Black Sun

"So, that's basically what happened." Applejack explained to Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as they sat in a lounge connecting the recovery wards. Night was starting to fall outside and the atmosphere around them was surprisingly relaxed, in spite of everything that had occurred today.

It had proven impossible to keep the full extent of what had happened a secret. The smoke from the Everfree Forest, coupled with the light show from Twilight and Tantabus' battle, had been visible from beyond Canterlot. Truth and rumors had spread like wildfire, few of them good. Tension among ponies in the capital was at an all-time high and it wasn't hard to imagine everypony was now expecting the worst. On the plus side of things, it turned out that Twilight hadn't been badly hurt, the Alicorn Amulet was no longer at risk of falling into Tantabus' clutches and the Ponyville weather team had already managed to bring the forest fires under control. All things considered, the only true downer point was that nopony had found any signs of Zecora's fate yet. Though with over a quarter of the Everfree caught in the flames, few dared to hold out hope.

The looks on Rainbow and Scootaloo's faces made it clear that they knew they couldn't have helped much in that kind of situation. Even for so much as supporting Twilight. Even with the news that Fluttershy was still alive, the princess hadn't said a word to anypony since and barely had the wherewithal to keep standing on her own. Spike and Aurora had brought her back to the castle to recuperate, but even they were struggling to get through to her at this point. Hopefully when news came of Fluttershy's condition, it would bolster her spirit.

Discord had surprised everybody with how much effort he had put into ensuring Fluttershy had come through this, both by using his magic for the opposite of its purpose to save her and attempting to give her emotional stability before sending her on for real treatment. Although nopony yet knew exactly what condition she was in, the fact the hospital was still relatively calm indicated that things couldn't be all that bad. All the same, any kind of news would be welcome. The wait was always the worst part and the three of them didn't feel like they could talk about anything to ease it.

As the sun outside was starting to finish its dip below the horizon, their attention was caught by the sound of a hospital gurney coming their way. Considering this lounge connected to most of the wards on this side of the hospital, it was enough to pique their curiosity. After a minute a dark orange earth stallion passed along the hallway at the far wall, pulling the gurney in his teeth. Fluttershy was rested on it, looking completely spent but alive and awake. The sight instantly sent a flood of relief through Applejack, Rainbow and Scootaloo as they got up and moved over to her.

"Flutters!" Rainbow exclaimed happily as she reached her first, taking a hoof in her own. "I knew you wouldn't be that easy to kill."

"Damn straight. Tougher than a frozen apple core." Applejack added, smiling more than the others. The nurse clearly recognised them as he had stopped to let them have this moment.

"Tougher than you..." Fluttershy countered, managing a weak smile. Her voice still sounded extremely rough and it was taking effort to get the words out, but she sounded happy. AJ simply chuckled and tipped her hat.

"Ah'll take that as a challenge."

"So...How's she doing?" Scootaloo asked the nurse, waiting as he checked the patient notes attached just under the handle he'd been pulling with.

"Well, she's out of immediate danger. She'd lost a lot of blood but that's something we fix all the time. It has left her needing extended rest though," He told them, waiting for Applejack and Rainbow to back off slightly before continuing. "As for her throat, Discord actually did quite a job of putting everything back in place. The doctor's scans show that everything is working as it should to some degree. She will need further treatments with potions and healing magic though, and there's a worrying chance of lasting damage to her vocal cords."

Scootaloo nodded and looked back toward the other two, who were now quietly filling Fluttershy in on what had happened. She looked rather shaken about the whole ordeal but was still listening intently. If she had any thoughts on Twilight's actions, she wasn't giving any hint as to what they were. As the nurse resumed pulling the gurney, Applejack moved behind it to give him an extra boost while Rainbow kept talking to Fluttershy. Despite the circumstances, the air among the group was still relatively calm, normal. Almost as if they were simply chatting about an old adventure while at the spa, instead of going through the aftermath of yet another disaster scenario.

"So, does your family know about this?" She asked cautiously. Fluttershy looked back up at her and nodded.

"Discord."

"You know, even I've gotta admit that he really came through for us this time." Rainbow commented as the mini-convoy headed into the wards, dropping behind Applejack so as not to take up the whole hallway.

"Yeah..." Applejack mused, looking back at her. "Now ah'm wondering though. Why didn' he do anything about Tantabus to begin with?"

The others looked at her, even Fluttershy seemingly given pause. Even when he refused to help or outright made things worse, Discord always had a roundabout way of making sure it was for a positive outcome. Here, he hadn't even lifted a claw to make his existence known until today. What was his intent?

"I don't know. I guess I seemed like the right pony in his eyes but...I-I just don't know."

Peace Walker sighed as she stared intently at the map, doing her best to shut out the castle around her. All she'd been able to think about since Discord had returned her here was, why her? He hadn't really offered her a chance to ask. She'd been focused on what he'd asked her to do and as soon as he'd felt Fluttershy was safe to travel he had teleported her back out. Little more than a rushed but surprisingly heartfelt thanks. None of it make any sense to her, and she'd been sitting here for hours trying to understand. Fluttershy still had her family, she had basically nothing. Her parents were long out of contact, Bulwark was gone. All she really had left was their home in Trottingham, and when was the last time she had stayed there? Well, there were the others. Even if she had done her best to limit her interactions with them, she still knew there were no other ponies she wanted watching her back if she went into danger again.

"I know Discord may not make a lot of sense, even at the best of times, but he always knows what he's doing. If he thought you could help Fluttershy better than anyone, I'm sure you did."

Well, ponies and a dragon.

"I tried my best, always do." She replied, looking up at Spike as he sat in Applejack's seat across the table from her, watching as he poked through a bowl of gemstones. He had been her only contact since returning to Ponyville, filling her in on what had happened.

"I know. And believe me, you have no idea how much it means to everypony." He told her, picking an emerald out and chewing on it.

As she stared at him for a moment, she realised that despite his constant strength and support, he looked like she felt. His moments were slowed slightly, his smile was somewhat strained and his body was hunched up slightly. He looked as though he badly needed the most vigorous relaxation treatment the Ponyville Spa could offer. Unfortunately the building had been another victim of Tantabus' attack on the town, mostly returned to charred stone. Even though it wasn't really her place to jump in on the matter, something in her felt like she had to offer some kind of help to him.

"Yeah...Hopefully it'll help everypony relax a little. Parre knows they need it," She replied as she looked back at him properly. "What about you though? Spike the dragon, number one assistant. Always helping to keep Princess Twilight going through thick and thin. You know her every bit as well as she knows herself. So you probably have as much on your shoulders as she does. Add that to the fact that everypony just seems to be getting worn down more and more, sleeping worse and getting moodier...How are you coping with it all?"

"Well, it hasn't been easy. Honestly? I'm not sure how well I'd do tonight if Aurora wasn't helping comfort Twilight. I've never seen her this shaken, and I didn't think that was possible after the Starlight incident. Second guessing most decisions from her princess duties to daily life, masked depression she hid from everypony, nightmares every night for months..."

"Oh...Why are you telling me this?" Peace asked in surprise. Spike blinked and looked at her as if he'd momentarily forgotten she was there.

"Oh. Sorry. I was, I was just rambling. Even though it was over twenty years ago, common knowledge now. Sorry that I did it to you."

"It's fine. I actually didn't know..." Peace looked down for a few moments before getting up from Fluttershy's chair. "Sorry, there's a lot on my mind at the moment and I'm weary enough as is. Is it alright if I stay at the castle for tonight?"

"Of course. There's only one guest room that's undamaged at the moment but we have space for you. Just head up to the next floor and follow the singing."

"Right...Thanks," She said sceptically as she made her way out of the map room. As she reached the door she paused and looked back. "Maybe you should get some sleep too. And for what it's worth, I really hope things get better for you and Twilight."

"Yeah. Me too." Spike admitted, resting his chin on his hand and poking through his bowl of gemstones.

Once she was outside, Peace momentarily hesitated. Part of her felt she should go back in and stay with the dragon, help him talk through his issues. She'd basically done it once today after all. Then again, she didn't really have as much common ground with him as she had with Fluttershy and she had had a clear head back then. Now it was getting late and weariness was starting to weigh down on her too. Hopefully that meant she would sleep deeply enough not to dream tonight. None of her dreams had been pleasant ones recently and she was certain most ponies were going through the same. That thought didn't help her mood either.

As she made her way to the upper level of the foyer and into the castle hallways, her ears twitched as they caught the faint sound of singing somewhere on this level. As she slowly followed it she started picking out the words. It was a song she didn't know, a slow and melodic piece about ponykind's faith in the princesses, but there was something soothing about it. That made a lot of sense that it made her feel that way. That was Sweetie Belle's voice, deep in her element, pouring her heart into emotional music.

It was almost surprising that she hadn't heard it sooner. Sweetie usually would have started on another music tour in the time she had been doing her part here. Instead of putting her talent out for the public to enjoy, she had instead chosen to put her life on the line to give that same public another chance at a peaceful life. They would never know why either, why she was choosing to risk sacrificing everything for them. Something about that just felt wrong to Peace Walker, unsettling that awkward feeling she had been developing. By the time she reached the door to the guest room, the singing had trailed off and she was feeling more like her usual self.

She pushed the door open to see a two bed room with basic accommodations for its occupants. Sweetie Belle was laid out on the bed to the right, stretched out on her back and reading a book by the light of her horn. Peace didn't look close enough to see what it was about, shutting the door behind her by the time the unicorn had seen who it was.

"Hi," Sweetie said as she sat up on her back. "You're staying here too?"

"Yeah...If you don't mind my asking, where were you today?" Peace replied, cringing slightly at her tone. It had come out harsher than she had intended, speaking without time to adjust for her attitude.

"I ah...Things in Canterlot got me side tracked. I realised there were a few ponies I needed to see while I had time," Sweetie admitted, looking down slightly. "By the time I got back to Ponyville, everything was already over. Spike filled me in and I tried to talk to Twilight earlier but, it's like she's shut down at the moment. She barely even acknowledged I was there."

"Well, we'll just have to help her though it where we can." Peace told her as she clambered into her own bed, yawning as her already tired mind took in the softness of the duvet under her hooves.

She barely had time to settle down before her exhaustion crept over her, sending her into a deep slumber she desperately needed. Her last conscious thought was about what still lay ahead, how Tantabus had managed to escape again. How she was probably already making her next move....

She was back in her own body, and it was the most painful thing she'd ever experienced.

Sunset Shimmer's screams echoed far into the night, yet she knew nopony would be able to hear them. Tantabus had retreated to a new hideout in the aftermath of her battle with Twilight, seemingly beyond the bounds of settled Equestria. They were now somewhere on a high peak in a group of isolated mountains, forest spreading out in every direction before fading into the pitch darkness. Not that she had time to try and figure exactly where it was. Tantabus had performed some emergency medical treatment on her injuries, focusing on the burns and broken leg, and she had been left to deal with the pain, as always. It always hurt but she hadn't been even the smallest amount of numbness this time, leaving her curled over on her side, convulsing in a desperate attempt to find any position that would hurt less.

'Honestly, you really thought your moment of defiance wouldn't have repercussions?'

Tantabus' voice was dripping with venom in her mind. Cold, hard contempt. Up until now it had usually talked to her as though she were a unending nuisance at best, one that could be mocked and raged at without consequence. The fact that was the only voice she'd regularly heard for the last three weeks had been taking a heavy toll on Sunset. But the fact she was being talked to without any condescension was even worse. She could feel every angered word thrumming throughout her mind, chipping away at her resilience and aggravating the pain further.

'Do you even KNOW what you've done?' It continued, almost snarling in anger. 'The Alicorn Amulet was mine for the taking. All you had to do was sit there, and let me handle the situation. I would have been away and unstoppable by sundown. Instead, you decided to play hero and ended up ruining everything for both of us. You know you could have actually kept your body if I'd had the amulet when I fixed it. Just a bad memory but still existing. Now though...The fact you're supposed to be the best of the defects is the only reason I haven't left your body to the arimaspi already.'

Sunset shuddered at the mere thought. Although nopony had seen an arimaspi since the Sacking of Griffonstone, roughly twelve hundred years ago, she knew Tantabus wouldn't make a threat she couldn't follow through on.

That did put a thought into her though, an idea of what she needed to do in order to stop this. Despite every fibre of her body feeling like it was dying in agony, she rolled herself onto her front. The high ledge she was on was relatively small and if she could just keep moving through the pain...Just keep fighting the control until her body had been reduced to an, unusable condition...It was a terrifying thought, but it was preferable and would have far more desirable results for the world. She was not a slave to anypony. She was not broken yet. She was Sunset Shimmer, and she would do whatever was necessary to help better Equestria. Princess Celestia had taken her on as her student for that very purpose and she would see it though. No matter how dreadfully it would cost her.

Just as she got a hoof gripping at the edge, her whole body lurched backward as her cutie marks glowed brightly. She could feel her fleeting control slip being torn away before her world went black again.

'I think not,' Tantabus told her firmly. Her tone was slipping back toward the indifference she usually displayed but the underlying anger remained. 'I can't have you jumping the gun again. That will come in time, but not before the very moment of my choosing. Until then, I will make you feel every last moment of the pain you inflicted upon us both. I will make you beg for death every day I am forced to remain like this. And I will make you witness everything you held dear being cast aside as easily your father was. Now, be a good little thing and stay quiet.'

Sunset had no time to reply before she was engulfed in pain again. This time, it was all she had. Only a flicker of her own willpower remained.