Birthrights and Love

Chapters

1. Sisters
2. Odd Girl Out
3. Sinister Sundown
4. Wonderland
5. Hunted by Moonlight

1. Sisters

Sunset Shimmer was weird.

Once, long ago, Sunset was bullied for her abnormalities. She had been thin, she had been short, and she had been weird. When the children played jump rope, Sunset would jump too high, so they called her ‘kangaroo.’ When they played hide-n-seek and it took hours for kids to find her, even though she had only been in a bush and not very well concealed, they called her a cheater. And when someone would stand too close or hug her, and suddenly get shoved away or shocked without Sunset ever touching them, they would call her a freak.

Then, Sunset got her growth spurt.

Gone was the thin, short, weird girl. In her place was the lean, tall, leather jacket-wearing young woman. She was still weird, but you would never say it to her face. And the students at Canterlot High knew it. Gone was the girl they had teased and pushed in elementary school. Sunset Shimmer did the teasing and pushing now. If someone wanted to catch her, she’d run quick as the wind. If she didn’t want to be found by anyone, they would never find a hair on her. And if someone was brave enough or stupid enough to fight her, they’d find themselves on their back, staring up at the sky without Sunset having even laid a punch.

She walked down the halls of CHS, boots clicking against the floor while the shoes of the other students squeaked as they scrambled out her way. She kept her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket and a lollipop in her mouth. Her crimson and gold hair flowed like silk behind her. Her teal eyes scanned the crowd before her, searching for one girl in particular. A few students caught her eye as she passed. Some of them gave a hesitant wave or smile. Sunset would snap her fingers and point at some of them in acknowledgment. The ones that hadn’t earned her ire yet.

She crossed through the school’s front rotunda, pausing to check her reflection in one of the many trophies the school had acquired over the years. She straightened her purple shirt, smoothed out her orange skirt, and gave her hair a flip. Looking good, Shimmer. She grinned at herself and moved on.

A little self-confidence went a long way.

On the other side of the brightly lit entrance hall were the lockers where students were busy grabbing their supplies for their next class. Sunset paid them no mind as she honed on her target. A devious grin spread across her face as Sunset crept upon her. Arms spread wide, she clamped down on the girl’s shoulders.

“Gimme your lunch money, nerd!”

“Gaaah!” Twilight Sparkle jumped, her glasses flying off her face. Though they were a good two feet above her, Sunset snatched them from the air and handed them over.

“Sunny!” Twilight slipped them on and glared at her. “How many times have I told you not to do that?”

Sunset shrugged. “Seven, eight?”

“Exactly twenty-three times counting today!”

“All right, don’t fog your glasses.” Sunset continued to grin, seeing the bottom half of Twilight’s lenses already steaming up. “How else should I greet my baby sister?”

Twilight grabbed her AP English textbook and closed her locker. “A hug? A tap on the shoulder? Anything that doesn’t scare me half to death?”

“Nah, that sounds boring.”

Pushing her glasses up her nose, Twilight sighed and grumbled, “You’re impossible.”

“You’re right, Sparky, I am incredible.”

Despite the scowl she tried to make, Twilight’s eyes carried that light of amusement Sunset loved to see. Twilight gave her a playful shove, unable to hold her scowl any longer, losing it to an exasperated grin. “Do you wanna head down to Sugarcube Corner after school?” she asked.

Sunset shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess that could be fun.”

“Stop it. I know how much you love their milkshakes.”

“Pfft, they’re average at best. But since you’re dying for me to spend time with you, I can indulge you today.” She laughed when Twilight pushed her again. As they started down the hall, Sunset pulled a handful of lollipops from her pocket and fanned them out for Twilight. Naturally, her hand went straight for the grape flavor.

With her ponytail and thick-rimmed glasses, the lollipop didn’t make her look cool in any way like it did for Sunset. Oh well, being cute is a close second.

The bell rang, and the two parted ways, Twilight off to her AP English class and Sunset off to history. Taking AP classes as a freshman. If Twilight keeps it up, we might graduate together.

The rest of school went by at a snail’s pace as it always did. Sunset tried to play the game ‘Don’t Look at the Clock,’ but after what felt like an hour of succeeding, she checked and found, to her horror, that only fifteen minutes had passed. She buried her face in her textbook and let out a small groan.

It wasn’t that she hated school. But after ten and a half grades of the same thing, Sunset could barely stand it. Seeing the same faces day in and day out didn’t help either, especially when most of them had teased and pushed Sunset only a few years ago. Now they did everything to avoid her, lest they incur her wrath.

She supposed that was the last silver lining school provided for her. She had the power to get anyone to do anything whenever she wanted. Or rather, when Twilight wouldn’t find out.

After an eternity filled with the drone of Mr. Noteworthy’s lecture, school finally concluded. Sunset licked her lips at the thought of the strawberry milkshake waiting for her. But first…

As the students filed out of the classroom, Sunset pointed at them with a finger, muttering, “Eeny, meeny, miny, you’ll do. Hey, Roseluck.”

Roseluck froze, but only after her shoulders jumped like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She slowly turned around. “Oh, h-hi, Sunset.”

Sunset slid an arm around her, gently petting her shoulder while steering her down the hall. “So, listen, my sister and I are gonna go hang out today, and I really don’t think I’ll have time to do that history assignment. Be a peach and make a copy for me, yeah?” Her palm heated up as she gave Roseluck’s shoulder a squeeze.

Roseluck bit her lip and rapidly nodded her head. “Y-yeah, of course! Anything for you, Sunset!”

“I knew you’d say yes,” Sunset said with a false cheery smile. The heat in her hand faded away and she let Roseluck run off. It’s good to be queen.

She pulled a lollipop from her pocket and placed it in her mouth. Watermelon this time. It wasn’t often she coerced other students into doing her work for her; usually because they could never do it right. But it was fun just to remind them sometimes that she could make them do what she wanted. And some days, she just couldn’t be bothered to do the homework.

Twilight waited for her at the front steps, idly tapping a toe against one of the cracks in the cement. Sunset decided to be merciful and not scare the living daylights out of her this time, tapping her sister on the shoulder instead.

“Ready to go, nerd?”

Twilight elbowed her. “You’re one to talk. You tutored me in advanced algebra.”

“You’re the one who took advanced algebra.”

They made their way across the front yard, Twilight eyeing the Wondercolt statue as they went. The rearing horse on the tall marble plinth shone brightly in the afternoon sun.

“Sometimes, I feel something coming from the statue,” Twilight whispered. “It feels like when you use your… you know, abilities.”

“You mean magic?”

“Unexplainable occurrences,” Twilight said, louder. Her voice softened. “I don’t know. It’s all strange to me. I’m sure there’s a rational explanation somewhere.”

Sunset didn’t answer. She looked back at the statue. There had always been something nostalgic about it. She couldn’t say it brought her any comfort. It was more like… longing. For what, she couldn’t say. She shook her head. This train of thought always led to an empty station.

Like every other day, Twilight regaled Sunset with everything that she had learned. With a sister like Twilight, Sunset didn’t see the need to do homework; she could learn everything through osmosis. She nodded absently and said, “Uh-huh,” and “that’s exciting,” in a dispassionate voice. But seeing Twilight’s face light up when she talked about learning always warmed Sunset’s heart.

And like every other day, Sugarcube Corner was packed with students getting their afterschool fix of sugar and caffeine. Sunset approached one of the booths by the windows and snapped her fingers at the couple sitting there. “Sorry, table’s been reserved.”

“R-right, yeah, sorry, Sunset,” Sandalwood said, taking his girlfriend by the hand and scurrying off.

Sunset plopped down on the red cushions and put her boots up. “What?” she asked, watching Twilight slide in on the other side with a disapproving frown.

“You know I hate it when you do that.”

“Oh come on, I’m not hurting anyone. Besides, it’s all just—”

“I know, I know,” Twilight said, putting her hands up and making air quotes. “‘Payback.’ Sunset, I know some of these kids were mean to you when you were younger, but don’t you think you take things too far sometimes?”

“I’m not hurting anyone,” Sunset said defensively. “Unless they try to pick a fight with me first. All I do is make sure people understand that I’m in charge.”

“By intimidating them.”

“You make it sound so bad when you use that tone.”

Twilight sighed and looked at her with puppy dog concern. “I just worry about you sometimes. I don’t like thinking my sister is a bully. What would Shining say?”

Sunset put her boots down and rested her chin against her palm. “Knowing him, he’d give me a whole lecture about how ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’ and ‘take the moral high ground’ and blah, blah, blah.”

“And he’d be right,” Twilight said, her voice entering ‘lecture mode’. “You don’t need to prove anything; everyone already knows you’re the toughest girl in school. You made sure of that. Now, you’re just being mean for the sake of it. I’m glad you haven’t hurt anyone physically, but what about emotionally? Bullying of any degree can cause lasting damage to someone.”

“Like me?”

“Exactly! You’re just perpetuating this cycle of revenge!”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Sunset said holding her hands up. “Stop guilt-tripping me; you’re making me sound like I’m some tyrannical maniac. If it’ll help you sleep at night, I’ll try to be a little nicer to people. At least the ones who haven’t slighted me yet.” Her smarmy grin faltered under Twilight’s violet eyes sparkling with a silent plea. “Fine, everyone.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Sis.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll go get our drinks. The usual?”

“Yes, please.”

Sunset slid out the booth and got in line. She glanced about the sweet shop. Everyone was engrossed in personal conversations. Any wandering eyes that made contact with Sunset’s gaze quickly looked away. As it should be. Sunset had power, and people either feared or respected that power. That was how the world worked. Just because she exerted that power on occasion didn’t make her evil, it just kept everyone else in line.

Sunset approached the counter and said in a polite voice to Mrs. Cake, “One strawberry milkshake with extra cream, and a mint chocolate chip shake, please.” With or without her power, Sunset treated most authorities with respect. They hadn’t bullied her after all.

With milkshakes in hand, Sunset turned to return back to Twilight and immediately felt her blood boil.

Two guys dressed in finely made uniforms hovered around Twilight. If Sunset had to put them on a scale from ‘rich snob’ to ‘creepy dork’ they would fall neatly in the middle.

The one leaning on the corner of the booth had neatly combed black hair, gray skin, and shiny glasses that sat on the edge of his nose while he grinned down at Twilight. The other one sat uncomfortably close to her, giving a smolder that only made her huddle in on herself. The boy had floofy blonde hair that looked like hay against his brown skin. Between his designer glasses and his friend’s ascot, Sunset wasn’t sure which one wanted their ass kicked more.

Sunset fumed through her nostrils. She slammed the milkshakes down on a random table and marched over, fists balled. “And what do you two think you’re doing?” she asked in a low growl.

The gray one lifted his head to her, looking at her from over his glasses with an unimpressed frown. “Trying to have a conversation. Do you mind?”

“Just a little bit.” Sunset stopped inches from his face. She took immense satisfaction in seeing his cool demeanor falter. “Seems to me you were looking for a little more than a ‘conversation.’”

The chatter around them had slowed down, heads turning as a tension mounted in the shop, then quickly turning away when they saw it was Sunset.

“Listen, girly,” the blonde one said, “we’re not bothering anyone, right… I’m sorry, purple angel, I didn’t get your name.”

“T-Twilight,” she squeaked. She looked at Sunset, wide eyes saying, ‘I don’t wanna be here, but please don’t do anything rash.’

Sunset heard half the message.

“She doesn’t wanna talk to you,” Sunset said, her voice cold and sharp. “So why don’t you two just move along before something regrettable happens.”

“Yeah?” the blonde one asked. “And who are you to make us?”

“I’m her sister.” Something welled up from Sunset’s core; the surging warmth that always came right before the ‘weird’ thing happened. Arms at her sides, she spread her fingers, willing the warmth to her hands and then to the world around her.

At Canterlot High, there was one rule all followed: don’t mess with Sunset Shimmer. But as of this year, there was a second, even more, critical rule everyone adhered to. Do not mess with her sister.

The brown hair boy flew out from the booth like he had been thrown by an invisible giant. He crashed into his friend, sending them both into the table Sunset had left her drinks on. With a loud rattle and clank, pink and green dairy products splashed down onto them, drenching their uniforms and leaving chocolate chips in their hair. They looked up at Sunset, fear overriding their rampant confusion.

“Leave. Now,” Sunset growled.

The two boys scrambled over one another and fled out the front door, the bell above ringing a polite farewell. Sunset ignored the quiet atmosphere of the shop and grabbed a handful of napkins from the nearest table. She cleaned up the leftover milkshake spill and returned to the front counter.

“Sorry about that, Mrs. Cake. Do you think I could get two more of those?” she asked sincerely.

“Um… sure, sweetie,” Mrs. Cake said with an uneasy smile.

Chatter resumed once more, random eyes chancing a look in Sunset’s direction every so often. Sunset returned with new glasses and handed one to Twilight. Her sister accepted it, but it was with a frown and sad eyes.

“What?” Sunset asked.

“I just asked you to be nicer to people.”

“Yeah, but, they were creeps, you were uncomfortable, and I gave them a warning. Plus, did you see their uniforms? They were from Crystal Prep. I feel like this was a win for everyone here.”

“You still shouldn’t have done that.”

Sunset took a sip of her sweet strawberry shake. A nagging presence in her mind took some of the sweetness away. Said presence always stirred after she used her abilities for… less than favorable things. She didn’t call it her conscience because it didn’t feel like hers per se. Perhaps she had just lived with Twilight’s nagging for so long, she had wormed her way into her subconscious.

Speaking of Twilight, she had her eyes cast down at the table and was taking forlorn sips of her shake.

Sunset gave a guilty exhale and flapped her lips. “Listen, I’m sorry, okay? You of all people know I’m rough around the edges and can be a little overprotective.”

“Yes, you and Shining both. I’m not mad that you want to protect me. I just get worried when you do that stuff in public.” Twilight lowered her voice. “One day, someone’s going to ask questions, then that person’s going to ask questions, and eventually, someone’s going to take you away to do bad science on you!”

Sunset didn’t know which was cuter, Twilight’s slippery slope fallacy, or her use of the term ‘bad science.’ Sure, Sunset had moments when she wasn’t particularly discreet about her powers, but no one had called the government yet. They all just assumed she was a freak.

Shoving that sore spot away, Sunset met her sister’s panic with a calm smile. “No one’s going to come and do ‘bad science’ on me. Well, they won’t as long as you keep your mouth shut when you become president.”

That got Twilight to smile modestly. She dropped the issue for now, though Sunset knew she would hear more of it sometime in the future. Likely whenever she let her temper get the best of her again.

With their milkshakes finished, they headed home, walking in the long shadows cast by the falling sun. They reached their two-story purple house, looking the same as it always did for Sunset’s entire memory. Some of the paint along the porch had chipped and peeled, and despite their father’s assertion that he would repaint it, another year went past with more flaking off.

“Mom, we’re home!” Sunset yelled, stepping across the threshold. She kicked her boots off and tossed her jacket onto a chair as she passed into the living room. Twilight, ever the organizer, neatly set her shoes by the door and hung up Sunset’s jacket on the coat rack.

A pitter-patter of paws scampered out from the kitchen. Collar jingling, Spike paused at Sunset’s feet, sniffing her ankle and giving her a bark of greeting before continuing to his true master.

Twilight scooped up the purple puppy and nuzzled him against her cheek. “Hi, Spike! Were you a good boy while I was at school?”

Spike gave a happy yip and licked her face.

Twilight Velvet walked in from her study room, a pencil tucked between her ear and her bun of purple and white hair. “There you are; I was wondering what was taking you so long.” She planted a kiss on each of the girl’s foreheads.

“We stopped to get milkshakes,” Twilight said.

“I expected as much. At least do your worrying mother a favor and call her next time.” She headed into the kitchen and pulled out a plate of carrots and celery. “So how was school?”

“Boring,” Sunset said, grabbing a carrot.

“It was great! Guess what I learned in chemistry today!” Twilight took off on her school recap. Sunset zoned out, having heard it all an hour ago. She wandered back into the living room and laid down on the couch, rubbing her back into the cushions until she found the perfect comfort spot.

“Don’t you have homework, young lady?”

Sunset dropped the hand that had been in pursuit of the remote. She rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she groaned. She had given Roseluck her history assignment but still had math to finish.

“Shouldn’t you be working on it?” her mother asked.

“But I just got comfortable,” Sunset whined.

Velvet pointed at the stairs. “Homework first, then television. You know the rules. You already got to goof off with your milkshake adventure.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Sunset rolled off the couch and dragged her feet upstairs, Twilight giggling behind her. “Sunny got in trouble, Sunny got in trouble.”

“Shut up, Sparky.”

Author's Note

An experiment in discovery writing. I know how the story ends, I don't know how we're going to get there. Should be ~~a mess~~ fun.

2. Odd Girl Out

Sunset threw the covers over her head as the morning light intensified. With her windows facing east, the sun lit up the white carpet, making her room even brighter.

“Sunset, get up or you’re going to be late for school!” her mother shouted from the hall.

“Uuugh.” Why does school have to start at eight? Why can’t we start at the crack of noon?

Slowly peeling the covers back to allow her eyes to adjust, Sunset rose out of bed and popped a crick in her neck. She swung her legs out of bed and immediately stepped on one of Spike’s chew toys. She kicked it aside and stood up, popping her back and letting out a tired yawn.

Unlike her sister’s perfectly organized room with alphabetized bookshelves and cubbies for her notebooks, Sunset’s was a jumbled mess she called ‘organized chaos.’ She had borrowed the term from one of Twilight’s friends. Clothes laid in a pile around the laundry hamper, notebooks laid scattered around her desk with bags of chips sprinkled in between. Even her walls were messy. Posters of television shows and rock bands covered any inch of blue wall Sunset could find, some of them overlapping one another. The only safe space was her nightstand where a collection of family pictures stood neatly arranged in a row. Front and center was Sunset’s favorite, a shot of her, Shining, and Twilight in the park. Shining had the two of them in a playful headlock while the girls screeched in damsel delight.

The forecast called for a cold front as they pushed deeper into autumn, so Sunset picked a pair of jeans she thought still looked clean and slipped them on. Downstairs, she found Twilight in the kitchen with Pop-tarts already heated and glazed.

“Thank you,” Sunset said, plucking one off the plate.

“Yep.” Twilight held it in her mouth while she slipped her shoes and backpack on. “Come on, I promised the girls I’d hang out with them before school started.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. She didn’t care too much for Twilight’s friends. One of them was a diva, one was over-competitive to the point of obnoxiousness, then there was the doormat, the country bumpkin, and the crazy one. She shuddered at the smile the crazy one had given her once.

Still, they were nice enough and took good care of Twilight when Sunset wasn’t around. Their sincerity didn’t level out their conglomeration of weird and/or annoying personalities, however. They were definitively Twilight’s friends and only her friends. Sunset preferred the company of herself anyway.

The road to school was fraught with orange and gold leaves and brisk gusts that convinced Sunset to zip up her jacket. She found tranquility watching the leaves spiral down from the shedding branches. Autumn was her favorite time of year, despite being born in the middle of summer. The way the leaves matched her hair, the sweet scent of pumpkin and ginger spice wafting from bakeries, the sun shining in the blue sky, giving them warmth without being an oppressive heat.

She and Twilight walked onto campus where other early students were milling about, many of them lounging around the statue. Sunset paused to stare at it, once again feeling that odd nostalgia.

“Hey, Twi!”

Sunset followed her sister’s gaze as Rainbow Dash ran toward them, soccer ball under her arm. Sunset swore she had never seen the girl outside of a uniform.

Rainbow ground her trainers into the concrete as she came to a stop. She spared Sunset a brief acknowledging glance. “We’re gonna kick the ball around out back. You wanna play with us?”

Twilight tugged on one of her tresses. “I don’t know. You know I’m not… athletically inclined.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun! Just a few passes and shots. Even Fluttershy’s gonna play for a bit.” Rainbow slapped her shoulder. “I promise to go easy on you.”

Twilight yielded a sigh. “All right then. Exercise is good for you, after all.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow’s excited smile became cautionary. “Do you, uhh… wanna play too, Sunset?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. She could see the hope for rejection clear in Rainbow’s eyes. Sunset wanted to say yes just to watch that hope die. “No thanks,” she said instead. “Go have your fun.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She hid the relief in her voice pretty well. “Come on, Twi.”

“Bye, Sunny, see you after school!” Twilight ran off, jogging to keep up with Rainbow.

Sunset inhaled, smelling the crisp aroma of aging leaves and stale grass. She exhaled, pushing away the emptiness trying to make itself known in her heart. “What to do until school starts?” She supposed she could always heckle someone for a giggle, but Twilight’s pleading eyes lingered in her mind.

With a begrudged sigh, Sunset trudged up the steps and into the rotunda, pulling out another lollipop as she went. Finding a quiet spot to read her fantasy book would have to do. She stopped by her locker to shove her backpack away and grab her Daring Do book.

“Hello, Miss Shimmer. Keeping out of trouble, I hope?”

Sunset rolled the lollipop to the side of her mouth and gently shut her locker door. “Don’t worry, I’m on my best behavior, Miss Inkwell.” She turned and gave the alabaster woman a sincere smile.

Principal Inkwell stood a few inches shorter than Sunset. Her jet black hair was tied in a neat bun, and Sunset had a feeling she went to the same optometrist as Twilight because her glasses were almost the same thick-rimmed, square shape.

Sunset always felt relaxed around the principal. Despite being sent to her office numerous times for things other students couldn’t prove, Miss Inkwell was always cordial and kind. She wasn’t afraid to scold Sunset, but never once lost her temper. It was enough to where Sunset felt a twinge of guilt anytime she was called in. Yet part of her was also glad every time she got to see Raven.

Miss Inkwell smiled in turn. “That’s good to hear. I would really like to make it through a whole semester without calling you to my office.”

“That makes two of us. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Sunset held her book up. “I have some reading to do before class.”

“Oh, I just got that yesterday! How is it?”

“When I finish it, I’ll let you know.” She stepped around Raven and made for the second floor. Her advanced algebra class was always empty before the bell rang.

She climbed the flight of stairs, and as she got to the top, Roseluck came from around the corner. She hopped back at Sunset’s arrival and clutched her backpack.

“Sunset, I, uh, I finished that assignment for you.” She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Here.”

“Oh, right.” Sunset plucked it from her fingers and looked over the typed-up answers. She had already forgotten she had pawned this off.

“If that’s it, I’m leaving,” Roseluck said curtly. She squeezed past Sunset and headed downstairs.

“Wait,” Sunset said, spinning on her heel. Roseluck cringed and froze in midstep. Sunset chewed the inside of her cheek, mulling Twilight’s words over from yesterday. “Uhh… like, good job and stuff on this.”

Roseluck turned her head, looking perplexed more than anything else. “You’re welcome?”

“Yeah. Um…” Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out a lollipop. “Here. For doing a good job. And… sorry I made you do it in the first place.”

Now, Roseluck looked absolutely dumbfounded. She slowly reached her hand out and picked the sucker from Sunset’s grasp, eyeing it suspiciously. “Thanks?”

Sunset was already moving down the hallway, folding the paper and tucking it at the back of her book. There, I was nice. Though she supposed it didn’t matter much since Twilight wasn’t there to see it.

Sunset found her algebra classroom deserted as usual. Its window overlooked the soccer field out back. She glanced outside, spotting her sister and her friends kicking a ball around. Applejack passed it to Rainbow, who popped it up onto her head and bounced it there for a full minute before passing it to Pinkie.

Showoff. Sunset settled into a chair, leaned back and kicked her feet up, and opened her book. She loved the Daring Do series. Even though her mom edited for the author, she was never allowed any sneak peeks and had to wait like everyone else to dive into the newest adventure. Sunset didn’t envy Daring and some of the harrowing escapades she found herself in, but she loved to read about them.

She was only halfway through the first chapter when the bell rang. Mr. Hypotenuse and the other students began filling in, bringing their annoying chatter and breaking Sunset’s immersion. She huffed and stuck a bookmark between the pages before dropping into her usual classroom stupor.

She didn’t envy Daring Do, but she’d trade math for a snake pit any day.

******

Sunset walked home alone today. Twilight went out with her friends to the mall to celebrate the start of the weekend. She had received an offer from Rarity to join them, one that had been more sincere than Rainbow’s, but Sunset turned them down. She didn’t want them cramping her style.

“Mom, I’m home!” Sunset shouted upon entering the house. She kicked off her boots, flung her backpack and jacket on the couch, then flopped over the side to join them. Spike quickly made his way into the room and jumped up onto the couch to sniff at Sunset’s backpack.

Velvet walked in from her study, rolling her eyes at the mess Sunset had already made. “Hi, Sweetheart. Where’s Twilight?”

“At the mall with her friends. How’s the editing going?”

Her mom sighed. “I’ve come to a bit of a standstill. I’ve been trying to get in touch with A.K. all day to talk about her next book but, like always, she isn’t picking up her phone.”

Sunset smiled. Despite her mother’s constant complaints, A.K. Yearling was her favorite author to edit for. “So what’s for dinner?”

“I’d tell you it’s ‘whatever you decide to cook’ but your father said he’s bringing pizza. So you got lucky tonight.” Velvet walked away with her hands on her hips, muttering about children and laziness.

Sunset spent most of her afternoon watching television, flipping from game shows, to terrible reality shows, to the news, finding it all mind-numbingly boring. Twilight walked through the door just as dusk settled, stumbling over Sunset’s precariously placed boots.

“Ugh! Sunset, how many times have I told you not to leave these right in front of the door?”

“Weird, I could have sworn mom was in the other room,” Sunset said, her eyes glued to the screaming bride on the screen. “Did you have fun malling?”

“That is not a verb and you know it,” Twilight said, squeezing onto an arm of the couch as Sunset took up the rest of the space with her lounging. Spike moved from Sunset’s stomach to Twilight’s lap, barking happily at her return. “Have you been doing this all day?”

“Yep.” Sunset flipped the channel.

“Why didn’t you come to the mall with us?”

“Didn’t wanna.” Sunset flipped the channel again.

Twilight pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine, be all Sunset-y—”

“That’s not an adjective and you know it.” She could see Twilight’s jaw tightening. Before she could make a rebuttal, the door opened again, and their father walked in, pizza and breadsticks in hand.

“Evening, girls,” Night Light said chipperly. “How was your day?”

“Meh,” Sunset replied.

“I had a fun day learning and socializing,” Twilight said, her eyes pointed at Sunset.

“Meh.”

Twilight pounced, landing on Sunset and dancing her fingers across her ribcage. Sunset squirmed, biting on her lip, but Twilight’s fierce tickling and the look of exaggerated annoyance were too much. She let out a guffaw of laughter, unable to stop until Twilight finished her tirade.

“You’re such a Grinch,” she said, following their amused dad into the kitchen.

Sunset got up, still giggling. “Only because I know it makes you mad.”

Like every other night, Twilight relayed what she had learned in school and some of the misadventures she and her friends had at the mall. Ever since she had met them, Twilight had emerged quite a bit from her shell. Sunset didn’t know what it was about those girls that did it, but she supposed she owed them a small debt of gratitude.

“...So then, Rainbow dared Pinkie to eat the whole sundae as fast as she could. And of course, Pinkie agreed and starts shoveling spoonfuls into her mouths which, frankly, was gross to watch. But afterward, Pinkie got a brain freeze so bad, she completely stopped moving! Even her eyes didn’t move!” Twilight paused to take a bite of her pizza. She swallowed it and wiped her mouth before continuing. “I’m sure she was just over-exaggerating, but she put on a really good act.”

“More proof that your friends are weird and sometimes horrifying,” Sunset said.

“Yes, well, at least I have some.”

It was meant as a playful jab, but Sunset involuntarily winced. She played it off by throwing her hands up and stretching. “Well, thanks for dinner, Dad. I’m going up to my room.” She smiled and glanced at each of them, driving home the point that everything was fine before heading upstairs. She shut her door and threw herself onto her bed.

“Pfft, like I even want friends.” She looked up at her blue ceiling. She wasn’t going to fall into the melodramatic stereotype of cheesy Saturday-morning cartoon villains and spout about the weakness of friendship and how friends only held you back. She just didn’t want to make friends. She had her family and that was enough.

Sure, being bullied as a child might have factored in somewhere, but it was small.

“Okay, what to do until bed?” Sunset sat up and looked about her room. One of her handheld games was buried somewhere in here. She could continue reading her Daring Do book, but that was back downstairs, and Sunset was too lazy to retrieve it. There was a collection of books up here she still needed to get through.

Raising her hand, she felt a warm tingle rise to her fingers. The books sitting on the shelf next to her desk wobbled then floated up and over, circling around her outstretched hand.

With a grin, she raised her other hand, and an assortment of pencils, notepads, and old shirts levitated off the ground and joined the books. Sunset waved her hands and watched as everything began to swirl and spiral before her. She pushed them to the right. She pushed them to the left. She made them crest up and down like a wave. She spread her arms and parted the collection of items down the middle. Then, she dropped her hands and everything clattered to the floor.

Right, that’s why my room’s a mess.

A soft knock came from her door, and Twilight poked her head in. “Um, hey.”

Sunset reached for one of the books she had intended to peruse. “What’s up?”

Twilight stepped into the room, holding her hands to her chest and standing pigeon-toed, one of her classic defensive techniques. “You know I was just… kidding when I said—”

“Chill, Sparky, I know. You really think I’d be mad at you?”

She shuffled her feet. “Well, no. But… I worry about you, okay? You spend all your time by yourself when I’m not around. I just don’t want you to become… well, a shut-in or anything.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, her lips quivering in amusement. “Me become a shut-in? Up until a few months ago, you spent more time in your room reading books and tinkering with gizmos than me and Shining combined.”

“I know.” Twilight tugged on her ponytail. “I just think that if I came out of my shell, maybe you should too.”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Sunset opened up her book. “And I’m out of my shell. I interact with people on a daily basis.”

“It’s never in the most healthy way.”

“I’m like a snapping turtle. I’ll come out my shell, just don’t get too close.”

Twilight sighed. “Good talk. Good night.”

“Nighty night, Sparky.” Sunset watched her leave over the top of her book. With a wave of her hand, the door closed after Twilight exited.

******

“You broke it! I can’t believe you broke it!”

“I’m sorry! It was an accident!”

Sunset looked through watery eyes at the broken handheld gaming console in Raindrops’ hands. She had been the first one in their group of friends to get the newest version, and Sunset had been so excited to see it. But when Raindrops handed it to her, and Sunset mashed a few buttons to get the little character on the screen to do something, the console sparked liked crazy, and the screen popped like a lightbulb.

“How did she even do that?” Firecracker asked, taking a step away from the smoking screen.

“I don’t know! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Sunset pleaded.

“It’s not fair!” Raindrops yelled, her voice cracking. “I just got it!”

“Maybe I can fix it!”

“You’ve done enough, you… you freak!”

Sunset recoiled like she had been hit. “I… I’m not a freak!”

“You blew up my Gametoy! No one can ever catch you at tag! And Lily got a burn from hugging you! We just played with you because our parents made us, but you’re just a weirdo!”

Sunset’s chest and throat hurt. She hiccuped a few times, trying to swallow her sobs. “F-Firecracker, you like me, right?”

Firecracker scuffed her sneaker against the sidewalk. “You are pretty weird.”

“That’s probably why you’re adopted!” Raindrops spat. “Your real parents didn’t want you!”

The pain in Sunset’s chest grew to a blistering heat as her sorrow twisted into rage. She balled her fists and yelled, “Shut up!”

Her vocal cords rattled. She shut her eyes and threw her hands over her ears, eardrums ringing from the booming thunder of her own voice.

When the ringing started to settle, she opened her eyes and saw Raindrops and Firecracker laying on the sidewalk, clutching their own ears and crying. Sunset moved her hands from her ears to her mouth. She turned on her heel and sprinted down the street.

Everything Raindrops said was true. But that didn’t make her a freak, did it? But if she wasn’t a freak, why were her former friends lying on the ground from just the sound of her voice?

Maybe they were right. Maybe her real parents left her because she was dangerous.

Her foot caught on a rock, and Sunset tumbled off the sidewalk and into open air. She was high above the earth and falling fast. To her right, the sun was falling with her, and to the left, the moon was rising.

Then, it all melted into darkness. All she knew was a black void that encompassed all. She could not move. She could not breathe.

“Where is she?” a cold, malevolent voice asked.

Sunset stirred and tensed in anticipation. “I don’t know,” she said. It wasn’t her voice. But at the same time, it was.

“Lies!”

And from the darkness came pain. White-hot pain engulfed her entire body. She screamed out, cursing herself for showing weakness. But what else could she do?

“My patience has long since worn thin! I want to know what you did with that precious little star child!”

Sunset didn’t respond. It was the only act of defiance she could show. The pain came again, ripping through her and twisting every nerve.

“And ponies called me the stubborn one,” the dark voice said, almost playfully. It snapped back to its harsh bark. “You can’t hide her forever! I will find her, and I will make you watch as I slay her.”

A sob tried to escape, but Sunset forced it back. She would not give her captor the satisfaction. “Please, do not do this.”

“Why not? You love her, don’t you? You were just so elated when she was born! I felt it. I felt your joy and love all the way from my wretched prison! And the lengths you’ve gone to keep her safe. Would you have done the same for me, hmm? Did you ever love me that much?”

“Of course I did.” It proved harder and harder not to cry. “I still do. I love you, Luna.”

“Luna? Luna!” The searing pain came once more, and Sunset’s screams rose to a crescendo. Blazing hot magic rose up around her, and the dark exploded into a pillar of light.

Even when her eyes opened, light was all Sunset could see.

******

Two beasts raised their heads and swished their long, ropey tails. Their pointed snouts twitched as a familiar scent passed through their nostrils. But wait, that couldn’t be right…. That scent shouldn’t be around anymore. One turned its set of six milky white eyes to its partner, seeing its fuzzy, static outline.

The other beast snorted in agreement. The surge in magic had been too powerful to ignore. Its six legs scuttled forward, charging across the field and toward the dense forest. If her presence was indeed the source of the magical outburst, their empress would be displeased. Very displeased indeed.

3. Sinister Sundown

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Sunset kept her ears covered as she watched her dad swat a shirt at the smoke alarm. Her mom heaved the window open, letting an autumn draft blow the smell of singed sheets into the hall.

The alarm finally stopped, allowing Sunset and her family to marvel in silence at the burned sheets and ring of ash around the bed. Sunset had a robe pulled tight around her tattered bra and underwear. Her body was still hot to the touch, and her heart continued to pound in her chest.

She had woken from her nightmare with a scream and a release of her power. It hadn’t been like previous times, warm and tingling. It had burned and forced its way out of her like a heat wave. She was grateful her bed was the only thing ruined. Bits of ash still floated through the air, landing on her desk and nightstand.

Her dad put a hand on her shoulder, recoiling slightly from the heat. “Are you sure you’re okay, sweetheart?”

“Yeah.” Sunset took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m good. I just… don’t know what happened.” Her powers occasionally fluctuated with her emotions. But they had never done anything like this before. She approached her bed, thin wisps of smoke still curling off the sheets.

“Don’t worry, honey, we’ll just toss those out,” Velvet said, unease still lingering in her voice. “I’ll go get you some new ones.” She hurried downstairs, pulling Night with her.

Sunset stripped the sheets and tossed them to the side. She sat on the corner of her mattress and massaged her temple, feeling a headache come on.

“What happened?” Twilight asked, sitting next to her.

“I… don’t really know.” Sunset closed her eyes. “I was having a bad dream, I guess. I couldn’t see anything. But I could talk. But it wasn’t my voice speaking. Someone was… hurting me—torturing me. They wanted to know where I hid someone… a child.” The longer she lingered on it, the worse her headache became.

Twilight hummed in thought. “Normally, this would be ludicrous, but because it’s you, it’s in the realm of possibility.” She wrung her hands together. “You don’t think that dream might have been some sort of vision, do you? And—and this is completely crazy—but maybe the child being talked about is…”

“Me?”

Twilight nodded.

The idea had crossed Sunset’s mind, but she tried not to indulge it. Maybe this was some weird magicy stuff related to her. Or, maybe her powers were just on the fritz after a disturbing dream.

But the pain felt so real.

Either way, it was a question for morning Sunset to deal with. Late-night Sunset just wanted to go back to sleep before her headache evolved into anything worse. She and Twilight waited silently until Velvet returned with new linens.

“Here, sweetie. Do you need anything else? Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah.” Sunset waved them out. “I’ll be fine. Pretty sure it was a one-time thing.” She saw the uncertainty in their eyes. “Really, I’m fine. I know how it looks, but I swear, I’m okay.” She flashed them a smile before focusing on making her bed, refusing to look up again until she heard the door close.

She lifted her hands from the sheets and stared at them. That question returned; the one that haunted the farthest corners of her mind, ever-present, despite how hard she tried to ignore it.

What am I? The dream had felt so real. Yes, she couldn’t see anything going on, but those voices sounded like real people. And she knew one of them; had heard her voice before in whispers and songs. It was faint, but the memory was there, an image in a shroud of fog.

But the other voice, the imposing darkness with a laugh that froze Sunset’s blood when she thought back on it. She had no idea who that was.

Sleep now, think later. She had just finished fixing her bed when a soft rap came from her door. Tightening her robe, Sunset crossed her room and pulled it open.

Her mom stood in the threshold, wringing her hands. “I just wanted to double-check on you.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile. “I just have a headache. Other than that, I’m fine, I swear.”

Velvet gave a small, relieved sigh. “Good. I know this isn’t… you know, normal. But, there’s nothing wrong with you! We love you no matter what.”

“Mom, relax, please. I know.”

“Right. Okay. Just remember that. And that you can talk to us about anything.”

Sunset understood where Twilight got her defensive stance from. Her mom stood with her shoulders slightly hunched and her toes pointed inward.

As she turned to head back to her own bedroom, Sunset said, “You guys… never met my birth parents, right?”

Velvet turned around, eyes wide. “N-no. There was just the note left with you. Why?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck, still warm. “I dunno. I had a dream and I heard someone who sounded familiar. I just thought… maybe it was my birth mom.”

It was brief, but Sunset caught it. She didn’t catch what it was, but the loving, maternal look Velvet fixed her with had been replaced with something that looked like fear. Maybe even anger. It lasted a split second, and in a gentle voice, Velvet said, “Maybe she’s still looking over you.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” Sunset rubbed her eyes. “Sorry I scared you all. Good night.”

“Good night. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.” Sunset closed her door, tossed her robe off, and crawled back under the covers. Her eyes stared at the ceiling while her thoughts continued to spin.

Something felt different about her. She felt… connected. The warmth that rose through her whenever she used her powers felt stronger, flowing through her even when Sunset wasn't calling upon it.

This feeling had occurred before. It sprouted up once in a while—every other month or so. Enough for Sunset to remember that it had happened before, but not enough to see a pattern. Still, this was the first time the power had exploded out of her like that.

And that voice. Sunset had heard it in other dreams before. It had the same warmth her powers gave her, like it was pure sunshine that would sing to her and tell her she was loved. Sometimes, when Sunset felt her loneliest, she thought she could hear the heavenly voice telling her it would be all right.

After the night she found out she was adopted, Sunset felt lonely a lot.

She always felt a small gap between her and the rest of her family thanks to her abnormalities. The revelation gave her an explanation of why at least, though her parents couldn’t tell her any more than that they had found her on their doorstep one evening with a note that said her mother—her birth mother—loved her.

Sunset had spent many a night lying awake, wondering where she was from and who her birth parents were. The thought that they had abandoned her left her in tears one night and red with anger the next. If they loved her, why did they leave?

She closed her eyes and softened her breathing. She hated these introspective thoughts. They only wasted her time. What did it matter where she came from? If her parents hadn’t come back for her after all these years, clearly, she wasn’t wanted there.

But the voice that told her it loved her...it was too real for her to have made it up. It didn’t mean it was one of her parents, yet it gave Sunset the faint hope that she hadn’t been given up willingly.

That’s enough. Whatever the case is, you’ll probably never meet them. You already have a family.

Sunset tried to slow her thoughts and allow herself to drift off. Remnants of the dream pain prickled her soul, however, and she tossed and turned for several hours, finally finding rest as the sun began to rise. Even after she tumbled back into the dream world, she found little respite. She stumbled through dark forests and caves while monsters growled around her. Faces she didn’t recognize flickered in the darkness, all while mad laughter swirled through the air like terrible music.

It wasn’t until Twilight knocked on her door at one in the afternoon did Sunset rouse from her fitful sleep. She opened her door with a miserable, “What?”

Twilight took a small step back. “Umm, good afternoon.” She wrung her hands. “I was just… uh, coming to see if you were okay, and, uhh…”

“I look horrible, don’t I?”

Twilight pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Uuuugh.” Sunset stepped around her and trudged into the bathroom. Indeed, her hair was a wild mess, her eyes were puffy and red with bags under them, and she had scorch marks on her arms and shoulders. While a hot shower cleaned and woke her up, she didn’t feel any better.

She reheated leftover pizza for lunch and planted herself on the couch, Spike joining her. Normally, her mother would have admonished her for wasting a beautiful Saturday. Instead, she kissed Sunset on the forehead and left her to her devices.

Twilight wasn’t as kind.

“Oh no, you’re not going to spend another whole day just watching T.V.”

“Why not?” Sunset asked, having found herself upside down on the couch. It added an interesting perspective as she watched a group of teenagers try to survive alone on an island.

“Because today, you’re coming with me to spend time with my friends. We’re having a picnic in the park.”

“Thanks but no thanks.”

Twilight grabbed her arm and tried to pull Sunset up into a sitting position. Sunset didn’t fight back, seeing Twilight was struggling enough already. Her face turned red and she made a long, whining grunt as she heaved Sunset up.

“Geez,” she panted, “you’re heavy.”

Sunset scrunched her nose. “Did you just call me fat? I think you just called me fat.”

“You sit in front of the T.V. like a vegetable, maybe you are getting fat.” She poked Sunset’s side. “Now put your boots on. We’re going to be late.”

Sunset groaned loudly even as she got up. She could have easily ignored or overpowered any attempt her sister made to get her out of the house, but Twilight asserting herself in anything that wasn’t homework related was a rare sight. Sunset swore to complain often and loudly, but she’d comply with Twilight’s wishes today.

Boots and jacket on, Sunset followed Twilight out the door, wishing Spike goodbye. Twilight had made a simple salad for the picnic and made Sunset carry it, probably to help her make a good impression.

“Why am I doing this?” Sunset asked, mostly to herself.

“Because you need fresh air and healthy social interactions.”

“So weird, I could have sworn mom was at home.”

“You’re lucky you’re holding the salad.”

The park sat a few blocks past the school. It had a simple layout: a grass field, a little playground with swings and a jungle gym, and a gazebo covered in a halo of golden leaves, courtesy of its maple tree neighbor. Twilight’s friends gathered inside the gazebo space, their laughter audible from across the park. They all gave Twilight a warm welcome. Rarity and Pinkie extended it to Sunset while the others waved awkwardly.

“I’m just here for the food,” Sunset said, eyeing what the others had brought; a spread of pastries, chips, and a cooler of drinks.

“Well, it’s nice to have you all the same,” Rarity said.

“Totally!” Pinkie Pie bounced over, getting dangerously close to invading Sunset’s personal space. “You never wanna hang out with us! What’s the special occasion?” Her smile curled into a wily grin. “Did Twilight steal all your bras and blackmail you to come or else she wouldn’t give them back?”

Sunset gave her a flat look. “No. She didn’t.”

“Phew, that’s a relief! Limestone did that to me once, and let me tell ya, bouncing around without a bra on sucks!” She jumped a few times for emphasis.

I knew I didn’t like the pink one.

The girls steered the conversation into safer waters and started the trivial chatter and laughter she had expected to hear. She grabbed a soda and perched herself on the rail to stare out over the park. The autumn leaves blanketed the field like a multicolored quilt. She guessed this wasn’t so bad.

“So, uh, Sunset,” Applejack said, drumming her fingers on her hat.

Spoke too soon. “What?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the falling leaves.

“Well… how are you doin’?”

Sunset turned and narrowed her eyes. Did Twilight say something while she wasn’t paying attention? “What do you mean?”

Applejack made a defensive shrug. “Just, how are you? You know, how’s life and school and… stuff.”

Sunset softened her leer and took a sip of her soda. “It’s fine. Can’t complain.”

“That’s good.” Applejack tugged on her blonde ponytail. “Um, read any good books lately?”

“Have you?”

It was Applejack’s turn to narrow her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sunset could have told her it meant she was a hillbilly who wouldn’t know good literature if it came up and beat her with a shotgun. But Twilight was watching. Plus, Sunset knew in spite of her thin frame, Applejack could run fast and kick hard. Sunset had confidence she could win a fight, but she didn’t want to test her luck. Instead, she settled on, “Have you read anything other than the farmer’s almanac?”

Applejack flared her nostrils, but Rainbow doubled over with laughter. Even Twilight had to fight to keep the smirk off her face.

“Ah was just tryin’ to be friendly,” Applejack said with a huff.

“And a gold star for trying,” Sunset said, giving her a thumbs up. She saw Twilight’s smirk dissolve into a glower. “Being serious though, I’ve been reading the newest Daring Do book.”

“Seriously?” Rainbow rushed over, pushing Applejack out the way. “I love Daring Do!”

“No kidding?”

Applejack dusted herself off. “Pretty much the only book Rainbow will get in spittin’ distance of.”

“Because it’s the only book worth reading! How far you? Did you love the opening? Daring fighting that temple guardian on a crumbling bridge over a volcano!” Rainbow squeed, pressing her cheeks together. “It was soooo awesome! And then when she tricked those guys in the marketplace with those antique vases? Oh oh, did you get to the part where Caballeron starts talking about Daring’s dad? Oh my gosh, I have so many theories now! I’m just glad it debunked the dumb idea that he was really Daring’s dad. Oh, but then at the part where—”

“Stop!” Sunset threw her hand out at Rainbow. A flash of gold light temporarily blinded Sunset, and when it faded, Rainbow had indeed stopped. She had an outline of gold around her, her mouth was open in mid-sentence, eyes still sparkling with excitement. Yet not an inch of her moved. Sunset lowered her trembling hand. “Oh, crap…”

The girls all held their mouths open, affirming to Sunset she wasn’t the only one who could see it. Fluttershy ran over to Rainbow, holding her hands out over the golden outline. She gave a fearful look to Sunset. “What… what did you do to her?”

“I don’t know!” Sunset got off the rail and poked her, feeling the warm magic run up her arm. Rainbow remained frozen.

“Don’t just poke her!” Applejack said, stomping her foot. “Ah don’t know what this is, but you need to fix it!”

“I… I…” Sunset looked to Twilight for help but only got a terrified look of uncertainty. “Right, yeah.” She threw both her hands out and closed her eyes. Move! Unfreeze! Go! She cracked an eye open. Rainbow still stared at her with fantastical wonder. Dammit all! Come on powers, work! Another flash left spots in her eyes.

“—Professor Gemini gives her that last piece of the map, and—oof! Fluttershy, what’s up?”

“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay!” Fluttershy said, tears running down her face and onto Rainbow’s shoulder.

Rainbow blinked. “Um, yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because Sunset did some freaky-deeky glowy stuff on you, and you just froze!” Pinkie said with a mix of excitement and panic.

“She did? I don’t remember anything like that.”

Sunset didn’t stand around to hear how the conversation played out. She ran out of the park, fists clutched tight. Rarity called out to her, but Sunset kept running.

Way to lose control like that! Sunset strived to keep her powers in check, using them only in small bursts to push people around when they didn’t do what she said or got under her skin. Yes, Rainbow had been talking a mile a minute, but Sunset hadn’t meant to freeze her, especially in public with all those witnesses!

One student complaining that Sunset had knocked her over without touching her was one thing. How she hid another student’s backpack in the school basement that was locked at all times was another. Small individual things that no one could prove. Now, four girls had witnessed something completely unexplainable.

She slowed to an aggravated march and took deep breaths to refill her lungs. Maybe no one will believe them. I froze Rainbow. That’s a tough pill to swallow! Still, what if the school did believe them? What’s the worse they’ll do? The image of Sunset being tied to a stake and burned came to mind.

Speaking of school, Sunset finally took notice of her surroundings and saw she was across the street from Canterlot High. Her gaze was drawn to the marble statue at the front. Something in her heart stirred her toward the base; the odd mixture of nostalgia and longing. She crossed the street and approached it, looking at her reflection in the silver surface.

Please, they can’t prove I did anything. Not individually. But with this new display, students would begin to talk, converge ideas based on all of Sunset’s past performances. They would start to ask questions instead of just taking Sunset’s weirdness at face value. She paled. Maybe Twilight was right. Maybe I have been using these powers too much.

“Sunset?”

Sunset leaned around the marble base and raised her eyebrow. “Miss Inkwell?”

The principal stood on the other side of the base, looking just as surprised to see Sunset. Sunset hadn’t heard or seen her come down the stairs. It was like she had appeared from thin air.

Raven regained her composure and straightened her red tie. “I didn’t think you would want to spend your weekend at school.” She gave Sunset a playful smile.

Sunset half-heartedly returned it. “I just kinda… ended up here. Wasn’t on purpose.”

Raven frowned. “You seem upset. Would you like to talk about it?”

Sunset couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Every time Sunset ended up in her office, she always asked if Sunset wanted to talk about things. Sunset would say no, and Raven would remind her that she was always available to talk if Sunset wanted… then would ask Sunset not to pick on the other students, even if she had no proof it was her.

Looking into Raven’s orange eyes, Sunset’s automated response of, ‘no’ faltered. Raven’s expression reminded Sunset of her mother from last night; filled with parental concern.

She’s really trying to put ‘pal’ in principal. Sunset looked away and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s no big deal.” She hoped it wasn’t a big deal.

“Are you sure?”

Sunset huffed, touseling the tuft of hair that hung over her forehead. “I don’t know. And even if I did, I doubt you’d understand.”

Raven took a half-step forward. “You’d be surprised. I know you’re a little bit… different, Sunset.”

Sunset snapped her gaze back toward her and narrowed her eyes. “Is that your way of saying I’m a freak?”

“What?” Raven looked at her aghast, almost hurt. “I would never call you anything like that. In fact, you and I might have more in common than you think.”

“Doubtful.” Sunset softened her expression regardless. “But thanks for trying to be helpful and stuff.”

“Of course. I’m here if you ever need to talk.” Raven continued to look at her expectantly. It was almost… hopeful?

Sunset cocked her head to the side. She’s weird. “What are you doing here on a Saturday? Even Mr. Noteworthy isn’t this committed to his gig.”

Raven jumped. “Oh, er, I… left some paperwork in my office. I need to have it completed before Monday, so I came back to finish it up.”

The smile she gave Sunset this time was easy to read as forced. But, Raven hadn’t pressured her, so Sunset felt it was only fair she returned the gesture. Sunset gave her a peace sign. “Have fun with that.”

Raven’s smile became genuine. “I always do.” She turned and hurried up the steps.

Sunset shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked a stray pebble. She probably won’t be as friendly with me if those girls go blabbing.

“Sunset!” From down the road, Twilight came running. She slid to a stop in front of Sunset, dropping her hands to her knees. “Are you… okay?” she said between wheezes.

“I’ve been better.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Are you happy I came outside now?”

Twilight regained her breath and straightened up. “Just tell me what happened.”

“I don’t know what happened. Rainbow was talking too much, I wanted her to stop, so she did. I didn’t mean to make her freeze like that, it just happened.” Sunset turned her back to Twilight and looked at the setting sun. “What did you tell them?”

“Well, I told them it was probably just an accident. I didn’t know what else to say. That was a blatant use of your powers! What else could I say?”

Sunset clapped her hands together. “Well, I think I can safely say I burned all those bridges. Back to solitary confinement for me.”

Twilight arched an eyebrow. “Did you do that just so you wouldn’t have to make friends?”

“I don’t make friends because of instances like that!” Sunset turned around and threw an arm into the air. “I’d lose control of my powers as a kid and they’d call me a freak! So I tried to embrace it! And of course, the one time I go to one of your little friendship pow-wows, I lose control again! Now, they’ll blab to the rest of the school, and I’ll have to deal with the fallout from there. Let’s face it, I’m better off on my own.”

Twilight let out a heartfelt sigh. “Sunset, listen…” She cocked her head toward the marble statue.

Sunset followed her gaze. “What?”

“Umm…” She adjusted her glasses. “Nothing. I thought I saw… anyway, I know you’re life hasn’t been easy but—”

Sunset jumped and tackled her to the ground as something lunged out from inside the statue base. She and Twilight rolled across the concrete with Sunset landing on top. She pushed herself up, gesturing for Twilight to keep low. Turning her head, she threw a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

Its long black body turned toward her, glowing blue veins running down its six-pointed legs. Its face was an elongated snout, and it had three eyes on either side of its sharp nose. A tangled mat of blue fur rose off its back, and curling into the air over it was a long tail ending in four claws clenched together so they almost looked like a cage. A second of these nightmarish creatures crawled out of the base, the surface glowing and rippling like water as it exited.

Twilight let out a series of hyperventilated breaths. “S-S-Sunset! What are those things!” she squeaked.

“I don’t know. But I won’t let them touch you!” She raised her hands, teal static curling off her fingertips.

Both creatures looked at her. One of them opened its mouth, revealing two rows of jagged teeth. Its nose twitched and it let out a guttural growl before speaking in such a garbled and sludgy voice, it was nearly impossible to make out. “Grab them both! Bring them to empress!”

Their legs scuttling across the ground as they charged. Twilight screamed and covered her eyes. Sunset thrust a hand forward with a yell, surprised when an actual beam of light exploded from her palm. It struck one monster square in the head and sent it spiraling back near the statue. The other one moved around it and continued its charge. Sunset drew her arm back to thrust again, but the creature whipped out a long, salivating tongue and wrapped it around her wrist.

“Ew—whoa!” It yanked Sunset forward and tossed her up into the air. Its cage-like tail closed around her, its tight confines locking her arms and legs in place against her sides. “Let go! Let go, you freak!”

“Sunset!” Twilight screamed. The other beast was upon her, using its tongue to grab her and toss her up to its own tail. She squirmed and yelled but to no avail.

“Let go of her!” Sunset bellowed. A white light gathered around her, and she felt the world twist violently. She tumbled through space and hit the ground yards away from where the creatures were standing, head spinning. She forced herself to her feet anyway and charged for the beasts, throwing her hand forward. What was normally a telekinetic push manifested itself into a raming shove. The creature that had tried to take her prisoner flew against the wall of the school and slid down.

The second beast bulged its cheeks and spat a wad of what looked like liquid darkness. She threw her arms up, watching the world in front of her take on a teal shade. The dark goo stopped right before her and slid down the bubble she had conjured. It dripped onto the ground into a puddle of black and purple ooze. Sunset lowered her hands, watching the teal wall fade, then continued her charge forward, fist reared back. The creature met her halfway, slamming its head forward. Both of them recoiled with Sunset falling to the ground.

The first beast flipped onto its legs again and scuttled toward Sunset with an eerie, burbling hiss. She quickly backpedaled over the grass, trying to get enough room to stand up. She heard Twilight scream, and her pounding heart twisted. Her pursuer reared over her, opening its mouth to unleash its tongue. Sunset raised her hand, not sure what she wanted, as long as it stopped the beast. Blistering magic shot up her arm and another beam of light, far stronger and brighter than the first, exploded from her hand and blasted through the monster, leaving a hole Sunset could see the school through. The monster let out a weak groan then collapsed to the ground and dissolved into a black mist.

Sunset didn’t watch the finer details, she sprang to her feet and tore back to the statue, where the other monster was exiting, Twilight still locked in its grasp.

“Sunset! Sunset, help, please!”

“Hold on, Twilight!” She readied her magic but faltered. What if she hurt Twilight? One of the beast’s claws sank into the marble, and Sunset jumped onto its tail, using Twilight’s leg as leverage while she wrapped herself around the long stem. The monster roared in impatience and violently waved its tail around until it smacked Sunset against the corner of the base. The impact against her shoulder jarred her grip and she fell to the ground.

“Empress will be back for you,” the monster gurgled as it climbed through the marble.

“Sunset!” Twilight cried, vanishing with it.

“No! Twilight!” She rolled to her knees and gripped her throbbing shoulder. It was just a bruise, she could fight through it! She got to her feet and charged toward the reflective surface of the statue base, seeing her own volcanic expression before she dove forward and melted into a world of prismatic colors.

4. Wonderland

Tumbling and swirling. Stretching and pulling. Up, down, left, right. This world and not. Colors and shapes of every hue and contrast swarmed around Sunset faster than her eyes could process. She screamed, her own voice sounding distorted in this vortex of chaos. Everything in her body shifted, ripping apart before sewing itself back together in some new way that felt both familiar and completely foreign.

She spiraled on and on, the colors becoming brighter and brighter, her screams becoming louder and louder. She wanted to be violently ill. She wanted this unbelievable ride to end. She wanted to get to Twilight! Just when she could take no more, it all stopped abruptly, and she hit the cold, rough surface of a rock.

“Uuugh.” She opened her eyes, finding only darkness surrounding her. Something glowed to her left. It looked like a large crystal. A cot was rolled out next to it, and Sunset spotted an extinguished campfire and cooking utensils hiding behind a rock. Turning her head, she saw a path sloped upwards into the shadows.

Sunset slowly raised her head, still feeling woozy from whatever she had just experienced. Her whole body felt strange, but it had at least numbed the pain in her shoulder.

Twilight’s screams echoed from somewhere deep in the cave. Sunset’s ears perked up and she scrambled to her legs, only to fall flat on her face. Her center of gravity was completely off. In fact, everything felt wrong about her body. She couldn’t feel her fingers or toes, and her arms and legs bent at different angles.

“What the…” She raised a hand, illuminated by the crystal. Only, it wasn’t a hand Sunset found. It appeared to be a hoof, beige or very light orange and covered in a coat of soft fur.

“What the…” It came down with a soft clop on the earthen floor. She raised her other hand, finding a hoof there as well. She twisted her whole body around, finding back hooves and a tail that shared the same colors as her hair.

“What the hell?” She was a small, vibrant pony.

Her legs wobbled as she stepped forward, trying to evenly distribute her weight. She stepped left-front hoof, right-back hoof, right-front hoof, left-back hoof until she found a rhythm. “Hang on, Twi, I’m coming,” she said under her breath. She could have her massive freakout later. Saving Twilight came first.

Still, even as she stumbled down the dark tunnel, gaining easier mobility with every step, something about this new body of hers felt old in a way. Like an outfit she had worn once then put it in the back of the closet, it fit. Sure, it felt a little odd, but Sunset found herself quickly getting used to it. Soon she was trotting, then running, then galloping along. Her sprint didn’t last too long, however.

The tunnel turned and exited into a ventilation cavern that stretched upwards, more luminescent crystals jutting from the walls. There was no easy way up. The path before Sunset led into another tunnel that seemed to exit onto a stone bridge above her before repeating the process up to the top.

“Sunset!”

Near the top of the cavern, Sunset could see the black beast scuttling up the walls. In its tail-cage was a purple pony with glasses and her hair pulled into a ponytail. Sunset also saw the horn protruding from her forehead.

“Twilight, hang on!” She bolted down the tunnel path.

Is she a unicorn? What kind of world is this? Sunset wanted to pause and see if she had a horn too but decided not to waste her time. She continued to charge, following the tunnel as it looped up and around, putting her on the stone bridge. She could no longer hear Twilight’s screams. She ran faster, ignoring the strain in her legs or the constriction in her chest. I can’t lose her! I can’t!

Her lungs were fit to burst by the time she reached the top of the cave. The last leg of the tunnel became increasingly small and jagged, and rubble littered the floors. Sunset squeezed her way around a large rock and slowed to a halt as her feet—hooves touched grass.

The silhouettes of towering trees with claw-like branches loomed over her, their features lost in the night. Moonlight flittered through the dense foliage and left silver spots on the muddy terrain.

Sunset shuddered at the cold wind that blew over her coat. God, that’s weird! I have fur! I’m a pony! Where the hell am I? Focus!

She squinted her eyes and strained her ears, trying to catch any sign of Twilight. Bugs chittered in the shadows, and a tingle on the back of her neck told her something larger was watching. But there was no sign of her sister.

“Twilight!” Sunset screamed. The trees rustled, and a crow cackled overhead, but Twilight did not respond.

“No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” Sunset whipped her head around, finding only more trees and the rockface she had crawled out of. She picked a direction and started running, stumbling over her hooves before she found her rhythm again. Her heart drummed in her chest, her stomach and throat felt tight, and she had the first pressure of a headache coming on.

I can find her! I can find her! Just hold on, Twilight! She swatted low-hanging branches and vines out of her way and splashed through puddles of murky water and mud. “Twilight! Twilight, say something, please!”

Only ambient noise responded. A shadowy creature rustled in a passing bush, but Sunset paid it little mind. She broke into a small clearing and came to a stop, her lungs too tired to carry on.

This isn’t happening! What is evening happening? What was that thing? Why did it attack us? Where’s it taking Twilight? Why am I freaking pony? Sunset raised her head to the sky. “Where am I?”

She panted and stared at the full moon hanging overhead. It was much larger than normal. Sunset ground her teeth. More weirdness. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She let out a sob, then a snarl, then another scream.

Her headache intensified, the pressure building in the center of her forehead. The warm tingle of her powers washed through her and coalesced not where her hands should have been, but at a spot just off her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed again as something hot blasted out of her and into the sky.

The pressure relieved itself, and a faint hiss drifted into Sunset’s ears. She lifted a hand—hoof to her forehead and felt the grooved spiral of a horn, still hot from her release of energy.

“Great!” she said, her voice cracking. “I’m a unicorn! I’m a unicorn in Wonderland! Because nothing else makes sense!”

She fell onto her back hooves and stared at the grass. What did she do now? Did she go back into the cave and back through the statue to get help? Would anybody believe the wild story she had so far? Could she go back through the statue? Even if she did get somebody, how much help would they be? She herself didn’t understand anything that was happening. But she couldn’t stumble blindly through this place.

“But… those things said something about an empress. So, someone has to live here, right?” But would they be willing to help Sunset?

Her ears twitched involuntarily. The twinge at the nape of her neck returned, and she got to her hooves. “Who’s there?”

The bushes rustled, and a pair of narrowed, brilliant yellow eyes appeared in the darkness. Sunset automatically raised her arms to get into a fighting stance, then fell onto her face. She looked up to see the beast stepping into the light.

Its snout was a darker shade of brown than the rest of its coat. It was unusually lean, almost anemic, with very slender forelegs and a visible ribcage. Branches and twigs stuck out of its back fur.

Then, as it stepped closer, snapping its jaws in hunger, Sunset saw it for what it truly was. Those weren’t twigs in its fur; they were its fur. Its teeth were made from dagger-sharp woodchips and dark leaves acted as eyebrows. Its entire body looked like someone had built a model using only spare branches and twigs.

It was a wolf made from wood.

Before Sunset could think another sarcastic thought, the wolf pounced. She rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding its claws. It made a swift turn around and pounced on her again. Sunset screamed and threw her hooves out in desperation. The world took on a teal hue again, and the wolf stopped just above her, digging his teeth into whatever wall stood between it and Sunset.

Sunset twisted her head around, finding the teal surrounded her on all sides like a bubble. Curiosity led her to push a hoof against it. It felt like hard plastic.

Okay, it’s holding. She watched the wolf desperately claw at it. Come on, think of something.

A cartoonish idea came to mind, but because nothing else made sense at the moment, Sunset decided to roll with it. She got to her hooves and charged forward. The bubble shield moved with her, spinning as she ran forward and bowled the wolf to the side.

She looked over her shoulder as she rolled away, seeing the wolf get back up and howl in anger before giving chase.

Please hold, please hold! Sunset charged through the forest, smashing through the underbrush as the wooden wolf gave chase. It stayed right on Sunset’s metaphorical heels, clawing at the bubble every chance it got. Sunset made a sharp turn, then another to avoid smashing into a thick tree. She dove into a thick cluster of bushes that obscured her vision completely in a shroud of green hues. She twisted and turned inside the emerald maze until she could no longer hear the growls of the wolf.

Bursting free, Sunset paused and took a deep breath. The inside of her mouth tasted like copper from all of the running she had done today. Looking over her shoulder, she appeared to be in the clear. The teal bubble fell, and Sunset yielded a sigh.

The bush burst open, and the wolf lunged at her, maw wide open. Sunset jumped to the right, avoiding the teeth but was raked across the arm by its claws. She broke into a run, ignoring the sting from the open wound.

“Leave me alone!” But the beast persisted, snapping at her exposed tail. She tried to will her unicorn horn to do something, but it was hard to run and think at the same time.

She banked around another tree and immediately slammed into a brown, fuzzy wall. She looked up into the face of a very unhappy grizzly bear.

“Fu—”

“Rooooaaar!” Spittle flew from its mouth and it raised its claws to strike.

Sunset threw a hoof over her eyes. Instead of feeling sharp claws tear into her, she heard a hard smack and a yelp from just over her shoulder. Lowering her hoof and looking back, she saw the thorny tail of the wood wolf disappear into the shadows of the forest.

“Goodness, are you all right?” a gentle voice asked.

Sunset looked back at the bear. It had a less angry expression but still looked perturbed at Sunset. She looked around a little more, for there was no way such a soft voice came from the hulking creature.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” From over the bear’s head came a cream-colored pony with wings and a basket of plants over her arm—front leg. Her mane and tail were cascades of pink, and her cyan eyes were comically large and filled with concern. The more Sunset looked, the more she felt like this pegasus was vaguely familiar.

“Umm… yeah. Thanks,” Sunset said, getting back to her hooves.

The pegasus smiled in relief. “I’m glad. Thank you very much, Harry. You did a good deed today.” She stroked the bear on the head, getting it to… smile? That was definitely a smile on the bear’s face. Sunset didn’t know they could do that.

“Right then. Uhh…” There was a talking pegasus petting a bear. Sunset didn’t know where to go from here. She raised a hoof to her head and winced at the scratches the wolf had left.

“Oh my!” The pegasus fluttered down and took Sunset’s hoof into her own. “It doesn’t look too deep, but you should get that cleaned and dressed. Do you live nearby?”

“Not exactly?”

“Then we can fix this up at my cabin. Um, if that’s fine with you. I don’t want to impose.” She hid half her face behind her curtain of hair.

“No, that’d be nice. I’m actually very lost right now, so I’ll take all the help I can get.”

The girl reemerged from her hair with a shy smile. “Well, I’ll help as best as I can. My name’s Fluttershy.”

Sunset’s ears involuntarily twitched again. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘Fluttershy’?”

She pulled back into her hair a fraction. “Um, yes? I-is something wrong?”

This has to be a coincidence. But Sunset knew the pony looked familiar for a reason. She even had the same demure demeanor. Just go with it. “It’s nothing. You just… remind me of someone I know back home. Don’t worry about it. My name’s Sunset Shimmer.”

This time, Fluttershy’s ears twitched, and leaned back from Sunset, staring at her like she was a ghost. “S-Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset arched an eyebrow. “Yeah. Why?”

Fluttershy stared a few seconds longer before vigorously shaking her head. “Nothing! I’m sorry! I just… mistook you for another pony for a moment. I’m sorry.”

Sunset knew a lie when she saw one, but dropped it for now. She would have plenty of time to grill this pony later. “Sure then. Which way to your house?”

Fluttershy pointed to a line of trees. “It’s not far from here. I never go too far into Everfree Forest. Follow me.” She flapped her wings and headed off, only hovering two feet off the ground. Harry the bear gave Sunset a small growl before following after.

With a roll of her eyes, Sunset trudged after the two of them. Hang on, Twilight. I promise I’ll find you.

******

Raven kept her composure. She didn’t have a choice.

She stood beside two police officers and a middle-aged woman who lived across the street from the school. The four of them were gathered beside the statue, their attention fixed on a patch of dead grass. Trickles of black ooze were slowly dissolving, but not before it touched and decayed any blade of healthy grass it could spread to. Thin curls of smoke rose from the ground as the infected lawn died.

One of the officers took a large step back. “Some sort of chemical spill?”

His partner shrugged, looking mystified at the goo. “I don’t know. Go get some tape so we can section it off. We’ll bring a sample to the lab boys.” He then turned to the woman.

“So, you heard two young women fighting and when you came out to look, you saw one of them run behind the statue and she disappeared?” he asked.

The woman wrung her hands. “Not exactly. I was in the kitchen making tea for my grandfather when I looked out the window and saw two girls arguing. One of them had purple hair and glasses and the other was a redhead. I didn’t think much of it, but when I went to give him the tea, I started hearing yells and screams. I ran outside and saw the girl with red hair lying on the ground. She got up and ran behind the statue… but she never came out the other side.”

Raven swallowed the lump in her throat.

The officer nodded, though he didn’t hide his skeptical expression. He walked along the base of the statue, nudging the corner with his boot. When he finished his round, he turned his attention on Raven. “And what did you see?”

Raven took a composing breath. “I was in my office, so I didn’t see anything, but I did hear rather concerning screams. When I came out to investigate, I didn’t see any signs of either girl.”

He nodded. “Does their description remind you of anyone?”

Keeping her voice even, Raven said, “There’s a few possibilities, but I believe the red-haired girl was Sunset Shimmer, meaning the other girl was most likely her sister Twilight Sparkle.”

“I see.” The officer pulled out a notepad and began jotting down names and details. He made a soft ‘tsk’ before saying, “Oh boy, Shining isn’t going to like this.”

His partner paused his setup of orange cones and caution tape. “Should we start a missing person report?”

“We can’t confirm if either of them is missing yet. We can give him a heads up, but that’s about it until their parents call in.”

As the officers continued to discuss, Raven quietly took a few steps toward the statue. She paused when she thought the middle-aged woman was looking at her. One of the officers started questioning the woman again, and Raven took another step backward. When everyone had their backs to her, Raven took one last step and leaned back into the marble base.

It was like falling into a pool of water, cool and refreshing until the magic took hold and yanked her into the swirling vortex that linked the two worlds. No matter how many times Raven crossed over, she never quite got used to the head-spinning, body-tingling, rollercoaster sensation the portal gave her.

She was thankful the journey was short. The portal spat her out on the marble dais, and she scrambled to her hooves. “Sunset?” she yelled.

There was only the usual ambiance of the cave. She gave a quick aside to her campsite. Nothing look disturbed. She shook her head. She crossed over. I’m sure of it.

Raven had indeed heard the screams of Sunset and Twilight, and she cursed her luck of being held up by a bystander. Still, she had always known this was a possibility. She took off in a gallop, illuminating the tunnel with her horn.

Don’t worry, Sunset. I’m on my way.

******

To Sunset’s annoyance, it had taken them precisely twenty seconds to step out of the undergrowth and onto the main road. Just over the hill, she could see the lights of a small village.

So these ponies have a whole society? Sunset could feel the shock value lessening with each discovery she made. If it wasn’t for the stinging cuts on her arm or the constant pit of dread in her stomach, she would have believed this was all a very lucid dream.

Fluttershy didn’t say anything as they walked. She stayed ahead of Sunset, keeping Harry the bear company instead. Sunset couldn’t help but noticed the trio of pink butterflies tattooed on both sides of her flanks. She was compelled to ask about it but decided to hold off. They were barely on a first-name basis.

As the village drew near, Fluttershy turned off the main path and led Sunset through a gap in the trees. Sitting on top of a small hill was a quaint cottage with a roof that looked made from yellowing grass. Birdhouses were hung everywhere, chickens pecked at the front lawn, and a buzzard that sounded like it was actually buzzing was perched on the roof. It eyed Sunset cautiously as she approached the front door.

Fluttershy looked back at her. “Don’t worry, none of them will hurt you. They’re all friendly.” She pushed her door open and walked inside.

Harry the bear paused and looked over his shoulder at Sunset. He pointed from his eyes to her, then walked inside.

Sunset shrugged it off and followed suit. Even more animals were scattered about the house: cats, dogs, ferrets, parrots, and what looked like a baby lion with a scorpion tail. They climbed around furniture Sunset expected to find in a normal human home, including a nice sofa and a full dinner table. In a corner was a stone fireplace, where a bunny stood on a stool and watched over a bubbling pot.

I swear, if that thing pulls out a watch…

“Hi, Angel. Thank you for watching dinner while we got the herbs.” Fluttershy set the basket down and pet the rabbit on its head. It frowned and waved her hoof away, then returned to stirring the pot.

Fluttershy looked to Sunset. “You can rest on the couch. I’ll go get some medicine and bandages for that.” She fluttered up the stairs and left Sunset to get settled.

Like the bear, the rabbit eyed her with suspicion. Sunset met his glare before climbing onto the couch and trying to sit down. She first tried to sit like normal, yet her new anatomy made it uncomfortable. She then tried to lie on her stomach, but that lasted ten seconds before she felt uncomfortable again. She tried tucking her hooves in, but the cuts and her bruised shoulder made it disagreeable.

“Screw it, I’ll stand.”

Fluttershy returned with a medicine kit half her size. She opened it up and pulled a bottle out, unscrewing the top with her teeth.

That can’t be sanitary.

She took a cloth, dabbed some medicine on it, and held it up to Sunset’s leg. “This might sting just a little bit.”

Sunset winced at the burning sensation but stood strong. “Thank you for helping me, Fluttershy.”

“Of course. I’m glad I found you before that mean Timberwolf did.”

“Timber… wolf… uugh, of course it’s called that.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.” Sunset shook her head. “Listen, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Fluttershy screwed the cap of the medicine back on and picked up a roll of bandages. “Not at all.”

“Cool. This is gonna sound weird but, where am I?”

Fluttershy cocked her head. “You… you don’t know where you are?”

“Listen, it’s a long story that I don’t have time to explain and that you probably wouldn’t believe. I tumbled down a rabbit hole and ended up here, let’s leave it at that.”

The look Fluttershy had when Sunset gave her name returned, but she said in her kind voice, “You’re in the Lunar Empire, in what used to be Equestria.”

Equestria. The name made Sunset’s brain go fuzzy and the world swooned for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and gave her skull a gentle tap. “Equestria…” she said aloud. It sounded so familiar, so natural. Yes, she had been here before.

No, this can’t be it. This can’t be where I’m from. I’m a unicorn talking to a pegasus! She gave her head a vigorous shake.

“Okay. I’m in Equestria. Sure.” She opened her eyes. “If someone wanted to take someone prisoner, where would they go?”

Fluttershy nibbled on her lip. “Well… there’s a lot of prisons really. But… a lot of the time… Nightmare Moon just….” She gulped. “Executes them.”

Sunset’s blood turned to ice. No! “Okay,” her voice grew more urgent, “if this ‘Nightmare Moon’ wanted to execute someone, where would it happen?”

“In her castle I assume.”

“And where is that?”

Fluttershy flinched at Sunset’s increase in volume. “In Canterlot. To the north of here.”

“Canterlot?” Sunset asked, her confusion reaching new levels. “As in, the city?”

“Um, yes?”

Sunset massaged her head again. There were no forests this large next to Canterlot, nor was there some hamlet outside the city limits. Or talking animals for that matter. It had to be some sort of weird coincidence. Although that made two coincidences now.

Fluttershy wrapped the bandage around Sunset’s leg. “Um, is it okay if I ask a question, Sunset?”

“Sure,” she said, looking out the window and tapping her back hoof.

“Well, um… do you… um…. Who are your parents?”

Sunset looked back at her. Fluttershy was looking very intently at the bandages. “Twilight Velvet and Night Light,” she said slowly. “Why?”

Fluttershy finished the wrap and stepped back. “Um, well… it’s just… how should I put this? Um, actually… that is to say…”

“Spit it out already!”

“Eeep!” Fluttershy dropped to the floor and hid her face behind her hooves. In the same instant, every animal turned its eyes on Sunset and snarled.

“Or not!” Sunset said, quickly forcing a smile. “Take your time, it’s fine!”

Harry the bear advanced on her, teeth bared. Sunset looked toward the door, her path blocked by two ferrets and the lion with a scorpion tail. A parrot divebombed her, and Sunset threw herself against the floor.

“Fluttershy, call off your animals, please!”

Fluttershy poked her muzzle out from behind her hooves and gasped. “Stop! Behave, all of you!”

Every animal instantly backed down and returned to their docile manner. Harry growled threateningly at Sunset but took a seat at the dining table.

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said, standing back up again. “They can be a little overprotective sometimes.”

“You don’t say.” Sunset got to her hooves as well. “Well, I’ll get out of here before I give them another reason to attack. Thanks again for the help.”

“Wait!” Fluttershy jumped over Sunset and stood in front of the door. “What are you going to go do?”

“What do you think? I’m going to Canterlot to save my sister before she gets executed.”

Fluttershy gaped at her in horror. “You can’t just go to Canterlot Castle! You wouldn’t even be able to make it into the city! More than that, you can’t stand up to Nightmare Moon! She’s invincible!”

Sunset snarled. “I don’t care! I don’t care if I have to fight an entire army! I’m going to that castle, punching anyone who tries to stop me, and saving Twilight so we can go home!”

Fluttershy held her hooves in front of her mouth, fixing Sunset with huge eyes wet with terror and hopelessness. “I know I don’t know you very well, but please, listen to me! I don’t want to hear anything bad happened to you! If you go up there picking a fight with the empress, you’re going to die!”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Sunset marched up to her. Fluttershy wasn’t very big but neither was the door. If Sunset wanted to get through, she’d have to push past the pegasus. “I am not going to stand around and do nothing!”

The heat from her powers circulated through her body again. And like before in the clearing, instead of channeling to where her fingers should have been, Sunset felt her new horn thrum with power. A crackle and snap of electricity came from it, and she heard a few of the animals growl. She didn’t care this time. If she had to blast a bear to get out of here, she’d do it.

Her display of power was enough to make Fluttershy shrink away from the door, ears bowed back. “I… I c-can’t stop you, but p-please, just be careful.”

Sunset gave her a curt nod. “Thanks.” She pushed the door opened and stepped out into the cold night air again. The moon hadn't moved since Sunset had last seen it, hanging ominously right over her head.

She steeled herself and took off for the main road, hoping she could reach this version of Canterlot before dawn.

5. Hunted by Moonlight

Following the path over the small hill and crossing a babbling brooklet, Sunset stood before the little village she had seen on her arrival with Fluttershy. Most of the buildings were pink or white with thatched roofs. Some of the larger houses had wood or tile, and she could even spot the top of one that almost looked like gingerbread, though it was hard to tell in the moonlight.

This can’t be Canterlot.

She raised her gaze to the surrounding area. Beyond the town, she could see the outline of a tall mountain. A large cluster of lights sat sequestered on one side. By the light of the moon, she could see tall spires and waterfalls.

“That must be it.” Sunset snorted and dug a hoof against the dirt. “It’s gonna take me forever to get there!” Though the more she complained, the more time she wasted. She broke into a manageable trot, pacing herself so she wouldn’t use up all her energy before she even got close.

Fluttershy, knew something about me, Sunset thought as she crossed into town. Why did she want to know who my parents were? Gah, if it weren’t for her attack animals, I would have pressed for answers!

It was quiet in the town, almost eerily so. Gone were the chittering bugs and low growls of the forest denizens. There was only the soft burble of the stream growing fainter behind her. Save for the light of the moon, the town was dim—windows shuttered and curtains drawn. When the stream fell away entirely, Sunset’s new pony ears strained to hear anything. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought she could hear muffled voices within the houses.

“What kind of place is this?” Her own voice sounded odd against the silence, like an unwelcome guest. She continued onward, passing through what she assumed was the town square. While most of the cottages had thatched roofs, the building in the center had a tall wooden one. Hanging off it were two large midnight blue banners etched with a black insignia. It looked like the side profile of a pony’s face, with a long, sharp horn and a dragonic eye. Its mane was shaped like a crescent moon.

“Must be their ‘empress’,” Sunset muttered. Looking at the banner unnerved her. Even as she walked away, it felt like the eye was staring after her.

Sunset moved through the town, finding empty flower beds and patches of dirt where lawns should have been. The lamp posts were extinguished, leaving thins slivers of light leaking through the window shutters as the only signs that this town wasn’t deserted.

“You there!”

Or, they were until Sunset heard that voice behind her. She froze and slowly turned around. Across the street stood a white unicorn adorned in a dark purple jacket and a blue blazer with a crescent moon clasp. The jacket matched her horseshoes and her mane, which was tied up in a neat bun. As she marched toward Sunset, a cross look on her face, Sunset saw a silver badge pinned to her jacket. It had the same insignia from the banner with little writing beneath it. Enforcer Rarity.

Rarity stopped in front of Sunset, looked left and right, then leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper, her cross look disappearing. “You should know not to be out after curfew. You’re lucky I caught you and not the Sentinels. What do you think you’re doing?”

Curfew? Sunset cleared her throat, buying time to drum up a lie. “I was just… getting wood for my fireplace. You know, because it’s so cold.” As she said it, Sunset came to the realization that Rarity was wearing clothes while she herself was technically naked.

What happened to my clothes? This place is weird!

She didn’t have time to dwell; Rarity’s concerned look had morphed into suspicion. “Wood rations were given out two days ago. Actually…” She made a quick lap around Sunset, eyes moving up and down. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in Ponyville before.”

Sunset swallowed and cleared her throat again. “Okay, you caught me.” She imitated Rarity, looking left and right before leaning in. “I was sent on a secret mission by the empress. I was to search the forest for rumors of a resistance.”

Rarity gasped. “You mean Morning Light? Did… did you find anything?”

Holy crap, I can’t believe this is working. Sunset shook her head. “Sadly, no. I was on my way back to Canterlot to report in.”

“Ah, I see. I’m so sorry, dear, I just thought… I mean, you’re not very covert. Don’t get me wrong, your mane and coat are fabulous. Just not what I would expect from a recon pony.”

“Exactly. In case I did find Morning Light, no one would suspect me of being a spy.”

Rarity nodded. “Oh, of course. Our Empress does seem to think of everything. Well, at any rate, I’m just glad I don’t have to report you or anything. You know the penalty for breaking curfew.”

“Sure do!” Sunset said with a nervous laugh. “Well, I should get going. I can’t keep Her Majesty waiting.”

“But of course! Just, one last question before you leave.”

“Shoot.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed again. “What phase is the moon in?”

“Uhh…” Sunset looked up at the perfect, round orb above them. “Full?”

Lips curling into a sinister smile, Rarity gave a short nod. “That’s what I thought.” Her horn began to glow an azure light, signaling it was time for Sunset to run.

The second she turned her back to Rarity, a hot burst of energy struck her shoulder and sent her face-first into the dirt.

“The penalty for breaking curfew…” Rarity said, her soft voice filled with acid, “is far more lenient than lying to an Enforcer.”

Sunset tried to get up, but something clamped down around her back and pinned her to the ground. Twisting her head, she saw an ethereal blue belt had come up around her middle.

Rarity walked in front of Sunset and used the tip of her horseshoe to raise Sunset’s chin. “Now, darling, tell me who you are and what you’re doing here, or I’m going to have to report you. And I really don’t want to do that.”

Sunset grit her teeth. She couldn’t get a read on this woman… pony? Her words sounded like poisoned honey, her lips were curled in a smile that said Sunset was a child who didn’t know any better, but there was something in her eyes, something Sunset couldn’t place. Whatever it was, it was far less malevolent than the rest of her tells.

Struggling to break free of her bonds, Sunset grunted, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Rarity shifted her hoof, digging her horseshoe’s metal tip into Sunset’s skin. “You’ll find I make a better audience than the Sentinels or Her Majesty,” she said with false sweetness.

Sunset tried to raise her head higher to get the tip out of her chin. “Fine. I honestly have very little idea where I am. All I know is, some monsters came and attacked me and took my sister! I just want to get to Canterlot so I can save her!”

Rarity removed her horseshoe, letting Sunset’s head drop to the ground. “Well, that at least explains why you’re out past curfew.” She stopped giving Sunset her simpering smile and looked at her with genuine sympathy. “I understand what it’s like to have a sister you want to protect, but it’d be foolish of you to go to Canterlot.”

“Yeah, I know, big bad empress or whatever. What else am I supposed to do?”

If Rarity had an alternative, she never got to voice it. Her ears snapped to attention and she whipped her entire body around to face a shadowy approaching figure. Sunset craned her neck to the left to get a proper view of it.

It looked like another pony, only larger and coated in midnight blue armor that blended into the shadows. The crest from earlier was etched into its breastplate. A helmet covered its face completely; the grate for its mouth was formed in a jagged line that looked like a sinister smile, and there was only one glowing eye in the center of its vizor. While the ponies Sunset had seen so far had soft manes of hair, this pony had a mane that looked like blue fire softly flickering in the night air.

“Enforcer Rarity,” it said in a harsh, metallic drone, “have you found a disruptor?”

“Oh, er, you see I thought I had, but the poor dear was just getting more firewood.”

Sunset blinked. Why was this girl suddenly sticking up for her? Then again, she had seem reluctant the hand Sunset over to the ‘Sentinels’. Perhaps this was one of them? If Rarity was scared of them, Sunset could only imagine what they were capable of.

“Firewood distribution is not for another four moon cycles.” The Sentinel stepped closer, the red eye in its visor glowing brighter. “State your name and occupation, or your punishment will be doubled.”

Rarity looked over her shoulder and gave Sunset a sharp glare that said, ‘do it.’

“Um, Sunset Shimmer. Occupation… none?”

Evidently, that had been the wrong thing to say. The red eye within the sentinel brightened to blinding levels, and a loud, angry ring sounded from its armor. It charged forward, knocked Rarity aside, and pointed its horn at Sunset.

“Primary target found!” Its voice had dropped several octaves to a menacing growl. “Eliminating final threat!”

Crackling red electricity spiraled up its horn and gathered together into a ball at the tip. Sunset’s face burned from the energy pouring forth.

She also felt a great pressure rise off her body. With the ball of energy reaching its peak, Sunset took a chance and rolled to the left just as the Sentinel fired. The blast struck the ground, missing Sunset but creating a wave of pressure and dirt that sent Sunset flying into the side of a building.

“Destroy primary target!” the Sentinel roared.

Side aching, Sunset got to her hooves in time to see the monsters charging toward her, preparing more magic. She turned and ran as fast as her new body would carry her, weaving from side to side. A second blast flew by her cheek, grazing her fur.

Come on, magic, Sunset thought hard. Come on, do something, please!

She tried to concentrate on her horn, willing her magic to come out from there. She didn’t care what she did, as long as she got this thing to stop chasing her!

Another blast struck the ground just behind her, creating a shockwave that knocked Sunset off her hooves and onto her stomach. She scrambled up, but a metal-clad hoof slammed into her side and sent her careening into a tree. She rolled to the ground, ribs bruised and certain she was about to meet her death.

She looked over to the approaching Sentinel. It greeted her with its jagged smile and red eye. “Eliminating final threat.”

Why am I a primary target? Why does it want me dead? Sunset pushed the question to the side and tried one last time to think of a way out of her situation. I can’t die here! I need to save Twilight!

A familiar warmth spread through her body, quickly scaling to a fevered heat. Sunset closed her eyes and let out short, haggard breaths, the heat exacerbating the pain in her chest. Instead of releasing from her horn like she intended, the magic enveloped her whole body and folded in on itself, and Sunset felt the entire world twist and pull away from her.

******

Sunset stopped and knelt on the third step from the bottom. She wrapped her hands on the railings to keep her balance. Below her, just out of sight, she could hear her parents talking.

“Honey, what is it?” she heard her dad ask her mom.

“I just…” Her mom made a loud sniffle. “I looked at that note again today, Night. And I…”

“Sweetie, sshhh. It’s going to be all right.”

Why was her mommy crying? Did the note say something mean? Sunset leaned in closer.

“It’s been years, Night. Seven years. I remember that first year we told ourselves not to get too attached because, what if whoever wrote the note did come back for her? It would hurt to let her go if we got too attached.”

Let who go? Too attached to what?

“I know. Sometimes I forget that she’s… not really ours.”

“Yes she is!” Velvet said fiercely. “She’s our daughter! We raised her! We changed her diaper! We gave her everything we could! We love her!”

“And you’re worried her real parents are going to show up any day.”

There was a long pause in which all Sunset heard were muffled sobs. “I can’t give her up now,” Velvet said. “I can’t. Sunset’s my baby. Maybe I didn’t give birth to her, but she’s mine…”

Sunset almost lost her balance. Numbness spread through her hands that made her release the rails. She sat on the step, immobilized. She couldn’t feel her heartbeat anymore, she couldn’t breathe. Her mommy wasn’t actually her mom? Was that why she looked so different from Shining and Twilight and her cousins? They weren’t actually her cousins?

She choked back a sob. This wasn’t her real family? Then where was her real family? Where were her real parents? And why did they leave her here? Tears dribbled down her cheeks. Something hot burned in her chest. It stung and grew sharper with each heavy breath. Her thoughts grew hazy. All of her birthdays and Christmases and picnics and playtimes… were they all lies? Shining wasn’t her big brother? Twilight wasn’t her little sister?

“Sunset!”

Sunset jerked her tear-stricken face up at her parents. Three sets of heartbroken, fear-stricken eyes stared at each other.

“I… y-you…”

Sunset couldn’t manage more than that. The heat building in her chest yearned for release. It spread through her body, and the entire world twisted and pulled away. She felt herself sucked through a drain, falling and spinning and rapid speeds before she hit the ground, tears still streaming down her face.

******

Wherever she had ended up, the floor beneath her was cold and dusty. Sunset chose to lay against it, the cool texture a balm for her warm body and bruised ribs. She decided to crack an eye open to make sure she hadn’t been followed.

A cobweb clinging to the bottom of a shelf was the first thing she saw. Casting her gaze around, she saw a broken table with a candelabra lying on the ground not too far away. The floor was stone and there were plants growing between the cracks. Turning her head to the right, Sunset saw a moth-eaten carpet and more bookshelves, their books scattered across the ground and covered in mold and dust.

A library? Groggily, she got to her hooves, head spinning from her burst of magic.

“I really need to learn how to use that.” Sunset took another look at her surroundings now that she was upright. It was definitely a library, old and decrepit with most of its books lost to time. The vaulted ceiling had several large cracks in it, allowing moonlight to pour in. A bright ray shone on the library exit, one of the doors lying on the ground.

She was in a completely foreign world, but Sunset headed for the exit to try and get a better sense of her surroundings. She stepped onto a large, narrow corridor that grew darker the longer it went on. Suits of armor lined the worn carpet, their expressionless visors managing to look as intimidating as the Sentinel Sunset had just escaped from.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate her power to her head again, willing some sort of light or fire to appear. Instead, Sunset felt the onset of a headache.

“Fine, stumbling in the dark it is.”

Sunset stepped away from the moonlit ruins and proceeded down the corridor. Her visibility rapidly declined until she couldn't see but two steps in front of her. She took it slow, dragging her hooves to feel out for rubble or sharp objects.

Switching her gaze from the wall of shadows in front of her to the carpet beneath her every few seconds, Sunset jumped and let out a short scream when she looked up into the face of a suit of armor. Her scream bounced down the halls, waking up who-knew-what within the darkness.

Steadying her breath, Sunset saw the hall split into two directions. She could see soft moonlight coming from her right, and she was desperate to see again.

The hall released her into another ruined room, arguably worse than the library. Here, the roof had also caved in, blocking off most of the other exits. The windows had been shattered, and plants had crept in and taken their place along the wall and floor.

A dais stood at one end of the room. The stairs leading to it had been severely cracked. Two thrones sat on the dais, though one of them had been thoroughly smashed, leaving only a blue one standing.

As Sunset looked about the room, she noticed burn marks and jagged grooves near most of the damage. There was a fight here.

She walked to the middle of the hall. The moon hung ominously over her head. She felt oddly exposed, and retreated to the only open door at the front of the room. Sunset stopped in the threshold and looked back. There was something nostalgic about this room in particular. Looking at the thrones in the back, Sunset felt a strange heartache.

She shook her head. Maybe, maybe she had been to this world before, as impossible as that sounded. But this place looked ancient, like no one had lived here in at least a few decades.

Sunset continued on, crossing another corridor and ending up in what once was the entrance hall. Most of the walls had crumbled away completely, but the wooden door still stood, something Sunset found strangely humorous.

In the middle of the room was an odd stone sculpture. A large orb sat on a plinth, and five arms stuck out around it. It looked like they were supposed to be holding something, but they were all empty.

Sunset stepped up to it, her hooves brushing against rough debris. She looked down and found large stone shards, possibly what the statue had been holding.

Looking closer, Sunset thought she saw something glittering amidst the rubble. It was tiny, but the gleam in the moonlight was surprisingly strong. Sunset knelt down and stretched her hoof out to touch it, mesmerized by its shine.

“Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!”

“Luna? I am… Nightmare Moon! And I only have one royal duty now: to destroy you!”

Sunset jerked her hoof away, her head swimming. Both those voices sounded familiar. She had just heard them a few nights ago. And she knew one of them, Sunset knew she did.

Her breathing dissolved into short rasps. Where was she? Why did this all seem familiar? And where was her sister?

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut and sank down to her knees. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her parents and her brother and her bedroom and go back to being the weird girl at school.

She felt a heat building in her, rising up to her horn and gripping her skull.

Horn. I have a horn. I'm a unicorn.

The sheer absurdity of it all hit her again, and Sunset jumped to her hooves and screamed. “What’s going on?”

She pointed her horn at the stone orb and yelled as hot energy released from it. It was just like when she fired magic from her palms, only it alleviated some of the pressure in her head. Her beam pierced the stone orb like it was cloth and shot out the other side, smashing into the remains of the stone wall and turning it to dust. Cracks spiderwebbed from the hole in the orb, and the whole thing caved in on itself.

Sunset took long, heavy breaths. She didn't feel any better. Outside of the crumbling walls was more forest shrouded in darkness. Even if it was the same forest from earlier, she had no way to navigate it, and she couldn't see Canterlot from here.

She let out a snarl. Then she let out a sob. Twilight was going to die and it was all her fault. She put a hoof to her eye to try and wipe away the tears but only succeeded in getting dirt into them. With another yell, she twisted and bucked the stone plinth, sending a crack up the base, and a throb up her legs.

What was she supposed to do now? She couldn’t just sit here, but what were her options? She fell back on her new haunches and stared at the dirty floor. A cold wind brushed against her coat and she shuddered. There had to be one option left. Even as despair tried to settle in, there was that feeling—that voice in Sunset’s head that told her everything would be okay.

Sunset got to her hooves and walked around the plinth to the front door. She pushed it open, the wood creaking so loudly, Sunset was afraid the door would break apart. She walked out and looked at the forest, a small canyon and broken bridge separating her from the rest of the world. In front of her, off in the distance, she could see the mountain again with flickering lights on its side.

There!

Sunset hopped down the broken steps of the castle, and paused as she touched the dead grass. She looked at the mountain before her again. Its darker outline stuck out against the backdrop of night, though its definitions were lost. Even still, she could see an even darker shadow moving against it and steadily growing larger. Soon, Sunset could hear faint wingbeats.

Then, a roar.

She turned and ran back inside, the beating wings growing louder with each passing second. Retreading her path, Sunset lost herself in the corridors, passing by the throne room and hunkering down in the first fully closed-in hall she could find. It was silent for a moment, then the wingbeats came in, growing louder and louder, pounding through the stone slabs of the castle.

Vision obscured by darkness, Sunset was left to freely imagine what sort of monster owned wings of that size. Had she entered a world where dragons were real? If she hadn’t been in mortal peril, the idea of seeing a dragon would have been exciting.

After several long minutes, the noisy wings faded. Sunset released a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. She started heading back for the entrance again, ears at full attention.

How do I get out of here if there’s a giant monster circling around? Why does this place have so many monsters?

She crossed back through the throne room and paused in the adjoining corridor. A sliver of moonlight snuck through a crack in the ceiling.

“If I figure out how to teleport on command, that’d be a big help,” she mumbled to herself. Sunset closed her eyes and tried to draw on her magic. “C’mon, it can’t be that hard.”

The ceiling buckled around her with an earth-splitting crash, dropping down bricks and mortar while the suits of pony armor crashed against the ground. Yet not a piece of debris touched Sunset’s head. When she opened her eyes, she found her blue shield surrounding her, leaving her in a circle free from crushed stone and metal.

Sunset lifted her head and screamed, finding herself staring into six sets of red eyes looking down at her. The wing beats stalking her had belonged not to a bird, or a dragon, but some nightmarish combination of both with a few additional features.

It was at least twelve feet tall, its ebony body shimmering in the moonlight. Pointed teeth extended out of its long silver beak. Sharp talons sat on the ends of its leathery wings, both as long as its body. The talons on its feet looked equally sharp, but what drew Sunset’s eyes were the appendages nestled right below its wings.

“Why does it have pincers?”

Two scorpion claws clicked menacingly at her. One shot forth and banged against the shield before retracting back to the beast’s side. It let out another roar, sounding like a cross between a dragon and an enraged turkey, and showing off a pair of black tongues.

Perched on the crumbling remains of the ceiling, the monster brought its head down and slammed its beak against Sunset’s shield. She gasped and winced, dropping to one knee. With another slam from the monster’s beak, a crack ran up the blue bubble.

When the beast raised its head again, Sunset dropped her shield and broke into a sprint, scrabbling over the rubble and throwing herself down the hall, ribs aching at the sudden exertion. The bird roared and beat its wings, sending vibrations through the hall. Dust and stone chips rained on Sunset’s head. Instead of heading back toward the entrance, she took a random turn and threw open a random set of doors.

Sunset came to a stuttering halt, stopping just before she crashed into a stone table. Upon a quick observation, she saw a woodfire stove, a stone basin, and several cabinets and drawers: a medieval kitchen.

The ceiling overhead shook violently. Breathing hard, Sunset took another look around for anything that could help her. A wooden spoon and a few heavily rusted knives were laid out on the counter. Sunset pointed her horn at the knives and lifted them up in her magic.

The monster outside roared again, and Sunset tensed the muscles in her legs. She heard the beating of wings and then… something she couldn’t identify. A thrum of some sort. It was followed by a pained squawk and another set of tremors from above.

Sunset stepped back, knives wobbling in her grasp. One flying beast was already a nightmare, she knew she couldn’t survive a second one.

A kitchen window shattered and in flew an alabaster mare. She landed on her side, rolled up onto her hooves and pointed her horn at the open window.

Sunset stared at the newcomer, then snapped back to the window as the monster bird shoved its head through and tried to snap at them. Sunset threw the rusty knives forward. Two of them broke against its beak, but a third lodged itself into one of its six eyes.

The bird roared in pain, and as it pulled its head back, the white unicorn fired a beam from her horn at its throat. The beast stumbled back and flapped its wings, crookedly taking off and shouting one more angry squawk.

Both mares stared at the broken window, panting as they listened to the sound of flapping wings fade away. Sunset relaxed the muscles in her legs and dropped to the floor, head pounding.

“Thanks,” she said breathlessly. She looked up to see the unicorn standing right in front of her. She had jet black hair tied into a neat bun, and wore a collar with a red tie and thick-rimmed glasses. Glasses that looked very familiar, as did the brown eyes behind them.

“Miss Inkwell?”

Raven smiled, eyes welling with tears. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Sunset.” She offered a hoof.

Sunset stared in disbelief but took it and got to her hooves. “What… how… why are you here?”

“I came looking for you.” She looked at Sunset with far more tenderness than a principal should have had for her students. “I saw that Nightmare flying toward the castle and I followed it hoping it would lead me to you. I’m glad I was right and that I made it in time.”

“Yeah, thanks for the help,” Sunset said slowly. Her mind was still desperately trying to make sense of things. She commended it for not giving up despite the ludicrosity of today’s events.

Raven stepped closer and put a hoof to Sunset’s cheek. “Goodness, it’s so good to see you, Sunset.”

“Uhh… yeah.” Despite the awkwardness, Sunset couldn’t bring herself to pull away. “It’s good to see you too, but…”

Raven blinked and lowered her hoof, her face red. “I’m sorry. It’s just…”

Sunset’s brain underwent a minor reboot, enough for her to string a few thoughts together. “Miss Inkwell, you know what’s going on, don’t you?”

“I—”

“Who are you?” Sunset asked, frustration mounting again and voice rising. “Where am I? Why do so many things here want me to die? Why am I pony? Why, just why?”

“Sunset, please, calm down!”

“I can’t! Do you know what I’ve gone through in the past few hours?” Sunset yelled, chest tightening. “I’ve been attacked by monsters, chased through a forest, threatened by a bear, assaulted, attacked again by some robots, almost crushed to death, attacked a third time, and on top of all that my sister has been kidnapped and I can’t get to her!”

Sunset dropped to her stomach and let out a long, heaving sob. There was no anger or frustration to follow it this time, just a painful swelling before Sunset sobbed again.

Raven stooped beside Sunset and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Sunset. I’m sorry about Twilight, and I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I want to tell you everything but—”

“No.” Sunset lifted her head and glared at Raven through watery eyes. “Don’t play that trope, please. Just tell me what’s happening.”

Raven inhaled softly and sighed. “Very well, Sunset. But I must warn you, some of this may come as a shock.”

Sunset shook her head. “It can’t get more shocking than this.”

Raven gave a soft chuckle. “You might be surprised.” She gestured to the window and the dark landscape outside.

“You are standing in the land of Equestria. At least, that’s what we used to call it,” Raven said nostalgically. “Not very long ago, this country was a beacon of light and love. Our leader was the benevolent and wise Princess Celestia, who had ruled our kingdom single-hoofedly for a thousand years.”

“A thousand years?” Sunset parroted.

“Yes. She was an alicorn; an immortal being with traits from all three pony tribes: unicorns, pegasi, and earth-ponies. She was kind, and generous, and cared for all of her subjects.

“Then, one day, we all learned she had become pregnant. All of us, even Her Majesty was surprised. None of us had thought it possible. But all of Equestria celebrated, all the way until the foal was born.”

Raven took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. “For a year, everything was as it should have been. I had never seen the country so elated before. And Her Majesty… her smile had always been radiant, but whenever she looked at her foal… it was as if she was the sun itself.

“Then, something even more unexpected happened. The seal on an ancient darkness broke sooner than predicted and without warning. One-thousand years ago, Princess Celestia locked away the most difficult enemy she had ever faced—one that had a… personal grudge against her. We all feared the worst. So, the Princess decided to hide her child in the safest place she could think of: another world entirely.

“I was the one who carried the little princess to safety while Princess Celestia went to fight for Equestria.” Raven bit her lip, her throat quivering. “She… lost that fight. And the monster known as Nightmare Moon took control of the world and plunged it into night everlasting.

“Ever since then, ponies have lived in fear of their new empress and her monsters. All the while, Nightmare Moon never ceased looking for Princess Celestia’s child; the last challenge to her complete control of Equestria.”

Raven stepped back and lowered herself into a deep bow. “Sunset Shimmer, you were that child. You are the one and only daughter of Princess Celestia, and heir to the Equestrian throne.”