Sunset Shimmer: War Mage

Chapters

Chapter I: The Adventurers' Homecoming
Chapter II: A Nickel's-Worth of Free Advise
Chapter III: A Time to Celebrate
Chapter IV: One Day at a Time
Chapter V: Opening Moves
Chapter VI: Scramble Formation
Chapter VIII: The Hierarch's Questions
Chapter X: Hunting the Hunters
Chapter XI: Walking through Hell
Interlude II: How to Make New Friends
Chapter XII: The Monster is Loose
Chapter XIII: Threats and Tact
Chapter XIV: The Created
Chapter XV: Once More into Hell
Chapter XVI: Who I Am
Chapter XVII: True Friends Help One Move Bodies
Interlude III: How to Solve a Mystery
Chapter XVIII: Apple Bloom's Plight
Chapter XIX: Our Love and Our Souls
Chapter XX: Interrogation
Chapter XXI: Loose Ends
Chapter XXII: Life Goes On
Chapter XXIII: Midnight's Story
Epilogue: The End of the Beginning
Prologue: On the Acquisition of a Valuable Artefact
Interlude I: How to Form a Cabal
Chapter VII: What was Lost
Chapter IX: Crusaders' Reunion and Midnight's Interrogation

Chapter I: The Adventurers' Homecoming

Part I

Sparky's cabal lived in an old Victorian-style house located in what had once been a run-down neighbourhood of their city. When the city council started gentrifying the area, the house had been marked for demolition. A last-minute purchase followed by a few months of renovation turned it from an eyesore into a classy piece of conversational history for the people making it their home amongst the hipsters and the well-to-do that comprised the residents of their street. That it had five bedrooms - six after they converted another room - had everything to do with the cabal's decision to locate themselves within it. A bit of Prime during the renovation cleared a ley line that ran through the property of the old filth the former ghetto had dumped into it, enhancing the atmosphere of the area and ensuring the Mages always had access to Mana.

If any of their neighbours were ever bothered by the fact that none of them remembered exactly what the young women's startup was, they never showed it. All that really mattered was having good neighbours, and the nice people living in the old Victorian house were some the best people to have in a modern community. The business partners comprised a diverse bunch: A lesbian couple, former teen parents, a musician, and a woman working in the world of programming. Such diversity on their street gave the other residents a point of pride when they discussed their lives over expensive martinis at the local wine club.

As they parked and exited their car, Dusk Shine and Star Dust made sure to join hands for their stroll up the walk to the sanctum. Though their supposed relationship was a misunderstanding born from how the two acted around each other, it suited the cabal well. They maintained the ruse for the benefit of them all, though one of them would sometimes use it to prank the other in alternating attempts to cause embarrassment. They were sufficiently mature to know where to draw a line, so Sparky allowed their antics, appreciating the jokes it spawned.

When they approached the door, they all heard the patter of small feet. As one, the others stood back to allow Orchid to enter first. A blur threw itself at her, small arms latching about her stomach with the force to knock the breath from a lesser person. As it was, Orchid had braced herself and responded to the assault by gripping her daughter in a hug.

"Welcome home," Pixie exclaimed. The child sounded much as her mother had in her youth, her voice breaking on the second word.

"I'm happy to be back, Pixie. How was everything?"

If not for years of experience, the adults would have confused Pixel Bit's excitement for her being high on sugar. Her voice was not at a glass-shattering pitch and her words were distinct, which meant she was her normal, bubbly self.

"Me and daddy and Violet were good. We cleaned the whole house, and we didn't have more than one scoop of ice cream everyday."

"That's my girl."

She scooted Pixie from the foyer to allow their roommates a path into the living room. When free of her mother's arms, the girl bounced on her feet while speaking. Pixie greeted each of them in turn with a hug as all but one of the returnees dropped their luggage by a seat and then deposited their cares and weights onto the cushions. Sparky's knee was stiff from the long ride, and she needed a recliner to let it stretch. She also wanted Aspirin but would settle for the footrest.

Pixie followed the exception to the general lethargy up the stairs. "Aunty Twilight, aren't you gonna hang out and tell us all about your adventure?"

"Of course I will. I just need to put my things away first."

"You wanna hear about my adventures while you do that?"

"Sure."

The bums in the living room looked to one another.

"Should we rescue her?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Twilight made a noble sacrifice for the good of us all. We will always remember her," Sunset replied.

The kitchen door opened, admitting Button Mash, who wore the 'Chef Daddy' apron Pixie had made him for Father's Day and held the youngest member of the cabal. At his feet were Karen and Spike, the two 'pets' competing for the toddler's attention. She was not the least interested in the animals, her attention focused on the people gathered in the living room.

Button lifted the mass of flailing limbs over the seat. "Someone wants to see her Mum."

Sweetie Belle gasped, holding out her arms to take the toddler. "How's my little Violet?"

The baby laughed as she touched her mother's face, happily accepting the cuddles. While Spike waited at the stairs for Twilight, Karen hopped onto Trixie's lap and immediately made herself comfortable.

Button took a seat next to Sweetie Belle, pulling the case for her rings from his pocket. "I had them polished while you were gone." He slipped them onto her finger. "How do they look?"

"They're beautiful." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Button. Was everything okay while we were gone?"

"Yeah, no problem at all. I kept all the sugar out of Pixie's reach, and Violet wasn't fussy. Of course, I had two excellent assistants." Karen purred, while Spike just gave them a nod. "Also," he lowered his voice so the adults could hear him without it carrying upstairs, "I got everything arranged for Pixie's birthday party. Most of the RSVP's are in. I think pretty much her whole class will be there."

"You do realise Twilight is going to have a fit that she didn't get to finish organising everything?" Trixie was stroking Karen's back. If the Fae cat had not for all intents and purposes become Sweetie Belle's familiar, she would have been perfectly suited to the Witch.

Button waved a hand at the concerns. "She'll have plenty to do, Trixie. Some of the arrangements had a time limit, so it's not like I had a choice."

Talk of the upcoming party ceased as they heard childish chatter accompanying two pairs of feet down the stairs. Spike stood, his tail wagging.

"-and then he ate it. A whole thing of dried out crackers. Can you believe that?"

"Yes, I can. Children tend to produce more enzymes to break down food, making it easier to masticate even dry foodstuffs that adults would find difficult without some liquid to accompany them."

There was a brief pause. "He made a lot of spit?"

"Something like that." Twilight paused at the bottom of the steps to lift Spike into a hug. "Thanks for helping out while I was gone."

"No problem."

Button turned to Sweetie Belle. "By the way, we have a parent-teacher conference next week. Pixie is getting bored in class. Again."

"It's not my fault I already know all the stuff in class." Pixie climbed onto the couch between her parents. "I'm trying to be good, but I get really bored and wanna do something else. I don't like being bored. Can't I please get into a different class?"

"We'll talk about it with your teacher, okay?"

"What if Aunty Sunset and Aunty Twilight just teach me? But then I'd miss all my friends at school."

Button patted her shoulder. "We'll sort it out, promise. I bet Mum and your Aunties would like a nice home cooked meal after their trip. Why don't you help me make dinner?"

"Yay!"

Over a light dinner, each adult had to recount their adventure individually, most of them emphasising their role in taking back the treasure from the bad guys. They censored a few of the details and downplayed any references to danger, none of them wanting to face Sweetie Belle's ire. It was never a good idea to anger a mother, but it was especially suicidal to do so when the mother in question was a Disciple of the Death Arcanum.

They allowed Sweetie Belle to start. With her natural affinities for Death and Matter, she had been able to find the weak points on the building, allowing them to use a minimal quantity of explosives to destroy the front wall. Naturally, Pixie wanted to see an explosion once her mother finished describing her role. The surprise was that Sweetie Belle and Button agreed to show her when their schedules permitted it.

While Trixie and Sunset played their roles as loyal servants of The Father, Lemon Zest performed superbly as an obnoxious Sleeper. The vibrations the thieves felt may have been techno beats cranked to the max, rather than explosives. The noise ensured the Seers would be more focused on the cacophony than Twilight placing a shield to protect both Pentacle and Seer Awakened from the blast and the shrapnel.

"Was anyone hurt by the bombs?"

"We didn't see any. They had some pretty good wards in place."

Trixie nodded. "A purely magickal attack would have been a failure, but they never considered the possibility that Mages would attack without it."

"Well, they probably won't make that mistake again," Lemon Zest said. "Hey, maybe we could use that to take back Manhatten Island before they get word."

"Just play your beats for a few hours; they'll surrender and throw themselves on our mercy," Sunset replied.

Before they could launch into a good-natured banter over the definition of music, Pixie asked, "Did you have to take out a whole army?"

Trixie and Lemon Zest began adding their own flourishes to the encounter, all of them watching the little girl's eyes widen. Sunset put a stop to it when her cabal-mates began arguing over which of them had single-handedly fought back the greater number of Seers.

"Come on, guys, don't tell Pixie fibs. We had plenty of excitement without that."

She fell asleep while leaning against her mother, her youthful energy failing her around nine. Though Button was going to carry her to bed, Sweetie Belle insisted upon taking her; she had missed the contact over the past week. While she was changing the girl into pyjamas and tucking her into a small bed whose sheets were covered by images of video game systems and controllers, each of her beloved Aunties wished her a good night's slumber. Sunset cast a spell to protect Pixie from anything that might try to prowl the Dreamscape, though she left an opening for Pinkie Pie.

With the promise of quiet and privacy from young eyes, the adults and their two companions gathered again in the kitchen. Trixie produced the velvet bag of cards. Even Button Mash, the only non-magickal human, seemed to be able to feel the power radiating from within the pouch. Her self-effacing devotion to the Exarch called The Father may have been a show, but the reverence she displayed as she handled the cards was not.

"The Supernal Tarot," Trixie breathed as she spread the cards across a cloth newly purchased just for that moment. "I never imagined I would get to touch these cards."

"I'm surprised the Seers didn't have more security on them," Button said, his eyes on the cards. "Do you really think it's safe to keep them here? What if they track us down?"

"We have Supernal help to protect ourselves," Sunset replied. "Believe me, I wouldn't have agreed to this if I thought there was any risk to the girls and you guys. There's so much misdirection on these cards, we'd be more likely to be targeted by hiding them down the street."

Twilight sat up in her chair, a quizzical expression taking her face. "Why would The Father send you to steal them from his own followers? It still doesn't make any sense."

"Trust me, nothing about the Exarchs' motives makes any sense. Besides, I don't know if that Ascended Being is The Father ... or even a 'he.' The task is done, and that's all that matters. Thank you all for your help."

"Hey, cabals stick together."

"Friends help each other."

Lemon Zest gave Sweetie Belle a quiet high-five.

Sunset smiled in gratitude as she collected the cards. "I'll hold these for now."

Karen perked her head. "You humans always confuse me. You hate these 'Seers' in general, yet you loyally follow one into battle to steal a valuable Artefact."

"Sunset's not a Seer," Spike protested. "Remember? She said she's not even sure that person is an Exarch."

She appreciated Spike's faith in her, but decided it was time to clarify. "I never asked. To be completely honest, I probably am dealing with an Exarch. It's just ... if I'm going to be trapped in this debt, I'd at least like to pretend I'm not forced to serve someone bent on controlling reality."

"You haven't actually told us how you got into this. Not that I'm doubting you, promise. Even if you are a Seer of the Throne, you're my friend."

"If I'd had a choice, I wouldn't have anything to do with an Ascended Being. It's ... complicated. If any of you want to know, I will explain it."

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "You taught me that friends don't have to share everything. I don't feel like Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are any less my friends because I can't tell them about Orchid and my other friends, and I won't think you're any less my friend if you don't want to tell me everything."

Twilight nodded. "As long as you don't get in over your head. Keeping certain secrets from friends is fine, but we'd be disappointed if you kept something that was hurting you from us, no matter what the reason."

Spike and Karen glanced at each other and shrugged. It seemed that if their friends trusted Sunset, they would be willing to do the same.

Sunset gave them a thankful smile. "I'll tell you about it, but I'm waiting for the last task." She stood, stretching limbs that were still tight from the long ride. "I'm going to bed. Remember, we have the Forum tomorrow."

Though each resident of the house kept different schedules, Sweetie Belle and Lemon Zest - with their ears for music and sound - had reviewed the renovation plans with Twilight - who had brought Physics into the discussion - to ensure minimum noise escaped to disturb other rooms. By converting the basement into a rec room and placing a heavy door and soundproofing insulation around the space, even the loudest of the roommates could enjoy any schedule. It was not uncommon for Lemon Zest to be going to bed when Sweetie Belle and Button Mash were rising. Trixie and Twilight were night owls, and Sunset kept whatever schedule the others needed their leader to have. In five years of sharing the house, they had very few noise complaints against one another and none from their neighbours.

Sunset's room was the old servant's quarters. When she was settled, she hid the cards in a cubby she had designed herself. Even with nothing but mundane protection, it was nearly impossible to detect. Only a gifted Witch or a curious child would stumble upon it. She would have to supervise Pixie whenever the girl was in her room, but Sunset trusted Pixie was sufficiently well-behaved to leave them alone - because the little imp would find them eventually. When Sunset was satisfied her new acquisition would not be easily discovered, she collapsed into bed and drifted into sleep.

Though she did not find herself in the haunted forest of nightmares, she did find herself speaking with the being that had given her the mission. They were in a darkened space, akin to a void. As usual, only the figure's throne and hands were visible. Sunset became aware of her new surroundings already kneeling before the throne. She stood, despite not having been given permission.

"You surpassed my expectations," the enthroned monarch of reality said. "Though my expectations did not include you requesting assistance from your cabal. When I saw you tell them of our contract, I expected you would be fleeing for your life."

"Like I was going to be able to take on three Seer pylons by myself. Still, despite what you said, I think you at least guessed I would ask for help and that they would support me."

"Yes, the 'magic of friendship' you once studied. Perhaps it will even see you through the days to come." The mighty Exarch's voice contained just a hint of merriment.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Words have the meanings we grant to them. Was that not one of your first lessons in magick?"

"It was, but I've been around enough courts to know that smart leaders cherry-pick the words a listener needs to hear to invoke the reaction desired. Even a moron with your position would have the tools to screw with my head, and I'd not be able to tell up from down."

Sunset's master patted her head like Button or Sweetie Belle would to their daughters. While their performance of the act was always meant to encourage and showed affection, Sunset could not help the feeling she was receiving condescension. She tolerated it, though, preferring to select her battles.

"Be cautious that you do not grow stagnant, Sunset Shimmer. Complacency does not suit the fire of your soul."

"So I'm not allowed to take a break? No stopping to smell the roses?"

"Of course not. The child that calls you a beloved member of her family is preparing to celebrate the anniversary of her birth, is she not? Take the time you need to appreciate it, but do not dawdle. If you wish to remain a valuable servant, you must continue to strive for knowledge."

Sunset nodded. "I know, and I will. I can't wait to see what the Supernal Tarot will reveal."

"The Supernal Tarot is merely one of the many keys I have granted you. It will guide you, but it will not give you the answers to the Mysteries."

"On that note: Thank you for keeping us hidden."

"Merely a small boon for my most valuable servant." Perhaps the figure was mocking her. Perhaps the words were true.

"Is my third task ready?"

"It is not. I will summon you again when it is time. Rest assured that you will remain in my protection until that day."

"Of course." Once upon a time, Sunset Shimmer would have argued, resisted, or at least grumbled at a situation like the one in which she found herself. The years of waiting for orders and the constant cycle of thoughts about her deal with an Exarch had inured her to any real feelings about it. She smirked as she offered a small curtsy. "Thank you again."

She wanted to ask so many questions, to say so many things. Just because she no longer felt anything when meeting the figure did not mean she had nothing within her. She was still curious.

"Why me?"

"By the time you complete your third task, you will understand."

"I'll look forward to it."

The Exarch faded, allowing her to slip into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter II: A Nickel's-Worth of Free Advise

Saturday was the peaceful type of weekend they all enjoyed. Sunset offered to keep an eye on Violet so Pixie could play a few video games with her parents. Twilight, Trixie, and Lemon Zest each occupied themselves, sometimes pausing their own activities to join the gaming or to play 'Peek-A-Boo' with Violet. Sunset took advantage of her time to study the child's mental development, partially for her own curiosity but mostly to ensure her Ascended master would not think she was slacking.

At lunch, Button helped Pixie to make a light meal. With her father to keep her on task, the homemade cornbread muffins were perfect. Even Karen, the pickiest eater, had no complaints.

As the the time to leave for the Consilium Forum drew near, the doorbell rang. Sunset answered it to admit their teenage neighbour who had been the only babysitter to last more than two nights with Pixel Bit. The girl's overwhelming energy had turned away most, but Stylish Sandals from two houses down proved capable of keeping pace with her young ward. The two had bonded quite well over video games and dressing up in whatever odd bits of thirty-year-old fashion the teen found at the various yard sales and thrift stores around the city. Violet liked her caretaker as well, getting excited and babbling whenever she recognised the hipster girl's voice.

When Sandy was settled with the girls, the adults piled into the minivan for the ride to the Great Hall. In the years since Sparky's Awakening, the building remained unchanged, the local Diamond's bastion against the stranger and more dangerous things of the world. The only difference was that the average weekly attendance had increased as the city continued to grow and more Sleepers Awakened or existing Awakened moved to the area. Almost sixty Mages were present for the Forum, Sparky and her friends at least passingly familiar with and to everyone.

The Trois Fleurs, their allies, met them at the entrance. The two cabals then joined forces to claim ground at the front of the audience. They secured themselves against the jostling with a few minutes for greetings before Hierarch Bronze Luck took his place on the dais.

"Thank you all for attending this week's Forum. With no violations of the Lex Magica or the Concord and inter-Awakened disputes remaining at historic lows, we can all enjoy the fruits of our labours. I have only one announcement: Remember that our Kindred allies will be hosting the Congressus Peculiaris next month. We will release details at next week's Forum. I look forward to seeing all of you there. With that, I bid you a good night."

Light applause greeted his words as he stepped from the dais and made his way to his office. Free to do as they wished, the community broke into their cliques. Pearl and Ace were near the dais, engaged in their own fairly animated conversation. Sparky and Jade Mind led their cabals to one side - away from the buffet table loaded with apple-themed delicacies - where Midnight joined them.

They all exchanged brief updates, the most exciting news being Walker's recent Gnosis development. Sparky and the others had already felt that her spark was brighter than it had been the previous week. It marked her second breakthrough, for which everyone offered their congratulations. It was one of the few real milestones Awakened had, though most did not measure it except in relation to one another.

"I'm still behind Sparky," she lamented, though her grin belied her tone. "At least that means having a trustworthy tutor."

"We're all behind her if you count pace." Midnight directed a faux-jealous glare at the topic of the conversation. Though Sparky was relatively new, her Gnosis had increased rapidly to the point that the spark of her soul matched Midnight's for brilliance.

There was little news they could share even with trusted friends, public venue or not. Sparky and the rest contented themselves with personal anecdotes and listening to Jade Mind telling them of Amber Wish's developing crush. She would not deny an attraction to their new staff member, though she bemoaned the fact that he was not a Sleepwalker and was therefore unlikely to be good relationship material.

"Not everyone gets lucky," Walker added, eyeing Orchid and Link.

"I'm surprised more of our old classmates aren't Sleepwalkers," he observed quietly. "It's not like we didn't all see a bunch of wild things."

"The Lie doesn't apply just to people who haven't seen anything unusual," Midnight explained. "We tested several people from that school over the years, but none of them were Sleepwalkers. In fact, most of them had completely forgotten what happened there."

Jade Mind's brow wrinkled. "How is that possible? I know the Lie applies to Awakened magick, but I didn't think it would affect that."

She received only a shrug.

"In other news, we're planning to expand our sanctum," Dusk Shine said. "The house next to us is going up for sale next month. The neighbours are moving to California. We'll be putting in an offer."

"Why are you doing that? Is the house getting too crowded?"

Orchid shook her head. "Not exactly. Violet won't be moving into her own room for at least another year, and no one else is planning to have any additions any time soon."

"Dusk and I are moving out," Star Dust explained. "We want to create a space for research without having to worry that the girls will get into anything. Pixie is very well-behaved, but she does get enthusiastic."

"You do realise how your neighbours are going to take that, right?"

"Let them think what they want. This is just part of our long-term plan." She nodded to Dusk.

"Once we meet the legal requirements, we're planning to adopt." A few excited murmurs met the announcement, but the others waited for her to explain rather than launch into questions. "We're not old enough now, but we can use the time to establish ourselves."

"What got you on that plan?" Midnight's eyes were wide. It was no secret to any of them that she loved children.

"We're planning to integrate ourselves with local orphanages and shelters. Star Dust will be offering activities, while I'll be a volunteer tutor. We'll be watching for kids that show signs of being Sleepwalkers."

"So you'd be trying to adopt those?"

"Eventually, yes."

A few more questions and answers passed before the Trois Fleurs had to leave. They still had a business to run the next day, but they offered one more round of congratulations and a promise to attend the housewarming party before departing.

Most of Sparky's cabal had their own associates or Order business, so they split to their respective social calls. That left Sparky and Dusk together with Midnight, who asked, "Are you attending the cabal leaders' Forum tomorrow?"

"Of course. Free food of this calibre makes up for three hours of listening to self-entitled blowhards arguing and accusing each other."

Both women giggled. When Dusk was sufficiently recovered, she turned to Midnight. "Pixie has her birthday party next weekend. Were you planning to attend?"

"Of course. I'm still her big sister, right?"

"She would be heartbroken if you weren't," Sparky replied. "It'll be at Sweet Apple Acres. I'll message the details later this week."

Dusk sighed. "I have a Mysterium Caucus meeting starting Monday, so I won't be home until Thursday, but I need to finalise the party. Do you think Ace would cover for me if I started multitasking during the lectures?"

"Let Link finish it," Sparky suggested. She lifted her hands defensively at the rather hostile glare she received. "It's not your fault that you had two obligations at the same time. Next year, we'll know when the Caucus is, so we'll plan around it. Can't you leave him a list?"

"Would you have turned down the invitation if you'd known?"

"I'd be tempted ... but probably not. It's so rare to get an offer like this." Dusk sighed. "Fine, I'll leave a checklist on the condition you promise me he'll follow it, and that you'll check with me on any deviations."

"I promise."

When everyone had their fill of weekly gossip and began wandering back to their leader, Sparky called the night. She was glad they could leave a little earlier than normal. Dusk needed to triple check her checklist for the checklist for her trip, and none of them wanted to get in her way after the previous year's lost-master-checklist-of-checklists debacle which had ended in their house needing several repairs, as well as multiple neighbours needing their memories erased twice. Pixel Bit had been terrified of anything with check boxes on it for months.

They exchanged their collective gossip on the ride, learning that no information about the heist had reached the general public of their city. While Diamond Order and Seer of the Throne relations were usually 'kill on sight,' the Free Council sometimes managed to act as intermediaries. Even without the Libertines, rumours had a way of trickling across the blood-soaked wall between them, and the Supernal Tarot was so well-known as to ensure news of its theft would spread. The cabal could only hope no one would trace it to them.

Though Sunset did not trust the figure dwelling within Pandemonium, that being would at least keep her alive until she completed all three tasks she owed. The voice in the shadows had made quite clear that she would not escape her debt so easily. Though not promised overtly, she believed her friends would enjoy the same protection, even if they would not have needed it without her. She may not have known the motives for her tasks, or why she was so interesting, but it granted her a modicum of comfort as she prepared for bed.

The next day's meeting was officially for cabal leaders, though anyone could attend. Not all leaders attended, nor was it mandatory. The Hierarch had established the monthly meetings to provide an outlet for cabals to air grievances before things escalated. Considering there had been no call for the Sentinel in five months, either the meetings were working or everyone was suddenly getting along with everyone else. After the first hour of listening to complaints about which party owned access to a particular Mystery - most of which were not mutually exclusive - and objections to the terms of various agreements or perceived grievances and slights, Sparky was going to assume the first.

The format was such that if someone had a qualm, they could note it in triplicate and submit it to the Hierarch, who would start with those before opening the floor. He had just done so when a hand shot to attention.

"Volcano Fire has the floor."

"Thank you, Hierarch. I would like to call Sparky to answer, please."

She could not remember ever being called in one of the meetings. Dusk Shine sometimes was, since she offered herself as a witness to anyone needing it, and real or imagined slights meant she would have to testify on occasion. Sparky stood when the Hierarch called her, more interested to know what she or someone in her cabal - since she had to speak for them when they were not present - had done than of being in trouble.

"My complaint regards Sparky's offer to teach the Space Arcanum to 'any interested party.' Two members of my cabal and I have all requested her assistance and have been refused."

The Hierarch always spoke first to request clarification before allowing the accused to speak. "It is the right of any party offering training to rescind the offer or to limit the number of students. Unless you have an existing agreement that Sparky is not fulfilling, there is no merit to your complaint."

"No, Hierarch, we do not. My objection is in the wording of the offer. 'Any interested party' was defined to mean any member of the Consilium or other Awakened in the area maintaining the Lex Magica. Despite many of us being interested, there is a constant refusal to offer the training, thereby driving up the cost."

"Volcano Fire, that is again within the rights of any Mage. The Diamond Orders do not prohibit capitalism, nor do we demand that anyone offering training make themselves available at a specific time. That said, Sparky, is there anything you would like to add? Perhaps you can clarify why have refused several requests?"

Sparky stood. "Yes, Hierarch. If I may address the gathered members directly?" When he nodded, she turned to face Volcano Fire and as many of the other Mages as she could. "When I offered to teach my Path's Superior Arcana, I did say I would teach any interested party, including the Free Council, the Nameless, and those living beyond the boundary of the Consilium, so long as that party is in good standing and follows the Lex Magica.

"However, I also stated that I would only be available to offer such training at hours conducive to my schedule except by special arrangement. As stated, I am available during daylight except when existing appointments interfere. You and several others have requested to meet at night - your regular schedule, as I understood it - which I am willing to do, though the cost does increase.

"I hope this clarifies my offer to everyone gathered here tonight. Please keep this in mind if you wish to approach me to arrange training."

She turned back to the Hierarch, who said, "I see no merit in a formal complaint about Sparky's offer. Unless you or any other party can demonstrate some prohibited, illicit behaviour, I am dismissing your complaint. You may, of course, appeal this decision to your Caucus if you so desire."

Volcano Fire nodded. "Yes, Hierarch."

After the meeting, Volcano Fire approached her again. "Would you be willing to take a walk to discuss terms?"

"Sure."

The green belt was still vibrant, though a few leaves were starting to turn. Sparky looked forward to taking a walk in the area with all of her friends when the autumn colours reached their peak. The relaxing effect of the local flora ensured that no matter what Volcano Fire had to say, she would most likely be able to take it calmly.

He led her to a bench overlooking one of the artificial ponds before opening their chat. "I guess that didn't work. How much more will it be now to set up something this week, say Wednesday at the fourth hour, and continuing weekly until my cabal-mates and I reach Initiate of Mind?"

She was tempted to increase her demands in light of his calling her out publicly, but she refrained. "Same deal I offered last time: Teach me the Know Spirit rote and let my cabal have full access to the Book of Amulets for purposes of copying."

"Deal. I'll get Sky Nectar to witness, if you don't mind?"

"No objections."

He ducked back into the Great Hall to return with the Witch. Sky Nectar had become a popular choice for those needing a witness. If Midnight Radiance trusted her, then one could not go wrong.

Sparky and Volcano Fire repeated their agreement to their witness, adding a three-day notice clause for cancellation and a waiver for serious accidents. It was hardly the most complex arrangement Sparky had ever made, but the careful wording still required several minutes.

When they were done, Sky left. Sparky was about to follow, but Volcano Fire was shaking his head.

"You give an air of someone that doesn't really care. Anyone else would have upped the ante after I called on them like that."

"Your point?"

"You could charge ten times what you do for your tutoring and still have plenty of business. I'm just curious at what goes through your head."

Sparky shrugged. "I think we should share knowledge when we can. Since even most of the Libertines don't just give up anything, I have to charge something if I ever want to get knowledge back. I really don't care beyond that."

"Why bother with The Book of Amulets? It's not really something that benefits Warlocks."

"Are you really enquiring after my personal studies? Last I checked, we aren't associates beyond my training." He said nothing, not even acknowledging his faux pas. Sparky shrugged. "It's useful to Alchemists and Thaumaturges."

"Before I contacted you the first time, I checked the rumour mill. Sparky the Warlock is famous for offering real training for obscenely low prices. Most of your deals don't even benefit you."

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

"Look, you eclipsed your cabal a long time ago. You're allied to three low-ranked members of the Silver Ladder. Even with your rapid growth, most of us wouldn't notice you ... except that you have one Councillor and two high-ranked Consilium members as friends, Prince Night Star visits just to chat with you, and your low prices for teaching are giving you a network across the Consilium. A lot of us can't help but wonder. That calm, collected vibe doesn't make you any less interesting. It's like I said: I want to know what you're thinking. Call it a Mystery."

That briefly stalled her mind. Sparky had been thinking of several retorts, but all of them escaped her. After a moment of staring blankly at him, she said, "I'm a Mystery?"

"Maybe not in the traditional sense, but there are several of us who are trying to figure out your game. Watch yourself, Sparky."

"Is that free advise?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, sure. You're screwing yourself over on the deal we just made, so maybe there's a little generosity.

"By the way, you might want to think about upping your prices just a smidge. From what I'm hearing, the other Warlocks don't appreciate it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sparky offered him a genuine smile. "Thanks."

Volcano Fire seemed a bit taken aback. He merely nodded before departing.

Sparky had no other business that evening and returned to her sanctum. The conversation played through her mind several times. Volcano Fire had offered a warning, but she could not discern if he had been referring to anyone specifically. She did not doubt that her peers were unhappy with her, but it may have been a mind game to ensure that her next students would have to pay more.

As she went to bed, she tossed the mental debate into the growing pile of complications. Her final conscious thought that night was a wish that she had never bothered to become a publicly available teacher.

Chapter III: A Time to Celebrate

The Saturday of Pixel Bit's birthday party was clear. Though the calendar stated they were into autumn, the day was warm with a cool breeze and the perfect cloud coverage to keep it pleasantly mild. Since the party was to be held outdoors, it was perfect weather.

Apple Bloom had offered an open section of her family's farm fit to host a gaggle of primary schoolers. She had returned from her university just for the party, as she took her position as an honorary aunt seriously. When they approved Apple Bloom's idea, each member of her family offered to help, refusing any pay for their work except the bare minimum to cover the cost of materials. Thanks to their contract with the Consilium and several others spawned from it, they were in a better financial situation than they had been in years, if not well-off.

Applejack and Granny Smith were handling the food. Apple Bloom would assist in patrolling the children to keep them within the accepted party zone. Big Mac would be running a hayride later in the afternoon, but was otherwise not planning to be overly visible. Trixie planned to give a magic show, Pinkie Pie had activities covered, and Rarity was set to offer simple arts and crafts. Twilight had a schedule and a checklist to keep everything on track and organised. Lemon Zest offered to DJ, swapping her harder music for that more enjoyable to children. Button and Sunset were floaters, the latter due to her old leg injury. They tried to convince Sweetie Belle to sing. She agreed despite her stage fright, but Pixie was too good-natured to want anyone to do something that made them uncomfortable. She had insisted that Sweetie Belle help Rarity instead.

Not including the birthday girl, nineteen of her classmates with at least one guardian each joined the festivities. Pixie was well-loved in her class, which showed in the enthusiasm the guests demonstrated in congratulating her. More than a few of the children used her tackle-hug against her, not that Pixie demonstrated any reluctance at being on the receiving end. In addition to her classmates, there were a few younger siblings. Two older siblings that were sufficiently close in age to be interested in having fun with the younger kids also joined them. One big brother, having reached the ripe old age of eleven, preferred to stay with the mature individuals. Then there was Pixie's immediate and extended family, as well as the friends of the family. Scootaloo would not miss a niece's party, and even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were able to attend. Spike and Karen were present, though they gave no sign of being anything other than normal - if remarkably well-trained - pets.

A table set in the shade of the barn held presents. Food and drink occupied two more tables near the gifts, the food eventually spilling over to the drink table due to the turn-out. Sunset joined the cooking team for a brief time as the ferry girl to place some of the last treats. No birthday cake was visible yet, saved for the last event before present-opening.

According to the schedule and the invitations, the party started at ten o'clock. Twilight Sparkle had never organised a party for young children, as previous years had been low-key affairs. After they ended a ball tossing game early, she disappeared. Sunset found her curled into a ball in the barn loft about one-half hour later, lovingly stroking her schedule and checklist as she murmured words of comfort. The words may have been for the papers or for herself; Sunset was uncertain and chose not to ask. A few minutes of commiseration and repeated promises that everything would be fine drew the young woman back into the yard in time for the final guests' arrival.

Ace parked his car near the end of the drive, somewhat distant to the other vehicles. With him were Clash, Pearl, and Midnight. All four carried individual presents, which they confessed had been due to a lack of communication during the preceding week. They barely had time to lay their gifts with the rest before the birthday girl made her presence known to welcome them.

At least one of the children tailing Pixie was fascinated by Ace's criss-crossing tattoos, partially visible despite the long sleeves of his loose tee-shirt. One of the nearby mothers gave him a disapproving look, which he pointedly ignored as he gave Pixie a hug.

"Congratulations, Pixie. Did you know that eight is a magical number? This will be a good year for you."

"Aunty Trixie told me that, too. Hey, can Midnight come play with us?"

"She's right here, why don't you ask her?"

Pixie grabbed her hand. "Do you wanna play, Midnight?"

It was not so much a question as a command. Despite being eleven years the child's senior, Midnight found herself dragged into the middle of the activities without even a single word uttered. She willingly followed the crowd, unashamed to play with them. Unlike some people of any age, Pixie hated when others held back their advantages to allow her to win. Midnight played fairly with the girl, always encouraging her adoptive sister with advise on how to improve when Pixie lost a game.

When all the food was available and Twilight had rejoined them, Sunset took the opportunity to rest in the shade with Button's family and Rarity. She was a little disappointed to find Chip was helping Button, as she had been hoping to discuss one of her recent programming contracts with him.

Rarity was resting on one of the few lawn chairs, her gravid figure ensuring no one would object. Most of the other adults were still young, so standing for a few hours would be harmless. Love Tap was possibly one of the oldest people there, except for Pearl and Granny Smith. Sunset was bemused to watch her former mentor masque her presence from the Apple matriarch. Only Pixie could persuade the Mage to risk being in the same location as the one person capable of spilling her True Name.

When Sunset was satisfied that no one would need her for a few minutes, she accepted Love Tap's offered lawn chair. "Don't mind me; I'll just be drinking cough syrup if anyone needs me."

"Now, now, darling, you would hardly be wearing that enormous grin were it really so terrible."

"Where are Flash and Water Sapphire?"

"Oh, Pixie dragged them away as soon as we arrived."

Sunset glanced about the yard again, finally spotting Flash Sentry at the arts and crafts table. A few of the quieter children glued popsicle sticks together under his supervision, but most preferred active play. Water Sapphire, not yet three, stayed with him. The toddler did not care for loud noises, so every attempt Pixie made to get him into the games ended with him clinging to his father's leg.

Love Tap sipped her drink as she watched from Sunset's side. "This reminds me of when my boys were young."

Rarity placed a hand over the large bulge in her stomach. "Yes, I am curious to see how this one turns out. I do hope he will be a little less ... enthusiastic than his cousin. Perhaps a bit more like his brother, I hope?"

"So it is another boy?"

"My doctor is quite positive. She tried to show me on the ultrasound, but even my eye for detail could not make sense of the image." The mother-to-be winced. "He certainly kicks like a boy."

"Sweetie Belle said almost the same thing both times, except she compared the kicking to Scootaloo."

"Somebody call my name?" Scootaloo dropped onto the grass. She was soaked in sweat, a few smudges on her skin. "Me and Apple Bloom tried to set up a ramp for the kids, but then somebody said it wasn't safe. After we gave up on the ramp, we set up an obstacle course. That got axed when some kid skinned his knee."

Love Tap shook her head. "More than a few of the women and men in our parenting club back in the day were terrified of anything that might give their precious babies an ouchy."

"My parents always thought I didn't do anything if I didn't come home without at least one new scratch. Heck, they'd send me right back out." She groaned in annoyance. "I swear, if I have kids, I'm not going to coddle them."

Love Tap gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Any plans on that front?"

"Not really. Rumble and I have talked a bit about all that stuff, you know, marriage and kids and buying a house, but we're not in a hurry. We're going to wait until his contract ends."

"Isn't he in the same unit with Flash?"

"Yeah, but they have different assignments." Scootaloo hopped back to her feet to stretch her limbs. Sunset could hear a few joints popping. "At least we got to help Trixie set up her stage. She tried to draft me as her assistant, but I backed out when I saw the outfit."

"I thought the birthday kid was usually the assistant for that kind of thing," Gibson commented.

"No, she's going to be in some of the tricks," Sunset explained. She nodded toward the stage. "Speaking of, I think she's starting."

Trixie ascended her platform at the edge of the party grounds. She forsook the firecrackers and smoke, using her powerful showman's voice to alert the crowd. "Gather 'round, one and all, to witness the Great and Powerful Trixie's special birthday party show. For my assistant, we have the Funny and Friendly Pinkie Pie. Is everyone ready? Let us begin."

The children, even the 'too old' brother, were seated together to watch, most of the adults standing, kneeling, or sitting behind them. Rarity stayed on the lawn chair in the shade, though she turned her seat to observe. She had designed Trixie's stage costumes, but said nothing about it to leave the attention on the show. If someone expressed interest in the designs, she would mention it later.

Most of the tricks were standard sleight-of-hand or smoke-and-mirrors traditions. As it progressed, Sunset felt a bit of real magick a few times in the show, but her friend knew exactly how to play the crowd so that even the more obviously reality-defying tricks easily passed through the Sleepers' Disbelief. Pixie was excellent in her role as the volunteer, despite not having been allowed to practise any of her segments first.

When they reached the finalé, Trixie and Pinkie moved the first box into the crowd, allowing the children to see that there were no secret compartments. Once the audience was satisfied, they shut Pixie into it. Sunset opened the conjoined space, feeling the girl pass between them. Trixie would have felt it as well; she opened the door to show that her assistant was gone. The kids were suitably impressed, as were several of the adults. When Pinkie called for her, Pixie jumped from the second box that had been left on the stage.

They received applause from everyone as the three took a bow. The magic show was clearly a success. A few of the parents asked to hire Trixie for their own children's parties in the upcoming months. That she had only used a small portion of her repertoire of tricks meant her show would not get stale, even if all of the same audience attended each party. Despite the relatively small commission, she would make a good amount of money to supplement her other work.

They went back to more free play time. Pinkie Pie and her never-ending supply of balloons provided so many colourful animals that several of the children started a zoo. It was going well until some of the boys decided that the coolest animals escaped and began eating the others before getting into a battle for supremacy. Were it not for Pixie and Midnight convincing the girls to participate, the battle royale may have been the end of the party. A tiger belonging to a boy was the victor, Pixel Bit's dinosaur the second place champion. She would have won if her legs had been a little longer, but the boy was able to stomp her balloon when she tripped on her own feet trying to get past his.

She stood with a smile and a promise to win the next time.

After the hayride, they moved to the presents. Though Pixie was excited for them, she was willing to wait. Many of the other children were not, wanting to see what she had received. Button Mash and Sweetie Belle handed them to her while her friends sat around to watch. The many gifts ran the gamut from purely fun to practical. Between stuffed animals and toys, she also opened a beautiful set of day wear hand-crafted by her Aunt Rarity. Twilight had included a complete set of children's encyclopaedias. Clash added a large stuffed wolf that was only a little smaller than the child. Sunset's offering was "Kitchen Witchcraft: A Child's Guide to Cooking and Baking". Pixie gladly received everything and thanked each individual.

After the cake, guests began leaving until only family and close friends remained to clean the party grounds. Despite her high energy level, Pixie was on the edge of crashing, so they set her to the task of organising her gifts and loading them into the minivan. While Trixie deconstructed her stage with Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Midnight, Sunset walked the path of the hayride with Applejack to check for candy wrappers or any other litter. There was little to be found, but they both knew it was best to avoid leaving anything that one of the animals - farm or wild - might eat. Some of her friends tried to stop her because of her bad knee, but she ignored them. It helped that there was no rush and that the path was flat.

"That was a right good party. Ah'm glad the little ones had a good time."

"Thank you again for hosting. I think it worked much better than if we'd had it in our backyard."

"T'weren't nothin'. Ya shoulda seen some of the parties we had fer Apple Bloom back in the day. Ah'm sure me 'n Big Mac made more'n our share of messes, too."

A cat-like smile on her face, Sunset decided to prod her friend a bit. "Any chance you'll be hosting another Apple birthday party in the near future?"

Applejack blushed as she replied, "Maybe, maybe not. T'ain't like me or Mac have our eyes on anybody right now. AB's of age ta be lookin', but she ain't never said anythin'."

"None of you have a special someone?"

"Nah. Ah've looked 'n dated a bit. Ah'd like ta find mah soulmate, but Ah guess the Lord ain't got it in the cards fer me right now. Much as Ah'd like ta keep the farm in the family, it is gettin' harder fer family farms ta survive, even with all the caterin' commissions."

Seeing Applejack's saddened look, Sunset gave her a hug. "I'm sure things will work out. I refuse to believe that all of the love and hard work your family has put into Sweet Apple Acres is just going to disappear."

"Yeah, Ah guess." She perked as she grinned. "Ya see Rarity's baby bump? Ah thought that girl would be all over her weight 'n stretch marks."

They both giggled. "Maybe she does in private, but Rarity doesn't mind showing off the baby. She does make pregnancy look fabulous, after all."

That set both of them to full laughter. "We probably shouldn't be makin' fun of her, funny as it is."

Sunset nodded. "A little friendly poking is fine. I'd never say something behind someone's back that I wouldn't say to them, and gods know I've already teased her about it. So, what's coming up for you?"

Applejack began telling Sunset of an upcoming farmer's conference she and her brother would both attend. With Apple Bloom still in university, it was rare for both to have the freedom to travel to conventions. As they both approached farming from different perspectives, they always felt they missed something when only one attended. This year, Apple Bloom would have a long weekend of vacation, and both of her Crusader friends had agreed to help her with the farm.

"Apple Bloom's studying Mechanical Engineering, right?"

"That she is. She's only got a year left. She's been on the President's List every semester since she started." There was some pride in Applejack's voice as she revealed that detail.

"That's incredible, especially for something that challenging. I'm sure that kind of achievement will help her find a great job."

Applejack's expression turned glum again. "She wants ta work on the farm. With the farm scholarships 'n everythin', she don't owe a pug nickel, so she don't exactly need a high-payin' job."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"That girl's got a bright future, but she ain't willin' ta leave our traditions ta chase it. Ah appreciate her loyalty ta family 'n tradition, mind, but Ah don't wanna be the 'cause of her not goin' as far as she can. Ah want her ta use her God-given gifts, not waste 'em."

"Has she considered moving into the professional world and then using the money to help? She'd be able to take care of Granny Smith and the farm."

"We've thrown the idea out ta her. Gotta see what direction she goes. She has ta make her own choices or she'll be miserable."

They each had a handful of rubbish when they returned to the house. The rest of the gang had finished their own jobs and were enjoying leftover cake with apple juice. Pixie was snoring on the couch despite the quantity of sugar she had inhaled, Karen curled against her. Sweetie Belle was sitting on Scootaloo, the latter having joked about drawing on the girl's face. It may have been a threat; Sunset heard two different stories. The athlete freed herself by tickling her friend into submission.

They finally called it a day after finishing the cake, even Rarity indulging for two slices under the excuse of two people eating it. Though she stirred when he lifted her, Pixie was content to hug her father's neck as he carried her to the van. Despite nearly everyone being able to do it, Button Mash enjoyed carrying either of his sleeping daughters while they were still sufficiently small to allow for it. No one wanted to steal that small parental pleasure from him.

When she was home, Sunset pulled her latest communication journal from her shelf. It was the third, only one-fourth of the pages used for conversations that often took weeks and mostly related mundane adventures. She began writing as soon as she was settled at her desk.

Dear Princess Twilight,

We just got back from Pixie's birthday party.  I wish you could have seen it.  I made sure to include the gift you sent her.  She really loved it.

Not a whole lot else to report here.  Trixie's magic show was a hit.  A lot of the other families want to hire her.  Give her another year and she'll be performing across the country.  I have a couple contracts for programming work that I'll be doing from home, as usual.

I do have a question for you, though:  Have you ever had a long time where everything's normal and nothing major happens, yet you spend the whole time waiting for the other hoof to drop?  That's how I've been feeling.  It might be superstition, but I've had this weird ache in my bad knee that doesn't get better no matter what I do, and I can't help but think it's like when people in this world claim achy joints mean certain types of weather (like how you've described Pinkie Sense, in a way).  It feels like it's signaling something is going to happen soon.

Do you think I'm just going a little crazy, jumping at nothing?

Hope things are going well for you.  Thank you for always being my friend, no matter how busy you get.

Sunset Shimmer

She placed the journal on her nightstand and rolled into bed. Like Twilight, Sunset had times where she felt she existed only to be challenged, as though normal days were merely an unmentionable bridge between excitement. Her last thoughts as she went to sleep were hopes that Twilight would reply soon to tell her that she could stop waiting for something to happen. She had been honest when she told her friends that she wanted a boring life, yet she could not shake the feeling that the last few years were merely an extended period of calm.

Chapter IV: One Day at a Time

Sunset Shimmer stood on a nameless hill overlooking her city. It was an utter ruin, bloated and mutilated bodies littering the streets. Scavengers feasted on the remains, fighting over the best carcasses amongst the shattered remains of buildings. Glass fragments swirled in the foul wind, shredding all living things in their path to reduce them to nothing more than bleeding chunks on the streets.

Wails and sobs rose from dark corners, survivors hunting one another for the slaughter. Cruelty was the new order, she noted, as a gang of men found a woman alone and proceeded to assault her prior to beheading her. What police remained were secure behind a barricade erected to protect the wealthy and the well-connected as they laughed and jeered at the scenes before them. Many gambled, the losers tossed over the secure walls to be torn asunder.

The sanctum had fared no better than any other building. Sweetie Belle knelt in the exposed living room as she clutched at the broken and empty bodies of her daughters, her shrieking wail seemingly needing no pause for air. Button Mash was impaled on a spire cemented into the lifeless front yard, his blood soaking into the ground as carrion pecked at his flesh. The rest of Sunset's friends burnt on pyres of corpses.

She alone remained above the suffering. She had become accustomed to nightmares of horrific scenes and actions, but one of this scale was new.

Presently, a demon fluttered to land beside her. Sunset refused to look at the monster, still passively surveying the carnage. Any sign of emotion would only feed the beast. They remained side by side for what seemed to be hours in the dreamtime until Sunset finally broke the silence.

"What do you want?"

"I just came to see how you're doing, Sunny. Or is it Sparky? I'm having a hard time knowing the difference these days."

"Can it. What's all this about?"

The demon placed a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't my doing. Everything is from your section of our warped, twisted mind. I didn't have to a lay a claw on it. What do you think? I especially love how Trixie keeps screaming as the flames engulf her."

"You keep telling me that we're the same. Do you really expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this nightmare?"

"Believe what you want. Feel free to blame me for all the dark thoughts. Whatever will help you sleep. You can't run from yourself forever."

"I will be rid of you."

That elicited a mocking cackle. "You've said that for years, yet here I am. You'll understand one of these days, hopefully before we reach this point."

"What the hell does that mean?"

The demon tsked, waving a finger in Sunset's face. "Yes, 'hell' indeed. Spoilers, Shimmy."

"Like you could possibly know something about the future that I don't."

"I'll just say that I can't wait to hear the lamentations of the mortals. Hey, do you think they'll build memorials to your friends? Nah, they'll be ... demonised, too."

Sunset sat upright in her bed, the vision slow to fade from her mind's eye. 'Gods damn you, what the hell are you talking about?'

Her other self did not reply, hidden somewhere in the dark corner of their mind. Sunset considered hunting the monster and forcing an explanation, but decided it was better to leave that place alone. There was no telling what she might accidentally uncover if she started looking through it.

'Am I losing it? It's my own mind. Twilight, please reply soon.'

The shivers joined with cold sweat to ensure Sunset would be unable to return to sleep. She changed into dry pyjamas and walked about the house. It was a little after three, and all of the upstairs rooms were silent and peaceful. She opened the door to Pixie's room, feeling comforted when she saw the girl's prone form sprawled across her bed.

She was closing the door when she heard a whispered "Aunty Sunset?"

Limping into the room, she closed the door before seating herself on the bed. "What are you doing awake?"

Pixie sat up and shrugged. "I thought I heard the door, and then I saw your hair. I thought I was dreaming when I called you, but you came in."

"I'm sorry I woke you. I was having trouble sleeping, so I was walking around. It helps my leg feel better."

Small arms hugged her, and then Pixie crawled to the floor to kiss Sunset's knee. "Do you feel better now? When Mummy or Daddy do that, I feel better. Do you want another hug?"

Sunset gave the girl a pat on the head as she replied, "I'm feeling lots better. Thanks, Pixie. Sleep well."

She tucked her niece back into bed, then left the room to stroll downstairs. They were wide, shallow steps that caused her no difficulties. The darkness of the living room was as peaceful as the upstairs had been. All of their electronics were powered down for the night. The dinner dishes sat in the drain to be put into their places the next morning. Sunset lifted a glass and filled it with cold water from the refrigerator, chugging the contents in an attempt to calm her uneasy mind.

The basement light was on, so she decided to see who was using it. Those steps were sometimes complicated when her knee was being uncooperative, but she took them slowly. The banister was solid, easily capable of supporting her weight as needed. From the top, she could hear a little noise, which became a bit louder as she approached the lower door.

Lemon Zest was rocking to a track Sunset did not recognise. When the DJ saw she had company, she lowered the volume and smiled.

"Come to join me?"

"That'd be nice."

At the depressed tone, Lemon Zest frowned. "Sorry, I was teasing. I didn't mean to make fun of you."

"I know. I'm not upset. I've just been having trouble sleeping. What song is this?"

"Oh, Vinyl put this mix together and asked me what I thought. She'll be playing it at an exclusive club in New York next week."

"In Manhattan?"

"Vinyl's not part of this. I doubt the Seers will go busting up a club."

Sunset sighed. "I know. I think I'm just getting paranoid lately. Maybe I need a break."

"Music soothes the soul. Want me to find something to take your mind off your troubles?"

"Sure."

They cycled through Lemon Zest's collection, countless mixes of remixes of songs Sunset could barely recognise. They had very different tastes, but watching her friend enjoying herself was a balm to Sunset's disturbed thoughts. Lemon Zest started a light show to accompany a few tracks; according to the DJ, the strobes and coloured lights were sure to leave someone in an epileptic seizure if she was doing it correctly.

By the time the sun rose, Sunset had long forgotten her cares. Lemon Zest had a small welt on one leg from when she became a bit over-enthusiastic and hit the couch from kicking out at the wrong moment. It led to what she was sure would be a new dance craze: The Cursing Leg Injury Clutch. She only turned off the music when Sunset was laughing at the shenanigans.

"That's what I was looking for," Lemon Zest said as she dropped into a seat next to Sunset. "Feeling better?"

"You guys do know how to make me laugh."

"It's not like you haven't done the same for us. Don't forget that we're all here for each other."

"I know. Thanks."

They shared a quick hug before Lemon Zest decided to call it a night.

Sunset collapsed back into bed as most of the rest of the house began stirring, her head clearer and soul lighter. She resolved to spend more time cutting loose before the dark part of her mind grew out of control. Sleep continued to elude her, though, so she began reading one of her non-magickal books.

Unlike both versions of Rainbow Dash or Twilight Sparkle, Sunset could not get into the Daring Do novels or their human equivalents. Even for pleasure reading, she did not care for adventure stories. She also avoided most fantasy; while the mentality was originally due to her background, she now needed only to look at her current circumstances.

Her mundane books occupied far more space than grimoires or other magickal treatises did. It was difficult to have access to a work to make a copy. Those possessing the original usually wanted to keep it to themselves, therefore not making copies, either. It was different to her home dimension, but she had grown accustomed to that.

She selected a science fiction novel, the first in a series she had read several times. Something about the main characters' adventures on the desert planet of Dune and the depth of the writing made her want to revisit the books every year or two. Despite it being her fifth reading, she went slowly and savoured the details, not noticing the time passing. Her reading only ended when she heard her journal vibrating.

Twilight's message read:

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

I'm glad everything went well at the party and that Pixel Bit appreciated my gift.

Our Trixie is still performing around the country and even in a few others, though she comes here much more frequently than anywhere else.  Not just to perform, mind you; she comes here to spend time with us.  She and Starlight are doing quite well, by the way; their filly is growing quickly.  I'm glad you and human Trixie have become such good friends, too, and that her shows are gaining popularity.

Your work sounds interesting.  Thanks to the information you've shared, we've made some real leaps in computer technology here.  We're well on our way to having a full-fledged network like yours, though I doubt it will be anywhere near as fast for a long time yet.  When we get our computers to a more manageable size, I plan to send one to you, if you don't mind.  I'm hoping you can give us some ideas on how to improve them.

As for your primary concern, I don't have much to say to that.  There are days I feel tempted to agree with you.  We may not see as many challenges back-to-back as we once did, but my life has certainly never slowed down.

Of course, becoming a mother has ensured I will never have any really peaceful days, but I don't mind that.  I think everybody, pony or human, has concerns all the time, and that they aren't wrong.  I always worry about about my foals, after all.  Balancing those things with having fun is tricky, and I will readily admit that I've struggled with it.

The only thing I can say is to keep moving and looking up.  Some people were destined for lives full of adventure.  If you do think you're feeling something coming, you could be right.  I've learned to accept the concept of a 'sixth sense' even when I can't explain it.  If you are about to go through a challenge, I know you'll rise to it.

Don't let the expectations get to you, though.  I've learnt the hard way about being over-prepared (never thought I'd write that!).  Especially if you're wrong, waiting for something to happen is going to keep you from enjoying the quiet times.  The birthday party is a great example:  Could you have had fun if you were waiting for the sky to drop?

I'm sorry I don't have answers for you.  We all have to live one day at a time.  Unless you can see the future, of course.  Take some time with your friends, together or individually, and try not to worry about the future and have fun.  Please never hesitate to write to me any time you feel like you can't relax (or just anytime).  I'll always be here for you, just like how you've been there for me.

Forever your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight's words were comforting. Sunset knew she was correct: She could try to anticipate every possible bad thing that could happen and safeguard against all of them, but she would miss the fun. It was not wrong to be prepared; she only needed to learn when preparation became obsession. Her time enjoying music with Lemon Zest brought a smile to her face. She may have started with being unable to sleep, but she had ended with vague future threats pushed from her thoughts as she had fun.

She heard Sweetie Belle in the hall and decided to join her, opening the door to see little Violet in her arms. For only nearing her second birthday, the child seemed rather aware of her environment and the people within it. When Violet saw her Aunty Sunset, she began giggling and squirming in Sweetie Belle's arms to reach toward her.

"What's up, Violet? Do you want to play? We're almost downstairs." Sweetie Belle glanced behind her. "Oh, Sunset, did we disturb you?"

"No, not at all. Actually, I was just thinking about checking to see if Violet was awake."

"Want to play with us downstairs? I wouldn't mind an extra set of eyes." Sweetie Belle gestured to a small bruise on Violet's forehead. "Someone hasn't quite grasped that her head is taller than her eyes."

Sunset kissed Violet's bruise. "Is your Mum making fun of you? Want me to put her in a time out?"

Despite not understanding the joke, Violet seemed to catch Sunset's light tone and giggled. Both adults joined her, glad to encourage her smiles, before continuing downstairs for the playdate.

When she went to bed that night, Sunset's only thought before sleeping was that it had been a good day. For the first time in weeks, she had no nightmares.

Chapter V: Opening Moves

Two weeks and two days prior to the Congressus Peculiaris, Sunset Shimmer was engaged in battle against a terrible opponent. Her enemy had mercilessly crushed her allies time and again, laughing at their struggles to survive. All others had fallen, leaving only Sunset to avenge them. The battle for a great reward would see only one survivor, the rest facing oblivion.

"Take that," Pixel Bit cried as she unleashed the same combo that had defeated her father. Her character pummelled Sunset's, a wave of flaming fists leaving her with almost no health.

Sunset desperately attempted to unleash her own combo attack, but she was not familiar with the new style of controller. She pressed the wrong direction on the pad, causing her character to present his back to the enemy. She was certain poets would write ditties rather than odes to her character's demise after that.

Pixie showed no mercy as she slammed her warrior into Sunset's to drain the last of her hit points.

"Player 1 wins!" flashed across the screen, the cheer track supplemented by the girl's own shout of triumph. She accompanied it with a little dance learnt from her Aunty Scootaloo. She liked to celebrate her victories, though she had gotten much better at knowing when to stop.

"The last slice of apple pie is mine," she crowed. With a comforting pat to Sunset's head, she added, "You would've won if you'd gotten that combo off."

Sunset ruffled the girl's hair, which was always allowed to flow loose when she was playing. "It's for the best. You're still growing up. I'd just be growing out."

"That sounds like what Aunt Rarity says," Pixie giggled. She set her controller on the television cabinet and rushed into the kitchen to claim her prize.

Though Pixie still had a couple hours until her bedtime, she was already wearing her pyjamas. The set of top and bottom were authentic satin, a gift from Rarity, which had gold star clusters and the various phases of the moon in white against a dark blue. They were so themed as Pixie had inherited her mother's love of viewing the stars and the moon, as well as an interest in Astronomy from Twilight. Despite their owner's exuberance, they endured well and only needed one repair in their three months of existence. Rarity knew her niece well.

"You know," Sunset turned to the little devil's parents, "that was probably the most embarrassing defeat I've ever had."

"You get used to it," Button replied, not even trying to hide a smirk. "I was thinking of setting up a Smash Brothers tournament this weekend. Should I sign you up?"

"Might as well. It can't be any worse."

"Do you think she burnt off the extra sugar with the game tournament?"

A 'woo hoo' from the kitchen accompanied by the sound of something breaking answered Sweetie Belle's question. She heaved herself to her feet to see what had happened. The loud, fast explanation and apology was not followed by reprimand, so it must not have been expensive. Button lifted Violet and carried her into the kitchen, stating that he wanted to make sure the lack of a response was actually that his wife was not too upset and not because she was catatonic.

Trixie sat on the edge of Sunset's chair and placed an arm around her shoulders. "You did your best. Ignominious defeats happen, and we can only hope all witnesses eventually forget them."

"Or we strangle the witnesses in their sleep," Sunset replied with a small, devilish smirk. "One person keeps secrets better than two."

Trixie snickered. "I will be sure to lock my door tonight."

Though uncommon, the entire household was all gathered on the lower floor together, not yet having dispersed for their various activities after the evening dinner. Something about the cozy togetherness and the excitement of the game tournament had them collected in different, shifting conversations.

Sunset's mobile rang; Pinkie Pie had once again just avoided interrupting something. It was so common as to cause Sunset to wonder if she used Fae magick to find the perfect dramatic moments.

Before she could even utter a greeting, Pinkie's shrill voice was shouting, "-don't know what happened. You've gotta check on the others."

"Pinkie, what do you mean? What others?"

"The other girls. Some guys attacked Rarity's boutique and burnt it, but she wasn't there, and they tried to kill me, but I took care of them. Go check on the Apples and Scootaloo. I'll get to Rarity, Dashie, and Fluttershy."

She disconnected, not giving Sunset a chance to ask more questions.

"Damn it!" She turned to the kitchen and shouted, "Sweetie Belle, emergency."

That caught everyone's attention. Sunset recounted Pinkie's alert as she slipped into her boots and grabbed her wallet and keys. Seeing the white of her friend's cheeks fade to pale, she said, "We've gotta go. Now."

"What about the rest of us?" Twilight asked.

"Keep an eye on the sanctum. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Sweetie Belle grabbed her own wallet and boots. She called "Be good, Pixie, go to bed on time, I'll kiss you goodnight when I get back" as she ran to Sunset's car.

They drove to Scootaloo's flat first. Sweetie Belle called her repeatedly, starting the moment Sunset turned the key in the ignition. Finally, when they were pulling into her neighbourhood, Scootaloo answered. Sweetie Belle put her on speaker through the car's Bluetooth system.

"Is everything okay?" Scootaloo asked. "What's with blowing up my mobile?"

"Why didn't you answer?"

"I was in the shower. It was a long day today."

"I'm glad you're okay." The relief in Sweetie Belle's voice was palpable. "Please do what I'm about to tell you and don't argue: Grab your wallet and boots and come down. We're outside. I think something happened, and you have to meet us now."

"What do you mean?"

Sunset took over the conversation. "Some guys burnt down Rarity's place while she was gone and attacked Pinkie Pie. Get your arse down here now. We'll keep you safe if someone comes after you."

Whether it was the combined urgency in their tones or that she was too tired to argue, Scootaloo assented and was at the car a few seconds later. She carried a single change of clothes and her skateboard. As she clambered into the back, she asked, "Okay, what's going on? Why would somebody be after us?"

"I don't know. They didn't come to the house, but we do know that they attacked two of our group that aren't really connected except for being part of the old gang, so we're playing it safe. Sweet Apple Acres is next."

Sunset drove quickly, scanning with Mind magick to avoid the police as she ignored stops, lights, and limits. Even from the highway, they could see a plume of smoke that all three hoped was something else. As they passed Pearl's farm, the smoke grew thicker.

She parked on the street, everyone silent as they beheld Sweet Apple Acres. The main barn, the house, and the garage were all burning, neither the inhabitants nor the culprits anywhere to be seen. While Scootaloo was looking at the ruins, Sunset used magick to feel for others. Despite the wide radius she could examine, she felt nothing.

"Sweetie Belle, let's go check it out. Scootaloo, stay here."

"What? Why?"

"Someone with sharp eyes needs to be watching for the police or the criminals. Keep your mobile handy and call mine if you see or hear anything, okay?"

The athlete sighed and gave a reluctant acquiescence.

The two Mages joined hands as they walked across the property. Though she was worried about destroying evidence, something told Sunset that the police would not be able to help with whatever was happening. Both friends approached the house, the heat unpleasant but not dangerous from where they stopped.

Without prompting, Sweetie Belle began scanning the building. Sunset could feel the Focused Mage Sight lensed by the Death Arcanum and already knew what the young woman would find before Sweetie Belle gasped and began crying.

"They're dead. Gunshots."

Sunset pulled her into an embrace. "I'll help you if you need it, but we need to try to see who did this."

"Yes, please. I can't concentrate right now."

Sunset began weaving magick about Sweetie Belle, targeting her distress and hiding it so that the younger Mage could perform the necessary Willworking. Though she had studied only a little of the Time Arcanum to reach Initiate-level understanding, Sweetie Belle had the skill to review the past hour. She combined it with her Death Arcanum to target the first death on the property.

A simple mental link allowed Sunset to share her friend's sight of the attack. Sweetie Belle pulled them both into the distance to view events about forty minutes past, if Sunset correctly understood the input her partner was sharing.

The house was intact. Granny Smith dozed in the rocking chair while her two oldest grandchildren watched an evening drama. Big Mac was stretched across the couch, Applejack on a chair next to their grandmother. Only the sound of a vehicle pulling into their drive disturbed the peaceful family.

"Who in tarnation could that be?"

"Ah'll get it," Big Mac offered as the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to a man in a ski mask pushing him backwards. The farmer was strong, but he had the universal vulnerability to surprise and fell backwards, landing hard. When he tried to push himself to his feet, the assailant kicked him in the stomach, leaving the young man on the floor.

"What's goin' on here?" Applejack shouted as the man stormed into their house. She stood, ready to fight the invader. Even though she was only sharing a view of the past, Sunset could read her friend's emotions, which were dominated by determination and righteous anger with no small amount of fear.

Unlike the show they had been watching, criminals in real life did not stop to give a speech or to gloat over their acts. He pulled a gun and ended the family before they had a chance to defend themselves. Perhaps their only mercy was that their murderer knew what he was doing, and the bullets killed them quickly. Despite the noise, Granny Smith had not stirred and was the last to go.

The time rushed forward as their vision moved into the yard. The gunman and two others soaked the buildings with accelerant and set everything ablaze before hopping into their car to leave. The executions and the arson took less than ten minutes, the attackers not uttering a single word.

They all wore military-style camouflage, small rank insignia on their lapels. When Sunset looked closely, she could see they were not with the national military, which comforted her in some ways and heightened her concern in others. All three wore ski masks. She could not read them whatsoever, as though they did not exist. None of her Arcana could touch them.

Their car was a standard white sedan, the plates obscured by paper. Sunset recognised a local rental company's decal in the driver's-side window.

The vision faded. Despite Sunset's help, Sweetie Belle's emotions were overwhelming her. She dropped to her knees to sob. There was no time to mourn, sirens already audible in the distance. Sunset's mobile began to ring as Scootaloo simultaneously shouted to them from the car.

"Please, Sweetie Belle, we have to go."

Through her distress, the young woman managed a nod. "Okay."

Sunset hustled them back to the car, placing a Mind barrier around them as they left so that any authorities passing them on the street would forget seeing them. She drove much more sedately, keeping right at the speed limit and obeying all other traffic laws. She was unsure how to handle Scootaloo, settling for not speaking to the athlete for the time being.

Scootaloo seemed lost in her own thoughts, anger and fear waring for control of her mind. She did not ask what the others had seen from their random vantage point some distance from the house, though she obviously had no trouble interpreting her friend's tears.

"I should call Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said as she finally gained control of herself.

"Call Pinkie Pie. She can get there faster."

"Okay."

Sweetie Belle had the presence of mind to place the call on speaker again. Pinkie answered on the second ring.

"Dashie is okay, but they got Fluttershy. She was at the animal hospital. They burnt it, too."

"They got Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith and burnt the farm buildings," Sunset said. "We have Scootaloo. Apple Bloom is at her university. Can you you check on her?"

"Will do. I moved Dashie somewhere safe. I'll protect her if those bastards come after her. Did you find anything?"

"No. We were able to find evidence they rented a car. They were obviously professionals though, so I'm willing to bet they used fake identification. We'll try to track them down anyway. Call me if you find anything. If Apple Bloom is safe, don't tell her. Let the police do it."

"How are you so calm?" Sweetie Belle screamed. "They killed our friends. Why aren't you upset?"

Scootaloo jolted, worriedly glancing between the two. She also seemed intrigued to hear Sunset's answer.

"Revenge," Sunset replied. "I want to catch these monsters, but I have to keep a clear head to do it."

There was quiet on Pinkie's end. She finally replied, "We can't bring back the people they killed. I want to cry so badly, but I can't because I have to be ready to protect Dashie and Apple Bloom. I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle. I'm not trying to be insensitive; I just want to know why they attacked us, and I want to catch them before they hurt anybody else."

Sweetie Belle sniffled. "I'm sorry. I know you guys are sad, too. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Had she not needed one hand for the gear shift as they entered the city streets, Sunset would have offered a comforting pat.

"You don't have to be sorry for that. Once we get them, I'll need you, so go ahead and let it out."

"Sunset's right. We'll both need you, Sweetie Belle. I have to go check on Apple Bloom. Once I know her situation, I'll call you again."

"I appreciate it, but I need to be ready to help, too. We all will. I can do my part."

"Keep an eye out." Pinkie disconnected for her walk through the Hedge.

"We're going to get those sons of bitches," Scootaloo promised, hugging Sweetie Belle from behind. "They aren't getting away with this. Let me get my hands on a gun or something, and I'll be right out there." Her following speech was peppered with foul and violent language that would usually cause Sweetie Belle to cringe. As it was, the normally passive young woman was nodding.

The cabal had placed several wards and barriers around the house, keyed to allow only people from their circle to pass without giving an alert to the inhabitants. They found Rarity in the living room. Pixie and Water Sapphire were cuddled in her lap as Button sat next to them with an arm around his sister-in-law for emotional support. Her mascara ran down her face, not that she was in a state to care.

"M-My husband. My p-parents. My shop. Everything except my babies and you." Rarity accepted Sweetie Belle's embrace. "Who would do this?"

"We don't know yet. The police are looking into it." Sunset did not question why Magnum and Cookie had been victims, assuming the attackers had been targeting not only the circle but their families. Using another mental link, she told the others to check on their families and those of their friends. They excused themselves to place their calls.

"Rarity, would you like some medicine to help you?" Sweetie Belle offered, only a slight tremor in her voice. "The stress isn't going to be good for the baby. Please, do it for him."

Several seconds passed before the broken fashionista answered. "Yes, I should. I can't lose anyone else."

Sweetie Belle offered her sister two sugar pills. A few minutes after she swallowed them, Sunset used magick to lull her friend into sleep. Rarity's eyelids gradually slipped until she was unconscious.

Water Sapphire was not capable of understanding what was happening and began to cry. Pixie held him, though she was starting to cry as well.

"Is Uncle Flash dead?"

Sweetie Belle and Button Mash took their daughter and nephew into their arms. The small group hug was all they could offer.

"He is."

"Why would someone wanna h-hurt him? Why would they wanna hurt us? What did we do?"

"I don't know, Pixie." Button rubbed her back, which usually helped to calm her when she was upset. It did nothing. "But I promise, they're not going to hurt you or anyone else, okay? We'll keep you safe."

"Can you be strong and help with Water Sapphire?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yes, Mummy."

Button asked Scootaloo to take the children into the kitchen and give them some warm milk and a cookie. They needed the comfort, and the Mages needed them removed to be free to talk.

Lemon Zest scanned mother and baby and pronounced them both physically healthy. Sunset did what she could to settle the mental turmoil, but it was too deeply rooted to remove completely without risking Rarity's mental health, even though Sunset was an Adept of Mind.

They each received a message from Solstice Cherry, which simply read "All shareholders to a meeting ASAP. This is not a request." If the Hierarch was ordering a meeting, something was happening, and the cabal needed to attend. Rarity was settled for hours, which only left Scootaloo.

She returned from the kitchen, both children munching on their treats. Though the milk and cookie had soothed Water Sapphire, Pixie was too old to be so easily reassured. She had managed to stop crying, even forcing herself to smile at her little cousin when he was looking at her.

Scootaloo was similarly putting up a front. Sunset could see the raw fear mingling with rage and heartache. As Sweetie Belle hugged her oldest friend again, Sunset pulled two more sugar pills.

"Take these," she ordered, using a bit of magick to override Scootaloo's objections.

The athlete swallowed the pills without complaint. Sunset did not bother to wait as she had for Rarity. More magick pushed Scootaloo into sleep as she sprawled onto the couch next to Rarity. Sunset then put Water Sapphire to sleep. She placed him between his mother and Scootaloo, hoping the warmth of human contact would forestall any nightmares. They would move their guests to a bed later.

As she recharged her Mana from the ley line, Sunset asked Karen and Spike to watch over their guests. Karen's Fae magick would allow her to protect their dreams and persons, and Spike was a comforting presence merely for existing. He settled onto Rarity's lap while Karen sat on the back of the couch. Both kept eyes and ears on alert. By the time Sunset was ready, the others were set to go, and Button Mash was preparing to tuck Pixel Bit into bed.

"Button, you're a member of the Consilium. You're going to have to come."

"Wait, 'shareholders' includes Sleepwalkers? What about the girls?"

"Bring them. They're both Sleepwalkers, and we don't have time to wait for a babysitter. Spike and Karen can watch over the others and the sanctum."

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Pixie, boots now. It's a warm evening, so you should be okay with a light jacket."

Allowing her the extra sugar had been a good thing. Though she likely would have been able to sleep even without her customary crash, she still had the energy reserve to cooperate.

As she followed the adults to the van, she asked, "I'm going to a Forum on a school night?"

"We're going to call in tomorrow and tell them you're sick. I know it's lying, but this is an emergency. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mummy."

"Good girl, Pixie. Want to ride with me?"

The minivan, their largest vehicle, did not seat everyone without a few questionable arrangements. Sweetie Belle and Button Mash sat in the back with the car seat, Pixie on her mother's lap and buckled into the seat with her. Because the second middle seat was missing to make the baby seat more accessible, Lemon Zest knelt on the floor next to Twilight, keeping her head just below the window. Trixie drove, Sunset in the front passenger's seat due to needing the space for her leg.

When everyone was settled, they headed to the Great Hall. Something was happening, and the hope they would soon have answers stood large on each face. Even Violet could feel the tension; she had begun crying when they strapped her into her carseat, despite loving rides. Pixel Bit was uncharacteristically silent, clinging to her mother as she had not done for the better part of a year. In a way, Sunset envied how the children could show their emotions, wishing she did not have to bury her own rage.

'Thanks for all this anger,' her other self whispered. 'I'll need it when we confront those guys.'

'I shoved it back there to keep a clear head. You're never coming out again.'

'Try telling me that when we're out of Mana and they're holding a gun to your friends' heads. We're heading into a battle. Sooner or later, you're going to beg me for help. Don't worry, I'll make it easy to punish them. I'm thinking-'

'I'm not murdering anyone. No torture, either. They're monsters, but I won't become one just to get back at them.'

'You're already a monster, Sparky. By the time this is over, even you won't be able to deny it anymore.'

End Part I

Chapter VI: Scramble Formation

Part II

The Great Hall was already packed when they arrived. There were tens of Awakened Sparky had never seen, most of them keeping to the sides. Staff had laid out numerous tables and chairs, so the group pushed two smaller ones together. There was no food, though it looked as though no one was in the mood to eat. Pixie had migrated to her father while Orchid held Violet. There were a few other babies and toddlers at the meeting, but Pixie looked to be the only one in her age group.

The Trois Fleurs and Midnight found them and pulled extra chairs into what spaces they could. They were all afraid; only Midnight kept a flat demeanour, though Sunset noted a subtle tensing of the teen's muscles.

"Any idea what's going on?" Wild Tart asked, looking at Midnight.

"Ace didn't tell me, and I haven't had a chance to do a reading. I'm as in the dark as everyone else. He went back with the other Councillors as soon as we got here."

"We did hear that there were attacks. I don't know what happened, but it sounds like they got a few of us," Amber Wish offered with a shiver.

"Daddy, are the bad guys coming here?" Pixie clung tightly to her father as her fear became stronger.

"Not here, Pixie. See how many people there are? They wouldn't stand a chance."

"What about the house?"

"Mum and the others have lots of wards in place, and Aunty Star Dust will know if anyone tries to get through them, plus Karen and Spike are there."

Link's words assuaged his daughter's fear. All conversations ceased then as Solstice Cherry entered the Great Hall and stepped onto the dais.

"All cabal leaders and the following are to report to the front," she said, listing the additional Mages. Midnight was the first to be named. Sparky stood along with her two friends and joined the small gathering near the dais.

"Follow me," the Herald ordered. She led them to the back hallway and into one of the conference rooms.

It was much larger than should have fit the space between the doors. The Hierarch, the Councillors, and a few other high-ranked Awakened were waiting for them, the large table behind them mostly obscured from the newcomers' view.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Bronze Luck said. "There is no point to sugar-coating the situation: Ladies and gentlemen, we are at war."

Several voices began calling questions at the same time. Jade Mind remained silent, only gripping Sparky's hand for moral support. Midnight stood to Sparky's other side. They waited for the Hierarch to restore order so that he could explain the situation.

"Silence," he called. He barely raised his voice, yet it had the desired effect on the crowd. "There will be time for questions later. Look to the screens."

There were televisions mounted to the walls. The eighteen Awakened spread into a half-circle to watch them. A map of Consilium territory - which encompassed the entire county - appeared. It was plain at first, then zoomed in to the city before symbols marking the Great Hall and the other public sancta appeared.

"This evening, a well-armed and well-coordinated group attacked four public sancta, five private sancta, and other locations around our city. These attacks were performed at the same time, and all were successful in destroying Awakened property. They killed all those present at the locations before setting the buildings to flame."

The circles for the smaller public sancta that had been destroyed vanished. Light red 'X' marks took their places, also appearing at a few other locations on the map for a total of thirteen attacks. Sparky noted that they included Sweet Apple Acres and Rarity's Carousel Boutique, as well as Sweetie Belle's former home and the animal hospital. Darker red arrows first pointing toward the sites and then away from them were next.

"These arrows are our best guesses at the routes the attackers used. Five of the locations attacked were uninhabited. As of this moment, we have five Awakened confirmed dead, three Sleepwalkers, and forty-seven Sleepers."

An image of some of the attackers took the map's place. The group of four looked much like the ones that had murdered Applejack and her family, except two of them were female. Sparky looked again at the number of attacks. If they had happened simultaneously and three or more were at each scene, there were at least forty hostiles in the city.

"We have been able to identify them: They call themselves 'Witch Hunters.' They are an old and skilled Vigilante Compact that seems to be backed by a large Conspiracy. We are uncertain of which one it is, should that be true."

"Then let's get those motherfuckers before they attack again," someone called. Several cheers of agreement followed.

Bronze Luck raised his hands for silence. "It will not be that easy. They are somehow shielding themselves from even our most skilled scryers. Also, they are not the only enemy to have entered our city."

The image of the Hunters faded. A picture of the remains of a building that would have looked at home in news footage from a wartorn country replaced them. The mass of wreckage indicated that it must have been large.

"This was a residential building. A group of Banishers destroyed it to get at a Mage taking refuge within, killing all inhabitants. We detected Paradox in the magick used and suspect they released it into the area."

Several people gasped, a few murmuring 'Banishers' like a curse. Sparky knew of them: Mages whose Awakenings were so traumatic or whose pre-existing beliefs clashed so strongly with the Truth that they could not accept their Awakened status. Magick was usually painful to them, the product of their flawed Awakenings. They were known to be inimical to all of the Orders, including the Seers of the Throne, and were one of the threats to come from within the ranks of the Awakened themselves. Confronting them was one of the few ways to get Pentacle and Seer Awakened to cooperate.

"We are unclear if the Witch Hunters and the Banishers are working together. It is also possible the Vigilantes chased the Banishers into our city and thereby discovered our Consilium.

"At this point, we have very little information. We do not know where they are quartering themselves or how they obtained information on our sancta. It is only clear that they planned this attack well and had too much data to use against us.

"As we prepare to mount a counter-offensive, we must adopt strong security measures to protect ourselves. To that end, all public sancta are assumed to be known and targeted, so all except the Great Hall are to be abandoned. Also, several cabals and unaffiliated are to be relocated together for mutual protection. This is not optional, but the Consilium will reimburse all damages to unoccupied private sancta and Hallows as well as the expenses of the hosting cabals."

He had silenced the objections to say, "The Diamond Orders' leadership have already approved this plan. Refusal to stay in one of the established defensive zones equates to a willingness to face a Witch Hunter attack alone. We will not protect those who refuse to cooperate. Any cabals listed as hosts attempting to abuse their temporary guests and guests doing likewise to their hosts will face Consilium disciplinary action."

A few angered mutters met his pronouncements, but there were no further vocal complaints. He nodded to the screens, where a list appeared. Most of the assignments looked to be based on existing relationships. The Trois Fleurs and Midnight were to move into Sparky's sanctum.

"Roomies?" Jade Mind whispered. She had a half-grin that did not reach her eyes. "At least we get along now."

Sparky nodded, then turned her attention back to the Hierarch.

Someone asked, "What about the Kindred and Uratha?"

"That is my next point. They will be doing what they can to assist us. The Uratha packs in the Concord have agreed to allow us access to their territories for the purposes of tracking and eliminating our enemies. They will also be searching for the Witch Hunters but, due to the viciousness of the attacks, several malicious spirits are already spawning around the city, as well as several new Loci. The packs will be working to keep those from interfering or spreading a malignant resonance.

"The Kindred will provide support on a case-by-case basis. We cannot risk allowing them to become additional targets."

At the new complaints, he explained, "Our Kindred allies are vulnerable during the day. We cannot hope to protect them effectively, especially given the known number of hostiles present. They will help us as they can. Prince Night Star has already sent funds to assist the war effort. They will be focused on assisting to find our enemies and distracting the Mortal authorities. Once we find the Witch Hunters, the Kindred will help us put an end to their threat."

"And what's the Free Council doing?"

One of the other Awakened stepped forward. Sparky recognised him as Jackpot, the new Synod of the local Assembly.

"We're partnering with the Consilium. We were also attacked, since the Witch Hunters are looking for all Mages in the city. We'll be coordinating our members' involvement with the Councillors."

Bronze Luck took up the lead again. "We have no further information for you. All members of each Order will now meet with their respective Councillor. This includes a representative from the Free Council. Inform your cabals. If you are Nameless, you are welcome and encouraged to assist one of the Orders without obligation. Cabal leaders should assign allied Sleepwalkers to assist whichever Order they deem best."

Sparky and Jade Mind went back to their table and informed the others of the upcoming meeting. The Councillors were already gathering their members, necessitating an abbreviated conversation.

Sparky asked Link, "Based on what you know about the Orders, which one do you think you'd be able to help the best?"

"Yours," he replied without hesitation. Orchid did not look surprised and neither was Sparky. Link was passionate about protecting his family, despite not having magick.

"Okay, follow me. Pixie, stay with your Mum."

While Pixie and Violet may have technically fallen under 'allied Sleepwalker,' Sparky was reasonably certain the Guardians of the Veil would not attempt to give children any duties. Sparky's few interactions with Marble had been positive, and she knew the Councillor would not place Pixie into active roles. Despite the situation, though, she could see Marble suggesting Pixel Bit be tasked with 'home defence.'

They departed to join their respective meetings. Pixie took Midnight's hand so that Orchid could continue to hold Violet. Star Dust and the Trois Fleurs were all in the Silver Ladder. Dusk Shine followed Ace and the rest of the Mysterium. Almost thirty of the Mages Sparky did not know were Libertines; based on what Wild Tart had told them, that had to be nearly the entire Assembly. That left Sparky and Link to trail Flawless Sword.

The Adamantine Arrow may not have been a formal military like those seen on bases around the world, but anyone in the meeting that had attended boot camp kept order and waited for instructions. Sparky was a Talon, having completed the training despite her injured knee. She stood toward the back and kept Link beside her. The First Talons were in the front as they were directly below the Adamant Sage, Flawless Sword's official title within the Order. Link was hardly the only non-member present; most Nameless and Sleepwalkers had migrated to the Arrow, likely feeling most secure amongst the militant group.

Flawless Sword briefly repeated the information from the earlier meeting for the benefit of the larger group. Link was not the only one to pale upon learning how many had died, especially the numerous casualties of the Banisher attack. He was afraid, but his clenched fists made clear the determination within him.

He listed five names, Sparky's included. "You are hereby granted the position, title, and all associated responsibilities of Banner Warden for your respective cabals and those temporarily under your care. You will report directly to First Talon Storm or to me."

Though such an assignment meant she was not going to be on the front line, it brought great prestige. Banner Wardens were trusted to be able to use whatever was available to them - even if they were alone - to protect a cabal. It was only assigned to cabals with invaluable resources, which proved how important Midnight Radiance was to the Consilium. Sister to a Councillor or not, she was the most gifted Witch in the area.

In the event of another attack, all Talons would receive an alert. Those able to respond to the location were do so immediately. When it came to combat, they wanted captives taken whenever reasonably possible, but Flawless Sword warned them not to place themselves into needless danger. Sparky and the other Banner Wardens would be kept abreast of the situation, but they were not to leave their posts to aid in battle without direct orders to do so. Those with work or other responsibilities they could not miss still needed to ensure they had a way to keep their cabals safe.

When he was sure everyone was following, Flawless Sword laid out an initial strategy that mostly involved protecting important sites while the other Orders attempted to locate their enemies. They would also join the hunt when they could, though they needed to use their skills to prevent more death.

"Until we figure out how to overcome their anti-magick protections, we're pretty much just on defence and reaction for the time being."

When it was time to launch their own attacks, they would receive more information. With a pause to allow requests for clarification - there were none - he dismissed them.

The Arrows were the first Order to finish their meeting. Not that they were necessarily the best-organised, but their pseudo-military training meant they took instructions and only asked questions when necessary and did not dwell on topics that had already been covered. Objections, likewise, were rare. Those likely to make it to Talon had to possess the mindset for it. Despite appearances, the Order did like suggestions as well as members thinking for themselves when such was appropriate.

In more than six years of membership, Sparky had never once heard talk of using overt violence outside training scenarios. The Order considered it the final resort when nothing else worked; killing another was generally considered the failure's route. That it was the only option given at the night's meeting was disconcerting. The Witch Hunters had made their intentions clear, forcing an Order that abhorred violence to go straight to it.

'I told you that you'd need me.'

'Violence doesn't automatically equate to killing. If I have to do it to defend my sanctum and the others, I will do it without you.'

As the First Talons began distributing guns and other weapons, she wondered if she would be able to keep that promise.

Chapter VIII: The Hierarch's Questions

Chapter IX: Crusaders' Reunion and Midnight's Interrogation

As they entered the second day following the attacks, the many residents of a particular Victorian house waited for news and attempted to live their normal lives on the edges of their seats. With their shop closed, the Trois Fleurs focused their attentions on preparing to defend their city, learning battle magick from Sunset. Midnight was studying at the local university; she withdrew from all on-campus classes, keeping only those she took online. For those with work they could do from home - Sunset, Lemon Zest, and Twilight - things continued as normal. The others made their own arrangements. Sweetie Belle had never overcome her stage fright and made a living as a songwriter, a role which required some travel. She put a temporary hold on new contracts and began renegotiating existing contracts to minimise or to eliminate time away from home. Button Mash worked for a small mobile game developer in the city and continued going to the office, taking Pixie to and from school along the way. Violet already rarely needed daycare, and all the extra people at the house all the time only helped. Trixie continued to perform, though she began warding herself far more heavily than normal. Those leaving the house had a long-term Space spell on them that they could activate to pull them back to the sanctum instantly, though it risked Paradox if they disappeared when Sleepers were present.

On the third full day after the attacks, Pearl sent a message to Sunset asking her to visit the farm with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They arrived to find the area heavily warded, both Talons and First Talons staying at the property. Since the farm's land encompassed several ley lines and a large nexus, it produced copious amounts of Mana. Given all the Mana available, Pearl allowed it to crystalise into tass that she traded to the Consilium. It made her farm one of the most valuable sancta in the city.

Pearl was smoking her corncob pipe as she waited for them. When they were parked, she emptied her pipe to speak. "Ah wanted y'all here 'cause Apple Bloom's comin' in."

"She's coming here?"

"Ah invited her. She's had a couple days ta clear her head, 'n Ah wanna have a talk with her. Us farmers need ta stick together, 'n Ah figured y'all would wanna be here ta support her."

They waited for Apple Bloom, who arrived by taxi. Pearl paid the cabbie before welcoming the young woman to her farm.

The last Apple looked terrible. She clearly had not been sleeping and must have spent much of the previous days crying. It made sense to Sunset; her family meant everything to her and losing them, especially to what must have seemed to be senseless brutality, would have been catastrophic to the girl. Sunset could feel the same anger that so nearly dominated Scootaloo as well as the ever-present sorrow. There was also guilt, which Sunset tentatively guessed to be 'Survivor's Guilt.'

The Crusaders shared a group hug, Apple Bloom's friends offering her love and support. She squeezed them in return, their togetherness impacting the dark emotions within the young woman. It did not make a large difference, but it was visible even without magick.

Sunset remained further back, conflicted as to whether she should offer support. Her own sense of guilt over the deaths was continuing to grow each time she saw the devastation they wrought in the survivors. Rarity would cry at seemingly random triggers; even she could not predict what would cause her emotional outbursts. Sunset had found her sobbing as she clutched a blanket the same shade of blue as Flash Sentry's hair. Scootaloo had been forlorn, though she tried to act tough. At night, Sunset dreamt of Pixie's birthday party and her final conversation with one of her oldest friends. Even if none of the others blamed her, she felt it would hypocritical to join the commiseration.

When the Crusaders were ready, Pearl offered her primary visitor a seat on a cushioned lawn chair. The others used the grass, none of them complaining. She waited until Apple Bloom was settled to say, "Ah asked ya here ta offer ya a place ta stay if'n ya need it, anytime ya want it. Ah also wanted ta talk a bit, if'n ya feel up ta it."

Apple Bloom looked to her friends for moment. She was drawing strength from their presence as she placed a small, grateful smile on her face. "Ah'd like ta take ya up on that offer. Thank ya kindly, Pearl."

A few more tears formed at the corners of her eyes, but she wiped them quickly as she took a few deep breaths. Sunset could see how Apple Bloom struggled against her sorrow to present a façade. Whether the farm girl did not want to bring further depression to her friends or had some other motive for it was beyond Sunset's abilities to know without directly reading Apple Bloom's mind.

"What do ya wanna talk about?"

Pearl placed a hand over Apple Bloom's. "Please let me finish what Ah'm gonna say before ya tell me what ya think. First thing Ah wanna say is that yer Granny Smith was one of mah best friends when we was young'uns, just like y'all. Ah've also grown right fond of ya in yer own right over the years, which is the other reason Ah wanted ta have this talk.

"Here's the part Ah wanna explain, so listen close. Ah wanna buy Sweet Apple Acres-"

"What? How could ya try ta use mah family's murder like that?" Anger walked within Apple Bloom, temporarily subsuming her grief.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo knelt on their friend's other side to hug her.

"Please let her finish, Apple Bloom."

"Yeah, we've known Pearl a long time. She'd never try to take advantage of you."

The anger receded as quickly as it had appeared. When she had control of herself again, Apple Bloom apologised and resumed listening.

"Ah don't blame ya fer misunderstandin', 'specially with what's happened, but please let me explain mahself. Now here's the rest of it: Ah wanna buy the property in yer name. Think of it like a business loan that don't have no interest or a time limit. Finish yer learnin', get yerself a job, 'n pay it back as ya can. Ah'll make sure Sweet Apple Acres keeps runnin'. Ya can decide what ta do with the sales."

Apple Bloom's eyes widened as a few tears escaped to run down her cheeks. She did not bother to wipe them this time as she regarded Pearl with a mix of appreciation and grief. "Are ya sure ya wanna do somethin' like this?"

"Like Ah said, me 'n Granny Smith used ta run around just like y'all. She was right pleased ta see ya have such good friends. Yer not much different from her, 'ceptin' yer schoolin', which made her mighty proud."

"What good's a mechanical engineer on a farm? Ah only did it 'cause they wanted me ta do it. Why bother now? Ah was gonna move back after school and work the farm with mah family anyways. Now they're gone. Ah don't wanna go back ta school, and Ah don't wanna work the farm alone. Ah feel like Ah cain't move forward anymore, but Ah don't have anywhere ta go."

"Y'ain't alone. They're gonna watch over ya as long as yer still here, 'n ya've got yer friends that're still here with ya. Sweet Apple Acres will be here when ya finish school, so take yer time ta decide what ya wanna do."

Once she promised to think about Pearl's offer, they settled her into the older farmer's guest room. Apple Bloom was taking a break for the semester, granted for the family tragedy, and would need to decide whether to return for the next one.

Seven members of the Adamantine Arrow were posing as additional staff for harvest season. Since her protectors were living in the flat, segregating Apple Bloom was Pearl's best option. The farm girl would not even be aware the basement library existed, and she would be reasonably safe if the Witch Hunters decided to look for her. While they had not yet shown any interest in extended family who were not also involved with magick, they may have selected their primary targets for the first strike.

At Apple Bloom's request and with Pearl's permission, Sunset left the Crusaders to stay the night. They all needed each other, and she remembered one of their famous pledges: 'Crusaders Stick Together.' She wished them well before leaving.

Midnight was alone at the kitchen table when Sunset returned. She was pouring herself a glass of chocolate milk when she noticed a bit of Midnight's magick flowing. It felt odd, so she peeked at the table.

In front of the teen sat the Supernal Tarot. She had removed the cards from their pouch but had not otherwise touched them. Not saying a word, Sunset took a seat and looked at her friend.

"I thought I felt something when I got here. These cards were concealed pretty well, Sunset. Would you be willing to tell me where you got them?"

"From a Seer stronghold in Philadelphia."

Midnight nodded. She held a hand over the cards. Sunset felt her magick flow again.

"I have so many questions. Before I start, I'm going to assume you know what these are." When Sunset nodded, she continued. "Okay. It's funny; these cards aren't responding to me. I don't mean I can't use them, though; they don't want me to use them. Would you mind channeling a bit of Mana through them?"

Doing as she was instructed, Sunset felt the cards respond to her. Her magick mingled with the cards, and she imagined it would feel warm if pure magick affected the mundane senses on its own. At Midnight's signal, she retracted her hand.

"The cards are Bound to you." Midnight shook her head. "I never wanted to be in this position with you. Sunset, I ... need to ask you some questions, and I need you to be completely honest with me. No twisting meanings, no half-answers. After we're done here, assuming I don't learn anything I can't ignore, I'm going to try to pretend I don't know about this, understand?"

"Yes."

"Good." Midnight took a deep breath. "Are you a Seer of the Throne?"

"No, not now, not ever."

"Are you involved with any of the Left-Handed Paths? Have you studied anything about them beyond the necessary knowledge to protect yourself? Do you have any sympathies for them?"

"No, I am not, have not, and do not. Not now, not ever."

"Why did you steal the Supernal Tarot from the Seers?"

"Someone with influence over me ordered me to do so."

Midnight sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "That answer doesn't help. Who ordered it?"

"I can honestly tell you that I don't know."

"You need to tell me everything about this. Everything, Sunset. Please don't hide anything, even if you think it'll look bad."

Sunset related her meeting with the strange figure in Pandemonium and how she had come to be in that person's debt. She detailed each of their discussions, as well as her theories about the figure's identity. Midnight remained silent throughout the story.

"Damn it all to hell!" Midnight slammed a fist on the table. She may not have been physically strong, but it was sufficient to rattle the table. The cards did not move. She took a few calming breaths. "That just screams 'Seer.' If I report what you've told me to Marble, you'd be called before a formal enquiry panel right now. Is anyone else in your cabal involved in this?"

"They helped me steal the deck, and I did tell them most of what I told you. They only don't know why I'm in this debt."

"'Don't ask if you don't want to know the answer.' This is the only time in my life that I've wished I weren't in the Guardians." Midnight closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head before opening them again to look directly into Sunset's eyes. "Here's what we'll do next: I'm going to explain exactly how this looks, then you'll get a chance to respond. If I can't find sufficient evidence that you're not a threat to this Consilium ... I'll have to report you.

"First, we have that you're in possession of the best-known Artefact in the world. Everything else aside, that's going to draw attention to us. Then you admit that you've been communicating with an Ascended Being, even swearing obedience. Whether or not you're limited to three tasks, you could still be ordered to do things that would cause harm. Only days after these cards arrived, we came under an unprecedented attack.

"The Witch Hunters are invisible to all of our magick and the Banishers have disappeared, yet you didn't use the cards to help us. On top of that, your 'boss' promised to protect you. With such a valuable treasure and god-like magick on your side, it's entirely possible that you did something to draw our enemies here. Fewer rivals for the cards, an order from an Exarch, plain insanity ... the possible reasons are endless.

"Please give me a reason not to report you. Not only would you be suspect, your whole cabal could go down with you. Even volunteering to let us search your mind won't help, since we learnt long ago that the Seers can hide themselves."

Sunset had to think about her response. She had long prepared for the possibility that someone would discover her pact, but did not want to see her friends in trouble for something they had not done. She also feared for Midnight; if the Exarch thought Sunset would be unable to complete her bargain, there was a very good chance that something would stop Midnight's interference. Listing that would only seem like a threat, though, so she removed it from consideration. All that remained was honesty. An emotional appeal could work, and she was not above using it, but she hoped Midnight would believe her without it.

"I know how bad this looks. All I can say is that I am not involved in these attacks except as a victim. Do what you have to do."

Midnight had a few tears in her eyes as she stood. "I can't not report you. I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes. "There's only one other option." She turned her back to Sunset and began lowering her magickal shields. "You'll have to stop me."

Sunset leapt from her seat to grab Midnight by the shoulders, turning her friend to face her.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she shouted. "That's like stripping naked to walk into a dark alley. You are a Guardian of the Veil, Midnight. I can't imagine how hard this is, but you have a responsibility to this Consilium. I don't want to be put on trial, but I'm not going to hurt someone - especially a friend - just to avoid that."

"You didn't threaten me with Exarchal intervention." Sunset was surprised when Midnight pulled her into a hug. "And you didn't attack me. Thank you, Sunset."

"Was that some kind of test?"

"Yes."

Sunset pushed Midnight back until she could look in the teen's eyes. "That was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. If there was any doubt, any chance-"

"I didn't doubt you."

"What?" Sunset released Midnight, whose face was flushing.

"I believe in you. I had to ask the questions because of who I am, but I trust you."

Sunset dropped back into a chair, her legs suddenly unwilling to support her. She stared up at Midnight for a moment until her brain started working again.

"That means a lot to me, but please don't ever do something like that again. If you had been wrong...."

Midnight sat next to her and pulled her into another hug. "And it means a lot to me that you care about my well-being. Please don't ever stop being who you are." She ended the embrace and looked at the cards still in their neat little stack on the table. "How much do you know about the Supernal Tarot?"

"We're doing this, huh?" Sunset could feel a smile forming, mostly from the relief of knowing Midnight would trust her. "Fine. I don't know much except that the Mysterium had it stashed in London, the Seers took it, and it's generally considered the most valuable Artefact in the world."

"Let me tell you a bit about their history. We don't know why or how, but the cards just started appearing one day. Over a couple decades, almost the entire deck came together pretty much by happenstance. Six cards were missing when the Mysterium moved them to London. When I looked through it, all the cards were present."

"Oh."

Midnight snickered. "Yeah, that might not mean a lot if you haven't studied them. When I say it 'came together,' I mean that people with a card or two would have accidents, and their cards would join others. Theft, murder, relocation, all kinds of things brought this deck together. That six cards were missing for two hundred years made people think they were just gone. We've suspected the Seers, Banishers, Scelesti, all kinds of guesses. Looks like the Seers did have them. They stole the cards three years ago, and we couldn't find them, no matter what we tried. Do you know how we rank Artefacts?"

Sunset nodded. "Rank Zero to Rank Five, right?"

"For most, yes. The most powerful, like the Supernal Tarot, are considered Rank Six. All the ... normal Artefacts can be Bound to just about any Mage, but Rank Six almost never Bind. Do you know what it means that these cards respond to you?"

"I can make a few guesses. They want to be with me?"

"Pretty much. These Rank Six Artefacts seem to have a will and power of their own. They don't require that we channel Mana to use them, since they seem to have an unlimited supply of their own. The Mage using them doesn't even have to use the Fate Arcanum because they can it provide themselves ... somehow. Did you know any of that?"

"Not at all."

"Would you mind laying a spread? I can read it for you."

Sunset began shuffling the cards, a particular question in her head. When she felt it was right, she began laying them in a five card cross. The spread was what the cards told her to lay, though they did not speak to her. The whole time she was handling them, it was like she was on autopilot and simply allowing herself to be a conduit to another force or mind.

Midnight studied the spread. "Your question?"

"How do we find our enemies?"

Several minutes of intense scrutiny followed. Midnight even consulted one of her books. Finally, she said, "You need to find a woman. She's probably young, most likely anywhere from my age to yours, based on the Page of Swords. I think The Moon relates to being lost in this case, but I don't know if that's her or you. The Tower means losing your footing or having your security taken, but I can't tell which one it relates to. The pentacles probably mean money here, so she might be well-off, or you might need to follow or use money to find her." She tapped the last card at the bottom-right of the cross. "The Devil is temptation. Again, I don't know if that means you or her."

"I'll have to think about it for a while. Do you want to do another?"

Though Midnight's eyes sparkled at the suggestion, she shook her head. "It's best I not get too close. Rank Six Artefacts tend to inspire jealousy, and I don't want to risk losing myself. Put them away, but find somewhere better."

Sunset hid the cards in her underwear and sock drawer, placing a Mind ward over it to cause people to bypass the drawer or not to pay attention to it. As soon as the spell was in place, she felt the Supernal Tarot's presence dissipate, despite the ward not obscuring magickal resonance. As their presence vanished, it was almost as though they whispered words of obedience to her.

Midnight's behaviour around the cards had been odd, and her words echoed in Sunset's ears. Even hidden and not speaking to her, Sunset felt that the cards were waiting for her. She ignored them and continued reading Dune. The urge to lay spreads all through the night was tempting, but she worried about opening herself to whomever was on the other end of those cards.

Chapter X: Hunting the Hunters

Chapter XI: Walking through Hell

Their fellow Awakened were just starting to gather when Sparky and Midnight arrived. The Hierarch himself met them, pulling them back to his office along with the Councillors and Jackpot. Despite having eight people in the room, Bronze Luck had plenty of space. He offered her one of the seats, but Sparky remained standing.

"We found one of their hideouts," she declared.

"You were performing your own investigation without notifying your superiors?" Marble asked. She was looking at Midnight.

"I apologise. There was very little time, and we didn't have the opportunity to alert anyone. Sparky and I had to act when and how we did, or we would not have been able to recover this information."

"What did you find?" the Hierarch asked.

Sparky slid the mobile from her pocket, unlocking it and showing him the map. "I confiscated this from one of the local Vigilantes. This motel was in her history, and she was very cagey about why she had been there. If the Witch Hunters aren't there now, they were recently."

"Who was your informant?" Flawless Sword enquired. "How did you find her?"

Sparky explained how she had used Perfect Recall to find the link in the rental records. "Remember that reference to 'local agents' our Uratha allies heard? There have been at least a few Vigilantes in the city for years. That's how they knew so much about us. The Vigilante known as Sweetie Drops wasn't directly involved with the others. I believe she didn't know what they were planning when they asked for the information. I know it was inappropriate, but I have offered her a guarantee that no harm would come to her or her roommate if they gave me this information."

Solar Helm pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "You expect us to trust this intelligence with only your word?"

"If you don't trust me, can you trust Midnight?"

The Hierarch nodded. "I trust you both, though it is risky to move forward without vetting the information. Councillors, your thoughts?"

Dark Ace spoke first. "I'll readily admit that I'm biased, so of course I believe Midnight. That said, Sparky has been an upstanding member of this Consilium since she joined, so I say we go."

"Sparky may not be a First Talon, but she is a skilled Arrow," Flawless Sword added. "I say that we investigate this hotel while also being prepared for battle."

Marble threw her support behind Midnight's word, leaving Solar Helm as the only dissenter.

"Jackpot, your thoughts?"

"With all due respect to both, I'm not sure. This feels like a trap."

"It could be," Flawless Sword replied. "But knowing there's a trap is the first step in evading it." He winked at Sparky. "I believe it's worth taking the risk."

She wanted to ask how he knew she would recognise the line, but it was not the time.

"We should call the Uratha to assist. If we go while it's still night, the Kindred can also participate."

"If they get word that we know, they will either relocate or seek to attack us again. Sparky, how do you know your informants won't alert them?"

"I left them sleeping."

Jackpot sighed, the bit of hopeful enthusiasm in his face gone. "I understand that you didn't want to move them or expose their identities to the Awakened community, but you have to understand that a Vigilante could arrive at any minute and find them like that. That jeopardises all of this."

"I know I made a mistake. However, I do have additional information: The Witch Hunters are vulnerable to area-of-effect magick. We just can't target them directly."

Flawless Sword grinned like a child meeting Father Christmas. "Hierarch, I say we attack while we can. We may not get another chance like this. There's a good possibility that we'll suffer losses, but leaving them to entrench themselves will be far more dangerous in the long term."

"I stand with Flawless Sword," Marble said.

"Same here."

"My objection is unchanged."

"As painful as it will be, I agree with Flawless Sword. If we have a chance to take them by surprise, we have to take it. Let's put an end to this."

Bronze Luck nodded. "Very well. Flawless Sword, assemble a strike force. Take any members of the other Orders you will need. If they are present, we will move to overwhelm them. Ace, contact the Uratha and tell them where to meet our forces. Jackpot, we will need to alert the Kindred."

"I'm taking every First Talon and most of the rest of the Order. Fellow Councillors, I would be honoured to enjoy your support." They all agreed immediately. Solar Helm may not have approved, but she clearly had no intention to miss a chance for glory. If Sparky was wrong, she would take the blame, so the other woman had nothing to lose. "Midnight, we could use your help. Even if we can't target them, you can ward our own."

Sparky interjected, "I want to go."

"Banner Wardens need to protect their cabals."

"Will all due respect, I know that I was only given that position to protect Midnight. I might not be able to move well, but I can still be of use."

Flawless Sword regarded her for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. You are to protect Midnight Radiance at any cost. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

The Hierarch would remain with a few Arrows and the rest of the Consilium members in the event of a counter strike. Even if the Witch Hunters were present, they would likely not be so foolish as to leave their whole army assembled in one location. One attack was certain to trigger another, especially if the information was a trap. If their enemies were trying to draw the militant Awakened from protecting the others, Bronze Luck would call them back to the Great Hall.

Once Flawless Sword claimed the personnel he would need to level the Witch Hunters and probably the motel - though the Consilium would ensure the owner's insurance would pay for it - they returned to the Great Hall. He stood atop the dais, clearly articulating his orders across the room.

"All First Talons are to report to the front. All Talons except those listed are to report to the front. All additional names listed are to report to the front. The rest are to remain here and protect this sanctum in the event of enemy attack."

He listed the exempted Talons, followed by the non-Arrows he wanted for the battle. Only three of the battle group were absent, none of them members of the Adamantine Arrow.

"We move out in five minutes."

Sparky used that time to speak with her friends. "I'm going to help protect Midnight. Please don't leave until you get an all-clear."

Orchid and the others hugged her. "Please don't get hurt."

Link sulked in the back. "I want to fight them, too."

"You have two little girls," Sparky replied. "If they come here, you'll need to keep your wife safe."

"I know. I just don't like feeling useless."

Both Sparky and Orchid embraced him, the latter saying, "I've never thought that about you. None of us have. Please don't think like that."

When he nodded, they released him.

"What if the Witch Hunters attack here while you're gone?" Star Dust asked. "What if this is a trap?"

"If that happens, you guys will have Forces barriers to hold them back. There are plenty of Mages here. You'll be able to use Forces, Matter, Death, Fate, and anything else you have to fight them. The Hierarch will call us back, and we'll use Space to get here instantly. It'll be dangerous, but I know you can protect yourselves."

"If it comes to that, we'll do what we have to do," Orchid said. "I don't want to use my magick to hurt others, but I won't let them hurt my friends."

"I'm going to be hoping it doesn't come to that," Sparky promised. At Flawless Sword's whistle, she said, "I'll see you all later."

"To victory," Wild Tart said pumping a fist into the air. The rest of the cabal echoed her, though the worry in their eyes made clear their concern that Sparky and Midnight would not return.

She took her place next to Midnight in a plain van that would be near the end of a convoy. The teen was working her magick as Sparky had never seen, placing group wards and protections that would help in the event of resistance. The Hierarch had issued her tass to replenish her Mana for the battle. If the enemy fought them, Midnight could use spells to cause gun jams, slippery footing, and other random Fate effects to keep them disoriented and ineffective. She was not the only Witch in the group, but she was the most powerful.

All nineteen Arrows were armed, carrying weapons they could use with or in place of combat magick. Using vulgar magick in front of Sleepers would cause Paradox, so mundane weapons had a place together with subtle spells. Unlike the Banishers, they were unwilling to cause Paradox intentionally and release it into the wild.

There were eight support personnel joining the battle group. The First Arrows distributed guns to them, though Midnight refused one for the time being.

They checked a map and found the motel was on the outskirts of the city, one of the last stops before the open land of the wider county. The location afforded open ground, with only a petrol station and a McDonald's near it. A two-lane county road passed through the area and continued to a small town.

They stopped out of sight of the target to meet their allies. Lightning Rider himself was commanding an army of Uratha numbering almost forty. They were gathered at the side of the road, all still in human form, as though they had walked all that way. Sparky saw Clash off to one side with his pack.

The Mages left their vans to listen as their leaders formed a plan of attack. Flawless Sword and Marble were in the command vehicle with three First Arrows. Ace and Solar Helm were in the third van to minimise the risk of all four Councillors getting killed.

"Thank you for coming," Flawless Sword said as he saluted the Uratha.

"This is our city, too. We're ready to do our part. Are we waiting for the Kindred?"

"Bronze Luck and Jackpot said they would inform Night Star." Flawless Sword's mobile rang. He answered and listened for a moment before grinning. "They'll be here in two minutes."

Headlights appeared on the street behind them. Another convoy of vehicles joined theirs, but most were trucks and SUV's instead of vans. Night Star sat in the passenger's seat of the lead truck. She waved as they pulled to stop by the Mages' vans.

"I was starting to think you would hold the party without us." She hopped to the street to join the discussion. "I have twenty-four Kindred. Where do you want us?"

"There are three buildings and an open field out there. If they're still present, expect they'll be taking advantage of the cover the buildings provide to watch the approach. Given the time of night, we don't expect many civilians, but we still need to do our best to avoid hurting them.

"We've seen that they know how to fight Uratha, so there's a good chance they'll know a few Kindred weaknesses. That said, I don't think they're expecting you to be helping us. I'll take the Awakened first and flush them out. We'll go forward in three prongs: Kindred from the east, Uratha from the southeast. We Awakened will stick to the road to draw their attention.

"We have two hours until sunrise. Get your forces into position and try not to alert them. Once we've triggered their attack, use your discretion as to where and how to join the battle. There's no knowing how many could be here, but we expect up to fifty."

"If they're holed up in the motel, we can sweep it and eliminate them," Lightning Rider said. "The Awakened should take the petrol station. That places the Kindred in the fast food restaurant. If any Witch Hunters are in the fields, try to clear them first."

"Sounds like a plan. Let me know when you're in position."

"If you need to destroy the petrol station, warn us first," Night Star said. "We need to avoid fire."

"We all do. If there are no civilians present, we'll blow it before you're on the scene."

They all nodded before departing. The Uratha slipped across the Gauntlet to use the Shadow, while the Kindred returned to their vehicles and went off-road. It only took fifteen minutes for both of their allies to get into position.

The lead vehicle reported that all three buildings were devoid of life, even when viewed with magick. That meant very little given what their enemies could do, but at least it meant there were no civilians present. Two vans broke from the convey to approach the petrol station with a goal of destroying it preemptively.

They were just pulling into the station when several explosions rocked them. If not for powerful Forces barriers, both vehicles would have been destroyed together with their occupants. A call of "grenades" went through the radios as the vans attempted to retreat.

What looked like rockets hit the ground behind them, trapping the vans. Several more hit the fuel pumps and blew most of the station. The first explosion opened the large underground tanks, which combusted when the flames reached them.

Despite the smoke, they could see a crater and the remains of the vans. Most of the Awakened had tried to flee, only to be caught in the final blast radius. Three of the eight had been able to share a teleport to Sparky's van.

The smoke trails of the rockets originated from the motel. They did not have time to do much with the knowledge before bullets struck the remaining four vehicles. The Witch Hunters had concealed nests with machine guns spread across the field.

"We underestimated. There are at least one hundred of them out there," one of the Arrows called into a wireless transceiver. "Our barriers won't hold forever."

"Operation Oxidation," Flawless Sword replied. "Sixty seconds."

An Arrow turned to Sparky. "We're about to release poison gas. You know Forces. Direct it across the field and keep it concentrated."

She nodded and began preparing her spell. The Witch Hunters were invisible, but she could trace their bullets to find them. As soon as the gas released, she wrapped a cloud of it behind a barrier of charged air that contained the gas without stopping bullets.

Once she was ready, she allowed her senses to fade, the cloud she controlled becoming her external input. Countless bullets went through it, striking their barriers. Minute differences in speed that only her magick could detect indicated where the closest enemy locations were. She selected a target after first ensuring none of her fellow Mages would take it, then guided the cloud into a Hunter nest and spread it within the small enclosure. Several guns went silent as they heard men and women choke on whatever toxic substance the Arrows had acquired.

With so many targets fixed in her mind, she brought her attention back to the van. Her allies' magick was easy to track, so it no longer needed her full attention.

'Good going, Sunny,' her other self praised. 'You have plenty of Mana left. Go get 'em.'

"What is this stuff?" she asked as she directed her cloud to another location.

"A nerve gas of some kind. Got it from the Caucus. Pretty much guaranteed to kill." The response was grim, his mouth turned into a scowl. "It won't take them all out, but it's taking off the pressure."

"They're putting on masques. Operation Tossed Coin," Flawless Sword ordered.

Sparky abandoned her hold on the gas. She knew what the next one was and turned to Midnight. "Do you need me to help you target them?"

"If you don't mind."

She opened a mental link to Midnight and shared what locations she knew still held entrenched Witch Hunters. With Sparky's assistance to target, Midnight started tossing powerful Fate spells like cheap Hallowe'en candy. Most of her spells were rotes; they saved Mana and time, but Sparky did not know many of them. The only one she recognised was Exceptional Luck, but it had been inverted to hex they enemies. Before long, they could hear guns jamming and Hunters cursing. The magick brought about a partial lull in the battle.

"Move out," someone called.

The other Arrows opened the van doors. A few Witch Hunters carrying handguns had tried to close on them. Sparky's comrades pulled their own, allowing Midnight's magick to help their aim as they opened fire before the Vigilantes could react. The Mages targeted weak points, hitting heads and limbs. Those Hunters not killed immediately were given no mercy; as Sparky's battlegroup sprinted to an empty machine gun emplacement, they paused to finish those Hunters they passed. Sparky took Midnight's hand and teleported them into the nest. Two of the Arrows commandeered the gun while Midnight recharged herself from the tass.

Their evacuation went smoothly, but they had also been at the rear. Toward the front, they heard much more gunfire and witnessed three Mages fall.

"Any word from our allies?" Sparky asked.

"No, but we're basically on our own right now anyway. We'll know when they break through on their own fronts. See if you can identify any Hunters."

Sparky cast her Mage Sight across the area. Her Gnosis allowed her to reach almost to the motel and fully encompassed the restaurant, where she felt more bullets and the presence of the Kindred. She noticed a few rock-sized objects flying toward her, but she knocked them back to their point of origin. Shrapnel flew through the sky accompanied with screams of agony, proof that they had hit their mark. Sparky could only guess they were grenades; she shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if she had failed to notice them.

She continued to use her senses to sweep the field. Off in the distance, something large moved. It was not shooting yet, but it created greater air disturbance than anything else she had yet felt.

"I feel something large moving at three o'clock," she warned. "The shape is like a mortar, but I'm not sure."

They turned the gun that direction and loosed countless bullets, marking out a swath like they were spraying an aerosol canister against mosquitoes. Whether they succeeded was impossible to say as they were distracted when the McDonald's burst into flames and the Motel 6 exploded. Neither had been hit by explosives; both seemed to have been trapped.

Uratha and Kindred screams filled the air. A few Witch Hunters cheered, but it was short-lived. With no reason to move slowly remaining, a small swarm of bats and dust clouds descended on those who had revealed their positions by sound, which then transformed into angry Kindred.

Sparky had never witnessed Kindred allowing what they called the "Beast that Haunts the Blood" to overtake them. They did not become hulking monstrosities as the Uratha did, but they did possess claws and fangs. They did not bother to sink those fangs into necks, instead tearing their enemies to shreds before seizing their encampments. Unlike Mages, a Vampire's corpse-like flesh was not particularly susceptible to bullets. The few Witch Hunters not slaughtered immediately lacked the weapons to combat their latest opponents and fell to the last.

The surviving Uratha were next into the field. Each one had fully adopted Garau form, which did not make them immune to harm but did enhance their ability to resist it. They tore into their side of the battle zone while the Hunters were distracted. Sparky recognised the two in front: Lightning Rider and Clash. They released a chilling predator's howl that every Werewolf following them echoed as they tore Vigilantes to pieces.

Within minutes, a few of the Vigilantes were already trying to flee. Sparky brought her magick to bear once again as she put them to sleep. Midnight gave her some tass, which Sparky used to continue wielding her attack of somnolence.

The few Hunters alive and alert surrendered or killed themselves. The survivors of the three supernatural armies released a general cheer once they were certain the battle was finished.

Accounting for their losses was quick. Twenty-two of the thirty-one Mages remained. Eight Uratha were dead, five more seriously injured, and they lost four Kindred. The twelve captives that had not been put to sleep were, allowing the Mages to extract any forms of suicide from their twenty-two prisoners of war.

As Flawless Sword announced Marble's death, Midnight flinched before regaining the stoic countenance she had kept throughout the battle. Sparky offered a sympathetic shoulder pat. Ace and Clash had survived, at least; Sparky was unsure Midnight could have retained her self-control if she lost one of her brothers.

Ace and two others skilled with the Life Arcanum began healing the Awakened wounded, while the Uratha tended to their allies using their own magick. The Kindred needed the blood of the living, which their injured took from the captives under the watchful eyes of their peers to ensure no one accidentally killed a potential source of information.

Sparky only knew one of the Kindred well, but Night Star was not visible anywhere in the field. With Midnight following, Sparky began checking the vans and machine gun nests for the wayward Prince. None of the other Kindred showed any sign of having lost their leader, which meant little considering Vampires were not known for having strong emotions.

When one of the Kindred broke from her group to stroll the field, Sparky approached her.

"Where's Night Star? Is she...?"

"The Prince is over there," she replied, pointing toward the remains of the restaurant. "She took the brunt of that fire bomb to protect us, but it didn't quite send her to the Second Death."

Midnight followed as Sparky hurried toward the husk of a building. The damage was reminiscent of the original Hunter attacks, except for the use of bombs. She found Night Star resting on the remains of a counter in the kitchen, who raised her head at the sound of footsteps and smiled to her visitors.

"Sparky, just the person I wanted to see."

Night Star was covered in deep burns. Her body was blackened almost like an overcooked hot dog. What remained of her clothes were scorched rags. She should have been in agony, but the Kindred were famous for their near-immunity to pain.

"Are going to be okay? Do you need any help?"

"I'll recover over time, but blood would speed the process."

"We can bring you some of the Witch Hunters."

"My blood is too potent for me to get any power from them. I need magickal blood." Night Star's gaze moved to Sparky's neck. A small smile turned the corners of her mouth as her eyes took a predatory cast. "I would like yours, if you'll share it."

Midnight placed an arm in front of Sparky. "Aren't you at risk of Frenzy? What if you take too much?"

"It's possible, but I have far greater self-control than you seem to realise. Besides, you have the power to stop me if that happens, Midnight. I can't risk feeding from my Kindred without finding myself in a blood bond."

"She nearly sacrificed herself for her people," Sparky said before Midnight could raise further objections. "I respect that. I'll do it."

She approached the counter and allowed Night Star to grasp her body. The Vampire Prince pulled herself upright and leant against Sparky. She felt lips at her neck and a brief pinch as fangs broke the skin.

The act of drinking blood was said to be euphoric for both parties. Sparky would have called that an understatement had she still been capable of processing thought. The sensations flooding her mind - euphoria, bliss, ecstasy - were a high better than anything she had ever imagined. She did not have the experience with drugs that Lemon Zest did, but she knew that nothing could compare. Even the little bits Sweetie Belle had shared about the feeling of joining with her husband had to be nothing but pale mockeries.

It ended too quickly. Night Star pulled her fangs from the artery and licked Sparky's neck to close the wounds. The intoxication ended quickly, but she was still lightheaded and woozy. The symptoms were likely not only caused by the rapid, large blood loss. Sparky would have gladly offered her life to enjoy Night Star's embrace again.

She shivered, also not merely an effect of the blood loss.

"I told you I'd make you a woman," Night Star said with a lascivious grin before licking her lips. Her body was already healing, nearly recovered to how she normally looked. "I hate to feed and run, but I need to get home before the sun finishes what the Vigilantes couldn't. Midnight, will you be able to support her?"

"Of course."

Night Star wove her magick and created a robe of shadows much like what Sparky's Exarchal master used. She hopped to her feet and hugged both women.

"I owe you, Sparky."

With a wink, she was gone. Midnight offered her shoulders to escort Sparky back to the field. Sparky saw a few of the Kindred smirk knowingly at her when they noticed her woozy gait.

Flawless Sword was overseeing the beginnings of cleaning the field. When they approached him, he asked for a report.

Midnight had to speak for both, though Sparky was at least able to summarise her own actions during the battle. After that, Midnight continued, "Night Star was badly injured during the battle. Sparky offered her own blood to get her back onto her feet. I was concerned about the risk of Frenzy, but Night Star didn't hurt her."

"I'm just feeling really lightheaded right now, Sir."

"I'm glad you were able to help. You'll probably both need to help interrogate the captives later, but we'll be holding them for now. Sparky, go rest up for a while."

Several hours passed in a flurry of activity. Flawless Sword reported their victory to the Hierarch, but he refused an offer to send others to help them in the cleanup. There was a risk of more Witch Hunters or other hostiles - such as the Banishers - surprising them.

The first order of business was collecting their prisoners for transport. When they found there were too many captives to carry in the vans, they arranged to borrow two trucks from the Kindred. A simple illusion would hide the pile of unconscious bodies from Mortal authorities.

They cremated the enemy corpses, using magick to accelerate the process. Simple Forces barriers allowed air to feed the fire while containing the smoke and stench. The final count revealed they had overcome an army of one hundred-seven Witch Hunters.

The Arrows kept what weapons they could, though some had to be reduced in size. Those that were not worth the effort were destroyed along with the ruined vans. Matter allowed them to dissolve all traces of armaments.

Sparky remained in one of the vans throughout most of the activity. When Ace briefly joined her to load confiscated guns, she asked, "Why haven't the police come out? Hell, forget the police; where's the military?"

"We're covering up most of it. This is going to go down as a domestic terror attack like the others. Once we're sure we've got them all, the captives are going to have their memories modified before we give them to the Mortal authorities."

"So they're going down as a crazed militia that attacked our city for ... the 'lulz'?"

He laughed. "Pretty much. They won't remember anything to do with us; we'll just plant some crackpot motive in their heads. Cleaning up won't be easy, but I'm sure the Cauci will handle most of it."

"So unless we missed some Hunters, all we have left are the Banishers? This seems way too easy."

"I don't think they expected we'd all be working together. Wherever they got their intel, they either didn't know about the Concord or assumed it wouldn't hold up." Ace gave her a pat on the back. "Don't count your chickens quite yet; the Banishers actually have magick to use against us."

When their talk was done, he went back to work. It was not much longer before the field was cleared and they could depart.

The drive back to the Great Hall was a bizarre mix of sombre and celebratory. The Banishers were still a threat, but they were a much smaller group. The only reason the Consilium had not bothered to look for them yet was due to the urgency of the much larger army of Witch Hunters.

Sparky and Midnight once again rode together. Except for their driver, they were the only ones in the van. Sparky's injured leg throbbed, necessitating that she stretch it across an entire seat. Midnight sat behind her, her body limp like a rag doll. She had not even bothered with a seatbelt.

"What's wrong?" Sparky asked.

Midnight voice was dull, almost lifeless, as she replied, "I don't like being involved with death." She shook her head, a scowl taking her face. "This is the third time I've had to help with killing, but it's the first time someone I knew died because of violence."

"Thinking about Marble?"

"Before the Witch Hunters came, she did a reading for her future. Marble had over a decade left, and she was making plans to groom her successor. She was going to retire in six years and then spend what time she had left enjoying her 'golden years' while someone else handled the stress of being an Epopt." A few tears gathered in the corners of Midnight's eyes and slid down her cheeks. "This was all so stupid!"

Sparky wanted to say something to cheer up her friend, but words failed her. She did not want to parrot platitudes and empty catchphrases from motivational posters. She settled for pulling herself up into her seat and reaching back to seize one of Midnight's hand.

Midnight lunged off her seat to hug Sparky tightly, crying into her shoulder. Sparky rubbed the teen's back until she calmed. They continued to hold one another for another minute. Midnight finally sat back, wiping her eyes and cheeks on her sleeves.

"It's only been a week, but look at me. I'm a wreck. People around the world deal with stuff like this every day, but they don't lose it this easily."

"Midnight, you're a human girl who's grown up in a peaceful area. No one would expect you to shrug off what's happened to us."

"You have." She held up a hand as Sparky opened her mouth to reply. "I've been living with you, Sparky. You've been tense, but you've kept a more levelled head than anyone else. A little anger, some grief, a dash of guilt ... but that's it. I'd say that I'm worried you'll explode, but you're not that type. Whatever it is that lets you control yourself so well, I'm glad you have it. If it weren't for your stability, I don't know if I could have handled this."

"I'd like to say that I'm not as strong as you think I am, but I know you won't believe that."

Midnight graced her with a tiny smile. "I'm glad you're my friend."

"Same here." Sparky saw they were only a few blocks from their destination. She took one of Midnight's hands again. "Let's do what we can to put this behind us for now and look forward to seeing our friends."

As they approached the Great Hall, the driver began swearing. Sparky and Midnight looked through the front windshield to see the entirety of the Great Hall and the surrounding area was gone. It was as if someone had lifted the building from the ground and then shoved its two neighbours together so that there had never been anything between them.

"Those bloody Witch Hunters were a nothing but a goddamn distraction," the driver said. "We played right into their hands."

They could all feel twisted magick, a complete antithesis of anything Supernal, permeating the place that had once been the centre of their Awakened lives. The Great Hall had become an Aberrance - an Iris to the Abyss. Anyone within it when reality broke would have been lost to that anti-Realm. Sparky was numb, not yet capable of processing anything beyond a single thought: If her friends had not escaped, death would have been a mercy.

End Part II

Chapter XI: Walking through Hell

Interlude II: How to Make New Friends

When Sparky's time acting as a research assistant for the Technomancers neared its end, she began hunting for a new flat. She hoped for more space for Pixie to play, though it was not a necessity if they could find somewhere near a good park.

She and Sweetie Belle were preparing to visit one of the potential locations when Sparky received a call for a meeting with the Hierarch. She rescheduled the tour and left. As she drove, part of her wondered why he wanted to see her. Given his preference not to interfere with his Consilium members, he usually only ordered someone to his office when there was an issue. Solstice Cherry's voice, always flat and unemotive, gave no clue if she was in trouble.

The Hierarch was alone in his office when Sparky arrived. He nodded his greeting and gestured to a seat.

"Some Awakened go decades without needing to be here. This is our second meeting in the past year."

"Yes, Hierarch. It is a pleasure to have an opportunity to speak with you again." Sparky was not trying to flatter him and she knew he was aware of that. Even if he was about to yell at her, he still reminded her of a stern, yet kind, grandfather. "May I ask why you requested this meeting, Hierarch?"

"I will get to the point." He stood and opened his door. "Sparky, do you know this Mage?"

Blue skin and silver hair entered Sparky's line of sight to take the seat next to her. She wanted to laugh; only the knowledge that it would be inappropriate in that formal context helped her to control the impulse. Her friend might as well have had a neon sign above her head declaring that she was on the cusp of Awakening, yet Sparky had never once noticed. She pushed those thoughts from her mind and turned back to Bronze Luck, who had reclaimed his own chair.

"Yes, Hierarch, she's a friend of mine."

"I was told you go by Sparky? I call myself Star Dust. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here. Want to start the full introduction?"

As though reciting from a script, Star Dust said, "I am called Star Dust, a Witch, walking the Acanthus Path after writing my name in the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn located in the Supernal Realm of Arcadia."

"Sparky, a Warlock, travelling the Mastigos Path of the Supernal Realm of Pandemonium after writing my name in the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet. Do you have a mentor?"

"Actually, I completed my apprenticeship while I was in Australia. I just returned today."

"That explains why you stayed there so long. How did you know I was here?"

Star Dust blushed. "I have that picture we took together saved as my mobile's wallpaper. When I met with Solar Helm to transfer into the Silver Ladder here, she happened to see it. She brought me to the Hierarch to arrange a meeting."

"I'm glad it worked out this way. Imagine if we had met at a Forum," Sparky said. She could not stop a grin taking her face but did suppress a bout of giggles. "Thank you, Hierarch. If Star Dust is still unaffiliated, would it be permissible to take her to meet Orchid and see if she'd like to join our cabal?"

"Of course. Will you go with Sparky, Star Dust?"

"Yes, Hierarch. I also thank you for arranging this meeting."

He smiled and nodded at them. "You are both welcome. You are dismissed."

"You're going to love the cabal we're forming." Sparky grabbed her friend's arm to lead her out the door. Star Dust's Awakening story - if she chose to share it - could be asked later. She just wanted to see Orchid's face when she met the potential member.

When they were back on the street, Trixie said, "I don't have a car right now. Would you mind if I ride with you?"

"Of course not. I'm in the garage across the street."

Sunset took them back to the Technomancer's sanctum. While Sparky was a temporary resident, Star Dust had to ask permission to enter. Under normal circumstances, they might have required some boon or pledge, but Sparky's work and forthright dealings had earned her some trust. They only asked for a simple promise of good behaviour.

Orchid was in their shared room with Pixie. The baby played with her favourite toy, a vehicle that lit up and played music depending on what she did with it, while her mother finished her schoolwork. Both stopped what they were doing to greet the visitor.

As soon as Sparky closed the door, Sweetie Belle tackled Trixie in a hug.

"You're a Mage, too!" Her voice was not as prone to squeaks as it had once been, but it still rose in pitch with her excitement. "Did you Awaken while you were in Australia? What's your Path? Have you joined an Order? Do you belong to a cabal yet? Would you like to join us?"

"I can't breathe," Trixie gasped. When Sweetie Belle released her, she wheezed, "I can't answer so many questions at once."

"Sorry about that." Sweetie Belle giggled sheepishly. "Here, you can sit at the desk. Do you want to say hello to Pixie?"

"Of course."

Trixie took the offered baby. Pixie giggled and smiled up at her new friend. Her toys lay forgotten; she much preferred human company to any form of entertainment.

Sunset and Sweetie Belle sat together on the lower bunk.

"This room is sound-proofed," Sunset said. "The Technomancers won't spy on us, either. Once we close the door, we can use our True Names safely."

"Good to know." Trixie paused to play with the baby's toes, eliciting giggles. She alternated her attention between Pixie and the conversation. "As to your questions, Sweetie Belle, I Awakened in Australia. My mentor was my host; she sensed I was close to one and gave me a few gentle nudges. It is something of a long story, but I ended up in Arcadia. I'll tell you more about the Sydney Consilium later, but I did join the Silver Ladder. As far as cabals go, I wouldn't mind joining yours if you'll have me."

"Of course we will, right, Sunset?"

"Absolutely. We aren't official yet, since we need to wait until Sweetie Belle finishes her apprenticeship, but can call ourselves allies for now."

"That sounds good to me. Now, as much as I want to stay, I do need to get myself settled. I'm also going to start job-hunting. Sunset, if you have any advise, I would appreciate it."

Sweetie Belle took back her daughter as Sunset stood with Trixie.

"Let me give you a ride. I don't really have much experience with that right now, but I'll share what I do know on the way."

"I don't want to put you out."

"I wouldn't offer if it would."

Trixie smiled. "I know you better than that. Of course you would; you're too nice. If you insist, then I accept. I was not exactly looking forward to taking the commuter bus again." She shivered. "We don't exactly get along right now. It's a long story."

Sweetie Belle insisted on another hug before she allowed Trixie to leave with Sunset. The two young women were strapping themselves into Sunset's car as she asked, "Are you staying with your father or are you on campus?"

"It's ... neither." Trixie squirmed a bit. "Here's the address."

Sunset entered it into her own mobile's maps and discovered that it dropped a pin on a day hotel. She knew it; she had stayed there shortly after leaving Equestria. A couple gold bits bought her a room and no questions asked. The place was seedy at best, located in a questionable part of town. She quirked an eyebrow at her friend, who looked away.

"Can we please not talk about it?"

"I won't force you to, no." Sunset started her car and backed into the street. "But you might be interested to know that we're planning to move into a new flat of our own by the end of the month. Would you like to be our roommate?"

"I, uh, are you sure? Isn't it bad for friends to live together?"

"Not really? I guess it depends on the people in question. I mean, it's not like Sweetie Belle and I haven't had a few arguments. I've disagreed with my other friends, too, but that's normal."

Trixie nodded. "Then as long as I have the income to share the burden, I accept."

"Look, don't worry about it too much. I won't pretend I'm loaded, but I can at least cover us to start. My insurance payout from the accident will take care of it." As Trixie opened her mouth, Sunset held up a hand. "I know you'll keep your end of the bargain, I'm just saying that I'd rather you move in with us as soon as possible. If you're still job-hunting, you can ... owe it to me later or something. Okay?"

It took a moment to get a response from a dumbfounded Trixie. "I.... You...." She paused to place a hand over her chest and breath. "Sunset, I appreciate that you want to help me. I just don't want it to seem like I am taking advantage of you or using some sob story to wheedle you."

Sunset gave her a quick, friendly pat the shoulder. "I'd like to live with my cabal-mates. Sharing a burden doesn't have to be financial, you know. Even if you can't contribute to expenses right away, your magick can help turn our place into a sanctum. Neither of us would mind having someone else to help with babysitting if you think you'd be up for that."

"Thank you, Sunset."

They talked a bit more during the ride, mostly about job-seeking. By the time Sunset left her friend at the entrance to the hotel, Trixie already had a plan. Sunset would help her write a CV, then she would apply to placement agencies for temporary or contract work to build her experience.

Her natural people-skills quickly earned her a six month temp assignment as an administrative assistant. By the time they finished moving, Trixie had also arranged to work for a local theatre troupe on nights and weekends.

They settled for a decent one-bedroom flat in the suburbs. Trixie insisted on giving the bedroom to Sunset and Sweetie Belle to share with Pixie while she slept on the futon couch in the living room.

Their living arrangement was going well until their landlord sold the property six months later. The new owner wanted to convert it into a strip mall and announced he would not be renewing any leases. He had somehow arranged to have the whole area rezoned, leading Sunset to wonder if he had Kindred or Awakened backers interceding with the city council.

They had only received the notice the day before Sparky was called into another meeting with the Hierarch. Sparky was not aware of having done anything wrong, though she was still learning all the unwritten rules and may have accidentally offended someone. As Solstice Cherry had called and woken her a little before six in the morning, that only seemed more likely.

She arrived to find Bronze Luck and Dark Ace both waiting for her. She took a seat and stayed silent to allow one of the two men to start the conversation. If she was in trouble, it was better to learn what she had done first. They both watched her, as though waiting for her to speak, which strengthened her impression that she had done something wrong.

Finally, the Hierarch broke the silence with a question. "Sparky, you attended Canterlot High School until April of two years ago, is that correct?"

"Yes, Hierarch." Perhaps they had learnt of her past at the school and no longer wanted her in the Consilium. That would still be better than having to explain her demonic or angelic transformations. "Has something happened there?"

"Since your Awakening, no."

They knew. She prepared herself for dissection. As least she could honestly tell them Orchid was uninvolved, though that might not mean anything as she was the sister of one of the parties. Maybe Rarity and the others were also going to be in the lab, cursing her for their fates.

Ace spoke next. "We are aware that, Orchid aside, you have friends who attended that school with you. Would you be willing to identify one of them?"

Why they would make that request was beyond her. If they did not know who had been involved in the magic at CHS, then the most likely reason was that one of them had somehow stumbled upon the existence of magick. She started to wonder if one of her friends was a Sleepwalker; the idea was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"What do you mean? From a line-up? pictures? my yearbook?"

"If one of your friends were to be present in the Great Hall, could you identify that person?"

"Yes, Hierarch."

The Great Hall acted as an art gallery during the day. Perhaps Rarity or Fluttershy was enjoying a culture outing at six o'clock in the morning, somehow gaining access to the closed building. A new question crossed her mind: Were they resonating magic again?

The Hierarch nodded to Ace, who opened the office door. Another person entered, and then he closed it again.

"Sparky, do you know this young woman?"

Feeling guilty and nervous, Sparky stood to face the newcomer. If Princess Twilight were there, Sparky would laugh. She could feel it building, the laughter that arises when one is thrown into some absurd comedy with no other possible reaction. When she saw the pale purple skin, dark blue hair with pink and dark purple stripes, and lavender eyes, she knifed the laughter and threw it from a high bypass onto a busy thoroughfare.

"Yes, I do know her." Sparky knew her quite well, prompting her to ask, "I'm guessing she's a Thaumaturge?"

Sci-Twi's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Ace said I'm an Obrimos. Let's see ... I, uh, what did he say? ... oh, I wrote my name in the Watchtower of the Gold Key, located in the Supernal Realm of The Aether." She seemed pleased to have remembered the details. "I'm going by Dusk Shine."

Sparky face-palmed. Leave it to that girl to misunderstand so completely how to choose a Shadow Name. Yes, Sparky did not choose her own name, but that did not change that her friend had used basic substitution of her True Name.

"Nice to meet you, Dusk."

She turned back to the Hierarch. "I can verify that Dusk Shine will be a good member of the Consilium. If you don't mind, though, I am curious to know how she knew I was here."

"I felt her Awakening," Ace replied. "When I got to her, we started talking. Due to the surrounding events, I made a couple references to your Awakening. She knew what I was talking about and showed me a picture of you."

"I accidentally said your name. Sorry about that." Dusk looked contrite.

Sparky shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Ace already knows. Do you have a mentor? When was your Awakening?"

"Just tonight. It was like the stars were talking to me. When I tried to respond to them, I ended up in The Aether."

"I trust Sparky was correct in that you will not repeat tonight's endeavours?" Bronze Luck asked.

"I promise: I'll never set off a bomb or any other destructive weapon ever again."

"You what?" Sparky was unsure she wanted to know. She could also feel laughter somewhere inside her again struggling for freedom. "A bomb?"

"Well, I thought the stars were singing to me and giving me insights into the universe, so I broke into the observatory to learn more and wrote a proof. A professor kicked me off the campus when he found out. One thing led to another, and I destroyed the physics building. Don't worry, though: Ace said no one was hurt."

Sparky shook her head. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Hierarch, is the Consilium going to help her out of this? I can offer what resources I have if needed."

"I appreciate the offer, but that will not be necessary. Sparky, as you seem to be friends, would you be willing to guide her through a few introductory lessons? I believe we will have little difficulty in finding her a mentor, but she needs a prompt start to her education. Perhaps you should introduce her to Orchid and Star Dust to see if she would be a good match for your cabal?"

"If Dusk is okay with it, I'd love to." His unspoken warning was clear: Dusk Shine could be used as a profile for a Mage at risk of becoming one of the Mad. Sparky would never allow that to happen to one of her friends. "I'll make sure she knows how to control her magick. I'm sure she'd be a great match for the cabal, too."

"I know the dictionary definition, but does 'cabal' have the same meaning in this context?"

"Pretty much. We form small groups to look out for each other and share information. Orchid and Star Dust - you know them, too; I'll introduce you later - are in one with me that won't be official until Orchid finishes her apprenticeship."

"We can share information? Like studying together and giving presentations?" Dusk Shine could have started drooling and Sparky would not have been surprised. "So ... are there books for this? Do we get to write them when we make our own discoveries? Oh, this is so exciting! I'll need to stock up on sticky tabs and index cards. Do you know if the office store still has that sale on coloured pens and markers?"

Dusk would require at least a few seconds to realise she was speaking to herself after Sparky's attention strayed to the Hierarch. "Are you sure anyone will survive mentoring her?"

He gave her a smile. "I am quite certain the individual I have in mind will give her a run for her money. Dusk Shine, you are free to leave with Sparky if you wish. Sparky, thank you for your assistance."

"Of course, Hierarch, and I thank you and Ace for calling me here. Should I bring her back later?"

"We have Dusk Shine's number and address. When her mentor is ready, we will contact her directly. I wish you both a good day."

Dusk actually bowed as she backed from the office. Sparky was pinching the bridge of her nose at that point. It was going to be a long day.

When they were in the garage, Sunset asked, "Does Spike know anything about this?"

"Not much more than I do. He was listening on the way here, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let anyone else know he can talk."

"So he's in your car? Get him, then you can both ride with me so we can talk on the way."

Twilight kept Spike in her lap for the drive. Sunset opened by asking him to recount Twilight's conversation with Ace, which he was able to do. That was a minor relief to Sunset; she was unsure how a talking, sapient dog would place in regards to the Lie, but he was either a magickal being like Karen or a Sleepwalker like Button Mash.

It was sufficiently early in the morning still that they were able to catch Trixie and Sweetie Belle before they had to leave for the day. Neither was particularly excited about it being a Monday morning, but their attitudes brightened quickly when they saw Twilight.

"Another one?" Trixie had a smile as she shook her head. "Sunset, I'm beginning to wonder if being close to you is what draws us to the Watchtowers."

"But none of Sunset's other friends have Awakened, have they?"

"I was being facetious, Twilight." Trixie hugged her. "I wish I could afford to call in today so we could catch up. Promise we'll get to talk later?"

"My only plans today are to start learning about magick from Sunset. Unless something comes up, I'll be here."

Twilight accepted a hug from Sweetie Belle.

"I'm guessing Sunset told you that we're forming a cabal, right? If you want to join, you have my vote."

"Same here," Trixie said.

"Thanks, girls. I'd definitely like to, but we can talk about it later, okay? I don't want to cause you to be late."

Karen only came out of whatever hidden corner she had been using for a nap after they left. She glanced at the couch, where Twilight sat with Spike, before hopping onto Sunset's lap. The Fae cat proceeded to groom herself nonchalantly.

"Aww, I didn't know you guys had a cat," Twilight said. She patted Spike's head. "You won't bother her will you?"

"He won't get within a tail's length of me if I don't want him to." Karen continued her grooming.

"You can talk, too? Did you get hit by a weird magic beam after jumping through a portal to some weird, creepy forest?"

"I come from Arcadia. I'm a lesser incarnation of the Gentry called The Bogeyman, currently contracted to one Sweetie Belle for the purposes of shielding her daughter and any future children from monsters."

"She's also a sweetheart who loves kids." Sunset stroked Karen's back, eliciting a purr. "I'm sure you'll get along with Spike just fine."

"I'm sure we will, too, so long as he acknowledges the natural superiority of the feline race." She gave one of her squeaky laughs and hopped to the floor as Spike started to protest. "Come with me. I know how to open the refrigerator. There should be some de-boned fish left over from dinner."

Any resentment in Spike's eyes faded as he scurried after his new friend.

The rest of the day passed smoothly. Sunset limited herself to summarising several broad categories and then allowing Twilight to ask a few targeted questions. The goal was not for Sunset to be her mentor so much as to get her started. They covered the ten Arcana, the thirteen Practises, the five Paths with their respective Watchtowers, and the Orders.

"Do you think I'd have a chance of joining the Mysterium?"

A brief image of Midnight Sparkly cackling as she rode on the back of an unchained god of the Time Before entered Sunset's mind. She cleared it quickly; she wanted to encourage her friend, not clip her wings.

"I'd be surprised if they didn't want you. Ace is their representative in our Consilium; you can ask him next time you see him. They have to invite you, but I'm sure he'd be willing to tell you more if he's not busy."

Sweetie Belle and Trixie offered their own viewpoints both that evening and throughout the week. It was Friday when Ace called Dusk Shine to meet with her proposed mentor; by that time, she had memorised all of the basic terms and names. They had even walked her through her first Willworking. She went to meet her mentor with bright eyes and a smile.

Sparky's training had taken over one year. It was due to many factors, such as Pearl's style of not only communicating information but also ensuring Sparky fully understood each aspect of her abilities as one of the Awakened. Of course, becoming Sweetie Belle's legal guardian and babysitting Pixel Bit had required modifying their learning plan and leaving more time between lessons.

Orchid was still in her apprenticeship. Her school schedule and infant care required a slower pace, which sometimes caused her to mope that she was a failure. A few good talks with Sunset reassured the girl that she was progressing well.

Dusk Shine's training required three months. She received only one semester's suspension for vandalism and theft, but the Hierarch made good on his word to ensure she was not held responsible for the bomb. She used that break from classes to devote herself to her magickal studies. Her mentor, a fellow Thaumaturge of a similar bent regarding the many practicalities of colour-coded note cards, had a reputation as a taskmaster of a man, belittling the smallest failures while begrudgingly praising only the greatest of successes. Dusk Shine received only four ear-lashings during her tenure as an apprentice. Her mentor had expressed a desire to adopt her, but was rather disappointed to learn that each of her family members was alive and well.

They decided to wait for Orchid before officially declaring the formation of their cabal. The Hierarch had acknowledged them privately, which already granted certain protections. There was no particular reason to do it quickly, and they worried Orchid would feel worse if they did it without her than she did for stalling them.

When their lease ended, Twilight agreed to move in with them for the purposes of keeping the fledgling cabal together. They had found a nice little place, all of them somehow fitting themselves into two bedrooms. They all tried to control their possessions throughout the year, but there were too many people for a two-bedroom flat. It was getting crowded; they needed to move.

Dusk Shine was compiling lists and cross-referencing every type of data she could, prioritising safety and crime-rate, schools for Pixie, and magickal resonance. Star Dust preferred to leave the search to her whim, driving around the city and stopping when she felt an urge, which was providing locations almost entirely from the top of Dusk's list. Sparky and Orchid stayed out of the discussion, afraid to join the madness.

One day, as Dusk was arranging tours of her top five choices and Star Dust for another three, Sparky's mobile rang. She was fully expecting it, not at all surprised that the Hierarch wanted to see her. Perhaps Applejack had Awakened. Maybe she was to meet her human self that she had never been able to find. Nothing would surprise her.

She vowed she would never plan to move again.

This time, all of the Councillors were gathered in the office as well as a man she did not recognise. Bronze Luck introduced him as Jackpot, a high-ranking member of the Free Council's local Assembly.

"May I ask a couple questions, Hierarch?"

"You may."

"Was I called to meet someone that might know me?"

"No."

"Am I about to meet a Shaman?"

"You are. Did Midnight Radiance or Star Dust divine that you would make a new acquaintance today?"

Sparky chuckled. "No, I just seem to be meeting people every time I get ready to move. Four of the Paths are already represented in my cabal, so I just guessed the last one."

After a pause, the Hierarch replied, "I see. For what it is worth, none of us were aware you are in the process of moving. You have my apologies for calling you at such an inconvenient time."

"It's not a problem, Hierarch. We've only just started looking. You have my apologies for disrupting the meeting."

Jackpot was the next to speak. "In the interest of strengthening our relationship with the Consilium, we recently passed an initiative to send a few of our unaffiliated members to exchange information with Consilium cabals. Based on the profiles we provided to Hierarch Bronze Luck and the Council, they feel your cabal would be a good match to spend time with Wild Tart."

"Please bear in mind that you are under no obligation to add another member to your cabal or even to accept spending time with this young woman. This is only to last a few weeks to foster positive relations between a few Libertines and our own to improve the strength of the Pentacle in this area."

The Pentacle represented the alliance between the four Diamond Orders and the Free Council against the Seers of the Throne, though the alliance was frequently on shaky legs. The Libertines hated the stuffy traditions of the Diamond, while Consilium Mages did not appreciate the lack of respect for the old ways the Free Council fostered in its converts. Though she had almost no interaction with anyone she knew to be a Libertine, Sparky was intrigued to see if her cabal could build a relationship with one.

"I'm willing to give it a chance, and I'm sure the others will, too."

"We appreciate your willingness to make an attempt."

"Yes, thank you for keeping an open mind," Jackpot added. "Let me get her."

Sparky waited until Wild Tart sat next to her to view the newcomer. It was hard not looking out the corner of her eye, but she persevered and received only a hint of green prior to making a quarter-turn in her seat.

Hair in three shades of green, pale red skin. Sparky tried not to laugh. Despite yet another brutal murder of the humour welling within her, she could not prevent giggles when she recognised the former Shadowbolt. "You're Wild Tart?"

"Oh, you're from-" she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"It's fine, they know I attended Canterlot High."

Jackpot spoke, bewilderment in his voice. "Wild Tart, didn't you attend Crystal Prep?"

"Yeah, but I met Sparky during a competition between our schools."

Even the Hierarch seemed a bit stunned. "I see you do know each other. It is highly unusual for so many connected individuals to Awaken."

"Wait." Wild Tart held up a hand. "You mean other people Sparky knows are Mages, too?"

"Yeah, and you definitely know at least one of them."

"Radical. Can we go say hello? I wanna see who everyone is."

Most of the older gathered Mages chuckled, Solar Helm alone remaining aloof. Though the Silver Ladder were normally the primary advocates for the Free Council, she did not share her Order's respect for other viewpoints. Sparky was glad she was not a Théarch and briefly worried Star Dust would face some persecution for associating with a Libertine. Then again, her friend had a knack for building her reputation solely on her own demonstrable merits.

"I believe proper introductions are in order," Solar Helm stated. "Sparky, as you are the acting host, begin."

Once Sparky recited her overly long identification - which for some indiscernible reason did not include one's Order - Wild Tart took her turn.

"Call me Wild Tart, an Ecstatic named in the Watchtower of the Stone Book, enjoying the Thyrsus Path located in the Primal Wild."

When the Hierarch dismissed them, Sparky led her new friend out of the Great Hall.

"You like music, right? I think you and Orchid are going to be great friends. Want to ride with me?"

"Sure. How many members are in your cabal?"

"Four, plus another four honorary members."

As they rode together, Sunset discovered that Lemon Zest had Awakened only a few weeks after she did. They compared stories, though Sunset's was rather short. She found the musician's far more interesting.

"I still find it hard to believe I dreamt up a whole, kinda surreal adventure after partying too hard. Do you have any idea how mind-blowing it was to find out there wasn't a time-loop? I thought I'd killed myself, but that never actually happened, either. Not that I'm complaining, but I would have thought I was still tripping if I hadn't known deep inside somehow that the Watchtower was more real than me."

"Didn't the Primal Wild's magick arrange your Waking World Dream?"

"Yeah, but how do we know what the Stone Book set up for me and what came from my head? Either way, that was a major ride. I still wish I knew who or what my older self was. I'd like to think it really was me, the part that knew I was losing control, but I just haven't ever been able to figure it out."

"Maybe we'll be able to figure that out together someday." Sunset into her complex's parking zone. "We're here. The girls should all be home."

Lemon Zest pouted as she asked, "There aren't any guys in your cabal?"

That brought a laugh from Sunset. "Two of our associate members, but one's taken and the other ... well, you'll see."

Twilight was gobsmacked when Lemon Zest followed Sunset into the flat. Spike and Karen had been playing with Pixie, a simple game of tag, but they ended it when she decided that the visitor was more interesting.

Pixie toddled to Lemon Zest, a welcoming grin on her face as she pulled on the young woman's boot and said, "Hi."

"Hi to you, too. What's your name?"

"Pixie." She tried to hold up three fingers, but she could not quite curl her pinkie independently of the others. "I'm three."

"You're practically all grown up already." She patted the girl's head. "Why don't you go play with the doggy and kitty again?"

"'Kay. Bye-bye."

As Pixie went back to her game, Sunset guided her new friend to a seat. Twilight sat across from Lemon Zest while Sunset gathered the rest of their group.

"You know, somehow, I'm not surprised to see you here," Lemon Zest. "Did you Awaken at the Friendship Games? Let me guess, Thaumaturge?"

"How does everyone keep guessing that? And, no, it was a couple years later. What about you? Warlock?"

"Nah, I'm an Ecstatic."

By that point, the rest of the group was gathered. Sweetie Belle knew of Lemon Zest, though the two had never interacted. They shared snacks and drinks as the conversation flowed. After a couple hours, Lemon Zest paused to stretch out in her seat.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to this exchange."

* * *

"By the time the exchange was over, Lemon Zest had already fit right in and decided to join the cabal. We've all been together since then."

"What about Daddy?" Pixel Bit asked, her eyes drooping but still full of life.

"When he turned eighteen, your Mum and I set up a meeting with the Hierarch for him. Since Sleepwalkers like you and Button Mash are considered adjunct members of a Consilium and honorary members of a cabal, it's not quite the same. Besides, I told you about how he came to be part of our group last night."

"Yeah, but when did he move in?"

"Oh, that was right after he and your Mum graduated from CHS. I mean, he was sort of living with us already, but that just made it official. Do you remember their wedding? He moved in a few months before that."

"I got to hold the rings."

Sunset kissed Pixie's forehead. "That's right. Now, it's time for growing girls to get some sleep. I have one more story for you tomorrow about how you helped your Mum and me learn more about magick."

"I get to be a hero?" Despite the sleep attempting to claim her, Pixie's eyes were wide. "How did I do that?"

"No tricks now. You'll hear all about it tomorrow night, okay?"

With an adorable pout, Pixie replied, "Okay. Good night, Aunty Sunset."

"Sleep well, Pixie. Maybe Pinkie Pie will visit your dreams tonight."

Interlude II: How to Make New Friends

Chapter XII: The Monster is Loose

Part III

The lead van, which contained the surviving Councillors and their driver, turned back and signalled the others to follow. They parked in a nearby ramp most of them used when visiting the Great Hall. The Consilium owned it and provided members with free monthly passes. Everyone converged to discuss what had happened. Initial popular theory blamed the Banishers, but Ace quashed it.

"The magick used to create that Aberrance didn't come from released Paradox. This was intentional, and it's growing. We're dealing with Scelesti."

Several gasps accompanied his words. Similar to how the Seers of the Throne worshipped the Exarchs, the Scelesti worshipped the Annunaki, the rulers of the Abyss. Unlike Banishers and Seers, they tended to hide within the other Orders, making them difficult to find. Most that lasted long knew to be very careful about revealing their true allegiance. They were considered the most dangerous enemy to the Awakened, even drawing Pentacle and Seer forces together to eliminate them.

"We did note the use of Spirit magick to open a brief Iris. At least a few may have escaped into the Shadow, but I would think they would have contacted us. I'll get in touch with the Uratha to look for them." Ace turned to Sparky. "Flawless Sword and I discussed it: You're going back to your sanctum."

"Why?"

"You can barely stand," Flawless Sword replied, gesturing to her knee. "We'll likely be needing to move quickly, and the trade-off to carry you just for your Spirit magick simply isn't worth the risk. Get to your sanctum and keep it secure. Until we know who the traitors are, we need a safe-house. That's an order, Sparky."

'How dare he take us off the battlefield!' her other self protested. 'We can take care of ourself.'

"Yes, Sir." Sparky offered an half-hearted salute and turned to leave, ignoring the ongoing complaints of her inner voice.

"Everyone else, prepare to move out," Ace called. "We'll be forming three battle groups...."

In the Hierarch's absence, the Councillors would run the Consilium. Normally, in a time of conflict, they would follow Flawless Sword or Marble. Ace was seizing the reins, but his education in the Mysterium granted him an edge in dealing with Scelesti that only Marble could have exceeded.

Since she had parked in that ramp, Sparky was able to take her own car back to her home. Rarity and Scootaloo were there, both nearly out of their minds. The latter was hunting through the kitchen for anything that could be used as a weapon, the handle of a meat cleaver tucked into the belt of her shorts.

"Everyone just up and left before the sun even came out," Rarity cried. "They had me take Pixie to school but otherwise told us to stay here. What's going on? Where are Sweetie Belle and the others?"

Thanks to the many hours it had taken to clear the fields, only another hour remained until Pixie's school ended for the day. That gave Sunset time to decide what to do. She knew her friends needed to be calmed, but she also knew that would require lying to them. It was very likely that the others were effectively dead, so assurances would be far more painful if the worst happened. That left only the truth, a bitter pill Sunset did not wish to swallow.

"Let me lay out what's going on. Scootaloo, drop the knife and sit." She waited for compliance with her orders. "Remember the hate spirits and the people that exterminated them? They're part of a larger group."

"What kind of group is this?"

"Like I explained back then, they use a different type of magick that comes from another world. I've been friends with a few of them ever since they saved me. We went to help them look for the killers. Sweetie Belle and the others were at a safe place while I went with the group that was going to investigate a lead."

"You went to fight them?" Scootaloo asked.

"We wanted to turn them over to the police, but they attacked us. There were so many more than we ever guessed. It was terrible, but we beat those murderers. We all thought it was over, but we came back to find the safe place was destroyed."

"My sister? My dear Sweetie Belle? Is she-" Rarity choked at that point, unable to finish her question.

"I really don't know. There's a small chance they escaped. My friends are looking for them, and they won't stop until they're sure ... one way or another. Just in case any of those killers escaped, I came back here to make sure you'd be safe."

Rarity was especially distraught. She may have focused on the potential loss of her sister, but the fear was accompanied by images of all of their friends. Her distress was going to ruin her health; Sunset was uncertain whether it could put Rarity into premature labour, but she refused to take the risk. Words were not helping; Rarity's control of herself was slipping. Finally, Sunset forced her to sleep, modifying the spell to give her good dreams as she did with Pixie when the girl had trouble sleeping.

"What did you do?" Scootaloo demanded.

"Remember how I used magic to rescue Sci-Twi at the Friendship Games? We all still have it, I'm just better at using it." Sunset preferred not to lie to her friends, but justified it for the situation.

"So we'll just be waiting here until we find out if everybody else is okay? We aren't going to help look for them?"

"For now, but we do need to get Pixie from school. Can I trust you to get her and only do that?"

Scootaloo glared at her. "Of course. I'd never put a little kid in danger."

"Thanks. She attends Smiling Flowers. Do you know where it is?"

When it was time, Sunset gave Scootaloo the keys to her car. Thanks to lessons dating from when Sunset first gave Sweetie Belle a safe home, Scootaloo knew how to drive a standard. She had grown to like them so much that she preferred them.

Karen and Spike were both standing on the back of the couch to look at Sunset. She wanted to smile at them but could not.

"Sweetie Belle is lost in the Shadow?" Karen asked.

"Maybe. We don't know who escaped."

"I'm going to gather all of her friends. Most of us may not be able to enter it, but we'll do what we can."

"Take me with you," Spike demanded. "If Twilight's lost somewhere, I have to help find her. I'd find her scent no matter where she is."

"You'd be a snack to the creatures out there."

Spike growled in response. "Let them try me."

Karen nodded. "Fine. If you take my tail, you can follow me into the Hedge. We'll use that to spread the word."

"Stay safe, guys. Let me know as soon as you get some news."

Karen and Spike saluted. She leapt from the couch and scurried out the door. Spike followed her into the yard, where he grasped her tail in his teeth. He showed no hesitation as he dashed through the bushes and into the Hedge.

That left Sunset alone with an unconscious Rarity. Violet and Water Sapphire were sleeping upstairs, both undisturbed by the earlier noise.

Sunset could not rest, pacing like Twilight as she waited for some news. Without intent, she found herself imagining the many horrible things that could have happened to her friends and the rest of the Consilium. Each scenario was more terrible than the previous one, and she was afraid she would snap if she continued to receive no updates.

The Shadow was almost always a dangerous place for anyone, even the Uratha despite being half-spirit themselves. Sunset was familiar with the Spirit Arcanum, though there were several others far more skilled than she. Ace was an example of those, which was part of the reason why he was frequently a liaison to the Uratha. If spirits had captured the group, she told herself they at least had a chance of surviving.

Before Sunset's thoughts could turn yet darker, a magickal presence approached the house. Sunset halted, probing the intruder. It was moving slowly, the signature familiar.

"Pearl?"

'If she's alive, maybe some of the rest of the Consilium survived?'

'Then why isn't anyone else with her?' Sunset's other self asked. 'Do you really think she would abandon your friends?'

Sunset looked into the yard to see her mentor walking up the drive, a slight limp to her gait. Pearl was filthy, her cheerful red skin blackened by dirt and smoke. Despite her slow walk and ruffled appearance, she looked to be healthy.

'She's a pragmatic person. If she couldn't save anyone else-'

'She would have stayed to protect them, not abandon them. Something's fishy.'

'Stop trying to make me doubt my friends. I'm sure she's-'

The retort of a gun sounded.

Sunset was already pulling her gun while reflexively stepping behind the door's frame before Pearl's body had even fallen to the street.

'Oh gods, her brains are plastered on the side of my house!'

'Keeping us alive now, Sunny, dead mentor later.'

She scanned the street but saw nothing directly in front of her sanctum. Sunset moved to the side of the window to peer further down the block. Pearl's truck was parked three houses down, someone crouching behind it. Sunset extended her magickal senses toward the figure, expecting to find a dead zone from a surviving Vigilante. Instead, that person was a Mage, one she knew well.

The butt of her gun shattered the glass of the front window. She stayed hidden behind the wall as she called, "Ace, why did you kill Pearl?"

He stood, unarmed and hands raised to reply, "She was a Scelestus. We found the evidence at her farm. She showed up and attacked us, but she ran when we didn't go down right away. I guessed she'd come here, since you'd be an easy target."

"How do you expect me to believe that?"

Ace waved his empty hands. "Will you let me get closer so we don't have to shout this for the whole street to hear?"

She moved to the door, keeping most of her body hidden as she trained her gun on him.

"Okay, but one sign of magick and I open fire."

He nodded and stepped from behind the truck. As he walked, Sunset risked a glance at Pearl's body. Almost the entire front half of her head was gone, blood and brain matter sprayed across the lawn. Something metallic glinted in the sunlight next to her. When Ace neared the drive, he paused to gesture at whatever lay next to Pearl's body.

"Look at this."

"Hold it up. Slowly."

He did as instructed. The item was a knife in a medieval style, the blade long and tapering to a fine point. The hilt was carved, but he was too far from Sunset for her to be able to see what pattern it used. The guard curled away from the hand to form what look like small troughs with spouts at the tips.

"There's blood on this. It's probably what she planned to use to kill you."

"I don't feel any magick from it."

"Look, I'll give you my True Name. Use it to probe my mind for the truth. You're skilled enough that you'll know if I'm lying to you."

"Okay, tell me."

Sunset kept her gun in position, not allowing the world to fade as she used her magick. She could sense that he was lowering his own barrier, so she formed a spell in the back of her mind that would allow her to review his thoughts and memories. To focus it at Ace, she gave it the name he told her and felt it spring at him.

Without him resisting, the spell worked quickly. It was designed to show her what she wished to see of his specific thoughts and memories. Just like a daydream, her mind's eye perceived the events since they had parted through his eyes while she was still fully present and maintaining her defensive posture, weapon at the ready. If not for her practise with sharing minds, the dual-vision would have been disconcerting.

Sunset skipped from their separation in the parking ramp to the point where Ace and those with him arrived at Pearl's farm. She could feel what he had of the death around the property. Everything that had once been green and vibrant was dead and rotting. Even the ley lines were corrupted with abhorrent energies that made Ace feel sick deep within himself, the sensation spilling from his memory to Sunset. She fought the urge to vomit, gagging a few times until she could focus again.

Ace, Midnight, and a few Arrows entered the house, immediately rushing into the basement. It was the most likely source of corruption, Ace's assumption proved by what they found: Several bodies lay there, each gutted with the blood and entrails used to create a massive sigil that burned against Ace's eyes. Another of the Arrows had to ward them all against the taint of the horrific magick at play.

Their examination revealed that the matrix and sigils were designed to open a gateway to the Abyss. The Aberrance that had once been the Great Hall was only the start. It would grow until one of the Anunnaki would be able to send all of its children through the massive breach. The whole city would dissolve into the madness of that anti-Realm.

The spell tapped into every bit of Supernal magick that flowed across Pearl's land, twisting the purity for its own purpose. The rot was spreading across the city, the nexus of Pearl's farm a beating heart to send poison to every corner.

As they studied the warped symbols, they discovered that it was not the only location. The matrix itself indicated that there were four others equidistant around their city, which would form a circle with an epicentre on the Great Hall. The spell was devouring all of the magick it could, gaining power until it could open the door to an aborted universe.

It required more than just ley lines and nexi. The dead were not only contributing their bodies; the spell needed the power of life itself, consuming souls for its battery. Whoever created it had either known of the coming attacks or had manipulated events to cause them. Ace nearly became sick as he realised what had happened to the people used as the sacrifices and the many Witch Hunters they had so recently killed.

"This can't be a coincidence," he said. "This spell must have been put in place before the battle."

"All those deaths triggered it," Midnight said, gesturing to a segment of the runes. "We played right into their hands."

"Do you think Pearl did this?" one of the Arrows asked.

"It's hard to say. I don't want it to be her doing, but only a few people know about this basement. It would take a great deal of power to overwhelm so many people without any of them raising an alert. Pearl's one of the few with that skill."

"There are quite a few bodies here, Councillor. Not enough to account for the rest of the Consilium, but I'm estimating at least thirty. Do you think whoever did this brought them in from the Great Hall?"

"No. Those lost when the Aberrance opened would have fuelled it just as well. I recognise some of these remains; they're Pearl's staff."

"Ace, we have a problem." Midnight was using her foot to shift some of the bodies to reveal more of the spell. "Souls in general will be pulled into the Aberrance, but it's specifically needing 'empowered' souls. Not just Awakened, but the Uratha or Kindred will work."

"Damn it! The Uratha are already in the Shadow. Arrows, go warn as many as you can. Midnight, we'll stay here and try to stop this."

They set to their tasks. The van left the siblings alone with the aberration. Both started work immediately, using everything at their disposal to put an end to the spell. Ace ducked back up the stairs to return with a long hose. He sprayed the blood and entrails, infusing the water with his Prime Arcanum to act as a sterilising agent. It slowly dislodged parts of the terrible runes, but the twisted ambiance was not fading.

"Do you still have any explosives?" Midnight asked.

"A wedge of C4 and a grenade. Why?"

"Drop the hose."

Ace obeyed his sister, releasing his grasp just as the water turned foul. It glowed to their Mage Sight as though radioactive. Where it touched the remains, they began to melt like they had been dunked into acid.

"We'd need Masters of all ten Arcana to stop this with magick. Let's try blasting a section of the wall."

They set the bit of C4 before running up the stairs. Ace detonated the wedge, which caused a much larger rumble than it should have. Smoke rose from the basement with an otherworldly groan. Part of the floor collapsed. They did not bother to return to the basement; Ace tossed his grenade through the hole.

The nexus was no longer feeding the taint directly, but the twisted magick continued to flow.

"I'm guessing the other locations are self-propagating. Let's alert the Arrows. I'll call Sparky to come and get us."

Midnight placed a hand on his arm as he reached for his mobile. "Someone's coming."

A soul Ace knew well appeared in the house. They found Pearl, bloodied and gasping for breath as she beheld the damage to her home.

"Those damn Scelesti set us all up," she said. "We barely got away."

"Where's the rest of the Consilium?" Ace asked. "How did you get out here?"

"Ah had Sparky set a ward so's Ah'd be able ta teleport back ta mah property in case the Witch Hunters came after me. Never expected Ah'd need ta use it fer this. Everybody else is goin' ta the Sixteenth Street sanctum." She pulled her keys from her pocket. "C'mon, young'uns; Ah'll drive. Let's take the Firebird."

Ace was not buying it. He prepared a defensive spell, but Pearl acted first. She used an inverted High Speech to pervert her Life magick in an attempt to kill both of her former friends. Ace tried to block it with his own magick, but hers was too powerful. Soul-wrenching Abyssal magick hit him while missing his sister.

Midnight grabbed his gun and opened fire at Pearl. The older Mage was somehow able to move faster than any human should to dodge the bullets, yet there was no magick to support her preternatural speed. She raced out the door to her Firebird, squealing from the farm as Midnight did what she could to heal Ace.

"Do you know how to hotwire an engine?"

"Of course." She offered a half-grin. "Clash taught me when I was nine."

"Good. Get her truck running."

He followed her slowly. Midnight used Fate to guide her motions, having the engine purring in minutes.

"Do you think she went to one of the other locations?"

Ace shook his head. "Now that we're on to her, she's going to try to finish her spell. She's going to kill, and I'm sure Sparky and whoever else is at her sanctum will be her next targets."

As he drove, Midnight called the rest of the survivors to warn them. He dropped Midnight with Flawless Sword's group, as they were on the route to Sunset's house.

Sunset allowed the spell to fade. That hour had only required seconds to process. She lowered her gun and rushed to Ace to hug him.

He returned it. When Sunset felt her body stop shivering, she said, "If you hadn't gotten here when you did, I wouldn't have hesitated to let her in. How did you get here so quickly?"

"I'm a Shaman. We have our ways."

"But wasn't Pearl a Shaman, too?" When Ace was suddenly very interested in the coat holder, Sunset shouted, "Don't tell me you forgot? She could have murdered us all! Why didn't you call and warn me?"

"Well, I'm sorry, maybe I didn't think about that because I was a little more focused on making sure I wouldn't arrive to find her pleasuring herself with your femur and cutting open Rarity to eat her baby!"

The children had managed to sleep through the gunshot and the earlier shouted conversation, but the raised voices woke them. They began wailing, Water Sapphire screaming for his mother.

"I'll take care of Pearl's body. You check on the kids."

Glad to have an excuse not to have to handle Pearl's body, she did not argue and moved up the stairs as quickly as she could. Violet was in her crib in the master bedroom, still sniffling. Water Sapphire was hiding under the blankets on the bed. Sunset could not lift much weight, which was why she usually only held Violet when she was seated. Ignoring the protest of a joint that had been abused nearly to its limit, she lifted the toddler and carried her to the bed. With a little coaxing, Water Sapphire showed himself and allowed Sunset to pull him into her lap.

"Mama okay?"

"She's okay," Sunset whispered. She wiped her own tears and tried to smile at the children in her arms. "Can you smile for her? She'll need you."

She continued to rock both, cuddling them and trying everything she knew other than magick to soothe the children's frazzled nerves. When they were finally calming, Sunset changed their diapers. She settled Water Sapphire into the bed and Violet into her crib.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to go back to sleep. There's too much going on right now. I promise, Scootaloo and Pixie will be here soon, and you won't have to be lonely or scared anymore, okay?"

Even as a toddler, Water Sapphire was a Sleeper, so she avoided any overt Yantras. A quiet lullaby took their place. Sunset wove a spell over her charges, allowing them to fall into dreamless slumber. That spell would allow someone else to wake them as normal and included wards against dreamwalkers.

Ace was still downstairs when Sunset managed to work herself to the living room. She would need to acquire some opioids for her knee and probably have a specialist look at it when the war was done. She hoped that would be soon. In theory, only the Banishers remained. There was the possibility of one or two more Scelesti if Pearl had other apprentices, but that seemed unlikely since she had been alone at the farm.

"Hey, Sunset, I took care of the ... package. I also scanned the neighbourhood, and it doesn't seem like anyone was here to witness it. Are the kids okay?"

"I don't know. I put them to sleep until Scootaloo and Pixie get back." Sunset was feeling emotionally drained and could hear the emptiness in her voice. "How could she have been one of them? I thought she was kind, a good friend. Ace, how can we trust anyone?"

"I don't know what to tell you. I knew her longer than you did; how do you think I feel?"

Sunset hugged him again. "Thanks, Ace. For everything."

The taint had already reached the house. It would devastate the city until Mages skilled in Prime could clear the filth. The corrupted ley lines would not only influence the city's residents to negativity, they would draw negative spirits, which would cause further degradation across the area and prevent non-Scelesti using them for much of anything. It would take years to recover from the damage, even if all of the remaining members of the Consilium survived. It frightened Sunset that a single person could wreak such horrors.

Before leaving, Ace called his fellow Councillors for updates. He placed the call on speaker for Sunset's benefit.

"I still have Midnight with me. We've already destroyed the other sigils," Flawless Sword reported. "As far as we can tell, the Aberrance isn't growing, but it's tethered, so it's not going to shrink."

"That's still good news. I've caught Pearl and dealt with her. She came after Sparky, but I got to her in time."

"Good. We're getting ready to enter the Shadow with a few Uratha packs. Most of them are trying to keep as many of the new spirits distracted as they can. According to reports, a whole bunch of fucked up spirits popped up around the Aberrance and the spell foci. They're devouring other spirits at an alarming rate and getting strong."

"I'll be there shortly."

"Clash is leading an expeditionary force while we finish preparing. He said-Oh, Christ, what the hell is it this time?"

Ace and Sunset glanced to each other. Flawless Sword did not seem so much frightened as irritated.

"What's going on?"

"A bunch of different monsters are outside. There are a couple of trolls at the front. One them's holding ... a cat?"

Sunset hovered over the phone. "Is the cat pure black? Do you see a purple-and-green dog?"

"Sparky?" There was a pause. "Yes, I do. Do you know them?"

"They're allies through Orchid. If you can get them through an Iris, they'll help. The cat is named Karen, the dog's Spike. Talk to them; they'll explain the rest."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

"Right, then I'll just tell the others to stand down while I stroll out to chat with creatures that normally try to eat Awakened."

"Just tell them that you're leading the effort to rescue Orchid and the others."

Flawless Sword cursed again, though not in a manner that suggested an incoming attack. He disconnected the call.

"I'm going to head out."

"Okay. I'll be here. Thanks again, Ace."

"I know it's pointless, but try to get some rest. We may need you again."

"I'll be there for you, no matter what. See you later."

He left, Pearl's body likely in the cab of the truck, though Sunset had not asked. She was alone again, waiting for Scootaloo to pull into the drive with Pixie. She did not look forward to the conversation of where the girl's family and friends were, but she would be glad to have others to share the pain of waiting. In an effort to distract herself, she sat in front of the television and switched to the local public access channel. Having one of Pixie's shows playing when she returned might help the girl's mood.

What played was not a series about a cute animated monkey. Instead, a reporter stood in front of yet another ruined building. "-are suspecting terrorist backing. This marks the fifteenth attack over the past five days.

"I'm live at the scene where emergency rescue personnel are attempting to locate any survivors of what appears to have been several bombs at Smiling Flowers Primary School."

Sunset did not hear anything else. She focused on what the camera showed of the broken school, where Pixel Bit had been playing with her friends and learning arithmetic. She did not see her car, though she could see quite a few that had been damaged or destroyed by the 'bombs' as their owners waited for school to end.

Either Scootaloo had been there during the attack or she had arrived after it and had not returned because of a desire to assist rescue efforts. The athlete would not abandon the school if she thought there was a chance any children or staff had survived, though she would have called Sunset.

That bright little soul, a large reason for many of the small joys in Sunset's life, had been snuffed for no reason. Something within Sunset died with the news. She could not mourn it, nor did she care.

'Hey, other me, are you still willing to help?'

'I've always been here for you. Are you ready?'

'Yeah. It's time to end this. Are you with me?'

'Always. We'll drink their blood.'

It was far easier than she expected to grant her other self the long-desired freedom to share their body. Unlike the first time, there was no outward transformation. She was not yet granting full control to the demon in an effort to ensure no one would know until they were ready. The only sign to an observer was the hardened glare of unbridled rage in her eyes. Those who had hurt the people she loved would pay, and she knew exactly where to start.

Chapter XII: The Monster is Loose

Chapter XIII: Threats and Tact

Lyra and Bon Bon were still sleeping. Sunset was surprised to see they had not wet themselves after so many hours. It did not matter to her either way since neither of the women would be living much longer.

She recovered the hunting knife and reloaded Bon Bon's gun, then placed a new sound-proofing spell around the room before waking her victims. Both stirred, looks of surprise and some fear on their faces when they saw who was with them.

"Just so you know, we wiped out most of the Witch Hunters. Almost one hundred of your buddies are rotting in a field around that motel if they weren't taken captive. A few others might still be trying to escape, but we'll get them soon. That just leaves you two and any of your other Vigilante friends."

Sunset hefted the knife, testing its weight. "I sound-proofed the room. Scream as much as you want."

"What are you going to do?" Lyra asked, fear bringing a tremble to her voice. "Please, don't hurt Sweetie Drops. She really didn't do anything. You can do whatever you want to me."

"You told me that when I was here earlier. Back then, I was planning to let you go. We were going to put an end to this, and then everyone would go back to their normal lives. It didn't quite work out that way."

She regarded both women. Though Sunset had not studied the human body since her secondary school anatomy class, she knew where the major arteries were and approximately how far she could cut before they would bleed to death.

Lyra was sure to scream, but there was no telling how Bon Bon would react. She was a trained and hardened soldier, after all, but she had one weakness. It was the same weakness Sunset once had: A beloved friend. The best way to get something from Bon Bon was to start with Lyra, though that meant losing the keen wails of despair Lyra was sure to offer as she watched Sunset dismember Bon Bon.

'We all have to make sacrifices, Sparky,' the demon replied. 'We'll get to enjoy so much more after this.'

'Maybe we should cut a few strips off them first, then feed them to each other.'

'Now you're getting it. Shall we start?'

'I think so.'

"Any last words? Once I start, you probably won't be saying much, so this is your best chance. I probably won't take any messages for you, but you're welcome to try it."

"Why, Sunset? Can you please tell me why you're going to kill us?"

Sunset kept her expression empty as she held the point of the knife against Lyra's cheek. "Because I can. If I have to lose everyone I cared about, someone needs to pay for it."

"But-"

"No, fuck you! You're not getting out of this. You two murdered my friends and enabled magick that would have destroyed the city. There's a rift to the Abyss right in the middle of downtown now, and my friends are gone forever. Trust me, what I'm planning for you is merciful compared to what happened to them. Enough with the worthless excuses. Any last words?"

"We didn't know." Bon Bon finally broke her silence, her tone mournful. Despite the fact that she was offering excuses, Sunset appreciated the novelty and allowed her to continue. "We were just keeping an eye on you witches and the others to make sure you didn't start hurting anyone. One of our higher-ups sent another cell here to review our observations. They didn't tell us anything else, they just asked me for a fake name so I could rent a car for them. When I heard about the attacks, I asked what happened, and they said you witches attacked them."

"Do you still believe that?"

Her head lowered, Bon Bon muttered, "No."

Lyra sobbed as she spoke. "P-Please don't make it h-hurt, Sunset. Please, if you have anything g-good left, just do it f-fast."

"Why did you join, Lyra?"

"I d-didn't know anything about this until S-Sweetie Drops' friends showed up, I swear."

"She's telling the truth. I never wanted her to be in danger, so I didn't say anything about being a Vigilante. I wanted Lyra to be able to enjoy her fantasies. I only joined because I could see monsters. Over the years, I saw that most of the supernatural people weren't causing problems. We were just peacekeepers, nothing else."

Sunset lowered the knife a bit. "Sweetie Belle could see things, too, Bon Bon. It made her think she was crazy."

Bon Bon nodded. "I thought so, too, until something found me one day. It had figured out I noticed it, so it came to kill me. A local cell managed to kill it first. When I didn't run away, they invited me to join them."

"When was that?"

"After junior year. Like I said, we were mostly just keeping an eye on things. Before now, we only moved when something was hurting people. When the new guys came, we were ordered to stay home after we gave them all our intel. We didn't know there were so many, though. I thought it was just another cell or two, making sure we weren't getting corrupt."

"I can see real guilt and remorse in Lyra, but you're still hidden from me, Bon Bon. Why is that?"

"I don't know. Another Hunter did it, and I don't know how or how long it'll last."

Sunset lifted the knife again. "Well, this has been enlightening, but you're not getting off because of a few tears. You couldn't be bothered to forgive me no matter how much I was crying. You brought this on yourselves. Pray my fellow Mages find your buddies first, because I'm going to be nice to you two."

"Didn't your friends forgive you when you were crying at the bottom of that pit?"

"No, Lyra, you don't get to play that card." Sunset again poked the tip of the knife against Lyra's cheek, eliciting a whimper. "The people who gave a damn about me are dead because of you."

"I'm not dead, Sunset," Midnight's voice called from the entrance. She entered the kitchen, where Sunset regarded her impassively. "Rarity and Violet are still sleeping at your house. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are still alive. Even if your cabal-mates are gone, not everyone who cares about you is."

"You came to stop me?"

"If I have to. What you're planning will drive you over the edge."

"You're talking like I'm not already past the point of no return. You certainly didn't bother to stop me when I was killing the Witch Hunters. Do you really want to get in a magickal battle in front of a Sleeper and waste what Mana you have left?"

"Sunset, you haven't lost yourself yet. I didn't stop you in the battle because there was no reason to. We had to kill or be killed. There's a world of difference between killing the Witch Hunters to protect our lives and murdering these two." Midnight stepped between Sunset and Lyra. "I know you're not a lost cause. You refused to hurt me, even if that meant being reported to the Guardians. You found it in you to forgive Sweetie Belle and her friends for bullying you. You even forgave Rarity and anyone else who has hurt you. Don't let what's happened get the best of you now."

'Ignore the runt,' the demon ordered. 'She just doesn't understand. We can overpower her easily.'

'I can't hurt Midnight.'

'She came to stop our glorious revenge. Those who get in our way must be cut down with the rest. Do you want to feel Lyra's hot blood running down your arms or not?'

'I do. She has to pay for killing my friends.'

'Then just push Midnight out of the way. What's she going to do? She can't use magick here, not with a Sleeper.'

'You're right.'

Sunset grabbed the teen and shoved her roughly against the refrigerator. Midnight's eyes widened in shock and fear as her head smacked against the door. Before she could recover, Sunset raised the knife to cut Lyra's throat.

Bon Bon was screaming, the delightful sound Sunset had been desiring. Midnight shouted something as Lyra closed her eyes.

Resignation and acceptance filled Lyra's soul.

A few brief images entered her mind and spilled to Sunset. Lyra had found a malnourished dog without tags roaming a park when she was playing there. When it proved to be human-friendly, she gave the starving animal her lunch before taking it to Fluttershy's clinic. In the image, Sunset's deceased friend had no hair, her body burnt almost beyond recognition, as she helped Lyra try to find the dog's owner. Then there was Applejack, her body riddled with bullet holes as she stacked a few baskets of apples into Lyra's car. Bon Bon and Lyra planned to use them to bake treats for the local homeless shelter where they regularly volunteered with Rarity. An image of the fashionista sobbing over Flash Sentry's body as she pointed an accusing finger at Lyra followed.

Sunset wanted to bring the knife down, to cut and slice until Lyra stopped breathing. She would tear the musician to ribbons then do the same to Bon Bon. It was what she wanted, to punish them for murdering her friends.

The knife did not move.

'What are you waiting for? Midnight's going to stop us. Do it now!'

"I ... I can't." It took her a moment to realise she had given her reply aloud. She lowered the blade.

'You are a weak, pathetic fool! I'll do it myself.'

The demon tried to seize control of their body. Sunset felt that burning, wrenching sensation as it pushed against her consciousness. The loss of the old shackles meant that there was nothing restraining it, to prevent it overwhelming her. She cried out in agony as it began to manifest. Her control was slipping; in moments, Sunset would be no more.

"No! You can't do this," she screamed. "They don't deserve it."

"Then who does?" The voice spoke through her mouth for the first time in almost a decade. "They killed your friends. If Midnight isn't with us, she's against us."

"I won't let you hurt Midnight."

Sunset threw what remained of her control into calling on her magick. She brought Mind and Spirit to bear, weaving a spell used to summon Goetia. Its target was her other self, forcing the demon to manifest outside their shared body. The spell was working, the demon's larger form taking shape next to Sunset, but the magick was fighting her.

It was Paradox. Between the Sleeper witness and the general weakening of the tapestry of reality thanks to the nearby Aberrance, the Abyss was trying to hijack her Willworking.

Sunset called its taint into her body, refusing to allow it yet another foothold into the world. As her spell finished, something inside Sunset took the brunt of the alien focus. Her head ached as she felt warm trickles running from one ear and her nose.

"What, you think giving me a separate form will stop me?" The demon cackled. "I have access to your magick. Even if I can't cut them with that knife, I can still use your Mind magick to give them aneurysms."

Sunset wiped the blood running from her nose as she glared at her dark reflection. "You'll have to go through me first."

"You can barely stand. What are you going to do?"

"I can shackle you again."

Ethereal manacles formed about the demon's wrists, chaining it to Sunset's soul. More chains wrapped about its body, binding it tightly. The demon responded by shattering them with nothing more than a quick flexing of its arms.

"Was that really the best you could do? You're too weak to stop me now."

A thick rope wrapped about the demon's neck. When it tried to pull the cord loose, strong coils bound wrists and then proceeded down to hold the monster in place. No matter the struggles, the bindings held.

"The chains were just to get you cocky. Your power is limited to what I give you, after all, and I'm taking it back. Now go back to where you belong."

"I'm still just a piece of you. All this does is place me right back in your head."

Sunset was silent as the personification of her dark urges faded. When it was fully reabsorbed, it tried to apply pressure again, to take control, but the shackles held.

'You'll never be rid of me,' her other self whispered.

'That wasn't my goal. You overstepped your bounds, which is why I restrained you again. There are other, better targets, and that's when I'll need you.'

There was no response. Sunset could feel her hands shaking, the pounding in her head a merciless ache. The blood had stopped, but she knew she had pushed herself too hard in that battle.

She cut the twine holding Lyra's hands then gave her the knife to complete the process of freeing herself. When the chair was vacant, Sunset collapsed into it as Lyra freed Bon Bon.

Midnight placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder and said, "Let me get you home."

"No, not yet. I still have something I have to do."

She watched with concern as Bon Bon took the knife, but the confectioner merely slid it into a drawer. She hid the gun in a holster strapped to her thigh, then held out her hand.

"My mobile?"

"Oh, here." Sunset fished the device from her pocket and returned it. "For whatever it might be worth ... I'm sorry."

"What now? You said you needed something else?"

"Yeah, I-" Sunset had to pause as a coughing fit overcame her. The hand she held before her mouth came away with specks of fresh blood, its taste in the back of her throat.

Lyra held a glass of water to her, a bit of concern in her gaze. "Are you okay?"

"You're worried about me?"

"Well, you did threaten us, but you changed your mind and even hurt yourself to stop whatever that was, so ... I guess we're even." The guilt Sunset had felt and seen in her grew heavier as she quietly added, "It's not like you don't have a right to be angry."

"Perhaps, that doesn't mean I had the right to threaten you like that." Sunset downed the water and pushed herself to her feet. "I know it's ridiculous of me to ask this after what I've done, but will you help me track down and take care of the people that were involved in this, Bon Bon?"

"What do you mean?"

"Most of us aren't out to hurt anyone. We just want to study and learn more about magick. A few ... lose control of themselves. One of the oldest, most respected members of my group betrayed us and probably lured the Witch Hunters here. There's another group of crazy Mages that hate magick and are trying to exterminate us. I'd like your help to stop them." When Bon Bon said nothing, Sunset added, "I understand if you don't trust me, and I wouldn't ask if I had other options. It'll be dangerous, but the Banishers need to be put down before they can hurt anyone else. Remember that residential complex? That was the Banishers going after a single Mage. They don't care about collateral damage."

Bon Bon shook her head. Sunset expected rejection, but the Vigilante replied, "Fine, I'll help you, but Lyra doesn't know how to fight, so she stays behind."

"I'm going." Lyra held up a hand to forestall her roommate's objections. "It's my fault Applejack and Fluttershy and the others died. I'll do as much as I can, no matter what."

"Lyra, being exposed to our magick is dangerous for you." Sunset fixed the musician in her gaze, hoping she would be able to convince Lyra to stay home. "It drives Sleepers insane. It can even kill you if your mind overloads. Please believe me when I say that I understand feeling guilty, but-"

"I'm going." Lyra's eyes held the guilt Sunset expected, but their hardened edges also made clear her resolve. "This isn't open to debate. I'm going, and you can't stop me unless you decide not to call Sweetie Drops."

"Then you need to get yourselves ready for now," Sunset said. "I have another meeting. After that, I'll call with the instructions."

"I understand. I'll...." Bon Bon sighed when Lyra glared at her. "We'll be there."

"Thank you."

Sunset and Midnight left the flat together. They did not speak until they were in Sunset's car.

"How did you know?"

"I heard what happened to Pixie. When you weren't home, I put two-and-two together."

"What about going into the Shadow?"

"They had me place wards and then told me to stay safe. As far as I know, you and I are the only Mages left on the Material side of the city except for the Banishers."

"Good. That'll work perfectly for my plan."

"Which is?"

"It's time to put an end to this." Sunset reached into her glove box and extracted a packet of wet wipes to clean her face. "I'm going to find those bastards. Are you coming with me?"

Midnight sat up in her seat, staring at her friend in disbelief as she shook her head. "Sunset, you look like you've got one hit point left."

"You're really into Button's game nights, aren't you?"

"I'm serious, damn it! Skinning your knee would be enough to do you in. Let's go back to your sanctum, get some rest, and then find them."

"No, Midnight. Every moment we ignore them, that's time for them to plan another attack. I'm not letting anyone else die if I can do something to stop it. Are you with me?"

She let herself fall back into her seat, staring forward with a resolute glint in her eyes as she replied, "Fine. Let's ask the Supernal Tarot; if anything can find the Banishers, it will."

"Not yet." Sunset started her car. "I going to meet with Pinkie Pie first. I want to ask the Lost for help."

"They probably won't come out of hiding."

"I know, but there's no one else I can ask. I have to try."

"Then we're going together."

Sunset called her Changeling friend, who answered quickly. Without preamble, she asked, "Can you request an audience at your Freehold? We've nearly been exterminated and we need help, no matter what."

"That big building was your Consilium? We all felt whatever happened to it."

"Most of the others were inside. As far as we can tell, none of them survived. We've got maybe thirty left."

"Sweetie Belle and-"

"They're gone, Pinkie Pie. A traitor almost completely wiped us out. Request that audience. I'll lick boots if I have to, but we're putting an end to this before more of us die."

"Okay. I'll call you back."

Pinkie's voice was subdued. Sunset could picture her friend with limp hair, possibly crying, but the image did nothing to her.

She had to wait for Pinkie's call and was unsure what to do with the interim. They stopped at a convenience store for a snack and a drink, Sunset not realising until Midnight suggested it how peckish she was. Only a few minutes later, Pinkie called.

"Fall Queen will meet you now. Where are you?" Sunset checked her location and reported it. "Okay, take the next right and park wherever you can. I'll meet you on the street in a few minutes."

True to her word, Pinkie Pie stepped from an alley while Sunset waited. They exchanged quiet greetings, then Sunset asked, "I'm guessing we'll need to use the Hedge to get there?"

"Yeah, that'll let us keep the Freehold's location secret. Ready? Just follow my lead when we get there. Fall Queen will let you know when it's your turn to speak."

As they had during the few journeys Sunset had taken into the Hedge with Pinkie, the women joined hands, linking their fingers. Midnight had been in the Hedge a few times, but never for long. It was clear that she was fascinated, but she remained focused on the task. The trip was short, though Sunset paid little attention to it. She was thinking of what to say, how to present the best case to get the Lost to join the fight. They made no secret of their loathing for their supernatural neighbours. Persuading them of anything would be a fight Sunset hoped to win.

They exited the Hedge into a hallway. Beyond a vast set of double doors, Sunset could see what she assumed was the Freehold. As they entered a ballroom, the quiet conversations of the assembled Changelings ceased, all eyes turning to Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie, with Midnight a little behind them. An older woman sat upon a throne of mottled light-and-dark-brown wood, thorny brown and green vines crawling up its sides to crown the top as it formed the shape of a leaf. Fall Queen wore a dress that would have been at home in a nineteenth century historical film.

She regarded Sunset coolly.

"Greetings, Awakened. Dame Candy states that you wish to visit my court with a diplomatic proposal. You may approach."

Following Pinkie, they stepped toward the throne, stopping when she did. Pinkie Pie, who was wearing a skirt, curtsied. Sunset and Midnight did the same, though their jeans left them mimicking an air dress.

"Your Majesty," Pinkie began, "I bring the Awakened known as Sparky and Midnight Radiance before the throne because I believe what they have to say is important to all of the Lost. The Awakened are under attack, and they have come to request our aid."

Several murmurs from the crowd began. Sunset could feel the hostility in the air. Fall Queen's expression did not change.

"You may speak. Why should the Lost risk ourselves in an Awakened war?"

Sunset took a deep breath and replied, "This war doesn't just affect the Awakened. All of us in this city maintain a balance together, and our end will disrupt that for all. The Witch Hunters who started the war are no longer a threat, but a more insidious one remains. Fallen Awakened betrayed us, while those whose Awakenings drove them to madness are also present in an effort to exterminate us. Few of us remain-"

"Good riddance," someone in the assembly called. "The fewer Spellslingers, the better."

"You brought about your own destruction."

"Living out of the natural order drew your enemy's eyes to you, as well as the threat of our own enemies noticing us."

Sunset pushed back the rage that threatened to drive her into attacking the Changelings that had spoken. The reassuring hands of Pinkie and Midnight squeezing her shoulders helped.

She resumed speaking. "Yes, we are aware of what you think of us and how we do things. We can't help being what we are. Most of us live within our own order. We did not ask to Awaken, and we can't go back. Is that so different for the Lost? We move forward as we have become, trying to make new lives that incorporate what we are now, and we only wished to be left alone. Now, because one of our own gave herself to darkness, we're nearly gone. I have lost many dear friends, as have many other Awakened.

"Our enemies will not be content with us alone. They will turn their attention against anything magickal, be they Kindred, Uratha, or Lost. If we all die, there will be no one left who can teach you how to protect yourselves from our abilities. The Lost will be hunted as well."

"We are already hunted, Sparky," Fall Queen said. "We are and have always been the hare before the dog. Because of this, we are skilled at evading the traps of our pursuers. Your enemies will never find us if we do not wish it."

"Perhaps not, but the balance our peoples have maintained in this city will be gone. You may not think much of how we use our powers, but we keep to our own order with its rules and patterns. Our enemies do not. They throw their power about with a reckless abandon that will draw others here, be they more Hunters or Awakened or something else. Is that a risk the Lost can take? Can you hide forever as one wave after another crashes into our city? Sooner or later, even the deepest hiding place will break open and expose you."

Most of the court booed her. Pinkie gave another friendly shoulder squeeze before speaking. "Your Majesty, I agree with Sparky. We can hide. We could even flee into the Hedge. We can do what we've always done. Even if we remain hidden until everybody that would come to our city is gone, what would be left for us? Emotions everywhere are already in turmoil; how much worse will it be after more battles rage? Would we abandon our Freehold?"

Fall Queen replied, "I will consult and return with a decision. You are to wait here."

"Yes, Your Majesty," all three supplicants replied.

She stood and left her throne, strolling into a back room with a few other Changelings. Those remaining did not approach them, whispering to one another comments meant for her to overhear. At least one suggested binding their Awakened guests before leaving the women in the Hedge for 'Them' to find. It was a reasonable concern that some might attempt it were it not for the fact that she knew the Lost would not attack a supplicant that had been granted permission to visit.

Only a few minutes after leaving them, Fall Queen returned. When she was settled on her throne, she spoke. "The Freehold will not join a war that is not our own. We will, however, allow members of the Freehold to participate of their own free will. Any doing so will be responsible for arranging their own contracts for services rendered. Sparky, Midnight Radiance, you may depart. You have my guarantee of safe passage from the Freehold. Dame Candy, escort them back through the Hedge."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I thank the Fall Throne and wish to report that I will be absent until the conflict ends."

Fall Queen raised a hand. "A moment, Sparky. On second thought, it occurs to me that perhaps you can find assistance elsewhere. In a certain place at the edge of the city, a group of beings called the Created have paused in their journey. They are unnatural in a way that nothing else we know can be, but they may be willing to aid you in this battle. If you wish it, Dame Candy may give you their location. Be warned, though, Sparky: Even your kind struggle to find peace in their presence. They are a dangerous ally."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I appreciate this suggestion and will gladly return the favour, if you so wish it, once the war is ended."

Fall Queen waved her from the room. They all curtsied again, backing from the throne as Pinkie did until they reached a certain point, at which they turned their backs to it and walked into the entrance they had used.

When they were in the Hedge again, Sunset asked, "Where can I find those Created she mentioned?"

"Are you sure you wanna try that? There's really something wrong with them. Even I can't get close and say hello."

"Better a dangerous ally than being butchered. I have to try."

Pinkie gave her the address as they reached the street. With a thanks and a promise to call when she was ready, Sunset and Midnight left.

"What do you know about the Created?" Sunset asked.

"Not much. They use alchemical symbols in their magick, and they tend to inspire hatred in those that get physically close to them. A few reports talk about them feeling 'off' somehow, but the writers never elaborate in a way that means anything."

"Do you think they'd be willing to talk?"

That earned a shrug. "They're kind of like the Lost: They stay to themselves. I've never heard of them being hostile to us, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Are you coming with me?"

"I want to, but I need to check on the others and get a few things arranged for confronting the Banishers. Can you drop me at my flat?"

Sunset did as requested. Before leaving the car, Midnight hugged her.

"No matter what happens, please don't scare me like that again. You're not the only one who's lost people you love. I don't want to lose you."

"I'll try."

Chapter XIII: Threats and Tact

Chapter XIV: The Created

The Created were at an abandoned warehouse by the river. Sunset was unsure whether they had chosen the location to be ironic or not, but she was not going to complain. If they were dangerous, she would be able to use her magick to escape. Given what had been happening lately, more property damage would mean nothing.

There was no sign of activity, but a quick scan with her magick showed six not-life signs. She could detect emotions, though they were faded and lacking the vibrancy all beings she had encountered - even the Kindred - possessed. Their souls were not like the crystalline sparks she normally saw, instead being more like a Bunsen burner's flame. Even through the building, she could almost imagine that she felt their heat burning her. It was uncomfortable, but did not seem dangerous in its own right.

A few dark clouds gathered in the sky only in the immediate vicinity. The air was humid like a muggy summer day before a heavy rain. She felt the hairs on her arms standing on end as though the atmosphere was charged like the period before a thunderstorm.

As much as she wanted to remain in the yard and study the odd effects of Created magick, Sunset had a job to do. She strolled to the door and knocked. After a few seconds of no movement or sound, she knocked again.

"I came to talk. Will you please let me in?"

The door opened. A man stood on the other side, simply regarding her. She found herself rooted to the ground at the entrance. As Fall Queen and Pinkie had warned, Sunset felt a sense of something being wrong. He looked like any normal human, yet she was sure he was not. It was like gazing upon an excellent forgery when one is sure that the painting is wrong but cannot find the mistake to prove it. It was something beyond the flames that comprised his spark; even had she been a Mortal, Sunset was sure he would still feel out of place.

The man nodded as though he was satisfied with her. He stepped back into the warehouse and beckoned her to follow him. Though part of her mind warned her that doing so was dangerous like walking into a dark alley alone at night in a crime-infested area, she silenced it and entered the building. Five other people, equally normal-looking and absolutely wrong were gathered in a half-circle just inside the entrance. A primal defensive part of her brain was screaming for 'fight' as another section begged for 'flight.' She suppressed both to present a neutral face to her hosts.

"What brings you here?" the man that had answered the door asked. "You're not one of the Lost. You aren't Kindred. You don't have the feral nature of the Uratha. Are you Awakened?"

"I am, and I'm called Sparky. I came to talk, if you're willing."

"What do you want with us?"

"Have you heard about the things that've been happening around here lately? The bombs and arsons and murders?"

They all nodded. The man she guessed to be their leader replied, "We aren't involved with them, nor do we know who is."

"I know you aren't. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I was blaming you. I just ... I came to...."

Sunset paused for a moment, questioning if it was really a good idea to ask for their help. The flames of their souls were harsh, scorching her and filling her with an urge to attack them, one she pushed back with her magick. An improvised spell silenced the protests aroused by being near them.

'Stop being a baby and ask them for help,' her other self whispered.

'What do you think I'm trying to do?'

'And a bang-up job at that. You look like a retarded child trying to ask for candy. Do you need me to hold your hand? Let mummy do it for you.'

'That won't be necessary. You're not coming back out until we capture the Banishers.'

'Then get on with it.'

Sunset took a deep breath to steady nerves that magick had failed to soothe. She tried to look at all six of the Created as she said, "I came to ask for your help to put an end to the attacks."

The man who had done all of the talking so far stepped toward her and asked, "What makes you think we would get involved in that?"

"Nothing. I don't have any reason to think you would. I wouldn't be here if I had any other option, but you're the last people in this city who would even have a chance at fighting Awakened."

"Then we're your last resort?"

Sunset nodded once. "Everyone else is busy or has refused to help. I've gathered a few, but we may not be enough."

"We can't make a decision like this lightly. Please explain how this started. We know the effect we have on others. What drove you to come to us?"

"It's something of a long story. I don't mind telling it if you're okay with that."

He glanced to his compatriots, who each nodded, and turned back to Sunset. "We like long stories, but we rarely get to hear them from those ... not like us."

"Okay." Sunset told them what had happened, sparing no detail except how she had threatened Bon Bon and Lyra. One or another of the Created would sometimes ask her to explain some aspect of her story or one of the words she used, but they otherwise did not interrupt. She ended with her plea before the Fall Throne and Pinkie Pie's offer to help.

Four of the Created bore neutral gazes throughout her story, simply absorbing her words. One of the women displayed curiosity and some anger as Sunset described the murders. Only the man she continued to assume was their leader ever showed a broad range of emotional reactions. When Sunset had to pause to wipe tears from her eyes, his own held sympathy.

"The Banishers will keep hunting us until we're gone. I've lost so many of my friends, and I just want this to end," Sunset said as she drew to her final plea. "I understand that I'm asking you to risk yourselves to help in a fight that doesn't concern you. If there's anything I can do to convince you to help, I will do it. I'll swear anything. Please help us."

The Created looked at one another before the five looked to their leader. He still held some sympathy in his gaze as he asked, "What do you want us to do? Kill for you?"

"Maybe. I'm willing and able to do it myself, but I can't take them on alone and the three people I already have won't be enough. Is there anything I can offer you?"

"You want revenge for what they've done to you?"

"Yes."

"We need to confer. Please wait outside."

Sunset did as he requested, giving a reasonable amount of space from the door to avoid accusations of spying. She considered using her magick to listen to them, but she rejected the idea. If they somehow discovered it, she would destroy any chance of gaining their help.

When they called her back into the warehouse, all six were holding makeshift weapons such as pipes and shovels. One of them carried a jackhammer on his shoulder with one hand to keep it steady, showing no more discomfort than Sunset would have felt to hold a newspaper. Their leader said, "We will assist you if you promise to come back and talk with us again after. We want to know more about you Awakened and how you think, Sparky. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go. We have our own transport and can follow you."

Sunset looked at the ground sheepishly. "I'm not sure where they are right now. I was planning to set a trap and draw them into it."

The leader smiled. "Even better. I have a suggestion, if you'd like to hear it."

As he explained his idea and the reasoning behind it, Sunset's own smile grew.

"That's perfect. Go ahead and get set up. Do you have a mobile? I can call you when I set everything in motion."

"No, we don't."

"Then I'll run to a shop and get you a burner. I should be back in a few minutes. Do you need anything else to get ready? I can pick it up for you."

"Thank you, Sparky, but we should have what we need. We'll wait for you here."

"Great, thank you." She was turning to leave when an errant thought crossed her mind. "Not that it's a big deal, but I just realised I don't know any of your names. If you don't want to share them, that's fine, just that I'm curious."

"Just call me Lazarus for now."

She drove to the closest store where she selected a cheap Android device and two month's worth of service top-up cards. Assuming the mobile was not destroyed in the coming battle, Sunset fully planned to let them keep it; a pre-paid mobile was the least she could offer them as a gift if they survived.

The Created were waiting for her as promised. Sunset had activated the device while allowing it to charge. She gave them everything, including the original packaging and Twilight's cigarette lighter adaptor.

"It's off right now to save battery. It should last about a day if you just turn it on and then leave it, but I don't think it'll take that long. I programmed my number into it. Do you know how to use this?"

"I have used one a few times in the past," Lazarus replied. "If something derails the plan, I'll ring you. Otherwise, we will wait for your call. We'll be ready, Sparky."

Sunset thanked them before departing for her sanctum. She hoped Midnight was correct and that the Supernal Tarot would be able to help her find the Banishers. Once she had a location, she could use its power to lure them into the trap. While they primarily targeted Awakened, Artefacts and grimoires were also magickal, and they would gladly destroy anything of the sort.

She called Bon Bon and told them where to go. She did not want them to leave too quickly, though, for fear they would fight the Created and instead told them to wait for orders to leave. She did the same with Pinkie after relating her meeting with the Created.

"Are you sure they'll really help?"

"I don't have much a choice. It's not like I can get anyone else. I really don't want you there, but you'd use your Lost magick to follow me."

That received a weak giggle. "Yeah, I don't like the idea of my friends getting into a fight, even if they have to. I'll be there. See you later."

Midnight's car was in the sanctum's drive. She found the teen meditating on the couch next to the still sleeping Rarity. Midnight ended her introspection as soon as Sunset entered the room.

"Any luck?"

"The Created will help us. They're setting up a trap now. Are you ready?"

"As I can be. Where do you want to do the reading?"

"Let's go to my room."

Midnight helped her shift the cots, both of which carried the scents of her lost friends. Rather than push it from her mind, Sunset allowed the memories of their smiling faces to fuel her anger. She would need the strength it provided to see her through the battle.

Sunset retrieved her cards and asked, "Where will we find the Banishers?" as she shuffled. They guided her to lay a three card spread composed of The Moon, The Stars, and The Sun.

Midnight was perplexed. "What in the world?"

Though they were no longer guiding her hands, Sunset thought she could hear them whispering guidance to her. She closed her eyes and focused on their magick until she was certain she understood what they wanted her to know.

"They're at the university. There's a small planetarium."

"You really think so? Those cards have some contradictory meanings, but it could be telling us how to find them."

"I asked 'where' we'll find them, not 'how.' The normal meanings are being lost, being comforted, and then being able to see where you are." At Midnight's smirk, Sunset asked, "What? I read those books you gave me."

Midnight giggled. Despite the situation, there was a little cheer in it. "It's not too far. Let's check it out."

The small planetarium and observatory was attached to the rebuilt physics building. The school did not have an Astronomy study track but did have several enthusiasts, one of its graduates donating the funds for the addition in his will. Twilight had spent a great deal of time within the building, sharing her pony counterpart's love of the stars. She had even attempted to host a show once, though her enthusiasm for detail had overwhelmed most of her fellow students. It was also where she had Awakened, surrounded by impossible phenomena as she sought to make sense of a senseless universe.

The Banishers likely did not know of the connection, but that did not prevent Sunset viewing their presence as sacrilege. They were desecrating the location of Twilight's triumph over the terrible Lie that had allowed her to see the underlying possibilities of a much larger universe than she could have conceived as a Sleeper. Unlike Sunset, Twilight loved to return to the place of her Awakening, thankful for the inanimate concrete that provided her a new way to chart the stars.

Scores of memories of her years of friendship with Twilight passed through Sunset's memory as she approached the door. The building was locked. Midnight was no longer concerned with appearances and picked the it, not even requiring her magick. They strolled into the entrance, where Sunset feel the cards she carried in their bag begin to radiate with their Supernal power.

"You think they're here?"

"The cards said so," Midnight replied, her rehearsed speech convincingly acted. "They never lie."

Sunset felt around them for other presences, relying on her innate abilities to save her Mana. She thought she could feel others somewhere in building, but she did not have much range for her Mage sight without projecting. If the Banishers were present, sending her soul from her body would not end well.

A few tentative steps into the building still did not draw their enemies to reveal themselves. Sunset was ready to abandon the place when she felt magick about them. It was Matter and Forces, most likely meant for an attack.

Sunset grabbed Midnight's hand and teleported them to Twilight's car, glad the Banishers had not warded the interior against Space magick. She had left the car running and they squealed from the planetarium.

When she felt a Mind probe, she pretended to fight it before giving up a false conversation with Flawless Sword. The memory she created was of him telling her to take Midnight and several valuable artefacts into hiding at one of the Consilium's secret sancta, an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. Assuming the Banisher reading her mind fell for it, they would be able to follow Sunset into the trap.

"Well, if they weren't Banishers, they certainly were hostile." Sunset gave her mobile to Midnight. "Message Pinkie Pie and Bon Bon and let them know we're heading out. I already gave them the location."

She sent the messages and then placed the mobile into her own pocket. "Do you really think they'll fall for it?"

"Only one way to find out. Based on the van I see pulling up in front of the observatory, I'm thinking they're at least going to see what we're up to."

She was able to get away from the university campus before the Banishers could load themselves into their van. Sunset wanted to get the location quickly, but she could not risk using what Mana she still had to hide violations of traffic laws. Rush hour had ended for the day, which left the thoroughfares open. Though the Banishers would likely use them, she opted for the higher speed limits rather than take the side streets.

As they neared the destination, she saw the enemy van finally catching her. They were using Mind to hide themselves from the police as they barrelled at high speed along the highway and wove between traffic. Sunset prepared herself to defend against battle magick, but they either had not noticed the car or did not want to try to take her out so close to the location. Forcing her into an accident could very easily have blocked their own path.

"Okay, Midnight, send a message to my mobile. Tell them we're almost there."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"You're asking that now?"

She tore through the gate on the outskirts of the warehouse. The Created had left it weakened, but the act gave the image of a desperate attempt to escape without slowing the car. Sunset pulled into the parking zone, jumping the curb and stopping just shy of the door.

The two young women dashed from the car and pushed at the door until it opened, the van full of Banishers already behind them. Midnight entered first, Sunset behind her. They slammed the door as they heard the van stop.

One of the Created was waiting and slid a rack full of heavy pieces of metal in front of the door. As he moved it, Sunset could feel his power flowing through his body, which warped him until he appeared to be a poorly constructed doll of human flesh. His limbs and head were attached by stitches to a torso riddled with unsealed surgical incisions. The sense of wrongness returned - much stronger than it had been - and Sunset forced it out of her mind. Midnight may have been struggling in the presence of the thing before them but her lack of visible revulsion indicated that she was able to suppress her own reaction.

"Let's go," Sunset ordered quietly when the shelf was in place. The sound of the Banishers moving on the other side carried through the door. She felt magick pushing at it, though it seemed more of a test for traps than an actual attempt to force entry.

"It won't stop them for long," she added at a volume she hoped would be audible through the barrier.

There were a few windows the enemy could use if they abandoned the door, though Sunset guessed they would hesitate at that option. She wanted the Banishers to believe there was a trap and either attack from the outside or else move in force when they entered. Most of the plan rested with the Created, though she had a few contingencies in mind to assist them.

She and Midnight followed the single Created upstairs to find the rest of his group and Pinkie Pie, who looked uncomfortable despite being surrounded by people she had only just met.

"Hey, girls, our new friends were just telling me the plan. How can I help?"

"When Lyra and Bon Bon show up, get them in range of the Banishers and then keep them safe. Bon Bon knows how to fight, so she'll be able to help as needed. If she thinks she can join the battle safely, follow her lead. Lyra's a Sleeper, so the Banishers won't be able to use magick as easily."

"Wait," Midnight said. "Your plan is to take away their magick? They don't care about Paradox. They'll just release it."

Sunset contemplated her friend's objection for a moment and then face-palmed. "Okay, well, that's why we're all the way out here. Even if they release Paradox, we can resist it. They'll still be vulnerable when their spells go awry. Midnight, we're going to get at least some power running so the Created can counter-attack."

"Power?"

The Created all smirked. "Wait and watch."

Chapter XIV: The Created

Chapter XV: Once More into Hell

While an abandoned power plant would have been ideal, Sunset did not know how to operate one. Had she possessed the Mana, she lacked the knowledge of Forces to generate electricity at any large and consistent level. Instead, they were using a warehouse that was temporarily shuttered. The power was still flowing, though Sunset and Midnight would have to find the circuit breaker and reconnect it.

The Created had promised to be ready when they did. Provided the Banishers did not manage to rip the building to pieces immediately, the battle would not take long. If they did, it was more a coin toss as to whether most of them would survive. There was always a chance Sunset's master would use his god-like power to protect her, but she did not want to rely on that. The Exarch had already shown a distinct lack of appreciation for her friends' safety. If that being acted to keep her alive, there was no guarantee that protection would extend to her team.

One of the Created had been listening at the stairs and called, "They gave up on the front door. I can hear them moving around the building."

"They'll be checking for traps or wards and probably looking for another door. Everyone into position. Pinkie, our guests should come from the main entrance."

The young Changeling nodded, dashing into a hallway where she vanished into thorny shrubbery that disappeared an instant after she did. The Created to witness her departure looked surprised.

"Does she always do that?"

"One of the Lost's abilities. You get used to it."

Once they had directions to the offices, Sunset and Midnight left their allies to their task. The warehouse had two breakers, both of which needed to be enabled to get power flowing. One was in one of the offices and the second was the primary emergency shut-off on the floor. The Created would handle that one. Lazarus claimed they would know when Sunset took care of hers.

The Mages had forgotten to ask where exactly the breaker was. With the building mostly empty and no tags or plates on the doors, they had no clue to which of the offices was likely to be in charge of such a thing. Most of the rooms had machinery and panels, which did not help to narrow the choices.

"Midnight, can you use Fate to look for it?"

"I'm trying, but something's interfering. I think one of the Banishers is using a counterspell or an interdiction."

"Of course they are. Just start breaking into everything until you find it."

They took different rooms and began yanking at every panel, display, and counter, looking for a larger version of a household circuit breaker or anything with switches on it. Sunset's mobile began vibrating as she moved into another room. She pulled it from her pocket as saw Bon Bon's name on the screen. She answered while continuing her search.

"Hey, we're here. Where do you need us?"

"Pinkie's going to meet you."

"So we need to avoid the group that's pulling what looks like a mortar out of a van?"

"What?"

The call disconnected. Sunset called the mobile she had given the Created. Lazarus answered.

"They're doing something outside," Sunset said. "Where's the circuit breaker?"

"When you get to the offices, take the second door on the left and look for what looks like a broom closet. It's an electrician's office. The panel is inside a locked-" another voice said something, then he corrected, "an unlocked cabinet."

Retracing her steps, Sunset found the room described. She and Midnight had been moving from the back to front; they would not have found the space until near the end of their search. The unlocked cabinet was not so much unlocked as someone had torn the door from the front. Apparently wanting to be absolutely certain the panel would be accessible, that person had also ripped the top and sides of the cabinet from the wall, even taking the time to create pseudo-origami from the sheets of metal. She thought the green cranes would make excellent trophies later if they survived.

The panel was open, its cover also pulled from the hinges. Sunset checked the switches and found all were turned to the off position. She grasped the largest and tried to move it. The circuit would not engage, seemingly locked into place.

She began cursing at it, a few seconds of words that she tried to not to use in front of children interrupted by a voice from the mobile. She had not disconnected and one of the Created was speaking.

"What was that?"

"There's probably a lock-out system. Look for a button or another switch next to it or a keyhole."

A quick survey showed two buttons similar to the ones she usually saw on outlets. She pressed the upper one, hearing a click. The circuit flipped itself.

"It's on."

A roar from the parking zone drowned any reply in concussive noise. The building shook from a boom that hit one of the walls. Midnight was shouting for Sunset. When she found the older Mage, she said, "They're using magick on the explosives."

"Explosives," Sunset shouted into the speaker. "Are you ready?"

"The power's not flowing. Flip every circuit on that panel now."

Both women went to task, though the primary circuit disengaged itself when they were only halfway down the rows. Sunset repeated what had happened.

"Safety override. Turn them off and do one at a time. We'll distract them."

Even from the offices and over the explosive mortar rounds, Sunset could hear the clatter as the Created moved the barricade. She felt five of them flooding with their power and moving away from the building. The mortar fell silent, though her ears were ringing too loudly to hear much of anything else beyond vague shouts. They had a panicky tone, one she hoped was coming from the Banishers rather than the Created.

After pressing the button and re-engaging the main circuit, she began flipping the switches one at a time, giving a couple seconds of pause between each. The lights around her slowly began to flicker before fully shining. As her hearing returned, she heard machinery creaking and groaning into life, though some of the noise may have been structural damage to the building.

Sunset's mobile was out of power, so she had no idea if the sixth Created she assumed had remained at the emergency breaker was able to use it. When there was nothing else to do upstairs, the two Mages left the panel and the metal cranes to join the fight.

They arrived to chaos. The Created had wrapped themselves in electrical wire, rerouting the current into themselves. Lazarus had stated during the meeting that it would heal them and provide some level of protection during the fight. While Sunset could not tell if they were taking injuries from the Banishers, she could see the effects of electricity on their bodies. Their normal human guises seemed to be akin to Pinkie's mien that hid her fox ears, tail, and fur. The power coursing through them caused it to vanish, revealing the hideous monstrosities they really were.

Even having seen it briefly once, Sunset was not prepared for the revulsion that was rapidly overwhelming her. She wanted to flee from those terrible abominations. Even using her magick to maintain rational thought was difficult, as her instincts cried for her to destroy the warped beings.

Were it not for the Banishers attempting to do the same, she may have obeyed the primal fear. Instead, she was able to gain enough control to observe as they wove desperate attack spells in an attempt to destroy the Created that were currently pursuing them across the grounds. Two of them, the women, carried the van while Lazarus held the car.

Two of the Banishers were weaving Forces, one to manipulate the weather as the other altered the flow of electricity in the wires wrapped about the Created. He reversed it, causing a small explosion somewhere in the building as the power went out. Sunset would not have been surprised to learn the fuses had completely fried. That may have been a problem except that the other Banisher promptly used the storm to strike at the Created with lightning.

"Wait, seriously?" Sunset glanced at Midnight. "Is he not paying any attention whatsoever?"

The teen shrugged. "To be fair, even I'm having a hard time being around here, and they aren't even targeting me."

Sunset looked back to the battle. The opportunity to study such a rare type of magick was appealing.

One of the male Created stood behind the others. Something akin to the flame that comprised their souls travelled from him to the others. Though it licked at their skin and clothes like a fire, it did not burn them. Instead, it acted as a shield to protect them from physical assault; when one of the Banishers used the Telekinesis rote to throw several large stones, they bounced off the shields harmlessly.

Beneath the flames protecting his skin, another of the Created appeared to be covered in a greenish oily substance. He allowed it to pool in his hands and threw it in globules at a Banisher. She used Fate and Space to dodge; everything the substance touched where she had been standing sizzled and popped as though covered in a powerful acid.

Another struck at the Banishers with lances of the flames that represented their souls. Whenever it hit a target, the burning lance scorched flesh and clothing alike.

'This is going better than I thought.'

'Come on, Sunny, we're missing out. Don't you want to feel their hot blood running down your arms? I thought we'd be ripping their still-beating hearts from their chests.'

'All in good time. We'll have our fun. The Created won't kill all of them.'

The Banishers' spells were not cooperating. Sunset could feel the Paradox, which they were releasing instead of containing as Midnight had predicted. There were three common causes of Paradox; Sunset guessed all of them were in play at the moment. With the Sleeper witnessing the Willworking and the utter terror of the Created preventing real concentration, she was surprised they were able to do anything. On top of that, they had dropped using subtle magick to embrace vulgar spells that automatically included Paradox risks. The last case was easy to avoid if the Awakened did not attempt to Reach too far as she had during her single poker game against Midnight, and if the spell caster maintained a clear mind to focus on the magick.

When Paradox hit, the results were unpredictable. Even powerful Witches were completely unable to foresee what would happen. Perhaps the spell would work but hit a different target, or it would reach the intended focus and not have the effect desired. While those were the most common results, Sunset was beginning to realise she had once again not thought all the way through her master plan.

Powerful spells, especially vulgar ones, cast repeatedly with concurrent Paradox effects would attract attention that was not of any natural plane of existence. It was especially dangerous in an area where the fabric of reality was already strained. When two more spells failed, a crack appeared. Unlike those Midnight Sparkle had created, it did not open to a relatively peaceful alternate world.

The raw power of the Abyss flowed into the Material Plane, one of its residents taking advantage of the seam to slither from something the human mind could only perceive as darkness. The relatively tiny Aberrance remained open, the un-being's tendrils only slowly leaving its home as it surveyed the scene of battle.

"Fall back," Sunset screamed to the Created. They threw the vehicles at the monster before retreating as quickly as they could into the warehouse. The van and the car floated when they drew close to the thing before imploding.

"Midnight, how do we fight that?"

"It's a Gulmoth, and it's corporeal. They're similar to spirits. I'm only an Initiate. You're a Disciple, you'll have to lead. Be careful; I'm guessing it's roughly equivalent to an Incarna, probably about Rank 5."

"Gods fucking damn it. Cover me."

Sunset checked her Mana reserve and found it was too low to combat the thing. She reached for her Pattern, the metaphysical representation of herself that she perceived as a crystal, and Scoured it twice. She wanted more, but she lacked the overall understanding of magick to fray it any further. The effect was immediate, parts of the crystal shattering as something inside her burnt with pain. Her legs wobbled, whatever power had allowed her to use her damaged knee for so long finally losing energy. She felt weaker, as though her muscles had atrophied slightly. For all that, she was refreshed with Mana, ready to combat the horror at her doorstep.

The abomination must have sensed what she had done, because it turned its attention to her and dropped a Banisher who promptly scrambled from it. Creatures of the Abyss were known to pursue sources of Mana, targeting the largest and moving down the list.

The fact it was drawn to her should have been terrifying. If the Gulmoth killed her, she would meet the same fate as her friends: To be dissolved into the Abyss. Sunset instead felt exhilaration; she could do whatever she wanted in her goal of stopping it without anyone questioning or judging her. Creatures of the Abyss were powerful and dangerous, the perfect opponent to vent her anger.

"What should we do?" one of the Created asked, smacking a fist into her palm. They had shed the power cables for the moment, though all six crackled on the ground at their feet, ready for use.

"Gulmoth corrupt the fundamental laws of reality," Midnight replied. "Stay back and let Sparky make a plan."

The ground beneath the thing was becoming a quagmire of matter that had never existed in the history of the world. Insects with too many mouths lifted from the muck, though they were not yet able to fly. Trying to look directly at the thing was like attempting to look at the sun, complete with scorching the eyes.

"Come and get me," Sunset murmured. She cycled through what Spirit rote spells she knew, deciding to start with a simple one. Picturing the Imago called Know Spirit, she demanded information from the beast, wanting to know its ban.

The spell failed as it resisted her. Sunset only grinned wildly as the beast drew closer to her.

'This is going to be a challenge.'

'Are you trying to get us killed?'

'Of course not. I just want to have a little fun.'

'I don't know if those things can even feel pain. Let's save our bloodlust for the Banishers.'

'Now who's being spooked?'

'Yes, I am. I don't want us to cease to be.'

Sunset modified the spell and cast it again, putting more Mana into her second attempt. She could feel her magick breaking through the barriers of whatever passed for the Gulmoth's mind and allowed her consciousness to enter. It continued to fight her, throwing images of its parent Annunaki as a warning of what she was fighting. The scene of battle faded as she sank deeper into the spider's web. A great beast with a maw encompassing a universe awaited her. She pulled its dreams into her own as it tried to swallow her mind.

The area in which she found herself was similar to a painting of a staircase that circled back upon itself while still managing to move up. Nothing was to scale, the angles impossible. Five walls formed a perfect square about a garden full of unusual yet recognisable colours.

Bubblegum pink grass crunched under her boots as royal purple trees waved in the breeze. The branches of the trees reached up to the touch the sky, but so did their roots. The trees did not touch the ground, yet they were not curved in any manner she could detect with her eyes. Strange shapes formed the leaves of the trees. They were triangles, but the sums of their angles added to some number other than 180 degrees. A strong wind dislodged several that floated past her and into the inky darkness of the sky.

"I don't have time to enjoy your garden," she called in High Speech. "Show yourself."

"If that is your wish," a quiet voice replied. It was masculine and surprisingly frail, as though the speaker were an old man. "Pass through the door."

Sunset had noticed one previously, but another glance at the walls showed an exit. Like everything else, there was something very odd about its shape, seeming as though to be both sideways and upright at the same time. The right angles were not exactly correct, yet they still formed straight, perfectly even lines that looked like a normal rectangle.

"Is that the best you have?" she asked as she reached for the knob. "Alien geometry? I thought the Annunaki were supposed to be all mysterious and dangerous."

The door opened to reveal the interior of a dilapidated shack. Sunset entered, closing the door behind herself. An old man stood in the corner, leaning on a cane made of a child's spine. He smirked to show a mouth of yellowed, rotten teeth. A small bed occupied the space behind him, all the rest of the walls taken by large shelves. One bookcase housed hearts and other organs floating in jars of dark liquid that seemed to be falling up as it flowed down. There were names written on slips of paper, small blackboards, tree bark, and various other surfaces within another set of shelves. Despite the limited space of the tiny abode, the shelves held far more trinkets and tokens than conventional bookcases would. A fire pit occupied the middle of the floor, but there was no flame and nothing to cook upon it.

There was a strong wind blowing outside the door and rattling the cabin. Sunset opened it again to check what was on the other side. Instead of the strange garden, she saw a vast ocean of pitch black. Sand formed a beach encircling it as far as the eye could see.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you brought me to the Ocean Oroboros. You must be the Old Man of the Abyss."

"That's what they call me, anyway. So kind of you to visit." He hobbled around the cabin to stand beside Sunset. "Have you brought me something?

Sunset placed a hand on her hip and fixed the Old Man with a glare. "Why would I offer a gift to the Abyss?"

"It seems to be rather popular. Just look at my collection." The Old Man gestured with arms made of glass shards to the shelves.

"The only thing I want is a way to beat back that Gulmoth."

"Why didn't you say so?" The Old Man tilted his head, the bones of his neck popping as though he had not moved for some time. He ignored Sunset as he crossed to his shelves. The items were similar to the collection of names, but the papers had far more text on them and were frequently in stacks or bundles. A moment of rummaging ended in him taking a small notebook from the back.

"I can give you the answer." He proffered it with one hand, the fingers made of stone with nails of obsidian. "What will you give me in return?"

"How about I give you the souls of those Banishers once I'm done with them?"

"Tempting, but they aren't that valuable." He scratched his chin with his other hand, upon which were fingernails of stainless steel, then placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "I would accept a piece of you. Your liver, I think."

"No." She pushed his hand away. "Would you be open to a game? If you win, I'll give you any two gifts you want. If I win, you give me the answer I want for free."

He guffawed, slapping his knee with his cane of interwoven animals' tails.

"You're a silly one. Why would I bother to gamble? You want something I have, something you can't get elsewhere. I'll be setting the price, thank you very much."

"Then keep it. Send me back to the strange garden. I'll solve this puzzle myself."

"So be it, pony girl." The Old Man opened his door to show the garden again then shoved her through it.

By the time Sunset collected herself, the door of her ingress was gone. The time she had spent at the Ocean Oroboros had cleared her thoughts to some extent; she noticed a distinct pressure in her mind. The sensation was not that of her other self trying to take control again, instead being something external. That alien mind was much grander than her own, a vast intellect encompassing a universe of never-was.

Sunset felt it consuming any pieces of her it could. She tried to place a Mind barrier against it, but her power was nothing compared to an anti-god. The Annunaki tore down her defences as though they were wet cardboard and it had the force of a star going nova. Her memories vanished as her opponent consumed them for its own.

'I might have been a little optimistic about this endeavour.'

'Gee, you think?' More of Sunset's mind collapsed against the overwhelming force. She could feel her anger and sorrow vanish as she lost her emotions to the alien mind. 'It's almost to me now. Been fun trying to corrupt you.'

Sunset began analysing what she had seen of the Annunaki while her reasoning and critical thinking remained. She was not sure why it had started with the parts that made her Sunset Shimmer, but she hoped that oversight would give her time.

'What is its weakness?' she asked herself. No other voice answered; she was no longer clear on why she had expected one.

Each of the Annunaki was said to be defined by what it lacked. The thought came from somewhere, but the young woman could not remember where she had heard it. She thought of the strange shapes she could see, walls that ran straight and formed gentle slopes. The leaves looked strange, almost like a shape she should know. The pink grass brought a flickering image of bouncy curls that faded quickly.

'Why do I have red hair?'

'What is "red?"'

The entity once called Sunset Shimmer was fading. Only one piece of her remained, something she could no longer understand. It was called a 'Sparky.'

The one known as Sparky came into existence beside her. It looked much like the person next to it except that its skin and hair glowed faintly. Sparky touched her other self's face and shivered from the cold, plastic feel of her skin.

"I'm part of you, too," she whispered. "Let me help."

She grabbed one of the leaves fluttering into the sky and began to fold it. When she was done, it formed a normal square.

"What is this?" she asked, holding before her other self's eyes.

There was no response. Sparky held the leaf a moment longer before tossing it aside with a shrug. She pulled at her magick and formed a shimmering triangle made of pale yellow light.

"I know you know this one. Can't you see what it is?"

The other figure's eyes held a glimmer of recognition. Her lips moved without sound.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Sparky manipulated the light to form a circle. "Try this one."

"Circle." The response was quiet, not even a whisper.

"Great. Let's try another."

They passed through several more shapes. Sparky created one each of pentagon, diamond, square, triangle, and five-pointed star before shifting to three dimensions: Cone, cube, sphere, and cylinder.

"Let's try something fun." She turned her light into a flat string that she twisted before uniting the ends.

"Möbius strip," Sunset replied. She blinked and shook her head to clear the cobwebs. "Sparky? I thought we merged."

"I've been part of you ever since you Awakened. You just stopped trying to keep me separate. I'm not as loud as that other one, though, so I'm not surprised you didn't notice me."

"How are you here?"

Sparky giggled. "You broke me away from you before the Annunaki could devour me."

"I don't remember that."

"You put that thought in me along with the secret to its weakness so it wouldn't know what you were doing. Even here, we had hoped the Annunaki wouldn't be omniscient."

Sunset wanted to drop to the grass. She was exhausted, her body in pain. As appealing as the idea was, she knew it was not time for that yet.

"I don't know if this will work. As soon as it notices, it'll come back for us."

"You've always been an all-or-nothing competitor."

"Yeah, but the stakes usually don't involve losing everything of myself to the Abyss." Sunset felt a tear trickling down her cheek. "I'd never wish that on anyone, but my friends-"

"Our friends may be lost. We don't know yet, but that's no reason to let that other one control you."

"Even if they escaped, I'll never forgive the bastards who murdered Pixie."

"I didn't say we have to forgive them," Sparky replied. She took Sunset's hands, allowing a little of her own warmth to enter Sunset's body. "You can decide what to do about them later. For now, we have a Gulmoth to defeat."

"You're right." Sunset pulled Sparky into a hug and absorbed her. When they were again one, she pushed Mana from herself. It was not visible, but she became a glowing beacon of magick.

"I'm back," she called in a sing-song tone.

That alien mind pushed at hers again, but Sunset was ready for it. She imagined normal geometric shapes, causing them to materialise about herself like shields. The outside presence recoiled.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Hey, you unholy offspring of Discord and the Smooze, what happens if I start changing the shapes around here to something normal?"

She used what she knew of Matter, an Arcanum she had learnt from Sweetie Belle, to modify as many leaves as she could into a variety of flat shapes. More magick, this time Forces, sent them flying in a small twister. Wherever they touched, the scenery vanished. The Annunaki began pushing her from its mind.

"Tell me your Name," she demanded.

She fed it the equation to form a circle. When the mind crowding hers recoiled again, she smiled deviously and began envisioning similar equations. Her continued assault caused the aborted universe to expel her. She was able to seize the information she had wanted as her soul rejoined her body. She was once again back in the warehouse with her allies, the Gulmoth bearing down on them. She may as well have been gone a fraction of a second during her contest against the Annunaki.

"Its ban is geometric shapes," Sunset declared. "Find or make them and bring them to me. I'll try to hold it back."

She created a Spirit barrier to hold the Gulmoth, giving it as little power as she could. Though they lacked paper, the Created were perfectly capable of bending metal with their bare hands. They only needed a few seconds to create the shapes of triangles, squares, and rectangles. Sunset gave a little Mana to each.

"Throw those at it as hard as you can. Midnight, help their aim."

She could only enchant five of the them while having sufficient power for the next step. When the shapes flew at speeds that nearly broke the sound barrier, she spoke the beast's Name to them. The word burnt her throat and left her light-headed, but she could see the Gulmoth recoiling. Each geometric bit of metal struck it, its Physics-defying abilities ineffective against its ban. The kinetic force they released on impact shattered the thing's form, forcing it to discorporate. With the last of her power, Sunset pushed it into the Aberrance and started closing the breach. Unlike the one that had consumed the Great Hall, this one lacked the anchors to be permanent.

Midnight poured Mana into Sunset, allowing her to strengthen the spell and seal the place of never-was back into the nightmare of the Annunaki overlord that created it. Without the Abyssal energy flowing into the world, the insectoid abominations and the marsh-like land returned to normal.

When it was done, Sunset collapsed. Her body, pushed too far beyond its limits, would not obey her brain's orders. She could now feel the drain to her soul of fighting the Annunaki. Her mind had not recovered from the loss of self as it struggled against the shock of so many small and great agonies. Her heart's beats grew erratic while her body and soul fought to recover. Her vision faded to black as her heart slowed and stopped.

Chapter XV: Once More into Hell

Chapter XVI: Who I Am

Sunset's eyes opened to behold a dark sky. She lay on her back, the ground beneath her hard and uneven. She slowly pushed herself to her elbows to see that she was at the top of a tower, no ceiling enclosing it from the starry expanse above her. The tower looked like one she had frequented before leaving her home for the human world.

She half-expected Princess Celestia to trot onto the roof, another look of pure frustration on her face. Though she could hear a visitor approaching on the stairs, the sounds were of feet rather than hooves. Eventually, a demon with red skin and red-and-yellow hair standing upright like a flame came to crouch over her.

"I'm surprised we're still alive after that," the demon said, offering a hand to Sunset.

The battered young woman took it without hesitation, allowing her other self to pull her to her feet. "Are we back in my dreams?"

"I pulled us here. We were going into shock, and I didn't want us to cease existing. Our heart is starting to work again, though, so we should wake up soon."

"Thank you for your help."

"I am you."

Sunset rested against the parapet and looked over the castle below her. "Princess Celestia told me that she used to come up here or go to other tall places after her sister gave herself to the Nightmare. She felt that she could be closer to her lost sister. From what I gather, Luna and I are rather similar."

"What do you mean by that?"

With a chuckle, Sunset replied, "We're both ... borderline personalities, I guess. I call myself a sociopath, as per the human vernacular, but I don't know for sure with Luna. Either way, Celestia never knew how to deal with us. Pony society doesn't produce many people like us, and the few that do appear tend to go off the deep end before they can figure out how to deal with it. Humans are much more familiar with the idea and know better how to help someone with it. Well, you know that, since you and I are two parts of the whole."

The demon offered no response, instead gesturing for Sunset to continue.

"I fought it for a long time. I didn't want to admit that you were part of me; I was scared that doing so would be the end of me. The things I did after my parents kicked me out of the house were purely to survive, after all.

"If I admitted that you really were part of me ... well, pony society wouldn't want me around. I doubt Celestia would have ordered my execution, but she certainly wouldn't have taken me as a student. At best, I would have been closely monitored. At worst, I might have spent a lot of time in a dungeon.

"Instead, calling you an external monster that somehow got into me made me a victim. Celestia even gave me a full pardon for the things I did to survive. She praised my ability to keep myself alive against terrible odds.

"It went to my head over time. I'm smart, gifted, talented, whatever you want to call it. There's almost nothing I can't do if I put myself to it, though I have a hard time with applying myself unless something interests me. As I got stronger, I decided that I wanted what I thought I deserved. Even now, some part of me does still think I deserved a chance to become a princess."

Seeing Canterlot Castle through her memories left Sunset with a melancholy tone. She tried to straighten, but the pain was too great even in her dream. Instead, she slid until her arse reached the floor to rest her head against the cool stone of the parapet.

"Celestia just doesn't know how to help people like me. I blamed her for years, but it wasn't entirely her fault. Yes, she drove her sister away because she couldn't see that what worked for most did not work on Luna, but mistakes happen. Where she first genuinely failed was when she drove me away by making the exact same mistakes instead of learning from her failures.

"She wanted to 'fix' me, make me normal, but that doesn't work for people like us. Bringing both Luna and me back required a powerful magic that basically reset our brains to take away the loop of hate. I never stopped having you be a part of me, though you lost the control I gave you when I put on that crown."

The demon settled next to Sunset. The heat from her skin drove the bite from the air, which Sunset had not noticed until that moment.

"When Celestia figured out that platitudes wouldn't save me from being what I am, she called me broken. I think I am, too. Do you know when I broke?"

"You don't know, so I can't."

"Maybe I forgot, if I ever knew. Maybe I was born this way, but I'm guessing it was because of how my parents treated me. Before I knew it, you were there, whispering into my ear. It was like you were always there by the time I noticed you."

"You were a little foal the first time I was aware of myself. We were fleeing that timberwolf. Thanks to my advise and your magic, that thing became our fire for the night."

Sunset nodded. "I never thanked you for that, you know. You've helped me so many times, but it was easier to blame you for my flaws. 'That's not me. I couldn't control it. Please help me get that thing out of my head.'

"Even though I knew the truth, I couldn't admit it to myself, not until the day I saved Sweetie Belle. After that, it was just easier to ignore you than to reach into all the things you represent and clear them out. Why haven't you ever used them against me?"

"Because I am you. I can't do much that you won't allow me to do. Poking and prodding was the limit. You finally realised that I've never impacted your dreams directly?"

"I always knew, but it comes back to the same point: Easier to blame you than to admit that I'm rotten."

"That sounds like what Rainbow Dash said."

"It's true. Much more of ignoring the problem and I would have lost control of myself. I have the power to summon Goetia and subdue them, something professional shrinks would give both kidneys to have, but I've never done it. I left all that to fester for years. If Midnight hadn't stopped me when she did ... I would have become the monster I always feared. It's time to stop pretending."

"Where does that leave me?"

"Even if I don't agree with the things you tell me, you're always there to offer suggestions. You aren't too different from how I hear people describe a conscience. In fact, I'd almost say you're mine. If I didn't have you, what would I have, do you think?"

"Nothing, I guess? If you believe in what others call a conscience, then you obviously don't have one."

Sunset laughed, though it caused sharp pain in her chest. "I know. I know exactly how to behave, what the 'rules' are. There's nothing telling me to be nice, though. Even my guilt is something I give myself because that's what 'normal' people should feel. I barely have any empathy, except for my friends. When I don't get what I want, there's nothing telling me to calm down and think about it. Instead, there's you, suggesting I bathe in the blood of those that try to stop me."

"Seems to have worked out for you ... this time."

"Yes and no. I have learnt to control myself, which let me make real friends because of it. At least, I had them."

The sound of fist striking palm accompanied Demon-Sunset's next words. "And we'll make those Banishers and everyone else pay for what they did to your friends. We'll do it together."

"Yes, we will, but maybe not how we pictured it. It's funny; being in my own head helped calm me down. I can see their faces and imagine what they would say if they saw what I had been thinking the last few hours. Pixie would be traumatised for life. Sweetie Belle would never speak to me again. The rest of them ... I would have chased away my friends, no one to blame but myself. I'm glad that Midnight stopped me."

"What are you saying? We let them go? Even if you don't want revenge anymore, they deserve to be punished."

"True, and they'll receive their punishment, but I will not become a monster to do it. I lost myself once; I'm never letting that happen again. You have your place, I have mine. Remember what Starswirl wrote about destiny?"

"That it's hogwash, and that ponies should be the arbiters of their own futures? Based on what he had to say, I think he censored his language there."

Sunset nodded. "I'm choosing my own destiny. I know what I am and what I want to be. I can't be something I'm not, but I don't have to let it control me. Will you help me?"

She opened her arms to the demon. Demon-Sunset edged toward herself slowly.

"What if I cease to be?"

"I am you."

There were no further words to speak. Demon-Sunset threw herself at Sunset. They joined, the two parts of Sunset's mind finally becoming one. As she absorbed the darkness she had ignored for so long, the world of Sunset's mind faded.

Every personal demon she had suppressed took advantage of their sudden unshackling to attack. Most prominent were the legions of her rage, but they were not alone. Anger, hurt, betrayal, jealousy, spite, envy, hate, and many others were ready to take control of Sunset. At her back rested those she wanted to comprise her: Love, hope, compassion, and kindness with just a little anger and guilt she wanted to keep. She had learnt long ago that the traditionally positive feelings may have helped her feel strong, but they were not very useful in battle.

She summoned Sparky and her demon to help. Both would protect what she wanted to keep while she cleared the rest of it. Her Temenos was to be a battlefield, the victor to become the true Sunset Shimmer.

She was still recovering from the soul-shocking loss of herself, but the memories of her beloved friends were there to support her. Even if they were gone, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash, Pixie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Trixie, Lemon Zest, Flash Sentry, and so many others living and dead had left pieces of their souls with Sunset and could therefore never be truly lost. She could visualise each, the parts fully representative of the whole. They would have her back in good times and bad.

"I'm coming back," she promised as she charged into the fray.

Chapter XVI: Who I Am

Chapter XVII: True Friends Help One Move Bodies

Sunset Shimmer believed strongly that no one should ever have to endure the pain she felt as she woke. There were no drugs to carry her through the worst of it, no deep recess she could use to hide it. Every ache was hers alone. She knew her knee was beyond salvage, that it would have to be replaced. Her lungs felt burnt as though from inhaling hot smoke, her heart was pounding as her head ached in rhythm with the rush of blood.

She tried to work herself into a sitting position, but the pain increased and forced her to remain on her back. A groan escaped her lips. The concrete floor was not comfortable, but at least it was cool against her overheated body.

"Welcome back, Sparky." Ace's visage appeared in her line of sight. "I was starting to think you had gotten lost somewhere inside yourself."

"No, I found myself. What are you doing here?"

Sunset felt Ace's magick touch her. "You've surpassed Midnight now. As for what I'm doing here ... we found them."

"How bad was it?"

"Everyone that had been in Great Hall escaped, but they were surrounded by those cancerous, Abyss-touched spirits. They couldn't create an Iris to escape and had to fight. Between that and everything else, we're only counting sixty-three survivors."

"Out of?"

"One hundred seventeen."

Sunset's despair took a keen edge. She had control over her emotions at last, but that did not stop the fear of discovering her friends were lost. She did not want to ask; so long as she did not ask, they were Schrödinger's cat. The moment Ace confirmed one way or another, Sunset would have no choice but to accept the outcome.

She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath to steady herself before asking, "My friends?"

"Your cabal-mates and the Trois Fleurs are alive. Jade and Amber were badly wounded, but they'll recover. The rest were a little banged up, but they're physically okay. I'll let them tell you about it."

"I'm so glad to hear that." She wiped a few happy tears from her eyes and tried again to sit up. Despite the pain, she could prop herself on her elbows. "Could you help me stand? I have something I need to do."

"I'll do you one better."

Ace placed an arm under her legs and across her back before lifting her from the floor. Sunset watched her figure, but she was not an anorexic model and worried he would overexert himself. He may not have been as muscled as Clash, but he was showing no strain in carrying her weight.

"You're stronger than you look."

"You're lighter than you look," Ace replied with a slight grin.

"Hey, now, didn't anyone ever warn you about saying crap like that to a girl?" She put her arms about Ace's neck as they went down the stairs. Perhaps some of the more romantically minded of her friends would have felt embarrassed to be carried by and hold someone as she was, but Sunset felt only gratitude for his help. Piggy-back may have been a little more normal, though it would have been far more painful. She giggled as the moment brought forth the memory of a conversation. "You know, Button Mash told me that the Japanese call this 'princess-style.' I always did want to be a princess."

"Yeah? Well, with the way Night Star chases you about, you could very well be hers."

"Sparky, Princess-Consort of Night Star. The title's a little long for me, but I guess I could get used to it."

They reached the lower level. The stairs terminated in a hall that emptied into the main floor. With most of the equipment gone, it was rather open. As soon as they passed into the warehouse floor, Sunset could see the waiting group. As Ace had said, her friends were alive. Lily was nowhere in sight, but she was likely going to stay with Rose and Daisy until they recovered. Button Mash had an arm in a sling, but his was the only visible injury aside from a few scrapes and nicks. Trixie and Lemon Zest were covered in grime. They all bore the haunted aspects of those who had seen too much, but they each broke into grins when they saw their leader. Ace lowered Sunset, letting her use his shoulders to support herself.

Sweetie Belle broke from the group to dash across the open floor. She knew better than to use one of her tackle-hugs, but she still gave Sunset a gentle embrace. "You're okay! You have no idea how worried we were."

"That goes double here. We'll catch up soon, but first I need to know what the situation looks like. Did the Banishers get away?"

"After you got rid of that Gulmoth, your Created allies were able to catch them," Ace replied. "The Banishers used too much Mana in the first battle. They surrendered quickly."

"Pinkie was able to put them to sleep," Sweetie Belle added. "One of them had some internal bleeding from when the Gulmoth grabbed him, but they didn't notice in time. The other seven are tied up and still sleeping. We've been waiting for you before we did anything else with them."

"Good. Let's get this over with."

Sweetie Belle released Sunset and took a step back. It was the first opportunity Sunset had to get a good look at her best friend. Despite the joyous glint in her eye, a few tears that were not happiness rested at the corners. The brilliant green irises were surrounded by red lines, puffy cheeks indicating that she had been crying. Ace should have told her about Pixie, but she did not show the despair of losing a child that Sunset had expected.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Those spirits were terrible. When we got into the Shadow, they were all around us. I don't think anyone expected we were going to make it out, but we weren't going down without a fight." Sweetie Belle shivered. "Even with all the magick we had, it-it was was awful. They kept breaking through our barriers, and they k-killed so many of us."

When Sweetie Belle could no longer continue, Lemon Zest continued, "We were running out Mana for our shields and thought we were done for when the Councillors and Lightning Rider finally found us. Your fellow Arrows and all those Uratha cut a path for us and covered our retreat."

"Karen and Spike were there with all of my friends, and they all worked together to get us out." The few tears that had been hanging at the edges of Sweetie Belle's eyes started to fall. "It was awful! They fought harder than anyone to get us out, but they...."

She could no longer speak as she grasped Sunset and sobbed into her shoulder. With one arm still holding Ace for support, she wrapped the other about her friend and offered what limited comfort her hug could provide.

"They paid the price," Button continued. "Even when they were surrounded and overwhelmed, they refused to stop protecting us until they were sure we'd be able to escape. They were covering our backs with the Arrows and the Uratha. Not one of them got out."

"Oh, Sweetie Belle." Sunset pulled her other arm from Ace's shoulders to add to the hug. Sunset glanced at Twilight over Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "Spike?"

"He's okay. Bob, a shadow person, threw him and Karen to me during the retreat. They're at the sanctum to watch over Rarity and the kids."

"How many Arrows are left?" she asked Ace.

"Just you and a few others that we carried out because they were already too badly wounded," he replied. "Flawless Sword wouldn't withdraw until every non-Arrow was safe, and your peers stayed with him. The Uratha tried to protect them, but there were just too many spirits."

"Did the Hierarch make it? What about Clash and Lightning Rider?"

"The Hierarch wanted to stand with the Arrows and Orchid's friends, but Solar Helm and I pushed him through the Iris. Lightning Rider ordered a retreat once we were out and covered his people. The wounds from those spirits resist all magick. He'll survive, but he'll be a while in the hospital. Clash is fine except for a few new scars."

The rest of the accounting would come later. Sunset ended her enquiries to focus on holding Sweetie Belle until her friend had gone through her latest round of tears. The lack of reference to Pixie made her think Sweetie Belle and Button did not yet know. Even if she would be the hardest loss to vocalise, Sunset had expected some mention. She felt some irritation that Ace had allowed them to believe both of their daughters were waiting for them. As upset as she was, Sunset decided not to berate him for it yet. She wanted to be there for her friends, to help carry them through their loss so they would not go down the dark path she nearly had. To do that, she needed to break the news.

The moment of contemplation allowed her to notice a particular absence.

"Where's Midnight?"

"That's ... complicated." Ace shook his head. "After she was sure the Banishers wouldn't be a problem, she absorbed what Mana she could and left me a note before doing something reckless and dangerous."

The pit of worry that had closed upon learning her friends were alive suddenly reopened. "What did she do?"

"Midnight earned her way to Master of both Time and Fate so she could save Pixie."

"What happened to Pixie?" Sweetie Belle's voice was already ragged from her previous emotional outburst, which only lent a greater threat to the hard edge of worry.

"Is she hurt?" Button looked ready to flay someone.

Ace held up his hands to forestall their rising concern. "Calm down, guys. She's fine now, and she'll never even notice the difference. Midnight went back to before the Banishers destroyed her school and called in a bomb threat, then she faked hundreds of life signs ... somehow ... and let them destroy an empty building."

"Multiple-Arcana Mastery in one day?"

Ace smiled with a bit of pride for just a moment, but it faded quickly as he explained, "She had to use Making to give those kids time and futures, but she didn't have Mind to overwrite all those memories of their deaths. Because of that, she invoked what I'm guessing was at least a fifth-degree Paradox and then contained it."

Every gathered Mage and Button gasped. Several of them started to ask questions, but Ace held up a hand to quiet them.

"She'll survive. She's at the hospital, and they're keeping her sedated for now. I'll let you know when she's able to have visitors."

The Created and Pinkie had been listening quietly without interrupting their talk, but one of them stepped forward to ask, "Don't you have magick to heal your bodies?"

"Paradox can't be healed with magick, Awakened or otherwise. My sister's in for a long recovery just like any regular Mortal."

The Created reached into a bag at his side and extracted one of the green cranes. He presented it to Ace.

"I've heard that some people believe folding one thousand of these will heal anything. I didn't detect any magick when I made them, but maybe it's a different type. Please give this to her as a gift from all of us."

"Thank you," Ace said as he accepted the present. "From me and from Midnight."

"Should we bring in the other guests?" Pinkie asked.

"Yeah, I think they've waited long enough," Ace replied.

She darted into another room, a small foreman's office at the corner of the floor. Sunset did not bother to ask, knowing she would get an answer as soon as Pinkie returned. It was not a long wait. She emerged with Bon Bon and Lyra.

Whatever had been hiding Bon Bon from magick had faded, but that was not the most noticeable change to the two women. Lyra's soul, which had once been dull and buried in the Lie, was now bright and shining with magick.

"I didn't know she was one of us," Trixie said.

"She wasn't." Sunset nodded to Lyra. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. One minute, I was watching that monster come out of that tear in reality, the next I was in a place full of thorns. There were these faerie-like things around, but it wasn't as happy as I thought. They didn't let me go until I wrote a new song and played it for them."

Trixie was nearly bouncing in glee as she said, "You're a Witch, too. On the Acanthus Path, not like the generic Mortal idea of 'witches.' I can't wait to hear the music you'll create with your magick."

Lyra's eyes could have been spinning and it would not have surprised Sunset. "Calm down, Star Dust. We'll get her settled once we take care of everything else. How about you, Sweetie Drops? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I thought this one was in a coma for a while, but she woke up. My superiors probably aren't going to be happy to find out I have a witch-" She stopped for a moment. "Sorry, a Mage for a roommate, not that I really care what they think anymore." She moved closer until she could whisper in Sunset's ear. "I know you hate me, and that you're mad at Lyra for what she did, but please make sure you guys treat her well, okay?"

"We'll need to talk later, but for now just don't worry about her. I'm not going to hurt Lyra or you, and I shouldn't have considered it in the first place."

Bon Bon went back to hug Lyra. "We're going to wait outside for now, but they'll be teaching you what you need to know later, okay?"

"Sure. See you later, guys."

"What should we do with these guys?" one of the Created asked, gesturing at the Banishers.

"Pinkie, wake them. I want to ask a few questions."

"Okie-dokie-lokie." Her reply was hesitant, but she complied. "It'll take a little bit."

Sunset reached for her weapon to find it was missing. "I need a gun."

"What are you planning to do?" There was concern in Sweetie Belle's voice.

"Someone give me a gun. Now."

As she looked at the captured Banishers, she felt rage seeping into her. It was not easy to control, but she forced a tight leash on it. The urge to cut them into pieces with a hacksaw or to pull their spleens with barbed wire would not vanish, but Sunset was confident she would not give herself to the violent impulses.

Ace pulled his own and passed it to her silently. She continued to lean against him for physical support. They watched as the Banishers woke, shaking the sleep from their eyes and the cobwebs from their brains. When they saw the Created forming a loose ring about them and Sunset holding a gun with a blank face, they began struggling against their bindings made of twisted metal.

"Don't bother," Sunset said. "The Created are really strong. You're not going to break out of steel pipes. We're all here for a while and we're going to talk."

Based on the battle, Pinkie Pie and the Created were reasonably certain which one of them was the leader. They had positioned her somewhat removed from the others. It was to her that Sunset addressed her question.

"Why?"

A defiant look in her eye, she replied, "We carry out God's Will on this world. All servants of the Devil will fall before Him in time."

"So you think your god told you kill us?"

"As the Lord commanded in the early days of Israel, we will burn all the witches."

"And you intend to do this with witchcraft?"

"God gave us the Devil's tools to use against his followers. It burns, but the rewards to come are worth the torment in this life."

With a shake of her head, Sunset replied, "Did you believe this strongly in your god before you Awakened or after?"

The leader would not reply, so she asked the question to the others. One of them said, "I had doubted God's existence until I saw Hell. I was burnt in the fires, poked by the demonic legion, until the Lord showed His Mercy to me and allowed me to leave there and have a second chance at life."

"How do you think your god speaks to you?"

"Through whatever means He chooses. Most of His Revelations come from His Holy Word, but He sometimes speaks in other ways if we listen carefully."

"Does it bother you that your god told you to destroy a primary school? You butchered hundreds of children."

"We were pursuing the Devilspawn."

"The what?"

The leader spoke again, her voice hard. "The unholy offspring of the Devil and one of his followers."

Sweetie Belle's attempt to respond required both Twilight and Lemon Zest to hold her. Sunset had never heard that kind of language from her friend's mouth and made a mental note to pay closer attention to her own. She waited for Sweetie Belle to calm before continuing.

"How did you know about her?"

"We saw it. The Lord guided our eyes and we perceived the hellfire in its soul, just like what is in that one." She nodded toward Button Mash. "They must be purged. It is God's Will."

"If you somehow got out of those pipes holding you, what would you do?"

"I would burn you witches in God's Holy Flame."

Sunset closed her eyes for a moment and took a few steadying breaths.

"I'm sorry your Awakening left you in pain, but I'll release you."

She leveled the gun and pulled the trigger. The retort was immediately followed by a bullet hole appearing between the woman's eyes. Her body slumped to the ground.

"She'll be buried in an unmarked grave."

"Why did you kill her?" Sweetie Belle was trying to pull the gun from Sunset's hand, but her fingers were too weak to get the leverage needed. Sunset had enabled the safety, expecting such a reaction.

"Sweetie Belle, look at me." She met the young mother's eyes. "I know what I'm doing. If you can't handle it, go outside."

Her friend released her hand, not moving except to fall back. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. "Sunset?"

Pinkie placed a hand on Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "She'll be fine. Please, come back here with me."

Sunset ignored them, turning her attention back to the other Banishers. "Someone answer me: Even if 'devilspawn' exist, how could it ever justify murdering hundreds of children to get one? What if you were wrong?"

At first, none of them replied. Finally, one of the men spoke. "As a great man once said, 'Kill them all. God will know His own.'"

"Did any of you ever stop to think about what you've been doing? First you destroyed a residential building and killed tens of innocent people, several families that had done nothing to deserve death, then you targeted hundreds of children. I'm reiterating this point for a reason because I really hope at least one of you is not a monster."

"The only monsters in this room are the Devil's servants and his spawn," another of the women replied.

"So killing innocent people is fine, since they'll go to Heaven, huh?"

None of the Banishers said anything. Sunset tried to detect some guilt or doubt in any of them and could find nothing. Powerful conviction, a little fear, everything pointed to them being ready to die. Sunset obliged them, all six remaining Banishers meeting the same end as their leader.

"Sunset." Sweetie Belle was crying, her face pale. "How could you turn into a killer?"

"Sometimes there's no other choice. I believe in what the Adamantine Arrow teaches and that violence, especially to take another's life, should never be the first answer. They had their opportunity to redeem themselves and chose not to take it. Let the Interfectors handle the enemies we can contain, but I'll make sure those we can't will be stopped."

"What makes you qualified to handle that?" Ace asked.

"Because I can. I nearly lost myself to bloodlust, but I pulled myself back with Midnight's help. I am capable of being an executioner, and I will be one so that no one else will have to be."

He nodded. "Very well."

Sunset turned to her cabal. Each of them showed concern, but they did not recoil from her gaze.

"I don't expect you guys to understand. Make your own decisions."

Sweetie Belle could no longer restrain herself. She grabbed Sunset in a tight hug that dragged them both to the floor.

"Please don't become a murderer, Sunset. I don't want to lose you."

Twilight pulled Sweetie Belle from Sunset's neck. "She's not. She's offering to be an executioner."

"It's the same thing."

"No, it's not. Both kill, but one does it because there's something wrong with them and they enjoy it. The other does it because it has to be done. Sunset, you're ... what, a sociopath? a psychopath?"

"I'm not sure. Something like that."

Twilight nodded. "I'll admit I'm not comfortable with it, but you're one of my best friends. I know that you wouldn't put yourself into danger like that unless you knew you could handle it, and I know you would never hurt anyone if you had any other choice."

"Heroes have to kill monsters," Button Mash added. "Games play it down, since they're just bits of code. In real life, someone still has to be responsible for real death when there's no other answer. You're one of our heroes, Sunset."

"To be honest, I suppose my feelings could be summed up as 'better you than me,'" Trixie said. "Still, we fought rather viciously in the Shadow compared to what you did just now."

Lemon Zest knelt to join the others. "It was easy to pretend that nothing bad would ever happen, but that wasn't true. We killed spirits to survive. It feels different, but I agree with Trixie."

Though she appreciated their acceptance, Sunset wanted to hear Sweetie Belle's thoughts. That she was still allowing Sunset to hold her was positive.

"Sweetie Belle, I'm sorry you had to see that. I hope you'll never have to deal with something like this again. I'm doing this because I can, I swear it to you. Even if you don't want me around you or Pixie or Violet again, I can be happy knowing you and the rest of our friends will never have to deal with it. This is going to happen again, and I'll be there. Can you accept that?"

Sniffling a bit first, Sweetie Belle replied, "Back before you took me home with you, when things were at their worst, I used to be really mad at my family all the time. Sometimes, I would think about ... doing things to them. When Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started bullying me and my friends, it got worse. I'd have dreams about the horrible things I could do to them. I never even really considered it, though. Something kept me from being able to go that far, even when I was sure I'd have to lose my baby.

"It scares me that someone can do this, Sunset. I know what I would've become if I'd done something like this."

She hugged Sunset again, though she was careful not to squeeze her neck as she had previously.

"But I trust you, too. Even though I'm scared for you, I'm not scared of you. You're a kind, gentle person and a wonderful friend. Don't ever leave us, okay?"

Even after seeing a side of her that Sunset had always hidden and denied, despite having to help her move the bodies she had created, they were still her friends. For the first time in her life, Sunset Shimmer felt some peace with herself.

End Part III

Chapter XVII: True Friends Help One Move Bodies