Sunset Shimmer knew pain very well. One didn't go as far as her in the quest for mastery of the arcane arts without accidents and failed spells backfiring on the caster. It hurt her pride to admit it, but while these happened less as the years passed and her skill and knowledge grew, they never stopped. Not even she was infallible.

But not even all those incidents together could compare at the torture her body had been put through, pulled into so many directions at once as broken spells stabbed into her body and mind that it was a miracle she wasn't dead already.

As her mind succumbed to the agony, Sunset found herself floating in a void, sometimes colorless, sometimes filled with a myriad of colors, wandering aimlessly and without control. The pain was now barely more than a faint buzzing in all of her being.

She briefly wondered if she was dying, and an eternal instant was spent ruminating about why she didn't care.

Where was all the ambition that had pushed her forward, the pride that pushed her to be perfect? Her desire to trascend all that she was and reach her true potential? All the anger at failing?

Did she not care that she wouldn't see Celestia again, proving herself worthy of standing at her side? That she would never be at her side?

Doing more than just exist is tiring. Feeling is tiring. I just want to rest. To close my eyes and sleep...

Something in her didn't like that thought as whatever was left of her power stirred, surging from her body as a bit of feeling returned to the pony.

Sparks of teal magic danced around her, exhausted but unwilling to leave the unicorn. Sunset and her arcane power were tied to each other in ways a being without it would never understand, and at least the magic still desired to live. The burning ambition that was Sunset's main drive was practically imbued on it, and so it was as passionate as her.

The unicorn smiled at the only thing in her life that would never leave her, embracing the biggest spark and keeping it close to her heart, her mind content with watching the rest dance. If being alive meant staying together with her magic...

Then she would stay awake.

A second of eternity passed before she noticed the colors around her growing in intensity, flowing in all directions and taking blurry shapes, like seeing at the world without glasses. Bipedal beings walked and ran all around her, their indecipherable chatting and laughing and crying not louder than a whisper.

A white figure rose at her side, more clear than the others. The statue of a horse stood proudly before dissolving, the dust forming a guitar that seemed to be made for her if the color scheme was any indication. Warily, Sunset extended her foreleg and touched it with a hoof, feeling a powerful and energetic melody fill her, the sparks of magic dancing with delight. It was good music.

The guitar vanished, leaving Sunset and her magic disappointed. Then the void trembled for an instant, and both were taken aback as something new appeared before them. Something very powerful.

A purple star shone in the void, the promise of the power and future Sunset coveted so much woven into its light. She stretched a hoof slowly, sparks circling around the foreleg to offer their support. While before this experience she would have jumped at the chance being offered before her, grabbing the star in an instant and tearing through anyone in her way, now she could barely muster up enough desire, enough longing for that dream to just reach for it.

As she touched the star, it shone brighter in anger, magic black as night surging from it.

"This is what you desire?! You are not ready for this power! But if you don't believe me, then take it anyway. Let it consume you until there is nothing left of Sunset Shimmer."

The star's magic surged through her hoof, the entire limb morphing into a fiery claw, hotter than any flame and sharper than any weapon. Sunset could only stare, too exhausted to feel shocked but not too tired to not grow afraid.

Her magic recoiled as the dark power embraced her, leathery wings that shone in red and black spreading from her back, power unlike any other burning inside her soul.

Her sparks of teal magic moved around her, nervous and uncertain of what was happening.

Sunset felt the power grow to equal, then surpass Celestia's, that new magic growling like a feral beast and ready to tear through anyone that stood on her way. It was unstoppable, and now Sunset Shimmer herself was unstoppable, having gone beyond her potential and become something more.

Something implacable, merciless and vengeful.

Something that was nothing like the Celestia Sunset admired and envied.

The unicorn stared at her claw, somehow knowing how easy it would be to cut someone to pieces with it. This was not what she wanted.

This just felt... wrong!

The star's anger faded, leaving behind only sadness at the sight of what it had created. "Oh... Oh, I'm so sorry. But you wouldn't listen..."

Something warm and gentle touched her claw, the fiery appendage dimming down to a weak flame. Her limb went back to normal as it moved along to rest on her shoulder, calming the beast that seemed to now linger within her.

Looking to her side, Sunset's eyes fell over a small, golden creature shaped like a teardrop, the point extending like a long tail while two shorter tentacles extended from their side. One of them was the thing resting on her shoulder. Two green eyes filled with both kindness and sadness stared at her own.

"This is no longer your path, Sunset Shimmer," It-no, she spoke as the blurry shapes and the star dissolved into dust, floating away.

Sunset turned to face her as the other tentacle fell over the hoof in her chest that still held the spark of magic in a hug, all the others moving around this new being, wary yet curious.

The dark power faded in front of her touch, the wings blazing once before vanishing in a white light.

"I'm afraid that the future you saw is no longer yours; and I can't change that," she said as warmth filled the emptiness that dark power had left behind, the sparks of magic shining brighter as vitality returned to her; the faint pain she still felt was soothed. "But I can promise you this: you will have a future."

The tentacle in her shoulder went further up, gently caressing the unicorn's cheek. "Now it is time to wake up."

With a groan, Sunset rolled on the bed she was resting over, hugging the pillow like it was a lifeline. She had never felt more exhausted in her life; her body didn't ache anymore, but it felt so drained of energy that she wouldn't be surprised if she were to sleep for a month.

Dragons could sleep for decades, and now Sunset wanted to follow their example. It couldn't be too hard; she just had to ignore everything around her.

Ignoring explosions is hard, though.

BOOOOM!

Something exploded in a near room, shaking the entire building and causing Sunset to jump off the bed and all the way to the roof, failing to find something to grab and falling to the floor.

THUD!

Adding pain to the utter exhaustion of her body, the unicorn was left moaning in the middle of the room, doing her best to not whimper as shouts filled the house.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?"

"IT WAS YOUR INVENTION THAT JUST BLEW UP ON OUR FACES!!"

"FOR CHECKING ON YOUR DISASTER!!"

"OH NO, YOU ARE NOT BLAMING THAT ON ME, TURNER!"

"YOU MAKE A CHANGE IN THE TIMELINE AND WE FIND AN EXPLOSION IN ITS PLACE?! I'M DEFINITELY BLAMING YOU, RIVER!"

Something fell over, starting a chanin reaction that ended in many slams and broken glasses.

"And there goes half of my lab! I'm sending you the bill for that!"

"Don't be a crybaby, Turner!" There was a hum, and what could only be described as the sound of the long crash going in reverse filled the air for a few seconds. "There! Good as new."

The female voice had barely finished when the crash ocurred again; Sunset would have rolled her eyes at what she deduced was an epic failure, if she wasn't using all of her energy to try and climb back to the comfy bed.

"..."

"..."

"... remind me again why they promoted you to Chronos Warrior?"

"@%&$* you, Turner."

Sunset Shimmer let herself fall on the bed, coughing a couple of times before speaking as loud as her dry throat let her, "A-are you two done making a mess, or should I look for a place less prone to explosions?"

Silence reigned for a moment before hurried steps and whispers reached her ears; a minute later, the door opened. A brown earth pony entered carrying a jar filled with water and a glass over a platter, followed behind by a hippogriff.

Sunset had never seen one in person, but she couldn't bring herself to do more than stare before the pony settled the platter on the nightstand, turning to her with a kind smile.

"Hello; my name is Time Turner. Nice to meet you, even if the situation is not ideal."

"... Sunset Shimmer," The unicorn greeted after a few seconds, tired yet wary. They seem to be taking care of her, but she didn't know who they were, or where she was.

Turner's smile grew a little before gesturing to the hippogriff. "She is River, and I'm sorry you had the displeasure of meeting her."

The pony ignored the glare and rude gestures of the hippogriff, thought his smile grew a bit mischievous as Sunset coughed a laugh. "How do you feel?" He asked gently.

"Exhausted. In pain. Exhausted. Sleepy. And exhausted. Not to mention exhausted." She turned to the hippogriff. "Thanks for that, by the way."

The hippogriff shrugged, "Not my fault you got in the way."

"River..." Turner warned as he filled the glass.

"What? I was just doing my job, and thanks to her those two escaped. Again!"

Turner bit his tongue so he wouldn't comment about that last part and start another argument. He offered the glass to Sunset; the unicorn tried to summon her magic, only getting a few sparks before giving up and holding it with her hooves.

"An unicorn not using their horn for something? Now I've seen it all," River quipped, trying to lighten the mood. The glares she got from the ponies were a clear sign that it wasn't working. Throwing up her claws in surrender, she stepped to the side and laid on the wall.

Sunset drank slowly, her throat having difficulty with even this small amount of liquid before coughing up multicolored sparks, Turner and River barely avoiding the fragments of spells that shot through the room, crashing against the wall before dissipating.

"I thought dragons were the ones that spit magic," The hippogriff grumbled, rubbing a burned feather in her wing.

"That's not normal..." Turner mused.

The unicorn sat up, suddenly feeling a warmth in her chest, expanding and pulsing. "Uh, this doesn't feel normal either..."

A flame ignited in her chest, a bright golden that surged from her fur. It wasn't painful, or even uncomfortable. Little by little, the fire flowed out of her before shifting in the air, a teardrop with tentacles forming in front of them. Green eyes opening as the time creature regarded the group.

Sunset stared at her, jaw practically on the ground, while Turner gave her a nod as greeting. River gently massaged her eyes before speaking.

"So, what happened, Tic Tac? I had never seen anything like that."

Turner facehoofed as the time creature twirled in the air, light swirling around her form before settling, revealing an exact copy of River that was looking at the original with annoyance.

"My name is not Tic Tac. Chronicle is the name you may use to refer to me." She said with the tiredness of someone that had gone over the same issue hundreds of times.

Though she now was a hippogriff, her voice was just as powerful as when helping Sunset in that strange void.

The unicorn's brain worked feverously to try and understand what she was seeing, coming up with an elegant and extensive inquiry to direct to the earth pony.

"What?"

Well, it obviously got lost in the way, leaving Sunset's mouth to improvise. At least it got the message across.

Turner rubbed his head, seeing how utterly exhausted the unicorn looked, "It's a long story; we should wait until you are rested. No offense, but you look like you could sleep for a century."

Whatever protest Sunset had didn't finish forming as her exhaustion grew with every minute she spent awake. "I feel like I could sleep for two centuries."

Chronicle turned to River. "You crashed on her just as she was crossing between worlds, several transformation spells turning her into another species to blend in with the inhabitants on the other side. Your interference caused the future she would have had there to collapse right in the bridge between universes, all the potential energy burning itself."

Turner facehoofed as River groaned, cursing her luck. Sunset wasn't sure she understood all of it, and she wasn't precisely in the best of conditions to form her own conclusions.

Chronicle walked towards the bed, stopping just in front of Sunset. "I have fixed most of your physical damage, and your body can handle the rest; but you need to rest. You were pushed to the limit, and yet, you refused to succumb. You have earned the time to recover." She lifted a claw and, with some hesitation, rested it on the unicorn's shoulder. " Like I promised, you will have a future."

Sunset looked at the claw for a few seconds. After some internal debate, she swallowed her pride. She was too tired, and Chronicle had saved her life. If anything, this was the very least she had to do.

"Thank you."

The words were strange as they left her mouth, like her tongue had forgotten their taste when they were sincere. Now that I think about it... When was the last time I said 'thank you'?

Chronicle nodded, her eyes as gentle as the first time Sunset saw them.

The unicorn gave up musing about everything that was happening- sudden, if little moral dilemmas and strange creatures that could shapeshift included- and laid down, getting comfortable in the bed and closing her eyes.

"I'm going to sleep. Try not to blow up the house again before I get my answers."

"Whatever you say, Princess." River rolled her eyes and left the room, not noticing Sunset tensing before her exhaustion won over and she fell asleep again.

Turner raised an eyebrow at Chronicle in a silent question, but she shook her head; it was not her place to answer. Turning around, the two of them followed River as quietly as possible.

Author's Note

Not much to tell here; I'm trying to not let myself lose this inspiration to keep writing, as I seem to be making at least one chapter every week. Let's see for how long I can keep it up.

This chapter has a sort of prologue in Chaos in the World of Order. It will be up soon, as I'm running out of vacation days.