal Mare, however, simply looks into Sunset's eyes. "You're not permitted to duel without a sword, Sunset Shimmer..." Her eyes close, as a light emanates from her chest.

"What..." Sunset watches, wide eyed and in disbelief, as white light solidifies into the shape of a rod, and, soon, into what is unmistakably the hilt of a sword. The light only intensifies as it continues to manifest from Starlight Glimmer's chest, jutting forth as a blade begins to form. The hilt is ornate, a rounded gold, with a full hoof-guard, and has the ubiquitous six-point star as its pommel. "A... sword...?" She closes her eyes, reaching her right hoof out and clutching the hilt. As she grasps it, her body feels like it moves without her direction. Her eyes snap open, locking with Rarity's in one final moment.

The pommel of the sword glows, as does the star of her necklace. Above them, the light of the castle brightens, flooding the Dueling Arena with intense, artificial light. Sunset's right hoof extends forward, as the rest of her body fires forth with an inequine speed. Wings flare as Sunset's horn glows, her magic enveloping herself as she quickly finds her target. Before Rarity can comprehend any of the events at hoof, never mind respond to them, the two meet.

With one thrust, crystal shatters.

The bells chime once more, flooding the Dueling Arena deafeningly as a stillness falls over both Sunset Shimmer and Rarity.

I won... A grin worms its way onto Sunset's face as the sword in her hoof vanishes in a haze of magenta sparkles, and she collapses onto her side. I...